iPod touch update early

Although Steve Jobs announced that the iPhone and iPod touch 2.1 software update would be released on Friday, iPod users can already download the update from iTunes. He claimed the new version fixes a lot of bugs, improves app function, enhances security, and makes the sync function faster. A "Genius" function can be used to find similar songs in a library and play them together. Multiple calendars and push functions for Microsoft Exchange are now supported.

Users can now choose from 30 keyboard layouts, 19 dictionaries, or 17 languages. A search box is provided to search through contacts, and a scientific calculator has been included. Email function has also been improved, PowerPoint and iWork attachments can be viewed, messages mass deleted, and replies sent from a different account. Runners can track their progress with an integrated Nike+iPod app.

A bug has been fixed from the previous software which contained a sandbox flaw that would let one application read files from another. Another corrected flaw had allowed arbitrary code execution from maliciously coded font data. The DNS protocol has been strengthened to avoid forged information and cache poisoning from affecting apps that use mDNSResponder. TCP sequence numbers are now randomized to help prevent spoofing or hijacking. WebKit's handling of document references has also been improved to protect against malicious websites.

For iPods that have software version 2.0 already, the upgrade to 2.1 is free. The update will cost $10 for users of version 1.0. The iPhone update has not been made available yet, but can be expected on its official release Friday.

by MacNN Staff