A recent demonstration by the US firm Golden Shellback shows how their plastic coating will allow you to take your Apple iPhone Australia surfing with you, or even use it in the bath without the usual nightmare consequences (which include electrotherapy and arguments with your bank manager!)

The plastic coating is applied with a vacuum which completely covers not only the external surface, but also all the internal components. The coating also doesn’t conduct electricity, so no chips and circuits will be damaged when they come in contact with water.

Check out this amazing video to see the results for yourself -

This clear plastic coating could spell the end for water-damaged electrical equipment, though the company is also quick to claim that any device cannot be completely waterproofed without a proper case.

Personally, I’m a lot more at ease with my electrical equipment out of water than in it!

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Speculation is rife that the next generation of Apple iPhone in Australia, due to be unveiled in December, will be a ‘nano’ version of the hugely successful handset.

Industry source’s are claiming Apple will launch the new mini iPhone in time for Christmas and will reportedly be available for pay-as-you-go customers. The latest 3G incarnation of the iPhone has been the world’s fastest selling mobile phone ever, with some retailers up 81 per cent in sales compared to the same quarter last year.

With this sharp pick-up in subscription connections off the back of the iPhone 3G launch, most retailers would welcome another Apple release in time for the Christmas rush, as I’m sure consumers would. With the second-generation iPhone more business ready, the handset is not just a fashion accessory but also ready to take on the might of the Blackberry.

But with a smaller handset, questions will be raised about what Apple will have to cut back on to encompass all the features into a smaller package. Rumours suggest the iPhone ‘nano’ will feature a touchwheel for dialing on the back with a full screen on the front, though I’m sure with Apple’s eye for design whatever the finished product is, it will be spectacular.

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4 New Zealanders with deck chairs, sleeping bags and a small tent started queuing yesterday outside the Auckland shop which will launch the Apple iPhone New Zealand at 12:01am on Friday - making them the first purchasers in the world.

One of the 4 New Zealand campers, 22-year-old student Jonny Gladwell said -

“I’m really just doing it to be able to say that I’m the first one in the world with one of these phones”

New Zealand’s top mobile carrier - Vodaphone, is selling the iPhone for NZ$199 on a two-year contract. Demand for pricing details was so heavy it crashed Vodafone’s New Zealand website on Tuesday. The same happened to the O2 server in the UK when they were swamped with orders and have now completely sold out online.

And, trust me, the UK and New Zealand are not the only countries going iPhone crazy…

In Japan around 20 people were lined up outside their flagship mobile store in Tokyo on Wednesday morning, two full days before the launch, with a sign at the head of the queue reading “We Love iPhone”.

First in line was Hiroyuki Sano, a 24-year-old graduate student from Nagoya, 225 miles west of the capital. Sano, wearing an Apple T shirt and preparing to turn 25 whilst in the queue, said -

“The big appeal is that this is an Apple product. I’ve told my professor I was going to go buy an iPhone, and he gave me permission. He is an Apple-lover too, and he sent me off cheerfully.”

Hong Kong’s Telecom International received 60,000 online applications over the weekend from desperate customers trying to get their hands on one of 500 phones they have on sale. Desperation levels hit meltdown with people even pleading online that they needed the iPhone to appease demanding wives.

The original iPhone was only available in the United States and Europe, but will debut in Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, and New Zealand this Friday as part of the global launch in 22 countries

> > click here to shop online with Apple New Zealand

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Software developer Stevens Creek will be showcasing 3 new applications for the Apple iPhone Australia upon its release on July 11th 2008. The company had focused most of its energy on developing software for Palm OS handhelds, but they have now turned their attention to the latest iPhone incarnation.

The three products include the TripLog, a mileage tracking tool that helps you manage tax-deductible mileage logging. It can memorize frequently-taken trips, and e-mail them in a log.

The Athlete’s Calculator is Stevens Creek Software’s iPhone version of a software application created for Palm OS. It calculates time, distance and pace or speed and performs both English and metric units and distance conversions.

Handy Randy is a strange name for a random number generator application! Sounds rather fruity, though what it actually does select random numbers from up to three unconnected ranges to help run a plethora of games and help pick lottery numbers.

All 3 of these applications will be available online from the Apple’s Apps Store on July 11th 2008. To register interest in the Apple iPhone Australia click here.

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

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Optus have announced that they will be selling the 8GB Apple iPhone Australia for the outright price of AU$729 when purchased with Optus prepaid SIM cards. The 16GB model will also be available for AU$849.

A range of 1 and 2 year plans will also be available, with cheaper monthly caps for additional handset charges. The iPhone will also be available post-paid on the Optus network for free when ordering the AU$79 capped plan over 2 years, which includes a 700MB monthly data allowance.

The cheapest option includes AU$50 of calls and messages and a 100MB data allowance for AU$19 a month minimum spend and handset repayments of AU$21 per month for the 8GB model.

All customers purchasing an iPhone will receive a start-up bonus of AU$400 credit, plus free unlimited data usage for the first month.

The 3G Apple iPhone is released in Australia on July 11th 2008, if you would like to register interest click here.

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

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3 Mobile Australia has surprisingly created a website to encourage Apple to become partners with them for their 3G iPhone Australia launch on July 11th.

Despite no current agreement between Apple and the 3 Network, the website will allow customers to register their interest in the iPhone, even though you can’t actually get it on 3 yet!

Vodafone and Optus are the two confirmed Australian networks currently able to offer the 3G iPhone at launch, though the 3 Network remain hopeful they will be able to strike a deal with Apple.

3 Mobile’s director of sales and marketing, Noel Hamill, said -

“Ever since Apple’s announcement that a 3G iPhone is coming, we’ve had lots of calls and e-mails from people wanting to get the value that 3 offers with the iPhone. We want Apple to see just how much our customers want the iPhone.”

3 Network customers can SMS the word iPhone to 333000 to receive a form allowing them to enter their comments directly from their mobile. They can also register their interest on this page, where they can also message Apple directly.

> > click here to shop online with 3 Mobile Australia

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

The latest 3G Apple iPhone Australia is destined to be more profitable than the previous iPhone, despite it being half the price.

With much lower component costs, the profit margins are expected to exceed 50%, which is higher even than Apple’s most popular gadget – the iPod.

Research firm iSuppli Corp. performed a ‘virtual teardown’ to create estimates of iPhone content, suppliers and costs. This research doesn’t include the costs of software development, shipping, distribution and packaging.

Principal analyst for iSuppli, Dr. Jagdish Rebello said -

‘The new iPhone is significantly less expensive to produce than the first-generation product, despite major improvements in the product’s functionality and unique usability, due to the addition of 3G communications’

The hugely anticipated 3G Apple iPhone is released in Australia, and 11 other countries worldwide, on July 11th 2008.

You can pre register your interest in the iPhone here.

> > click here to shop online with Apple Australia

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With the long awaited release of the Apple iPhone Australia imminent, we decided to take a look into some of the phone new features. This little beauty is going to sell by the bucketload, but that could be bad news for the iTouch…The new phone features a plastic back instead of the metal one, which will not only help the GPS system, but also stop the metal from getting scratched. Also, by using plastic it also helps minimise the size of the phone, even if it’s just by a few millimetres.

The phone itself will be available in 8GB and 16GB formats; though don’t be surprised to see a 32GB model available very soon. For some people an iPhone simple doesn’t have the memory to work as an out and out iPod, so I’m sure Apple will deal with this as they did with the iTouch and already have a bigger one in the pipeline.

Ah, the iPod Touch. What exactly will happen to these is slightly unsure as they are almost twice the price of their memory comparative iPhone, without the GPS or phone part. I guess if you’re already happy with your mobile then an iTouch is an option, but I can see a lot of people choosing the iPhone over the iTouch due to it’s ‘all in one’ capacity (I certainly am).

The iPhone’s GPS capabilities allow TomTom-esque turn-by-turn driving directions This is quite a feat for a mobile phone, though the location based social network meaning people can determine EXACTLY where you are, may not go down quite as well…

‘Where are you? Your dinners getting cold.’

‘I’m in the gym’

‘No you’re not, you’re in the pub!’

With the new pricing policy of the 3G iPhone, it looks like it’s going to be a head to head battle with the Blackberry in this summer’s smart phone war. The iPhone has a much bigger screen, multi touch input, and of course the iTunes Store. Plus it’s going to be cheaper than a Blackberry, though the 18 month contract may put off some people.

Another string to Apple’s marketing bow is their latest software – MobileMe. This allows PC users as well as Mac customers to easily sync the iPhones to their desktop computers for keeping their mail and contacts. MobileMe’s web-based applications also look like being the first Apple service that lives up to the high standards of Apple’s traditional desktop software.

The big question is, with the Apple iPhone encompassing so many different Mac products in one package, will the iPhone faze out some of the other Apple gadgets?

> > click here to register interest in the Apple iPhone today

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Nokia launch their latest business-oriented mobile phone Australia, the Nokia E71 which features the world’s thinnest QWERTY keyboard. The GPS-enabled E71 is the latest direct rival to the Apple iPhone and has a height of only 1cm.With Nokia’s revamped email software meaning users only need to enter their email address and password to set up email on their device, this phone is specifically built for messaging with the full keyboard.

The HSDPA-enabled handset will feature Microsoft Exchange, plus the ability to switch to a business home screen during office hours to a personal screen at evenings and weekends. It also features a 3.2 megapixel camera, showing Nokia’s focus on work phones that offer excellent non business capabilities.

Nokia’s Soren Peterson said -

“The product can simply switch personality as you see fit during the day,” said Petersen. “It means you can hide business email and have a normal Saturday without business email clinging to you all the time.”

Nokia handsets are available on the 3 Network Australia and Virgin Mobile Australia.

American investment bank Morgan Stanley expects sales of the Apple iPhone Australia to almost double by the end of 2009 because of the new lower price point.

Morgan Stanley expects nearly 27 million iPhones to be purchased by the end of next year, claiming that Apple’s estimates are a lot lower than expected with the new lower price and bigger distribution of the new model will be key to more software sales over time.

A spokesperson for the investment bank said -

“We believe the market generally expects a doubling of iPhone units with the lower price point and we believe this is realistic, if not conservative.”

With many new features and the price being half the previous model, the latest iPhone incarnation promises to be a big hit with consumers across the globe on its release date of July 11th…

I for one am counting down the days!

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