The US Patent and Trademark Office has revealed a mammoth document that can only be described as The iPhone Patent, a 371-page spectacular that covers Apple's handheld multi-touch UI paradigm in excruciating detail. Many of the mocked-up screen shots depicted in the paperwork are dead ringers for screens that we're well acquainted with in the production phone, while others represent ideas that either haven't finished cooking or eventually found their way into the Cupertino circular file (follow the break for a picture of a home screen with dedicated "Blog" and dictionary apps, for instance). The application also mentions "modules" for video conferencing, GPS, and other currently non-existent (though widely expected) functionality. And in case there's any doubt over who was responsible for this compendium of legalese, industrial design, and technical diagrams, one only need look at the header of page 1: "Jobs et al." Yep, Steve himself wasn't the least bit shy about taking credit atop an entire column of company A-listers for inventing the iPhone's trademark user interface, which we're guessing came about from a mix of equal parts truth, ego, and ass-kissing from the legal department down the hall. Seriously though, if you're Scott Forstall down there at number two on the Inventors list, what are you going to do -- go boardroom showdown all John Sculley-style?

[Via Cellpassion]

Following a rather bold claim regarding the iPhone's alleged status as O2's fastest selling device in history, the carrier's CEO paid a little visit out to Cupertino last week to brief Steve personally on just how warmly the iPhone has been received across the pond. Chief Executive Matthew Key says that he expects 200,000 iPhones to be sold on his network by the end of January, meeting O2's expectations set prior to its November launch -- despite the fact that analysts are claiming many more could be sold by then (we suppose it's better to underestimate than overestimate). That's not really the big news here, though; Key also told Jobs that his network's iPhone customers are consuming data at a far more aggressive rate than others, with a full 60 percent using 25MB a month or more compared to just 1.8 percent among the general O2 populace. That, of course, is where the real money lies for O2 in this whole exclusive iPhone deal with Apple, since Cupertino is doing a magnificent job of siphoning off virtually any hope of profit from the hardware itself. In other news, Key says he's confident that O2 will snap up the 3G version of the iPhone when it's launched next year -- especially since Vodafone, Orange, and others should be locked out on account of O2's multi-year contract with Apple in the UK.

[Via mocoNews]

Now, we know how hot-under-the collar you guys get when we note El-Jobso's movements in Europe, but news is news, people. Just as speculated yesterday, it appears that the Apple honcho is working his way across Europe, moving nation-to-nation to spread the good word of iPhone wherever his New Balance touch ground. Not content with just launching the device in London for the O2 network, the company is taking this show on the road, traveling to Berlin on Wednesday where Jobs and his turtleneck will supposedly announce a partnership for the iPhone with T-Mobile. Expect EDGE, lots of screen touching, and Steve saying, "OH-, eine weitere Sache." Then, as we hear, it's off to France for some sightseeing. Just kidding... about the sightseeing.

[Thanks, Floris]

His Steveness has been served, courtesy of RIM CEO Jim Balsille. The BlackBerry chief has stated that Apple's apparent stinginess in taking every bit of credit for everything iPhone is horning in on AT&T's part in the whole affair. For some reason, Mr. Balsillie seems a bit miffed that the iPhone is free of AT&T's logo and that it has to be activated using Apple's iTunes software. Balsillie added that Apple's "tremendous amount of control" gives him pause as he thinks about how the shifting of control outside the carrier somehow commoditizes the iPhone. We're still waiting on an unsubsidized 8300, okay Jim?

[Image via hamiltonspectator.com]

USA Today wasn't the only publication to get some alone time with Steve Jobs and Randall Stephenson yesterday, Wall Street Journal has an interview of its own up this morning, with Jobs at his most candid -- which really isn't saying a lot. Most pressing on the mind of hundreds of uber-fans across the country is the kind of supply Apple will have available today. Steve didn't spill any numbers, but he confesses that "We're building a fair number of them, but we may not [meet demand]... We've taken our best guess but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it ain't enough." Let's just hope it's not the riots in the streets brand of not enough. Mr. Jobs and Mr. Stephenson also touched on some other interesting topics, with Steve talking with a particular bent toward corporate America, comparing the EDGE speed of the iPhone to a BlackBerry: "You know every (AT&T) BlackBerry gets its mail over EDGE." He also expects a slew of third party corporate apps, saying: "I think the majority of applications people are going to write for the iPhone are going to be things that corporations like." Steve and Randall also seem to be particular fans of WiFi-based VoIP, and while the iPhone certainly isn't supporting that out of the box, it seems like it could be a big thrust for Apple and AT&T going forward.

[Via InfoWorld]

Thankfully for us all, the iPhone launch is but hours away, and what better way to make those last second decisions on braving the crowds (or not) than to read over what's likely to be the last pre-iPhone-launch interview with both Apple and AT&T's head honchos? Sitting down with USAToday, Steve Jobs and Randall Stephenson faced a number of dutiful questions, and a few of the answers were intriguing to say the least. Besides bragging about revolutionizing the mobile phone industry and finally producing "a phone people like," the duo noted that the 6:00PM launch time was chosen to give "everyone the same shot" at nabbing one, and they both made it seem like shortages wouldn't be too much of an issue. Most noticeable was the dodging of the inevitable EDGE inquiries, as both execs spent more time boasting of the iPhone's ability to "fluidly switch from EDGE to WiFi" than actually responding to the "sluggish" criticism received thus far. Furthermore, Jobs noted that Apple was already working with a number of companies in regard to corporate email, and while he wouldn't budge when questioned about an overseas release, he did state that "selling 10 million" during its first year was a "realistic goal."

We imagine it went something like this: "Oh, and one more thing... a new iPhone for everyone." That's the result of the Apple town hall meeting which just let out. Let's see, a new 8GB iPhone for every Apple employee, both full-time and temporary. That's 17,787 plus another 2,399 (according to Wikipedia) or so for a grand total of $12,091,414 retail. A bit less since only those temps who have been with the company for a year qualify. Still, nice one Steve. Sure, we've seen you do it before, but man, that's a lot of dough. We're just wondering who's going to cover the 2 year service costs?

In parallel to his iPhone review, Uncle Walt also published an email conversation he had with Steve Jobs. While most of Jobsie's "we don't talk about future products" responses could have been foretold, one response is worth noting. When asked about the lack of instant messaging, video recording, and real-time GPS navigation, Steve responded with the following: "I will say that the iPhone is the most sophisticated software platform ever created for a mobile device, and that we think software features are where the action will be in the coming years. Stay tuned." Right, software. Remember Apple's promise of free software updates that will "surprise and delight" both Apple TV and iPhone customers? Well, they've already delivered a v1.1 YouTube update for Apple TV and certainly the most notable of missing features -- MMS, iChat, A2DP, text copy and paste, video recording, MP3 (or AAC in the case of Apple) ringtones -- are all software related. Sure, you can't download a 3G or GPS radio, but there's certainly hope of filling the gaps on the software side.

Update: Page 31 of the AT&T iPhone Launch Training Participant Guide says that "MMS and IM messages are included in the iPhone Data Plan." So go ahead Apple, flip the switch, what are you waiting for?

Apple -- not unlike Sony -- occasionally shuns the big industry tradeshows in favor of talking bout its newest wares on its own time in its own venue. Cupertino does that with mastery just about every year (remember the iPod nano hype back in September 2005?), and its latest foray into "see why we are more special" came with the iPhone - Cingular announcement back in January during the heart of the CES tradeshow in Las Vegas. Per protocol, Apple said "bleh" and wanted to get its game on on its own terms, shunning CES for San Francisco's Moscone Center with the world-imploding iPhone announcement that scores of industry watchers had been intently waiting on for years. If there's one thing you have to give Apple credit for, it's marketing finesse and public timing -- not to mention its knack for generating free publicity. For example, Harvard Business School prof David Yoffie now estimates that the iPhone has generated about $400 million in publicity so far -- with none of that cost coming out of Apple's pockets, to boot -- an "unprecedented" level of attention for a new product introduction. We're pretty sure that's exactly what Steve Jobs was looking for.

So this picture of Steve Jobs supposedly using an iPhone in public got us thinking: what cellphone did he use before he had an iPhone? We know that Gates has carried a Windows Mobile device for years -- at one point he had an HTC Typhoon and then later switched to a Treo 700w -- but does anyone know what cellphone Jobs used to use? Did he even HAVE a cellphone before Jonathan Ive built him the handset of his dreams? We've actually heard from a couple of reliable sources that he didn't -- and you have to admit that it would be so like Steve Jobs to not even own a cellphone until he could build his own.

Anyone out there know for sure?