Below are five ways you can improve your shopping experience using your iPhone:

1. Keep track of what you need with a shopping list app

Let’s face it, your memory can fail you and sometimes you’re in too much of a rush to look for a pen and paper to write things down. Instead, use the classic Notes app or download an application from the App Store that will keep track of things for you.

If you’re pressed for time, write your list as you wait at stop lights on the way to the store (but don’t do it while driving, for safety’s sake). Jotting your list down on your iPhone ensures that you don’t waste time and gas to make a return trip because you forgot something.

If you want something more advanced than Notes, try the Shopper app, which you can download for $4.99 from the App Store. Shopper lets you organize your shopping lists based on categories.

You can also add prices for tracking your budget, notes and photos if necessary. The Shopper iPhone app is a powerful tool that helps me stay organized and is worth the price in my opinion. Visit MidCentury Software to see demos of the software.

Alternatively, you might be interested in the Grocery Gadget app, which is free for a limited time; or ShoppingList which costs $1.

2. Search for product reviews on Safari

Use Google or Amazon to find out how other people rate the item you’re considering. Sure you can ask a salesperson at the store for their opinion of a product, but don’t rely solely on that.

Yes, some employees are honest of course, but sometimes store reps make commission if they sell you something, so how can you be sure that they are not just trying to make a sale, or that they don’t have too much pride to admit they don’t know anything about the product you’re asking about. Verify that you are not wasting your money by going online and searching for product reviews.

Amazon.com has an iPhone version of their site that is simple and easy to navigate, so looking for other people’s experience of a product can be done in a matter of seconds, especially at 3G speeds.

3. Do some comparison shopping on the web

Let’s say you’re looking to buy a new camera and you see one you like at Circuit City. Before you take the plunge, go online and see if Best Buy, for example, offers the same item at a better price. Perhaps you can even find a better deal on Amazon or eBay, if you’re willing to wait for shipping.

4. Research food safety with the Food Additives app

If you are a health-conscious grocery shopper, maybe you’ve come across foods containing additives you wish you were familiar with. Sure you could search Google and try to come up with some info on these additives… or you can use the handy Food Additives iPhone app.

The Food Additives app gives you access to a searchable database that will tell you about the origins of many additives, as well as potential risks, symptoms and whether the additive has been banned in any countries. Each additive in the application also has a Wikipedia link pointing to additional information.

Now you can confidently avoid additives that might pose a danger to the health of you or your family. Not bad for $3.99.

5. Use the Balance app to track your purchases

Balance is a simple iPhone app that lets you keep track of deposits and withdrawals from your bank account.

Not only does it save you paper and the inconvenience of carrying around a checkbook — who uses those anymore anyway? — but if you check your Balance before making an impulsive purchase, it could serve as a reminder that you’d be better off saving your money.

I would have been happy to pay for such a useful app, but it’s free through the App Store.

*Bonus Tip* - Use iPhone’s camera to get opinions from house mates

Say your roommate or spouse is at home and asks you to pick something up at the store for them. When you get there, you see two similar items and you don’t know which one they’d prefer. Uhhh, what to do?

With the iPhone, it’s easy. Snap a photo of the items in question, touch “Email Photo” and problem solved. (Of course, this would be easier if the iPhone did not lack support for MMS — just one of several things wrong with the iPhone.) But you can tell your recipient to check their email and get back to you.

Conclusion

These 6 tips can help you use your iPhone to save money and shop more wisely, which could be especially important today if you live in the US or another country where the economy is slow and the price of gas is high.

So how has iPhone made you a smarter shopper? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Nearly a year after I published my list of 25 things wrong with the iPhone, the post has grown considerably with nearly 100 readers adding comments to it.

By now Apple has addressed some of the problems with the iPhone, and I want to thank them for listening to our feedback, but also encourage them to continue to improve the iPhone, even past version 2.0. First:

10 iPhone problems Apple has corrected

1. 3G has been added to the next-generation iPhone
2. The 3G iPhone will have real GPS
3. iPhone 2.0 will let you mass-edit your email by making it easier to move & delete individual emails or groups of emails
4. Apple now lets you add custom ringtones to your iPhone via the iTunes store, albeit for $1
5. Apple made it quicker to dial your favorite contacts by letting you double-click the home button
6. The next-generation iPhone’s headphone input will not be recessed, so you will be able to use any and all headphones with it. Why did Apple recess the headphone jack in the first place?
7. iPhone’s calculator is vastly improved on iPhone 2.0
8. Games and third-party applications will be supported through the App Store
9. You can now send mass text messages
10. iPhone 2.0 will have a search feature for finding contacts quicker.

I’m thankful to Apple for making these changes, but some of iPhone’s problems remain unaddressed. In a year, Apple has responded to only ten of the 25+ complaints discussed in my post — not just by me but by other iPhone owners who left comments.

A lot of iPhone’s problems are due to small, easy-to-add features that are missing even though they mean a lot. Apple can very easily correct these issues, so what are they waiting for?

Here are 25 things still wrong with the iPhone that Apple should consider if it wants to stay competitive in the now-revolutionized mobile phone market:

25 things STILL wrong with the iPhone

Beginning the list are iPhone problems posted in my original list last year.

Note: The iPhone 2.0 software update will not be released until July 11, so some of these things could change. Add your comment to the list at the bottom to increase the likelihood of Apple taking our requests seriously.

1. iPhone still cannot copy & paste text. iPhone lets you email web pages via the Mail application, but what about when you want to copy & paste a paragraph into a form? Or a web address into a text field?

2. iPhone still does not display a time stamp for each individual text message. This is not a big deal for me right now, but some readers commented that they preferred each text individually stamped.

3. Still no Flash or Java on Safari Mobile.

4. Landscape orientation for the keyboard is still limited to Safari. I would love to use the Mail app in landscape, and even the SMS and Notes apps.

5. Still no privacy settings have been mentioned for the iPhone’s privacy-violating SMS Preview feature.

6. No Undo function for when you make a typing error.

7. The YouTube app is still non-interactive — that is, you can’t post or view comments — and iPhone lacks support for social networking in general.

8. You still cannot save documents to a My Documents type of folder. The only improvement is that iPhone 2.0 will let you save photos from emails in your Photos library.

9. Still no mention of whether we can send more than one image per email.

10. No cropping option for photos.

11. Although the Contacts app will now have a search function, there’s still no Find function for finding a word in a web page. This is a feature I use a lot in Firefox (CTRL+F). The thing is, Safari Mobile is not that stable yet, so adding a feature like this might bog it down even more.

12. Still no mention of a To-Do list, a useful feature many readers have told me they’d appreciate.

13. Still no AIM, iChat or instant messenger on the iPhone. Blackberry users have Blackberry Messenger to chat with other Blackberry users, but there’s no such feature on the iPhone.

14. No mention yet of whether the iPhone’s poor camera has improved. How about at least digital zoom, image stabilization and a simple LED flash like that of the Sidekick and the Blackberry Curve?

15. No speed dial feature.

16. No MMS support, although there are workarounds.

17. The iPhone cannot be used as a hard drive storage device.

18. Still no video camera, even though lower-end phones like the MOTORAZR have video cameras.

19. You still can’t disable auto-correct on the keyboard. It’s fine with me, but some people have told me it drives them crazy and they’d rather just turn it off.

20. You can’t delete individual calls from your Recent Calls list.

21. You can’t delete individual text messages.

22. I would like to see a more advanced Notes application, with spell check, styling options and copy/paste (a feature I mentioned above). Notes should also sync to my computer. And why not also integrate the Notes app with online services, like blogging software? That way you could type a post up in Notes, disconnected from the web, and then publish it on WordPress, for example.

Perhaps this is something a WordPress app in the App Store could accomplish.

23. Safari crashes way too much. This has been a problem with every iPhone I’ve owned, and it’s also been a problem for my readers, who shared their comments on my article about Safari crashing.

24. Let us sync to iTunes via Bluetooth. Currently, iPhone Bluetooth support extends to hands-free devices only.

25. Add voice dialing to iPhone. Without tactile feedback on the keyboard, voice dialing is a must-have for drivers.

With the App Store coming in July, it’s possible that third-party developers can build software that solves these problems, but to me, most of the features listed are basic functions an advanced mobile phone like iPhone should have.

What do you think?

I would love to hear your thoughts about what’s missing on the iPhone in the comments. If you want to be updated about my future articles, subscribe to this blog.

When Google last year unveiled Android, its open-source mobile phone platform, I published an article titled, Android vs. iPhone: Will the Google Phone Be an iPhone Killer?

At the time, before iPhone 2.0, it looked like Android had a good shot at taking down the iPhone, for several reasons:

• Android phones were set to be priced around $200, while the iPhone at the time was priced at a minimum of $400 (for the 4GB model).
• Because Android is open-source, developers can freely create applications for the phones. When I wrote my article last November, Apple had not yet released a software development kit for the iPhone, so any third-party applications on iPhone were unauthorized.
• Apple signed a contract with AT&T binding the iPhone in the United States to the wireless company for five years, while Google’s Android phones will be built by various manufacturers and supported by many carriers.

Add to that the fact that when I wrote the article, there was still no mention of 3G data speeds or GPS being on the iPhone.

iPhone 2.0: A lot’s changed in half a year

Apple is not oblivious to Android’s potential, so it looks like they’ve stepped up their game to take on Google with iPhone 2.0.

The 2nd-generation iPhone will cost $200-$300 — discounted by an AT&T iPhone subsidy that will lose the wireless company money.

The App Store on iPhone 2.0 will let third-party developers distribute their own apps. Plus the new iPhone will have 3G and GPS features.

Still some obstacles remain:

1. iPhone is bound to AT&T for another four years

What was Apple thinking signing a five-year contract in such a fast-moving industry? While Google dominates the subscriber bases of T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint, iPhone will be stuck in a cage with AT&T.

2. iPhone is not open source

Open-source means greater flexibility. A 100% open-source handset powered by Android will have large communities behind it, working to improve every aspect of the phone.

iPhone, on the other hand, will have only Apple behind it. Of course, there will be the upcoming App Store, which gives developers some freedom to distribute their applications. But such a setup is far from open source. That’s why I think that to compete with Google, Apple will have to work to make the future of iPhone as open as possible.

3. iPhone has only one look

It may come a time when the iPhone will become so trendy that people won’t want to buy one and fit into the crowd. Would you feel funny if you were sitting at a dinner table, and all six people in your party had iPhones?

The handset hardware that will carry the Android platform will be built by several companies in Google’s Open Handset Alliance. So people will be able to have their own unique phones, but all powered by Android software.

On the other hand, it might work out in Apple’s favor for the iPhone to maintain a consistent design. That could give it a more memorable brand identity than Google’s Android, which will not have one iconic look like that of the iPhone.

Android vs. iPhone: Which is the better phone?

Hai of Mobile Madness points out a few things Android developers can do to dominate the iPhone:

• Make software distribution decentralized, but organized so that application distribution can become viral.
• Improve and encourage consistency of design among Android applications.
• Target third-world countries.

— Hai on What Android needs to do to compete with iPhone

All of these are good strategies that either company could follow, and they show the expanse of opportunities that have arisen in this now-revolutionized mobile phone industry.

I think at this point, considering Google’s history of successful products, it’s anyone’s game.

But iPhone 2.0 is without-a-doubt much better equipped to handle Android than the old iPhone was.

iPhone or Android? What do you think?

Which is the better phone? I would love to hear your opinion in the comments.

If you’ve already got a pair of headphones you like, but which are not iPhone-compatible because they don’t reach into the iPhone’s recessed headphone input, then you might be better off getting a cable adapter instead of new headphones.

I’ve reviewed Griffin’s iPhone headphone adapter, a product I recommend, but I read in a MacRumors forum thread today that you can get an iPhone headphone adapter for dirt cheap. I’m sure this is one of the cheapest iPhone headphone adapters out there: for $1 at MonoPrice.com.

I haven’t tested this adapter, but if you need one, what have you got to lose? That is, except for $1.

I’m listening to The Beatles’ Abbey Road on my iPhone right now, but I’m enjoying it more than usual because I’m using the iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone that Maximo sent me.

I have to be honest: I’m not the best judge of these earphones because I’ve never owned an isolation headset before. I’d only briefly listened to isolation headphones one other time before first trying the Maximo ones a week ago.

But I can honestly say when listening to these vs. listening to Apple’s $30 white ear buds, that it’s instantly clear that the iMetal headset puts out a more full, encapsulating sound than do the white ear buds.

The iMetal headset has a more bass-prominent sound, and you hear small details in music that you might have missed while you used lower-end ear buds. But is the Maximo headset worth $70?

iMetal headset worth the price?

I think if you can afford to pay $70, and you consider yourself a music lover, then you’ll appreciate the iMetal headphones compared to Apple’s or other standard earphones.

If you care more about singing along to the lyrics of songs than you care to listen to the songs themselves, then you might not consider these headphones essential.

Maximo’s iMetal isolation headset is iPhone-compatible, so you also get a clicker for pausing and switching songs, and a high-density condenser microphone for phone calls. And the 3.5mm headset jack fits right into the iPhone’s recessed headphone input, so you don’t need an adapter as you do with non-iPhone-compatible headphones.

This review of the iMetal Isolation Headset is based on my experience using lower-end earbuds, since I barely ever used isolation earphones before. I regret that I haven’t owned other isolation headsets, so that I could write a more informed review, but I’ll try my best to describe my experience using Maximo’s iMetal Headset anyway.

iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone - The Sound

When music is produced in the studio, instruments are panned left, right and center depending on the tastes of the producers. So when you listen to music on headphones, the different sounds come from different earbuds, L and R.

With Apple’s white ear buds, I notice the panning for the main instruments in the mix. But as I review the iMetal headset, certain background sounds that never stood out to me before become more prominent, and everything has its place in the mix.

Take a drum set, for example. If you are a drummer, you have some drums and cymbals to the left of you, some to the right and some in front of you. With iMetal’s Isolation Headset, you can be the drummer and identify where each drum sits in the space.

Bass stands out more than typical earbuds on the iMetal earphones. And so do higher-pitch sounds. That’s because, while the Apple earbuds have a frequency response of 20-20,000 Hz, the Maximo iMetal isolation headset’s frequency response is 18-22,000 Hz.

And because these earphones prevent you from hearing external sounds in your environment, the iMetal headset can get LOUD.

iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone - Sound Isolation

Besides the improved audio quality, a big perk for me about the iMetal headphones is that you don’t have to play the music as loud because the rubber tips on the earphones block outside noise from entering your ear canal. This is called sound isolation.

Sound isolating earphones prevent noise from entering the ear naturally. A foam, rubber, or plastic sleeve surrounding the earphone allows it to fit into the ear instead of resting outside of it. The snug fit and unique acoustic properties of the sleeve prevents outside noise from entering the ear. Sound isolating earphones do not require circuitry or batteries.

— Earphone Solutions

Note: This is different from noise-canceling earphones, which use a battery to electrically reduce the noise signal.

Noise-cancelling headphones use electronic circuitry to remove noise after it has entered the headphone earcup. Microphones inside each headphone earcup sample the noise field, and an electronic circuit creates an inverse or ‘mirror-image’ of the noise signal and adds it to the music. The actual noise and the inverse noise cancel each other out. The microphones and circuitry require batteries in order to operate.

— Earphone Solutions

Since I read in the Washington Post that listening to loud music with headphones puts you at greater risk of hearing damage, I’ve never been much of an earphone user.

But the thing about this iMetal headset is that, because it blocks outside noise from entering your ear canal, the same decibel level (i.e. volume) that sounds weak on normal earphones sounds louder on the iMetal earphones.

So if you care about your hearing, here’s what I suggest if you ever get yourself sound isolating earphones:

1. Listen to some songs on the headphones you normally use, and determine at what volume level you usually like to listen to music.
2. Switch to your noise isolating earphones.
3. Go to Settings » iPod » Volume Limit, keeping in mind the volume you prefer, and set a cap on your volume so that the iPod will not exceed that decibel level.

After you’ve done that, you’ll be listening to your iPhone at the same volume you always did, but it will actually be at a lower decibel level than it sounds, because the music just seems louder since it is blocked from outside noise and pointed right into your ear.

As far as isolation goes, if you have the iMetal iPhone headset turned up all the way and you have some “busy” music playing, you would just barely hear someone clapping right in front of you. Whereas, when I used the standard iPhone earbuds after using the Maximo ones, I realized how little they isolate anything. With the Apple ear buds, you could hear a paper ruffle — seriously.

If you buy isolation earphones and then switch back to your white earbuds, you will laugh at how weak they seem in comparison.

iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone - Music-Skip Feature

Unlike with the Apple ear buds, the clicker (or “music-skip feature,” as Maximo calls it) on the iMetal Isolation Headset is not located alongside the microphone. Instead, it’s a small button where the left headset cable meets the right one.

During music playback, the clicker can be pressed once to pause, or double-clicked twice to switch to the next song. The double-click time is a little bit faster on the iMetal Isolation Headset compared to standard iPhone earphones.

iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone - The Microphone

The headset’s microphone is a small, silver pearl on the left cable that hangs just below my chin. It would be nice if this microphone was a little higher up on the cable. I guess long-faced people might appreciate it more the way it is.

I would have much preferred for the iMetal headset microphone to be placed on the right cable, as it is on the Apple iPhone earphones. Maybe that’s because that’s what I’m used to, or maybe it’s the bias of a right-handed person, I don’t know.

It is, however, distinctly more clear than the standard iPhone earphones’ microphone. A test I did showed that the high-density condenser used in Maximo’s headset actually makes a difference in the sound quality of the speaker’s voice.

iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone - Overall

When I first put the ear phones in my ears, I didn’t realize that you had to really press them in to get them inside your ear canal. If you’re not used to earphones with tips like these, placing the iMetal isolation headset in your ear incorrectly will make you wonder why the heck you just wasted $70. But then, as I did, you will realize that you have to press them in and then you’ll see what isolation headsets are all about.

If you’re not used to it, it might feel strange at first to have these earphones so tightly secured in your ear, but you get accustomed to them and you start to feel like you’re in your own secluded little space.

After a while, you’ll feel so comfortable with them on that you might even forget you have them on, as the Woot! blog points out about another Maximo isolation headset:

Your ears will go: “Hey, iM-490s, I’m glad we have the kind of friendship where we can just hang out together and we don’t even have to have music or talking or anything; we can just chill and it’s not weird.”

— Woot!

Maximo provides spare rubber tips in two other sizes, so you can choose the ones that fit best. The middle size fit me best.

One great thing about the rubber eartips is that you can take them off and wash them if, for example, you want to lend your ear phones to someone and you decide to be kind . Maximo doesn’t specify in the User Guide that you can do this, but I’m sure it would be fine.

Since the tips actually go in your ear canal, the more hygienic of your friends and family may feel uncomfortable sharing this headset otherwise.

The iMetal Isolation Headset also comes with a stylish silver bag for stowing your headphones when not in use, and an extension cable if you want to lengthen your headset for whatever reason.

I couldn’t tell you how other isolation headsets perform, but based on my experience using the iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone, I would recommend this product if you’re looking for a good pair of headphones for your iPhone.

Maximo has also done a great job with the iMetal Headset packaging, and you get a bunch of useful accessories for this fully-iPhone-compatible headset. Unboxing the iMetal headphones was almost as fun as unboxing a new iPhone — of course, I’m exaggerating.

An Alternative: iMetal Stereo Headset for iPhone

I’ve also tested Maximo’s iMetal Stereo Headset for iPhone, which does not isolate the sound as the other earphones do.

The iMetal stereo headset has a wider frequency range than the standard iPhone earbuds but the sound quality, to my ears, was only slightly improved, and the volume was the same.

The stereo headset also has a clicker for skipping songs, a microphone for phone calls, and it comes with the same accessories as the iMetal isolation headset.

The iMetal stereo headset is priced equal to the iMetal Isolation Headset. While I think $70 for the isolation earphones is reasonable, I would not pay that price for the stereo headset, which does not provide enough of a difference in quality to merit such a premium.

If you’ve got $70 and you’re looking for a better headset, go with the iMetal Isolation Headset for iPhone, not these.

iMetal Isolation Headset vs. iMetal Stereo Headset

Apple may be working on video messaging, giving users the ability to send short clips to each other. Think YouTube, delivered.

— Scott Moritz

An iPhone with video messaging capability might have a lens on the face, and use the 3G chipset to send the video.

Some blogs question the usefulness of such a feature, but I can think of situations where people would like to send video clips. Here are three:

1. While traveling.

   From 3,000 miles away, I could send a video message like “Hey Dad, check out this view. You would love this place.”

2. While shopping.

   Imagine your partner sends you a video message from a fitting room. “Which of these looks better on me?”

3. On the road.

   e.g. a video message from you to a friend: “I can’t find the place. Is this the neighborhood?”

If Apple introduced video messaging on iPhone, they would set a new precedent for the future of mobile phones.

Would you video message?

Is video messaging pointless? Or does it add an appreciable intimacy to our digital interactions?

When would you use video messaging if it were on your iPhone?

I would love to hear your opinion in the comments.

P.S. I will add needed links later. This post was written on my iPhone. Shame on Apple for leaving out a copy/paste function. Blogging on the iPhone is hard work!

I’ve been enjoying DLO’s Portable Speakers for iPhone since I got my hands on them a couple of months ago.

The DLO iPhone speakers are compact, (reasonably) portable and surprisingly powerful. Yet there are a few things I believe DLO can do to improve this promising iPhone accessory.

Watch my video review below to see where the DLO portable speakers for iPhone excel, and where they fall short.

Recap:

DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone - Pros

• Speakers and dock snap into a ball that is easy to travel with
• Dock holds iPhone in both vertical and landscape orientations
• No interference from the iPhone’s cellular signal
• Sleek & attractive design
• Optional battery power for increased portability
• Reasonably priced at $50

DLO Portable Speakers for iPhone - Cons

• Power adapter and iPhone stand must be packed up separately
• Wrapping up the many cables is annoying
• Dock does not charge your iPhone, even though this feature could be easily incorporated
• Not good for speaker-phone conversations, since the caller hears an echo of their voice

Some more photos:

The iPhone can be docked vertically or in landscape orientation.

The length of the speaker cable is 2 and a half feet, so you can spread them out pretty wide.

The speakers can run on outlet power or 4 AAA batteries.

Thank you to Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) for providing a test unit of these speakers for review.

If you’ve used the DLO portable iPhone speakers yourself, I would love to hear your experience in the comments.

[ Update: Gordon Remo of iWorldAustralia, a DLO distributer, informed us in the comments that DLO was bought out by Phillips. So the portable speakers for iPhone still exist, only they are now owned by Phillips. Thanks for the update, Gordon. ]

The iPhone has cost me a lot of money and a lot of time spent at the Apple Store getting it fixed.

So why do I stick with it?

Since I first bought my iPhone last June, I’ve owned six iPhones mostly because I’ve had to get mine replaced due to some problem or other.

Is it worth the trouble to be an iPhone owner?

My six iPhones:

1. My original iPhone had a flimsy connector port, and I replaced it right away.
2. My second iPhone had its glass cracked after I dropped it on the floor. I paid $250 to get it replaced.
3. The chrome on my third iPhone had a stain on it, which I considered unacceptable after paying $250 to get my old cracked iPhone replaced, so the Apple Store gave me a new one after I complained.
4. I sold my fourth iPhone to buy a 16GB iPhone (my fifth), which I practically got for free.
5. My 16GB iPhone released an echo in my voice that callers complained about, so I got another 16GB replacement.
6. I now possess my sixth iPhone as I wait for the new 3G iPhone to be released soon.

Despite the problems, I stand behind the iPhone because it gives me one thing no other phone does: a blank slate.

The iPhone’s full-body touchscreen lets me create my own experience. With an (almost) fully-functional web browser, and soon-to-come third-party app support, the iPhone will one day be a canvas, to do with as I please.

Will iPhone 2.0 fudge it up?

iPhone 2.0 will be my seventh iPhone. It will likely add 3G, perhaps true GPS, and it will address some of iPhone’s many problems.

The new iPhone will be different, but what I have no doubt will remain central to the iPhone is its physical knack for constant evolution and adaptation to human desires; namely, its ‘blank slate’ quality.

The iPhone is a computer on a phone.

Why do you think there is a community of thousands of people Jailbreaking their iPhones and constantly demanding new apps and features?

The explosion of Jailbreak suggests to me that people will not let their technologies be restrained.

Apple responded to our demands with the third-party App Store (coming this month), but will that be enough?

As long as there is an empty canvas, people will want to fill it. As long as people have imaginations, they will envision new ways to use the iPhone. It is, as I said, a computer, full of unlimited potential.

That’s why, eventually, even past the upcoming App Store, Apple must step out of the way and let the people have their way with their blank slates.

That or be killed by Google’s Android, which with its open source framework will let us do exactly that.

An open source iPhone?

I’m not suggesting Apple reveal its source code and close up shop. It’s just that the human drive for change cannot be subdued, so Apple will eventually have to make the iPhone malleable enough to be molded by people’s individual tastes and preferences. If they don’t do that, someone else will.

Apple’s task should be to make the hardware work with our software, and to maintain a certain design consistency so that all our tools may work together.

We are sick of demanding new features for iPhone. There are plenty of people willing to work to make the iPhone a better platform, so let us!

Conclusion

The iPhone changed our culture. iPhone owners now expect to have a certain freedom on their mobile devices.

The challenge for Apple is this: Now that they have given us a sip of that freedom, we will only demand more.

If the iPhone is to continue to thrive, Apple must continue to quench our ever-growing thirst for mobile freedom by focusing on hardware and putting the iPhone’s software in the hands of the people. We are, after all, the ones who use it.

Step out of the way, Apple, cause we won’t be held back.

I went to the Apple Store yesterday because of a problem I had with my iPhone, which produced a supposedly annoying echo in my voice that drove my callers nuts.

The Apple Store in The Falls mall in Miami is always packed. Even at 2 in the afternoon, the place was a zoo, so I got on the standby list for the Genius Bar and had to wait two hours because I didn’t have an appointment.

Thankfully, I was entertained by my sister, who joined me along with her Macbook, which had a damaged battery.

The Genius, who was friendly as are all the Geniuses I’ve met, placed a call to the back of the store using my iPhone to test the echo. When no one answered his call, he told me, “Never mind. I’ll just give you a new one, since you’ve waited so long.”

Within minutes I had yet another shiny new iPhone, the sixth one I’ve ever owned.

My sister, on the other hand, was not so lucky. They failed to archive her operating system properly, so they kept it overnight and she will pick it up today.

Although my iPhones have had their problems, I have overall been pleased with the service I’ve received at the Apple Store.

What has your experience been with the Apple Store Geniuses?

1. iPhone Atlas

   

   A CNET site, iPhone Atlas publishes a good deal of news on Jailbreaking, iPhone unlocking and third-party apps and development. The tone of the site is often technical and “newsy,” rather than personal and blog-like, but it’s worth a look.

2. Apple iPhone School

   

   Apple iPhone School is a comprehensive resource on iPhone apps and Jailbreaking how-to. They update regularly about all kinds of cool third-party apps that enhance the functionality (and fun!) of your iPhone.

   Doug and Brooke also publish a great “iPhone 101″ video podcast covering all the latest interesting things going on in the iPhone community. This iPhone blog is highly recommended, particularly for those of you with Jailbroken iPhones.

3. The iPhone Blog

   

   The iPhone Blog takes a humorous approach to iPhone news. The posts are written in a funny, Gizmodo-esque tone, and all articles are accompanied by a laugh-out-loud Photoshopped image.

4. iPhone Freak

   

   iPhone Freak publishes a nice variety of iPhone news in an easily-digestible format. The articles are reasonably short and to the point. I recommend this iPhone blog as an all-encompassing iPhone news source.

5. And of course, my personal favorite: Apple iPhone Review

   

   What, you actually thought I’d leave out this iPhone blog, my very own pride and joy?

   I like to think I take an “out-of-the-box” look at the iPhone. Although I love my iPhone, I consider the device’s flaws and how it can be improved. I also ask questions and emphasize community involvement on my blog, always encouraging readers to participate in the comments.

   You can read more about Apple iPhone Review on my About page, or click here to subscribe now.

Do you read any of the above iPhone blogs? Are there any other iPhone blogs you recommend?