I'm staying far away from Plaza Sentral myself. This news was from my Maxis insider. I want my first encounter with the 3G[S] to be pure and have that brand-new store-smell feeling. So, a similar curfew for me too, Tink.

Yep, al3p, I'm getting mine from Rome, Italy. Maxis's launch is still slated for late July, at the earliest and that is still speculative. Banking on a Malaysian company is like banking on a wooden pier to hold during tsunami season, if you know what I mean.

OT:

All I gotta say, summer's finally here! It almost jumpstarts with Star Trek, but it fizzles with the crappy Wolverine. But that ember of a flame is kindled to a roaring fire by the Transformers.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jun 24 2009, 03:17 PM

Beejive is working sporadically for me. Sometimes can log in, some times cannot. When I can, I asked Neekun to send me 3 messages to test out the push notification, but only the first of the three messages gets pushed. After that, when I try to login back into Beejive, I get auto logged out immediately. Have to press Home to reset everything and then tap Beejive again to relogin. Two failed attempts at logging in later, and now it seems a little more stable. Push notification is working at the moment, but it does not display the latest push message, only the last message pushed that is not read. Adoi!

And now my Maxis insider is spamming me with 3G[S] screenshots through MMS. WTF!

LOL al3p, going with a different bunch of friends today for second round of that. And if you have read the spoiler about what happened to Optimus, it is TRUE! *cue suspenseful music*

I've been contemplating with either getting the Australian 3G[S] or other unlocked options, and what basically shot down my interest on the Aussie 3G[S] is the whole thing about getting the unlocks. That and coupled with the fact that I have to reluctantly let go of the plan I subscribe that iPhone with to strangers or someone I don't know that well, just turns me off. Personally, if I were to have to sign a contract, I'll wait out the pain and torture of waiting for Maxis 3G[S] and use the phone plan myself. It wont feel that painful, to me. No offense to anyone who feels differently, this is just my opinion.

@Tink

Steal the 3G[S]? There goes my insider!

As for the Beejive, it is working decently now. Only that I feel the push notification can be better, with pushing the latest message instead of the last message unread.

@Tink

It does push, just not the latest message. And relogging into Beejive also results in sporadic can/cannot logon error. I dare not try this on 3G, kalau Wifi also like this.

@allornothing

They are probably testing the market, seeing how the general public responds to this. They must have issued private invitations to this, and only the selected few knows. If it is made public or broadcasted as such, like I have said before, the furor and anger will be hard to contain.

On Transformers:

Beejive does not work like IM+. Beejive, in the past stores all your message, when you're not loggen on to teh app on your iPhone, and displays them when you log in back again. This is why it is the most preferred IM app compared to the others, because it FEELS seamless because you do not lose a single PM at al, it gets delivered to your account when you relogin back again. Now, with 3.0, Beejive attempts to eliminate that process of storing those messages by pushing it to you instead, using the Push Notification feature. IM+ however, all this while, have not had such a feature like Beejive, and only offers to send your unread PM by pushing it to a designated email address, and set that email to be pushed back to your email mailbox on your iPhone. To me, this method is not elegant and requires constant cleaning of your mailbox. Beejive works better with their keep-your-PM-till-you-log-in, and now if their Push Notification works, should be even better.

My Beejive is constantly giving me "cant connect to host" error now. So much for hoping for their best.

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Added on June 24, 2009, 4:11 pmThe Product Symposium for the iPhone is happening now at Plaza Sentral. Just a heads-up for those who wants to see the 3G[S] in action.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jun 24 2009, 04:11 PM

"Invalid Response Code 503"

Thanks a lot, Beejive!

I've tried deleting Beejive from my iPhone and re-downloading it from the AppStore inside the iPhone, and it spits out a message saying "The product you are downloading is no longer available". This may mean that Beejive is submitting a new version of its Beejive app, and hopefully end all this nonsense and silliness.

All this mess could have been avoided if they hadn't posted the crappy build of the app in first place. You don't have to race to get to be the first IM to do push notification, I'd rather have an IM app that does things right bur came in last than an IM app that comes out first but riddled with problems. That's Microsoft mentality you're seeing there.

Just click that "Buy" icon again and it will tell you that you have downloaded/purchased this app before, and click "OK" if you want to redownload it again. No charge on your account.

New? The method of notification may be new, but the core app is already version 3.0, or do they put it there. For an interim solution, they could have just retract the current version and fall back and put the older working version in it's place for download on the AppStore.

I didn't know that I sign up to be their beta-tester when I PAY them USD15 for this app. If I GET PAID for going through this aggravation, you won't see me griping like this. How ridiculous is it that a person PAY to use a service and is subjected to the service flawed and incomplete? I don't know how you level of tolerance is when it cones to paid service, but when it comes to me, I expect minimal fuss and satisfactory level of service for an app that demand that much money compared to its competitor who is relatively cheaper and works just fine.

Trust me, if I see my ForeFlight app goes haywire on me after I have paid USD69.99 on it, you expect all sign of the Apocalypse raining down on them from me if they don't rectify it ASAP. Communication these days has become as essential as other necessities in life that blunders like this from Beejive will only cause the on-the-fence buyers to look the other way for their IM needs.

NEVER give these companies a chance to slack off, because once they do, they know they will be easily forgiven for the mess they've caused and will take their own sweet time rectify it. Because the users give them that much chance or slack.

Hence all these gripings. If they can't imburse me for doing their dirty job reporting every single error reports and glitches, then [RE]imburse me for all the aggravation. If the fault is Apple's, then it's their responsibility to do so, otherwise get the guilty party to the front. Then users won't feel so used and dumped on.

The battery meter is not accurate at all. I have the Mophie Juice Pack and i left the house with full charge on both the Mophie and the iPhone. After less than 20 minutes walking around in KLCC, I noticed the "charged" icon change to "charging"! After a while it then alternates between "charged" and "charging" like crazy! The Mophie should be depleting its charges FIRST before the iPhone starts discharging it's own internal battery. The only time the iPhone should show it is charging is when it's internal battery is indicating it has depleted its charge.

I suspect that 3.0 affects the accuracy and/or sensitivity of the indicator and gives erroneous reading.

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Added on June 24, 2009, 7:40 pmOther dangers I might see in this is when the iPhone shuts itself down based on this erroneous indicator when it is actually still charged with a certain percentage above the shutdown level. Then you're stuck with a dead phone when you would need to be on call.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jun 24 2009, 07:40 PM

AS I discover this painfully yesterday, push-notification pummels your iPhone battery endurance down pretty hard. I left Beejive running on push notification, and it drains the iPhone , even with the Mophie Juice Pack on, to near critical when I got back home. The 10% indicator lighted up, as I raced to plug it into the power plug.

SO make sure you turn off push notification, unless you are expecting a really important IM message on that time. Once you have received that message, IMO, I'll either completely log off Beejive, or turn push notification for Beejive off. That way, my buddies will know that I'm on the iPhone and still send me IM messages, but it wont beat my iPhone battery to a pulp.

Be warned.

@Harmeet

Meeting our "Italian Job" accomplices now. The "job" will happen on the 29th and good news on successful mission will come the day after. Otherwise i will press the panic button and do it myself on my own Paris trip.

You can play with it now. Maxis is holding a Product Symposium for iPhone in Plaza Sentral now. Mau tunggu saya punya have to wait July 1st.

But that is a good idea on the TT. Can see a certain someone performing too.

Phew, just got back, 1.83Ghz becomes 2.13Ghz. Need to collect my thoughts on the recent findings, and I dont want to hurt anyone's feelings on the current OZ discovery.

I'll just let things pan out. If it does turn out fine, then congratulations to the Australians. They have been reamed on the rear end by their telco's offering since the 3G model is offered, it is high time they get the good news instead of the NZ side hogging all the unlocked units.

However, I am the eternal pessimist. That is how I keep my expectation low, always expect things to go not according to plan, so that I have recovery plans to rebound from the unexpected mishaps. Now, the word is "outright and unlocked". "Outright" can mean prepaid, meaning buying without a contract. "Unlocked" here can be interpreted as "unlocked to all the telcos in Australia" since all 5 telcos in Australia are offering the 3GS now, why the need to lock at all? They can just duke it out on who has the best contract plan to seduce their customers over. If this is the case, "unlocked" here can also mean "unlocked ONLY for telcos in Australia". I would not want to see my high hopes dashed when I slip my sim card in and still see "No Service" on the top left corner. Which brings it back to the need to contact a telco and request an unlock back again, square one.

I pray it does not turn out that way, and if it does not, I myself can be in Australia next month and get one myself. One customer is restricted to one per credit card, to if that is the case, I can bring "quite a few". So either way, I'm playing this cautiously. I hope our iPhone brothers in Australia comes in here with good news, so that we all can share this good news as another option/avenue to get our iPhones.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jun 25 2009, 08:46 PM

I understand that, but when all the 5 telcos are now offering the 3GS, the only reason I see for locking it to a specific carrier is for the specific advantages one would get for going for that plan. And since all 5 are getting it, the "unlocked" thing can be interpreted as "usable on all 5 telcos, but still locked to only Australian simcards".

Maybe I'm reading too much into this, I pray that I am WRONG. If I am, this spells good news to everyone, and I can even help shuttle some of these "unlocked" iPhones back home.

"Outright and unlocked". Which part of that sentence does not compute? I have done this before.

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jun 25 2009, 10:28 PM

Hey there!

My contact is scheduled to arrive in Rome on the 30th, and will be scouring Rome for 2 units. Targets are TIM and Vodafone store in I-Granai, as well as the Apple Store Rome in Roma Est.

Have you personally seen these iPhone 3GS working with foreign sims before? The previous cases of confirmation on the old 3G model basically does it for me, but it would be nice to get a confirmation from someone who is there already. Any word on this?

Are they demanding purchase by contract basis ONLY, or can you buy them outright? Apple Store Roma Est. is selling them outright, and with that info you posted, the status of unlocks is still as "officially unlocked". I just need to know how adamant the TIM/Vodafone personnels are on pushing contract signup on you, otherwise I'll just get my contact to get them from Apple Store Roma no fuss.

Vodafone and TIM are selling for EU719 for the 32GB, at Apple Store Roma it is EU699. That is still without the deductible VAT claim.

Excellent news on the no-contract news. The TIM/Voda store is actually closer to the hotel my contacts are staying so that probably would be their first place they will scout for. Driving to Lunghezza to the Apple Store may intimidate them abit, although they have plans to go out and rent a car to drive to Milan.

Thank you for the news confirmation. Cheers!

This post has been edited by stringfellow: Jun 26 2009, 05:53 AM

I'm officially closing the Italian Job. Nokia has confirmed that his Maxis simcard works with the 3G[S], and kwekeugene confirmed his DiGi sim works as well. My unit diverted to Nokia/Tink arrangement, and Harmeet managed to get his as well. Things fall nicely into place.