A video posted recently on YouTube demonstrates, on an iPod Touch, a potential security risk for users of iPhone OS 3.0. The bug allows e-mails that have already deleted to be viewed by searching for the title of the deleted message.
The results of the search display two copies of the message. Selecting either one of these the first time will cause Mail to crash. The second time you select the messages, the iPhone may display the original message or you may get a warning that states: "Message cannot be displayed because of the way it is formatted." You should note that the message is displayed in Mail as "1 of 0" and it is "partially downloaded." The download button used to retrieve the remainder of the message doesn't work.
Fortunately, one developer said this problem appears to have been resolved in iPhone OS 3.1 beta 3, since the developer was not able to recreate the bug after upgrading.
Update 08/19/09 at 8:19 PM PDT: The iPhone OS bug described in this post does not affect IMAP e-mail accounts, but it does affect POP e-mail accounts.
The iPhone OS 3.0 Camera Roll is running out of film for some iPhone users. A handful of photographers on Apple's discussion board are reporting that pictures taken with the iPhone camera and screen captures are disappearing from the iPhone's onboard photo library.
The bug, according to these reports, occurs when the photo names generated by the iPhone reach IMG_10000.xxx or higher, where the xxx represents either a JPG for photos, PNG for screen snapshots, or MOV for videos. Once you've reached this 10,000 mark milestone in your iPhone photography career, the Mobile Photos app no longer displays additional media files. Luckily, however, the photos are still there--they simply don't display on the phone.
Some users found help using the Phoneview utility from Ecamm on their Macs--the free demo version worked long enough to uncover the missing photos. PC users may be able to find their shots via iPhone Browser.
... Read moreNow that the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware has added stereo Bluetooth functionality to the Apple iPhone, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit stereo Bluetooth and what it promises.
Motorola Rokr S9 HD with iPod adapter
(Credit: Motorola)Stereo Bluetooth, or A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), is essentially a Bluetooth profile that lets you stream music from one device to another without the use of wires. The technology has been around for years, and almost all music phones have this feature. In fact, it was quite a big letdown that the original iPhone and iPhone 3G did not have this built in when they first launched, considering the iPhone's iPod heritage. Still, it's better late than never. The iPhone OS 3.0 update also brought stereo Bluetooth to the iPod Touch 2nd gen. If you have a music player instead of a phone, you can also purchase additional stereo Bluetooth adapters, like this Motorola D650 iPod adapter.
Stereo Bluetooth headphones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some, like the Motorola Rokr S9 HD, are meant for active lifestyles, as it's shaped to hug the sides of the head. Others, like the Samsung SBH-600, are meant for serious audiophiles, especially with its promise of surround sound and bass boost. We also like the mono-to-stereo headsets, like the Plantronics Voyager 855, that can change from a mono headset to a stereo version simply by connecting an additional ear bud. One of the more popular stereo headsets among our readers is the Jabra BT3030, which isn't really even a headset so much as it is a pendant that you can use with any pair of 3.5mm-compatible headphones.
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Though everyone knows the iPhone OS 3.0 brought welcome and long-awaited changes like multimedia messaging; a landscape keyboard; and cut, copy, and paste, there are a host of other tweaks from the software update that Apple has not publicized. According to Apple, the update offers 100 additions to the iPhone, but we covered just a handful in our iPhone 3GS review.
What other features are new? Well, a week after Apple released the update to the world we have a better idea. We've done our own exploring, but last week we also asked for your help in finding the update's hidden treasures. Thankfully, you responded in force, so we're glad to offer you this list. It's still not complete, so we'll be adding more as we (and you) find them. (Note: I've only included features not listed in the review.) Also, Apple has posted a handy chart detailing which OS 3.0 features are available on the iPhone Classic and iPhone 3G.
... Read more
As an iPod Touch owner, iPhone OS 3.0 enhancements such as MMS, and copy/paste aren't as relevant to me as the subtle improvements Apple has made to media playback and search.
New features such as music search (distinct from Spotlight), fine track scrubbing control, podcast e-mailing, and an expanded iTunes storefront, won't grab many headlines but they're certainly welcome additions to an already excellent product.
To make my point, I've put together a slideshow and video of some of the less-appreciated improvements iPhone OS 3.0 has given to media junkies like myself.
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100 new features? We're still counting.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)When Apple first announced the iPhone OS 3.0 in March, it promised that the update would bring 100 new features. We heard the same thing last week at the WWDC 2009 keynote, but Scott Forstall, Apple's head of iPhone software development, only demonstrated a handful of the most notable improvements. Sure, we know about stereo Bluetooth, the Spotlight features, and cut, copy, and paste--and we've analyzed them in our iPhone 3G S review---but we want a full list of all 100 features. Since then, we've asked for the details, but Apple has yet to cough them up.
That's why we're calling on you, dear readers, to help us out. As you cruise through iPhone OS 3.0, keep track of all the "little changes" you see, no matter how small. If it wasn't on your iPhone before, we want to hear about it. We'll do the same on our end, and we'll compile a full list for your enjoyment. Good hunting!
When I tried to update to the latest Shazam for iPhone after I installed iPhone OS 3.0, I saw this age warning pop-up window when the phone attempted to install the update:
Age-restriction warning on applications in iPhone OS 3.0
(Credit: Nicole Lee/CNET)I found this curious, because:
- I had already downloaded the application; this was just an update--if I was OK with the original application, shouldn't the update be kosher as well?
- Shazam is perhaps no more "objectionable" than just turning on the radio; it's just telling you the song it thinks the source is playing.
Moral questions aside, it seems the addition of this age-restriction warning is because of the parental controls on the new iPhone OS 3.0.--as a parent, you can allow app downloads based on age (from 4+ to 17+), so we suspect you'll see a lot more age-restriction warnings added to apps in the App Store. This might be a wise move on Apple's part--Apple has already come under some criticism for rejecting seemingly legitimate apps like the one from Nine Inch Nails and the Eucalyptus e-book reader just because it provides access to the publicly available Kama Sutra. Perhaps if it removes itself as mediator and simply slaps on age-restriction warnings, Apple might save itself some bad press. We'll see if this works out as intended.
(Credit:
Stephen Shankland/CNET)
Updated at 12:15 p.m. PDT
While the majority of commenters on CNET and around the Web are reporting success in downloading iPhone OS 3.0 Wednesday, there were scattered reports of problems.
My colleague Stephen Shankland, a CNET News reporter, tried several times to download the OS update around 12 p.m. Pacific to his iPhone and received the same error message, pictured above, each time.
CNET News Poll
A handful of CNET commenters reported problems accessing iTunes. "I see that the upgrade is now available, but four times the message I get after a couple of minutes is that the download has 'timed out,'" said one reader, and another reported, "Same issue here, cannot connect to the iTunes store to activate so the phone won't work."
A quick perusal of Twitter showed a smattering of people with the same issue.
This, of course, is a repeat of what happened last year, when Apple's iTunes servers couldn't withstand the barrage of traffic when customers tried to update to iPhone 2.0 software at the same time new iPhone 3G buyers were attempting to activate their phones.
Anyone else having problems with the update today?
Update 12:45 p.m. PDT: Reader Michael Samstag wrote in to say his iPhone was rendered unusable when he tried to install the update. "It has the 'connect to iTunes' message and will only allow emergency calls," he says. "I signed up for the 'Apple callback' for tech support and they called back and put me on hold for 20-minutes. Then the call got disconnected and now the earliest callback time is between 6:15 p.m. EDT and 6:30 p.m. EDT. So, I'm looking at having no cell for a minimum of three hours, probably longer."
Gizmodo is also hearing reports of phones "bricked" from the update. We're still waiting for comment from Apple.
Update 1:05 p.m. PDT: We're also getting feedback about general sluggishness and intermittent problems accessing Apple's Mobile Me service. But it sounds like the situation isn't as bad as last year. That was when the simultaneous launch of the iPhone 3G and Mobile Me wreaked havoc on across Apple's servers and related Web services.
Update 2:26 p.m. PDT: My colleague Stephen now reports success in installing the update--after 30 tries over the course of 2.5 hours. Samstag, the reader who earlier reported his phone had been bricked by the update, also says it's working now.
Seems like things are getting back to normal now.
(Credit:
Corinne Schulze/CNET)
If you can't bear the thought of waiting another two days for Apple's iPhone 3G S, CNET can offer a look ahead in our full iPhone 3G S review. The iPhone 3G S promises faster processing and network speeds, extended battery life, more memory, the OS 3.0 update (available today), and additional features.
In many ways, the iPhone 3G S delivers on its promises. It did run faster, the video recording is a treat, and the battery lasted longer. Yet we still have concerns about call reception and we're still waiting for a few features. The iPhone 3G S offers enough to get our attention, but not enough to get us completely excited. And our recommendation depends greatly on your purchase price.
To get the whole story, please see our iPhone 3G S full review. And check out our iPhone 3G S slideshow for a gallery of beauty shots.
At long last, cut-copy-paste comes to the iPhone Wednesday.
(Credit: James Martin/CNET)Updated at 10:20 a.m. PDT June 17: The software update is now available.
Many of the iPhone's long-awaited features will finally become reality Wednesday when Apple rolls out iPhone OS 3.0.
Current iPhone owners can download the software from iTunes for free, and iPod Touch users can get it as well, but for a fee of $9.95, just like the last OS update. What time exactly, we don't know yet. Apple will only say iPhone OS 3.0 will come out sometime Wednesday.
The update includes many functions other phones have had for a while, including multimedia messaging (if supported by your carrier--AT&T won't offer it until later this summer), voice recording, buying and renting movies and TV shows over the air, full system search, tethering (again, if your carrier allows it), and push notifications.
Apple has also bundled in some extras, like landscape virtual keyboard for certain apps, more extensive parental controls, in-app purchasing, and a feature for MobileMe customers called Find My Phone.
There will also be stereo Bluetooth available, as well as the capability to create applications specifically for interfacing with third-party hardware. That could lead to a boon in the accessories market for the iPhone as well as the iPod Touch, as my CNET colleague Donald Bell has pointed out.
As anticipated as Wednesday's OS 3.0 launch is, it's only the second most important product rollout for Apple this week. The new iPhone 3G S is scheduled to hit stores Friday morning. In the meantime, check out our full review of the iPhone 3G S and our detailed look at OS 3.0.
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