The | Apple iPhone | Thread

SRASC · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 5:20 pm Post subject:

Apple has announced some of the new features that will be in the upcoming release of iTunes 8.1. This information was posted on the iTunes "What's New" page.

Speed improvements
iTunes gets a speed boost. Now when it comes to loading large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, and syncing your devices, iTunes responds faster than before.

Autofill any iPod
Now the convenience of Autofill works with any iPod. Let iTunes choose what songs fill your pocket and enjoy your music at random.

Import as iTunes Plus
Automatically import music from your CDs as higher quality, 256-Kbps iTunes Plus files. Watch a tutorial to find out how to import music from CDs.

SRASC · Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2009 11:40 pm Post subject:

As anticipated, Apple on Wednesday evening delivered iTunes 8.1 with performance enhancements, support for CD imports to iTunes Plus, and new Genius features. Separately, the company also updated its Front Row media application.

iTunes 8.1 (65.4 MB) "is now faster and more responsive," Apple says. "You will enjoy noticeable improvements when working with large libraries, browsing the iTunes Store, preparing to sync with iPod or iPhone, and optimizing photos for syncing."

In addition, iTunes 8.1 provides several other improvements and bug fixes, including:
Supports syncing with iPod shuffle (3rd generation).
 
Allows friends to request songs for iTunes DJ.
 
Adds Genius sidebar for your Movies and TV Shows.
 
Improves performance when downloading iTunes Plus songs.
 
Provides AutoFill for manually managed iPods.
 
Allows CDs to be imported at the same sound quality as iTunes Plus.
 
Includes many accessibility improvements.
 
Allows iTunes U and the iTunes Store to be disabled separately using Parental Controls.

iTunes 8.1 also includes a couple of security enhancements.

---

Front Row Update 2.1.7

Meanwhile, Front Row Update 2.1.7 (13.3 MB) has also been released, promising to deliver improved compatibility with iTunes 8.1.

SRASC · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 1:35 pm Post subject:

On top of yesterday's announcements

-iBluetooth's launch
-Metal Gear Solid: Touch's March 19th debut
-iPod touch's untethered jailbreak debut
-iTunes 8.1 release
-iPod shuffle (3G) debut

Apple on Thursday announced plans to hold a special media event for journalists on its Cupertino-based campus that will offer a sneak preview of the next-generation iPhone operating system dubbed iPhone 3.0.

The event will take place at 10:00 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday March 17th in the intimate setting of the Apple Town Hall -- the same venue used to introduce the company's new unibody MacBooks last fall and the original iPhone Software Developers Kit (SDK) last March.

ArsTechnica was amongst the publications invited and has posted the following image from the email invite.

At this juncture, there's no indication that Apple will use the gathering to divulge details of next-generation iPhone handset hardware, which is expected to be unveiled several months later at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference or another event of its choosing.

Developing...

SRASC · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 3:42 pm Post subject:

So it looks like Apple’s planning on holding an event for iPhone 3.0 OS March 17th along with showing off an updated SDK. This would fit nicely with their brief history of having a preview software event followed by a hardware refresh in June/July. As far as what we’ve been told of iPhone 3.0, here’s what we’ve got:

MMS
Tethering via Bluetooth and USB

SRASC · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 5:23 pm Post subject:

Steve Wozniak has fractured his leg while practicing for Dancing With the Stars.

ABC confirms that Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles xrayed and found a fracture but he'll be able to continue on the show.

His partner, professional dancer Karina Smirnoff was there for moral support as doctors performed an X-ray followed by an MRI showing that the Apple co-founder had a fracture.

Doctors told Woz that he could dance as long as he wears a removable cast and watches his foot.

According to ABC the Woz told doctors he loves being on 'DWTS' because he really "loves being a part of such a good and important thing." He also promises his next dance will be "wild and fast and all-over and crazy and fun, just like the first one."

ryan99tt · Posted: Thu Mar 12, 2009 11:46 pm Post subject:

good info...keep up the good work

SRASC · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 1:38 pm Post subject:

Voicemail Forwarder, an application which forwards voicemails to email, has become the second app to be sold on the Cydia Store.

The application adds new functionality to your existing iPhone Visual Voicemail. Instead of only being able to listen to your voicemails on your phone, you can now share those iportant messages with a single click.

Voicemail Forwarder gives you a new button that fires up an email with the current voicemail attached to it. You can then send the email as normal to any recipient.

The application costs $2.99.

SRASC · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 9:44 am Post subject:

Rock Your Phone, an alternative app store for Cydia Store or Apple’s AppStore, is now open for business! First, Cydia Store opened and is now challenging Apple’s AppStore and now, Rock Your Phone has joined Cydia Store and is challenging Apple.

At the moment, Rock Your Phone only has 5 applications for sale, one being free (for limited time). Rock Your Phone does offer a 10 day trial unlike Cydia or Apple which is awesome! I can’t tell you how many applications I’ve boughten from the AppStore and to find out they are horribly unstable and sometimes they aren’t even what I expected. So, Rock your iPhone having a 10 day trial is a huge plus for me.

Head over to RockYourPhone.com to get a RockID and download their desktop client (Windows and Intel Mac OSX - no PowerPC) and install it and install Rock Your Phone on your iPhone and start downloading some applications!

- source: http://RockYourPhone.com

SRASC · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 4:09 pm Post subject:

Kevin Rose leaked some information about iPhone OS 3.0 during the live Diggnation show at SXSW in Austin last night.

According to Gizmodo, Rose revealed the following information:
- Cut and paste in 3.0
- Users magnify or double tap a word to bring up cut and paste
- Pinch “boundaries” to select word(s); Rose called them “copy boundaries”
- Then you get option to cut, paste or copy

Also, the 3.0 update will have enough new features and additions to bring it up to the Palm Pre levels. Whatever Palm Pre has shown us so far, apparently, the iPhone will have too when 3.0 becomes official. That point remains a bit hazy right now

Rose also said that MMS and video recording would not be present in this release nor will background processes be allowed.

Lastly, there will NOT be video, nor will there be MMS. This last point seems to contradict BGR’s MMS rumor from the other day.

SRASC · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 5:30 pm Post subject:

Apple may be set to reveal a tablet alongside the iPhone OS 3.0 during tomorrows media event.

Seth Weintraub of Computer World writes

The timing? Well, if this thing has to be put on a device in late Summer, Apple will probably want some software to run on it…probably even an App Store. If so, developers will need at least a few months to get their apps to run on this new little device. That means they should probably start right about now.

Then there has been the persistant “premium app store” rumors. Paying $20 for an iPhone app seems silly. But if an Apple tablet (or AppleTV?!) can handle hi res 3D gaming, it might make more sense. Current App Store apps should also run on it but in a resolution independence type of mode.

Weintraub believes the device will use the ARM Cortex A8 architecture and the video card will be from Imagination and hopefully use some OpenCL.

___
When we broke the news that Apple will be hosting a special event tomorrow (March 17) to preview iPhone firmware 3.0, we had asked our readers the question: What’s on your wish list? to find out which features they were looking forward to in the next major firmware update.

We got a superb response to that post and subsequent posts about iPhone firmware 3.0 from you folks. So we have compiled a list of all the features and are calling it the “iPhone firmware 3.0 Wish List“.

It will be interesting to see how many features from the wish list actually make it to Apple’s next generation OS for the iPhone.

So without wasting any time, here is the list of features that you want to see in iPhone firmware 3.0:

Full Bluetooth Functionality
Support for Adobe Flash
MMS
Ability to customize the iPhone like you can do with Winterboard
Better Calendar App
Video Recording
Better SMS App
Ability to run apps in the background (Push Notification)
Copy and Paste
Landscape mode for all apps
Better support for MS Outlook
Better way to manage and launch iPhone apps
Ability to lock the accelerometer
Turn by turn voice navigation (True GPS)
Ability to send any file as attachments
Tethering
Ability to edit documents
Better Mail App
Video Ringtones
Ability to change SMS tones
VoIP Calls over 3G
Virtual Keyboard with Haptic Feedback
Better Photo App
Better Contacts app
Better Google Maps app
We have ordered the list of features based on number of times it was mentioned by a reader (it threw up some interesting preferences). We have also tried to group the features as much as possible so you will see features such as “Better Mail App” rather than say search functionality in the mail app.

As you can see, we have got a big list of 25 features so far, some of them are new features while some are enhancements to existing features.

(via iPhoneHacks.com)

___

As iPhone owners await Tuesday’s announcement of the iPhone 3.0 software, the Web is abuzz with speculation about what new features the update will bring. Of course, we couldn’t let this opportunity pass without chiming in as well.

Ever since the first iPhone was born more than two years ago, and following the introduction of the iPhone 3G last summer, we’ve made no secret that the iPhone lacks many features we think it should have. We’ve blogged a few times detailing our complaints, but here you can find a full list in no particular order.

We’ve also browsed through your blog comments and e-mails to see the features that you hope to see. And please feel free to add anything that we’ve missed.

Multimedia messaging - A very basic feature that every other cell phone has. Yet, the good news is that it appears to be a done deal. It’s about time.

Tethering - From our perspective there hasn’t been a huge cry from CNET readers for this feature, but it looks likewe’re going to get it.

Cut and paste - A no-brainer, and one we get from many CNET readers.

Text forwarding - Another basic feature that every other cell phone has.

A landscape keyboard - It works when using the Web browser, so why not when composing a message or e-mail? There is an app for brings this functionality, but we don’t think that we should have to pay extra to get it–even if it is 99 cents.

Voice dialing/speed dialing - We know there are apps, but why should you have to pay for functionality that almost every other cell phones has? Sneaky Apple.

Real time turn-by-turn directions - This may take a new iPhone, but we’re going to throw it in here anyway.

Task manager/background processing - CNET readers have been divided on this feature, but we’d like the ability to toggle between running applications.

Video recording/more camera options - Yet another feature many basic phones offer. And here again, we don’t think that an app cuts it. We’d also like to have more creative control within the camera though options like a digital zoom, a self-timer and a brightness meter.

Full search - We’d like this for e-mails, calendar items and contacts all in one convenient place. There are a few apps that bring partial search, but Apple’s SDK currently prohibits apps with calendar searching.

Send appointments to contacts - While we’re on the calendar, we shouldn’t have to wait until we’re back on our computer to send meeting invites.

Weekly calendar view - This is a small point, but it’s one worth mentioning.

Resend option for text messaging - As reader michaels1715 said, “Sometimes I want to repeat myself, but I don’t want to have to type it all over again!”

File transfer/mass storage - If you don’t buy an app, you can only transfer files to the iPhone using iTunes. Of course, that makes it impossible to transfer third-party files or use the handset as a mass storage device.

More Bluetooth profiles - Stereo Bluetooth may not have the best sound quality, but why not offer the choice of using it. Apple could always make more cash by building a stereo Bluetooth headset. And while we’re at it, a Bluetooth file transfer profile would be welcome.

Flash support - Just a thought.

___

MacWorld has presented the 15 features they would like to see in Apple’s iPhone OS 3.0. Apple will preview the firmware tomorrow March 17th at 10am PST (1pm EST).

1. Systemwide cut/copy/paste
2. Push notifications and/or background apps
3. Landscape mode in every Apple app
4. Improvements to Mail
5. Sync notes and to-dos
6. Better app organization
7. Customizable tones
8. Full Bluetooth support
9. MMS
10. Video capture
11. Turn-by-turn directions
12. Application data sharing and syncing
13. Spotlight for iPhone
14. Share Internet with a Mac or PC
15. Voice dialing
___
What might Apple have in store for the third release of its iPhone software?

The company plans to hold one of its trademark special events Tuesday at its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., to show off “an advance preview of what we’re building” for the iPhone 3.0 software release, according to an invitation distributed Thursday. The event will come just a little more than a year after the iPhone 2.0 software event laid out Apple’s policies for getting third-party applications onto the iPhone, as well as business-friendly features.

Here’s what we know: Apple plans to discuss a new software development kit at the event in addition to demonstrating the new software.

This could explain why the company has been slow to offer renewals for current SDK licenses, as it might be requiring developers to sign a whole new agreement. While the software will be the main attraction, developers will be closely watching for details about how the new SDK will affect their businesses.

So, about that software: judging by the comments on our initial post about the event, iPhone users are looking for Apple to finally bring cut-and-paste capability to the device. Of all the advancements Apple has planned for the iPhone 3.0 software, that’s probably the one users are hoping for the most.

There’s a solid chance that Apple plans to introduce true background processing with iPhone 3.0, given the seeming disappearance of the quasi-background processing capability discussed at last year’s Worldwide Developer Conference. This might only work, however, on an upgraded iPhone that probably won’t be on display Tuesday.

Apple may therefore have developed some way to let users of older iPhones run more than one application at the same time–perhaps allowing applications to save their states in memory–while enabling true background processing on iPhones that have the capability to handle those demands. We’re also coming up on a year since Apple acquired P.A. Semi to work on developing chips for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and the first fruits of that acquisition might be ready for public airing.

Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray thinks Apple may demonstrate a “universal search capability” as part of the new software. There’s no real way to search your iPhone on the device’s home screen, although individual applications such as Contacts have their own search functions, of course.

mitch · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:20 pm Post subject:

iPhone 3.0 Software Preview

1:15 Demo running showing how customers will be able to purchase new content from within an application. Once you finish a game with 10 levels, you can purchase the next 10 from within the App. In terms of a geographic app like City Guides, developers will be able to sell "City Packs."

1:16 Moving on to Peer to Peer connectivity.

1:17 iPhone 3.0 will support auto-locate of devices in the same general area without having to use WiFi. The auto-discovery is performed over bluetooth, without pairing. This is powered by Bonjour and will benefit both games and other applications.

mitch · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:27 pm Post subject:

1:19 Scott says there are thousands upon thousands of developers building accessories for the iPhone, iPod touch. With the iPhone 3.0 SDK, developers are going to be able to create applications that work directly with their proprietary accessories.

1:21 Examples are a digital equalizer for a Boombox dock, FM transmitter with an app for changing stations, or even one for medical devices.

1:21 Moving on to Maps:

1:23 The heart of the Maps application is being turned into an API so that developers can embed Maps into their applications -- these embedded maps will support multi-touch commands, support the various modes such as satellite and street, and support GPS.

1:24 CoreLocation will also be available for Turn-by-Turn GPS apps. However, developers will need to supply their own Maps because Google isn't licensing their for this use.

1:25 Next: Push notification, which Apple admits it's late on. Says they had to completely redesign the server for Push Notifications. It's taken 6 months.

mitch · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:36 pm Post subject:

1:27 Apple tested background apps on rival OSs from RIM and Microsoft and found background standby time dropped by 80 percent or more with background enabled. Apple's solution will only see standby time reduced by 23%

1:30 Recapping Push Notification features: Can push badges, text, and sounds. Apple is customizing Push Notification for all 80 countries where the iPhone is available, making sure its optimized across all applicable mobile networks.

1:31 Apple's also adding a new API for streaming audio/video and another for in-game voice audio.

1:33 Other new open APIs include iPod Library access, the proximity sensor, audio recorder, the battery API, data detectors, text-selection, and more. A few iPhone devs have been asked to use the new SDK for two weeks and show off what they could create...

hmph · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 1:38 pm Post subject:

quick one: if i need to load apps on a ipod touch, i will need to unlock right? anyone know exactly how to do this?

Thanks

mitch · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:15 pm Post subject:

and what we've all been waiting for...

2:05 Moving on to the customer: iPhone 3.0 will have....

2:05 Cut, Copy and Paste

2:06 That's just 1 of 100 new features for end users, Forstall claims.

2:07 Demo: Double tap on a word in email brings up a copy/paste/cut popup. Then two icons appear that you can drag to further customize your selection.

2:08 "To select an entire block of text, put your thumb on the right drag point and drag it to where you want your block of text to end. You can drag the left drag point as well." - Giz

Click for full-size.

2:09 "You can drag between apps as well (obviously), through the same process. Double tap, then drag in order to select what text you like, then double tap and paste to paste it." - Giz

2:09 You can shake the iPhone/iPod touch to Undo.

2:10 Demoing copy-paste in third party app, from Ars: "Puts finger down, selection automatically highlights paragraph, copies text, opens a Mail message and pastes with formatting."

2:10 Demoing multi-phone emailing...

Click for full-size.

2:11 You can now tap an action button and select multiple photos that can then be copied and pasted into Mail.

2:13 Moving on to landscape mode

2:13 All applications getting landscape keyboard mode!

2:13 That's the wider keyboard layout, btw, that was only available in Safari previously.

2:14 Scott: New Messages application with the ability to forward and delete individual messages...

2:14 It includes MMS support.

2:15 You can send files such as contact cards, audio files, locations, pictures, etc.

Yeo · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:31 pm Post subject:

Not all features will be available on the original iPhone, such as MMS and stereo Bluetooth.
Confused

SRASC · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 6:47 pm Post subject:

You can watch the keynote here.

Thanks for the 3.0 updates mitch.

I may be missing something here but how could things like iBluetooth bring bluetooth to 1st generation iPhones but Apple themselves can't?

SRASC · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:51 pm Post subject:

After years of Apple kicking its fanboy base with its autocratic and expensive gizmos, it appears that one app developer has finally come clean with what he thinks of them.

Its latest application for the iPhone is a product called Icount which seems innocent enough, if not a bit challenging for the average fanboy.

However the logo that accompanies the product seems to be arranged in a way so that the letter 'o' is dropped.

Of course his must be an accident, after all Apple has made a big thing about how it does not allow swearing in its Iphone Apps.

Quite how it failed to notice a logo with the rudest word in the English language smack bang in the middle of the front page of Itunes is beyond us.

We conclude that Apple is trying to tell its users something, subliminally

ryan99tt · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 11:43 pm Post subject:

iBluetooth Cracked!!!

Here are the steps to get the app to work

download this file!

http://www.4shared.com/file/92470170...h_cracked.html

1. Remove the iBluetooth App
2. Install it again (from the xSellize repo http://xsellize.com/cydia/username-password/)
and don't open iBluetooth!
3. Copy the cracked iBluetooth_ to:
/var/stash/Applications/iBluetooth.app
4. Reboot your iPhone and it should work just fine!

(p.s check if the iBluetooth_ properties are 7777!, If there not change it in to 7777)

also have how to crack cyntact but i havent tried it yet...hav fun with the bluetooth...

SRASC · Posted: Wed Mar 18, 2009 4:40 pm Post subject:

AT&T will begin offering “no commitment” pricing on the iPhone 3G beginning on March 26, without any service contract requirement, according to a report leaking an internal company training memo.

The report, posted by Boy Genius, says that AT&T will only offer the iPhone 3G at its “no commit” price of $599 for the 8GB version or $699 for the 16GB model to existing customers, and limit them to one unit each at that price.

However, the document also notes that AT&T has no way of tracking if the user has already bought a unit at the no commit price within the company’s billing system, although AT&T retail stores “can see the transaction through OPUS [AT&T's point of sale system] if the device was purchased through AT&T COR [a company-operated retail store].”

The document says “AT&T is restricting the No-Commit price to existing customers who wish to add a line, purchase as a gift, or perform and [sic] upgrade and are not eligible for the Qualified or Early upgrade price.”

“Qualified pricing” refers to the standard $199/$299 price of the iPhone 3G when obtained with a two year contract commitment. For AT&T users who recently received a contract subsidized phone of any kind, AT&T charges an “Early Upgrade price” that is $200 more than the iPhone 3G’s qualified price: $399/$499. It also requires a two year contract extension.

The no-committment iPhone models from AT&T incur a device activation fee when used with AT&T’s service, and also require a data plan, although device activation is not required at the point of sale.

The new “no-commit” sales program appears to be an effort to push out remaining iPhone 3G inventory prior to the launch of the next iPhone, due sometime this summer. Last year, Apple similarly allowed the existing inventory of iPhones to dry up to the point where almost no iPhones were left for several weeks prior to the launch of iPhone 3G.

Other iPhone 3G partners are similarly discounting iPhone sales to move inventory, which has resulted in various dire rumors about the iPhone’s prospects, not unlike last year when certain pundits jumped all over “falling sales” of the original iPhone during the months when inventory levels dried up completely.