The full list is as follows, and the source is apparantly a high up AT&T exec:

• New iPhone announcement around mid-June (duh)
• New iPhone will be faster and have a more seamless experience unmatched by any device (could be just talking about 3.0, but we think it’s also a new iPhone)
• U-Verse iPhone application; will allow control of your home DVR (play, pause, rewind, etc.)
• The annual iPhone launch is “becoming a tradition.”
• Nothing official is being confirmed, but they said that people should prep for an exciting time this summer.
• AT&T is said to be working with Apple to create a unified product with an unparalleled experience across all their products and services.
• Apple’s 3.0 software should tell us where the iPhone platform is going… uh, k?
• They said customers shouldn’t need to choose from AT&T’s high-end devices because of features, they should choose based on preferences. The gap in capability should be filled with the new iPhone. Ok, bets on slide out QWERTY, autofocus camera, video sharing, blah blah?
• Seems like the higher speed HSDPA (7.2Mbps) is being hinted at too which should confirm the earlier rumors of the new Infineon chipset.
• The $99 3G netbook will start selling this summer, and the first one won’t be a Windows OS.

Source

Will you be upgrading?

A lot of news has been circulating after Apple’s conference yesterday where they detailed the changes coming to the iPhone in 3.0. There are so many things being said, and so many articles to read I thought I would try save you some time and combine all the articles I have read into this post linking to the full article so you can read further into the topic. This list is in chronological order as the events happened.

iPhone 3.0: More hits than misses
March 17, 2009 4:49 PM PDT

A gaggle of tech journalists, analysts, and developers crowded into an auditorium at Apple’s headquarters on Tuesday to hear the details of iPhone 3.0. As Scott Forstall, Apple’s head of iPhone software development, promised, the update is a major one with a host of sorely needed features for application developers and consumers.

In all, Apple promises 100 new features with iPhone 3.0, including multimedia messaging and a landscape keyboard. Although Apple did not reveal all 100 additions on Tuesday–which leads me to wonder just what they’ll count as a new feature (perhaps cut, copy, and paste will count as three)–the highlights were worth the trip to Cupertino, Calif. [via]

Video: iPhone OS 3.0 walkthrough
Mar 18th 2009 at 11:00AM

Many of us — okay, a small handful of us — wouldn’t dream of putting beta firmware on our day-to-day devices, so we wanted to treat that very special group of safety-minded individuals to a once-over with iPhone OS 3.0′s finer points on video. Odds are this is about as close as they’ll get to the goods until Apple blesses the binary a few months from now, after all, and there’s no harm in living vicariously through an Engadget editor’s load-firmware-first, ask-questions-later lifestyle — trust us. [via]

USB tethering, Publish Video and Find my iPhone found in OS 3.0
Mar 18th 2009 at 6:04PM

Apple touted quite a few new iPhone features at yesterday’s OS 3.0 event, but now that the beta build is trickling out, there’s been a bevy of unearthed discoveries to further pique our interests. First up, the gang at Boy Genius Report found an option to enable the “Find My iPhone” service in the MobileMe settings. Unfortunately, that’s all we’ve got, but we wouldn’t put it past Cupertino to build some me.com-linked location tracker that’d be the envy of Orwell himself — hey, that’d be pretty useful if you accidentally left the mobile in a taxi. Also in the MobileMe section, it now says Publish Video when you go to publish an image. It’s an odd typo, to be sure, and while video recording has been near the top of our wishlist for some time, we’re not about to get our hopes up. Finally, Mac Rumors is reporting that a hacker has dug up and successfully activated the USB tethering capabilities. Apple’s Scott Forstall had mentioned the devs were building it in, but were still in talks with the carriers. As to whether any or all of these functions will actually end up in the final OS 3.0 build, your guess is a good as ours. For now, check out more pics of the MobileMe additions after the break. [via]

Apple posts iPhone OS 3.0 stream so you can relive the magic
March 18, 2009 8:44 AM CT

Whenever Apple has one of its special events, a few lucky media folks (like our own David Chartier) get to jet to Cupertino so they can watch and report on the event live. Sure, the rest of us can read about it, but you just don’t get the extra dose of RDF that way. Luckily, Apple posts video of its events quite quickly afterwards, and you can make it feel like you were there by turning the lights down a bit and firing up the QuickTime stream of the event. Apple has already posted the QuickTime stream for the iPhone OS 3.0 event for your viewing pleasure, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.[via]

Latest beta iPhone OS includes references to unknown device
March 18, 2009 11:00 AM CT

Deep within the bowels of the iPhone OS are some property list files that describe the capabilities of the various iPhone and iPod touch models. According to a reader with access to the latest iPhone OS 3.0 developer beta, there is a plist file for a new, unknown device.

Our source believes that the new device, referred to as N18AP, may represent updated iPod touch hardware. The plist for the second-generation iPhone (N82AP), for instance, simply includes the plist for the original and lists the updated features—like GPS and 3G capabilities. Likewise, the plist for the second-generation iPod touch (N72AP) includes the plist for the original and lists only the updated features. [via]

iPhone dev: 3.0 SDK ships with new ducking NDA
March 18, 2009 1:32 PM CT

When Apple lifted the original iPhone nondisclosure agreement in mid-2008, the company stated that it would still keep unreleased and beta versions of the SDK under NDA. Apple has retained this policy in light of the newly-available iPhone 3.0 SDK. Pre-release versions of the 3.0 SDK are considered Apple Confidential Information and subject to the confidentiality obligations that iPhone developers must agree to before they are permitted to download the latest software. That means you, as a developer, cannot disclose pre-release features other than public information disclosed directly by Apple, including the features it announced publicly at yesterday’s press event.[via]

What Apple didn’t announce for iPhone OS 3.0
March 18, 2009 1:59 PM CT

Now that we know what Apple announced on Tuesday at its iPhone OS 3.0 preview event, it’s time to go over what wasn’t announced. Between escalating rumors, increased competition, and good ol’ fashioned feature requests, Apple didn’t quite satisfy everyone’s appetites. The following is an exploration of what is still missing from iPhone OS 3.0 that some would still like to see.[via]

Developers enthused about iPhone 3.0 SDK
March 18, 2009 4:26 PM CT

During Apple’s media event on Tuesday, Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Scott Forstall announced that iPhone OS 3.0 will include over 1,000 new APIs for developers to take advantage of when building iPhone apps. Though he only discussed perhaps a dozen or so during the presentation, iPhone developers are already buzzing with excitement.

The response so far seems relatively positive. “I didn’t have many expectations for the 3.0 OS, to be honest, but this update definitely seems like it’s going to be huge for both consumers and developers,” developer Bryan Henry told Ars. “There has been a lot added API-wise that I think developers can really get creative with.”[via]

iPhone OS 3.0 hands-on photos
March 18, 2009 5:07 PM PDT

We managed to get a sneak peek at the iPhone OS 3.0. It’s a beta version, so things could change between now and the official release this summer, but we captured a few screenshots to give you and idea of its look and feel. Of course, we checked out the biggest additions like cut and paste, multimedia messaging, and the landscape keyboard. Yet, we also cruised through the “shake to shuffle” feature, the Spotlight search feature, the voice memo recorder, and a few others. We even found something we that we weren’t expecting. So to get the full experience, check out the iPhone OS 3.0 photos in all their glory. [via]

And one of the most interesting for those who have jailbroken their iPhone:
Work begins on iPhone OS 3.0 jailbreak
March 18, 2009 9:25 PM PDT

The iPhone Dev-Team says the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0 can be jailbroken but issued a warning to some 3G users eager to get that shiny new copy-paste feature.

Apple unveiled on Tuesday some of what it says will be 100 new features coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch with the new version of the mobile operating system. A beta version was made available immediately to everyone in the iPhone Developer Program, and it didn’t take long for developers to get cracking on iPhone OS 3.0[via]

iPhone OS 3.0 adds copy and paste, MMS, push notifications
March 19 2009

Apple announced the third major version of the iPhone and iPod touch operating system software at an event in California today. iPhone OS 3.0 focuses mostly on adding features long-demanded by iPhone owners and critics alike. For example, MMS (multi-media-messaging) will finally be implemented, so you’ll be able to send images, sound files, and even GPS coordinates to your friends via text message.[via]

I can’t wait to get my hands on 3.0. Having had my iPhone for 2 weeks now, most of the features that are coming in the next update are current aggravations I have with the phone. Sometimes I just want my t68i back :(

Compatibility does not appear to be this iPod’s strong suit. We tried this iPod with a Shuffle 2nd Generation dock, but it doesn’t fit. We tried the cable with a Shuffle 2nd Generation, and that didn’t work either.

The Shuffle does not say iPod (or Shuffle) anywhere. As far as we know, this is the first iPod that Apple didn’t label.

I always find it interesting to see how these things work, especially when it is as small as this and only has a couple of parts.

Locally, we can expect it to retail for about R1100 depending on where you get it and how the rand holds up against the dollar. Currently, I’ve managed to find it on 2 local retailers; Have2Have and Shop and Ship. I’m glad that this iPod looks better than it’s predecessor, I think they’ve ruined the nano range with that long slinky looking thing :/

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Engadget is reporting that the latest iPhone OS can be expected later on this month

We just got the announcement, iPhone OS 3.0 is coming. Set your clocks, mark your calendars. It’s going down March 17th. Apparently, we’ll get a sneak peak at the new OS, as well as a look at a brand new version of the SDK. Exciting stuff indeed, and we’ll be there live at 10am PST (1pm EST) with the liveblog. Apple’s calling this an “advance preview of what we’re building,” so we’re not expecting anything ready to go as of the 17th, but hopefully this will allow developers to start building toward future functionality (hey, how about some push notifications?), and presumably users won’t have too many months to wait after that for the real deal. [via]

Wonder how long it will take for it to be jailbroken and unlocked. Either way, I hope they address some of the nagging issues the current software has. I know there are some apps that have tried to fill the gap, but I honestly think they should be part of the core OS. Personally, here’s what I would like to see:

• Ability to insert a contact into an SMS. Ie. “You might want to speak to Joe, his number is…” Most phones let you insert numbers from your contacts into an SMS
• Ability to send a contact via SMS. Ie. “Hey, let me send you Joe’s number quick” Again, most phones let you send someone a vCard containing the contact details. Would like to see this
• Copy/paste. This one has been a complaint of many for a long time. You can not highlight, copy and then paste text. Can be quite annoying and would potentially solve point 1 at the same time.

What do you guys want to see?

After my previous post about jailbreaking an iPhone, I would like to point out the difference between jailbreaking and unlocking to those who are unsure about the whole procedure.

Jailbreaking

The iPhone and iPod touch hack that allow users to gain access to the entire Unix filesystem. In Unix terms, this refers to changing the root of the directory tree to /. [via]

Jailbreaking allows you to install custom apps onto your iPhone as well as get some extra functionality out of it. It’s a quick process made easy by using QuickPwn. It’s not a risk free procedure, but it’s pretty straight forward and quite easy to get done.

Unlocking

Unlocking lets you place calls with any GSM carrier by inserting different Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) into the phone. Normally these SIMs from unapproved carriers won’t work. [via]

This is similar to how when buying a phone on prepaid, you are only able to use it on the network offering the deal. This is to ensure the network will receive revenue in the form of airtime and be able to offset the cost of the handset against this. As with jailbreaking, there are some GUI tools to help you through the process as well as a risk you might damage your phone.

An interesting fact I learnt today from a friend who recently got an iPhone

South African iPhones are default unlocked and so no firmware will ever lock it

He also tested this with the latest firmware and got confirmation from a developer of a jailbreaking app. This means that all we have to do is jailbreak the phone and we will have the full potential available to us.

After I broke my last phone, I decided to man up and got myself an iPhone as a replacement. I’ve installed a couple of apps from the official appstore and have pretty much installed everything that has caught my attention.

I came across a post on Gizmodo with a guide on how to jailbreak your iPhone. It was quite an easy process, after I got myself familiar with the sequence of buttons to press during the breaking process, and I can now enjoy a few more apps that are not available in the appstore.

You should jailbreak your iPhone or iPod if you want to install really cool and useful applications that are not in the iTunes App Store. Many of these apps are a complete must for any iPhone user but are not allowed by Apple in their iTunes App Store.

This is what you can do with a phone that has been jailbroken:

• Use your iPhone as a 3G modem with your laptop.
• Record video using Cycorder.
• Unlock your iPhone installing a simple program, so you can use a pre-paid card when you go out on vacation instead of paying outrageous roaming charges.
• Follow speech turn-by-turn directions in a GPS program.
• Copy and paste (yes, copy and paste).
• Play Nintendo Entertainment System games and other emulated classic cames (like Monkey Island!)

Something obvious that has always been a bridge for developers to cross is “Why do it for free, when I can make money?”. This has lead to “lite” versions of most apps in the appstore being available for free. The lite version is of course exactly what the name says, a watered down, featureless lite version of the full app which you should pay for. This is a good model for the “try before you buy” method of doing things, and I have gone from lite to full versions on a couple of apps.

The jailbreaking process is managed through an app called “QuickPwn“. It’s a GUI step based tool that makes this a pretty simple process. As I said before, if you are going to be doing this, be sure to read one step ahead when being told which buttons to press as I messed this up first time around :/

A big pull in jailbreaking your iPhone is getting access to other repositories of applications outside of the control of Apple. This has lead to the development of a couple of must have apps as detailed above. Until now, these apps have been free but with the latest verion of Cydia, developers not submitting their apps to the official appstore can now opt to attach a price tag to their work.

Well it is officially open. Just to test it out I decided to pick up the first paid Cydia App: Cyntact. The first thing you will notice after installing the new Cydia is Cyntact up there in changes. You’ll also notice that the title and description is in the color blue instead of black like normal applications
. This blue color indicated that it is a Cydia Store Application. That is the only difference you will see in the new Cydia as nothing else menu-wise has changed. [modmyi]

The other alternative to Cydia is Installer. You can browse the same content with both, but installing some apps only works on Cydia (xGPS). First thing you might want to do after getting Installer up and running, is adding a couple more sources to the repository list.

Installer 4.0 Sources

- RiP Dev – http://i.ripdev.com/
- Big Boss – http://apptapp.thebigboss.org/repofiles/installer4/
- iSpazio – http://repo.neolinus.org/ispazio/
- Ste Packaging – http://repo.smxy.org/installer4/
- ModMyiFone – http://i.modmyifone.com/
- iPhone-Notes – http://i.iphone-storage.de/ [installerapps]

You now have the ability to customise your iPhone to levels the appstore could not offer.

If you guys have found some cool apps in either the official appstore or through Cydia/Installer, be sure to let us know so we can try them out for ourselves.

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Apple’s claims include: ‘A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises: detecting one or more finger contacts with the touch screen display, applying one or more heuristics to the one or more finger contacts to determine a command for the device, and processing the command. The one or more heuristics comprise: a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a one-dimensional vertical screen scrolling command, a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a two-dimensional screen translation command, and a heuristic for determining that the one or more finger contacts correspond to a command to transition from displaying a respective item in a set of items to displaying a next item in the set of items.’

Apple has defended their patents legally before – so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Anyone got any thoughts ?

Craigsphone is distributed for free by the same people who develop the very cool Dial Zero app (which helps you skip directly to an operator when you dial a customer service line), works on the iPhone and iPod touch only.

Craigsphone [via LifeHacker]

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Just seeing Twilight has made me all giddy to get my phone and load Stanza right away, which I have done, and the application itself is completely free. The screen looks great and easy to read but it would be better if it was a bit bigger (the actual IPhone).