Another day, another independent developer gets shafted on the iTunes App Store. Today's casualty? Developer Phunkware and its Tetris-inspired game, Shaker.

According to TUAW, the Tetris Company and Tetris Holdings LLC found the game to be too inspired by its titular cash cow, despite the somewhat intoxicating visual themes, inclusion of martini recipes, and unique "shaker" feature that rotated the blocks based on the iPhone's accelerometer orientation. We'll admit, the core gameplay is similar to Tetris, but honestly, the same could be said for any number of games and the classics they draw from.

In the current wave of App Store rejections and removals, it's sad to see another application go the way of the Dodo -– particularly one that has genuinely unique features to offer. And with so many apps being virtual clones of each other -– games or not -– the only real question left to ask is, "Who's next on the chopping block?" [From TUAW]

While there is an inherent security risk in storing personal information on your computer, intelligent cell phones pose an even greater threat; we've never lost a computer, but have misplaced more cell phones than we can count.

According to Jonathan Zdziarski's book 'iPhone Forensics,' a tech-minded thief can recover key strokes, GPS maps and even deleted files from an iPhone's memory, potentially making available everything from an private e-mails to credit card information. The book goes on to instruct the reader in the ways of iPhone-pillaging, which we don't think could possibly help the situation.

Not to single out Apple's model, as many phones are surely as liable to leak information, but we are adding the sixth reason not to buy an iPhone. [From: NewScientist.com]

The campaign of Barack Obama continues to show that it's the more tech-savvy of the U.S. presidential tickets. The Obama campaign has released a pair of new mobile tools for iPhone-carrying supporters. In addition to a specially iPhone designed version of its Web page, there is now an Obama iPhone application that has a number of features to help motivate and organize supporters and volunteers.

The iPhone application access your contacts and reorganizes them so that contacts in battleground states are listed at the top, instead of simply using alphabetical order. The application counts how many calls you make through the app and anonymously sends the tally (but no other data) back to the Obama campaign. The app shows how many calls you've made and how many calls the application has been used to make nationwide, motivating users by making them feel like they are part of a larger community.

The application also can access the iPhone's GPS to locate the nearest Obama campaign office and local events. It also comes with "issues" and "media" links, which delivers statements and videos of Obama's stance on issues.

The McCain campaign responded by asking, "What's an iPhone?" [From: CNET and USA Today]

The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), a three person panel that controls royalty rates for music sales, is set to make a judgment today that could potentially raise royalty rates on digital music by 66-percent. Currently, the rate rests at 9 cents per track, but the National Music Publishers' Association wants the rate raised to 15 cents.

The problem is that someone, either the consumer, the record companies, or digital music resellers, will have to absorb the cost. Apple, in particular, is livid with the possibility of this increase. The purveyors of the iPod and the iTunes music store claim that they already pay 70-percent of the revenue from iTunes to the record companies and that the rate increase could cause iTunes to cease being profitable. If that became the case, Apple has said they would consider closing the iTunes store.

Apple believes that the rate increase would force them to raise prices, which would drive the number of purchases down. According to the Industry Standard Apple vice president, Eddy Cue, said "Apple... is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [the store] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably."

It's hard to believe that Apple would simply shutdown a property that it has spent so much time and manpower developing, but the threat to close down the world's most popular digital music store is a significant one. Even if it's an empty threat. [From: Industry Standard]

Update:
Well, the CRB came back with a decision today that should make Apple (and RealNetworks, and Napster, etc...) very happy. The board voted to freeze the royalty rate at 9.1 cents per track, where it will stay for at least the next five years.

The New York Times' David Pogue has written up a little something special for your ears: A review of some new bone-conduction headphones, which pass sound directly through your skull to your inner ear. The sound bypasses the eardrum and, in the process, leaves your ears in better shape -- particularly relevant in our digital times, where most doctors insist that incessant iPod use is destroying our hearing.

Unfortunately, the conclusion is that these devices don't exactly solve the problem. As it stands, the best option out there is a device called the Audio Bone earphones. Because the 'Bones go on your ears rather than in them, they effectively solve the rudeness problem: You're not shutting yourself off from real-life conversation when wearing them, and Pogue compares it to having a bookshelf stereo system playing in the background -- a really, really tiny one that only you can hear.

But the real problem, as we've confirmed with our own hands-on test with the Audio Bones, is that the sound just isn't up to snuff. Compared to nearly any pair of headphones you've ever tried (even those included with your iPod), the Audio Bones sound incredibly muffled, tinny, and lack any real presence.

Which pretty much defeats the purpose. You may now commence going deaf. [From: NY Times]

Hey, remember that tiny power adapter you got with your new iPhone? Well guess what? It could get a little dangerous -- so Apple wants you to swap it for a newer, less dangerous one. Apparently, the adapter's metal prongs can break right off, thus creating a "risk of electrical shock" and general mellow-harshing. The company issued a recall today for any of the "Ultracompact USB Power Adapters" which came with iPhone 3Gs in the US, Japan, Canada, Mexico, and "several Latin American countries" (don't worry, they've got a list). Check the read link to figure out if you've got the bad kind of adapter, and for goodness sake, be careful when unplugging that thing!

Motorola unveiled two new Bluetooth headsets today, one of which -- the H15 (pictured, above) -- is about half the size of a thumb and fits discreetly inside your ear via adjustable earbuds. Available in October for $129, the H15 is a souped-up version of the equally tiny H5 Miniblue headset that came out way back in 2006, and incorporates Motorola's CrystalTalk noise-cancellation technology and EasyPair pairing technology, which reduce outside noise on phone calls and make pairing with phones a snap, respectively. Motorola also announced the H780 Universal Bluetooth Headset, which is slightly bigger and offers more battery life (about 7 hours) than the H15 (about 4.5 hours), but only costs $99.

Both headsets also have multipoint technology, which means they can pair with two phones at once --- handy for those who like to double-fist their phones (such as this writer, who tends to carry an iPhone, for fun, in one pocket and a BlackBerry, for work, in another).

We got a chance to play around with both headsets in New York City's cavernous, echo-y, and conversation-filled Grand Central Station, as well as at our local Starbucks and on city streets, with satisfying results. Both friends we called thought we were either in a "Lincoln Town Car" or a "box" (whatever that means), even though we were walking down noisy streets. To be fair, one friend heard the church bell in the distance on one call, while another could hear the a muffled version of the roar of the cappuccino machine at Starbucks, but overall both of these headsets seemed kind to callers' ears on the other end. We also found them both to be easy to pair -- in fact, the H15 automatically goes into pairing mode when you flip out the U-shaped mic, which means never having to remember how to get a headset into pairing mode again (one of our big pet peeves that makes us easily tire of Bluetooth headsets in general).

Both the H15 and the H780 are due out in the 4th Quarter, which probably means early October since they've already started shipping to stores.

This little phenomenon has been going on ever since lines were wrapped around buildings as consumers waited impatiently for the iPhone 3G, but even now, original iPhones are fetching wild prices on the secondhand market. In a weird twist of economics, Apple's iPhone actually maintained the majority of its value even after its successor hit the market.

Why, you ask? Put simply, a first-gen iPhone purchased from eBay or other pre-owned resellers arrives sans an AT&T contract, and of course, it can be (relatively) easily unlocked to work with some other carrier. PSA: if you're still sitting on your old iPhone for no apparent reason, now would probably be an excellent time to test the market.

[Image courtesy of IFOAppleStore]

You made it. Three full battery charges and three full days of buggy 2.0.2 firmware later and the 2.1 software is update is now available for download. Remember, this "big update" comes with Steve's personal promise of "fewer call drops... significantly improved battery life for most customers... fixed a lot of bugs where if you have a lot of apps on the phone you're not going to get some of the crashes we've seen... backing up to iTunes is dramatically faster." We'll see.

P.S. Not that we're expecting any, but if you spot copy and paste or any other unannounced features be sure to let us know. [From: Apple]

Sure, saying these are things that you need might be overkill, but let's be real: that new iPhone 3G you bought is nothing without some accessories. Whether you're looking for a case, new headphones, a Bluetooth headset, or even a backup power source, we have you covered in this video. Click play and let the shopping begin!

Snow Patrol has already made most of us sob quietly into our pillows. Not us, as in the people responsible for this article, but we hear that some people have sobbed while singing along to their songs... Anywho...

The new Snow Patrol album, due out next month, is the first to offer a downloadable application for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. The digital booklet, which will be available online, will let fans access behind-the-scenes footage from video shoots. Album artwork, lyrics and other features will also be included.

We are sure that fans of Snow Patrol are thrilled by this revolutionary utilization of interactive media. We, however, remain utterly tough and indifferent...

Sniff, sniff. [From: MusicWeek]

Apple's taking a pretty lackadaisical attitude toward one of the most easily avoided security flaws in recent memory, calling the iPhone's passcode lock bypass a "minor iPhone security issue" and saying that a fix will be rolled out in September. Thanks, Apple; we suppose it'd be a little too much trouble to ask for a fix sooner, even though you already fixed it once in 1.1.4.

For what it's worth, a company spokeswoman is quick to point out that the flaw can easily be hidden by changing the home button double-click functionality to take you to the home screen, but most users don't know that, now do they? Way to show some hustle, guys -- cookies and gold stars all around. [From: Computerworld]

In a story that seems ripe to be translated into a modern-day cinematic update of 'Annie,' a Chinese woman has gone from factory worker to national celebrity after her photo was accidentally loaded onto an Apple iPhone -- and into the hands on an unsuspecting new owner.

According to company spokesperson Liu Kun, the woman was snapped by her coworker, an iPhone quality tester in manufacturer Foxconn's factory in Shenzhen. She smiled and made a peace sign for the camera, and her colleague apparently forgot to delete the photo from the phone. It was sold in Britain shortly thereafter, and the owner immediately posted the images on the Web.

According to Liu, the woman was "unsettled" by the sudden fame, after her photo graced Web sites and newspapers around the world. Fortunately, her bosses have assured her that her job was safe, and that the company wouldn't release her personal information to the public.

"Even passers-by recognize her face and can't help noticing her," Liu said. "She is quite nervous right now because she never experienced this much attention." It's not the first time such a thing has happened, but Kun insists that his company is working with Apple to prevent such accidents in the future.

"Small mistakes are unavoidable," he said. "I would call this a beautiful mistake."

Looks like our little movie has a title, folks. [From: AOL Money & FInance]

Well, a gaping security hole has been found in the iPhone that makes us wonder how much quality control this thing really went through. It looks like a would be data thief could get access to much of your personal information and many of the applications on your iPhone -- even if your device is locked with a passcode.

The trick is simple: The data thief slides to unlock the phone, and, when prompted for a passcode, hits the emergency call button. A quick double tap of the home button will bring up your 'Favorites' for anyone who knows this trick, which means potential thieves would then be able to access contact information for anyone in your favorites list. Worse still, all of that contact information is associated with applications that can be now be launched directly from the favorites window without a passcode. Double click on a contact's e-mail address and pull up the Mail application. Web site associated with the contact? Safari will launch. Click 'Send Text Message' to pull up the text message inbox.

Clearly, clicking 'emergency call' should not unlock any applications except the dialer. , Luckily, there is a simple fix for the hole -- change the behavior of the home button. If you go into your Settings menu and change a double click on the home button to bring up the home screen or iPod functions instead of your favorites list, you should be safe... for now. [From: TUAW]

As gadgets get more advanced, they tend to get smaller. Some people, however, still yearn for the past when bigger still meant better. If you fall into that category, you might want the Xi Jukebox, a 1950's looking iPod dock that's made for any fans of the Fonz.

The size isn't just for looks, though. Inside this handcrafted baby you get an Mk7 Twin channel amplifier that cranks out 150 watts per channel via two tweeters, two mid range speakers, and a 12" twin cone bass speaker. There's also an LED screen that plays videos and shows album art and photos, and this beast also comes with light tubes that change color depending on your preference.

The catch with all this is the price, which is currently set at £5,800 (about $10,700 US). It's all made in England too, so you might not be able to get one of here either, as they weigh almost 300 pounds. The worst part is that it doesn't take any money, so you can't get your guests to slowly pay it off with quarters and singles. [Source: OhGizmo!]