06/07, 2:25pm
Gold master already headed to developers
In an unexpected turn, Apple has announced that it is renaming the iPhone OS. It will now simply be called iOS, reflecting its use on devices like the iPad. As previously revealed, the iOS 4 firmware brings several important changes including multitasking, app folders, a universal inbox and e-mail threading. Newly disclosed though is integration with the iPhone 4 retina display, and updated Camera and Photos apps.
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05/31, 12:35pm
Hack currently in beta
People should be able to jailbreak the second-generation iPod touch when iPhone 4.0 is released in the near future, says iH8sn0w. The independent coder has been working on iPhone 4.0 jailbreaks since early April, and is now teasing a beta sn0wbreeze 1.6 hack with support for the older Touch model. The final v1.6 release should come after Apple officially launches the updated iPhone firmware, likely in tandem with upgraded hardware.
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05/29, 3:45pm
Next iPhone seemingly certain for high-res LCD
The often rumored 960x640 iPhone screen could be validated today through an up-close study of the LCD. Looked at through a microscope, Apple's panel appears to have far smaller pixels than the iPhone 3GS or even the crisp 854x480 screen of the Motorola Droid. At 3.5 inches diagonal, the display SuperiPhone sees for the next iPhone would have a 320 pixels-per-inch density where the Droid's larger screen would measure just 265.
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05/22, 7:00pm
iPhone 4.0 engineer code hints direct video calls
What little doubt remained about the presence of video calling on the next iPhone may have been eliminated today as a screen capture has shown the feature running on live firmware. A source inside Apple has shown a field test version of iPhone 4.0 whose Settings area makes a clear reference to "video calls debugging" that lets engineers start, stop and export logs to track down errors. BGR didn't learn whether this would involve a proper iChat client, traditional video calls over 3G, or both.
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05/20, 10:30am
Could solve some auto-correction problems
Another potentially useful feature has been discovered in iPhone 4.0 beta 4. Within the Keyboard section of the Settings menu, Apple has added an option called "Edit User Dictionary," allowing people to hurry up the normally automated word recognition system in the iPhone OS. Typically, the firmware will only add words to its dictionary if a person deliberately skips recommended corrections.
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05/19, 10:45am
Flash-equipped gear could include iPods, iPads
Code in the fourth iPhone 4.0 beta contains references to camera flash, investigation reveals. One section suggests that Apple handhelds will have three different flash modes: always on, always off and auto, triggered by an ambient light sensor. The find backs up recent iPhone prototype leaks, which in both cases have included a LED flash on the back.
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05/18, 10:05pm
iPhone 4 beta 4 points to ATT for tether option
Apple tonight posted iPhone 4.0 beta 4 to the Developer Center with a strong clue that AT&T will finally enable data tethering. The new test release not only enables a "set up tethering" preference for American users but, when the menu is tapped, asks users to either call AT&T or to visit the carrier's website to turn the feature on. That it isn't automatically enabled suggests AT&T will charge an extra fee; for other smartphones, it normally charges an extra $30 per month.
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05/18, 11:30am
Google buys Global IP Solutions for Android tech
Google on Tuesday bought Global IP Solutions in a possible sign of a video chat implementation for Android. The $68.2 million deal gives Google access to a firm that supplies both audio and video through IP networks. The deal is expected to go through as more than half of stakeholders already approve of the deal.
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05/15, 10:35pm
Jobs explains views in heated mail exchange
Apple chief Steve Jobs engaged in a rare involved debate late last evening where he defended his company's policies for the App Store. When criticized by blogger Ryan Tate for turning his back on "freedom" and "revolution," the company co-founder countered that the limits on sexual content and the approval process itself were about providing an ideal, safe experience. The real revolution was in breaking away from the traditional computing experience, Jobs answered.
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05/13, 11:30am
Next iPhone successfully running proper OS
(Update on French photo origins) One of the same Vietnamese sites responsible for discovering a different iPhone prototype has shown its device running iPhone 4.0. The phone appears to be working with both a cellular connection to GSM carrier VinaPhone and Wi-Fi turned on. The shot by Taoviet makes it difficult to tell if the screen is higher resolution, though even if so the public iPhone 4.0 betas may not support the higher pixel count to avoid giving away a hardware secret.
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04/23, 10:25am
iPhone lags behind in support for Navigation tech
Google's Maps Navigation is still coming to the iPhone, the company has confirmed during a London press conference. The technology is an extension of the regular Maps app, adding free turn-by-turn directions for GPS-equipped phones. Navigation remains limited to Android phones at the moment, however, and Google says it still cannot say when the iPhone version will be ready, even months after the initial announcement.
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04/21, 9:40am
APIs address multitasking architecture
Apple has released a second developer beta of iPhone 4.0, building in more of the firmware's eventual features. The update is said to include "significant API additions," mostly in areas related to multitasking and background processes for audio, VoIP, location services and task completion. An app can now, for instance, request as much as 10 minutes to finish a task, rather than just five.
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04/21, 7:50am
Adobe exec says Apple being anti-competitive
Adobe Product Manager Mike Chambers late yesterday said his company will no longer put development time into the Flash-to-iPhone conversion tool in Flash CS5. While it will still ship with the CS5 suite, the component won't get significant updates in the foreseeable future. Chambers stressed that Apple's ban on cross-compiling in the iPhone 4.0 SDK made it untenable to continue, and he accused Apple of being anti-competitive.
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04/19, 11:45am
Could add Mail, Contacts, Calendar links
Apple is planning deep Facebook integration for iPhone 4.0, evidence in the firmware is thought to show. A file displaying Mail account type options includes a reference to the social network, presumably so that its messages can be treated in the same manner as e-mail from the likes of Exchange and Gmail. Integration may extend throughout Apple apps however, as another file points to links with Contacts and Calendar.
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04/16, 9:30am
Awaits support from developers
The unofficial iPhone Dev Team has released the redsn0w 0.9.5 beta, believed to be the first publicly-available jailbreak for Apple's iPhone 4.0 firmware. The code relies on the same basic exploit used since iPhone 2.x, and in theory allows people to run unofficial apps. Because iPhone 4.0 itself is new however, the hack is really intended for developers intending to transition their apps to the new firmware.
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04/14, 7:45pm
Apple officially restricts functionality to 3GS
A YouTube video appears to show a jailbroken iPhone 3G running the v4.0 firmware, with the full set of features including multitasking. Apple officially restricts multitasking functionality to the latest-generation iPod touch and iPhone 3GS, which has lead to criticism from owners of earlier devices with slower processors and limited RAM.
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04/14, 8:00am
Apple may have booked WWDC keynote date
Apple may have committed to a specific date for unveiling the next iPhone, one possible scoop might have revealed. The company has purportedly booked off June 22nd at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and may use it for the WWDC keynote, according to ModMyi. The Center's public schedule is notably clear as of that week, although it's difficult to tell whether this is for WWDC or simply the end of its currently known schedule.
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04/13, 2:55pm
Adobe may force Apple to allow outside dev tools
A rumor on Tuesday claimed that Adobe was near suing Apple over the company's decision to ban cross-compilers in the iPhone 4.0 SDK. Contacts near Adobe purportedly said the Flash developer has already made up its mind and is set to file a lawsuit "within a few weeks." How Adobe would approach the case or what exactly it would demand weren't mentioned by ITWorld's writer, but it's presumed Adobe would have a court force Apple to allow third-party tools.
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04/13, 11:05am
Enables secondary interface
One of the lesser-known additions to iPhone 4.0, "iPod Out," may be intended in part to support integration with vehicles, a source suggests. When a handheld is connected to a device supporting the iPod Accessory Protocol, iPod Out will allegedly bring up a special interface (seen below) to be fed to a secondary display, with a simplified menu system resembling the one on the iPod classic and nano. Evidence for a connection to cars is said to come from two strings in iPod Out code, "IAPSimpleRemoteCarButtonNotification" and "IAPSimpleRemoteCarButtonTypeKey."
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04/12, 1:05pm
Google Android may be in crosshairs
Work on Mac OS X 10.7 has been delayed, says Daring Fireball's John Gruber. The tech writer notes that some months ago, he received word that Apple had "tentative plans" to ship a developer beta of the OS at this year's WWDC, likely to be scheduled for early June. Coding of v10.7 is indeed still in progress, claims Gruber, but now with a smaller team and an "unknown" timetable.
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04/12, 12:15pm
Sets precedent for obsoleting hardware
Apple will no longer be providing firmware updates for the first-generation iPhone, released in June 2007, says CEO Steve Jobs. The company recently announced iPhone 4.0, a major summer firmware update that will introduce elements like folders and multitasking. Not only is this code being kept off of the first-gen iPhone, an e-mail from Jobs reveals, but Apple is effectively halting any future software support for the device.
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04/11, 10:50am
iPhone may have video-capable iChat
Further clues have been found in the initial iPhone 4.0 beta that Apple will have not just video chat on the next iPhone but also a full-fledged iChat app. Frameworks and strings show many explicit references to "video conference" calls as well as chat rooms, moderation and other features that apply to both text and video. Many of iChat's alert sounds from the Mac app have also been included in the code.
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04/09, 8:05pm
Adobe wants Apple to reconsider iPhone 4 SDK
Adobe Platform Evangelist Lee Brimelow today hit out at Apple's seeming decision to ban cross-compiling tools in the iPhone 4.0 SDK with accusations of excessive restrictions. He argued that there was no practical reason to make the move other than to exert "tyrannical control" and that it was part of a "crusade" against Adobe in which developers were unwillingly playing a role. He even went so far as to accuse Apple of trying to hurt Creative Suite 5, although the company had this observation pulled.
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04/09, 11:40am
Unlocking may prove greater challenge
The beta iPhone 4.0 firmware has already been jailbroken, according to claims. An updated hack was reportedly developed within hours of the firmware's release, and the keys used have been made public. The process has only been tested on the iPhone 3GS so far; a brief demonstration video can be seen below.
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04/09, 9:35am
Brings parity with Android, Windows Phone 7
Spotlight search will gain more practicality in iPhone 4.0, further investigation into the developer firmware shows. In the v3.x code, Spotlight behaves more as it does in Mac OS X, letting users retrieve local files such as songs and contacts. The v4.0 release adds the ability to search for web results, or specific entries in Wikipedia.
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04/08, 4:50pm
Framework includes several new camera functions
Apple's fourth-generation iPhone may integrate a camera flash module for capturing pictures in low-light conditions. Developers reportedly noticed a variety of new camera functions contained in the framework of the iPhone 4.0 beta released earlier on Thursday, according to AppleInsider. The code includes functions labeled AVCaptureDevice.hasFlash, AVCaptureDevice.flashMode, and AVCaptureDevice.hasTorch.
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04/08, 2:30pm
Over 100 new user features
Presenting from an event at its Cupertino headquarters, Apple has formally unveiled iPhone 4.0, the next iteration of firmware for its portable devices. The major emphasis of the code is on multitasking, allowing third-party apps to run simultaneously for the first time. People can double-tap a Home button on their device to bring up a switching interface, similar to the iPhone's homescreen dock. They then scroll through a list to load one of the running apps.
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04/06, 10:40pm
iPad's iWork apps imply printing soon
A small clue hints that Apple may add printing support in iPhone 4.0 or another update. Support notes for the iPad's iWork apps all note that "printing directly from iPad is not currently available" and imply that it will be an option at a later date. Rumors so far haven't confirmed whether or not it would appear in Thursday's special event, though it presents the first clear opportunity.
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04/06, 7:05pm
Apple to use iPhone 4 as start for ad system
Apple's planned mobile ad system should be a part of what it shows at Thursday's iPhone 4.0 event, a leak asserted Tuesday night. The platform, which may not be called iAd as rumored, should have its first details discussed in addition to features of the next mobile OS. Features of the platform weren't part of AllThingsD's escaped details.
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04/05, 3:25pm
Firmware shows up in testing
Apple may at the moment be testing not one but three different versions of the iPhone 4.0 firmware, online usage statistics suggest. Developer PixelCUBE notes that when looking at figures from analytics firm Pinch Media, it caught sight of some unusual data showing v4.0, v4.0.1 and v4.1 devices in the wild. Although it may be possible that the firmware IDs are being spoofed, Apple is known to work on several iterations of a piece of software at once.
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04/05, 12:25pm
Apple has surprise iPhone 4.0 preview
Apple today surprised the media by sending out a teaser for an iPhone 4.0 event at its Cupertino campus on Thursday. The event notice says little but offers a "peek into the feature of iPhone OS" with a large "4" casting a shadow, clearly pointing to the next major revision.
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04/03, 2:40pm
Apple may have multi-tier iPhone intro in 2010
With access to the just-launched iPad's file system, explorers have already found references to multiple new Apple handhelds in development. In addition to the already spotted iPhone 3,1, BGR has found references to iPhone 3,2 and 3,3. The discovery is unique as it suggests three discrete models where Apple normally has just one, hinting either at the Verizon iPhone or else different feature sets.
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03/31, 1:55pm
Interface restricted by iPhone limitations
The multitasking support believed to be in iPhone 4.0 will be based on Mac OS X's Expose feature, a new report hints. Proposed interfaces for the option have so far been a mystery, in part because the firmware remains deep in development. People said to be familiar with Apple plans, however, claim that the interface will definitely use an Expose-like scheme, albeit scaled down to cope with the iPhone's screen limitations.
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03/11, 12:20pm
Implications may be ambiguous
Several more differences have been spotted in beta 4 of the iPhone 3.2 SDK, currently available only to developers. Significant may be multiple references to multitasking, such as a code comment discussing a "multitasking dialog box." While multitasking is already possible in a limited sense on iPhones and iPods, several reports have suggested that Apple intends to extend the option to third-party apps.
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03/11, 11:10am
May borrow Mac interface concepts
The iPhone 4.0 firmware will definitely feature multitasking, claim several sources. Apple is said to have developed a "full-on solution" to multitasking, although no details have been leaked on how problems like battery life, memory use and processor consumption will be handled. The interface for switching between apps is also being kept in the dark, partly because it has a "way to go" before it nears final form.
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01/19, 12:35pm
More distance drawn between iPhone, tablet
Some of the first details of the iPhone 4.0 firmware have emerged, a report claims. An Apple source informs that the code will make several major changes, for instance expanding multi-touch gestures to be used across the OS, and not just in apps like Maps or Photos. There should also be "a few new ways" to run apps in the background, which is taken to mean multitasking.
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01/06, 11:30am
Could apply to iPhones, iPods, tablets
A recently-published Apple patent application suggests the introduction of 3D into some future multi-touch interfaces. Originally submitted on September 29th, 2008, the filing describes a graphical interface with 3D objects, and means of manipulating them using various gestures. Some diagrams show the interface operating on an iPhone-like device.
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