RSSiPhone 2.1 software beta adds better navigation, copy and paste
By Ed Oswald | Published July 25, 2008, 12:45 PM
Apple has reportedly released a beta of its next significant release of the iPhone software, activating background push notifications, as well as enhanced GPS functionality.
iPhone 2.1 should not be confused with 2.0.1, another firmware update reportedly in testing. The latter is essentially a maintenance release intended to fix some of the more serious bugs that have appeared with iPhone 2.0.
Details of the contents of the 2.1 update first appeared on Gear Live, which apparently has access to the beta. One of the more notable additions is tweaks to the iPhone GPS code, which seems to allow for truer navigation.
Additions to the Core Location subset of the code will allow the phone to detect the cardinal direction of the device as well as its speed. This is essential to allowing the device to provide turn-by-turn directions.
Also spotted within the firmware code are commands for "cut," "copy" and "paste." While this does not guarantee the functionality will immediately appear -- Apple has been known oftentimes to add coding in well before a feature is actually implemented -- it certainly suggests copy and paste is on the way.
AppleInsider added it had confirmed that a rough version of Apple's background push notification service has also made its way into the 2.1 release. The technology will allow developers to get around the restrictions blocking applications from running in the background on the device.
iPhone apps will be able to receive new data even though they are not actively running on the device. At WWDC, Apple said the service would premiere in September, which could be used to deduce a similar release date for the 2.1 software.
In addition to the beta release, a beta version of the iPhone SDK intended to work with the new firmware was shipped. Apple is telling those with in-production apps to hold off on testing, as apps created with the new SDK cannot be submitted to the App Store.
Some of these comments are just plain rude. This information is for iPhone users, or those who are interested in the iPhone.
I had the Cingular 8125 and absolutely loved it. However, it was (without a doubt) the most problematic OS I have ever encountered. When I finally used a 'cooked' ROM to upgrade it to WM6, it worked better, but started draining battery life quicker. Either way, the damned thing held out on me for 3 years and I don't regret a day of it.
Recently I switched to the iPhone 3G simply because the feature set was robust and very integrated *for my purposes*. I chose it over the Tilt because the iPhone has better battery life, fit better in my pocket, and felt more comfortable in my hand. However, the iPhone isn't as comfortable to talk on, without using a headset, as my 8125 was.
Obviously the iPhone is lacking in several areas that are truly 'essential' for a REAL 'smartphone'. Cut/Copy/Paste is the highest on my personal list. I do 80% of my emails from my phones, and the iPhone has a much more intuitive email management system than my old 8125. I was originally concerned about the lack of a physical keyboard, but the 'intelligent' word detection software helped alleviate the majority of my concerns. I can now type with rarely (if ever) looking down at the keys.
If you own an iPhone, this is great news. If you don't own an iPhone and are considering one, this definitely could make the choice harder. If you don't like the iPhone, then why are you bothering to even read this news, ... other than to annoy?
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Wow... no copy and paste? That's insane. I use copy/paste with my Blackberry a great amount... I couldn't imagine a Smartphone omitting this. Good of Apple to add this in, especially with their new initiative to appeal to the corporate user.
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First of all, does anyone not understand why cup, copy paste is a big deal on the iphone, or rather why it's not on there to begin with? Each app runs in its own little "sandbox" or isolated area. So how do you share information if each application is isolated from the rest of the system?
I am starting to think no one who belly aches about this stuff has actually used or owned an iphone, Microsoft or whoever else you mention doesn't hold a candle, the thing starts up in 30 seconds, has unlimited capability with the app store, the games are incredible.
They can't do absolutely everything all at once, so this proves they are listening to people and are continuing to improve their product.
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The comments that dominate this forum have little to do with objective evaluation and analysis of anything.
Most are simply fanboys whining about something most have never used and which even fewer understand.
The irony is that most lack much understanding of anything more comprehensive in the the world of IT than their game platform.
Remember where you are!
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Kinda like how every preemptive multitasking OS has ever operated?
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iTouch probably will get the same funcationality (excluding the iphone specific stuff obviously)..
but you'll have to pay (again) for it.
just think, you buy the most expensive mp3 player on the market, then you pay for 1.1.4 apps, then v2.0, then 2.1... and so on...
or just wait and jailbreak!
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people paid for 2.0? It let me download it free, unless there is a reaaaaaaally long delay in billing...
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Is the itouch going to get copy and paste too?
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Apple needs to add live traffic updates to its GPS feature. Also, if the iPhone runs Unix then why can't it multitask? Ubuntu Mobile has full multitasking support just like Windows Mobile does.
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As Apple sais, the multitasking is partialy disabled for 3rd party apps because of better battery life ;)
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Of course, we all will ignore the fact that ALL 3G devices are having similar issues with battery life...
And the iPhone, like it or not, runs circles around Windows Mobile.
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"And the iPhone, like it or not, runs circles around Windows Mobile"
Unless you use it as a communication device...
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As usual, cute but wrong.
And of course your contention is supported by market sales as well...
oops!
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foxfyre is correct. I manage wireless e-mail and have used many devices from many vendors. Unless you specify "smartphone", the Windows Mobile platform is problematic at best as a reliable phone. The iPhone is no Blackberry in regard to keyboard, but neither are the WM6 devices. Mail syncronization, thin clients, and push mail from popular free mail services are currently available for the iPhone, so I'm not sure what comment means.
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Treo (and many other 3g phones in 2006) had far faster browsing than iphone did in 2008. I believe it was July 2008 when Apple finally caught up on speeds?
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Windows Mobile devices are horrible at, well, almost anything except perhaps for the amount of available applications.
And you don't even need to compare them to the iPhone. Nokia's Symbian OSes, the Blackberries, etc. are far better. Especially when it comes to interfaces. The Windows Mobile interface is absolutely horrible.
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The iPhone doesn't run circles around anything. It's quite possibly the worst phone ever invented. For every feature the iPhone has Windows Mobile 6 phones do it better. The only good thing about the iPhone is its stylish appearance. My Samsung Blackjack II phone also does not suffer from the memory leak problem that Windows Mobile 6 supposedly has either.
Quit acting like Apple branded products are always superior in every way when they never have been.
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LOL...they're finally adding that innovative copy and paste feature the world has been so anxiously waiting for!!
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Yes, cut and paste... it really goes to show you how innovative Apple really is.
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Yes, they must get those features in before *gasp* Microsoft does it on their phones!
Oh wait...
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C'mon... cut/paste, traffic info (through Live Search), and multitasking are offered in Windows Mobile phones already.
This is not something new...
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Of course, don't compare navigating web pages on the two units.
Game over. Apple.
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Traffic info is native to the iPhone and not an add-on like the Windows Mobile platform.
Multitasking on a Windows Mobile works so well that X-Button is now included to terminate background applications (because of CPU and memory consumption).
People selectively forget that the first generation iPhone is a 1.0 consumer device. Only with the second generation is the iPhone reaching out to business.
If you need more features than the iPhone, get something else. With 500 Windows Mobile devices deployed in our organization, if you took away synchronization with corporate mail, people would use approximately zero of them. (When's the last time you saw an AT&T Tilt in use in the wild?). IMHO, the Windows Mobile platform does a lot of things, but doesn't do any of them well.
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But it also did them 3-4 years before the iphone. Congrats, you have a superior phone, at roughly 60% higher costs, and a tether into a horrible desktop Software package (itunes.) Apple finally caught up. We congradulate you and all, but many of us still stuck on the sub par WM device still are holding our breath for something better from Microsoft or (better yet IMO) Google.
It is the smugness of apple advertising that grates me every time. I will never contribute to that tude.
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"Traffic info is native to the iPhone and not an add-on like the Windows Mobile platform."
How do you define "native"? Out of the box? WM devices come from so many manufacturers, each is bundled with different software suites out of the box. Whereas the iPhone only comes from 1 manufacturer with exactly 1 type of software configuration.
When's the last time you saw an AT&T Tilt in use in the wild?
In a few countries in Asia and the Middle East that I've been to, WM devices are ubiquitous. Although strangely, iPhones aren't as rare as they are supposed to be.
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So what will these new innovative features be called? iCut, iCopy and iPaste ??
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I really prefer an ability to select software like "traffic info" rather than have it pre-installed. Not sure about US, but in most cities of the Europe things like TMC is pretty useless, because the information is delivered with delay of 20-30 minutes. But there are a couple of community-driven services, which does this work pretty good.
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Exactly. In fact, many WM devices are extremely customizable. There's a thriving community focusing on mixing and matching various components to create custom ROMs according to various needs. Granted, this isn't officially sanctioned by MS, but who really cares?
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