News

Apple released the iPhone OS 3.0.1 firmware update the other day to fix an SMS security flaw. This has rendered purplera1n useless, and creator Geohot has abandoned the project for now. That being said, redsn0w from the iPhone Dev-Team still works.

There's one thing to look out for when using redsn0w to jailbreak 3.0.1. After updating to the official 3.0.1 through iTunes, running redsn0w will ask for the IPSW file to use for jailbreaking. Select the 3.0 IPSW, not the 3.0.1 version you just installed. For owners of the iPhone 3GS or a newer 3G, you may not already have this file.

The (inaccurate) furor over an impending iPhone Nano just got a shot in the arm. Apple patents described by MacNN have revealed a device that looks remarkably like a smaller version of the iPhone.

The device is approximately the size of the current iPod Nano, only 1/4 inch thick. Although the patent describes a front screen, the biggest change from current designs is a pressure-sensitive tactile control on the back.

Apple is asking iPhone application developers for keywords to help describe their software. The company sent an update asking for 255 characters made up of keywords separated by commas:

“It is important to enter keywords for all applications as soon as possible so your application can continue to be successfully located on the App Store. Keywords can be updated with the submission of a new binary.”

Parts suppliers and manufacturers have already been selected for a rumored Apple media pad, a touch-screen device larger than an iPhone with the functionality of a netbook. The tablet could hit shelves as early as September.

Foxconn, manufacturer of the iPhone and Apple's notebook computers, will make the new device. Wintek is providing a 9.7-inch multi-touch panel, and Dynapack International Technology is supplying the battery.

For those iPhone users with a MobileMe account, Apple has released a free application called iDisk. This utility allows iPhone users running iPhone OS 3.0 and later to view and share the contents of their MobileMe iDisk on the go.

iPhone supported file types are viewable in landscape or portrait, and can be zoomed in using standard pinch gestures. Using the Share button, MobileMe subscribers can send emails with links to large files without even downloading the file. Public folders are also accessible using the iDisk application.