Ever since I splurged and bought my iPod Touch I’ve been in love. The device has been amazing and I seem to find Wi-Fi everywhere. It’s like having a computer in pocket–the blog can even be updated through the Touch. But now I’m wondering what we’re going to see next.

Here’s a little brainstorming of ideas that I’d like to see in iPod Touch Version 3:

• Longer battery life (especially when using the new Bluetooth enabled feature)
• More powerful Wi-Fi, it seems somewhat inferior–perhaps I’m expecting more like laptop signal strength capabilities (too high an expectation?)
• Camera/Video Capable – We need to see this iPhone feature carryover to the Touch
• Faster speeds (similar to an S version of the iPod Touch)
• Better graphics (again, like the S upgrade)
• Don’t charge us for OS upgrades (just cause we can’t afford iPhone monthly bills!)
• and lastly, a Microphone (you give us a voice recorder program as part of the 3.0 OS upgrade, and we can’t use it without the awful Apple w/ Mic Earbuds).

The iPhone 3G is days away from being released. The blogosphere has gone wild with speculation of some new releases and updates to product software. Here’s a round-up of the latest rumors and news:

1. The iPhone 3G is set to launch on July 11th at 8:00AM worldwide. That means that the iPhone will be released simultaneously around the world in 22 countries at 8:00AM (for each respective time zone). Rumors have suggested that the early store opening is in relationship to the prolonged in-store purchase time associated with the activation (in the US).

2. The iPhone v2.0 firmware is set to be released at the same time as the iPhone 3G on July 11th, with the possibility that it may be delivered in an iTunes 7.7 update.

3. The iTunes 7.7 update, which is necessary to run the iPhone 3G, should come out with these releases and enable iTunes users to make App store purchases and downloads through the iTunes store interface.

4. The .Mac platform will officially be switching over to the MobileMe platform of products on July 9th at 6:00 PM PST. This number reflects the initial start time of the platform’s deployment, and says that the update could finish at 12:00 AM PST.

5. Last, but not least… The Apple Online Store is down right now. Rumors are circulating about a new MacBook product or the possibility of a public opening of the App Store. We’ll probably see tomorrow morning.

iTunes 7.7 is only a few days from being released. A special pre-release version was seeded to developers tonight.

Use iTunes 7.7 to sync music, video, and more with iPhone 3G, and download applications from the iTunes Store exclusively designed for iPhone and iPod touch with software version 2.0 or later. Also use the new Remote application for iPhone or iPod touch to control iTunes playback from anywhere in your home — a free download from the App Store. — Source

So, in a free app, Apple will be giving users the ability to control Macs, Apple TVs, iTunes, etc. with the touch screen of the iPod Touch and iPhone. Look forward to this app coming with the next update of the iPhone firmware.

iTunes has grown into one of the largest and most popular places to buy music anywhere. With a collection of over 8 million different songs, it’s a audiophile’s dream. Today, Apple released news that they had officially sold the 5 billionth song through iTunes!

Even more interesting is the figure released today about Apple renting and selling 50,000 movies every day. Therefore, the iTunes store is also the most popular online movie store too.

It would be an interesting figure to realize: 50,000 (rentals/purchases per day) x $3.99 (avg. new release rental) x 365 (days per year) = $72,817,500 million in movie related revenue — low estimate as it doesn’t figure movie purchases at around $10.

A few years back, Starbucks founder and CEO Howard Schultz sat in on one of Steve Jobs’ keynote speeches, presaging a vital computer/caffeine partnership. It wasn’t long before those little iTunes download cards starting showing up on the Starbucks counter, and iTunes was featuring a specially designated iTunes + Starbucks feature. iTunes cards often feature music of the month and the download cards are for a full album. It’s saved a vast amount of space and made the search for music an entirely different experience. The larger the selection of iTunes cards, the more Starbucks will seem less like a coffee shop and more like a record store of the past. But that’s not the end of the story; it becomes even further intertwined when a third party comes into the mix.

Around the time of the launch of the first generation iPhone, Apple decided upon AT&T to provide wireless service. It was highly publicized that Apple was looking for a company that would allow them to get royalties off monthly cell phone payments on the iPhone. As we all know, Apple priced the iPhone at $599, with no savings by signing on for two years. Without a doubt, Verizon Wireless missed the boat here when they declined the opportunity to work with Apple, citing that they could make a phone of their own, without having to pay third party royalties. And so it evolved that Apple and AT&T teamed up to provide service for the iPhone.

Perspective consumers were dismayed when discovering that the device would be running on AT&T’s slower “EDGE” network, known for having notoriously abysmal data service. Add into the equation that 3G technology was already working and delivering close to Wi-Fi speeds. In preparation for the major launch of the original iPhone, AT&T prepared their EDGE network lines and markedly boosted speeds. Without a doubt, these preparations were all tailored for the iPhone.

Eventually, AT&T’s CEO (and rumors around the blogosphere) acknowledged the development of Apple’s next iPhone: the iPhone 3G. AT&T delivered again, by upgrading the EDGE network to 3G. Apple was now ready to release the iPhone 3G on the network.

Right before the announcement of the new iPhone 3G on June 9th, Starbucks was in hot water with T-Mobile, which initiated a lawsuit as a result of Starbucks’ sudden jilting of T-Mobile, in preference for AT&T. Starbucks was preparing to have iPhone/iPod Touch + Starbucks content and music ready for their Wi-Fi consumers. And who does Schultz choose for cafe wireless? None other than AT&T. The new AT&T wireless internet at Starbucks allows 2 hours of free internet when connected to a Starbucks Rewards registered card account. Registration is free, and has made a trip to Starbucks even more appealing.

There have already been a number of rumors about iPhone users receiving unlimited free Wi-Fi service inside every Starbucks. Now more than ever, the probability of the two products working in tandem seems a given. Apple, AT&T, and Starbucks are collaborating so closely these days that one can envision these three companies developing an even closer partnership to serve their niche consumers.

It’s here. You can now watch the 2008 Keynote Speech by Steve Jobs at WWDC. Now, consumers can actually see what everything looks like and what they have to look forward to coming out on July 11th.

The website for the video reads:

Watch Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveil iPhone 3G, the App Store, MobileMe, and more in his Worldwide Developers Conference keynote address from San Francisco’s Moscone West. See the video-on-demand (VOD) event right here, exclusively in QuickTime and MPEG-4.

Check out the video here.

The wait is over and WWDC 2008 is now gearing up. We’re constantly going to be giving our readers updates through this page.

Refresh this page for the latest/updated content. Also, scroll down for most recent activity!

WWDC 2008 – Keynote Speech by Steve Jobs

Keynote Speech Starts at: 10:00 AM Pacific

7:52 AM – 8:00 AM – Lines are forming and here are some of the pictures (courtesy of “rom”). Many of the major bloggers and news folk are arriving now.

8:30 AM – Inside shot of Moscone West shows covered banner. New product/idea coming?

9:21 AM – Line is moving into the Moscone West. 39 minutes until start.

9:35 AM – Line inside Moscone, all of them going up the escalator. 24 minutes to start.

9:50 AM – People are going into the keynote presentation hall.

10:01 AM – Al Gore is in the crowd! Greener products coming?

10:04 AM – Apple employees trying to get crowd settled.

10:06 AM – Keynote is starting! Lights are going down.

10:07 AM – Steve has taken the stage.

10:08 AM – Mentions, “52,000 attendees at WWDC 08.”

10:10 AM – Bertrand Serlet will be giving us a peak of the new OS X — Snow Leopard.

10:11 AM – Talking about enterprise as related to the iPhone

10:15 AM – A number of companies discussing their interest in iPhone 2.0 software. P.S. Apple Stores are down across the world.

10:20 AM – Demo is showing how to construct a UI in Interface Builder.

10:29 AM – Sega is showing Super Monkey Ball again, but now with over 100 levels. Playing through the last world, which demonstrates how well the tilt-control works. Available at the launch of the App Store for $9.99.

10:34 AM – eBay showing its auction application.

10:40 AM – Associated Press taking the stage. A “Mobile News Network.”

10:52 AM – MLB.com application shows today’s games with live, detailed scoring. It also includes real-time video highlights, which are delivered right after the play.

11:04 AM – Talking about push notification service for all developers.

11:07 AM – Steve has retaken the stage.

11:09 AM – iPhone 2.0 will be available in early for July. Free for iPhone owners, $9.99 for iPod Touch owners.

11:11 AM – If the developed application is less than 10MB, it can be downloaded through the cell network. Otherwise, it requires WiFi or iTunes.

11:14 AM – Now, something entirely new. MobileMe. Phil is on stage to demo.

11:18 AM – Something mentioned about Me.com. Phil’s talking Syncing automatically and wirelessly with all devices.

11:20 AM – Unbelievable looking Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Gallery applications. Photos are synched over the air too. iDisk integration is included as well.

11:28-11:29 AM – A 60-day free trial will be available along with the iPhone 2.0 software in early July. MobileMe replaces .mac. .mac subscribers will automatically be upgraded. Steve has retaken the stage.

11:31 AM – In the first year, 6 million iPhones were sold until Apple ran out several weeks ago.

11:32 AM – 1) 3G network support 2) Enterprise support 3) Third party application support 4) More countries (joking about unlocked iPhones in countries not officially supported) 5) More affordable

11:33 AM – Introducing the iPhone 3G.

11:34 AM – Even thinner, black plastic back, solid metal buttons, same gorgeous display, camera, flush headphone jack, and dramatically improved audio.

11:35 AM – 3G = faster data downloads, perfect for Safari and Mail. Comparing download speeds between 3G and EDGE. 3G finished in 21 seconds. EDGE finished in 59 seconds. 2.8X faster. Approaching WiFi speeds (WiFi scored 17 seconds). When compared to other 3G phones (Nokia N95 and Treo 750), the iPhone is 36% faster — and better looking.

11:38 AM – 3G has great battery life on iPhone. 300 hours of standby, 2G talk-time now has 10 hours (as opposed to 5), 5 hours of 3G talk-time (most phones only have 3 hour 3G talk time), 5 to 6 hours of high-speed browsing, 7 hours of video, 24 hours of audio.

11:39 AM – GPS support will now be a part of the new iPhone.

11:41 AM – With GPS, the iPhone can do tracking. A pulsating dot is moving across the Google map as a car drives down Lombard street.

11:44 AM – iPhone will expand to China, Japan, Australia, etc. 70 countries total.

11:45 AM – Now on to the final challenge — affordability. Started at $599 for an 8GB iPhone, now $399. The iPhone 3G 8GB will sell for… $199. $299 for the 16GB — a white version of this size will be available too.

11:47 AM – iPhone will be available in 22 countries on July 11th.

11:51 AM – Steve thanks the crowd and leaves the stage.

11:53 AM – It looks like that’s all folks. Have a wonderful day and thanks for tuning in! More to come on the website: MarketMatador.com

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Keynote speeches offer a hint as to where Apple is going and what they are just around the corner from releasing. They’re one of the most sought after videos released from Apple. Finally, users of iTunes can subscribe, for free, to the keynote speeches by Steve Jobs and other important speakers.

It’s been a long time coming, and for some reason Apple has continuously changed how they’ve delivered keynote speeches to viewers. They used to be live, but now people have to wait until the presentation is over to view video of the presentation.

Apple’s new keynote subscription function currently has a couple MWSF (MacWorld San Francisco) keynotes and the iPhone software roadmap (a great video that introduces the App store). Click here to go directly to the iTunes link. By subscribing to the podcast, you should also receive the WWDC keynote speech by Steve Jobs on Monday, June 9th.