Hasta La Gadget!

Last month Apple posted a listing for a Camera Project manager. The aim of the position was the “development and of integration of camera modules across iPhone and iPod.” The former is not especially exciting, but the latter is certainly interesting, seeing as how current versions of Apple’s flagship MP3 player don’t yet offer the feature.

Recent rumors swirling around the iPhone have hinted that the latest version of the device will get an upgraded camera complete with higher resolution and video capture support. This is really the first hint that the Touch might also benefit from such a boost, but heck, the company’s gotta give the device some kind of bump come June.

The jailbreakers have managed to keep their speed record intact. Just one day after Apple releases an update to the iPhone OS 3.0 beta, QuickPwn updates its wares to support the new firmware. According to the related writeup, it should work with all iPhone / iPod touch models. After going through the jailbreaking process, you’ll need to open icy and follow a few more steps to finish the job. As usual, download at your own risk, and for now, crack is for Windows users only.

Update: The Dev Team has chimed in with the usual list of caveats and warnings. If nothing else, you’ve now got tacit verification that this release of QuickPwn isn’t some malicious hack.

Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

iPhone OS 3.0 beta 2 gets the jailbreak treatment originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 01:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s legit; Skype is coming to the iPhone on Tuesday, BlackBerry devices in May. While we’ve seen plenty of Skype-capable apps on the iPhone, the poor, often echo-infected calls should be easily bested by the official Skype App that doesn’t need the extra audio transcoding workaround required by the existing crop of unofficial apps. The Skype app works over WiFi only (not over EDGE or 3G data) and supports calls to SkypeOut contacts in addition to many of the other features you’ve used from the desktop client. iPod touch owners will require earphones with an embedded mic to talk. CNET has a hands-on preview of the App just as long as you can muster the energy required to hit the read link below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Cellphones

Skype App coming to iPhone on Tuesday, Blackberry in May originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 07:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The third iteration of iPhone software doesn’t just add features (more here) like copy and paste. There’s a lot new going on in terms of usability and interface that every non-power user will appreciate.

Search Everything With Spotlight
Instead of digging through 10 screens for your apps, search them out just like in OS X through Spotlight.

Upgrade Applications Within Applications
Now, apps can solicit your business through in-app prompts. A game developer could offer to sell you more levels and a magazine could add issues to your subscription. The implementation could be annoying, like shareware and absurd microtransactions, or useful, seeing as you can buy desired upgrades within the application, bypassing the App Store when it’s unnecessary.

Use Custom Accessory Controls
New custom applications can be designed to work with specific accessories. Your iPhone can become the control panel for any participating manufacturer’s device.

Navigate Google Maps In Any Participating App, Along With Turn By Turn Directions
Do you like Yelp but you hate leaving Yelp to go to the proper Google Maps? Now that developers can embed Google Maps directly into their applications, complete with pinch zoom functionality, hopefully these days of inconvenience will be over—especially when coupled with new turn by turn directions support.

Cutting, Copying and Pasting Now Possible
Sounds simple enough. Double tap text to bring up cut/copy/paste options and drag left or right to expand your selection. Double tap again to paste, or shake the phone to undo. Since CC&P is part of the core software, it should work in all apps that want to use it.

Email Multiple Pictures At Once
Thanks to CC&P, users can copy multiple pictures and then paste them in an email to send all together. We don’t have a nifty photo of this just yet.

Write Emails/SMS in Landscape Mode
Before, you had to use a third party application to write emails in landscape mode. Now, the wide keyboard comes to all core iPhone applications.

Send Photos and Audio Over MMS
The iPhone gets photo and voice recording support for multimedia messaging. Plus, you can forward messages and stuff, too.

Stream Music In Stereo Over Bluetooth
This small distinction snuck in amongst the bigger announcements, but the new software will allow Bluetooth audio to stream in non-gimped, A2DP stereo audio. This should be great for peripherals/accessories.

No, Apple did not reskin the iPhone UI, but they did make a few handfuls of little tweaks, many of which we’ll end up using on a daily basis.

Well, that didn’t take long — hot on the heels of the $15 NitroKey Slipstream iPod touch 2G jailbreak, the Dev Team’s released their free version. Apparently they’d been hoping to keep the jailbreak-enabling security hole a secret until the next version of the iPhone came out so Apple wouldn’t be able to fix the flaw, but NitroKey is apparently based on their code and they didn’t want people paying to use it. It’s not all packaged up into PwnageTool or QuickPwn just yet, but it should be soon, and there are options for the impatient — hit the read link for more.

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Dev Team releases free iPod touch 2G jailbreak originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 11 Mar 2009 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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