iPhone Software

Apple has launched the first beta version of iOS 4.1 to developers along with the updated SDK, which means it won't be long until the firmware is released to the general public. Several changes and improvements are included in the new version of iOS 4, although reports have indicated the operating system does not correct antenna reception issues.

The calculation method for displaying bars of cellular signal strength has been revised, and the bar graphics themselves are enlarged. Apple previously announced that the formula they used to convert signal strength to bars was misleading, tacking on extra bars in areas of weak reception. iPhone modem firmware is updated from 01.59.00 to 02.07.01 in the new operating system.

Sources familiar with pre-release builds of iPhone OS 4.0 claim the operating system will lift restrictions on the multitasking of apps. AppleInsider reports that an interface modeled after the Mac OS X Expose feature would show icons of all running apps and allow the user to switch between them.

In the desktop version of Expose, windows of running applications are reduced in size and aligned so they can all be seen simultaneously. Currently, only a list of native iPhone apps is permitted to run in the background, although iPhone OS is fully capable of multitasking. These apps include the iPod, SMS, Phone, Mail, and Voice Recorder among others.

According to a new report by AppleInsider, Apple is going ahead with plans to include an explicit category in iTunes for software titles. The issue of adult content on the App Store has received much attention lately after the removal of 5,000 apps deemed too low-brow for Apple's ever-shifting standards of decency.

Shortly afterwards, reports surfaced that Apple was working on an explicit category with parental controls. These categories were pulled by Apple and the rumors of plans for an adult section were debunked.

George Hotz (Geohot) continues to show off his iPhone hacking achievements with an untethered jailbreak. He announced the successful experiment on his blog along with posting a video of his iPhone rebooting.

According to Geohot, the entire project took 2.5 days to complete from start to finish. He refuses to set a release date, although the iPad release date of April 3rd is possible. The new jailbreak is supposedly just as easy to run as blackra1n, his previous one-click solution.