Software

Apple has updated iTunes in preparation of Firmware 3.0 for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The update focuses on bringing compatibility between iTunes and Firmware 3.0 which will arrive early this summer. Also included are miscellaneous bug fixes and minor tweaks. iTunes 8.2 can be download via Software update or here.

Via: everythingicafe

Australian iPhone users have been left out in the cold when compared to their foreign counterparts but Vodafone is working to patch things up.

Since the iPhone’s arrival down under, Visual Voicemail has been nonexistant but the feature is rolling out to customers. A statement from the carrier’s website:

All Vodafone iPhone 3G customers will have access to the Visual Voicemail application by close of business Friday 29 May 2009. Over the next few days, Vodafone will proactively notify customers via a TXT message, alerting them to this new service.

Via: Top iPhone News

Push Notification for the iPhone has been making waves lately thanks to a recent “push” by Apple to demonstrate the feature for developers.

For non developers however, you can view a gallery of images that show just how Push Notification works here

Via: iPhone Alley

After rejecting Drivetrain, an App that allows users to control torrent downloads through the Transmission App for the Mac, a new web based App has been made available for iPhone users to control another popular torrent client on their computer, uTorrent.

While the App itself isn’t available in the App Store, it’s usable as a Web App which strips away some functionality if it were native Software but then again it would risk being denied by Apple. However, the App requires some configuration on the computer which uTorrent is installed on. Detailed instructions are available from the developer’s Blog that will have the web client up and running in no time.

Via: iPhone Freak

SlingPlayer has finally made its way to the iPhone albeit in a limited and crippled form thanks to intervention from AT&T.

The $29.99 App (iTunes Link) will only work over WiFi and not over 3G as previously expected but after continued attempts by AT&T to limit Sling’s 3G capabilities threatened to ban it from the App Store, Apple and Sling caved in. AT&T’s comment on the matter is that Sling would generate so much network traffic by streaming a TV signal that it would bog down the carrier’s network and prevent other users from having a stable connection despite Sling’s availability on other AT&T Smartphones.

Via: iLounge

Good news for the data junkies, Filemaker has brought Bento, it’s consumer level database application (which would fit nicely alongside Keynote, Pages and Numbers…) to the iPhone for the very reasonable price of $4.99.

The iPhone version comes with “25 pre-designed, ready-to-use database templates. Customize templates with a few taps to organize virtually any type of information you have”, can integrate with Contacts, Safari, Mail, and Google Maps, and, unsurprisingly, data can be synced with the desktop version of Bento.

For those of you, me included, who have an iPhone data application in mind but dome they way you want, a user friendly database application like Bento can be just the ticket.

One caveat from the Bento for iPhone website though. “Bento for iPhone and iPod touch is available in English only, therefore the templates are English-only. Bento for iPhone supports input in a variety of languages and can be synchronized with Bento 2.0v4 for Mac in any language. Bento templates are available in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and Dutch in the localized versions of Bento 2.0v4 for Mac.”

AT&T recently updated its Terms Of Service that would put a harsh limit on data sucking Applications such as SlingPlayer and may further limit the App’s progress or prevent it from being made available on the App Store at all.

We’ve reported before that AT&T may have asked Apple to hold SlingPlayer back from being made available on the App Store but now it seems clear that Apple will indirectly follow their request by obeying the telecom’s request. A section from AT&T’s newly updated TOS is available below.

While most common uses for Intranet browsing, e-mail, and Intranet access are permitted by your data plan, there are certain uses that cause extreme network capacity issues and interference with the network and are therefore prohibited. Examples of prohibited uses include, without limitation…downloading movies using P2P file sharing services, redirecting television signals for viewing on Personal Computers, Web broadcasting, and/or for the operation of servers, telemetry devices….

As of now, SlingPlayer, Apple or AT&T have said anything else on the matter but it’s expected that the App will go away or have to be modified to work only over WiFi before Apple… more...

Apple recently eked out Beta 4 of the 3.0 Firmware (which has a somewhat vague release date of Summer, possibly around WWDC) and the prerelease of iTunes 8.2 (which interestingly enough references Blu-Ray media). Sifting through the newest Beta Firmware has revealed some interesting new features.

We’ve known that being able to sync notes would make its way in to Firmware 3.0 for quite some time but this feature has finally been lumped in for testing purposes with the newest Beta build. However, Mac OS X 10.5.7 is required to actually sync note and has yet to be released by Apple outside of the development circle. Another interesting feature is the ability to sign in to multiple iTunes accounts from your iPhone. This would allow you to re-download an App (no media) your friend bought for free but relies on that friend trusting you enough to use his personal information. The increased ease in accessing any iTunes account in Beta 4 is welcome, the current iPhone firmware lacks any easy way to sign in or sign out.

Topping off the small round of features is a camera retake function that shows you… more...

Mactracker, the massive knowledge database for Apple products, has made its way from the Mac desktop to the iPhone.

While you could Google the specifics of the Mac, iPod or obscure Apple product you’re trying to find, Mactracker consolidates all of this data in to one App for the iPhone. The interface is minimal but gives you a quick look at which product families are available. The App mimics the web version made available by Ian Page, Mactracker’s developer but having access to the App on your Homescreen works so much better.

While Mactracker isn’t something you will be using every day, it comes in handy when shopping for used Macs at a flea market or when you’re grabbing hardware upgrades and you need to know what type of RAM your new Macbook takes. Mactracker can be downloaded from the App Store

Via: Macworld

We’ve reported before that AT&T is scrambling to upgrade its network capacity in time for the next generation iPhone’s launch this summer but an interesting tidbit of news has slipped by that may shed some more light on what Apple will be packing in its new handheld: much faster data speeds.

Scott McElroy, AT&T Mobility’s vice president of technology announced the plans to move data speeds from the current 3.6Mb/s to 7.2Mb/s through a simple Software upgrade at their cellular towers. Of course this would require a change in hardware for any cellular device that connects to it if a wireless subscribers wants to take advantage of the higher throughput but it does give some credence towards the next generation iPhone’s wireless capabilities and it would be surprising if Apple didn’t support the faster HSPA + spec with speeds of 7.2/14.4 and 21Mb/s.

McElroy didn’t give an estimation on when the faster 3G network would launch but did say that it will be tested in two markets shortly and reiterated AT&T’s focus on upgrading the cellular baseband through software upgrades within their towers to boost speed over installing… more...