iPhone 3GS

US retailer Target is next in line to offer the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS in stores. The company will launch both Apple handset models in its Target Mobile section starting on November 7. Customers can get support from Target Mobile employees and activate their new device on the AT&T network in-store.

Target will initially offer the iPhone at 846 locations across the country, with most of the remaining 906 stores rolling out Target Mobile sections and iPhones at a later date. With the November 7 release date, the retailer plans to attract shoppers just in time for the holiday season.

Some unlucky iPhone users got the short end of the battery life after updating to iOS 4.1. Users have reported battery life issues among other problems with prior firmware updates (remember iPhone OS 3.1?) but now some running iOS 4.1 are seeing their battery percentage drop to zero within hours.

Online discussion forums are hopping with activity from iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS users complaining of shortened battery life and warm phones running iOS 4.1. Some reports have suggested that errant processes are running in the background constantly and draining the battery power. Bugs in the modem firmware, tethering software, and Game Center have all been cited as possible causes of the issue.

Rumors of an 8GB iPhone 3GS were shot down this summer after Canadian carrier Rogers accidentally made the nonexistent handset available on their website. Now an iPhone user in Germany claims to have received this packaging label on his refurbished 8GB iPhone 3G.

This may be evidence that Apple plans to ditch the 8GB 3G model for an 8GB capacity 3GS. The move would make sense as a new iPhone 4.0 model is expected in summer of 2010.

Now that Geohot has released the blackra1n RC3 jailbreaking tool, activating tethering on an iPhone 3G or 3GS is a snap. Many international users already have tethering, meaning they can share their iPhone data connection with a computer. AT&T does not offer this option in the US.

Fortunately it's never been simpler to tether if your iPhone is running the latest firmware (3.1.2). Follow these steps to activate tethering, just keep in mind you are breaking all kinds of agreements with AT&T and Apple in the process.