AHH! The new iPhone was released today and thus far it's been total chaos. We just walked by our neighborhood AT&T store, and the line of people waiting to purchase the new gadget is still out the door. "At least a 45 minute wait," someone at the end of the line told us. The reason? The sheer number of people, partly, but also because technicians are having difficulty activating the damn thing.. (The old iPhone could be activated at home.) "A spokesman for AT&T Inc., the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the U.S., said there was a global problem with Apple Inc.'s iTunes software that prevented the phones from being fully activated in-store," says the Post.

It hasn't been an auspicious debut elsewhere, either: network problems in London are creating similar lines . (Or "queues," as they call 'em over there.) Canadians are pissed at the new pricing plan, which cuts you a break upfront but ends up costing you more over the long run. Apple fanatics in Chicago are being forced to "dodge raindrops" and "do battle with the elements" to get their phones. Police had to be called at a store in Orlando after an in-line altercation broke out. Armageddon! What to do!? Here's a novel idea: how about maybe waiting a few days and then trying to go buy one? It won't kill you not to have one today, people!