iPhone: Celebrities; skins

In brief: Spike Lee helps auctions an iPhone for charity, the mayor of Philadelphia buys one for himself, iStyles releases its first skins, and David Pogue previews "the missing manual." The charitable foundation Keep A Child Alive has posted an eBay auction for the first iPhone from Apple's SoHo store. Bought by director Spike Lee ("Do the Right Thing," "25th Hour"), the package also includes two Jawbone Bluetooth headsets, and two round-trip tickets for the domestic United States. All of the proceeds will go back to the charity, which pays for the anti-retroviral drugs given to AIDS children in Africa.

Mayor of Philadelphia waits in line for iPhone

The mayor of Philadelphia, John Street, was number three in line in his city as he waited to buy his own iPhone yesterday. Despite the 6PM launch of the product, Street was in line at 3:30AM, and sat waiting the entire day amid close media attention. While others in line cheered when he emerged from the store successful, some city residents were critical, noting that he may have delayed mayoral business.

iStyles launches iPhone skins

Accessory maker iStyles has released its first iPhone skins. There are 76 different art selections available, ranging in style from dark, sinister themes to images of nature and national flags. The skins are made of adhesive-backed vinyl with a clear protective layer, and the art itself is printed with UV-resistant ink. A download code gives access to matching wallpaper. Each skin costs $7.

Preview of Pogue's "missing manual"

Missingmanuals.com has posted a preview of "iPhone: The Missing Manual," a forthcoming guide by the famed tech writer David Pogue. The book will explain a number of tricks to exploiting an iPhone, such as the advantages of double-tapping, how to force-quit a program, and how to fool the light sensor into keeping the display on low power. The completed book should be released in August of this year for $20.

by MacNN Staff