IT Buoy

In a profile of T-Mobile USA, the Financial Times reports that “T-Mobile USA is hoping to start selling the [iPhone] later this year or next year.” Does it mean that T-Mobile is definitely getting the phone this year or next? Obviously not. Every carrier probably ‘hopes’ to sell the iPhone. Read the rest of this story

Amazon this morning released a version of its Kindle e-book software that works on Mac computers — a small move, but one that underscores the company’s efforts to maintain its share of the market as Apple launches its iPad. Amazon’s Kindle for Mac allows users to read e-books from Amazon on their Mac computer. Although e-books sold for the Kindle are locked into Amazon’s ecosystem, the company is keen to emphasize that they can be read on a number of other devices that allow for Kindle software. In its press release announcing the Kindle for Mac, Amazon pointed out that those devices include PCs, the iPhone, the BlackBerry and “soon the iPad.” Kindle for the Mac allows Amazon to highlight the portability of its products, but an early review from Wired raises questions about how useful people will find this particular reader, at least in its early form. The review calls the free software “pretty bad” and “bare-bones,” although it does say it’s “nice to have a way to read on a computer.” Apple’s upcoming iPad launch and the company’s deals with publishers have created worries about Amazon’s ability to maintain its hold on the e-book business. The online bookseller has been able to dominate this market because it had the first popular e-book reader in the Kindle and because its agreements with publishers allowed it to sell e-books at a discounted price. Recent articles in Publishers Marketplace and the

Success stories about iPhone app developers are well documented, but one game maker says it has gotten better results in an unlikely place: Palm’s App Catalog for its Pre and Pixi smartphone devices. Selfaware Games Palm, which has been trying to turn itself around, created a stir last month when it admitted that its phones weren’t selling as well as it had expected. Palm warned that its revenues for the year would be “well below” forecasts. But Redwood City, Calif.-based Self Aware Games say they liked Palm’s webOS software enough that they took a chance about a year ago and started developing poker and blackjack games like “Word Ace” and “Card Ace: Blackjack” for Palm devices first, closely followed by versions for the iPhone and Facebook. What makes Self Aware’s games different from many others is that the company added a social-networking element in which players can gift virtual drinks, chips or other items to each other. The games themselves are free and players can pay to buy the virtual items, which can cost between $1 to $100 for a large stack of chips. So far, the bet appears to be paying off. Self Aware says tens of thousands of people are registering to play its games every day, with the vast majority playing the games on Palm devices.

Whoa, Nelly! Isn’t this something? Apple has just posted details on its iPad battery replacement service, which is really not a battery replacement service at all. Check out the company’s opening line: “If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee.” Now, let’s compare that to the verbiage found in the iPhone’s battery replacement program details: “If your iPhone requires service only because the battery’s ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will service your iPhone for a service fee.” Read the rest of this story

BoomTown is always up at 5:30 am PT, but now I will apparently be joined by twitch-fingered Apple fanboys waiting for the iPad pre-order rush to begin this morning. Currently, the Apple Store online has this note of heady anticipation (A Post-It ? Katie, surely you could do better!): Getting the actual magic tablet into your grubby mitts will have to wait three more weeks until April 3, when the Wi-Fi-only version comes out, followed soon by the 3G iPad. Meaning it will be a month of me doing videos of overstimulated dudes in line at Apple (AAPL) stores. Until then, here are a couple of my videos from the iPhone debut in late June 2007 in Palo Alto and San Francisco :