It’s not the update we were hoping to see at this point in the year, but Apple just let loose its first iPhone OS upgrade in months, v3.1.3.
Changes aren’t exactly mind blowing, but they include battery reporting accuracy improvements, a third-party app launching issue fix, and more.
As always, to get the upgrade, simply connect your iPhone to iTunes, highlight your iPhone under the Devices section of the left column, click Check for Update, and let your PC (or Mac) do the rest.
![ipad_face1[1]](http://www.pocketpccentral.net/iphone/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/ipad_face11.jpg "ipad_face1[1]")
Apple announced their long-awaited tablet today, the iPad. You can get details on the Apple iPad here.
There was no iPhone OS upgrade announcement today, however, as many expected there to be. That said, the iPad clearly runs a variant of the iPhone OS, so iPhone OS 4.0 news should be coming shortly.
The iPad will begin shipping in late March and starts at $499 with 16GB of flash storage and no built-in 3G wireless.
We’ve been hearing about it for months, and today it’s available for purchase. The newest generation TuneCast FM transmitter, dubbed the TuneCast Auto LIVE, works together with a partner iPhone app [iTunes Link] and the iPhone’s GPS unit (3G & 3GS) to find the best FM frequency for your area. You can also control the transmitter via the iPhone app, a feature added in iPhone OS 3.0.
Other features include a high-contrast LCD display, a 12-volt cigarette lighter adapter (which powers the TuneCast and charges your iPhone), programmable presets and more.
If you’re wondering, this latest TuneCast is model F8Z498. There are several TuneCast products, so be sure to check the model number if you want the latest generation.
Find out more about the Belkin TuneCast @ Amazon.com.
Source: Belkin Press Release
AT&T Mobility has lowered the price of its unlimited voice plans. The new unlimited talk time price model is $69 for individual plans and $119 for family plans with up to two numbers. Data plans are extra.
iPhone users can now get unlimited data and voice for $99 ($69 + $30 data plan) for individual lines. Existing AT&T customers can alter their plan without penalty or contract extension.
This is seemingly a movie to better position the company against other wireless carriers going forward. Rumor is Verizon Wireless may get 4th Gen iPhone later this year.
Learn more at AT&T’s wireless web site.
If you have an iPhone or an iPod touch, the XM Skydock easily transforms either device into an XM satellite radio for your car or truck.
The XM Skydock gets its power from a car’s cigarette lighter adapter and charges while you listen. You can listen via FM radio with the built-in FM transmitter, or if your auto has an AUX-in port you can connect via the included patch cable. The XM Skydock app [iTunes link] work with the dock and lets you tag music for purchase in iTunes, set favorite channels and track artists and songs.
Works with any iPhone or iPod touch running the iPhone OS 3.x. Includes a magnetic mount antenna.
Amazon.com has the XM Skydock for $35 less than MSRP.
According to Fox News host and tech blogger Clayton Morris, Apple will show off the next version of the iPhone OS at their press event next Wednesday, January 27.
The event, which was announced yesterday, is almost universally expected to be the launch of Apple’s long-awaited tablet, though this has not yet been officially confirmed by the company.
Morris reports that a source inside Apple told him on Monday that “the event would likely focus on three projects: The tablet device, iPhone 4, and a new round of iLife 2010 software.”
Neither we nor Morris expect the 4th Generation iPhone to be announced at the event, though this remains a possibility. iPhone OS updates have been nil over the last several months, reportedly because Apple’s team has been hard at work on software for the upcoming tablet. There is also speculation that, if true, the announcement of the next version of the iPhone OS alongside the unveiling of the Apple tablet makes it a lock that the tablet device will run an OS much closer to that of the iPhone than the full OS that runs on its laptops and desktops.
Including of the next version of iLife with the announcement of iPhone OS 4.0 and the tablet might indicate that a tablet-and-iPhone-friendly version of the software suite will be made available for the two devices. Touch-ready ports of iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, etc., would seem natural additions for Apple’s touch devices.
We’ve added new accessories to the iPhone 3GS Accessories Center.
The following pages have been updated:
The makers of Dragon NaturallySpeaking have ported their voice-to-text dictation technology to the iPhone. And the new app, Dragon Dictation, worked remarkably well in our tests, transcribing spoken words without a single mistake in nearly twenty attempts to trip it up.
Since the iPhone doesn’t support multitasking in third-party apps, you can’t use Dragon Dictation the way you use NaturallySpeaking on a PC; you have to copy-and-paste the resulting text into your target app, be it Mail, SMS, Notes, etc. Still, this can save you a lot of time if you’re not a fast touchscreen typist or if you have a lot to say.
Dragon Dictation [iTunes Link] is free for now. There’s been no word on the company’s plans – if any – to begin charging for the app or whether a paid version with more features is slated for release.
