It is always very exciting when there is new firmware available for the iPhone, especially when the release brings many new features and enhancements. The current iPhone firmware is 3.1.3, having just recently been updated, and users are now feverishly waiting for a 4.0 release.

As many may be aware, the Apple iPad, scheduled to be released near the end of April 2010, also runs iPhone OS, however the iPad version of iPhone OS is 3.2. While not much is known about what is new or different in firmware 3.2, the point is that the iPad will be running newer firmware than the iPhone.

Traditionally, iPhone and iPod Touch updates have been the same firmware, keeping the updating process very clean and simple for users. When iPhone gets firmware 3.0, iPod Touch gets firmware 3.0. With the iPad running a newer firmware than the iPhone, this brings up an interesting point, especially if users plan on purchasing an iPad, as one device will have a newer firmware than another which will likely enable features on one device that are not present on the other.

To shed some light on this, earlier this week a report by The Loop suggested that Apple will not consolidate the iPad and iPhone operating systems until Fall 2010.

With the expectation of a new iPhone this summer 2010, users are also expecting an accompanying OS 4.0 release. It was widely expected that Apple would use the release of a 4.0 firmware to unify the iPhone and iPad firmware, but that may not be the case until Fall 2010.

iPhone OS 4.0 will include lots of new features, just like you would expect to see from Apple. However, It doesn’t make sense for Apple to unify the two operating systems for 4.0 with the timeline they are working with.

Rather, I expect Apple to release OS 4.1 in September or October. It will not only address issues with the 4.0 release, but also unify the operating systems.

So it may be the case that the iPhone and iPad will run two different firmware versions for the next few months. Until the operating systems are unified, I can only hope that the iPhone does not play catch-up with the iPad, as it is entirely possible for the iPad to receive some amazing features that will be unavailable on the iPhone until a later firmware release. That is, until the operating systems are unified.

[The Loop]

Different Firmware For iPhone & iPad Until Fall 2010? is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

With the recently updated iPhone SDK beta 4, developers have been feverishly digging deep through the updated software to find any type of hidden files regarding new features. Well, their effort has been well rewarded!

Looking at the image below, developers have found new references to multitasking throughout the SDK, such as the mention of a “multitasking dialog box”. As many know, while the iPhone can multitask (the iPod app can run in the background for example), it cannot multitask in the same fashion as an Android device or Palm Pre.

There are many pros and cons to multitasking like the Palm Pre or like an Android device, but we may soon see the possibility of running many apps at the same time with an iPhone.

At this time, it is unknown if the above dialog box refers to existing multitasking functions found in the iPhone OS or if it is referring to a newer type of multitasking for the iPhone OS or for a group of apps.

[9to5Mac]

Multitasking Support In iPhone OS 4.0? is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

So far we’ve talked about the L5 remote, Bell PVR TV remote app, and the RedEye Mini. Being able to control all your multimedia devices with one remote is very handy. The latest patents submitted by Apple reveals that they have some sort of super remote in the works.

PatentlyApple.com writes about the following:

Apple has been trying to create the ultimate universal remote in their labs for several years now. In fact, the first of three patent figures in our cover graphic above is from one of their 2007 patents on the same subject. In this report, we’ll show you some of the great things that Apple is dreaming up in respect to Apple TV and a universal remote that is starting to really take shape: A universal remote that may finally have some real meaning beyond just controlling our iTunes content. Where’s the beef? Well here it is – and a whole lot more!

On one hand, Apple’s patent basically relates to portable electronic devices and more particularly to systems and methods for saving and restoring scenes in a multimedia system. What is a scene? A scene includes the states of one or more components in the multimedia system. States of components that could be captured in a scene can include, for example, the states of lights (e.g., whether they are turned on or off and their brightness levels), the states of speakers (e.g., volume level and balance), media that is playing on a media playback application, metadata associated with the media that is playing, or any other suitable states.

Devices in the multimedia system could include consumer electronic devices, such as televisions, set-top boxes, stereo receivers, and computers, and appliances, such as lights, window shades, and fireplaces. In addition, universal remote controls have been designed to interact with a wide variety of devices, so that a single universal remote control could be used to control more than one device. For example, a universal remote control could control both a television and set-top box.

This is very interesting. If Apple is going to create a new universal remote we could also see a new version of Apple TV coming our way (Apple’s so called hobby). What do you think? How soon will we see some sort of remote that controls our entire house, either via the iPhone or iPod Touch?

Apple Universal Remote Coming Soon via iPhone? is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

Yesterday Apple released beta 4 of the iPhone 3.2 SDK. Initially nothing seemed very different from the previous beta, until today when users located new gesture references.

Deep within the gestures folder of the new SDK, two new types of gesture commands have been found. The gestures are not currently present in the iPhone 3.1 SDK and are labeled 3Tap.plist and LongPress.plist.

In short, 3Tap.plist means a new 3 tap gesture and LongPress.plist simply indicates a long press gesture command. It is likely that these gestures will show up in the next iPhone firmware 3.2, currently at 3.1.3, or may even debut in a 4.0 release.

[9to5Mac]

New Gestures Found In iPhone SDK: Triple Tap & Long Press is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

Today Apple seeded a new build of OS X 10.6.3, build 10D567. The last seed, build number 10D561, was just released on February 24, 2010.

According to reports, the current build focuses on Graphics Drivers, iChat, QuickTime, Printing and Rosetta. The build further includes:

• Compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications
• Performance improvements for 64-bit Logic
• Changes to QuickTime X that increase reliability and improve compatibility and security
• Printing reliability and compatibility with third party printers
• Issues patched that prevented files from copying to Windows shares
• Issues patched with recurring events in iCal when connected to an Exchange server
• Issues patched that prevented files with the “#” or “&” symbols in their names from opening in Rosetta

Build 10D567 comes just over a week since the last release. As before, the builds of OS 10.6.3 seem to be releasing very close to each other, sometimes less than a week apart.

The Mac OS X 10.6.2 update was officially released on November 9, 2009. The first two builds of 10.6.3 were issued in January 2010 and the third through sixth builds were issued in February 2010. The seventh build was issued in March 2010.

Mac OS X 10.6.3 will mark the third main revision to the latest Apple operating system, Snow Leopard.

Apple Seeds New Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D567 is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

Today Apple seeded a new build of OS X 10.6.3, build 10D561. The last seed, build number 10D558, was just released on February 18, 2010.

According to reports, the current build focuses on Bluetooth, Graphics Drivers, iChat, QuickTime, and USB. The build further focuses on:

• Compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications
• Performance improvements for 64-bit Logic
• Changes to QuickTime X that increase reliability and improve compatibility and security
• Printing reliability and compatibility with third party printers
• Issues patched that prevented files from copying to Windows shares
• Issues patched with recurring events in iCal when connected to an Exchange server
• Issues patched that prevented files with the “#” or “&” symbols in their names from opening in Rosetta

Build 10D561 comes just less than a week since the last release. The February builds of OS 10.6.3 seem to be releasing very close to each other, sometimes less than a week apart.

The Mac OS X 10.6.2 update was officially released on November 9, 2009. The first two builds of 10.6.3 were issued in January 2010 and the third through sixth builds were issued in February 2010.

Mac OS X 10.6.3 will mark the third main revision to the latest Apple operating system, Snow Leopard.

Apple Seeds New Mac OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D561 is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

According to Redmond Pie, iPhone OS 4.0 may be demoed on March 14, 2010. This would mark a major update to the iPhone/iPod Touch platform.

There is no real evidence that the date is true, especially considering that March 14 is a Sunday. However anything could happen!

iPhone 4.0 is highly anticipated to bring the ability to run multiple third party apps at the same time. Some of the rumored features that may be seen in 4.0 are the following:

Multi-touch gestures OS-wide.

“A few new ways” to run applications in the background — multitasking.

Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven’t had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.

The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”

The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.

[MobileSyrup via Redmond Pie]

iPhone Firmware 4.0 Coming March 14 2010? is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

Do you have a passcode on your iPhone or iPod Touch? Are you only using a numeric password? If so, it may be time to change that to a more secure password.

The folks over at 9to5Mac have created an iPhone/iPod Touch profile that allows users to input an alpha-numerical passcode on their device. Inputting an alpha-numeric password is much more secure than the standard numeric password users currently use on their iPhone/iPod Touch.

To receive the profile, simply visit this link on your iPhone or iPod Touch and install the profile. Users will need to make a password with a mix of letters and numbers and will not be able to put numbers in consecutive order.

For example, users cannot input “bob1234″. Instead, a string such as “bob3952″ is required.

To remove the profile, navigate to Settings > General > Profiles > 9to5mac and tap “Remove” and confirm. Users may then change their code back to numeric-only.

Set An Alpha-Numeric Password On iPhone & iPod Touch is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

Today Apple seeded a new build of OS X 10.6.3, build 10D558. The last seed, build number 10D552, was only just released on February 9, 2010.

According to reports, the current build focuses on Apple Filing Protocol, AirPort, Graphics Drivers, and Quicktime. The build further includes:

• Performance improvements for 64-bit Logic
• Addresses compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications
• Includes changes to QuickTime X that increase reliability and enhance security
• Improves printing reliability and compatibility with 3rd party printers
• Addresses issues that cause background message colors to display incorrectly in Mail
• Issues that caused machines using BTMM and Bonjour Sleep Proxy to wake unexpectedly
• Issues with recurring events in iCal when connected to Exchange servers

Build 10D558 comes just over a week since the last release.

The Mac OS X 10.6.2 update was officially released on November 9, 2009. The first two builds of 10.6.3 were issued in January 2010 and the third, fourth, and now fifth builds were issued in February 2010.

Mac OS X 10.6.3 will mark the third main revision to the latest Apple operating system, Snow Leopard.

Apple Seeds New OS X 10.6.3 Build 10D558 is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users

At the beginning of February, Apple updated its browser based iTunes Preview to support apps. This added to the existing music support. Today, Apple made available the ability to browse App categories.

For those unfamiliar with iTunes Preview, in November 2009, Apple introduced “iTunes Preview” and it was a web based preview for when users selected iTunes links on websites that have an “iTunes” link or button.

Before iTunes Preview, when a user would select an iTunes link in a web browser, the browser would open a blank page and then automatically launch the full iTunes application. If you did not have iTunes installed, you were prompted to install it to access the linked content.

With iTunes Preview, clicking on an iTunes link on a website opens up a new web based iTunes pane within the browser.

As of today, iTunes Preview now supports music, 30-second previews of music, viewing of single iPhone/iPod Touch Apps, and now allows users to browse the App Store categories directly from a web browser.

[iClarified]

iTunes Preview Updated To Browse Apps is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Tips, Tricks, News, and Tutorials for Canadian iPhone Users