ios

This article was originally posted June 6, 2011, and updated on October 4, 2011.

Apple has unveiled the next iPhone at long last, and with it comes iOS 5, which we first learned of in June. We got demos of 10 of the 200 additions and enhancements, including the hotly anticipated over-the-air system updates, new message notifications, and group messaging. The iOS 5 update rolls out on October 12.

Deep voice integration through the Siri app (beta) was revealed at the iPhone 4S launch event today. This is the deep voice integration we expected, and in addition to handling text composition and replies, reminders, and meeting requests, it also reaches for a more conversational tone in its voice search. Questions like, "Do I need an umbrella today?" yields results like, "Yes, it sure looks like rain." A new icon of a microphone will soon join the virtual keyboard.

While all the new features bring happy tidings for Apple fans, many have already existed on Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone operating systems. That's not necessary a knock on Apple; all the platforms eventually ape each other's best features, and remember how long it took Apple to enable copy/paste on its original iPhone? What it does reveal is that Android, and even Windows Phone and BlackBerry, are applying real pressure.

Here's a look at how some of Apple's major iOS 5 updates line up with those on rival mobile platforms. We've included dates and the names of Apple's new features when available.… Read more

Apple's iPhone 5 will include a whopping 1GB of RAM and a voice-control system known as the Assistant, according to the latest reports hopping onboard the iPhone rumor mill.

Word of these potential new features was apparently leaked to TUAW by an unnamed but "reliable source" last week. However, the tech news site said it was hesitant to publish the details without corroboration.

But yesterday 9to5Mac said it received the same information from a "source familiar with the SOC's manufacturing," which refers to the phone's expected A5 processor, or system-on-a-chip.

Based on details … Read more

Tired of speculation about when, exactly, the iPhone 5 and its iOS 5 operating system will appear? No? Well, we've got a couple more clues for you then, you incurable gadgiopath.

The Next Web is reporting that the dates of a couple of upcoming Twitter developer events suggest that Apple will release iOS 5 on or before October 10.

The events, TNW says, "seem to be focusing on the integration of Twitter into Apple's upcoming iOS 5 software." The first is in London on the 10th, and the second is in New York on the 12th. And neither event, TNW reports, is limited to Apple Developer program members. That means attendees won't be under a nondisclosure agreement--so, the theorizing goes, there probably won't be anything to disclose: by then it'll all be out of the iBag.… Read more

Instagram adds real-time filter previews to its apps, Vimeo builds a new, legal music library that video creators can tap, and Facebook updates its interface again to add instant feed updates.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

iMessage was announced during Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference earlier this year, bringing a platform that rivals RIM's BlackBerry Messenger to all iOS devices.

We are going to take a look at iMessage and give you some tips on getting started with the new iOS messaging service once iOS 5 is released to the public. … Read more

It's happened to the best of us--we go to the grocery store with a mental list, sure that we could never forget one of the only six items on it. Then we get back home, look in the bag, and realize we forgot the chocolate chips for the cookies we've been craving.

With the release of iOS 5 getting closer by the day, iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad users will soon be able to take advantage of the new Reminders application that is included in Apple's latest mobile OS. Here we take a look at the app and show you how to use some of its features. … Read more

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Monday, September 12.

• AT&T-iPad site hacker goes to court. The hacker said in an e-mail: "I did not fold the two previous times when the FBI tried to frame me as a terrorist" for allegedly calling in a bomb threat to a synagogue (a charge he denies). "I will not fold now when they try to libel me as a thief. My indictment conveys a message that I am some sort of identity thief." … Read more

Apple has released the newest beta seed of iTunes 10.5 as well as iWork for iOS 3 to developers for testing.

Developers can now download both releases from the Developer Center Web site. iTunes 10.5 beta 8 includes a number of security improvements and bug fixes, focusing on iTunes Match (currently in beta as well). Developers can also test the ability to back up to iCloud from inside iTunes.

Developers should be aware that while testing the backup feature, Apple may occasionally delete all information from iCloud, meaning developers should keep a backup of all their information locally. … Read more

The four-tuner Tivo Premiere Elite makes its debut, Netflix cracks down on people who stream more than one video at the same time, and Yahoo's board fires CEO Carol Bartz after less than three years on the job.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded: