iPhone: European model and SIM card slot

Walt Mossberg:

[The iPhone] can't use the digital cards (called
SIM cards) that would allow it to run on T-Mobile's network.

All mobile phones in Europe operate on the GSM and/or UMTS network standard, both of which rely on SIM cards. To my knowledge, there is not a single mobile Phone on the European market that does not have a SIM card slot (although some phones are locked for exclusive operation with certain provider SIM-cards ("SIM lock")). Thus, the European version of the iPhone, announced later this year, will have to feature a SIM card slot, most probably with SIM-lock, as the iPhone will be exclusive to one operator in Germany: There was a story on Germany's biggest online news mag, Spiegel Online, on the fight among operators for the iPhone contract. Translation of the title and intro:

Monopoly business: German mobile network operators brawl over the iPhone

One player gets it all: Like in the USA, Apple seems to plan granting only one mobile network operator in Germany the exclusive right to sell the iPhone. A grim fight over the cult device has erupted among the industry.

21-year-old student missing since June 7th

Tanja Gräff disappeared from a party at her college in Trier (southern Germany). Her university has set up a web page with information.

Come on Word

This is why writing my PhD thesis with Microsoft Word was a bad idea.

Extreme Geoexhibitionism

If plazes isn't enough for your web 2.0 geoexhibitionism, try hipoqih (however you pronounce that). You download a plugin for your GPS-enabled mobile device and the service will display your whereabouts in realtime on a google-maps mashup. Guys, this is really scary.

(via hansblond and live.hackr)