Stronger, faster iPhone 3GS will hit stores June 19

A new, faster version of the popular iPhone will hit stores June 19, Apple said Monday.

The new iPhone 3GS will have a camera that shoots video and zooms, among other new features.

The iPhone 3GS is billed as a more powerful, feature-laden follow-up to the 3G, which the company says revolutionized the way people use mobile phones.

The 3GS features a similar look to the current iPhone, complete with a sleek rectangular shape and a large touch screen. But the phone comes packed with new features inside, according to CNET reporter Erica Ogg, who blogged live from the event.

Ogg says the 3GS has a new camera that shoots video and zooms. A touch-screen feature also lets iPhone photographers tap the area of the photo they would like to put into focus, she says.

The new phone reportedly will have a longer battery life.

iPhone 3GS will be available in the United States on June 19 and will hit 80 countries by August, Ogg says.

The new iPhone carries a price tag similar to the old iPhone. A version with 16 gigabytes of storage will sell for $199 with a new contract; one with a 32-gigabyte storage capacity will cost $299. Watch Wired.com's Dylan Tweney on Apple's big announcement »

Apple also said it has dropped the price of the current iPhone 3G to $99 ahead of the release of the 3GS. The $99 model features 8 gigabytes of storage.

The announcements came at Apple's much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. The annual event was attended by 5,000 Apple tech developers, Fortune reports.

WWDC, as the conference is called, is known for its innovative announcements. Apple appeared to meet expectations of many tech bloggers, who had been awaiting a new iPhone model.

Perhaps the only disappointment was that Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not make an appearance on stage. There had been speculation online that the popular tech figure would make a cameo at the event. Jobs has been on medical leave since January.

Apple also discussed a new iPhone operating system, version 3.0, which adds a cut-copy-paste feature to current iPhones. Apple said the new software adds 100 new features.

One of those getting the most buzz was the Find My iPhone feature, which will be available only for customers of Mobile Me, an Apple service that lets users sync e-mail and other data between computers and iPhones.

If you lose your phone, Mobile Me will display a Google Map that shows where your iPhone is, as long as it's turned on. You can then send a message to the phone, and it will sound an alarm, alerting nearby people to save it for you. If you think you've lost the phone permanently, you can remotely wipe all your data; if you find your missing phone later, you can plug it into iTunes and restore all your data.

New iPhone applications were also discussed. Apple has gotten widespread praise for the fact that independent developers can create programs for the iPhone.

Read blogs from CNET and Fortune for details on the latest iPhone apps and other news from Monday's event.

Apple's laptops and computer operating systems were also discussed Monday.

Apple Senior Vice President Bertrand Serlet took the stage to demonstrate the company's newest operating system, called Snow Leopard. It will hit stores in September, although a "near-final" version was made available for developers Monday.

Serlet also said that Apple's Safari 4 browser, which was released in beta in February, will ship Monday.

Apple marketing head Philip Schiller also unveiled a new version of a 15-inch MacBook Pro, which he said will feature up to seven hours of battery life. The unibody aluminum laptop boasts a new battery that can handle 1,000 recharges and should last five years before its life begins to diminish, he said.

Phones remained the focus of the event, however.

Apple's phones are the second-best-selling consumer smartphones in the U.S., according to the NPD Group, an online market-research firm.

Smartphones are a category of mobile phones that act kind of like personal computers, allowing people to surf the Internet, share photos and keep up with e-mail while on the move. About a quarter of all consumer phones sold from January to April of this year were smartphones, NPD says.

The iPhone faces new competition from the Palm Pre, a smartphone that debuted Friday and claims to combine Apple's popular touch screen with a more functional keyboard, like the one found on a popular business-class smartphone, the BlackBerry.

Recycled homes, one box at a time

CHARLESTON, South Carolina -- Magoline Hazelton is used to people driving by her home just to take a look. She's also known as the "house lady" by her fellow residents in North Charleston, South Carolina.

Steel shipping containers, like these at a depot, can be turned into homes.

From the outside, Hazelton's home doesn't seem much different from the rest of the neighborhood. But there's one big difference. Her house is made from cargo shipping containers.

Using containers to build homes has increasingly become a trend in the past several years because it can be cheaper and faster than using traditional construction methods. There are also plenty of containers at most major ports.

About 18 million containers are used worldwide to transport a variety of everyday products, such as cars, toys and food. Because the United States imports more than it exports, many containers end up stacked at ports. See one of the homes being built »

SG Blocks, a company whose name stands for safe and green blocks, has made a business from the container overflow.

Co-founder David Cross previously worked as a merchant marine and spent a lot of time at sea, dealing with shipping containers.

"As you're looking down the deck of the vessel, you see hundreds to thousands of containers perfectly configured," Cross said. "They were stacked nine high below deck, five or six high on deck, and I just kept seeing hotel after hotel on the deck of our ship." Watch how residents like living in the homes »

Cross also saw value in the strength of the material.

"The containers are designed for hostile dynamic life at sea ... capable of carrying 60,000 pounds. It just made imminent sense, that with minor modification, it could become a multi-family living system."

In 2003, Cross partnered with engineer Steve Armstrong to help bring the idea to fruition. A year later, Hazelton's house was built in South Carolina.

According to Cross, modifying containers into homes uses significantly less energy than melting them down.

"These containers weigh about 9,000 pounds, and it takes about 9,000 kilowatt hours of energy to melt down 9,000 pounds of steel," Cross said. "We modify that existing piece of steel with approximately 400 kilowatt hours of energy input. [That's a] 95 percent energy footprint reduction."

The energy saved by transforming a single container into a home, rather than melting it down, can power a standard 70-watt lightbulb for up to 15 years.

The time it takes to assemble a container home can vary, according to Cross. Hazelton's home took 10 weeks to build. Generally, SG Blocks has found that recycled homes cut construction time in half.

"Typical homes can take four to eight months [to build]," Cross said. "For container homes, it's usually two to four months."

According to Armstrong, who is president of SG Blocks, the cost of building a single family container home is comparable to a traditional home.

"But you get a steel home instead of a wood home," he said. "So, it's more durable and has a lower carbon footprint. It's also water resistant and termite resistant."

The construction becomes cheaper as you get into multi-family homes. According to Armstrong, multi-family mid-rise units cost 10 to 15 percent less than typical "stick frame" homes.

"That's a lot to do with speed and ease of construction," he said.

Companies around the world are using shipping containers as building materials to create offices, army barracks, dorms and even designer homes.

"[We] can make these look like anything you want. [We] can put a pretty dress on any skeleton," Armstrong said. "So, if you want it minimalistic, so you can see the container walls, we can do that. If you want stucco or brick or siding, [we] can do that as well."

While each container has its own roof, when multiple containers are put together side by side, there are gaps between the boxes. Therefore, a traditional roof is put on top of the entire home, providing additional safety in inclement weather.

"When the boxes are joined together, the gaps are sealed, so even if you lose your roof above, you'd have some protection," said Armstrong.

The second roof also provides another benefit. Hazelton finds she can't even hear the rain hitting her home when it's pouring outside. Her house has been almost maintenance free since she moved in.

"The only thing I've done here is exchanged the hot water heater. Nothing else I've had to do in the last five years ... so far, it's pretty good."

Google Takes Street View For Spin Off-Road

MONTEREY, Calif. -- Google is taking its popular "street view" map feature on a spin off-road by expanding coverage to include biking and hiking trails.The program is in its early stages. In fact, so far the only trail to be mapped is the Monterey Rec Trail."This is the most beautiful bike trail I think I've been on in my life," said cyclist Dave Adrian. "If you could open the eyes of this and at least let people look at it, I think they want to come here and ride it themselves."The mapping of the trails is the brainchild of Google engineers who wanted to map places cars can't reach.To do the mapping, Google constructed the Google trike, a tricycle armed with the same 360-degree camera technology used on the street view cars.The maps will give users a preview of the sites they will see while on their excursion.Trail users said the new tool will bring more people outdoors."More people will use trails if they knew they were there," Susan Simin said. "So many of us use cars, we don't know what the backyard or community has to offer."The Google trike is currently on tour in California, Italy and the United Kingdom snapping shots of trails and roads off the beaten path.Google said the images from these locations should be available at various points during the summer.

MacBook price cuts highlight tough choices for Apple

(WIRED) -- Apple has traditionally held its ground as a premium computer manufacturer, but it might just be getting sucked into a recession-prompted price war.

A worker helps a customer with a MacBook Pro laptop at an Apple store in San Francisco, California.

The company's recent MacBook price cuts signify its reluctant conformity to the economic downturn.

At its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, Apple shaved hundreds of dollars off its MacBook models.

The high-end, 15-inch MacBook Pros dropped from $2,000 to $1,700. And the price of the unibody MacBook (now renamed the 13-inch MacBook Pro) fell from $1,300 to $1,200. Apple's most inexpensive MacBook, the lone white model, remains $1,000.

"For a while they've been ignoring what's been happening in the economy," said Richard Shim, an IDC analyst.

"This is an indication that they're realizing that the first quarter didn't go as well as it has for them historically. I think this puts them closer in mind about what's going on in the PC world."

Still, Apple has avoided making even deeper price cuts, thanks to the juicy profit margins already baked into its products, the availability of cheap components, and the fact that the company also makes money by selling apps and music to iPhone and iPod owners.

All of these factors mean that Apple has room to comfortably trim prices even further, if it deems it necessary.

For instance, the company dropped the price of its now low-end smartphone, the iPhone 3G, to just $100 with a two-year contract. But that cut doesn't cost Apple as much as it might appear, given that the company still gets a carrier subsidy of several hundred dollars for each iPhone.

Apple's computers have historically been priced well above the average PC. However, Apple's first quarter of 2009 market-share numbers suggest the company is struggling to compete as a premium brand name in the face of the economic recession. In the first quarter of 2009, Apple's U.S. notebook market share shrank 0.4 percent compared to the same quarter a year earlier, according to Shim. And in worldwide notebook market share, the company saw 0.3 percent growth compared to the first quarter of 2008, Shim said.

Additionally, Apple is likely hurting from its competitors' aggressive pricing, cast into relief by Microsoft's recent Laptop Hunters ad campaign, a BrandIndex survey indicates.

The pseudo reality-TV commercials denounce Apple computers as too expensive and even implies Mac users are simple-minded snobs who buy gadgets as a fashion statement. As a result, Microsoft is detracting from Apple's "value" score by convincing a substantial number of consumers that they get less for their money by buying a Mac, according to the survey.

By cutting its prices somewhat, Apple may also be seizing the opportunity to strike a blow against the netbook market. In 2008, low-powered, budget netbook PCs saw rapid growth, driven by value-conscious consumers looking for a good deal. Apple has no netbook in its lineup, and has said it has no plans to create a netbook.

Fortunately for Apple, netbook sales are seeing a significant slowdown in 2009. In April, netbook manufacturers Acer, Asus and Micro Star International each reported fewer netbooks were sold than expected. Their netbook shipments for the first quarter of 2009 fell considerably below shipments during the third quarter of 2008. Asus, for example, hoped to ship 1 million Asus Eee PC systems during the first quarter, but only 900,000 units sold.

Thus, Apple's MacBook price cuts are a strategic move to reclaim growth while the netbook market is shrinking. This move allows Apple to continue to avoid offering a netbook, which is wise, because an Apple netbook would have cannibalized MacBook sales, according to ThinkPanmure analyst Vijay Rakesh. With the reduced MacBook price tags, Rakesh expects Apple to see double-digit growth in notebook marketshare -- up to 20 percent -- in the third quarter of 2009.

Regardless, Apple's MacBook price tags are still well above the cost of the average notebook -- $860 in the United States, according to Shim. Apple's cheapest MacBook is anchored at $1,000, and Apple could afford to bring it down even lower if it so chose.

According to Tim Bajarin, principal analyst with Creative Strategies, Apple's new pricing for its MacBook line and the price drop on its lightweight MacBook Air will not compromise much on its profit margins.

"They are not favoring market share over profitability in a big way," Bajarin explained. "They have already taken the pricing curve down on the unibody and chipsets, so they are building on those lower costs."

Will Apple deliver a mobile computer for the average Joe in terms of cost? Perhaps so, in the form of a touchscreen tablet that many Apple enthusiasts are placing their bets on. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster predicts such a device -- a blown-up iPod Touch, of sorts -- will land as soon as 2010.

Can Windows 7 save PCs?

Microsoft's new operating system is coming this fall, but experts say a PC rebound is a ways away -- and will happen in spite of the new software.

Windows 7 is set to debut on Oct. 22.

NEW YORK ,Windows 7 is coming soon. But having a PC sales rebound come with it seems unlikely.

Computer sales are mired in an awful slump, as businesses and consumers have reined in spending during the recession. Year-over-year global PC shipments fell 7% in the first quarter, the largest drop in that measure since the third quarter of 2001 amid the dot.com bust, according to tech analysis firm IDC.

But Microsoft's new operating system is set to debut on Oct. 22, and experts for the most part like what they have seen. That's a dramatic shift from the largely negative reviews -- and disappointing sales -- of its current Windows version, Vista.

"Microsoft learned a lot from its mistakes with Vista," said Richard Shim, analyst at IDC. "They fixed some very important features and made an impressive operating system."

0:00 /2:56Anything but Vista

Despite the positive reviews, most analysts say Windows 7 alone is not enough to jumpstart lackluster PC sales. They cite customer animosity toward Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500), a change in consumer trends and the typically slow pace of businesses' OS integration as reasons.

Microsoft's problem: Windows is by far the most-used PC operating system. Last year, 83% of new PCs sold had Windows built in.

Windows 7 may be a shiny and new version of the world's No. 1 OS, but analysts wonder if customers are willing to give Microsoft a second chance after Vista. Users complain that Vista is sluggish, has too many versions and is susceptible to bugs.

According to a survey of more than 1,000 IT professionals nationwide conducted in March by Dimension Research, 50% said they were considering leaving Windows altogether rather than switch to Windows 7. Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) Mac OS X was the system they are most likely to switch to.

"Microsoft tried to stuff too many features into the Vista bag, and the bag burst," said Zeus Kerravala, analyst with Yankee Group. "There was a big loss of goodwill towards Microsoft [over Vista.]"

Happy with my clunker: Disenchantment with Windows may not help a PC sales rebound, but PCs may have been doomed anyway.

As more and more applications become available on the Internet, consumers have begun to rely less on computer processing speeds and operating systems' bells and whistles. Online programs such as Google Docs, Yahoo Mail and Wikipedia, for the average consumer's purposes, can stand in for Microsoft Word, Outlook and Encarta.

It's called "cloud computing" (the software is "in the clouds"), and analysts say it will likely continue to damage PC sales growth.

"The most important part of valuating a PC five years ago was its OS, but with more applications moving to cloud, the browser is quickly becoming the most important feature," said Kerravala.

With Internet browsing becoming faster on non-computer devices such as mobile phones and video game systems, analysts say customers are delaying the purchase of new computers from the typical three-year refresh to as much as five years.

Slow to catch on: One set of customers that still rely heavily on PCs are businesses. But companies' integration of operating systems is typically slow.

According to the Dimension Research survey, 84% of IT professionals who are planning on switching to Windows 7 said they are going to wait at least a year to upgrade.

Gartner analysts John Enck and Mike Silver said a six to 12-month period of compatibility testing is typical before businesses begin to adopt a new OS, as IT departments work in companies' customized features and applications.

On a conference call in May, Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) Founder and Chief Executive Michael Dell agreed that a technology refresh cycle is about "nine months to a year out."

Consumers are slow to catch on too. According to IDC, a release of an OS has not led to an immediate boost in shipments since Windows 95 was launched in 1995. Sales have picked up in successive years, though. For instance, Windows XP, which was launched in 2001, had a record sales year in 2007.

Rebound still coming: Though Windows 7 may not be the catalyst needed to spark a rebound in PC sales, most experts say a natural PC sales boost is due by late next year anyway.

A stunning 83% of IT professionals in the Dimension Research survey skipped a Vista upgrade and continue to use the eight-year old Windows XP -- which is ancient, by computer standards. Analysts say businesses will often upgrade their hardware with a new operating system, and the lack of a Vista upgrade means many companies are using older computers that are two or more years past their typical decommissioning period.

"A natural PC sales refresh is coming up from the commercial side, as big companies pushed off a refresh a couple of times during the downturn and kept their old systems," said Shim.

Still, the rebound won't happen anytime soon. Enck said the PC market slump could last until at least the third quarter of 2010. And according to a recent Gartner forecast, U.S. PC sales won't rebound past 2008 levels until 2011.

NASA scrubs Saturday launch of space shuttle Endeavour

A gaseous hydrogen leak on the space shuttle Endeavour forced NASA to cancel Saturday's planned launch, the space agency said.

NASA officials postponed Saturday's scheduled launch of space shuttle Endeavour because of a leak.

NASA halted fueling of the shuttle Saturday morning after detecting the leak, associated with the gaseous hydrogen venting system outside the shuttle's external fuel tank, NASA said. The system is used to carry excess hydrogen safely away from the launch pad.

Shuttle managers will assess the leak and meet at 2 p.m. ET Sunday to discuss what steps to take next, including setting a new launch date, NASA said. They planned a news conference after the meeting, the space agency said.

The earliest the shuttle could be ready to launch now is Wednesday, NASA said, but there is a conflict on that date with the scheduled launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter/Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite.

Endeavour, carrying seven astronauts and a key component for Japan's Kibo science laboratory, is scheduled for a mission to the International Space Station

Tetris turns 25: Is it the next Olympic sport?

It's amazing how a huge global phenomenon can begin.

Tetris, the simple puzzle video game, has been addicting players for 25 years.

In 1984, Russian mathematician Alexey Pajitnov was playing with one of his favorite puzzles when he had an inspiration: How about creating a computer version?

Pajitnov wrote the program in his spare time, simplifying the idea to make it easier for those of us who aren't math geniuses.

He used shapes made of four squares -- hence "Tetris," which comes from the Greek word for four, "Tetra."

In the game, players must position and stack blocky shapes to fill a grid without leaving spaces in between. Successfully completed sections disappear. The more sections the player completes without reaching the top, the higher the score. The faster players accomplish this, the higher their score. iReport: 25 years of Tetris

Steadily, the game worked its way around the world. Millions of people found themselves glued to their computers and game players -- hearts racing and screaming in frustration -- all over getting a simple horizontal line of digital squares to disappear.

"I would just play it for hours and hours," said iReporter Joel Vetsch of New Haven, Connecticut, who got addicted to Tetris on a Game Boy when he was 10. "I'm 29 now, and I still love it." See Vetsch's iReport here

Vetsch became so obsessed with Tetris that the game even showed up in his dreams.

"I'd go to sleep and in my head I'd see blocks. . .going into each other," he told CNN. "It was weird."

More than 125 million Tetris products have been sold, and Guinness World Records' 2009 Gamers' Edition book ranked Tetris No. 2 on its list of the top 50 console games of all time, behind Super Mario Kart.

Twenty-five years to the month after Tetris was born, CNN spoke with Pajitnov and Henk Rogers, CEO of Blue Planet Software, the company that manages the exclusive licensing rights to the game.

The two men talked about what makes Tetris so addictive, how they believe the game can help unite the world, and -- no joke -- why they want a Tetris competition in the Olympics.