Earlier today, we posted a report from TNW that showed UK carrier O2, had been transmitting phone numbers to every website visited via their 2G or 3G network.

After the backlash on Twitter, O2 acknowledged and fixed the issue at 2pm GMT today, followed by an apology on their blog, including a Q&A to explain exactly what happened and who was affected.

We have seen the report published this morning suggesting the potential for disclosure of customers’ mobile phone numbers to website owners. We investigated, identified and fixed it this afternoon. We would like to apologise for the concern we have caused.

The issue occurred after a routine maintenance update on January 10th, that accidentally sent user phone numbers to website hosts, along with the standard log of technical information required from the device.

Q: Why did this happen? A: Technical changes we implemented as part of routine maintenance had the unintended effect of making it possible in certain circumstances for website owners to see the mobile numbers of those browsing their site.

Technical information is normally sent to websites so that servers can deliver a ‘device-optimised’ experience. Carriers add your phone number to this information, when sending data to ‘trusted partners’, to enable services that require; age verification, premium-content billing, and carrier specific services.

It seems that O2 have fixed the problem now, but after 15 days… is it too little, too late?

Source: O2 Blog

• Text input (yes!)
• Tagging
• Page Search
• Twitter & Facebook Integration
• A number of usability improvements across the app

[$4.99 - App Store link]

Evernote, one of the most popular note-taking apps for the iPhone and iPad, has been updated to version 4.1.7 and now includes options to allow users to share notes with friends.

• Improved stability
• Addressed some sync errors
• Users can share notebooks and manage the sharing members of notebooks on both iPhone and iPad.
• Easier access to offline-notebooks (Premium only)

I use Evernote for pretty much everything, from simple note-taking to helping me remember wishful purchases and more.

• Free – iPhone App Store Link

• Free – iPad App Store Link

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

If you have already updated to iOS 5.0.1 you will not see the update; it appears to be only accessible to those that haven’t updated originally. The new build is iOS 5.0.1 (9A406) and supposedly offers some small bug fixes and stability improvements.

If anyone updates to the new version let us know if you notice any changes.

Source: TiPb Forum

Facebook have begun to roll out their new profile design: Timeline, to iPhone through the mobile optimized version of their website. The redesign features most of the important features of Timeline.

• Viewing and changing Cover Images.
• Scrolling back through time – from birth to the present day

Other features are missing, like the ability to add ‘life events’, or change the date of photos to have them listed accurately in your timeline, but overall the interface is really nice.

The new timeline interface is only viewable on profiles that have enabled them on the normal website. Timeline hasn’t rolled out on the iPad, or the native app, but no doubt it will be soon.

Source: m.facebook.com

The official Gmail blog just posted a pretty lengthy entry explaining the changes to their newly updated Gmail app for iOS. While the update doesn’t seem to be a huge one, it does bring some much wanted additions –

• Nested Label Improvements
• (iOS 5 only) A new custom sound for sound notifications
• Mobile Signature and Vacation Responder, accessible via the gear settings icon at the top of the menu view
• Numerous bug fixes and UI improvements

I personally have my Gmail account set up via the native mail app and that works fine for me. If you’re a hardcore Gmail user that lives by labels and the “Gmail way” of handling mail, this is an update you’ll most likely want to check out. The Gmail app for iOS is available for free in the App Store and the update is available now.

• App Store Link

FireCore has released a version 1.1 update for aTV Flash. If you’re a jailbroken Apple TV user, aTV Flash is definitely something you’ll want to check out. It adds a great deal of functionality to your AppleTV, and new features include custom view options, web page auto-load, playback improvements, and much more.

aTV Flash for the 2nd generation Apple TV is super easy to install after you’ve jailbroken and doesn’t mess with any of the current features your Apple TV already offers. If you’re not already jailbroken, you can jailbreak your AppleTV via Seas0nPass. You’ll just need the most recent version of Seas0nPass and a micro-usb cable. For help, you can check out our guide on how to jailbreak the AppleTV second generation. All the steps will remain the same as long as you grab the correct version of Seas0nPass for your AppleTV firmware.

If you’ve checked out the new version of aTV Flash, let us know what you think of it!

eBay has updated its iPad app and it now includes a new feature for its U.S. users called “Watch with eBay”. Watch with eBay lets you easily find items related to what you are currently watching on television.

Watch With eBay is a new and fun way to discover items from the wonderful to the unexpected, all based on what you’re watching on your television. After a few quick setup steps, you can browse and view eBay search results based on any television program currently playing in the United States*. You may find DVD sets, signed photographs from your favorite actor or athlete, movie scripts, coffee mugs, jerseys, collectible pieces, and more!

The update also includes one or two bug fixes as well as the Watch with eBay feature. eBay says that the Watch with eBay feature is U.S. only due to current program data constraints. It does say it may bring the feature to more countries later on.

[App Store link]

Apple has just released software update 4.4.3 for the Apple TV 2. The update carries a new build number (9A4051) following the last update that hit in October.

Details of the update include added support for Netflix in Mexico as well as addressing an audio problem when playing sound through the optical port when your television set is turned off. The Apple TV Software Update 4.4.3 is available now through the ‘Update Software’ option under General Settings.

(And yes, they’re still confusingly referring to iOS Software 5.x as Apple TV version 4.x — can we stop that please?)

Netflix is currently revamping its Netflix iPad app to bring it into line with its just updated apps on other platforms. The new update will include a complete redesign of the user interface.

The new design is much more immersive and provides greater focus on the growing number of titles in the Netflix catalog. In fact, the new interface displays twice as many movies and TV shows as before, enabling you to discover even more titles you’ll love. Also, we’ve taken greater advantage of the tablet’s unique features, inviting you to swipe through rows of titles featuring larger artwork.

Source: The Netflix Blog

Apple has released another update for the Apple TV, this one is numbered 4.4.2.  It appears that Apple has been having some strange problems with recent Apple TV updates with widespread reports of devices having to be restored using iTunes after the 4.4 and 4.4.1 updates. If you are already running version 4.4 or 4.4.1, Apple wants you to perform a system reset before updating to this latest version.

Apple TV devices with software version 4.4 and 4.4.1 have an issue with updating software to later versions. The recommended way to resolve this is go to Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings, prior to updating. Note: If you apply the software update without resetting all settings first, the updater will reset the settings for you.

Source: Apple

Apple has released another update for the Apple TV which takes it from version 4.4 to version 4.4.1. The update claims to fix issues with a small number of Apple TV units that needed to be connected a computer running iTunes after last week’siOS 5 update.

Addresses an issue that required a small number of Apple TV units to be connected to iTunes in order to complete the update.

A word of warning before you update, there are widespread reports that this update is causing more connect to iTunes issues than the original update. It may be wise to hold off updating until more information is available.

UPDATE: One of TiPb’s Apple TV, which we didn’t try to update until last night, ran both 4.4 and then 4.4.1 without success, still resulting in the image you see up top. We’re trying again and we’ll keep you posted.

Source: Apple Support

BT has confirmed that the release of iOS 5 caused the highest ever internet traffic spike in the UK.  We knew that Apple’s servers were under immense pressure last week with the release of iOS 5 and other updates. Even Rene joked on the podcast that Apple had brought down the internet!

Traffic levels were at their highest level ever seen within BT’s UK broadband network (wholesale through BT Retail and other content providers) on Wednesday night – this was sustained from the launch of Apple’s iPhone OS 5 until past midnight. Last night (Thursday) saw the 2nd highest we’ve ever seen on the UK broadband network, less than 10Gbits/s lower than Wednesday and sustained for a longer period of time. This exceeded previous peaks seen during Wimbledon and major England football matches.

BT claims that it was seeing more than 80Gbits/s of additional traffic; which is around double the previous maximum spike. It also claims that it had very little issue with network congestion. Not sure if everyone trying to download the updates would agree with the last part!

Source: Cult of Mac

New to these giant software releases and wondering how to upgrade your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 5? Luckily iTunes makes the process of upgrading painless. The best part is once you’re on iOS 5 you can start to receive OTA updates and you’ll never have to fuss with cables and computers again.

For now though, where you’re ready to update to iOS 5, here’s what you need to do:

1. Plug your current iPhone into your computer and open iTunes. Your phone should start to sync and backup automagically.

2. If it doesn’t start to sync automatically, click the Sync button in order to back up your device. (You can alternately right click your device name in the navigation bar and click back up as well. Either way will work just fine.)

3. iTunes may prompt you that an update is available. If it does just click update after you’ve backed up your device (iTunes will also prompt you to back up if you haven’t already.)

4. If it doesn’t, click Check for Update under the Version section.
5. The new software will start to download and then install. Your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad will restart. Don’t worry about it. Let iTunes do it’s thing and update your device to iOS 5.

6. Once it’s done updating, iTunes should prompt you to do one of two things – set up as a new device or restore from a backup. Choose to restore from a backup and select the backup you just made.
7. Once the restore is done your device will reboot. When iTunes detects it again it will start to sync back any apps and games your old iPhone had installed.

After you’ve done the initial manual update to iOS 5 you’ll have the option to use iCloud backups in the future. Do it. It’s free and it just works.

If you have any questions or have issues, check out our TiPb Forums for all the help you could ever need!

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Due, the simple but really powerful reminder app has just received a major update. It now includes new features like integration with Agenda Calendar, send reminders to friends and family via email or SMS and also the ability to receive reminders from other Due users. The full list of updates are below.

• Add reminders to Due based on your calendar events from Agenda and have Due send you right back to where you left off in Agenda.
• Send reminders to family, friends and colleagues via email or SMS. Swipe across a reminder to access the new action and sharing menu.
• Your friends using Due can also send you reminders via email and SMS. One tap on the included link, and the reminder is on its way to be saved to your copy of Due.
• Now detects links, email addresses and phone numbers in reminder titles, offering options to act on them when marked done, or via the new action menu when swiping across a reminder
• Redo support
• Keyboard now automatically shows first on the iPhone when creating a new reminder
• Removed ‘Show keyboard first’ option from Settings

Due is a universal binary so is available for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch for $4.99

[App Store link]

WordPress has updated their iOS app to version 2.9. The app now comes with a row above the keyboard with a number of rich-text and formatting options, including the ability to insert links and a new fullscreen editing mode.

It’s easy to manage your WordPress blog or site from your iOS device. With WordPress for iOS, you can moderate comments, create or edit posts and pages, and add images or videos with ease. All you need is a WordPress.com blog or a self-hosted WordPress.org site running 2.9.2 or higher.

• A Feature-Rich Content Editor. Now you can easily format text, make bulleted lists, create links, and do all kinds of other fancy stuff. (It’s about time, right?)
• Full Screen Editing. No more teeny-weeny content editor — now you can view more text at a time while you post on the go.
• Reading Made Easy. Keeping track of your favorite blogs has never been easier. Browse all the latest posts on blogs you follow in one place, right from your iPhone.
• Quick Photo will now use the post format for images (if your theme supports it).
• You can now post pictures that you’ve already taken with Quick Photo.
• Your stats referrer links and comment links can now be opened right from this app.

I won’t be using the new features too much, as I like to use Markdown for Mail on my iPad for the right formatting whenever I blog on-the-go, but I’m sure many bloggers using WordPress will welcome this update with open arms. WordPress has lacked many of the features most bloggers see as a necessity in their iOS app until this update, so go grab it and start playing around!

WordPress for iOS is available for free on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Free – App Store Link

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

It looks like the just-released iOS 5 beta 4 is an OTA update, with Apple pushing the bit-differential/delta file over the air, over 3G… if you can connect. Lots of people can’t, according to Twitter, and are getting “Try Again” errors. When it does work, however, it seems to work well.

Also, many of you are telling us you’re having no luck updating via iTunes or Xcode, with “this device isn’t eligible” errors cause all manner of frustration.

If you get your update on using either method, let us know!

[Thanks @MattAttack07]

Which version of iOS are you currently running? Apple released iOS 4.3.3/4.2.8 last week so we figured we’d see how many of you in the TiPb nation updated your primary device, be it an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to the latest and greatest?

Did you rush out an update immediately? Did you wait until you next needed to sync with iTunes and it reminded you? Did you wait for the Jailbreak before updating? Or did you not update at all?

Since you all listen to our iPhone Live and iPad Live podcasts (right?!) you know I haven’t updated yet and probably won’t until I find a bug or see a feature that really encourages me to do it. (Hey, I don’t even update my apps, remember!)

If you have multiple iOS devices, just vote based on the one you use most and either way, give us all the juicy details in the comments!

After the release of Angry Birds Rio back in March this year, Rovio is set to release the first update for the game. The update will be known as Beach Volley and Rovio say it will be available this week!

To give you a taste of what to expect, Rovio has released a short preview video showing the birds getting hurled at helicopters, pirate ships and castles decked with beach balls. It all looks like a lot of fun set against an ocean backdrop.

We will let you know as soon as the update is available and don’t forget to check out the video after the break.

[Angry Birds Facebook Page]

Apple has released an update to its MobileMe control panel specifically for Windows machines. The update (Version 1.6.6) is aimed at Outlook users who have been experiencing problems syncing their calendars with the MobileMe web app calendar.

The new update fixes issues and improves reliability for the new MobileMe Calendar in Outlook.

[Apple Support via @9to5Mac]

Do you update your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad apps? It might sound like a strange questions given Apple’s easy “Update All” button, but not everybody does. At least, I don’t. I never update an app unless it’s added a new feature or game level I want, or fixes a bug that I care about. I’m not a slacker — okay, I’m not just a slacker — I’ve had apps that worked perfectly in the past be totally ruined by a bad update, be it a horrible new feature or a really buggy release. (Insert your Twitter and Facebook jokes here.) So now I leave well enough alone and don’t update until I have to.

Am I the in the minority here? Do all of you update religiously or are some of you more hesitant (or lazy!) like me? At the moment I have 51 app updates pending for my iPhone 4, how many do you have?

Angry Birds Seasons has been updated yet again, this time for the Easter Season. The update includes:

• 15 new levels full of spring.
• New theme to fit the mood.
• Golden Eggs A-Plenty.

The update has come for both the iPhone and iPad version.

Let us know if you’re going to be collecting your Easter Eggs from those green pigs, this Easter.

[$0.99 (iPhone) - iTunes link] [$1.99 (iPad) - iTunes link]

Facebook has made some backend changes that allow users to ‘like’ comments from stories in their news feed. This has been a much-requested feature from Facebook users and, unfortunately, Facebook has only half-delivered.

As you can see from the screenshots above, comments are only “likeable” when viewing from the news feed. If you access comments from anywhere else, say notifications or a friend’s profile page, you cannot ‘like’ them.

Who’s excited about this feature and can’t wait for it to be app wide?

The new Cydia update we’ve all been anticipating for a while now is ready for your jailbreaking entertainment! Cydia 1.1 can be had by simply launching Cydia and letting the packages refresh. It should then notify you that an upgrade is available. Simply select complete upgrade and let it do its thing!

The new features of Cydia 1.1 are as follows:

• Speed improvement, such as with “Loading Changes”
• Memory usage has decreased
• Much improved search algorithm
• Lets iOS run Activator, libstatusbar, and SimulatedKeyEvents while Cydia is running

All you jailbreakers out there, get your Cydia on and let us know what changes you’re noticing in the comments!

Thanks Dave for the tip!

iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad moving at a slow crawl or just feels laggy and buggy and trying to figure out how to get it back up to speed? There are few things that you can do try. Stay with us after the break to find out how to help your iPhone out.

1. KIll recent apps in your Fast App Switcher. There might be a rogue process eating up memory.
2. Restart your iPhone (soft or hard reset).
3. Delete and re-install any apps that repeatedly give you problems.
4. If you’re jailbroken and have a ton of tweaks running, try removing them and re-adding them one at a time and see if that helps identify any problems.
5. Update your iPhone to the latest firmware. (Unless you have an iPhone 3G, in which case you might want to stick with iOS 3.1.3)
6. Restore your iPhone as new. This is a last resort — you will have to reinstall everything on your iPhone after you do this. However, it can sometimes solve problems nothing else can, especially if you previously restored from a buggy or corrupt backup image.

If you have any other ideas on how to deal with a frozen or buggy iPhone, iPad or iPod, let me know in comments!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Rovio Mobile have announced today that Angry Birds Seasons will be getting a St Patrick’s day update in the next few days. The update should have new St. Patrick’s Day levels, with more hidden golden eggs, leprechaun pigs, and 4-leaf clovers.

The update isn’t available yet but should be available in the next few days, so keep your eyes on our daily post, New and Updated iPhone and iPad apps. If you haven’t already picked up, Angry Birds Seasons, be sure to pick it up now.

Watch the trailer for the update after the break and let us know what you think.

[iTunes Link - 99c]

Twitter for iPhone has been updated to 3.3 and includes a new Quick Bar to show trends without leaving your timeline.

• Quick Bar, shows trends and other important things without leaving your timeline! Swipe the Quick Bar left/right to cycle through trends
• Trends based on your location
• Cleaner, redesigned Tweet compose screen.
• Autocomplete @usernames and hashtags
• Easier photo uploading
• Find friends using your phone’s contacts
• Improved DM conversation view, now works similar to SMS/Chat
• Cleaned up preferences
• Bug fixes

The mystery is knowing which bugs are fixed. One of the biggest bugs I’ve experienced and seen others complain about is the incorrect badge count – the notification badge always says “1″ regardless of how many new mentions or DMs you have. The other big one is that DM’s show up as new even though they have been read. Hopefully these bugs have been fixed.

If you pick this one up, let us know what you think!

[Free - iTunes link]

Angry Birds and Angry Birds HD just received an update that includes 15 new levels and a new golden egg. In the release notes, they also announced that there will be a Rio Movie commercial during the Super Bowl that includes a clue to unlock a special level.

• Adventures in the Frontier Badlands continue
• 15 new levels – all crazier than popcorn on a hot stove
• A new golden egg that is as mad as a bag of hammers
• Watch the Rio Movie Commercial during the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl to find a hidden clue which unlocks a special level of Angry Birds.

Is anyone more excited about this movie commercial than the actual Super Bowl?

If you pick this up and have a moment to pry yourself from those 15 new levels, let us know what you think!

New to iPhone, iPod touch or iPad and wondering how to make sure you’re updated and running the latest version of iOS? No problem. Apple makes this easy and we’ll show you how after the break!

Updating your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad is as simple as plugin it into iTunes and following a few steps. It can take a few minutes and you do have to pay attention to a few important choices iTunes gives you, but we’re here to help explain it along the way.

Jailbreak warning: If you are Jailbroken and want to stay Jailbroken make sure you check TiPb.com/jailbreak to see if new version can still be jailbroken.

Ready? Here we go!

1. Connect your iPhone or iPad to your computer with your USB dock cable (it came in the box with your device).
2. When iTunes opens, your device will show up with a little icon in the left sidebar. Click on it.
3. Sync your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad if you haven’t in a while. iTunes will take a backup so it can restore it after the update and you want that to be as recent as possible. The sync button is at the bottom right.
4. In the main window, click ‘check for update’.
5. If a software update is available, a box will pop up telling you about it.
6. The download will start. They’re usually pretty big so it might take a few minutes. When it’s done, iTunes will prompt you to install it.
7. The install will take a few minutes and your iPhone will reboot.
8. Once the update is finished iTunes will ask if you want to restore from a previous backup or set up as a new device. Almost always restore from backup, you’ll save yourself a ton of work entering all your info and apps again.
9. Your iPhone will restart again once the restore is finished, then sync with iTunes to get all your apps and media loaded back on. Again, this can take a while depending on how much stuff you have.
10. That’s it, you’re done!

Hope this has helped out some new users! If you have any questions or extra tips please let us know in comments. If you need any extra expert help, check out the TiPb Forums!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Facebook has yet again released an update for their iPhone and iPod touch application, this time with some long overdue UI improvements as well as bug fixes.

• Improved reliability in chat and messages
• Improved notifications UI
• Fixed memory usage
• Fixed some crashes
• Walls you cannot post on no longer show the text field at the top
• Restore ability to post as a page that you admin
• Fixed group photos
• Various Places improvements

Having just downloaded this update and played around with it for a few minutes I will say the new notifications UI is long overdue and provides a much cleaner and easier to use interface. Hopefully this update will also fix many of the issues users have been hoping to see fixed for a while now.

So go ahead and grab your updated Facebook app and let us know what you think of the improvements and as always if you have any issues we want to hear about those as well.

Apple released firmware updates for both the AirPort Wi-Fi router and Time Capsule router + hard drive combo today to version 7.5.2, in part to fix AirPlay bugs that prevented some users from properly streaming content from their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to their Apple TV.

• General fixes to Wi-Fi base station stability
• General fixes with USB interoperability including connection to external storage devices
• Fixes some issues with NAT port mapping settings
• Disables TKIP security with 802.11n rates per the Wi-Fi Alliance specifications

Apple also updated the Airport Utility for both Mac and Windows to version 5.5.2.

• Resolves an issue that caused the DHCP settings tab to display incorrectly
• Resolves an issue that caused the application to quit unexpectedly when automatically launched
• Resolves an issue that prevented the network password from being stored in the Keychain when the network on the 5GHz band was named differently

Were you having any issues with AirPlay? If so, does the update correct them?

[TUAW x2]

Good news for all of you Cut the Rope fans out there as Zepto Lab and Chillingo are getting ready to release an all new holiday gift version in time for Christmas. Many games such as Doodle Jump and Angry Birds have started the trend of releasing holiday game versions. I’m glad to see Cut the Rope is going to follow that trend.

Cut the Rope’s most recent update added UI enhancements and an all new Cosmic Box world. I just beat it yesterday by collecting all 3 stars in every level. I’m personally really looking forward to the Christmas release. Just as the Angry Birds holiday version was a separate app, Cut the Rope is going to follow with that trend. Don’t get upset yet though. They’ll be offering the Holiday Gift version of their app for free!

UPDATE: Cut the Rope Holiday Gift is now live in the iTunes App Store, go get it! [Free - iTunes link]

Anyone else excited to see On Nom wear some reindeer antlers?

As we reported earlier, Apple has announced that sometime today we will finally see the much anticipated iOS 4.2 update for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad and what’s more — Apple TV should be getting 4.2 today as well.

What everyone is anticipating is the use of AirPlay, which was probably a big selling point for most buyers of the new Apple TV. Now any iOS 4.2 equipped device will be able to send videos, audio, and photos to their big TV screen.

VoiceOver is also making its way to Apple TV with this update and can be turned on in the accessibility menu. This new feature will read menu items to users and can also read information like episode/movie descriptions to users as well.

Keep an eye out for Apple TV 4.2 today while you are anxiously awaiting iOS 4.2 for your other devices. Let us know when you see it and how AirPlay and VoiceOver are working out for you in the comments section below. And if you need help or just want to chat, head on over to our Apple TV Forum!

[ MacWorld ]

Looks like the Apple software update servers are acting very oddly this morning. They are sporadically going down, then back up. Could this mean iOS 4.2 is imminent? As we near the end of November, it isn’t unreasonable to think that Apple is getting close to releasing iOS 4.2. As of now, I’ve had the update servers tell me twice the update servers couldn’t be contacted. Once it told me my software is up to date. We’ll keep checking!

And a friendly reminder to jailbreakers, make sure you save your SHSH blobs and don’t get too update button happy. If you’d like to keep your jailbreak, make sure you don’t upgrade to iOS 4.2 until a jailbreak released.

[via Macrumors]

Fruit Ninja is one of the most popular iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad games in the App Store. Up until now, on the menu select screen, there has been a mysterious banana-shaped mode, marked as “coming soon”. Well soon is now and Halfbrick have finally revealed “Arcade Mode” — 60 seconds, 3 power ups,

Double Points – This banana will award you double points for a short period of time. Criticals and combos count too, so rack up those fruit for some massive scores!

Frenzy – If you’re not content with the amount of fruit on screen, the Frenzy banana will take care of that. A mammoth amount of fruit will begin flying in, but you have to stay focused to slice it all!

Freeze – The entire screen will slow down, allowing for maximum accuracy and combo potential!

The Fruit Ninja update is available in the App Store now.

Video after the break and if you try Arcade Mode, let us know what you think!

[iPhone/iPod touch iTunes link, iPad iTunes link]

Arguably one of the most addictive games for iOS, Angry Birds, has just received a pretty significant update that is now available in the App Store. The update gives you the following improvements and add-ons.

• Game Center support
• Retina Display compatibility
• 15 new levels

This is a free update for those of you who own the app and if you don’t, just spend the $.99 already…

[Angry Birds - iTunes link]

iOS 4.1 went live just a short time ago and we’re eager to hear if you updated or if you’re waiting, and if you did update, whether or not the update fixed any issues you had with iOS 4.

In addition to all the new features like Game Center and HDR photography, iOS 4.1 also claims to fix proximity sensor, Bluetooth, and iPhone 3G performance bugs.

Let us know in the poll up top, and give us the details in the comments below!

Ars Technica has confirmed that the new Apple TV software and features won’t be coming to the old Apple TV.

We confirmed with an Apple spokesperson that the maximum HD resolution of the Apple TV is 720p, consistent with recent rumors. Additionally, there will be no software update to bring the new features to older Apple TVs. Older Apple TVs will continue to work as they have been working up to this point, and they will continue to be able to purchase movies and TV shows even though the new Apple TV is rental-only.

Though it stands to reason, given that the old Apple TV runs a variation of OS X (Tiger?) on Intel and the new one runs a variation of iOS (4.x?) on Apple A4, and Apple probably doesn’t want to devote any resources to making a distinct update to a now dead system, those expecting TV rentals and Netflix support will no doubt be unhappy.

However, those who preferred to be able to sync and buy their media on-device won’t be shedding any tears, or trying to avoid any updates that take those features away.

Which side are you on? And does this change anyone’s mind about updating?

[Ars]

Angry Birds for iPhone and its big brother, Angry Birds HD for iPad, have been updated to make it even birdier and, I fear, angrier. New features in version 1.4.1 consist of:

• 15 levels have been reconstructed
• A new golden egg has been added
• Fresh new achievements are included
• And, um… fantastic feathered fun is plentiful

The iPad version hit a couple of days ago. The iPhone version is just hitting now. If you try out either update, let us know what you think.

[iTunes for iPhone, iTunes for iPad]

Facebook for iOS 4 has been updated to version 1.4. The new additions are as follows:

• Updated for iOS 4: Fast App Switching along with high resolution icons.
• Korean and Russian localizations.
• Other minor bug fixes.

Unlike the last Facebook update, there is no mention of the bugs that have been corrected.

Have you updated yet? If so let us know how it’s working for you!

The final release version of iOS 4 for iPhone and iPod touch has just gone live and is now available via iTunes. It weighs in at 378MB. Remember, you need iTunes 9.2, and if you’re running the GM you need to hit Restore as Update will think you already have iOS 4

We’re downloading now, and we assume you are too. So we’ll be back with more news asap and in the mean time, sound off in the comments and let us know how it’s working for you, how you like it, and what new goodies you’re finding.

If you need help, check out our iOS 4 checklist for links to everything from how to upgrade to our video quick-start guide to our massive iOS 4 walkthrough or dive right into the TiPb iPhone Forums.

If you are a Pandora user and are currently running iOS 4 on your iPhone or iPod touch then head into the App Store to update the app to version 3.1 which contains the new multitasking feature. Today, at some point, Apple will be releasing iOS 4 to the masses so it is no surprise we will start to see many applications in the App Store updated to be compatible with iOS 4.

So waste no time and take advantage of the latest version of Pandora!

[Thanks to all of you who sent this in!]

Interesting – Rogers and their Fido subsidiary pushed out a Carrier Settings Update for the iPhone (to version 7.1 for those keeping track). More interesting – iOS 4 to pops it up over-the-air and offers to install it on-device. (Best as we can remember, the last update popped up in, and was installed by, iTunes on the desktop).

One more step towards the tether-less future. Anyone else, anywhere else, get an update?

[Thanks for the tip, Alex!]

Apple is taking MobileMe’s web apps down for maintenance from 10pm to 12am PST tonight. MacRumors has heard this may just be to tweak the interface and add new functionality that:

will see the rolling out of several new enhancements, including an official launch of the redesigned Mail interface for MobileMe that has been available in beta form for the past month. Included in this rollout will be push functionality for the Web-based Mail client, providing real-time updating as messages arrive.

Apple is also reportedly removing the MobileMe “toolbar” for the various Web applications offered by the service, replacing the toolbar with a single “application switcher” icon that will allow users to switch between Web applications.

They’ve also heard a dedicated, universal iPhone and IPad app for Find My iPhone is on its way as well. That would be a first, since Apple hasn’t so far updated any of their existing iPhone apps for iPad.

I guess we’ll see come tomorrow.

[MobileMe System Status, MacRumors]

Today the free Netflix iPad application was updated to support video output via Apple’s optional dock connector to VGA adapter. This lets you watch your video on a much larger display. It’s a feature I have been waiting for since the application was available and a much welcomed addition to this app!

To watch instant content you do need a Netflix subscription and if you plan on using that VGA adapter (available from Apple Online) to watch an iTunes video you can forget about it as Apple hasn’t enabled that for anything other than their A/V composite and component cables.

If you give this a try let us know how it goes in the comments below!

[iTunes Link]

Apple has updated the support document that details iPad Wi_fi connection issues, adding that a software fix is indeed in the works. Two of the main Wi-Fi issues include a weak signal and forgotten passwords.

While waiting for Apple, if you happen to be part of the “very small number” of iPad users suffering from these iPad Wi-Fi issues, you can try some of the following workarounds:

• Update your Wi-Fi router firmware
• Use WPA or WPA2 for your wireless security
• Adjusting screen brightness
• Renew your IP address

Any of these solutions work for you? Still having issues? Let us know in the comments below!

[Apple via Mac Rumors]

Today Apple pushed out an update for iTunes with version 9.1.1. The update weighs in at 102 MB and contains a bunch of bug fixes along with some nice new features that are geared more toward iPad users.

• Addresses several stability issues with VoiceOver
• Addresses a usability issue with VoiceOver and Genius Mixes
• Addresses issues with converting songs to 128 kbps AAC while syncing
• Addresses other issues that improve stability and performance
• Sync with iPad to enjoy your favorite music, movies, TV shows, books and more on the go
• Organize and sync books you’ve downloaded from iBooks on iPad or added to your iTunes library
• Rename, rearrange, or remove Genius Mixes

So if you have not done so already, update and let us know how it goes in the comments below!

BeejiveIM [iTunes Link - $9.99] has always been one of TiPb’s favorite IM clients and it continues to impress with the release of version 3.2. This application is arguably one of the finest IM clients currently available for the iPhone and iPod touch and with the following enhancements it’s hard for anyone to dispute.

• Performance enhancements, faster startup time, especially with large number of chats open.
• Dynamic message loading for chats. By default, only the previous 50 messages (configurable) in a chat is loaded at startup, scroll up to load more.
• Groups button added to buddy list (as in contacts.app)
• Search moved to inside buddy list (as in contacts.app)
• Several bug fixes, including several Facebook sync crash problems.
• Several minor UI enhancements

If BeejiveIM is already in your arsonal of apps what are you waiting for, head to the App Store and update now. For those of you still shopping around for a more than decent IM client, BeejiveIM is top notch.

Let us know how it works for you!

One of Phil Schiller’s favorite iPhone apps, ESPN ScoreCenter, [iTunes Link] just got that much better with the addition of push notifications. Even better you get the ESPN SportsCenter jingle as your notification sound.

With ESPN ScoreCenter you get real-time scores, live game details, game summaries and stats for 9 major sports including the following: MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, Soccer, NCAA Football and Basketball, NASCAR, Golf, and Tennis.

The only major sport that I wish was included is MMA (mixed martial arts) coverage. That would make this app absolutely unreal. Life goes on and at the end of the day, with push notifications, this is the best sports app to get your up to the minute sports information and best yet, it’s free!

One more image after the break!

Are you still on the hunt for the right GPS navigation application? Sygic Mobile Maps [$59.00 - US iTunes Link] has just gotten a much needed update and we are happy to report is has polished this GPS app nicely. Gone is the lag we experienced along with the addition of some other much anticipated features.

• Now with text-to-speech – voice guidance announcing the name of the next street or road
• Choose addresses straight from your iPhone contacts and navigate to.
• Music playback fades out smoothly so you can better hear the voice instructions.
• Improved GPS lock, now faster than ever.
• Smoother position display as you follow your route.
• Increased font size of street names and information bars for improved readability.
• No disclaimer warning message after completion of phone call.

So if you currently have this application, update now! If not and you’re still on the lookout for a good GPS app, Sygic Mobile Maps is definitely worth a look.

The much-discussed SlingPlayer Mobile for iPhone application is once again back in the news again. The Boy Genius is reporting Sling Media has submitted a fairly significant SlingPlayer update to Apple. Version 1.1 will Include the following:

• True 16×9 wide-screen support
• Improved remote control interface
• Faster speeds all around including channel changing, initial connection, and remote control response

Sling Media also let BGR know that a completely separate application has been submitted for outside of the USA that contains all of the above along with 3G support. Your guess is as good as ours as to whether or not Apple will let this update into the App Store. Without AT&T pulling Apple’s strings it is a possibility everyone outside of the good old USA will enjoy 3G Sling streaming.

So what do you think, will the 3G version make it through to any non-AT&T customers?

UPDATE: Gizmodo received a statement from Apple regarding the 3.0.1 software update:

We appreciate the information provided to us about SMS vulnerabilities which affect several mobile phone platforms. This morning, less than 24 hours after a demonstration of this exploit, we’ve issued a free software update that eliminates the vulnerability from the iPhone. Contrary to what’s been reported, no one has been able to take control of the iPhone to gain access to personal information using this exploit.

ORIGINAL: Apple just went ahead and dropped the iPhone OS 3.0.1 software update for all users to grab directly from iTunes. Still no mention on Apple’s site of what exactly this update includes besides the patching of the recently discovered SMS vulnerability – just don’t expect much of anything else except for the possibility of some potential bug fixes.

Updated yet? Notice anything new? Not going to update? Let us know in the comments below!

As with any update from Apple, if you are currently running the 3.0 software jailbroken, do not update if you wish to keep your device in it’s current state. Updating will break your jailbreak.

Apple has stealthily updated their premium in-ear headset with remote and mic. What exactly did they update? Well nothing major but it’s an update regardless – they replaced the soft rubber 3.5 mm headphone plug casing with a hard plastic one. So now instead of the soft rubber falling off we will now start to see the hard plastic replacement crack.

All joking aside, Apple really got these headphones almost perfect. And as a bonus they are now fully compatible with iPhone 3GS. Sorry first generation and 3G owners, you are still missing out on the control features.

Be sure to check out Rene’s full review from this past January.

[Via AppleInsider]

We covered some new finds in iPhone 3.0 over the weekend, including MobileMe data merge and commercial Wi-Fi auto-join, but we’ve also updated our complete iPhone 3.0 walkthrough with all that and more, so if you haven’t checked it out lately, go take a look.

It’s still months from Apple’s nebulous ‘”summer” release date, so more will change, and maybe even a bit more will be added before it drops, let us know if there’s anything specific you’re looking for, from Apple, or from us!

Owner of a previous generation Airport Extreme or Time Capsule WiFi router and jealous of the newer versions Apple dropped this week? Well, while you can’t shove the drool-inducing, iPhone-friendly dual-radios into the older tech, you can now upgrade them to firmware 7.4.1 which includes the new MobileMe / Back to My Mac sharing feature for AirDisks.

Fire up Software Update and go get it!

(Via @TUAW)

So today I had a bit of a scare. I went to sync my iPhone 3G with my Macbook and noticed when I’d plug in the phone it would say it is syncing while iTunes simply showed nothing — no kind of response whatsoever. Yes, everything is up to date on my Macbook so that was not the problem. After a few reboots of the Macbook and iPhone the same behavior still continued like clockwork.

Next step was to do some research online and send off an email to Rene for some more ideas. To our surprise this seems to be a bigger than we thought with many people seeing the same issue. I decided it could not hurt to give Apple a call about this and as I was on hold I figured I’d try one more time and shockingly it worked. I had to do a double take at my screens but it worked. To make sure it was not a fluke I unplugged everything and rebooted both Macbook and iPhone, still worked!

This issue seems to be completely random and Apple claims to be looking into it. So, if this happens to you, keep trying to sync, chances are you may get lucky. I’d say avoid doing a complete restore to your phone because if it does lock up during the restore you will be left with a empty iPhone. That’s not good.

Hope Apple updates iTunes fast to prevent this from happening to any of our readers. In the meantime, have any of you had this misfortune?

Let us know!

[Thanks to @Rene for the backup!]

What has the MobileMe team gone and gotten us for the holidays? Why, a slew of pre-New Year updates! Specific to the iPhone:

• Resolved an issue that could cause some contacts to temporarily disappear on iPhone or iPod touch when syncing with MobileMe over an intermittent network connection; iPhone Software 2.2 is required to take full advantage of this
• Improves reliability of new email notifications on an iPhone/iPod touch
• Messages just deleted on iPhone, iPod touch, or a desktop mail application now update more quickly on webmail

And, most importantly to Mac users who previously saw the “push” and “Exchange for the rest of us” labels vanish in a cloud of, er… more like 15 min…

• Contacts, calendars, and bookmarks on a Mac sync automatically within a minute of the change being made on the computer, another device, or the web at www.me.com; Mac OS X 10.5.6 is required

Well, they had me at “Back to My Mac” and “Sync”, but if you’re a MobileMe user, is this enough to get you to renew? If you’re not, is it enough to get you to sign up?

Ars Technica‘s David Chartier has sleuthed out a support document that reveals all sorts of updates to Apple’s MobileMe “push” service on the web side.

Many of the WebApp updates are resolutions to previous smaller problems, like keyboard shortcut behavior, compatibility with Internet Explorer 7, and the experience when viewing photo galleries on the iPhone or iPod Touch.

Ars rightly points out that it’s nice that Apple not only published the article, but actually detailed what they more often than not sweep under the rug of “this update includes bug fixes and improved compatibility”. We likes the info. However, it would have been nice to push out word of the update via Apple’s MobileMe News “blog”, as RSS notification beats digging through knowledge base articles any day.

If you’re a MobileMe user, let us know if any of this makes your life easier!

With the Apple’s release today of the iPhone 2.1 firmware update, that’s the exact question many people will be asking. Hey, we at TiPb asked it ourselves — for all of about 0.1 seconds before diving headlong into iTunes, for the good of our readers, of course.

So what’s new in iPhone 2.1, is it compelling enough for you to update, and who should avoid it at all costs?

Answers after the jump!

What’s in the 2.1 Update

According to Apple, iPhone version 2.1 contains many bug fixes and improvements, including the following: 

• decrease in call set-up failures and call drops 
• significantly improved battery life for most users 
• dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes 
• improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts 
• faster installation of 3rd party applications 
• fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes if you have lots of 3rd party applications 
• improved performance in text messaging 
• faster loading and searching of contacts 
• improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display 
• repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages 
• option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts 
• Genius playlist creation 

Who Should Update?

While some may feel, especially given recent history, that best practices are to wait a few days for the guinea pigs… er… early adopters to kick the tires and discover any deal-breaking bugs, if you’re already suffering from any of the problems listed above, especially 3G connection issues, dropped called, frequent crashes, or severely long backups, or if the latest security fixes are a must, then bite the bullet and update asap. There’s always a risk something might go wrong, but you’re likely suffering immense frustration already, and the benefits in that case clearly outweigh theoretical drawbacks.

Who Shouldn’t Update?

First and foremost: those of you who have jailbroken your iPhone 3G or 2G, or unlocked your 2G. While the 133t hax0rs over at iPhone DevTeam are Scotty-class miracle workers, they will always lag behind Apple and it might take them a few days, or even weeks, to crack whatever Apple’s cooked into the latest/greatest firmware. (Like the iTunes 8 patch they’ve already let loose). If you’re rolling with a jailbroken or unlocked iPhone, stay clear until you’re given the all-clear. We’ll always let you know right quick when/if there are any developments in that area.

Likewise, if you’re one of the 98% Apple claims already has a rock-solid 2.0.x iPhone, and won’t absolutely die if you don’t get Genius Playlist functionality, like, immediately, then you have nothing to lose by hanging back and waiting a few days to make sure 2.1 doesn’t blow up in anyone’s faces. Keep reading TiPb, and in a week or so, when confidence levels are high, you can take the plunge — if you feel like it.

Also, Vista users who haven’t yet fixed their iTunes 8 problems are encouraged to do that first, before chancing even greater BSOD wrath with 2.1.

Conclusion

Bottom line, if you’re happy with your 2.x (or even 1.x!) iPhone right now, save yourself the potential pain frustration and wait to update until there’s a compelling reason to update.

If, on the other hand, 2.x is giving you nothing but headaches, or the 2.1 features are must-haves, go ahead and update now. Things can’t get any worse, can they? And ZOMG! you can has Genius Playlists in ur iPhone like nowz!

Whatever you do, let us know. And if you do run into problems, be sure to head on over to our forums and harness a little crowd-sourced help!

Steve Ballmer (allegedly!) only throws chairs and smashes furniture. Can we even imagine what Steve Jobs must do to those who harshen Apple’s mellow? Probably makes Dark Force lightning pale by comparison, as the MobileMe team has no doubt been finding out these last, long two weeks. Thus the new MobileMe Status page with its preface: “Steve Jobs has asked me to write” (though “me” him/herself is not named).

At first we’re reminded Apple can stick to the talking points better than half the pundits in Washington, as all our favorites are recycled: “rocky road”, “1%”, but then — remarkably — we get this:

Last Friday a serious problem with one of our mail servers blocked those members’ access to their MobileMe mail accounts. As of today a team was able to restore limited web access to those accounts so the affected members can use their browsers to read mail that has arrived since last Friday (though not before) as well as send and receive new mail. The team has already begun rolling out restoration of full access for all the accounts and expect to finish by the end of next week. We particularly regret to report the loss in the affected accounts of approximately 10% of the messages received between July 16 and July 18.

The mystery “me” goes on to explain some of the problems with the WebApps (unexpected traffic surge at launch), and says they’ve fixed some IMAP mail issues, Calendar bugs, scaling problems, and general performance.

Overall, good first step, but as anyone used to dealing with Apple knows, there’s plenty a trip twixt each step on the way to accountability. Let’s keep them coming, “me”!

And if you’re one of the 1%-ers still without email, you may want to subscribe to the page’s RSS feed so your favorite newsreader can alert you every other day or so when a new update gets posted.

Note: There’s also been an update to Apple’s Knowledge Base article on the matter.

(Via MacRumors)

Given the general sluggishness and overall er… crashing issues many — including us — have raised about the new iPhone 2.0 update, it can’t come as any surprise that Apple is prepping a 2.0.1.

But could we already have confirmation? Intrepid Boy Genius Reporters scoured their server logs and came across:

[S]ome interesting build numbers for the iPhone and iPhone 3G. It appears that AT&T and Apple are testing iPhone device software version 2.0.1, builds 5B101 (iPhone) and 5B103 (iPhone 3G). Although we are not certain of much more information than this little bit, we do know that testing began prior to the launch of device software 2.0 and the iPhone 3G on July 11th. We have also narrowed down the known test users to the San Francisco (40 mins from Cupertino) and Atlanta (HQ of AT&T Mobility) areas. Hmm.

Doubtless it will include Apple’s usually opaque description along the lines of “Fixes compatibility and general stability”. Fortunately, this time around that’s just what we need!

Read

A New Version of the iPhone SDK is Now Available. Seventh beta version just posted.

So quoth developer.apple.com/iphone, continuing their breakneck, nigh-unprecedented release pace for the iPhone Software Developer Kit (SDK) and iPhone 2.0 beta firmware.

As always, enterprising developers will likely comb through every string and bit in the new release, looking for new features, and hoping strike gold as they have in the past. I’m still holding my breath for video recording and… cut and paste, but admittedly any new discovery will be welcome.

Meanwhile Apple Software Update is now delivering Quicktime 7.5, one of the core components of the Mac’s, and iTunes’ graphic layers. If you’re not prompted for it, and don’t want to trigger it via the utility proper, just surf on over to Apple and grab the direct download. (Note: Mac users will require a reboot — like we said, it’s core level. Windows users, please let us know if you’re likewise sent to the restart.).

Speaking of iTunes, iPhone 3G specs indicate iTunes 7.7 will be required to use Apple’s new handset, so expect another update sometime between now and the July 11th first release date. Other than iPhone 3G specific support and shifting activation to carrier stores, it’s unknown what else the update will bring.

Anyone want to guess? What’s hidden in 2.0 Beta 7, and iTunes 7.7? Give us your best shots!

I’m starting to think I really do have clout around this interweb thing (I can dream)

First, Installer.app received a search feature after I complained about the lack of it in my review. Now, my other complaint, the slight hesitation after installing new programs that sends you back to your unlock screen, has been fixed. It now quickly relaunches your Home Screen to seamlessly load the newly downloaded programs, which essentially makes Installer.app and its functions even more integrated into the iPhone.

Other noteworthy items in the update include the ability to refresh one source at a time and a search feature in the Uninstall category. Now in v3.11, Installer.app is becoming a powerhouse of a program and perhaps the most integrated native app that jailbreaking has to offer.

Installer.app is automatically installed when you jailbreak your iPhone with iLiberty+ or ZiPhone.

According to Engadget, Apple is serving up (yet another?) new beta firmware, this one doing away with the (confusing?) 1.2.0 designation and lining up squarely behind Steve Jobs’ announced 2.0 labeling.

Aside from some VPN, mail, and ActiveSync tweaks and re-org’s, Engadget can’t find much else aside from the shiny new version release, but as June gets closer, no doubt Apple’s engineers will get busier!

The iPhone FAQ is reporting that the issue we’ve seen with the earlier leaked 1.1.3 ROM update holds with the official ROM update. To wit: if you decide to downgrade your iPhone back to 1.1.2 (or even earlier), you’re phone will think that your SIM is invalid no matter what. You’ll quasi-brick your iPhone. I say “quasi” because it does seem you can safely upgrade to 1.1.3 again.

Anyway, the advice that Phone different has given you again and again still holds true: if you’ve done anything non-standard to your iPhone, stay the heck away from new updates until the hackers have had a chance to put it through its paces. Then again, the new location feature is super sweet, sweet enough that even if you do love Lights Out, it’s probably worth it to upgrade. After all, the SDK is getting released next month.

Here I had thought that Apple released it on Friday, in conjunction with their european iPhone launch. No, they officially launched it Monday night, to little fanfare. Again, there isn’t much to this update. It closes the TIFF vulnerability that allows people to easily hack their iPhones at jailbreakme.com, that’s about it.

My understanding of feature updates is this: Apple has to dangle the carrot to make official firmwares more compelling than unofficial, hacked firmwares. Are iTunes charging icons and international keyboards going to cut it?

Apple has released the 1.1.2 firmware for the iPhone out into the wild a little early, probably so that folks in Europe can download it directly when they get home. The 1.1.2 update weighs in at about 160MB, and it does update the baseband radio as well, bringing the radio software to 04.02.13G (from 04.01.13G in case you were wondering, and you probably weren’t). You can download the update directly from Apple.

As we’ve reported before, the 1.1.2 update closes the TIFF vulnerability that allows for the easy jailbreak from jailbreakme.com — I just used that site again yesterday to prepare an iPhone with 1.1.2 for Kevin of CrackBerry.com to use on his Rogers SIM card, and it just amazes me how easy it all is.

Apple has confirmed to pocket-lint.co.uk that the next firmware update, version 1.1.2, will be available tomorrow. The update brings several internationally-themed updates like international keyboards. UK users also get access to free wi-fi via The Cloud.

This update will fix the TIFF vulnerability, meaning that users can browse a bit safer. However, the closing of this security vulnerability means that the extremely easy AppSnapp method of installing 3rd party apps found at jailbreakme.com will cease to work.

We mentioned the release of iTunes and Quicktime in our podcast yesterday, but haven’t provided any release notes. There’s not a lot in terms of content for anyone deciding to update or not. Ambrosia reports that iToner still works — though the initial update will wipe out iToner ringtones, you can easily sync them over. The iTunes doesn’t touch a user’s library file, so there shouldn’t be any risk of anything. The QuickTime update includes improvements for converting video for the iPhone. Are you excited about this? Yah, me neither.

I’ve said it before, but the iPhone and Leopard were supposed to come out together. That’s why we have functionality orphans like Mail and Notes.

Well, Apple has a page up with 300 of the new features coming with Leopard on October 26. There are a few of note, one of which was noticed at jkOnTheRun:

Write handy notes you can access from anywhere — including graphics, colored text, and attachments. Group notes into folders or create Smart Mailboxes that automatically group them. Your notes folder acts like an email mailbox, so you can retrieve notes from any Mac or PC or access them from your iPhone.

There’s a little blurb about To-Dos as well. They’re getting integrated into the mail client. Hmmm… it would make sense why the Calendar application doesn’t have to-do items, if Apple has been planning to put them into their Mail application. This functionality would make Apple’s Mail.app a lot more like Outlook, which I think most people will welcome.

Create to-do items directly from email messages or notes in Mail. Simply highlight text in an email, then click the To Do button to create a to-do from a message.

I don’t think it’s long before we get a Leopard patch for the iPhone. I’d imagine that an iTunes update will accompany it as well, unless the functionality to sync to-dos and Notes is already hidden within the current version of iTunes. There may be other hidden iPhone updates as well; rest assured that I’ll post as soon as I read about them.

To say in the very least, the 1.1.1 version hasn’t been popular with many folks. A lot of people think that Apple went over the line in bricking iPhones, but that opinion isn’t shared by everybody. Rainer Brockenhoff, for example, doesn’t think that the firmware update was malicious in nature, that it was technical in nature. Erica Sadun of TUAW agrees:

“If they wanted to brick hacked iPhones, they could have done a much better job of it.”

Sadun, speaking in an interview with Wired, thinks that the iPhone 1.0 firmware was a rush job, something done to get it out the door in time for the deadline that Jobs imposed when he announced the iPhone in January. Wired speculates that the 1.1.1 firmware update is a “[from the] ground-up rewrite,” with many security features like CRC checksums and new firmware encryption schemes.

And the 1.1.1 firmware hasn’t been all roses. There are many reports of problems with the update (exhibits one, two, and three). Sadun goes as far to call it “messed-up” and “botched.” Our own Dieter Bohn had a few agonizing hours trying to figure out how he destroyed the audio after the update. All of it makes this Jobs quote from the NY Times more awkward:

“You don’t want your phone to be like a PC… The last thing you want is to have loaded three apps on your phone and then you go to make a call and it doesn’t work anymore. These are more like iPods than they are like computers.”

Similarly, you don’t want to have hacked your iPhone and applied the update and then you go to make a call and it doesn’t work anymore. And I think a lot of the people that bricked their iPhones won’t be rushing out to buy another one in spite of this helpful spokesperson’s advice:

“If the damage was due to use of an unauthorized software application, voiding their warranty, they should purchase a new iPhone.”

It sounds like a lot of people may have applied the unlocks that are causing trouble with the 1.1.1 update. Apple risks losing a lot of the good will press that they’ve enjoyed so much of for free over the past few years, and I’m curious to see how they handle this current fiasco.

I’m speculating idly, but I wonder if Apple is looking to fix their mistake by posting another firmware update that fixes some of the repoted installation and sync problems, and de-bricks some of the unlocked iPhones. The last time they were getting negative press like this (the price cut), they posted their $100 early adopter bit, and they were pretty dang quick about it. How Apple ends up dealing with bricked iPhones could say alot about whether that price cut was a reaction to events or a carefully scripted set of events itself.

Ambrosia Software, makers of iToner, a software program used to put ringtones on an iPhone, have announced that they are still working on fixing iToner for firmware version 1.1.1. They expect to have an update Real Soon Now:

“it’s our job to make iToner continue to function as a product… and we think we’re going to be able to do just that. Very shortly we will be beta testing iToner 1.0.3 which we believe will bring iPhone OS 1.1.1 compatibility to iToner.”

And wireless positioning firm Navizon, who had a nice cell tower triangulation software bit called, cough, Navizon (discussed here), announced that though they’d give back refunds to users that upgraded to 1.1.1, they’re still alive and kicking and will continue efforts for users that are running firmware 1.0.2.

Well, the first major update is out. It brings some cosmetic changes to the iPhone, and fixes a few glaring issues. The ability to purchase tracks on iTunes is great, and I can see iTunes going a long way with this. For example, if Apple could get radio stations to have some sort of standardized ‘now playing’ list in exchange for money or shared revenue or something, perhaps one could buy a song that one heard on the radio and liked. That would be a much more dramatic tie-in than say, Starbucks.

The other major niggle fixed by this update is the ability to set different alert sounds for text messages, and linked alert sounds to the overal ringer volume. In other words, incoming text messages and calendar alerts now have a chance of actually grabbing my attention. Apple added ‘chime’, ‘glass’, ‘horn’, ‘bell’, and ‘electronic’. Needless to say, I’d rather be able to buy a ringtone and assign it; there’s got to be some sound effect CDs in their iTunes Music section, or maybe some gong sound at the beginning of a song or something, but the selection of alert sounds and ability to change their volume is a welcome change. You know, like someone pulling a splinter out of your arm. I’d like to go on record to state that this update is also better than a poke in the eye.

Still, there are things I was hoping for in the update that aren’t here yet. There’s still no To-Do functionality, still no Stereo Bluetooth, still no OBEX Bluetooth. There’s no Notes sync, no SDK or Widgets support (unless Apple’s hiding it for a later surprise). Apple still has a long way to go with their iPhone software, and if this update is an indication, there will be many many months before me and pure bliss.

In all though, I wouldn’t change the scores I gave to the iPhone when I first reviewed it. As a quick recap, I gave it 7/10 if you’re coming from the smartphone world, 9/10 if you’re coming from the featurephone world. The lack of ringtones and alert messages were major flaws, to be sure. But the lack of installable applications, games, To-Do lists, editable office documents (Notes still doesn’t cut it; who can write anything major in Marker Felt?), Stereo Bluetooth, ObEx, USB Mass Storage, eBook reader, cut and paste, Exchange, no multiple recipient SMS, no AIM or other instant messaging, no video record, no wireless sync….

• On a mac, hold down the “option” key while clicking on the “restore” button. Then you can select the firmware file you want, just look for the file named iPhone1,11.0.21C28_Restore.ipsw, it should be in your home folder under Library/iTunes/iPhone Software Update.
• On a Windows PC, hold down the “shift” key while clicking on the “restore” button. Then select the firmware version you want — you should be able to find it if you’ve restored 1.0.2 before by searching for all files and folders and looking for *restore.ipsw

Along with the official changes of yesterday’s update, there are some unofficial changes that aren’t good enough to make a bullet point on Apple’s list. Which is weird, because some of these are huge.

• You can now select different alerts for incoming messages:
  Settings -> Sounds -> New Text Message -> choice of:
  Tri-Tone (default), Chime, Glass, Horn, Bell, Electronic
• International keys are available by holding down the letter key.
• The iPhone mail application supports MP3 and .wav Attachments
• includes the closed captioning abilities promised
• enables a debug console for MobileSafari for web developers to find errors on their pages:
  Settings -> Safari -> Developer -> Debug Console [on/off]
• breaks every 3rd party jailbreak — the iPhoneDevWiki team will have to reverse-engineer the iPhone all over again
• since the iPhone can’t be jailbroken, there is no way to get 3rd party ringtones on the iPhone.

And just for the sake of posterity, after the break there’s a readable version of Apple’s list of official changes.

• iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store
Louder speakerphone and receiver volume
• Home button double-click shortcut to phone favorites or music controls
• Space bar double-tap shortcut to intelligently insert period and space
• Mail attachments are viewable in portrait and landscape
• Stocks and cities in Stocks and Weather can be re-ordered
• Apple Bluetooth Headset battery status in the Status Bar
• Support for TV Out
• Preference to turn off EDGE/GPRS when roaming internationally
• New Passcode lock time intervals
• Adjustable alert volume

figure 1:Apple’s 1.1.1 update is out, and it clocks in at 152.3 MB

Apple released their long-promised 1.1.1 update to the iPhone, and it looks like the update is “all clear” for anyone that has not hacked their iPhone. They also posted another training video to go with the update, starring the same fellow from Apple’s earlier training videos (see here, here, and a creepy but funny mashup here).

I received an email from Wireless Imports in which they advise unlockers wait to apply the update:

We have just received confirmation that it is NOT safe for anyone to update their iPhones software at this time. If you do upgrade the software you will have your phone relocked back to AT&T and there is nothing currently we will be able to do to assist in re-unlocking your phone.

At this time we do not know if you will be able to use your AT&T sim card with the phone even though it is locked back to AT&T.

Again we ask that you DO NOT upgrade to the new software under any circumstance.

We will send you another email when we have more information on this matter.

If you unlocked via AnySIM or the terminal unlock methods, it’s probably also not a good idea to update the iPhone. If you’ve unlocked your iPhone, it is probably best to wait to apply this update.

Unsurprisingly, if you’ve hacked your iPhone, Apple has broken 3rd party applications and re-locks iPhones that were previously unlocked. Applications that were installed on the iPhone remain on the iPhone, although there isn’t a way to launch those applications until hackers jailbreak the iPhone again.

Unfortunately, Apple’s language in the patch update indicates their willingness to dump the warranty on anyone that’s unlocked their iPhone and thereby saw it bricked with this update. If you hack your iPhone in the future, you will want to get used to waiting a few days or more past an update to see how the update could affect you. Let someone else be the hero.

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The iPhone Dev Team, the same folks that have set the stage for 3rd party applications and more recently, the free iPhone unlock methods, released a statement via Erica Sadun of TUAW about Apple’s positioning on the iPhone unlock and the possible bricking of iPhones. Their statement is to wait to install the patch if you’ve unlocked your iPhone; if you really need the update, they have a tool in the works that will restore your iPhone to its factory condition. The ‘restore-to-factory-condition’ tool would be useful for anyone that wanted to sell their iPhone and be assured that there’s no personal information on the iPhone. The text of their statement is reproduced below:

9/25 Statement from the iPhone unlockers

Based on download numbers, the iPhone Dev Team believes that, worldwide, several hundred thousand people have unlocked their iPhones. That number continues growing every day. The removal of the lock, a bug, was a major step forward in the iPhone development. It made the iPhone free and useful to anyone, not only to those in certain countries.

Apple now announces that the next firmware update, expected later this week, will possibly break the handset of all of us free users in the World. It speaks of “damage” done to the firmware and “unauthorized access” to our own property, The removal of those firmware problems, which were built in in favor for AT&T, does not cause “damage” as they want to make us believe.

We will provide you with a tool in the next week which will be able to recover your nck counter and seczones and even enables you to restore your phone to a Factory-like state.

In the meantime we advise you not to update your free iPhone with the upcoming firmware. Wait for the next version to be fixed to work properly with your carrier and not break your phone.

According to an exclusive by macapper.com, picture messaging and AIM could be in the works with the so-close-you-could-stab-it 1.1.1 update. I’ll grant that it could just as easily be a screw-up by AT&T, or maybe he’s got his iPhone on some non-iPhone plan and just temporarily forgot about it. Maybe, though, it’s the real deal. You never know.

figure 1: A screenshot of the 1.1.1 firmware from the rebate site. I think Apple used to be better at keeping stuff like this secret.

Apple said a firmware update was coming during their “the Beat Goes On” media event on September 5th, and it looks like they’ve posted pictures of it on their Early Adopter credit site. Our current firmware version is 1.0.2, and the link shown gives a version number of 1.1.1. This is kind of curious from a versioning number standpoint, usually companies release 1.1 or 1.1.0 before they release 1.1.1, but perhaps one of Apple’s release candidates failed.

I imagine that speculation will run rampant as to what Apple will ship in this update, but I think it’s safe to assume that we’ll get some updates to the home button (perhaps the iPod touch media controls), since there’s a new ‘Home’ section in the General settings. There’s also a tantalizing ‘International’ tab. Whether that will be support for the international networks or preferences to avoid crazy international roaming charges, I don’t know. I think that odds are good that it will be support for other international carriers, since AT&T likes them their roaming charges. It’s also plausible that the ‘International’ tab simply brings international keyboard support.

We’ll likely know for sure on or by the 18th. As to when we’ll see the update in iTunes, we’ll see the update on any given Tuesday.

The arrival of iTunes 7.4 brings a few troubles to the plate for anyone that has hacked their iPhone (it’s safe to assume that there will be similar troubles for every new iTunes version). Some users report the inability to perform jailbreak. Other users report that iTunes has broken their custom ringtones (see also here). Fret not, though.

• Ambrosia Software promises an iToner update to get their ringtones working again
• EFKSoft promises an iPhoneRingToneMaker update to get their ringtones working again
• iPhoneAlley, makers of iFuntastic, are entirely silent on the matter

Some people have reported issues performing jailbreak. Apparently the short-term fixes are to perform jailbreak with either the 3.0 version of AppTapp Installer.app, or to use the new OSX App iNdependence, a GUI application for jailbreak, activation, SSH, and ringtone / wallpaper / application installation. I’ll post an update for Windows h4x0rz as soon as I find one that’s confirmed to work with iTunes 7.4, but I’ll wager that iBrickr will win this race.

Holy smokes! Apple has put a $200 price cut on the 8 GB iPhone, and dropped the 4GB version altogether. That’s right, the 8GB iPhone is now $399. Where do I line up for my $200 check? I’m equal parts filled with rage for paying a $200 early adopter fee, and equal parts filled with glee for a $200 price cut. I’m glad that it makes the iPhone that much more accessible for everyone else. I just feel a little sore when I sit, that’s all.

I have colleagues that believe the price cut is a portent of a hardware refresh. I have a hard time believing Apple would refresh their iPhone hardware so soon after launch, but I should float the idea out as speculation. I believe a 3G version is possible, perhaps in the 1st or 2nd quarter of 2008. The part of me that hopes I’m wrong is the part of me that wants my iPhone to be new forever. Sigh

There’s an iTunes update tonight that will bring Ringtones support. For a select portion of their music catalog (about 500,000 songs altogether, or 8% of the songs available on iTunes), you can make a ringtone if you’ve already purchased the song. All in all, the song to play on the iPod and the song to play as a ringtone is $1.98. Song portion: $.99, same as always. Ringtone: $.99. I think the extra fee is for the ‘public performance’ licensing aspect of ringtones. It will be interesting to see if the iTunes update breaks iToner, iFuntastic, or the indomitable iPhoneRingtoneMaker. Let’s hope not.

The iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store will come to the iPhone in an update later this month. Look for it on a Tuesday afternoon this month, I’d bet. You will be able to purchase any music from the iTunes store and download it via wi-fi. I doubt you will be able to purchase it via EDGE. After all, it’s not the iTunes Wireless Music Store. Why not, though? It’s easier to say, and less cumbersome to type.

The iTunes Wi-Fi Music store will also be available from a bunch of Starbucks in most areas by 2009. The Starbucks in the larger top-ten cities in the US will get the update treatment first, and Starbucks figures they’ll have “most major metro areas” by late 2008. Um, I could rollout a storewide wi-fi network faster than that.

In other iPod news, Steve announced the iPod sister to the iPhone, the iPhone touch (8GB for $299 and 16GB is $399), to be available later this month. It’s slightly smaller, you’ll note from the picture above, and its application functionality has obviously not been totally disclosed. Notably missing from the iPod Touch thus far is a notes app and a maps app…. Hmmm.

The iPod, newly rechristened the iPod Classic, saw updates bringing a new, drastically thinner 80GB version ($249) and a thinner-than-the-previously-thickest 80GB version is the 160 GB version ($349).

The new iPod Nano, regarded by many as an ugly duckling, gets the full iPod treatment. It gains a video-quality screen, and is available in 4GB ($149) and 8GB ($199) versions, and it still works with the Nike+iPod sport kit. As you can see in the picture from Apple’s website above, it’s a little wee thing, absolutely tiny.

Huh. Apple’s iPod lineup looks like a steamroller right now. The Zune, Creative Zen, Sony Walkman line, et al, all look like bumpy roads waiting to be flattened this holiday season.

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