Apple today announced that the iPhone will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when iPhone was unveiled in January. The iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback. In addition, the iPhone will feature up to 250 hours-more than 10 days-of standby time.

Apple also announced that the entire top surface of iPhone, including its stunning 3.5-inch display, has been upgraded from plastic to optical-quality glass to achieve a superior level of scratch resistance and optical clarity.

“With 8 hours of talk time, and 24 hours of audio playback, iPhone’s battery life is longer than any other ‘Smartphone’ and even longer than most MP3 players,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve also upgraded iPhone’s entire top surface from plastic to optical-quality glass for superior scratch resistance and clarity. There has never been a phone like iPhone, and we can’t wait to get this truly magical product into the hands of customers starting just 11 days from today.”

iPhone Developers Camp is an upcoming BarCamp-style gathering, to develop web-based applications and optimize web sites for iPhone. It is a non-commercial event, organized by volunteers, with attendance free to all.

By the completion of the weekend event, a number of iPhone-ready web applications and web sites will be launched to the public. The event will be held in the Bay Area (California), and out-of-town guests are welcome.

Attendees will include web designers, developers, testers, and iPhone owners, all working together over the weekend to improve the web experience for iPhone. Development projects will include both solo and team efforts.

While some attendees will wish to work solo during the event, attendees will be encouraged to team up, based on expertise, to work in ad-hoc project development teams. All attendees should be prepared to work on a development project during the event.

Fox has signed a deal with Internet TV service Brightcove to offer ad-supported Internet video channels for Fox, FX and Speed.

“Brightcove’s tools and services enable us to quickly and easily deploy broadband video on our network Web sites while retaining control over the quality, brand experience, and monetization of our content.” said David Baron, vice president, Fox Digital Media.

Unfortunately, “retaining control” means that Fox’s offerings may seem like Internet TV on training wheels – limiting you to watching their content on their terms – or as Fox describes it – “managed syndication to select website affiliates.” Nevertheless, the move shows that Fox understands that Internet video represents the future of television.

In other words, you can enjoy the viral power of embedding Fox videos in your blogs or MySpace page…..

Microsoft today announced the availability of Microsoft Mediaroom, an update to its Internet Protocol television (IPTV) software platform. While Apple is coming at Internet TV from an end user perspective with its Apple TV/iTunes platform, Microsoft is targeting the lucrative service provider market.

Enrique Rodriguez, corporate vice president, Microsoft TV Business, right, offered his thoughts on the introduction.
“Microsoft Mediaroom is the latest update to Microsoft TV‚Äôs award-winning IPTV software platform”, said Rodrquez. “As the digital TV services market continues to grow, service providers will search for competitive differentiators that set them apart in terms of features and overall consumer experience.”

“The platform introduces several new features that unlock the potential of TV, such as personal media sharing, connecting the TV to a PC, accessing and enjoying digital pictures or songs ‚Äì all on the big screen,” adds Rodriquez. “The platform also offers richer support for Web services and applications, enabling service providers to deploy applications, such as dynamic video-on-demand portals, casual games and interactive TV services.”

Microsoft today announced the availability of Microsoft Mediaroom, an update to its Internet Protocol television (IPTV) software platform.

With this release, Microsoft is rebranding its IPTV platform as Microsoft Mediaroom to “reflect the broader set of new connected entertainment experiences made possible today”. Microsoft hopes that service providers will use the Mediaroom brand and identify to market their services.

Building upon existing Microsoft IPTV features, such as enhanced digital video recording, video on demand, high-definition television and instant channel zapping, the Microsoft Mediaroom platform introduces the following:

• Personal media sharing. This enables consumers to easily listen to digital music and view digital photographs stored on PCs elsewhere in the home on the best screen in the house: the television.
• Multimedia Application Environment. The environment offers richer support for Web services and applications, enabling service providers to deploy advanced features such as dynamic video-on-demand portals, casual games and interactive TV services.
• Enhanced MultiView capabilities. These allow consumers to see multiple channels, programs and camera angles on one screen.
• The general availability of DTT capabilities on the platform, allowing service providers in regions with DTT programming to offer fully integrated, seamless IPTV services.

While Apple positioned its Internet TV solution, Apple TV, as an extension of its existing iTunes Internet media platform, Microsoft Mediaroom offers a platform for television service providers to provide Internet TV offerings.

CNN and YouTube have announced plans to bring broadcast two presidential debates that will feature video questions submitted via Youtube. The questions will be broadcast and answered by the candidates during the CNN debates. CNN’s Anderson Cooper will moderate the two-hour debates and pose follow-up questions.

The Democratic debate, the first Democratic National Committee-sanctioned presidential forum of the 2008 election cycle, will be held at the Citadel in Charleston, S.C. from 7:00 to 9:00 PM (ET), on Monday, July 23, and will air live on CNN. The Republican presidential forum hosted by CNN and YouTube will take place from 7:00 to 9:00 PM (PT), on Monday, Sept 17, in Florida.

YouTube users can submit their questions at www.youtube.com/debates.

“YouTube enables voters and candidates to communicate in a way that simply was not possible during the last election,” said Chad Hurley, CEO and co-founder of YouTube. “For the first time in the history of presidential debates, voters from around the country will be able to ask the future president of the United States a question in video form and hear the answer.”

YouTube has introduced a new mobile offering that promises to blow out your mobile Internet plan.

The mobile version of the site, available at m.youtube.com, provides a selection of popular videos from the site, including top videos from the Featured, Recently Added, Most Viewed, Top Rated, Top Favorites, Entertainment, and People categories.

YouTube warns:

YouTube Mobile is a data intensive application. We highly recommend that you upgrade to an unlimited data plan with your mobile service provider to avoid additional charges.

English artist David Hockney knows what’s to blame for the decline of western civilization.

It’s not homosexuality.

It’s not expressionistic art.

It’s iPods!

Speaking on the eve of his 70th birthday, Britain’s best-loved living painter said the proliferation of iPods and other digital music players has combined with a decline in art education to create a “fallow period of painting”.

According to Hockney, the iPod is contributing to a decline in visual awareness that is damaging art and painting. It even makes people dress badly.

“It’s all about sound,” said Hockney. “People plug in their ears and don’t look much, whereas for me my eyes are the biggest pleasure.

“You notice that on buses. People don’t look out of the window; they are plugged in and listening to something,” adds Hockney. “We are not in a very visual age and it’s producing badly dressed people. They have no interest in mass or line or things like that.”

Warning: This post is not safe for work, violent and just plain wrong.

The Bikinirama vlog features the collective work of three German bikinimädchen that specialize in wearing bikinis and destroying things.

Here, an Apple Powerbook feels the hammer of Tatjana:

Maybe it’s just sexist. Maybe, like they claim, it’s a form of social commentary “with woman in combination with the traditional weapon of the man.”

Either way – next time your laptop acts up, you know who to call.

via Gadget Lab

A new version of Skype for Windows, now in beta, introduces several features:

• Auto redial
• Call Transfer
• Device Indicators
• Edit chat messages
• Message history loading granulated
• Private Telephone Numbers
• Send contacts inside chat
• Visual indicators for Audio In / Audio Out in options
• Show examples of notifications / alerts in options
• Added Latvian localization – Intars Students
• In-Client Hardware store button

Skype is a popular tool with podcasters for recording interviews and discussions over the Internet.

Details are available at the Skype site.