Ars Technica reports that the latest version of the iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3 seeded to developers recently holds a configuration file that references two mysterious products known as iProd0,1 and iProd1,1. iProd0,1 was previously referenced and initially spotted back in March in a version of the same configuration file in iPhone OS 3.0 beta. References to iProd1,1, however, are completely new.
(Credit:
Ars Technica)
According to Ars: The iProd1,1 device has been assigned a new productID of 4762 (versus 4757 of iProd0,1) and assigned a different ConfigurationDescriptor of "standardMuxPTPEthernet." iPhone models also have this designation, and the additional interface identified in the plist for this configuration is "AppleUSBEthernet." The consensus here seems to be that the new device may have gained high-speed-networking capabilities, although the iPhone uses the interface to tether to a laptop to share its 3G connection.
The 0,1 seems to indicates a prototype of some sort (codes with one or higher as the first number indicate a production device that might soon be sold to the public). All this usually indicates that Apple is working on a new device, but it's anyone's guess what the device might be.
What could the iProd portion of the code refer to? Apple's rumored Netbook or tablet computer? A new iPod that includes a camera? Regardless, it's clear that the device will run iPhone OS 3.0. It should be noted that within the same Plist file, the iPhone 3GS is represented by iPhone2,1 along with additional mystery product codes including iPhone3,1, iPod2,2, and iPod3,1. (For what it's worth, I think that the designation is for a new iPod with a camera that is capable of taking both still shots and video like the iPhone 3GS.)
Is all this just crazy talk? What do you think Apple is coming up with next? Let us know in the comments.
Apple's iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3 introduces new features that are subtle, but interesting. Our readers have discovered a handful of these and passed them along to us. Check them out below.
- A counter for tethered data appears alongside cellular data usage in the network settings.
Tether metering, but still no AT&T tethering.
- A new, improved security feature for pass-locked phones prompts for a PIN the first time an iPhone is attached to a new computer for syncing. The phone won't connect without the PIN being entered first. iTunes already had this feature, but the protective measure now works in more apps, including PhoneView.
Improved security for pass-locked iPhones.
- Copy and paste for videos has been improved, allowing you to capture and share bigger files. The limit now appears to be 15MB for photos and videos, according to WhenWillApple, which posted the below video demo of this cut-and-paste feature:
Some smaller additions to iPhone OS 3.1 beta include:
- Live HTTP streaming has failover support that allows the content provider to make available multiple playlists in a queue, so that if one fails to load properly you can easily switch over to another.
- Third-party applications are supported by Bluetooth audio recording.
- New iPhone SDK APIs allow developers access to the iPhone camera, which has started people talking about augmented-reality apps.
If you've seen and used this latest update, please tell us in the comments about any other discoveries you've found.
(Credit:
Apple, Inc.)
Several weeks after iPhone OS 3 beta 2 release, Apple posted new, beta 3 versions of the iPhone OS 3.1 firmware and the iPhone SDK 3.1 for developers. The OS 3.1 is available for all versions of the iPod Touch and the iPhone, while the SDK 3.1 is available in versions that are compatible with Leopard and Snow Leopard.
We received only one anonymous tip so far (shown in the picture below) that Voice mail now has an Audio button that allows you to select an audio source.
We don't know what other changes the beta brings, but we're hoping it contains bug fixes for problems we've covered here and here.
If you've seen and used this latest update, please tell us about your experiences with it in the comments
.
(Credit:
Apple, Inc.)
Two weeks after iPhone OS 3.0's initial release, Apple posted new, beta 2 versions of the iPhone OS 3.1 firmware and the iPhone SDK 3.1 for developers. The OS 3.1 is available for all versions of the iPod Touch and the iPhone, while the SDK 3.1 is available in versions that are compatible with Leopard and Snow Leopard.
Without seeing the update, we don't know which changes the beta brings, but we're hoping it contains bug fixes for problems we've covered here and here.
If you've seen and used this new update, please tell us about your experiences with it in the comments.
Updated at 7:28 p.m. PDT: to reflect updated information about the iPhone OS 3.1 beta 2 release.
Gizmodo reports that the new SDK will allow developers to connect their iPhones to a Mac running Xcode over Wi-Fi using Instruments for debugging. They point out this is useful whenever the dock connector needs to be used for another reason (Tethering? Development and testing of Tom Tom like hardware add-ons?).
TUAW reports that the tethering and MMS hacks we all enjoyed on iPhone OS 3.0 and 3.1 beta 1 no longer work under beta 2.
Thanks to a few iPhone Atlas readers, we've learned of some of the new features in the beta release of iPhone OS 3.1. Though the changes are fairly substantial, we don't know if they'll be included in the software's final release. Here's what we've heard so far.
- After editing a video on the iPhone 3GS, you have the option of saving your edited clip as a new file or replacing your original video.
- Though no AT&T support is evident, MMS is now enabled on the phone as a default setting.
- The phone vibrates as you arrange Home screen icons.
- Mobile Safari now supports "Fraud Protection."
- App launches, start-up and shutdown appear to be faster.
- Voice Control now works over Bluetooth, which allows you to initiate calls and control the iPod player via a wireless connection. Yet, it doesn't appear that Voice Control is better at understanding spoken commands.
- There are improvements not only to OpenGL and Quartz but also for developers in APIs for third-party access and editing videos.
- You'll find a new AT&T SMTP entry in the Mail settings; this could this be used to support MMS.
- There's a new error message regarding video clip size restrictions when trying to share a video. The maximum size is unknown at the time of this writing.
- The battery gauge appears to better represent current battery life.
- The modem firmware version is 05.08.01 and the AT&T carrier profile version is 4.2
From what we know, the Gold Master (final release) of 3.1 may arrive on July 17, which is almost one month after the iPhone 3GS's debut. Please share any other enhancements or bug fixes that you find in the comments.
(Credit:
Apple, Inc.)
Apple released on Tuesday new beta versions of the iPhone OS 3.1 firmware and the iPhone SDK 3.1 for developers. The OS 3.1 is available for all versions of the iPod Touch and the iPhone, while the SDK 3.1 is available in versions that are compatible with Leopard and Snow Leopard.
Without seeing the update, we don't know of the changes it brings, but we're hoping that it contains bug fixes for problems we've covered here and here.
If you've seen and used this new update, please tell us about your experiences with it in the comments.
(Credit:
Apple)
Apple recently sent out an e-mail to developers testing the latest iPhone OS 3.0 software. Apple wants to put the Push Notification system through one last stress test before releasing OS 3.0 to consumers on June 17. The app picked for this second test was the AOL AIM $2.99 instant messaging application. (Previously, Apple tested the Associated Press application, AP Mobile Free.) We assume that Apple chose news and instant messaging apps because these applications will be using Push Notification the most.
Push Notification is a system Apple developed to work around the fact that Apple does not allow third-party apps to run in the background on the iPhone. (We first wrote about Push Notification last year when it was announced at WWDC. You can see a video about Push Notification here.)
Multitasking--or running apps in the background--caused security problems, according to Apple, and negatively impacts battery life. Although there are rumors that Apple may in the future be a little bit more flexible with background tasks--perhaps in answer to the Palm Pre, which does pull off multitasking--currently only Apple's native apps (such as Mobile Mail) can run in the background.
You can see Push Notification and AIM in action below in a YouTube video. We are told that with Push, receipt of the messages is practically instantaneous.
Push Notification was missing-in-action since last year and we had expected to see it last fall, but it was a no show. It appeared then that with all the new things Apple was bringing to market, the company may have bitten off more than it could chew. (Witness MobileMe's disastrous first days.) Now, fast forward to WWDC 2009 and all of this has changed. MobileMe has matured, and Push Notification appears to be working well according to our testing sources.
Tell us what you think about Push Notification versus true multitasking in the comments.
(Credit:
Apple)
Like most Apple updates, we suspect that the new beta 5 includes several stability and performance enhancements that might make the beta more pleasing to use, if you are testing it.
As previously reported, we've heard from some early beta testers complaining (see article comments from this April 1 post) about the number of issues they were experiencing with the previous releases. Now betas 4 and 5 are being reported to us as being a lot more stable. All the complaints we've heard about appear to have been resolved. So it looks like Apple is on track for an early summer release of iPhone OS 3.0.
Unlike beta 4, reports are coming in about new enhancements in beta 5, and so far the following things have been discovered:
iPhone Alley reports that along with the new beta 5 firmware and SDK Apple has also released a second beta of version 8.2 of iTunes for the Mac and PC.
The iPhone Blog is reporting the addition of a feature in the iPod app that allows you to share Podcasts via emailed links sent to friends. They also reported on the addition of age-based restrictions in parental controls for the iTunes App Store.
E-mail Podcast links
(Credit: The iPhone blog)
Parental control enhancements
(Credit: The iPhone blog)Gizmodo reports that changes have been made to prevent the modification to the carrier files that were allowing some iPhone hackers to use MMS on their iPhones. They also reported that changes made to YouTube allow the playing of higher-resolution videos over 3G when previous versions would only allow that over Wi-Fi. This is probably allowed now in light of all the 3G network enhancements AT&T has been rolling out ahead of the next iPhone hardware and OS releases for the last several months.
Finally some minor changes in beta 5 reported to CNET include: swipe to delete in contacts for easy removal of old or outdated contact information and the loss of hacked tethering on iPhone OS 3.0. It was also reported that in the case of the missing MMS--it is now missing completely, as the buttons for it have all disappeared in the iPhone's Settings app.
Read CNET's additional coverage of iPhone OS 3.0:
A very early review of iPhone OS 3.0
iPhone OS 3.0 hands-on screenshots
iPhone OS 3.0 event video added to iTunes Store
iPhone OS 3.0: What you need to know
Developers and beta testers, let us know about your experiences with this latest iPhone OS 3.0 beta in the comments.
(Credit:
Apple)
Like most Apple updates, we suspect that the new beta 4 includes several stability and performance enhancements that might make the beta more pleasing to use, if you are testing it.
We've heard from some early beta testers complaining (see article comments from this April 1 post) about the number of issues they were experiencing with the previous releases.
It is too early to tell what kinds of changes have been made in beta 4, but we suspect that it will not take long for people to discover them.
Read CNET's additional coverage of iPhone OS 3.0:
A very early review of iPhone OS 3.0
iPhone OS 3.0 hands-on screenshots
iPhone OS 3.0 event video added to iTunes Store
iPhone OS 3.0: What you need to know
Developers and beta testers, let us know about your experiences with this latest iPhone OS 3.0 beta in the comments.
(Credit:
quickpwn.com)
If you blinked again, you might have missed it: several days after Apple released an update to the iPhone OS 3 beta, hackers have already jailbroken the OS 3 beta 3 release.
A new version of QuickPWN for Windows only (direct download link) has been released. This version should work with all versions of the iPhone or the iPod Touch. We have not yet tried the jailbreak, but our sources have not reported any trouble with the hack. (As usual, however, download and use QuickPWN at your own risk.)
(Credit:
QuickPWN.com)
Jailbreaking is competitive in the hacking community. The Dev Team, the favored jailbreak provider, has an opinion and some words of warning about hacks like this.
