"The 5 real reasons to avoid iPhone 3G:

** iPhone completely blocks free software. Developers must pay a tax to Apple, who becomes the sole authority over what can and can't be on everyone's phones.
** iPhone endorses and supports Digital Restrictions Management (DRM) technology.

"I've published a second article for the Free Software Foundation about Apple's iPhone, looking at the measures Apple uses to control iPhone users and prevent developers from writing free software for the platform. It turns out that this is a good example of why updating the GPL was important, and why it's a good idea for developers to use the new version (GPLv3).

One thing about the Free Software Foundation: there's seldom any doubt where they stand. Take the blog entry they recently posted: "5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G." You can't come away from it thinking that there are pros and cons to the iPhone. Rather, if you agree with them, you shouldn't even consider putting an iPhone in your pocket. But how well do their arguments stack up?

Apple's recently released a software development kit (SDK) for the iPhone, but if you were hoping to port or develop original open source software with it, the news isn't good. Code signing and nondisclosure conditions make free software a no-go.

"The FSF, in it’s timeless crusade to make the world a more free place by spreading the use of free software, has issued a challenge to Apple. It does not agree with the Apple store selling restricted iPhone apps. Apple’s OSX operating system is chalk full of GNU’s free software, so they have their hand very much stuck in the fly paper.

– ## In this issue
* Why free software and Apple's iPhone don't mix
* Play Ogg!
* Pizza Party for friends of the FSF in San Francisco
* Portland associate membership meeting recap
* Give Apple the iPhone Challenge
* Help defeat Microsoft's OOXML format!
* Atheros releases free software wireless driver
* Yahoo Music -- the bad dream of DRM continues
* GNU spotlight with Karl Berry

We've just implemented a new feature that allows you to save stories for future reference. This makes it easier to find those stories you really wanted to bookmark for later while still allowing you to vote up stories you want to support or draw attention to. More details in the full story...

"...SELF aims to be the central platform with high quality educational and training materials about Free Software and Open Standards. It is based on world-class Free Software technologies that permit both reading and publishing free materials, and is driven by a worldwide community."

There is an important lesson which can be drawn as a string through a host of recent stories, from Comcast and Cox Cable throttling BitTorrent to Verizon doing the SiteFinder thing to depredations concerning the iPhone and open spectrum.