Find My iPhone in iPhone 3

Two unexpected features are in place within the iPhone 3.0 beta firmware, separate sources have uncovered. In uploading a custom carrier settings file, an Irish programmer has discovered that tethering -- using an phone as a computer's cellular modem -- is already functional in the developer seed of iPhone 3.0. The feature was announced during Apple's Tuesday press event, but at the time was claimed to require carrier participation for support.

Tethering is enabled under Network settings in the iPhone OS, and available through both USB and Bluetooth connections, though the latter has not been tested. When active, an "Internet Tethering" message is displayed on an iPhone; the technology is currently unstable however, potentially triggering phone crashes. Tethering without permission may also incur penalties from wireless carriers.

Within the firmware's MobileMe settings meanwhile, a new feature called Find My iPhone has been noticed. A dialog box indicates that once turned on, the option should let MobileMe subscribers pinpoint the location of a lost or stolen iPhone through me.com. Because the website has not yet been updated with compatibility though, testing of Find My iPhone is currently impossible.

by MacNN Staff