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Assuming you are set on not just placing your order with AT&T and sitting back to wait for your iPhone 3G to come in, we have a few tricks that may help getting yours from an Apple Store a little easier.

You see, the latest reports are claiming that the online iPhone availability check is actually being updated regularly during the day, of course if you go to that page it will not actually let you check unless its after 9pm.

However, it is pretty easy to trick the web page into thinking its after 9pm. Simply change your clock settings to be sometime after 9pm and re-visit the online availability check page and it will show you what is currently available.

This little trick came courtesy of reader Mike Young, who was able to recently secure a second spot in line “because at 8am the web site said they had none, but at 9:30 it revealed they had ALL models in stock !” Hopefully this little trick will prove to work for others still on the hunt.

And a second trick, which may come in handy for those who feel its to hard to change their computers time, it requires nothing more than a quick visit to a website. If you head on over to TopMuffin.com you will also be given real time availability for the iPhone 3G at the Apple retail locations.

TopMuffin is also kind enough to provide some interesting facts about just how many are currently available overall. As of this posting the Apple retail stores are showing that;

• 21 of 188 stores (11%) have no 3G iPhones in stock
• 8 GB Black 3G iPhones are available at 132 of 188 stores (70%)
• 16 GB White 3G iPhones are available at 159 of 188 stores (85%)
• 16 GB Black 3G iPhones are available at 120 of 188 stores (64%)

[Top Muffin]