A second class-action lawsuit argues that Apple Inc. and AT&T Inc. failed to tell early buyers of the iPhone that annual fees of more than $100 would be needed to replace the iPhone battery and maintain service.

Filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by Sydney Leung on behalf of a group that could reach into hundreds of thousands of iPhone users, the suit seeks more than $5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. A court conference on the matter was set for Nov. 28.

The nine-page complaint was filed on behalf of Leung by Oakland-based attorney H. Tim Hoffman, and argues that Apple and AT&T committed fraud by not fully informing customers about the costs and procedures for replacing the battery. The complaint argues that the battery "must" be replaced after 300 charges, anticipating a replacement at one year or less by a qualified technician, since the battery sits inside a sealed compartment.

You've probably seen mobile phone chargers that can power multiple devices at once and sync data between your phone and a PC. You may have even heard some rumblings about wireless chargers that power devices over the air or solar-powered cell phones. But how about a wind-powered cell phone charger?

Orange, the U.K.-based telecommunications firm, has announced plans to launch The Orange Mobile Wind Charger, a mini turbine that latches on to the top of a tent and stores power in a separate "control box" that users can plug into when their mobiles need juice.

The charger, which weighs roughly one-third of a pound and is small enough to fit into a backpack, was developed at the University of Texas at Arlington, according to Orange. Gotwind, a do-it-yourself website for energy enthusiasts, was commissioned to build the prototype charger....

First, let me say that generally speaking I love my iPhone (even though I can't use it as a phone yet). The Wi-Fi access works really well and it's just a great machine. But, like all version 1.0 products, there are some areas it can improve on.....

I'd welcome any study that actually digs into the productivity differences between the iPhone's on-screen keypad and button-based input devices found on traditional smart phones. But the study that's making headlines now -- conducted by the consulting firm User Centric, and purporting to show that the iPhone keypad causes a lot of errors -- isn't one of them. And the fact that company execs are touting the ridiculous experiment ought to serve as a warning to anyone who considers hiring them.

Here's how the firm proved that "conventional mobile phone users" see a "drop in efficiency" when using the iPhone. They gathered 20 text-messaging fiends - as Gadget Lab points out, this was clearly a large sample size - and gave each of them a new Apple phone.

"None of the participants had used an iPhone prior to the study," User Centric says in its press release. Naturally, then, they'd need time to get used to the device. User Centric thought so too - so it gave them one minute to familiarize themselves with the phone.

One minute! Boy, they were probably experts then, huh?

AP Technology editor Matt Fordahl points out iPhone's firing on all major cylinders and as long as you're in major wifi hotspot...If you're stuck with ATT's Edge network, described with the terms slurry and sludge...then um...you know...chill...go for a walk...or walk down to a wifi hotspot while you're waiting.

Matt points out the obvious: had iPhone partnered with a real network...this product would have scored 10 out of 10.

What's my point? ATT's EDGE network is likely a preview of coming attractions with a 2-tiered internet access plan....

Developers trying to write applications for the Apple (AAPL) iPhone have been working night and day. Despite frequent reports of freshly hatched apps (the big news this week: iphone.facebook.com), the iPhone user community still cries for more. .....

What do users want most?

1. EDGE is too slow for the iPhone.
2. Mobile Safari is great, but not for all websites.
3. Inputting information into web fields can be slow and painful.
4. Deleting multiple emails is way too hard.
5. The virtual keyboard is good, but not great.
6. The camera doesn't work if your subject is moving.
7. Ringer is too soft
8. The Stocks application only supports US stocks.
9. Using the jog control in iPod mode isn't accurate enough.
10. The default setting for the Timer is always "Marimba"
11. Out-of-order lists for no obvious reason
12. WiFi reception seems weaker than other devices
13. 8GB is spread thin in the iPhone
14. No instant messaging. Full stop.
15. Battery is not user replaceable

When I first got the device, family, friends and colleagues clamored to give it a try. One co-worker looked up briefly while playing with it to tell me, "I want to marry it. I want to divorce my husband and marry it." There's no denying Apple's claim that the iPhone is a "revolutionary device."

The iPhone is the most fun and easy to use gadget I've ever laid my hands on.

I've been testing an iPhone for the past 31/2 weeks, and I've also been checking in with some Central Florida residents who shelled out big bucks to buy one on June 29 - the first day they were available - to see what they think now that the newness has worn off.

Apple iPhone Installer.app is a very useful unauthorized third party Apple iPhone program, that simplifies the installation process of other third party programs. It needs to be uploaded via iPHUC. As the description goes:

Installer.app is a UIKit based package manager for the iPhone. It works by downloading packages over WiFi (wireless networking). It supports installing, updating and uninstalling applications. To install, simply copy the Installer.app bundle to your /Applications folder on your iPhone and restart SpringBoard (or reboot your iPhone) — an Installer icon will appear. It is recommended that SCP is used for copying, such that executable permissions are preserved.

iPHUC is a very useful application for folks that like to play with their iPhones… iPHoneUtilityClient (iPHUC) is the second generation of iPhoneInterface which allows convenient command line access to your Apple iPhone from a desktop computer.

iPHUC is probably the best program out there to connect to your iPhone and perform necessary tasks. Below you can download the latest version, v0.6.1 of iPHUC (don't try pronouncing that).

Move over iPod, make room for iSermon.

Church by the Glades is hoping to bribe - its word - new people into attending.

Anyone who comes to its iThemed services for the first time during the next three weekends can get a $15 iTunes gift card by filling out a "connection card." Today, one new visitor will win an iPhone.

The series of sermons is called "i: Successful Living in a Self-Absorbed World."

The iDea came from David Hughes, the Baptist church's breezy pastor.

"I'm an iPod guy," he said.

Sprint Nextel Corp. CEO Gary Forsee said a slowing economy and competition from Apple Inc.'s iPhone may hurt the third-biggest U.S. mobile-phone service's ability to win new customers.

Demand in the third quarter is typically lower than other periods, meaning Sprint's total contract subscribers may "not represent growth," Forsee said in an interview.

When Pierre visited Ibiza, Spain and Europe for two weeks, his iPhone went with him, and he returned with memories of a hedonistic summer vacation, and a $4190.76 bill from AT&T. This is his video, a parody of an iPhone commercials. The signature twinkly guitar plays in the background while a self-assured voice says This is your [feature]...and this is your [feature]... etc etc. in this case, the final item is the wallet-busting bill, "all, on your iPhone"

Like others, Pierre had found out the hard way just how extremely expensive international data transfer rates are...

Is the iPhone wrecking the web?

Scott Gilbertson, writing at Compiler on Wired News posted a pretty inflammatory piece titled "The iPhone is Internet Explorer 4 All Over Again". As you might imagine, the comment thread is long, heated at times, and populated with the expected mix of "you're an idiot!" and thoughtful replies both positive and negative. Gilbertson is essentially trying to argue that Apple gets a pass on stuff that would (and has) gotten Microsoft into big trouble and unloved.

While I think that there's the germ of a good question in his piece, it was asked in far better fashion by ScottMcNulty over at TUAW. My response is that Gilbertson is barking up the wrong tree and makes a horribly flawed analogy. Here, in a nutshell, is why I think so:....

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