The camera feature for the iPad tablet has been removed

With the iPad tablet release date approaching, Apple is actively ramping up its iPhone OS for the tablet. The new iPhone OS 3.2 SDK fourth beta for iPad has been seeded to developers, as reported by MacRumors. Pushed through the iPhone Development Center, this new beta requires Mac OS X 10.6.2 or higher to run. However, this built is meant for solely for development purposes and is not to be used for submitting applications.

We’re yet to know what features the iPhone OS 3.2 SDK fourth beta has to offer. According to the MacRumors forum, the Camera tab the Photos App found in the third beta of SDK has been removed. Apple had released the third beta of iPhone OS 3.2 SDK for iPad on February 24, pulled it back and then later made it available after making some changes.

by techtree.com

iPhone OS 3.2 rumors: an iPad camera, video calling and more

iPhone owners might not have access to iPhone OS 3.2 yet, but it’s already running on the new iPad. Our sister site, Engadget, was able to score some of the details of the new features in 3.2, and it sounds like it’s going to be great for both the iPhone and the iPad. The biggest surprise might be the inclusion of some video calling code that even includes multitasking while on a video call. This suggests a couple of things, either one of which would be awesome:

1) The next version of the iPad is getting a camera. This is the least immediately helpful possibility, but it also sounds completely likely. A lot of tech pundits assumed the first-gen iPad would include a camera, so I’d bet on seeing it next time around.

2) Multitasking is coming to the iPhone sooner rather than later. Although a video call and another task at once might be a lot to ask on the small screen – and not that useful, either – we can at least hope that the next software update brings the ability to run third-party apps in the background. The iPad already has wicked multitasking potential, with the introduction of new popover windows that don’t take up the entire screen.

Another useful new feature rumored for 3.2 is the ability to download and locally store files using Safari, and open them in other apps. The lack of access to the iPhone’s filesystem is one of the biggest reasons that fans of more open mobile operating systems scoff at Apple, and, although this wouldn’t totally shut down that line of criticism, it would be a step in the right direction. File uploading is also reportedly included in the update.

AT&T will finally provide MMS for iPhone on September 25.

AT&T said it would finally be providing iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS customers with multimedia messaging capabilities via a software upgrade Sept. 25.

The MMS capabilities were one of the most-heralded features of the iPhone 3.0 software because it plugged a nagging hole in Apple’s mobile platform. Rivals like Research In Motion (NSDQ: RIMM)’s BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and many entry-level phones have been able to send MMS messages for years.

AT&T didn’t offer this messaging capability when the 3.0 software was released in June because it wanted to ensure its network could adequately handle the traffic. This has garnered ill feelings from some iPhone owners, as well as a class-action lawsuit that alleges the second-largest U.S. carrier misrepresented the iPhone’s capabilities.

“The unique capabilities and high usage of the iPhone’s multimedia capabilities required us to work on our network MMS architecture to carry the expected record volumes of MMS traffic and ensure an excellent experience from day one,” AT&T said in a statement. “We appreciate your patience as we work toward that end.”

While AT&T technically will miss their “end of summer” deadline by a few days, the move may help it squash growing complaints about the carrier’s quality of service from a small, but vocal, group of iPhone owners. AT&T has been investing heavily to improve its 3G network, and it is also deploying 850-MHz spectrum to improve coverage in major metropolitan areas. Improvements in service could help AT&T retain iPhone subscribers even after it loses exclusivity of Apple’s popular smartphone.

The Sept. 25 software update will be available through iTunes, and it will not be available for the iPod Touch or the original iPhone. The carrier also said it would be offering tethering in the future, but did not get into specifics about the launch date or pricing.

SDK 3.1 beta is out

Only two weeks after launching the 3.0 software update for iPhone and iPod Touch, Apple is now working hard to deliver an update to the iPhone OS. The iPhone SDK 3.1 beta was pushed out to developers on 1st of July, and the recipients report the software already has a few new features and refinements.

Apple has not mentioned specifically the improvements in the iPhone 3.1 beta update, but numerous developers have downloaded the software and reported on forums and blogs some of the new things they discovered within the update.

At a first glance, reports say that the iPhone 3.1 improves Voice Control functionality (introduced with the iPhone 3GS), which now works over Bluetooth as well. Video editing on the iPhone 3GS will be improved also, as users will be able to save a copy of the original video before they start trimming.

Other visible user interface improvements reported include tactile feedback (vibration) when moving applications icons on the screen and paste capabilities in the dialer application. The dialer app will also convert alphanumeric numbers (such as 1-800-MY-APPLE) into regular phone numbers when pasted in.

Developers also found a few under-the-hood changes in the iPhone 3.1 software beta to the OpenGL and Quartz engines and an Video Editor Controller API, which allows third-party applications to call up the video editing interface.

The MMS functionality is enabled by default say developers, but it still doesn’t work for AT&T users (although the AT&T profile was updated to 4.2). It is yet unclear whether this change signals that AT&T will enable MMS messaging as soon as the iPhone 3.1 software update is widely available to the public.

Apple has not said when a final version of the 3.1 software will be released to all iPhone users or whether this update addresses the latest iPhone 3GS overheating reports.

The New iPhone: iPhone 3G S

The most talked-about bunch of updates Apple unveiled at WWDC came from its iPhone 3.0 software upgrade, which purportedly adds 100 new features to the iPhone. Critics have long stressed the need for cut, copy, and paste features across the iPhone OS, and those features are now built in. Also, all key apps in the iPhone now feature landscape mode to maximize screen width. And in the U.S., iPhones on the AT&T network will finally feature MMS support later this summer.

Search features have also been enhanced in iPhone 3.0 with the addition of Spotlight. This will enable users to search not only their contacts, but also calendar entries, notes, e-mail, and even apps on the device.

iTunes will now allow iPhone users to purchase or rent movies directly from the device, and Apple has added parental controls that will restrict the kinds of movies, shows, and apps that children can run on the phone or iPod touch.

For Mobile Me customers, Apple will offer a service called Find My iPhone, which will locate a lost or stolen device (if it’s turned on).

As promised in a previous iPhone announcement, iPhone 3.0 includes push notification for instant messaging and other applications.

Perhaps the most exciting update for iPhone 3.0 is the addition of tethering capabilities. At last, users who are away from their Wi-Fi network will be able to use the iPhone’s cellular broadband connections to connect their laptop to the Internet. This feature will work via USB or Bluetooth, and is supported by 22 carriers in 44 countries.Unfortunately, AT&T is not one of the carriers supporting this feature, which leaves U.S. iPhone customers wanting.

The iPhone 3.0 software is available to developers today, and ships to customers next Wednesday.

Along with the updates iPhone software, Apple is releasing new iPhone hardware. The iPhone 3GS will sell for $199 in a 16GB version and $299 in a 32GB version. The existing iPhone 3G will continue to be available at a price of $99. (All prices with a 2-year AT&T contract.)

The iPhone 3GS will be faster than the iPhone 3G, and will include video capture, voice control, built-in support for Nike+ accessories, hardware encryption for Exchange users, and improved battery life. The phone will be available on June 19.

iPhone OS 3.0 to feature voice control and feedback

Sources speaking to Ars have discovered evidence of new voice control features coming to iPhone OS 3.0. Apparently going by the code name “Jibbler,” it looks like it will provide not just voice synthesis, but also voice recognition for the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0.

Not much information is known at this time, but according to our own people familiar with the matter, Jibbler appears be an enhancement to the iPhone SpringBoard application, the Finder-esque app that acts as a launcher and will support the newly announced 3.0 Spotlight search. Jibbler may be controlled via the iPhone headset—button squeezes could be used to record short voice segments from the user, which Jibbler will then interpret. Voice synthesis can then be used to give the user a response, similar to the latest generation iPod shuffle, which can “read” playlists and track names—the difference being that the iPhone hardware itself could handle real-time voice synthesis.

Our sources turned up references to classes and methods named VSSpeechSynthesizer, VSRecognitionSession, SBVoiceControlDisableHandlerActions, SBSensitiveJibblerEnabled, and SBVoiceControlSoundCompletion. SB refers to SpringBoard, and VS likely refers to Voice Services. The separate Voice Services classes leave open the possibility that Apple may eventually allow access to these services via the official SDK. There’s no indication whether these voice features will be tied to newer hardware expected this summer or if the features will be compatible with existing iPhone hardware.

Besides the coolness factor that the voice control features add to the iPhone, they also bring the promise of voice-controlled dialing, a feature that other phones have had for some time. Also, it could aid in hands-free operation for safety in certain situations, like driving, and act as an assistive user interface method for those with some sight impairments.

by arstechnica.com

New features discovered in iPhone OS 3.0

Developer sources familiarizing themselves with betas of Apple’s iPhone 3.0 software have uncovered a handful of additional tweaks and improvements to the system in recent weeks, including changes to Safari’s window handling, new battery status indicators and notification preferences, as well as the advent of data detectors in certain apps.

Safari

With the release of iPhone 3.0, Safari will let you close out and clear all your open browser windows without having to first create a new blank page to get rid of the contents of the last active window.

For example, you can have eight open Safari windows in the existing version of the iPhone software, seven of which you can close rapidly by using the red “x” icons in the upper left-hand corners of the pages. However, there’s no “x” icon to close out the last page standing. Therefore, the only way to get rid of the contents on this last remaining page is to first create a “New Page,” then cycle back to the page and close it out.

With iPhone 3.0, Apple has enabled the option to close out the lone remaining page. Once the “x” icon is triggered, the page disappears and a new blank page quickly slides into view. This process is reportedly difficult to capture in a screenshot, though an example illustrating part of the process can be seen below.

Battery indicators

Meanwhile, it appears that iPhone 3.0 will also introduce an option of showing you how much battery life you have left on your iPhone or iPod touch in a numerical percentage.

Resource files contained within the new version of the device’s Springboard application include 22 new PNG files to facilitate this option. Half are numerical characters (and a “%” sign) in black typeface for representing healthy battery level percentages while the other half are in red typeface for when battery life falls bellow a certain threshold.

It appears, though it’s not confirmed, that users will have the option of selecting how their battery status indicator appears in the menubar — such as an icon-only view (per current versions of the software), an icon + numerical view, or a numerical-view only. This would be similar to fast user switching menu option for Mac OS X that lets you display the accounts by “Name,” “Short Name,” or “Icon.”

Push Notification preferences

Also visible in the latest betas of iPhone 3.0 software is a new Push Notifications preference pane that will allow you to enable or disable any of the three types of notifications that third party applications can push to your handset: Sounds, Alerts and Badges. Alternatively, notifications can be disabled as a whole. This should provide users with tighter control of their battery usage.

Data Detectors

Finally, it’s also noted that Apple is enabling Data Detectors in a variety of new applications. Data Detectors automatically detect text fragments like email addresses, phone numbers, and street addresses, so you can execute actions on those fragments via touch selections — like dialing a phone number automatically by clicking on it or adding it to your address book.

The example above shows Data Detectors in action in the new Notes application. The detectors are only visible and executable when viewing a note, not while editing one.

Variable scrubber speeds

These shots just came in, showing the ability to change scrubbing speeds in the iPod application.

by appleinsider.com

Apple netbook this summer?

According to unnamed spokeperson from AT&T, the upcoming summer is going to be hot!
Somebody “pretty high up in AT&T’s food chain” revealed some secrets:

• New iPhone announcement around mid-June (duh)
• New iPhone will be faster and have a more seamless experience unmatched by any device (could be just talking about 3.0, but we think it’s also a new iPhone)
• U-Verse iPhone application; will allow control of your home DVR (play, pause, rewind, etc.)
• The annual iPhone launch is “becoming a tradition.”
• Nothing official is being confirmed, but they said that people should prep for an exciting time this summer.
• AT&T is said to be working with Apple to create a unified product with an unparalleled experience across all their products and services.
• Apple’s 3.0 software should tell us where the iPhone platform is going… uh, k?
• They said customers shouldn’t need to choose from AT&T’s high-end devices because of features, they should choose based on preferences. The gap in capability should be filled with the new iPhone. Ok, bets on slide out QWERTY, autofocus camera, video sharing, blah blah?
• Seems like the higher speed HSDPA (7.2Mbps) is being hinted at too which should confirm the earlier rumors of the new Infineon chipset.
• The $99 3G netbook will start selling this summer, and the first one won’t be a Windows OS.

Especially exciting is the last one: there are no such cheap netbooks on the market.

By Boygeniusreport.com

Next-G iPhone will have much faster internet connection.

Silicon Alley Insider reports on rumors from a mobile industry source saying that the next-generation iPhone will have “a significantly faster Internet connection.” While no further information is given as to whether this is referring to cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity, Silicon Alley Insider lays out some possibilities based on what is known about the state of the technology.

- This can’t be referring to AT&T’s 4G (LTE) network, because that won’t be ready for a year or more.
- This might be referring to faster wifi, and not faster 3G access? (802.11n vs. its current 802.11g/b.)
- AT&T has repeatedly vowed to speed up its 3G network via updates to the network. Is it possible that the current iPhone can’t support those increased speeds?
- We don’t expect Apple to comment, but we’ve asked.
Electronista provides more detail on AT&T’s plans for faster 3G running at 7.2 Mbps, up from the 3.6 Mbps speed of the current network.

However, the most likely change is the addition of support for speed-doubled 7.2Mbps 3G given both hardware manufacturer and carrier plans. Infineon should have a new 3G chipset starting from mid-year that would support the faster speeds while also improving battery life. At the same time, AT&T has been trialing 7.2Mbps 3G since late 2008 and should roll out the speedier service this year. The provider has stressed that many of its cell towers can be upgraded solely through software rather than new equipment.

Current iPhones are limited in hardware to 3.6Mbps 3G and couldn’t themselves be upgraded.
Electronista also points to the possibility of a new Broadcom 802.11n chipset being used in the next-generation iPhone to bring increased Wi-Fi speeds.

From MacRumours.com

Also we would say that some time ago Apple was looking for RF engineer. So there’s a slight possibility that next iPhone will support the WiMAX.

Internet Tethering in iPhone

Months before the iPhone OS 3.0 is released to the masses, one entrepreneurial developer has managed to crack into the phone’s Internet tethering capabilities. Steve Troughton-Smith unearthed the iPhone’s tethering preferences pane, connected his iPhone to his Mac via USB, and was allowed to use the phone as a modem. Problem is, he has no idea how he did it. From Twitter, he says, “To all: I have no idea how I did it. Sorry! I was hacking around with APNs in the Carrier.bundle itcc file.”

Internet tethering was rumored to be a feature on OS 3.0, and during the iPhone OS 3.0 conference, Senior VP for iPhone Software Scott Forstall said the OS 3.0 supported Internet tethering. Despite the iPhone’s capability, tethering was never made into an option.

The question now is whether carriers want to shoulder the burden tethering would create on its networks — and the burden is huge. Earlier this week iPhones practically crippled AT&T’s 3G network at Austin’s SXSW festival, and that was just the phone. Imagine hundreds of thousands of computers connected to that same network and the damage it’d wreak.

If you have a jailbroken iPhone, Internet tethering is readily available. When OS 3.0 rolls around, Apple will kick all jailbreakers out of the party — temporarily. The Dev-Team announced that 3.0 is definitely “jailbreakable” but that those using Yellowsn0w — a software-based jailbreaking system — should exercise restraint and wait for the “official” set of keys.