"Hundreds of German Apple fans braved rain and wind before dawn to be among the first in Europe to get their hands on an iPhone but the arrival of the year's hottest consumer gadget passed most Germans by.

A few hundred people lined up at a Deutsche Telekom shop in Cologne, where T-Mobile let customers buy the music-playing and Web-browsing device at midnight before the phone went on sale across the country later in the day."

Well, earlier today we talked about how their were no real lines at German Apple stores, and that Reuters had dubbed the launch of the iPhone in Germany as a failure….well…that may not be the case.

T-Mobile is now saying that they have sold 10,000 iPhones by launch day afternoon. I'm not a mathematical genius - but 10,000 iPhones in one day is pretty spectacular. ....

Kicking things off a bit early, Apple (unofficially) released the 1.1.2 firmware update for its iPhone Thursday night and the initial reports seem to be mixed. Engadget is reporting that the TIFF jailbreak exploit is dead, along with iNdependence. TUAW's Erica Sadun, on the other hand, says that all the customized ringtones (i.e., non iTunes) on the iPhone were not only preserved after the upgrade, but actually got their own separate custom list. Interesting.

As expected, Apple released the OS X 1.1.2 update for the iPhone overnight to coincide with its debut in the U.K. and Germany. As not expected, it's been sprung from jail already.

Erica Sadun at The Unofficial Apple Weblog obtained jailbreaking code for the 1.1.2 update almost simultaneous with its release last night, and tests this morning confirm that it works for both the iPhone and the iPod Touch.....

After a really late night, I had the privilege of being able to test some of the jailbreak software this morning. This is not the final jailbreak software. That will involve using a nice graphical user interface. For now, I'm invited to use the ugly command-line stuff, which is still a great opportunity.

After conducting its own "independent lab tests," the Center for Environmental Health (CEH), a non-profit consumer watchdog group, has concluded that the headphone cords for both the iPhone and iPod do indeed contain high levels of phthalates.

While the previous Greenpeace analysis found 5070 parts per million (ppm) of dibutyl phthalate (DBP) in the iPhone headset cable, the CEH's subsequent testing actually found 6200 ppm of DBP in the headset cable of the phone and 6300 ppm DBP in the iPod headset cable. That, according to the safety group, violates California state standards.

"Apple customers should know that when they get their hands on an iPhone they may be getting a dose of toxic chemicals as well," said Michael Green, executive director of CEH, in a statement issued Thursday....

The arrival of new unlocking software for iPhones on Friday highlights a major challenge for Apple as it starts selling iPhones in Europe.

Just hours after Apple's iPhone went on sale Friday in the UK and Germany, hackers were distributing new "unlocking" software so iPhones could use a variety of cellphone networks, according to various reports on Apple-focused Web sites.

Just when you've started enjoying the unlocked iPhone firmware 1.1.1, Apple decided to close the doors to the third party apps and other hacks again. Luckily, there's a way to go back in time and restore your firmware version to 1.1.1.

"Like the iPod, the iPhone is set to disrupt the market and raise consumer expectation. Until now, the big brands in the mobile phone industry have only really successfully integrated the camera function into mainstream handsets. Now the iPhone combines a camera, email, web browser and, most importantly, the iconic iPod."

"The mobile phone market recognises Music on the Mobile as a huge growth opportunity but has yet to truly capitalise on it. The great strength of the iPhone is not only in Apple's design and user-friendly interface, but also its key competitive advantage of seamless integration with iTunes, the software which currently monopolises the music download industry."

"The introduction of the iPhone to the mobile phone industry will ultimately increase competition and provide a better choice of products and services for the consumer. As a company with both iPod and mobile phone accessories in our range, GEAR4 is in the perfect position to help retailers achieve the potential of this high-growth market and deliver against consumer needs."

can find your mobile phone number in these places:

• Choose Settings > Phone. (Your number appears at the top of the screen.)
• Choose Phone > Contacts. (Your number appears at the top of the screen.)
• Connect iPhone to your computer's USB port. When your iPhone appears in iTunes (under Devices), click it and then click the Summary tab.

If your mobile network provider does not support writing your mobile phone number on the SIM, you can use on of these alternate ways to determine your phone number:

• Refer to the email from Apple you received when you activated iPhone.
• Refer to the welcome kit your received from your mobile network provider.
• Call someone else who has caller ID and ask them to tell you the number that is displayed.
• Call your mobile network provider.

When first activating an iPhone purchased in the UK (or using iTunes to restore a UK iPhone to the factory settings), the iPhone is configured for the US English keyboard and dictionary. Certain keys such as the £ key may not be where you may expect, and typing in a word may result in US English spelling suggestion.

This document is for activating your iPhone with O2 in the United Kingdom.

To activate and use iPhone in the United Kingdom, you need:

• An Internet connection
• An email address to be used for all of your O2 bills and other account information.
• An existing UK iTunes Store account or a new UK iTunes Store account (major credit card may be required)
• Bank information for your monthly direct debit from O2
• A valid billing address (registered with royalmail.com)
• iTunes 7.5 or later, available at http://www.itunes.com. Apple recommends using the latest version.
• A Mac or a PC with a USB 2.0 port and one of the following operating systems:
° Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later
° Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later (32-bit only)
° Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition (32-bit only)

If you are transferring your existing mobile number from another provider, you will need a PAC (Port Authorisation Code) from your existing provider. For additional information, contact your existing provider.

This document is for activating your iPhone with AT&T in the United States.

What You Need to Get Started

To activate and use iPhone, you need:

• An Internet connection
• An existing U.S. iTunes Store account or a new U.S. iTunes Store account (major credit card may be required)
• A valid Social Security number and a U.S. billing address (Your social security number is required for both AT&T credit checking as well as to allow AT&T to move your wireless number from your previous carrier to your new account).
• iTunes 7.3 or later, available at http://www.itunes.com. Apple recommends using the latest version.
• A Mac or a PC with a USB 2.0 port and one of the following operating systems:
° Mac OS X version 10.4.10 or later
° Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 2 or later
° Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Enterprise, or Ultimate edition

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