The new 1.0 version of Apollo IM, the first native instant messaging client for the iPhone, offers an interface and support for the ICQ and MSN instant messaging protocols, in addition to preexisting AOL instant messenger support—delivering communications beyond any individual network’s limits.

Testers at iPhone Atlas report that the application worked relatively well, offering an interface far more responsive than any of the Web-based solutions tested thus far and allowing participation in multiple conversations.

However, they also suggest that the software still has some significant bugs. They report that “in some instances, the keyboard is not displayed if the user goes to the home screen then returns to an active chat; scrolling through the buddy list sometimes displays graphic artifacts, or scrolling does not work as expected; and the application crashed a few times, necessitating a reset of the iPhone, during routine usage (especially when attempting to sign on).”

Apollo IM is currently listed under the “Featured” section in Installer.app.

One of the more commonly reported complaints about the iPhone’s SMS scheme is the text message storage limit. While the iPhone offers a significant amount of free memory, the number of text messages that can be stored is capped at 1000. This cap, of course, prompts the iPhone’s friendly reminder: “Your SMS mailbox is almost full. Please delete some messages.”

To combat this dearth of text storage space, software developer Vaughn Cordero has developed the “MobileSyncBrowser,” a Mac OS X tool that allows you to view the backups of SMS text messages and optionally export them. This utility enables you to delete messages from your phone while keeping them archived on your computer. MobileSyncBrowser can also backup notes and call history every time you sync.

We know, we know… It’s been a week since this first appeared… But hey, we’ve been busy, okay?

Our friends over at iPhone Atlas have launched what they’re calling an Unofficial iPhone SDK Guide for writing native apps for the iPhone. The “Unofficial SDK” relies heavily on the work of Lucas Newman, the pioneering iPhone developer who wrote Lights Off, the first native iPhone game.

While you may be tempted to pause for a moment given Apple’s recent announcement about the impact jailbreaking and unlocking may have on future iPhone software updates (see our story below), and while you may prefer to stick with Apple’s recommended Web 2.0 development cycle (hey, we’ve got a story on that, too), iPhone Atlas’s guide aggregates some of the most useful information for native app development we’ve seen.

It’s at least worth a peek, no?

Over the next few weeks, Apple will be hosting a number of “Tech Talks” around the country designed to help developers write optimized Web 2.0 applications for the iPhone. According to Apple’s site, you can “Hear from the experts as they offer in-depth technical information on how to optimize your Web 2.0 application and content to take advantage of the features and capabilities of iPhone. […] After a morning of in-depth presentations and demonstrations, you’ll work with the experts to design, code, debug and test your solutions on iPhone. Access to your code is required.”

The day-long Tech Talks are free for ADC members (you can sign up for a free online membership to qualify) and will take place throughout October and into November in Boston, MA (10/09 at the Boston Marriott Copley Place), Philadelphia, PA (10/11 at the Sofitel Philadelphia), Washington, DC (10/12 at the JW Marriott Hotel on Pennsylvania Avenue), Seattle, WA (10/22 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel), Minneapolis, MN (10/25 at the Hyatt Regency Minneapolis), and Atlanta, GA (11/05 at the Atlanta Airport Marriott).

It should be a great opportunity to go get your iPhone-Web-2.0-App on!

Apple announced the following somewhat disturbing terrifying interesting tidbit yesterday through its public relations channels:

Apple has discovered that many of the unauthorized iPhone unlocking programs available on the Internet cause irreparable damage to the iPhone’s software, which will likely result in the modified iPhone becoming permanently inoperable when a future Apple-supplied iPhone software update is installed. Apple plans to release the next iPhone software update, containing many new features including the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store (www.itunes.com), later this week. Apple strongly discourages users from installing unauthorized unlocking programs on their iPhones. Users who make unauthorized modifications to the software on their iPhone violate their iPhone software license agreement and void their warranty. The permanent inability to use an iPhone due to installing unlocking software is not covered under the iPhone’s warranty.

Update: Looks like this only applies to those who have unlocked their phones for use on carriers other than AT&T, not for those who have merely added native apps. Probably. It’s hard to say. Though we’ll know for sure after the software update later this week… But just to be on the safe side, you might want to check out the iPhone relocking guides at TUAW or MyiTablet.

In a compelling article on handheld learning, Mark van ‘t Hooft, Ph.D., researcher and tech specialist for the Research Center for Educational Technology at Kent State University, suggests that ubiquitous access to digital technologies transforms pedagogical possibilities in three primary ways:

• “First, ubiquitous access to the Internet and telecommunications technologies changes classrooms into places with access to abundant resources and rich connections to the world.
• Second, ubiquitous access to a variety of digital devices and multimedia tools makes it possible to create, analyze, synthesize and communicate knowledge using a rich variety of media forms.
• Third, ubiquitous access to digital tools that automate lower level skills allows students to concentrate on higher level thinking, and lessens the skill levels needed to explore a range of complex topics.”

However, van’t Hooft suggests that for this type of technology to be successful for teaching and learning, several things need to happen:

• “Schools need to catch up to society when it comes to access to and availability of technology.
• In schools where technology IS available, technology should NOT be the focus, it’s what we do with it.
• Learners need to be given more choices in the types of tools they use for learning and how they use them. It’s up to the schools to guide students in how to use the tools effectively and ethically (and what that is and who decides is a whole other story!).”

For more on ubiquitous computing and handheld learning check out van’t Hooft’s full article.

ECAR recently released the fourth report in a longitudinal study of students that focuses on use of and attitudes toward information technology. The study, entitled The ECAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2007, includes a survey of almost 28,000 students from more than 100 institutions.

The ECAR report delineates noticeable changes from previous years (extending back to 2004) concerning the “kinds of information technologies these students use, own, and experience; their technology behaviors, preferences, and skills; how IT impacts their experiences in their courses; and their perceptions of the role of IT in the academic experience.”

Some of the more interesting questions answered by ECAR’s “Key Findings” include: “Do students think that technology improves their learning?” “How much time do students spend online?” “What method of connecting to the Internet decreased in frequency of use from 2004 to 2007?” “What kind of handheld electronic information device are students using less in 2007 than they were in 2004?” “How do students perceive technology in the classroom?”

For more on the study, check out Terry Calhoun’s article, “The Collegiate Tech Effect” in Campus Technology.

We know a lot of people are probably already familiar with this, but Michael Wesch, an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at Kansas State University has produced an amazing video about Web 2.0 that we think everybody should watch (after all, it’s been viewed over 3 million times and Wesch has won a bunch of awards with it, including a Wired Magazine Rave Award and the John Culkin Award for Outstanding Media Praxis from the Media Ecology Association). Though it’s not specifically about the iPhone — or even about the academy per se — its engaging and thought-provoking look at how Web 2.0 is changing the world might help teachers and students gain a new vision for technology in the classroom (and out of it).

Wesch’s MediatedCultures is exploring the impact of humans and digital technology, and his work with digital ethnographies is producing interesting results.

In our view, as converged media and technology become more pervasive, many of the assumptions and practices that we’ve held for so long will have to be reevaluated. We’re already seeing some of this in the way that YouTube, Wikipedia and iTunes U are changing classroom dynamics. As devices like the iPhone find their place in the academy, there’s no doubt that it will only get more interesting…

Surely users everywhere are asking one question: can I use my iPhone to review Greek vocabulary? Absolutely. No problem.

Since the iPhone employs Unicode fonts, displaying Greek text properly and consistently is not a problem. Students of classical or biblical Greek can use their iPhones to learn words, review for quizzes, and keep their knowledge fresh. Unfortunately, the iPhone font sets are limited and will not display some characters normally included in the set, such as Hebrew and Arabic, or other essential semitic fonts (like Syriac). Daring Fireball discusses basic iPhone font issues and This Lamp reports on iPhone tests done with biblical languages, exploring the Hebrew problem. Hopefully font shortcomings will be rectified in future so users not only can review their Syriac grammar but access a full range of foreign language websites as well.

Okay. Back to Greek vocab. How does it work? An app called iFlashCards already exists. It’s a very basic flash card program that cycles through a designated list of terms, displaying each word or prompt separately and giving the student a chance to recall a definition or any other information associated with the prompt. After pushing the “Answer” button, an answer is displayed. Students can also move backward or forward through the list. Unfortunately, however, the program will not randomize the list, and it’s also a shame that it will not quiz users in the other direction—prompting them with the “answer” and asking for the “question.” Those two features would greatly enhance the educational value of any flash card program.

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Apple promises that the iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store (already running on the iPod Touch) is coming soon to an iPhone near you. To access the store all you’ll have to do is find a Wi-Fi hot spot and tap the iTunes button—from there you have access to millions of songs. When you get back to your computer, the music you bought on the go will sync to your iTunes library as soon as you connect your iPhone or Touch.

Sounds cool, but what about podcasts? Apple’s add for the new Wi-Fi store makes no mention of these precious nuggets of auditory education. As we all know, there exists an expansive range of applications for podcasting within a university setting. Access to iTunes U through the new Wi-Fi Music Store could add a new dimension to the potentiality of podcasting in higher education.