Yesterday’s keynote by Steve Jobs was very exciting. Somehow Apple always manages to bring the new you think they will, but features are always better than expected, and this time was no exception.

I don’t think we should see the release of the iPhone 3G as simply a successor for the original iPhone. If you have paid attention, and I know you have, best thing to do is to get a new iPhone with MobileMe. Why? Apple has looked closely at what users want, and what others offer.

Windows mobile users are left in the dark with cable sync only, there is push email but only if you are an enterprise and buy servers too, and that’s that. RIM (blackberry’s manufacturer) is smarter: Any person can have a blackberry with it’s push email that is fabulous (I’m a big fan and heavy user).

But Apple threw in complete sync for mail, calendar and contacts. And nobody else offers that whole package yet. I managed to get it by using Google sync (for calendar) and Plaxo to get my contacts synced, but it is slightly messy. And Apple will attract a lot of people with MobileMe. Smart, smart move. Apple amazed me again.

I might consider a secondhand iPhone (1st generation) to play with all of this, as it will probably even work on ‘old‘ iphones, so if you’re planning to get a new one, let me know for how much I can buy yours.

Before the keynote came out there were speculations on ATT GoPhone option on an iPhone, but it is not happening. Nor is it possible to get an iPhone without a contract, and it needs to be activated in the ATT store, so no way for me to import one from the US to play with. Sad, unfortunate me.

But I am still excited. Apple is going to eat another sweet piece of the computer and cell phone market, and for all the right reasons. Way to go, Apple! You rock!

See the keynote here.

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After in fact stopping support for PDA’s and smartphones it is very likely that TomTom will bring a iPhone version of its navigation software to sell to customers, Reuters tells us. The Dutch navigation device maker is not yet telling when it comes to the market, but it is expected that it will be on the same date that the iPhone 3G will be for sale.

via: iPhoneclub.nl (Dutch only)

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* Update *

The new iPhone 3G is now visible on the US apple site, and, most important for us, on the dutch apple site.

Apple’s keynote by Steve Jobs is going on right now. There’s a lot of talk about the developer stuff for the iPhone, there’s a sneak peak into Snow Leopard (the next Leopard), but the news everybody is waiting for has apparently been kept for the end.

A lot of new applications are coming up: a very sweet ebay app for iPhone, there is a development concerning location based services and a social app called Loopt is demoed. Loopt works with location based services and will show where one is.

An AP application (Mobile News Network) allows for news reading as well as sending in news tips. That’s sweet! There will also be several freshly ported games available for iPhone, by Pangea software. Music software will also be in the app store, allowing you to play piano and drums, amongst others. That means a big nono for public transport, unless you’re willing to hear what others created. Judging from the images, it all looks very good.

MLB.com will offer video highlights, so all sports junkies out there are going to be just fine too. Although all of you sports fans are fine already by reading this great website, huh?

Medical apps are apparently hot - Modality is one of them, supposed to be able to monitor the owners health…

For developers, a push notification app is available. That probably means new apps will emerge with blackberry - like behavior. Sweet! Apple has looked at the competition!

Another piece of news is this: We (the dutch, living with our feet in the water in the Netherlands) are finally getting the iPhone officially - brought to us by T-Mobile. That’s a disappointment as we were hoping for KPN to start selling it here.

The new app store will kick ass for real - all apps below 10mb will be available over the air, the rest over wifi or through itunes. There is a good deal for developers and there will be enterprise control, overseeing what apps go to workers. Will iPhone bite a piece of enterprise users after all?

The much anticipated MobileMe is announced too. This is supposed to replace .mac. It will make sure you’re up to date on contacts, calendar and email. Everywhere you go. Cooooooool! Pictures and mail attachments are also included. And, of course, push email. Yeah baby.

The new iphone 3g is slimmer, has more batterypower, better audio and so on and so on. It is very clear that it’s 3g chip makes it faster than other phones out there. Cisco VPN and gps is here too. And that’s just the beginning.

But the real revolution is in it’s price: $199 for an 8GB 3g iPhone. Steve says $199 is the maximum price worldwide, so that would mean $199 is without contract, and including contract I suppose the price would be even better?

July 11 is the date we have all been waiting for.

Apple has once again done it: We’re swept away. Tissue, anyone?

Our sources:

• http://www.macrumorslive.com/
• http://live.gizmodo.com/

Thanks for your attention,

Dutch Info Network editors

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