The thoroughly-discussed, briefly-available conduit betwixt the realms of RIM and Apple, BlackBerry Media Sync, is now available in a totally official capacity for your downloading pleasure. Owners of Pearls, Curves, and 8800s (and pretty much everything that's released out of Waterloo from here on out, we'd imagine, starting with the Bold) can now snag music and playlists right off iTunes, though DRM'd tracks are naturally off limits. Then again, aren't BlackBerry owners too busy having power lunches, signing contracts, picking out new suits, and generally being important to enjoy trivialities like music on the road?

[Via MobileSyrup]

For the smattering of Canadians wealthy enough to pick up an iPhone 3G from Rogers Wireless without worrying over the lack of an unlimited data plan, we've stumbled across what appears to be internal verbiage detailing the in-store activation process. Quite frankly, there doesn't seem to be any real surprises here, but it is somewhat interesting that retail locations will be required to download and use a special version of iTunes with an "Activation Only Mode," which will enable employees to unbrick the mobiles before customers leave. In any case, feel free to hit the read link if you're anxious to know exactly what the sure-to-be-hair-raising experience will be like come July 11th.

[Via GearDiary, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We've known for a while that support for iTunes synchronization (songs, artwork, playlists, the whole nine yards) would be coming to the BlackBerry platform, and very briefly last week, RIM unleashed that capability on the world. It's unclear why the software was pulled -- maybe it just wanted to release the software to more fanfare, maybe it was buggier than a standing pool of swamp water -- but either way, BlackBerry users desperate to get their sync on should still be able to nab the goods from a number of mirrors hosted by vigilant (and quick-thinking) users around the world while we wait for RIM to decide when to introduce it again.

[Via Gear Diary]

Who would've thought that rumored iControl app would not only turn out to be real, but survive the inevitable internal politics, delays, and feature cutbacks to make it all the way through to a summer release? Sure enough, iTunes 7.7 has been pushed out to developers in the past several hours, and the installer encourages iPhone and iPod touch owners to "use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home -- a free download from the App Store." No further details are given -- and it's not clear whether the "iControl" name seen earlier has been scrapped altogether -- but we can guess that it'll use WiFi to hook up with your mainframe, which really makes the idea of an AirPort Express appealing all over again.

On another note, Apple has released Beta 8 of the iPhone SDK and is using the occasion to kick off acceptances of applications to the real, live App Store in preparation for its July 11 launch. It appears that Beta 8 is actually required to complete the process, so don't go jumping the gun now -- goodness knows the rest of the iPhone-toting world doesn't want your half-baked apps in a couple weeks, you shady developer, you.

Read - iPhone / iTunes Remote app
Read - Applications to App Store now being accepted

As the dust settles on the iPhone 3G / WWDC blowout, we've sifted through the debris and discovered a few eyebrow-raising tidbits you might be interested to know. The first of which is news that the next firmware update (2.0) could be headed to devices as early as June 27th, at least according to Apple's Australian iPod touch features page, which touts the arrival of the app store later this month. Meanwhile, Apple's cash cow won't get those OTA iTunes music downloads that were being heavily speculated on in May. Word on the street is that record labels are -- wait for it -- still holding out for those upped premiums, or that AT&T wants a cut of the action, which Apple is reluctant to hand over. Of course, AT&T wanting their share of that revenue makes good sense when you realize that the telco is taking a major hit on the sale of these devices -- a hit which will stall profits until 2010. Perhaps that explains the new rules about activation; according to a report from Reuters, the company will penalize customers who buy a phone but don't activate within 30 days, which falls in line with their aggressive new push to lock users into a contract... which looks exactly like the old cellphone business model. On a lighter note, iLounge has some real-world spy shots of the device's shell, which they claim smudges like it's going out of style, though it may be joined by a Product (RED) variation later this year. Enjoy!

Update: Apparently Apple reps have confirmed that there won't be any early firmware updates for the masses, and that they're still on schedule for July 11th. The Australian site has since updated its info -- so put the champagne back on ice.

[Thanks, Dan and Danny]

Read - Australian iPod touch features page
Read - No Over-The-Air 3G Music Downloads For New iPhone; Labels Holding Out For Higher Price Per Track?
Read - iPhone to cut into AT&T earnings until 2010
Read - Real World Photos: Inside + Outside iPhone 3G's New Shell

Like many, you were probably planning on hanging back, sipping on Bacardi 151, and waiting for your new iPhone 3G to arrive in the mail following a timely pre-order. Unfortunately for your foot-kicked-onto-desk plans, Apple and AT&T have something else in mind. Word on the street is that you will not be able to purchase and / or activate a new device via any other method than in-store, thus doing a full 180 on the way the dream team was doing business last time around. So not only has Apple's revenue sharing gone into that good night, but it appears the innovative DIY activation that was such a big deal this time last year is shuffling off as well. So what gives guys? And more importantly, why are you making us leave the house? Hear what AT&T reps had to say about it after the break.

According to a churning rumor-mill, Apple desperately wants to make over-the-air downloads of iTunes content a reality on the 3G iPhone. Apparently, a record label executive "familiar with the discussions" states that the Cupertino gang is hoping for a "big launch in June" which includes OTA music downloads, ringtone sales, and ringback tones (the substitute music you hear instead of a ring when calling someone). There's only one problem: the labels want a higher premium for those services than a typical MP3 download. Of course, Apple's iTunes pricing has been a point of contention for some time, though its recent rule-bending for HBO could lead to upped charges for the new services. Something tells us Apple has the tenacity and bullheadedness to make this work -- let's just hope they can temper the labels' greed with the end user's economic realities.

[Via AppleInsider]

Everyone knows that nobody buys a BlackBerry for its musical prowess, right? Au contraire, dearest email addict. RIM is currently working up a new application for BlackBerry smartphones that will "transfer your desktop iTunes music files" to your BB for those rare moments when you can actually kick back and enjoy the soothing sounds of Rogue Wave. Interestingly, we're not told whether BlackBerry Media Sync is being crafted specifically for the upcoming Bold, and we're also left to wonder when it'll actually be released. Patience is a virtue -- at least that's the word heard through the grapevine.

[Via CNET]

All sorts of little gems are turning up in the iPhone firmware 2.0 code; first we had scraps of GPS support being tracked down, and now we have another pair of goodies that are sure to turn at least a few heads. First up, sister site TUAW is reporting that the latest release makes reference to some sort of remote control for iTunes installations that Apple appears to be billing as "iControl," allowing iPhone users to browse and play iTunes libraries from afar -- presumably over WiFi.

TUAW's also got the lowdown on code suggesting support for XMPP, the protocol that underpins Jabber, and most famously, Google Talk. It seems that access to the XMPP framework is being kept solidly out of third-party developers' hands, though, meaning that Apple -- and Apple alone -- will be using it to support on-device iPhone chat. At this point, both of these features need to be quarantined in the "rumor" category, because even if the code does exist as TUAW's tipsters are claiming, there's certainly no guarantee it'll make the cut for firmware 2.0, iPhone 2, iPhone 3, or iPhone 10. Looks promising, though!

Read - iControl
Read - Jabber support

Knowing how rampant the Apple rumor community can get, we try not to stir the pot too feverishly, but iLounge has made a bizarre little discovery that we thought you might like to see. Apparently, it's already possible for iPhone / iPod touch developers to create pages in iTunes offering content to limited groups of users. While perusing these pages, they apparently stumbled upon the Education First Educational Tours page, where international travel tour registrants can download TourCast audio and video content. Strangely, an odd, almost Zune-like device can be seen in the corner of the graphic for this page bearing the Apple logo. Could this be some wild slip? Is what we're looking at a rendering of a new iPhone or touch device, or is this some random mockup meant to suggest a "general" Apple product? We're strongly, strongly leaning towards the latter, though maybe Jobs let one slide through the cracks this time. See the full view after the break.

[Thanks, Christian]

If you happen to own an iPhone, and you happen to have updated to the 1.1.4 firmware, you can now easily jailbreak, activate, and unlock your phone with a couple of simple solutions. As you may have heard, iNdependence 1.4 beta 5 is out, which will do all sorts of non-Apple approved things to your device from OS X, though if you're looking for the ultimate cross-platform solution, you probably can't do better than the latest version Zibri's all-in-one package, Ziphone 2.5. Both apps make it about a million times easier than this was a few weeks ago, though we've seen video of a new solution -- jailbreaking directly from iTunes -- that could make this process even simpler (though considerably more illegal). Check that out after the break and get a glimpse of your deviant future.

[Via TUAW; Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Read - iNdependence
Read - Ziphone's Blog

It was only a matter of time till the serious iPhone SDK rumors started flying, and with Apple's Town Hall event next Thursday, it's possible some of what we're hearing is right on. If that's the case, prepare to be letdown in a major way. According to iLounge, Apple will be severely restricting access on software for the iPhone and iPod touch, only allowing apps to be downloaded through iTunes, hand-picking which applications will make it to the store, and cutting off developer's access to accessories which interface with the dock connector. Of course, this is just about what we expected from Steve, since he's already lauded Nokia for its S60 verification scheme. Additionally, the report claims that the SDK we see next week will be an incomplete beta, with the full version rolling out in June to coincide with the WWDC. Thinking of any good reasons to keep jailbreaking your phone? Yeah, us too.

[Thanks, Omega]

Update: Here comes the counter-rumor, which has it that only paid-apps are get hand selected by Apple, while free apps would supposedly be open for download. Not clear whether that means free apps simply wouldn't be offered in iTunes, but it's all just hearsay until Apple tells us what's up later this week.

Don't hold your breath, guys! A Nokia board member has gone on the record saying that the "door is open" to Apple to join its Ovi initiative -- a collection of multimedia-centric services delivered directly to handsets through a portal app -- by adding iTunes into the mix. Of course, Nokia has its own Music Store, a direct competitor to iTunes -- but in the bigger scheme of things, it's hard to argue against the clout (Nokia calls it "enrichment" for its customers) that the largest digital music store in the world brings to the table. We suspect that Nokia's recent ribbing of the iPhone (not to mention that these two giants are sworn enemies on several levels, or the fact that Apple is one of the less cooperative companies in the biz) will probably put the kibosh on any possible deal, but it's all good, Nokia; you just keep on keepin' on with that iPhone of your own and roll deep with your own store.

By now you're all fully schooled in the black art of jailbreaking and unlocking your new iPhone, right? Did you know that the whole dirty business can be done via iTunes in just "seconds?" The catch: it requires a €999 (about $1,480) unlocked iPhone sold (at least temporarily) by T-Mobile Germany. Interestingly enough, there isn't any physical (or bit-level) difference between a locked and unlocked iPhone, it's Apple working all the unlocking magic over the network with a bit of help from iTunes. According to first reports from MacNotes.de, the IMEI number is recorded at the point of sale and sent to Apple. After 24 hours, the iPhone can be unlocked by iTunes in a procedure taking just seconds. The firmware remains unchanged at 1.1.2. This news potentially opens up the iPhone to further unlocking schemes although it already sounds very similar to the approach favored by iPhoneSimFree clan, don't you think?

[Via MacRumors]