Apple has released the iPhone 2.2 software update late Thursday, offering major upgrades to the Maps application and adding support for the direct downloading of podcasts.This iPhone 2.2 software update is for both generations of the iPhone and iPod touch. Users can easily get this updated version via iTunes by connecting an iPhone or iPod touch and clicking the Check for Updates button and it is approximately 250 MB in size.

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As I promised earlier, here is the extensive list of reasons for not buying the so-called revolutionary IPhone. Well, buying anything is perfectly a matter of choice, but still I would like to show you the real picture, apart from one showed to us by Steve Jobs. I would never recommend to take decisions based on any of our posts, but just want you to read it before taking any decisions, else you are bound to regret. Ok, enough of disclaimer stuff. Lets just list out the reasons, why IPhone is just a fake advertisement policy for Apple, rather than being a true revolution.

1. Lack of Dedicated Music and Call Keys :- Although, touch screen is good to use for the first time, but removing all physical buttons and replacing them with just one home key, is not a right way. While traveling, hard keys play an important role, to change the volume, skip song, end call, and many such things. With a touch screen, you are bound to look at the screen, even for changing volume.
2. No Flash and Java :- We are so used to download and install jar applications, that java support is a must for every phone. The list of available JAR applications, and flash applications, is humongous. Apple’s app store for iPhone can never compete with that. And why can’t we have this JVM on iPhone. What are Apple trying to do with making iPhone,locked for any external applications. Why aren’t there any lawsuits filed, like we saw in case of Microsoft, when they shipped IE with windows, and made it a default browser, to compete with Netscape.
3. 2 year contract :- Means you are bound to your carrier for two years, if you have to use iPhone. Why? Is Apple trying to create a monopoly in cell phone market? Obviously against the laws. But why no cases are filed against Apple or their carriers in different countries. And who will make sure that carrier will not charge higher than usual tariff rates. Are you ready to pay thrice for all ISD calls, just to use iPhone?
4. Stupid touch screen keyboard :- Would you like to use a keyboard, in which every punctuation mark is hidden? Would you like to tap two keys every time you have to type a comma, or a full stop? No, I won’t. I would love to see a much better implementation of the touch keypad. Kindly, redesign the keyboard for better typing speeds.
5. Safari browser :- Clearly one of the worst browser ever made. Can’t I have Firefox for my iPhone. How many site developers do even think about compatibility with Safari, before writing a web page? And then, can you use a full desktop browser on a 4inch screen. Everything seems so tiny, that to read a full line, you have to zoom in at first half, read the line, zoom out, zoom in at the second half of the line, read it, zoom out again. Repeat that step for every line of text, and you can understand how would you feel after using Safari. Take me back to my mini browser, which can let you read the whole text without zooming in.
6. 3G speed :- Sorry to say, but iPhone 3G works more like if we are using edge, as speed is way too slow than actual 3G standard. Nokia’s newly launched N96, can provide double the surfing speed of iPhone. And what more, 3G is not yet available in India, and even if you can wait for 1 year, to get 3G speeds, the rates are gonna be way too high to be actually useful.
7. Video Calling :- Steve Jobs stated a lot of times, that with 3G, video calling would be great. Thanks for the info, but we already know that. And what about your crappy product. Can I make a video call with half the speed of 3G and a camera at wrong side. Every device meant for video calling, has got a camera at front, specifically for the purpose. What about Iphone? Nope, no luck. Stand in front of a mirror, if you want to make a video call. Are you nuts, Mr. Steve Jobs?
8. Camera :- Compare the high end phones with Apple’s revolutionary crap, its camera is just there for name. Photo quality is poor in direct sunlight, while for shadows and night, no flash. When are you gonna use your iPhone as a camera? I think it may give you good enough results at least in studio lighting. And what about resolution? 2 mega pixels is minimum standard now, and can be easily found in any Rs. 4,000+ cell phone. What was the motto for such a low standard camera? Is it there, just to include the camera keyword in the iPhone’s feature list?
9. No voice-recognition :- So, you have got a revolutionizing phone,with blah blah features. Missing out the basic functionality isn’t good. Forget about voice recognition, even low-end phones support text to speech readout, but sadly your iphone can’t. After all its a mobile computing platform, a revolution.
10. No PDA functionality :- A smartphone with nothing usable for a enterprise user, wow that’s great. Many of the PDA features are missing. What about OTA synchronization? Even my Rokr E6 support it, but nope, iPhone can’t do that too. What if I lost my iPhone? Can I even lock it permanently? Nope. Sorry.
11. No copy paste :- So, you have got a link, that you badly needed, sent by a friend as an sms. Now what? Copy and paste the URL in browser, like what you can do in any smart phone (and even in my Rokr E6). Nope, you can’t even think of that in case, you are using iPhone. Our king of smart phones, doesn’t even allow copy paste. What if, you have written some 2 pages of notes, to post in your blog later. Oh man, you have to type that all over again. So sad, really, after knowing that you are using the most hyped phone in world.
12. Bluetooth :- Is it your property, Mr. Jobs? Why the hell are you using it like if its your own connectivity protocol? Why can’t I use Bluetooth for anything other than connecting headsets? Why can’t I have an option to share my photos with my friends? Why can’t I copy music from my PC using Bluetooth?
13. Battery Life :- IPhone’s battery was good enough, but what about iPhone 3G? It lasts for 70% usage time than iPhone. Just 4 hours of video playback is not what we expect from any phone of that standard. And why can’t I have an spare battery, just in case, I run out of battery. Am I supposed to take my charger, and a power supply,every where I go.
14. Call Dropping :- Dropping speeds while surfing, is ok. But dropping a call whenever signal is a bit weaker, is simply disgusting. The call clarity is the weakest of all smart phones, and even mid-range phones. What’s the use of your crappy phone, which can’t even make decent calls.
15. No Radio :- IPhone is for music too. But without FM, how can it be called a true music phone? Are you gonna store the whole of your music in just 16gb space, and what about the cost of buying each and every song?
16. Syncing with PC :- Why do I have to use iTune for copying music files from PC? What purpose does it serve? I guess nothing, just a way to say, use our iTune player, because we are superior. And why can’t I use that 16 GB space to store PDF files, or as a USB mass storage device? Is that 16gb space just for music only? And how is it a smartphone, if you can’t save a PDF file in your phone?
17. App Store :- Why should I pay a hell lot of money, for every stupid application? All other phones support un trusted third party application, but not your iPhone. Why? And even if I buy applications from App Store, I can run only one application at a time. What if I need to play a game, while watching a stored FLV video? Nope, you can’t. Even after paying 20$ for two applications (one game, and a FLV player), you can’t use both of them.
18. No video recording :- Can anyone in this world, including the great Steve Jobs, answer this question? Why can’t I record a video? Is it anyhow illegal to record a video and share it with your friends? Don’t worry, I will not record MMS of my girlfriend licking my thing  and post it on eBay (read DPS MMS scandal). And what you want me to do? Buy a digital camera for video recording, along with your iPhone? Is this what you meant when you said, iPhone is a great convergence device.
19. Screen luminance :- Sorry to say, but iPhone has got a wonderful screen, completely invisible in daylight. A screen with multi touch support, high resolution, nice color contrast, but can be used only while indoors. Isn’t that something, which only Steve Jobs can call great feature?
20. No yahoo maps :- Why only Google Maps? Was there any kind a deal Apple signed with Google? Why can’t I use yahoo maps? At least in India, Yahoo Maps are much better than Google Maps.
21. No anti virus :- Do i need to say anything about the requirement of a good anti-virus software?
22. High Pricing :- Already said a lot about it in the earlier post.

Thanks to Technoworld for Image

Now this is what we call competition. Apple tried to capture the mobile phone market with their innovative multi-touch iPhone. And here it is. iPhone’s competitor is taking shape now. Microsoft and Mitshubishi, are trying to change the way, we interact with computers. Ofcourse, iPhone and Surface has already shown the dustbin to your age old keyboard and mouse.

But still, iPhone users suffers from the problem of fat fingers. Using iPhone’s map feature and keyboard is really not so easy. So, Microsoft and Mitshubishi tried to solve this very issue. And voila, we have got something that’s really cool. Well, Microsoft has given it the name of Lucid Touch, and its still in research phase. But, one can expect it to be out by 2011.

But what exactly this Lucid Touch thing is? Well, its a multi-touch device. So, isn’t an iPhone a multi-touch device. Well, yes it is, but wait, in iPhone, you use screen to touch and navigate. Here, in Lucid Touch, you can use the back of the screen too. When you hold the device in your hand, your fingers will cast a shadow on screen. That means your device will act like if its a psuedo-transparent, just like those shown in Steven Spielberg’s Sci-Fi movie. So, if you have got fat fingers, that’s not an issue anymore. Wow, it sounds cool, rite. But sadly, its a mere prototype, and is way too bulky. So, for the time-being, you can read more about the same, and get a glimpse of the next revolution, on Microsoft Research Site.

   Surely, one thing is true. Microsoft do knows how to stay in the market. Even if Vista was a failure, they have got Surface, and this Lucid Touch, to compensate for the losses.