With the release of the iPhone 3G version the door has been opened to a whole new world of digital content. The slow speeds of previous mobile networks have made it difficult for content providers to get into high end content such is streaming video or video chat applications. Now, because of the speed of 3G, all of that is certainly going to change. According to Wikipedia, "it is expected that IMT-2000 will provide higher transmission rates: a minimum speed of 2Mbit/s for stationary or walking users, and 348 kbit/s in a moving vehicle", [1] the ITU does not actually clearly specify minimum or average speeds or what modes of the interfaces qualify as 3G, so various speeds are sold as 3G intended to meet customers expectations of broadband speed." The article continues to say that the current EDGE network, used on iPhone is part of the 3G standards, but as an end user, I can assure you I don't get anywhere near those speeds.



In Japan, Softbank, the country's third largest mobile provider, has the rights to sell the iPhone 3G. There's been no word on whether or not this is an exclusive deal or not, but they will apparently be selling the iPhone later this year. Now, I've heard stories that commuters on trains are already watching live broadcasts and high quality streaming video on their handsets. If the 3G rates mentioned above hold true, this is easily understood. The near-DVD quality of video found on iTunes would stream over the stationary rates quoted above, and as you can imagine the small screens on hand sets wouldn't need even a quarter of that screen size or data rate, making full motion video a realm to watch for digital content creators eyeing the mobile market.

I know that I personally have been eyeing mobile content for some time, though it may not be the ideal venue for the types of shows I want to do. Before this site, I was always found holding a Sony PSP and had intended to create comics and graphic novels for that amazing screen. Now I am enamored with creating the same for the iPhone. It's touch screen seems ideal for it. If I could produce animation fast enough, I might even consider that, and with the 3G handset, the streaming of said animation would actually be possible. I see a future with huge potential and I, for one, can't wait to see what kind of amazing products come out for it.

Tags: Mobile Content, iPhone, TV, Japan, Pop Culture

Well, it seems my favorite iPhone packing Vampire will not be returning for another season as MoonLight has been cancelled. It's a sad day for pop culture appearances of the extremely popular mobile device. Thanks to the recent writer's strike, Moonlight had a very short season and didn't really get enough time to catch on. Another iPhone filled show I wrote about, the spy comedy Chuck, hasn't seen a new episode in weeks. I don't know if it will come back or not, but Moonlight is unfortunately fading into darkness. I, personally, enjoyed the show for its short 16 episode run, and will surely miss it. I guess the fate of Beth and Mick St. John will have to be left to the imagination.

Not surprisingly, the show did have its loyal fan base and they tried to keep the show alive, but as with other efforts to save doomed TV series, nothing could put the bite back into this supernatural detective show. Websites like savemoonlight.com are still fighting the good fight. The say, "This DOES NOT have to be the end of the show though. Until Joel Silver closes up shop there IS hope." They are asking fans to contact CBS and let them know they desire a second season. There is even a petition online to save the show that, to date, has 6106 signatures.



Moonlight was actually closer to home for me than many might think. That is due largely to this man (pictured right), actor Gideon Emory who, believe it or not, lived across from me in my apartment building. He appeared in episode 8, titled 12:04 AM. I wrote a post about it back in November of last year. He played the vampire who picks up Mick St. John's iPhone and uses the contacts menu to find the victim he is after. I never knew it was him when I saw the episode, but when I last ran into him he mentioned playing in Moonlight and after describing the episode I realized that I had seen it, and didn't even recognize him.

Who knows? Maybe the fan reaction will prompt popular producer Joel Silver (The Matrix, Speed Racer) to try another venue. If not, I have the iTunes versions of every episode and will have fond memories of vampires using the iPhone.

Tags: iPhone, TV, sightings, Pop Culture

The other day I went to Apple's website, as I often do since it is still my default home page, and I saw the ad for their new Mobile Me service. At the time I thought, this looks really cool, but I have to sign up for yet another service? Don't get me wrong, the service seemed like everything I could ever want. After a major computer crash recently I realize the value of having all my contacts and other information in an easily accessible place. I also liked the idea of being able to have the same information available to every device. Still, it wasn't something I wanted to think about right now, so I gave it no more thought.

Tonight I got a surprise. Lo and behold, in my .Mac mailbox was a message. If you're a .Mac user you already know what it said, but if you're not, this kind of thing doesn't happen everyday. Basically, starting in July, all .Mac member accounts will be upgraded to Mobile Me! How cool is that?



Needless to say, I am extremely happy. I plan to do some very serious traveling soon and this is exactly the kind of thing I need. I am planning to add a Macbook pro to my Mac and iPhone arsenal so this announcement couldn't have come at a better time.

Tags: iPhone

iPhone Alchemy announces the MAYDAY SALE! Throughout the month of May, all iPhone Alchemy comics are only 25 cents. That's right, all comic titles cレアcreated by iPhone alchemy, and any releases of original content, created by us, throughout the month will be only a quarter. That's a deal you can't beat anywhere.

Speaking of new releases, look for an all new series premiering on the Alchemy Manga Reader this month, along with other new titles in the store. It's time for IPhone Alchemy to skyrocket!

Tags: iPhone, Manga, Mobile Content

The Alchemy Manga Reader webapp for iPhone and iPod Touch has been updated to feature a new Javascript interface for navigating through manga pages. This means that it is not only easier to move through the manga posted there, but it is easier ad faster to put manga on there. What does this mean for readers? More content!

With the ability to easily and quickly add manga to the webapp, you can expect that new titles and longer, more involved stories can begin appearing very soon. Also be on the look out for more artists, even those in Japan, joining in the iPhone Manga goodness and creating work that will light up your iPhone screen with great stories, characters and worlds. The iPhone is flooding the world and quickly becoming the number one mobile device of choice with global users. The Japan launch will be huge, I think, and will open new worlds to just how big iPhone manga can get.

Feel free to use your iPhone or iPod Touch to pay a visit to http://mobile.iphonealchemy.com and check out the latest revision of the Alchemy Manga Reader. And by all means, let me know what you think!

Tags: Manga, Mobile Content, iPhone

The Alchemy Manga Reader, a project I have looked forward to for a long time, has officially gone live. If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can navigate to http://mobile.iphonealchemy.com and see for yourself. You do have to have an iPhone or iPod Touch though as this is a mobile website. It may work on other devices like Sony PSP or Nintendo DS, but I haven't tested this yet. It is primarily made for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

So what is it? Well, basically it is a web app that lets you navigate to the iPhone Alchemy manga right on your handset. This is the one source for exclusive, full color manga and comics made specifically for the IPhone screen. You won't find print manga chopped up and reformatted for mobile viewing here. Mobile manga is a fast growing phenomenon and the Alchemy Manga Reader puts you at the front lines with updates every week, previews of upcoming titles, wallpaper packs, ringtone samples and possible even video. (Anigen on the iPhone anyone?)

If you have an iPhone or iPod touch, navigate over to mobile.iphonealchemy.com and check it out for yourself. Leave a comment and let me know what you think. And make sure to bookmark it because a new alchemy manga series is going to start right there very soon. There will also be a Japanese version in the very near future. Things are just getting started!

Tags: iPhone, Manga, Mobile Content

I am currently working on the Mangadolls: Holiday Wallpaper Pack, which will soon be available in the manga shop, but that isn't the reason I had to post today. I want to talk about the iPhone itself, and how truly useful a tool it can be if it is kept in mind. For example. I went to get my car washed today and it usually amounts to fifteen minute, or so, wait while they work on it. In the waiting area, I saw a woman with her iPhone out tapping away at the screen. I don't know what she was doing, but it was certainly a way to pass the wait time. I sat down and pulled my iPhone out and, for the first time, really experienced the value of the Edge Network.

In the past, when I would go to that carwash, I usually has my PSP with me. The PSP is web enabled, but it is WIFI only, and the carwash has no WIFI network. While it was cool to sit in my favorite Thai bar, which had WIFI, and blog from my PSP, there would be no such luck at the carwash. Today, though, since I had my iPhone I could check mail, search the web and do all the cool things the iPhone can do. I even found a webapp which happens to be an iPhone tailored Japanese/English dictionary with kanji lookup!

So what does this have to do with the end of Christmas? Well, that's another part of the story while I was out and about today. I was pulling into a plaza to go to the store when I saw three police cars lined up in the parking lot. People were staring, but I generally didn't see anything going on. They weren't after me, so I went inside. I took care of my business and proceeded to leave the store. As I walked out I saw it. Santa was being hauled out of one of the other stores by the cops. Ms. Clause was right behind him. I even heard a girl passing by say, "Why are you arresting Santa?" My iPhone was in my pocket and this would have been a perfect time to take a picture if I had remembered that the iPhone has a camera on it!

This isn't the first time I have come across something amazing and forgotten that I have a camera on me at all times now. The funny thing is, this is something I had always wanted. When digital cameras became popular, I always said I will wait until I have a simple camera, small enough to keep on me at all times. Then I will get one. Now I have one and rarely remember it's there! This is my first cell phone and first digital camera, though, so I guess I should allow some time to get used to it. I just hope it's before the next cool thing happens.

Tags: iPhone

Who says you can't learn anything from TV? In the latest episodes of McG's NBC spy show Chuck, Agent Walker gets a call from the title character and the camera slowly zooms into her iPhone showing his photo as it rings. Now my first thought was that they faked this just to add some spice to the technology, but I should have known better. You can associate any photo in your library to any contact and that picture will display when the person calls. I guess it's just a matter of my still being unaware of all the cool things the iPhone can do.

In the following episode, the iPhone saves the day and we get to see some good use of its touch screen technology in the show. Chuck is sent a picture of from his best friend's boat trip. Using the touch screen to zoom in and pan around the picture, he spots the bad guy in the background and cracks the case. I knew the iPhone could do this, but it was still cool to see it worked into the show so well. Still, this made me think it was time I really delved into all the other cool things the iPhone is capable of.

In quest to discover more of the features of this device, on of the things I came across was the use of web apps. Apple has quite a list of them on their page. The great advantage of web apps is that they run in the Safari browser on the IPhone meaning they are available anywhere, unlike content synced with iTunes. These can include puzzle games, news feeds and even video sites similar to the Youtube included on the iPhone. In fact, one of the web apps I checked was a Chinese video site, similar to Youtube, which plays content from Chinese TV. They have a lot of current anime in Japanese with Chinese subtitles, but if you know Japanese, that can be cool to see.

Now you may say, Well the iPhone has a full web browser so it's just like going to any web page. This is actually not the case. These web apps are designed specifically for the iPhone's screen size and touch screen features. Some of the puzzle games make use of the screen in ways that wouldn't play well on the desktop. Also navigation of the apps is designed for the gestures available on the iPhone screen. Many of them are very similar to apps running natively on the iPhone. These web apps aren't just limited to fun and games either. Just check out the latest releases on Apple's page today.

As you can imagine from the use of iPhone in the shows I mention, a lot of industry pros probably use the device. It's easy to see how these web apps could be useful for quick information. Of course I had to try them out just now... The footage calculators from Digital Rebellion are really cool. Imagine if you're in the studio or on set and need a quick calculation of the film or video footage you're shooting or editing. Being available on the iPhone as a web app is convenience defined.

You may also notice that Google released quite a suite of apps for the iPhone. I just tried it out and I have to say I am very impressed, especially with having a iPhone sized Google reader on my handset at all times. The gmail feature is cool too. These tools, of course, have existed for the desktop browser for ages, and the iPhone could easily navigate to and use the full size pages, but having iPhone specific versions makes all the difference.

You know I'm going to have to write a web app now right? Can you guess what it is?

Tags: iPhone, Pop Culture, TV, sightings

I said I would kick it into high gear and that plan continues with the release of the new iPhone manga title Evidemic. This is the beginning of an exciting new series about the spread of a disease unlike anyone has ever encountered.

Serin is a beautiful "solutionist" called in to investigate the problem, but things start going sour as soon as she arrives. They only expand from there. Evidemic is available free, for the time being, in the sample titles bar to the left. Feel free to download it and check it out. Look forward to more episodes coming soon!

The great thing about iPhone manga or any cell phone content is easy access. I am already working on another title that will be placed in the new store as soon as it is live. I will also build pages that allow the sample titles to be viewed in the Safari browser directly on the iPhone, even over an Edge Network connection. There is a lot lined up for this month, and I'm just getting started. If you like Heaven's Burden, be sure to look for another episode of that series appearing this month as well.

Building up from scratch always takes a great effort, but in the world of digital content, that build up only needs to happen once, and then it's smooth sailing from there. In this case, smooth sailing means a lot more iPhone manga for you.

Tags: iPhone, Manga

It's a new month and it's time to kick this thing into high gear. I have big plans for this site and the world of mobile manga in general is going to be big. Companies in Japan are popping up extremely fast. I have recently found two new mobile and digital manga sites in just that last week. They see that this is where it's at. Not to be left behind in what I see as an incredible sea of possibility, I am creating some serious new work myself.

I am working on a new series called Evidemic. I don't want to say too much about it because it will be available for free download here very soon and you can see for yourself. Needless to say, it involves a very different kind of disease. I am learning a lot when it comes to creating art for the mobile content generation. The rules no longer apply. The one thing you will find here that most other places are not doing is content specifically formatted, nay, created for the mobile device in question. Chopping up print comics and making them fit on a phone may be a start, but the real revolution begins with content designed exclusively for the device. Why not take advantage of the technology?

Creating art for the iPhone as opposed to print yields some very different challenges. Your screen is smaller than a page, but it is also extremely sharp and crisp. You can't display a standard comic page, but you can do something new and fitting that I think is very impressive. There is a combination of page and screen coming into play. Now some things, image wise, which look good in video or film, can look good on a manga page. I will certainly be taking more advantage of that in this and future titles.

There will surely be a lot of titles, and not just by me. One of the many things I intend to do this month, as I kick things into high gear, is to get a full online store integrated into this site. I've already spoken to a few artists and publishers who have shown great interest. I expect the expansion of this site will be quick. Of course, I also have a ton of ideas and stories I want to tell, and I can think of no better way to tell them than through iPhone manga.

Another thing I intend to see accomplished this month is that I plan to go all out. I am going to advertise. When I created my first independent project, a DVD called Understanding Chaos, I did what might now be called traditional web advertising, and it worked. It brought people in and generated great interest in the project. Although I have created other projects since then, I haven't returned to the method of market generation I started with. Well, advertising is expensive right? Not today. It's easier than ever with all the tools available on the web. So I will do a real campaign to push and build this site.

All in all, I am preparing for 2008 to be the year of mobile manga. It will explode. In Japan, it already has. A fully Japanese version of this site and all products is on the horizon too. There's a lot to create in the coming weeks and months, so I guess I better get started!

Tags: Manga, iPhone

It was like iPhone central on the most recent episode of the Joel Silver produced, CBS, vampire series Moonlight. The episode opens with the iPhone front and center as an angry waits outside a prison where an execution will be held. Onlookers are seen taking pictures with their cell phones and, of course, there had to be an iPhone user in the bunch.

Personally, I find it interesting as a user. When I first got it, being the first cell phone I ever had, I had specific purposes for it in mind and didn't always keep it with me wherever I went. Only now am I getting to that point where I am actually getting attached to it. There is a reason for that which I will explain later. Anyway, even when I have it, I rarely remember that I can take great pictures with it. I've let some good things go by when I had a camera right in my pocket.

That's not the only use we see for the iPhone in this episode of Moonlight though. The vampire Mick St. John is tracking the bad guy and he loses his iPhone in the scuffle with him. The about is about to depart the scene when he notices the shiny little device on the ground next to him. Naturally, he picks it up, dusts it off and cycles through Mick St. John's contacts to find his address where the vampire is keeping the victim the bad guy is after. How this bad guy who spent the last fifteen years in prison knows how to use the device so well is a testament to the ease of use of the great touch screen interface design.

If you're wondering why there is a gap between my updates, I am currently recovering from a devastating computer crash. I installed a software update and the computer decided not to boot again since then. Since I do most of my manga drawing on a Tablet PC, it hasn't affected this site so much, but most other things were blown back into the dark ages. This gets back to what I was saying about getting more attached to my iPhone recently.

Thanks to the shiny little device, I lost no email or web information. All my bookmarks were safe and sound and I was never out of communication as would normally be the case when my main computer went down. I didn't miss a beat in that regard. The thing is, in the days without a computer, I became more connected to my iPhone. I started getting really fast at typing on it. I felt I could begin to understand how so many people in Japan and other parts of Asia, who usually don't have access to full size PC's of their own, do everything on their mobile devices. It actually started to feel freeing that I could be outside hanging with my neighbors or out and about and still check and respond to mail or read forums. I wasn't tied to my desk for those things.

As for this site, it's time to give it more direction. Aside from, of course, filling it with more cool manga for your iPhone or iPod Touch, I want to start writing more about actually creating the manga. I want to write more about the processes, the way I come up with ideas and the troubles I might encounter along the way. I may still pop up with some news on the world of mobile manga here and there, or even a cool iPhone sighting in the pop culture world, but I want to start grounding things more. When I start to do some serious traveling soon, things will really get interesting.

Tags: iPhone, Pop Culture, TV, sightings

Mobile manga is already a huge industry in Japan, servicing the nearly 80 million mobile users to be found there. This is only the beginning. Mobile networks are growing globally and users are ever joining the expanding mobile universe. In fact, some see mobile content as the future of many forms of entertainment.

In Japan where manga and doujinshi (usually amateur, self published comic works) are huge, the mobile content market has opened entirely new doors of liberation. First, there's the elimination of printing costs, a serious obstacle for the indie artist. This also opens the door to full color works. Second, the issue of distribution is quickly solved because the works become only a click away as opposed to the difficulty of retail outlets, which are nearly impossible for the indie to get in. Limited shelf space becomes a thing of the past.

In the American comics market this becomes an even greater possibility. The American comic market is a world where distributors rule, retailers suffer, many going out of business at steady pace, and the publishers and creators are forced to play whatever hand they are given. All of this can be swept away in an all digital and mobile world.

Of course I don't expect this huge transformation to happen anytime soon. It's going to start small. With devices like the iPhone, though, featuring a revolutionary touch screen and beautiful color rendering, a new space is opening for mobile manga. New creators can get in, creating even specific iPhone manga, and have a huge and ever growing audience awaiting their work. The cost of color is no more. The cost of print extinct. Distribution is under control of the creator if that is the desire. With iPhone manga, or mobile content in general, it's a whole new world.

Tags: Mobile Content, iPhone, Manga, Japan

Apparently even cool spies gotta have their iPhones as was seen in this week's episode of the NBC action-comedy Chuck. In the one hour spy adventure from Charlie's Angels producer-director McG, Yvonne Strahovski plays the CIA agent Sarah who needs to rescue her partner, the rival NSA agent Casey, played by Adam Baldwin.

She finds her rival tied to a bed in his boxers and seizes the opportunity to make use of the iPhone's camera features to his embarrassment. I am getting the idea that this device has already so penetrated the pop culture mindset that soon you won't be able to go anywhere or watch TV without seeing them around. Of course, with the iPod Touch being visually indistinguishable from it, we may see more than we think we do.

The great thing is, when it comes to iPhone manga, it won't matter whether it's an iPod Touch or an actual IPhone. They will both show the full color visuals in all their glory. Now with the release on iPhone in other international markets, the need for content will be immense. Some are predicting that because of piracy in some Asian markets, mobile phone content may be the holy grail for content producers, especially as mobile carriers are more than willing to shell out the big bucks to get it.

The future is bright for mobile publishing and iPhone manga will be a large part of that. The printing costs for full color comics are a large part of the reason most manga you see is black and white. Now, in the digital world, any manga can exist in its full color at whatever level the mobile screen can handle.

I've been able to see what the mobile has done for manga and art in general in Japan. In the past, being published by one of the majors was essential to even getting noticed. Then came the rise of the doujinshi world where amateur artists could create their works and find outlets for them through self publishing. The problem is they still have to deal with printing costs and few of these books became big sellers. Those that did were usually snatched up by the major publishers. All that has changed now with web and mobile content publishing.

Today manga artists have numerous outlets to show their work, even if it is just a collection of images, and some are doing very well! This is the most exciting time to be in the arena of content creation. Mobile devices on the level of the iPhone are standard in Japan. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Tags: iPhone, Pop Culture, TV, sightings

It's only been out for a few short months and already the iPhone has infiltrated so many avenues of pop culture. It's the mobile device to have, at the moment, and it is showing up everywhere.

On the CBS vampire detective series Moonlight there have been quite a few appearances of the popular hand held device. A couple of weeks ago, the character of Beth Turner played by Sophia Myles of Underworld fame, whipped out her iPhone to receive a call from the vampire himself, Mick St. John.

In last week's episode, the vampire, Mick St. John, tries to use his iPhone to call for help while stranded in the desert in the deadly sunlight. He doesn't go up in flames instantly, but sunlight will eventually kill him. His phone has a cool diamond around the embossed Apple logo. Mine doesn't have that.

In this week's episode, Beth Turner is working on a story and goes to the coroner for a favor. He asks her what is she going to get him for this and they both say in unison, "iPhone." Good product placement definitely doesn't hurt, especially when the iPhone's beautiful screen is all like, KAKOW!

As for other places where the iPhone is showing up, I haven't seen it myself but word on the street is that the iPhone not only appeared in last nights episode of the NBC series Bionic Woman, but that the character was actually holding it upside down! One poster on the macrumors forum wrote, "I was laughing hard when watching Bionic Woman tonight..."The Bad Guy" Victor had Tom "CIA agent tied up in Chair...Tom gets a call from Jamie "Bionic Woman" on his Iphone. Tom at least knew how to hold and talk into the Iphone, however when Victor grab the Iphone he held it upside down and was talking into the earpiece. Took a bit to notice but I got a good laugh."

Apparently, even the guys on Mythbusters have an iPhone. I guess it really is everywhere. This is of course why I see it as the perfect outlet for iPhone manga. There will be more content read on mobile devices than in print one day! It may already be getting to that point in Japan. The Japanese version of this site will be going online soon. Until then, I'll keep watching out for the iPhone in pop culture, and getting cool manga onto it!

Tags: iPhone, Pop Culture, TV, sightings

Today is the day. After a lot of work and strife, and of course fun, this new site is ready to go live. iPhone Alchemy is a site dedicated to mobile content for a new generation. Let's face it, the iPhone is an incredible gadget and revolutionary mobile device, and it is one of the most capable devices for a wide variety of content.

I, for one, see incredible possibilities in the iPhone's very sharp and colorful screen. The first thing that came to my mind is how beautifully it renders full color manga. I have been looking into mobile phone manga for a while now, and even looking into manga on hand held game devices like the Sony PSP. There has never been such a great arena for delivery of mobile manga than is possible with the technology of today.

As an artist who has written manga, speaking mainly of World of Hartz which is published by TOKYOPOP, I see no greater potential for artistic expression than in the all digital arena. Manga in print has costs attached. There's manufacturing, distribution and the limited shelf space in retail outlets. There is a chain that limits what the end user might be able to see regardless of the customer's desire. In the digital arena, especially in Japan, where the digital and mobile market has already become a huge business, independent and doujinshi artists have a voice like never before.

Full color manga is also a rarity because of the cost to print. Books like Range Murata's Robot are very expensive, even for the publisher to make them. Now, in the mobile content arena, beautiful, full color manga can become the standard, the rule instead of the exception. It also becomes possible to deliver more content to more users at an incredibly low price. I think we are going to see a level of growth in the digital manga world that will stagger the mind. I'm ready! What would you like to see?

Tags: iPhone, Manga, Mobile Content