The iPhone 3G is released on Friday July 11th, and many Apple and AT&T stores will be opening early to allow early adopters to get their hands on the updated device, dubbed iPhone 2 by many. But 8am isn’t early enough for some, and queues are already forming outside the New York Apple Cube.

The Nintendo DS and Sony PSP are the two current-gen hand-held games consoles around at the moment. But there could soon be a third contender, as the iPhone starts to build momentum as a viable platform for games. One man who has seen the potential of the iPhone, and mobile phone gaming as a whole is Neil Young, who has left his job as head of Electronic Arts Los Angeles studio to set up his own company called Ngmoco.

The 3G iPhone is here, and it’s cheap at just $199 and $299 for the initial 2 models. But who is paying the bill for this obviously consumer-tempting price cut?

We now know that Steve Jobs will be unveiling the new 3G iPhone at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco on June 9th, but details (okay, rumours and speculation) are continuing to be revealed by various sources. The latest concerns the high speed transfers which may be possible using the device, and it seems Australia may be set to be the world leader.

This morning saw mole phone network operator Vodafone announce that they had won the right to distribute the iPhone in ten countries. However, in Italy, one of the ten, it seems the contract isn’t an exclusive one, with Telecom Italia also bragging the right to distribute the device. Could this mean Apple are doing a u-turn on having one exclusive distributor in each country?

Up to now Google News hasn’t been available to owners of the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch. However, that’s now all changed, and wherever you are in the world, you’ll be able to keep up the all the latest news through Google.

Lawyers working for Apple have spent the last few months trying, and universally succeeding, to destroy any companies who have been selling iPhone clones. However, the Managing Director of one such company was shocked at their ruthlessness.

One feature which most iPhone owners would like to see on their gadgets is instant messaging. However, through multiple updates, the feature has remained elusive. However, that could be about to change, with the revelation that Apple has filed for a universal instant messaging patent.