(Note: See jump for several updates.)

Today's iPhone 3G launch probably isn't unfolding as Apple hoped it would.

Lines at local Apple stores, though not superlong by last year's original-iPhone standards, have proven to be surprisingly long-lasting this morning. Well, perhaps not so surprising: Now that iPhones must be activated in stores, the amount of time each customer spends buying an Apple handset has grown.

This meant hours queuing up, even with the shorter lines this year. At the Mall of America where I went to pick up an iPhone review loaner, waits of two hours or more were common even though only about 135 people arrived for the 8 a.m. opening. The line outside the Apple store remained long when I left at about 10:30.

My pal Mark Fawcett was in line for more than four hours at Rosedale before finally getting into the Apple store there, only to be told he might have to wait at least another 45 minutes. (See his dispatches on Twitter.)

Technical difficulties seem to be making matters even worse.

At the Mall of America outlet, there were late-morning issues with the handheld-checkout devices wielded by workers. This meant delays with some credit-card transactions.

Worse, a two-step AT&T-activation and iTunes-setup process has bogged down at times.

To speed things up, some customers around the Twin Cities and elsewhere in the country were being sent home with AT&T-activated iPhones that were not personalized with the users' account settings. They were instructed to do this at home. Upon getting on their computers, though, those users found they couldn't get the iTunes server to respond.

I'm in exactly this position with my review unit: It's supposedly activated, but I can't set it up with my iTunes-account info or sync over any of my iTunes content. I keep getting this error message:

Those trying to update the operating software on their older iPhones or iPod Touch devices are in the same boat. In fact, the terms "iPocalypse" and "iBrick" are flying around the Twitterverse to describe iPhones rendered inoperative by failed updates, among other problems. One iPhone-owning co-worker told me he has "basically no phone now."

Here's the error message I get when I try to update the software on an iPod Touch via iTunes:

Not all local users are having problems, to be sure. One local iPhone buyer, Taylor Carrigan, said his in-store activation and home iTunes setup both went smoothly. "I seemed to have gotten done soon enough to miss most of the issues," he told me via Twitter. "Completely up and running now."

My esteemed Houston counterpart Dwight Silverman has chronicled the above and more on his terrific tech blog. Our mutual Minnesota Public Radio friend Jon Gordon has some local stuff up. I posted some video (see top of this post).

Apple, apparently scrambling behind the scenes, just canceled a phone briefing to tell me about its MobileMe services. I don't blame them since those Web apps haven't been working all that smoothly today, either. I can't access my iDisk on a Windows PC via the new Web interface, for instance (good thing WebDAV access still works).

Hmm, Apple, this all could have gone a bit better.

Update: My iPhone, initially unable to do anything but make emergency calls, now has full calling capability and other functions, but still can't sync with iTunes. Local user Dan Menssen reports similar on Twitter: "iTunes still won't see it but apparently it got through enough to make the device functional."

Update: I'm hearing multiple early-afternoon reports of iPhones selling out around the area, especially at AT&T stores.

Update: Dan just sent me a detailed report of his iPhone and MobileMe experiences to date:

Okay, here's a quick summary of my iPhone experience so far: 

The Line. Got to MoA just after 6:00, and there were 30 people (I counted) in front of us. By the time the doors opened I'd guess there were more than 100, but I didn't count that. I was inside the doors by 8:05.  Seems like we timed it right, since it sounds like some people are still in line. 

The Purchasing/Account activation. Went very smoothly. I got my number ported from T-Mobile without any problem. Sales rep was fast and friendly. I was to the "plug it into iTunes" step by 8:20. 

Home setup. Nightmare. Didn't work in the store, so we were all told to go home. In the car by 8:30. Got home just before 9:00, and thought I might beat the mountain timezone rush and get it activated right away. Yeah right. "Error (-9838)." I did a Summize search for "9838" and started watching all the reports of trouble. I gave up until I saw someone post "I tried over and over again and finally it worked." I thought that gave some hope, so I tried over and over again until finally, at about 9:45, it got through enough to at least unbrick the phone. 

The Phone. Everything works great. My ported phone number was active immediately, the App Store works fine. 

MobileMe. I signed up for a MobileMe account late last night (one of the times it was up for 30 min), and it took a while to get the iPhone to successfully log in. I'd say about 10:30 it synced successfully.  My address book synced, and email started working.  Push email, on the other hand, was VERY slow (like, my MacBook Pro would pull the email 10 minutes before it got pushed to the iPhone). It seems to be working now (at least, as of a few minutes ago, it was getting emails before the laptop). 

Synchronization. I'm stuck on the same (-4) error that everyone seems to be (summize "itunes error"). I plug the phone in, it attempts to access the store for five minutes, then it throws the error. So in other words, the phone is working, but I can't download any music, etc. to it. 

Thanks for the great local tech reporting! I've been reading your columns in the PiPress for years.

Update: After a whopping 5 hours and 15 minutes, Mark Fawcett has his iPhone 3G. "We had a blast actually," he says on Twitter shortly after 2 p.m. about his latest Apple-queuing experience. "I always like to make the line fun. I'll say it again, it's like Woodstock for geeks."

Update: My iPhone and iTunes now appear to be making sweet music together, sync now in progress. Looks like I am finally good to go. Attempt to update iPod Touch comes next.

Update: Still zero luck updating the iPod Touch software. It's 4 p.m. on Friday, Apple.

The iPhone is full operational, though. A co-worker helped me punch in our internal Microsoft Exchange settings, and the mail/contacts/calendar syncing works like a charm. I'll keep the work mail on but turn off the contacts and calendar so I can default back to syncing with my Mac Address Book and iCal.

Those who use older TVs to pull in analog over-the-air signals will need digital converters by early next year, when the non-digital transmissions are due to end and non-digital TVs are rendered inoperable.

The federal government is letting eligible households order a pair of free coupons, each worth $40 and good towards the purchase of a converter. The catch: The coupons must be used within 90 days upon receipt, or they'll expire.

Facing the imminent expiration of my two coupons (they actually look like credit cards), I recently checked out my options at four stores along Robert Street near downtown St. Paul.

Two of them, a Radio Shack and a Wal-Mart, were out of converters. A Target and a Best Buy had one model each in stock.

The Radio Shack did give me the option of ordering a converter and having it shipped to my residence, so I purchased this model. At Target, I bought one of these (also available at Radio Shack, among other models).

Best Buy had a new converter, from Apex, in stock. It still carries an older Insignia model but says it will be replacing it with a newer Insignia soon. Here are Wal-Mart options.

My shopping excursion mostly put to rest one rumor crossing my desk, that the converters are impossible to come by. Apparently, you can find them in stock if you look hard enough. Or just order one at Radio Shack, if in-store stock is depleted. Simple.

Update: Returning to the aforementioned Best Buy in Inver Grove Heights on Thursday, July 3, I found the Apex box all sold out. The store only had one of the older Insignias in stock.

Did you know you can make local restaurant reservations via the Web? A service called OpenTable makes this possible by working with area eateries.

And while OpenTable been around for a while, its list of participating restaurants in the area has lengthened.

Here is the list, as of late last month:

20*21 Restaurant & Bar 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Asian 

$$$ 

Afton House Inn 

Afton 

American 

$$ 

Al Vento 

South Minneapolis 

Italian 

$$ 

Alaska Eatery 

St. Louis Park 

Seafood 

$$$ 

Amore Victoria 

Uptown 

Italian 

$$ 

Atlas Grill and Clubroom 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Mediterranean 

$$ 

Axel's Chanhassen 

Eden Prairie 

Steak 

$$$ 

Axel's Charhouse 

Roseville 

Steak 

$$ 

Axel's River Grille 

St. Paul 

Steak 

$$ 

Azia Restaurant - Anemoni Sushi & Oyster Bar 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Asian 

$$ 

B.A.N.K 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Babalu 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Caribbean 

$$$ 

Bacio 

Minnetonka 

Italian 

$$ 

Bar Abilene 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Southwest 

$$ 

Basil's 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

bella 

Blaine 

Italian 

$$ 

Bella Sera 

Maple Grove 

Italian 

$$ 

Bellanotte 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Italian 

$$$ 

Biella 

Excelsior 

Italian 

$$ 

Bloomington Chop House 

Bloomington 

Steak 

$$$ 

Blue Point Restaurant & Oyster Bar 

Wayzata 

Seafood 

$$ 

Buona Sera 

Champlin 

Italian 

$$ 

Cafe Ena 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Latin American 

$$$ 

Cafe Lurcat - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$$ 

Cafe Maude 

South Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Campiello - Eden Prairie 

Eden Prairie 

Italian 

$$$ 

Canyon Grille - Coon Rapids 

Blaine 

American 

$$ 

Capital Grille - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$$$ 

Cesare's Wine Bar 

Stillwater 

Continental 

$$ 

Chambers Kitchen 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Asian 

$$$ 

Chez Colette - Hotel Sofitel - Minneapolis 

Bloomington 

French 

$$ 

Chez Daniel 

Bloomington 

French 

$$ 

Chianti Grill - Burnsville 

Burnsville 

Italian 

$$ 

Chianti Grill - Falcon Heights 

Falcon Heights 

Italian 

$$ 

Chino Latino 

Uptown 

Global, International 

$$ 

Ciao Bella 

Bloomington 

Italian 

$$ 

Cosmos at Graves 601 Hotel 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$$$ 

Craftsman Restaurant 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Crave 

Edina 

American 

$$ 

Cue at the Guthrie 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$$ 

Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

D'Amico Cucina 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Italian 

$$$$ 

Downtowner Woodfire Grill 

St. Paul 

American 

$$ 

El Meson 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Latin / Spanish 

$$ 

Enjoy! 

Apple Valley 

American 

$$ 

Figlio 

Uptown 

Italian 

$$ 

FireLake Grill House 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Flame Cooking with Fire 

Roseville 

American 

$$ 

Forepaugh's 

St. Paul 

Continental 

$$ 

French Meadow Café 

Uptown 

American 

$$ 

Fugaise 

Downtown Minneapolis 

French 

$$$ 

Fuji Ya - Minneapolis 

Uptown 

Japanese 

$$ 

Gianni's Steakhouse 

Wayzata 

Steak 

$$$ 

Grand Cafe 

Uptown 

American 

$$ 

Harry's Food & Cocktails 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Heartland Restaurant 

St. Paul 

Contemporary American 

$$$ 

Il Vesco Vino 

St. Paul 

Italian 

$$ 

Indio 

Uptown 

Mexican 

$$$ 

Infinity at Graves 601 Hotel 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Bottle Service 

$$ 

Jake O'Connor's Public House 

Excelsior 

American 

$$ 

Jax Café 

Northeast Minneapolis 

Steak 

$$ 

Jensen's Cafe 

Burnsville 

American 

$$ 

Jensen's Supper Club 

Eagan 

American 

$$$ 

Jimmy's Food and Cocktails 

Minnetonka 

American 

$$ 

Joe's Garage 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

JP American Bistro 

Uptown 

Contemporary American 

$$$ 

Kafe 421 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Continental 

$$ 

Kincaid's - Bloomington 

Bloomington 

American 

$$$ 

Kincaid's - St. Paul 

St. Paul 

American 

$$$ 

King & I Thai 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Thai 

$$ 

Kozlak's Royal Oak Restaurant 

St. Paul 

American 

$$ 

Kozy's Steaks & Seafood 

Edina 

Seafood 

$$ 

La Belle Vie 

Downtown Minneapolis 

French 

$$$$ 

La Fougasse - Hotel Sofitel - Minneapolis 

Bloomington 

Mediterranean 

$$ 

Lake Elmo Inn 

Lake Elmo 

Continental 

$$$ 

Landmarc Grill 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Laredo's Tex-West Grill & Cantina 

St. Louis Park 

Mexican / Southwestern 

$$ 

Lola's Lakehouse 

Waconia 

American 

$$ 

Lord Fletcher's 

Spring Park 

American 

$$ 

Luci Ancora 

St. Paul 

Italian 

$$ 

Luna Rossa 

Stillwater 

Italian 

$$$ 

M & S Grill - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

M ST. Café 

St. Paul 

American 

$$ 

Maggiano's - Minneapolis 

Edina 

Italian 

$$ 

Mairin's Table 

Northeast Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Manhattans 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Manny's Steakhouse 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Steak 

$$$$ 

Market Bar-B-Que 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Barbecue 

$$ 

Masa 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Mexican 

$$ 

Matty B's Supper Club 

St. Paul 

American 

$$ 

Matty B's Urban 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

McCormick & Schmick's Seafood - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Seafood 

$$ 

McCoy's Public House 

St. Louis Park 

American 

$$ 

Meritage - St. Paul 

St. Paul 

French 

$$ 

Mission American Kitchen & Bar 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Monte Carlo 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Morton's, The Steakhouse - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Steak 

$$$$ 

Muffuletta 

St. Paul 

Global, International 

$$ 

Murray's Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$$$ 

NBA City 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Nick & Eddie 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$$ 

Nicollet Island Inn 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Steak 

$$ 

North Coast 

Wayzata 

Seafood 

$$ 

Oceanaire Seafood Room - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Seafood 

$$$ 

Origami Restaurant 

Minnetonka 

Japanese 

$$ 

Osteria I Nonni 

St. Paul 

Italian 

$$$ 

Palomino - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Mediterranean 

$$$ 

Patrick's Bistro 

Wayzata 

Contemporary French 

$$ 

Pazzaluna Urban Italian Restaurant & Bar 

St. Paul 

Italian 

$$$ 

Pier 500 

Hudson, WI 

American 

$$ 

Pierre's Bistro 

Downtown Minneapolis 

European 

$$$ 

Pittsburgh Blue 

Maple Grove 

Steakhouse 

$$$ 

Porter and Frye 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Porterhouse Steak and Seafood 

Little Canada 

Steak 

$$$ 

Porterhouse Steak and Seafood - Lakeville 

Lakeville 

Steakhouse 

$$$ 

R Norman's 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Steakhouse 

$$$ 

Ravello 

Long Lake 

Italian 

$$ 

Ristorante Luci 

St. Paul 

Italian 

$$ 

Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Rossi's Steakhouse 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Steak 

$$$ 

Rudolphs BBQ 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Barbecue 

$$ 

Rudy's Redeye Grill 

White Bear Lake 

Steakhouse 

$$ 

Ruth's Chris Steak House - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Steak 

$$$$ 

Saffron Restaurant & Lounge 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Mediterranean 

$$ 

Saji Ya - Main Dining (Not Teppanyaki) 

St. Paul 

Japanese 

$$ 

Salut Bar Americain 

Edina 

French 

$$ 

Salut Bar Americain 

St. Paul 

French 

$$ 

Sanctuary 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Sapor Cafe 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Global, International 

$$$ 

Savories Bistro & Wine Bar 

Stillwater 

Fusion / Eclectic 

$$ 

Seven 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Sushi 

$$$ 

Skywater - Hilton - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

Solera - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Spanish 

$$$ 

Spill the Wine 

Downtown Minneapolis 

American 

$$ 

St. Paul Grill and Bar 

St. Paul 

American 

$$$ 

Stella's Fish Cafe & Prestige Oyster Bar 

Uptown 

Seafood 

$$ 

Stone's Restaurant & Lounge 

Stillwater 

American 

$$ 

Tejas Restaurant 

Edina 

Southwest 

$$ 

The Grille at Historic Water Street Inn 

Stillwater 

American 

$$ 

The Herkimer Pub and Brewery 

Uptown 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

The Independent - Minneapolis 

Uptown 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

The Lakehouse 

Downtown 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

The Lexington Restaurant 

St. Paul 

American 

$$ 

The Melting Pot - Minneapolis 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Fondue 

$$$ 

Thistles 

Robbinsdale 

American 

$$ 

Timber Lodge Steakhouse - Burnsville 

Burnsville 

Steakhouse 

$$ 

Timber Lodge Steakhouse - Bloomington 

Bloomington 

Steakhouse 

$$ 

Timber Lodge Steakhouse - Eden Prairie 

Eden Prairie 

Steakhouse 

$$ 

Timber Lodge Steakhouse - Maple Grove 

Maple Grove 

Steakhouse 

$$ 

Tria Restaurant, Bar & Market 

St. Paul 

American 

$$ 

Tryg's 

Uptown 

Steak 

$$ 

Via 

Edina 

American 

$$ 

View Restaurant and Lounge 

Uptown 

American 

$$ 

Vincent - A Restaurant 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Contemporary American 

$$$ 

Viva Italia 

Eagan 

Italian 

$$ 

WA Frost & Company 

St. Paul 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Wayzata Eatery 

Wayzata 

Global, International 

$$ 

Whitney Bistro 

Bloomington 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Wildfire - Eden Prairie 

Eden Prairie 

American 

$$ 

Woody's Grille - Carlson Parkway 

Plymouth 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Woody's Grille - Shady Oak 

Eden Prairie 

Contemporary American 

$$ 

Woolley's Steakhouse 

Bloomington 

Steakhouse 

$$ 

Zelo 

Downtown Minneapolis 

Italian 

$$

Sometime soon, when you receive an Excel-spreadsheet file as mail attachment on your iPhone, you'll be able to read the file and even make changes to it.

This capability, long available on other kinds of smartphones, will arrive on Apple handsets courtesy of Minneapolis-based Mariner Software. The venerable Mac-software maker, which sells the Calc spreadsheet, is making a version of that app for the iPhone.

Mariner is among a bevy of software developers (including Twin Cities-based CodeMorphic) working on iPhone apps, which are due to be made available through Apple's new online App Store later this month. The new Calc for iPhone will sell for $15 to $25 on that store, said Mariner President Michael Wray.

But while the app is nearing completion, there are a number of other details yet to be ironed out, Wray said. He's still unclear exactly how the App Store will work, and whether subsequent updates to Calc for iPhone would be distributed via that storefront.

He also needs Calc for iPhone to sync with Calc for the Mac, and is talking with Apple on how that might happen, but he has no idea when this critical hurdle will be overcome. He prefers an Apple-sanctioned approach and not a "hack."

He also knows he has competition: Apple has hinted at iPhone-related capabilities for its spreadsheet, called Numbers.

Mariner's iPhone plans don't end with Calc. Wray anticipates iPhone versions of MacJournal, StoryMill and MacGourmet.

The Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport is far from a tech-unfriendly place, in my experience.

It has such perks as vending mechines that dispense iPods and other gadget-y goodies, not to mention iPod-charging stations and the like.

Now the airport is a bit more of a tech haven with nearly two dozen new gadget-charging stations littered around the Humphrey and Lindbergh terminals for those who want to jack into power outlets for some juice.

One of the Samsung Mobile Charging Stations is shown above at gate C7 in the Lindbergh Terminal's C Concourse.

The stations have four power outlets each, along with shelves to hold phones and other devices during charging.

You'll find these stations at other airports around the country, too. Here's more info.

I've become a fan of Comply foam, a substance that originated in 3M labs, and is now used to make eartips for MP3-player earbuds. I have written about this foam, now hawked by Oakdale-based Hearing Components, here and here.

But Comply foam alone does not a wondrous listening experience make. You need to pair it with the right earbuds for comfortable, pleasant listening.

I recently tried several lower-cost consumer buds that are Comply-compatible. How do they compare?

V-Moda Vibe. These are my faves because of they go deeeep into my ear canals for the most-effective outside-sound blocking (great in noisy rooms, windy exteriors and the like). They sound quality is pretty awesome for the cash, too.

The buds' bundled silicone tips work nicely, and Comply foam add a little something extra. But remove the buds from your ears with care -- My tips had a tendency to come off in my ear canals and require digging out (which is no fun).

V-Moda had a few quality problems with early batches of Vibes (I can attest to this first-hand with two Vibe sets that suffered physical failures) but I am hearing better things about more-recent Vibe batches; one blog reader loves hers.

Skullcandy Titan. These in-ear buds are similar to the Vibes, but with an earpiece design that feels uncomfortable in my ears. Because of the way the buds are built, their sharp edges seem to rub against the outer rims of my ear canals. I found this intolerable after a while. Using Comply tips didn't improve matters over standard silicone tips.

Comply NR-10. These are Hearing Components' own earphones (shown above), with cone-shaped foam tips that are bigger than those found on third-party earbuds, such as the Vibes or Titans.

Getting used to the NR-10s took a while because the foam tips don't feel as firmly wedged within my ears, and seem like they might fall out (but never do).

They sound pretty good, though, and do a terrific job of blocking outside sound. I like the physical switch built into the cord for turning down the volume without having to dig my iPod out of my pocket.

So, my faves? Definitely the Vibes, with the NR-10s a close second.