From Financial Times

Steve Jobs and two of his top lieutenants spent just over an hour last week outlining their plans to allow software makers to create programs custom-built to run on the iPhone, Apple’s innovative mobile handset.

The move could mark the beginning of a new phase in the development of mobile software, as programmers build programs that are not limited by the physical constraints – such as fixed buttons and small screens – that plague many other mobile handsets.

The iPhone’s break-through touch screen means that Apple’s mobile handset is a virtual blank slate, and the ability to write mobile software free from the usual constraints is likely to have software geeks salivating.

“You’ve got the ultimate in flexibility in user interface,” says Van Baker, an analyst at Gartner.

“That, combined with a big, high resolution screen, makes it an intriguing platform in the mobile space.”

John Doerr, a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, underscored the excitement around the iPhone’s potential to emerge as a powerful new software platform on Thursday.

Read more at Financial Times

From Market Watch:

Speaking at a Morgan Stanley technology conference, Oppenheimer said Apple wasn’t able to reliably establish the number on unlocked iPhones on the market during the last quarter of 2007. When Apple reported its results for that quarter, it said it had sold about 4 million iPhones, but the number of activated phones from its wireless carrier partners such as AT&T Inc. in the U.S. was far below Apple’s sales figures.

However, Oppenheimer said the unlocked phones, which do not generate recurring revenue for Apple, were a sign of “unprecedented demand,” and weren’t necessarily a bad thing for the company.

“We view it as a positive indicator of future demand,” Oppenheimer said.

This is good news, possibly stating that they won’t go after unlocked phones, meaning researching ways to disable the unlockability (is that a word?). At least I hope that is what this means!

Apple has released a new iPhone model which now comes in 16GB for $499, joining the 8GB model for $399. iPod touch now comes in a 32GB model for $499, joining the 16GB model for $399 and the 8GB model for $299.  You can never have too much space with all the possible uses of the iPhone, photos, music, movies and more!

It appears that the iPhone and iPod touch will be getting a $100 price reduction as early as March but no later than mid April of this year.  This would make the 16GB iPhone and the 32GB iPod touch have a price tag of $399 and the 16GB iPod touch down to $299.  Most likely all other models would be eliminated.  Once again, Apple reducing prices after a new product release, which should make for some not so happy 32GB iPod Touch owners.  If you haven’t bought one yet, maybe hold off till they do the price drop.  We did see a price drop in the iPod shuffle today, so maybe the trend has already started!