Yesterday, Apple released iTunes 7.7, which introduced the long-awaited iPhone Apps. But they decided to wait until today to release version 2.0 of their iPhone software (which is required for the apps). Makes perfect sense, no?

NO!

Today is also the day that Apple released the 3G iPhone. Did no one think that releasing the update on the same day as the new phone might be a bad idea? Apparently not.

Instead, people all across the web are proceeding with the update, only to get to a point where they get a lovely message that says, “Sorry, something is majorly fux0red, and we can’t connect to the Apple Store. Your phone is now a useless $400 paperweight, and you’re basically screwed!” (I’m paraphrasing..)

Ridiculous. It took me over 2 hours to finally get onto the Update Server, and finish the upgrade to v2.0. Until then, my phone was in Emergency Mode, and absolutely useless. Fun.

If you haven’t updated yet, do yourself a favor, and wait a few days.. While the new apps and features are cool, they’re definitely not worth the upgrade headache!

The new 3G iPhone comes out tomorrow, and I’ve already made my first purchase for it - The invisibleSHIELD by ZAGG. I purchased my first invisibleSHIELD last year when I got my first iPhone, because I wanted something to protect the screen since I just keep it in my pocket.

ZAGG’s invisibleSHIELD is a thin polyurethane film originally created for the military to protect the leading edge of helicopter blades. What’s unique about this military-grade, patented film is how tough it is - it doesn’t scratch. What makes ZAGG’s exclusive invisibleSHIELD so strong, flexible and scratch-proof? Its Nano-Memory technology™. With this technology, it also allows it to curve and contour around an entire device (not just the screen) and adhere to the device unless you want to remove it (without leaving adhesive).

Introduced to the world in early 2005, the invisibleSHIELD is the first product of its kind. Its patent-pending solution of wrapping hand-held devices with a clear protective film, has revolutionized the industry and has changed the way people think of protecting their beloved gadgets. Others have tried to imitate the invisibleSHIELD so don’t be fooled by cheap copy-cats.

Apart from keeping your devices scratch-free, the invisibleSHIELD provides some unexpected benefits. Unlike cases, its uncompromising design doesn’t take away from the look and feel of your device. It adds no bulk, allowing you to freely hold, carry, and dock your device without interruption. Also, its “grippy” feel gives your device an improved grip making it less likely that you will drop your once-slippery device. To see just how strong and unnoticable the invisibleSHIELD is, check out this YouTube video.

Impressive, no? Purchase your invisibleSHIELD now!

Attend any trade show, and you’ll come home with hundreds of business cards. And if you’re like me, you’ll eventually lose them.

We’d like to think that wireless technology, Microsoft Outlook, and the Internet are making much of the old-school paper pushing obsolete. Yet when we meet a new business acquaintance, the first thing we do is exchange business cards.

CardScan’s Executive V7 is perfect for mobile users who understand this reality. With its three-second operation, a powerful OCR reader that correctly identifies contact data, and standalone contact management software that supports the most popular contact managers, CardScan deserves a place in your laptop bag.

The CardScan is certainly portable; it weighs only seven ounces and measures a mere 5.8 x 3.3 x 1.5 inches. Your laptop supplies the power through USB. The included software helps you find duplicate contacts, supports online backups, and syncs perfectly with contacts on a Palm or Windows Mobile device.

Once you use one, you’ll wonder how you lived this long without it! They’re running a special on refurbished units this month, so why wait? Get one now!!

Crap! Less than a month after I picked up my iPhone, and now rumors are swirling that a new iPhone with 3G and GPS is slated to ship in May or June! In addition, there’s a rumor that the new phone will have two cameras - One for video chat, and one for taking pictures.

Hard to say if it’s true or not, but all three NYC Apple stoes were out of iPhones, according to The Huffington Post. Read into that what you will.

EDGE really is WAY too slow to surf the web (or even queue up a YouTube video), but is sufficient for e-mail and emergency web searches.

The big question - What is the new iPhone going to cost?

I expected this annoucement last month during MacWorld, but better late than never.. I’ve been holding off on getting an iPhone, as I need more than 8GB of memory. But I sure as hell won’t spend $499 for the new 16GB version! And where’s the 3G support?!

The official press release:

Apple Inc. updated its iPhone and iPod Touch lineup Tuesday, doubling the memory and setting a new premium price for its high-end models.

The latest iPhone features 16 gigabytes of memory and retails for $499. The previously released 8 GB version of the hybrid cell phone, multimedia player and wireless Internet device costs $399.

The new iPod Touch comes with 32 GB of memory and retails for $499. The older 16 GB and 8 GB versions of the combination multimedia player wireless Internet gadget cost $399 and $299, respectively.

Apple said that all iPhone and iPod Touch models come with updated software that the company announced in January. It includes a new maps application and the ability to watch movies from the iTunes movie rental service.

I heard about the TNX System on Digital Point back in September, but I never got around to trying it out. Recently, I noticed more and more bloggers posting reviews on their service, so I decided to check them out for myself. They are a new text link provider, similar to TLA - But their approach is a bit different. While most link brokers sell you one or two links with high PR, TNX does just the opposite. They sell you LOTS of low PR links instead. For as little as $11 a month you can get up to 10,000 static links to your website.

For those interested in participating as webmasters:

TNX is free for webmasters who install a TNX code on their websites. In case there is a link sold from the page of your website that has Google PR = 4, you will be getting enough points to purchase up to 800 PR0 links from 800 sites. It is OK to hold on to the points or sell them at any time! TNX will automatically calculate ratings of each page of your website and fund your account when links are sold. One TNX-Point is basically a link from one website with very low rating/parameters (YB < 500, PR0, Subject: "Leisure, Jokes...") for a month. There may be 10000 points paid for just one link, so it all depends on the rating the page that has a link placed on it.

Many members that joined the TNX and created Ad Campaigns have already noticed more traffic from search engines on their websites. With TNX, you can promote unlimited amounts of websites and keywords. Within seconds, you can upload a file with thousands of unique links with different keywords.

I’m going to give it a try on a new site I recently launched, since it currently doesn’t have many backlinks. Check back with me in a month or so, and I’ll let you know how it worked out.

If you’re currently using it, let me know what you think of it so far. Thanks!