Apple has posted iPhone OS update 3.0.1. This update fixes a potentially dangerous SMS vulnerability. Update available via iTunes.
This isn’t a patch, but a full OS update (280MB). iPhone OS 3.1 is expected in September.
Jul 29
Apple has rejected an app from Google that would have allowed iPhone users to access Google Voice features directly, rather than going through the service’s web site. It seems Apple and/or AT&T fear easy access to Google Voice will pose a threat to their paid services.
Google Voice is a new service (newly Googleized, at least, and currently available by invite only) which allows users to obtain a new phone number, link that number to all of their existing lines (home, office, mobile), and manage voicemail, greetings, call blocking, etc., through a Gmail-like web interface. Features are impressive, including transcribed voicemail messages sent via SMS or email, unanswered calls routed to the appropriate voicemail greetings based on user settings, and more. The service is free.
Official versions of the Google Voice application have been available for weeks on Android and BlackBerry smartphones, and Google had hoped to roll out the iPhone version as early as six weeks ago. But Apple blocked the app, and quickly thereafter began removing similar third-party Google Voice apps – like GV Mobile – from the iTunes App Store. Apple justified its action citing the apps’ duplicating iPhone features, but each had been approved weeks earlier. Apparently, once the company decided to block Google’s official Voice application, it had to remove already-approved apps with similar functionality in order to maintain some semblance of coherence on the issue.
Jul 29
Apple has released its promised iDisk app for the iPhone today, which allows users with MobileMe accounts to access and view compatible files stored on their iDisk from the phone.
MobileMe iDisk also allows you to share files with chosen recipients and password protect selected files.
Supported viewable file types include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc.), Quicktime, iWork, PDF and more, though Apple warns that files larger than 20MB may not be viewable.
MobileMe iDisk is free, but requires that you have a MobileMe account. iTunes Link
Jul 25
Samsung, together with Intrinsity, is currently hard at work on a new ARM Cortex-A8 System-On-Chip (SoC) that will provide more processing power for future handheld devices. Code-named “Hummingbird,” the SoC will run at clock speeds up to 1GHz without significant impact on battery life.
Samsung’s SoCs currently power a range of mobile devices. The Samsung S5PC100 Cortex-A8 SoC powers the iPhone 3GS, while a TI version of the Cortex-A8 is at the heart of the Palm Pre; each of these smartphones’ processors run at 600Mhz. The Hummingbird SoC is designed to provide 2000DMIPS (Dhrystone Million Instructions per Second) at 1GHz and enhanced multimedia performance with NEON technology.
Jul 20
We’ve added several new accessories to the iPhone 3GS Accessories Center.
The following pages have been updated:
Jul 17
The iPhone Edition Hands-On JayBird Endorphin Rush Earphones Review has been posted in the iPhone Edition Review Center.
Jul 14
We’re always looking for new and interesting ways of using the iPhone, and some of the most important tools in our kit are utilities – not utilities that run on the iPhone itself, but those that run within Windows or the Mac OS and allow us to do more with the iPhone.
But these tools (often popular and sometimes obscure) can be hard to find, so we’re building a new page that will become a one-stop shop for PC and Mac iPhone software tools and utilities.
Take a look at what we’ve put together so far, tell us what you like and recommend tools and utilities that we haven’t included on the list.
Jul 14
There are several situations where one might need a silent ringtone for the iPhone — the most recent being use of the new Google Voice service.
There are a handful of iPhone apps — GV Mobile, VoiceCentral, GVdialer — which allow you to dial out using your Google Voice phone number (you can also dial from the web interface). However, when using Google Voice to make an outgoing call, an incoming call to the iPhone begins each connection. If you don’t want your iPhone to ring during this incoming call, you can create a contact for your Google Voice number and assign it a silent ringer.
Unfortunately, there is no such ringtone included on the iPhone, so we’ve created a very small file (12kb) you can download and use.
Just download the ringtone file (SilentRing.m4r), connect your iPhone via iTunes and drag-and-drop the file to the iPhone section on the left-hand side of the iTunes window. The silent ringtone will now be an available option for specific contacts or as the default ringtone from the Settings > Sounds menu.
Jul 13
The iPhone Edition Hands-On Just Mobile Xtand for iPhone Review has been posted in the iPhone Review Center.
Jul 06
The iPhone Edition Hands-On Griffin Clarifi Case Review has been posted in the Review Center.
