Apple's next-gen iPhone power amp; NASA chemical sensor app

"Apple has reportedly selected a new power amplifier supplier for a new, forthcoming model of the iPhone; and a NASA scientist has used the iPhone to create a chemical sensor.

New iPhone power amplifier

Skyworks has reportedly been tapped by Apple to supply the power amplifier for a new model of Apple's iPhone. According to Taiwanese trade publicationDigiTimes, the company orders its parts from Advanced Wireless Semiconductor Company.

AWSC expects its revenues to grow by 50 percent in 2010, when Skyworks reportedly becomes the power amplifier supplier for the next-generation iPhone. No further details on the new hardware were presented.

Recent reports have suggested a new hardware model of the iPhone compatible with the Verizon Wireless network in the U.S. could debut in the summer of 2010. The first three iPhone hardware iterations all saw an annual summer release.

NASA creates prototype chemical sensor

Jing Li, a physical scientist at the NASA Ames Research Center, has used the hardware connectivity made available in iPhone OS 3.0 to create a "compact, low-cost, low-power, high speed nanosensor-based chemical sensing" external attachment. The prototype device, which is said to be about the size of a postage stamp, connects to the iPhone through its 30-pin dock connector.

As first noted by Gizmodo, the device can detect chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine gas and methane. The accompanying application can automatically transfer data to other devices.

"The device senses chemicals in the air using a 'sample jet' and a multiple-channel silicon-based sensing chip, which consists of 16 nanosensors, and sends detection data to another phone or a computer via telephone communication network or Wi-Fi," NASA said.

At Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference in June, Apple highlighted a number of third-party applications that take advantage of iPhone OS 3.0 to connect with external hardware. The new software allows applications on the handset to communicate with external third-party hardware."

Written by Slash Lane

AT&T Publicly Responds to Verizon Ad Campaign

"AT&T today published a public response to a recent series of advertisements from rival Verizon attacking AT&T's 3G network coverage. The latest spat between the two companies began last monthwith Verizon ads using map-based representations of AT&T's and Verizon's 3G coverage areas, with Verizon's network being touted as covering five times the area of AT&T's.

Earlier this month, AT&T filed suit against Verizon for misleading advertising, claiming that the ads implied that AT&T offered no coverage outside of the highlighted 3G areas, when in fact the vast majority of those areas are covered by the company's EDGE network, which the company claims is virtually identical to its 3G coverage with the exception of data transfer speed.

Today's release from AT&T takes its argument directly to the public in an effort to "set the record straight" on what AT&T has to offer. While the release does not directly mention the iPhone, it is clear that the much of the dispute over AT&T's 3G coverage has centered on the popular device.

As the U.S. market leader in wireless data service, we typically don't respond to competitors' advertising. However, some recent ads from Verizon are so blatantly false and misleading, that we want to set the record straight about AT&T's wireless data coverage.

In the release, AT&T details the three types of technology used in its wireless networks (3G, EDGE, GPRS), the functionalities offered by each technology, and the respective coverage areas by population in the United States. The company also touts the breadth of popular smartphones available to customers and the availability of over 100,000 applications, both obvious references to the iPhone. Finally, AT&T notes that it has the "nation's fastest 3G network", which also offers the ability to handle voice and data simultaneously."

Written by Erica Slivka