Dialog Box

• Yes, with a little over four days to go until the day that AT&T has dubbed iDay, the iPhone has arrived on American soil.

  According to AppleInsider, the digital device is being shipped under the watchful eyes of armed security that is normally reserved for shipments of diamonds and other extremely valuable cargo.

  AI also reports that Apple Stores are going to extreme lengths to ban all cameras from stock rooms starting today…

• A subtitle editor by the name of Aegisub gives users a bit of advice if they attempt to choose Comic Sans as their font.

  Now, if only MS Word’s helpful suggestions included, “It looks like you’re making a sign! Might I suggest something other than Times New Roman and All Caps?”

  (Hat tip, Daring Fireball)

• The iTunes Store has jumped to number three on the list of retailers of music in the United States. NPD Group MusicWatch has released its first quarter 2007 numbers, and here are the standings for the largest US music retailers:

  1. Walmart – 15.8% of music purchases
  2. Best Buy – 13.8%
  3. iTunes Store – 9.8%
  4. Amazon.com – 6.7%
  5. Target – 6.6%

  Congratulations, Apple and iTunes! It should also be noted that fully 13.8% of all sales are now in downloads, rather than physical CDs. Not bad.

  (Thanks, iLounge)

• Okay. I’ll just throw all of my objectivity out the window at this point.

  Apple has released an informative 24-minute video that provides the most detailed look at the iPhone that we’ve gotten (apart from Steve Jobs’ January introduction). I’m drooling.

  Highlights include:

  • The first look at driving directions and traffic (at last!)
  • A first-ever look at settings (I love that Airplane Mode puts an orange plane icon in the top bar)
  • You can edit the buttons at the bottom of the iPod area (and possibly others!)
  • To delete items in email, SMS, and other areas, swiping to the right and confirming is a great trick
  • The headphones are included, and there’s even a great demo of the way the button on the cord works. (Nice fitting the track skip in, Apple!)
  • It shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Mac OS X can do it, but the nay-sayers should note: it can read and display MS Word and Excel files.
  • The backside of widgets, setting a contact picture, Yahoo! can be the search agent, and more…

  Now, pop the popcorn and go watch!

• Apple has redesigned the iPhone site again. Now, it is looking more like the finished, day-to-day site, with a similar look to iPod+iTunes, Mac, and Support.

  Now, they provide links to look up an Apple Store or AT&T Store location, but no information beyond “June 29 at 6pm.”

  One tantalizing tidbit, though: In the upper left, Apple again emphasizes that an iTunes account will be required “to set up your iPhone.”

  Perhaps the iTunes store interface will be used to set up your AT&T account and billing! That would be slick. Just the kind of thing Apple might insist on.

  I like that theory.

• Pacific Catch is now running an iPhone-themed calamari special. So, now you can get calamari there. :) I like these people. (Thanks, TUAW)

I’m trying a new format with the quick clicks. See if you like this, and let me know…

• iPhone fever has hit with a vengeance. Among the many news tidbits today are an excellent USA Today article on the AT&T store preparations, word that Google’s leader has an iPhone, YouTube on iPhone gets its own commercial.

  Apple Stores are apparently setting up displays of a giant iPhone as well. And an air traveller spotted another iPhone user in transit!

  And did this guy really touch an iPhone in the wild??

• I laughed quite a bit at this parody ad for Microsoft Surface. (May not be safe for work) (Hat tip to Fake Steve Jobs)

• Ever wanted to get the gunk out of your keyboard?

  Yearn for something more efficient than windex?

  Okay, maybe not more efficient, but certainly more interesting.

• Is Dell finally learning that it’s the out-of-the-box experience that matters? Nah.