iPhone Tethering App Released, Killed In 2 Hours 434
tjhayes writes "The iPhone App Store released an application called NetShare that allowed the iPhone to tether a laptop to the internet. It was priced at a $10 one-time fee. After being available for approximately 2 hours, the application has disappeared from the apps store. What exactly are AT&T/Apple trying to accomplish here?" They are trying to prove what is wrong with DRM, and demonstrate why hackers want to jailbreak the iPhone.
I got mine (Score:2, Informative)
it works
It's back, you weenies (Score:5, Informative)
Old News (Score:0, Informative)
This is SUPER old news (as far as the Internet goes) because as of mid-day yesterday it was put back up on the app store.
http://www.tuaw.com/2008/08/01/what-happened-to-netshare/
Re:It's back, you weenies (Score:1, Informative)
Actually, it's been removed again...
people just need to know (Score:4, Informative)
You don't like their terms, don't use their product.
Exactly. And in order to ensure that as many people as possible know about Apple's restrictions and the consequences of those restrictions before they get locked into a contract, we keep talking about it.
Incidentally, any of the S60 Nokias, many Palms and many Windows Mobile phones have no restrictions on tethering. They're also cheaper than the iPhone. And the Nokias use the same web browser as the iPhone.
Now, what exactly are you trying to say?
Re:It's back, you weenies (Score:5, Informative)
Re:WTF? (Score:5, Informative)
I was quite shocked, but knowing apple, I shouldn't have been.
I was shocked to learn this about the original iPhone, since it was only since I switched to OS X that I started regularly using a phone for Internet access via Bluetooth. Apple made it really easy to set it up (there's a little Bluetooth wizard that does everything for you), and by not supporting this on the iPhone they have made sure that pretty much any other make of phone integrates better with their OS than their own phone.
My old (cheap) Nokia phone can sync calendars with iCal, sync contacts with Address Book, and be used as a modem, all via Bluetooth. The iPhone needs a cable to do any of these (and can't do the third one even with a cable).
Re:What is the big deal? (Score:3, Informative)
Sure, you own the phone, but the app store belongs to apple. Apple is free to restrict whatever applications they want. You are also free to point out that you don't like their policy and try to convince people not to buy it.
Re:people just need to know (Score:5, Informative)
Re:What about outside the USA? (Score:5, Informative)
Tethering is not against AT&T rules in general. Tethering is supported on AT&T if you have a plan that allows it. In the past, all data plans allowed tethering, and that's the kind I have. Nowadays their data plans for PDA phones come in two levels, with and without tethering. The difference does not seem to be strictly enforced from what I have heard, but if you are caught tethering on a no-tether plan you may be subject to big extra charges.
I do not have an iPhone, and lack of tethering support is one of many reasons why. I occasionally tether with my Treo 750 and it works well.
Whatever the issue is with tethering on the iPhone, it would seem to be Apple and not AT&T. Many AT&T phones support tethering, but not the iPhone.
Re:WTF? (Score:1, Informative)
You must be new to the mobile phone market.
Buy any manufacturer's phone through Verizon for instance...
It will most likely be back (Score:3, Informative)
We have already seen what happens when Apple wants to pull an app. Remember the Aurora Feint thing? That app had some issues with security and privacy, and it not only disappeared from the store, but from iPhones also.
This app may be going on and off the store, but until it disappears from iPhones and a credit shows up on those accounts, it will be back.
This is likely more to do with servers and/or databases syncing up or some such. I had the same thing happen trying to buy Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart on the iPhone. It would show it, but say it was unavailable. A couple of days later all was fine.
Re:What is the big deal? (Score:4, Informative)
So what makes Apple better or different? It's how people FEEL about Apple. If you disagree, instead of modding me flaimbait, how about citing some *objective* examples of where I am mistaken?
You're wrong. I don't know what you expect in terms of "objective" examples, but you're missing the point entirely. People don't like Apple products because of how the fell about Apple, they like Apple because of how they feel about Apple's products. And it's not really the "Oooooo shiney!" factor either.
I've always been a gadget freak. I've bought an inordinate number of computers in my life, some of which I didn't need at all (most of which I've built from parts). I've owned a number of Palms, and have been assigned Windows-based phones and Blackberries for work, and have serviced all of those devices as a helpdesk tech. With each of those devices, I was really excited to get them, and then over time I found myself leaving them at the office because, once the novelty wore off, they weren't really worth the trouble.
Lets start with Palm. I stopped bothering to keep up with their development a few years back when it became clear that there was no development going on. The OS is outdated, flakey, and slow. The web browser stinks, and is the definition of why people don't want to use a "mobile browser". Their e-mail client isn't much worth talking about, and instead of syncing with the email/calendar/contacts of the programs you use, they try to get you to use their crappy Palm Desktop.
Blackberry was a big step forward. It synced with Exchange, but needed some kind of specialty software to accomplish that (desktop redirector or Blackberry server). That was ok, though, because nothing else really provided that functionality at the time. The email client was plain text, but honestly I didn't mind much. Web browser wasn't anything much to speak of. So to sum up, it was the best PIM of the time when it first came out, but don't expect anything other than the PIM functions to be worth anything. Also, your Blackberry could be working and your Exchange server could be working, but there was always some kind of service in between coordinating between the two. If anything in there lost its connection (which it frequently did) then you stopped getting updates.
So when Windows-based phones started syncing directly with Exchange, I was eager to try those out. Sure enough the syncing was much more reliable, but the devices were slow and unreliable. They would crash frequently. I only used those on Verizon, so the upshot there was they were always loaded up with Verizon crap, and their tech support was always pushing us to use their syncing service instead of Exchange's native sync-- which caused us loads of problems. They also had a tendency to just stop working, the solution to which was to reset the device and set it up all over again.
The iPhone came out and I got one. I used to carry around a Windows mobile device, another cell phone (because I hated with Windows mobile device), and an iPod, and the iPhone replaced all 3. It was definitely less feature-rich than Windows (which has been fixed by the new firmware for everything I care about), but everything it did, it did without problems. I set up IMAP e-mail, and it worked without crashing and without fiddling with it. When e-mail came to my account, it came to my phone. There were no intermediate servers to worry about. The web browser was actually useable for normal websites. The PIM stuff synced through the cable to Outlook, and now it syncs over the air. AIM works fine.
The only problem I've had with the iPhone is that occasionally the battery runs out really quickly, but I've had that problem with every cell phone and laptop I've ever owned. Oh, and on the day the 2.0 firmware was launched, I was one of those unfortunate enough to upgrade right away, only to find that I had to reactivate my phone and the activation servers had crashed.
But other than that, it's been really
Re:What about outside the USA? (Score:5, Informative)
I will now run away and hide.
Re:What about outside the USA? (Score:3, Informative)
Geography lesson for Americans. [youtube.com]
That should not be an issue (Score:3, Informative)
There are many European countries selling 3G based "broadband Internet", with dedicated devices (not phones, just simple USB HSDPA modems that take a SIM card).
In those countries, the basestations should be more than capable of handling hogs (either by allowing the traffic, or by throttling abusers so they don't mess up everybody else's connections).
As for tethering... That's the main reason I gave away my iPhone 3G (I work for a mobile operator, got one at launch day, and gave it away to the person in my team that pulled the longest straw. Yes, literally.). Every phone I've had for the last 4 years has allowed me unrestricted bluetooth connectivity to the internet, starting with GPRS and now with HSDPA), and it is something I use *a lot*. I don't have to take my phone out of the pocket, I just fire up the laptop, push a button, and I'm done.
Re:What about outside the USA? (Score:5, Informative)
There are basically three buttons: YES, MENU, and BACK. It's much more modal than a touch-screen enabled device, but also much more usable for the simple tasks of phone, email, contacts, and scheduling. The whole device is very email orientated, and if that's what you do a lot of (and it is what I do), it's simply the best device on the market. The browser capabilities are roughly in line with IE for mobile, and the Google Maps application is a joy to use. Battery life is near infinite, even with a lot of constant email checking. There are also numerous shortcuts for power-users.
In comparison with the iPhone (I've used both), the iPhone is a lot slicker and has better font handling -- assuming you like your fonts smoothed. It's much better for showing pictures and video, and with GPS, the google maps function might actualy be more useful now. The iPhone has a better browser. But, battery life is far, far worse, and if you actually use your smartphone for work, that needs to be a real consideration. The soft keyboard, while "you can get used to it," and have it be "not too bad," is objectively inferior to a real keyboard for the portion of the population that has thumbs (eg most of humanity).
Bottom line, the iPhone is slicker and prettier, but the UI of the Blackberry enables users -- especially business users -- to do just as much, usually much faster, and for much longer, than the iPhone.
(And just for the record, I'm typing this on a MacBook -- I'm not a hater, the phone just isn't that great for me.)
Official reply from Nullriver (Score:3, Informative)
HOW TO iPhone 3G aaswifi access point (Score:5, Informative)
First of all... the iPhone IS special. What it is doing in this app and in the link I'll provide below for jailbroken phones is not something lots of phones can do, if any others.
Second of all, this app was NOT a tethering app. AS you say, tethering is done by either BlueTooth or USB cable. What this app did is create an access point by sharing the cellular network over wifi. You don't "tether" your laptop to a wireless router, do you? Now that we're clear on that, I guess we have to live with everyone calling it tethering.
iPhone 3G as a wifi access point [ations.net]
Re:What is the big deal? (Score:3, Informative)
As I explored features like text messaging, I realized Samsung had no idea what UI meant. To delete a message, you had to scroll down a list of options to the second page of options before 'delete' was available. They prioritized 'file' and 'reply' higher in the list than delete, which is what you'll want to do with more messages than any other option. Text messages were such an annoyance to deal with, I would tell people my phone doesn't support it and ask them not to send them to me.
It had a calendar and address book, but offered no connectivity with my computer. Completely standalone repository.
If I wanted to email the photos off the camera to someone, I had to upgrade my plan to include wireless internet, which was another $20 a month.
The point of all these criticisms is that I had already run through the gauntlet of buying a premium phone to find that its usability was horrible. As a consumer, I never considered dropping that kind of cash on a Nokia or other phone promising fancy features after my disappointment with that Samsung phone. When I checked out the iPhone at the Apple Store, I immediately recognized that they 'got' what was missing on my Samsung-- usability. I had no qualms switching carriers and buying the iPhone. The service plan ends up costing me what it would have with Sprint if I would have gotten the internet option. The phone cost me essentially the same as my 2005 phone did, and it works a million times better.
Seth
Re:What you talkin' about willis? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:What about outside the USA? (Score:3, Informative)
If you're tethering and worried about the battery just plug your iPhone into your computer.
I suspect that the real reason is that Apple bullied AT&T into providing an unlimited data plan for the iPhone and AT&T is terrified that someone's going to run bittorrent on it. From a perusal of their web page, the tethering option knocks you from unlimited data to 5GB /month.
Re:What you talkin' about willis? (Score:5, Informative)
actually if you provide the 'last mile' in the USA, YOU are responsible for CALEA. Look it up, it's a damn scary law. If the first hop to the Internet is through you, it falls on your shoulders. This includes neighborhood wifi projects, the local coffee shop that offers free wifi, etc. Forget if it's infeasible and expensive, forget that some wifi gear is impossible to do what they ask (Meraki, I'm looking at you), it's the law and you're responsibility. Not the ISP you're connecting to, but YOU. What's this mean?
Big Brother exists and is able to tap everyone's intenet at the snap of a finger.
N95 (Score:3, Informative)
I love my N95. Not only does it do everything the iPhone does (except have a touchscreen, which I don't want), tethering is a cinch via bluetooth or USB. I can install any application I want on it. Applications can actually run in the background. And it looks like Symbian might actually become an open-source OS.
Plus, it had 3G support from the start. And wifi. And VOIP. And a built-in GPS receiver. etc. etc.
Wow. I sound like an ad. I'm really just a satisfied customer.
Comment removed (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Taco Is An Idiot (Score:3, Informative)
Fine, show me something else that's as useful as a jailbreak'd iPhone.
HTC Touch Diamond? Samsung i900? Sony X1?
I'm in the middle of trying to choose my next phone. I was going to get an iphone, but no DUN, HID nor A2DP put that one to bed real fast. Diamond or Raphael (with the keyboard) are my current picks. i900 was nice but 240x400, while nicer than the iphone's 320x240, is still kind of shite on a brand new phone. Sony looks *really* nice but again, proprietary connectors, pre-reviews foretelling of a shitty keyboard and delays delays delays... probably not.
The Diamond is here today though, and at 640x480 is head and shoulders above the iphone for resolution. It's also an Android target, should that matter to you (it does to me).
Re:What about outside the USA? (Score:3, Informative)
Hmm...just struck me as a strange statement. Doesn't everyone put their phone on the charger overnight? It just seemed the common thing for me to do (not an iPhone owner)...I figured everyone charged or 'topped off' their phone nightly.
They should, but most people don't. They get a bit of a thrill seeing if they can beat their old record for the number of days without charge. They also enjoy forgetting to charge it, and then having a dead phone. It's the little things in life ...
Seriously, though, it's mainly because phone salespeople are incredibly ignorant about Li-ion batteries. They always tell you that you should charge from empty -- whereas in reality, it's the worst thing you can do for a Li-ion battery (see, for example http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm [batteryuniversity.com]). Mind you, maybe it helps them sell replacement batteries?
My friends look at me like I'm mad when I tell them to charge their phone every night. It's funny how, even though it's been years since anyone's used a NiCad rechargeable, the "charge from empty" mentality still holds ...