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Coverflow … “invented” by Apple in order to create an attractive way of flipping through your albums on your touch-screen iPod … adapted by various software applications (including one I use quite a bit – VirtualDJ) – and now, also being used by searchme to make their “visual” search engine.

I don’t honestly know how long searchme is around, but I’ve just come across it. It’s a clever idea, and it works better and seems to give better (and more interesting) search results than Cúil (the new search engine kid on the block that claims to have a database many times bigger than Google’s). It even allows you to search videos, with the ability to actually play the videos inline within the 3D search results interface, which is quite a nice feature.

I’d resisted for ages, but NOW I want one… It’s the announcement that a lot of people have been waiting for. Finally… FINALLY… Apple are catching up with the rest of the phone manufacturers out there, and the iPhone is going 3G. Therefore it will be able to browse the web at proper ‘broadband’ speeds of up to (theoretically) 3.6 Megabits (dependant on network coverage and capability of course). Not only that, but it’s a tri-band phone – so will work practically anywhere worldwide, and it has WiFi for connecting to your PC or other WiFi device and GPS (satellite navigation). More details here and here and, well, on various other blogs which are far more techie than mine. Oh, and it will be priced in the USA starting at $199 – HALF the current price. I don’t see any indication yet what the price will be here but I would still expect it to be more expensive here than in the States as the original version was. Also, it’s still only got a 2 megapixel camera (and no front facing camera built in for video calls), but that doesn’t bother me.

I do hope that they’re now allowing you to use any MP3 as a ringtone instead of having to pay extra to download ringtone versions of songs from iTunes… I want to stick with my CTU ringtone

It will be available in various countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and the USA) from July 11th. It’s already mentioned on O₂’s UK site which says “come back tomorrow to find out more”. I only wish it wasn’t exclusive to O₂ as I’m with 3 and actually like their service. Ah well… my contract is up in September…