Promo-codes are usually given out either to reviewers to build an audience for an application, or as rewards to users who spot bugs or errors in software.  While this may not seem a significant issue to most developers, Marco points out that Apple’s guidelines for age restrictions may affect more apps than we initially thought.

“Apple specifies that any application that may contain high levels of offensive language, violence, sexual content, or references to drugs or alcohol receive a rating of 17+. But, according to Apple, apps that feature an embedded web browser or provide access to 3rd party content also automatically require the 17+ rating, regardless of the application’s content or intended audience” TUAW

Therefore any Twitter, RSS, Flickr, IM, social-networking, ebook reader or Tumblr client could, feasibly, be required to carry a 17+ rating, together with bearing a “this app can contain frequent nudity and drug use and violence and mature themes” warning.  Apple are yet to respond regarding the issue.

WiFi support for developers means that the iPhone does not have to be physically connected via the USB cable for apps to be tested.  In fact, connecting through WiFi now gives all the same functionality as a developer may be used to through Instruments.

As for data tethering, it appears that Apple have blocked modifications to the IPCC carrier files which could, on the previous build, be tweaked to allow the service in the US.  AT&T are yet to announce when tethering will be officially permitted; rumors continue that it will be priced at around $55, though AT&T themselves strongly deny that.

[via iPhoneBuzz]

“Every Push application has to request the unique token from the Apple’s APNS servers to identify the device it’s running on. Thanks to that token, APNS servers always know which device is yours … On any unlocked iPhone, the application requesting the token is stuck. APNS does not provide any response at all and the application can either cancel the request completely by automatic timeout or let user wait with the progress bar forever. Either way, the user will never receive any Push message, because APNS has not provided the token.” PoweryBase

PoweryBase are now advising those users with unlocked devices not to buy their app, as they will not be able to promise Push Notification functionality.  In the same way, such users should not expect any APNS-reliant service to work as advertised, unless Apple change their support policies.

The iPhone Dev Team are aware of the issue, and have already released one trial fix for affected devices.  However it still needs work, and a stable release is still not available; hopefully at some future point it will be integrated into their ultrasn0w unlocking app.

[via MacRumors]

MMS will be accompanied by iPhone tethering, it’s believed, which Appmodo insist is still expected to cost an extra $55 per month.  That’s on top of existing data plans for the iPhone.  Users will be able to connect their laptops via USB or Bluetooth.

AT&T tethering cost denial after the cut

Updated with new comments from AT&T

AT&T, meanwhile, have denied the $55 reports on their Facebook page, though they’ve not made clear exactly how much they will be charging:

“There are a lot of reports out there, but wanted you guys to know that rumors of $55 tethering plan on top of an unlimited data plan are false. We’ll have more news to share when the iPhone tethering option is closer to launch.” AT&T

As for MMS messages, it’s said they’ll be included in current text messaging plans, which could be the only bit of good news left to relate.  The source for this new date is unclear, however, so there’s no telling whether AT&T might once again postpone its roll-out.

Update: AT&T have been in contact to assure us that they have not yet settled on a price for iPhone tethering, and that while there will be a charge for the plan they don’t yet know what it will be.  There is also no “announced” date for when tethering will be available, but iPhone MMS is still on track for “later this summer”.

The tool, currently only available for Windows users, can be used to jailbreak iPhone 3GS models running OS 3.0 (users hoping to unlock or jailbreak their handsets are advised not to upgrade to 3.1) and seems a relatively straightforward process.  Still, it’s in beta and you’re advised to back up your handset before attempting it; Apple are unlikely to look kindly on any warranty repairs should they discover your iPhone 3GS was bricked during an unofficial mod.

Hotz also prompts some disagreement with the tactics that the iPhone Dev Team are using regarding their own ultrasn0w unlock/jailbreak.  They decided not to address the iPhone 3GS until OS 3.1 is generally released, so that Apple won’t have time to close off the loophole their app takes advantage of.  Hotz, though, feels differently about the “cat and mouse” chase that has been going on between Apple and hackers since the original iPhone was launched:

“Normally I don’t make tools for the general public, and rather wait for the dev team to do it. But guys, whats up with waiting until 3.1? That isn’t how the game is played. We release, Apple fixes, we find new holes. It isn’t worth waiting because you might have the “last” hole in the iPhone. What last hole…this isn’t golf. I’ll find a new one next week. Also your purplera1nyday files ensure that you can always get back to a jailbroken state, so if you have it it’s just a matter of tools.” George Hotz

[via TechCrunch]

Those 3D maps are automatically updated in the background, too, as are POIs and street names.  There’s also access to Yellow Pages, for business listings, together with online trip planning; users can set up their journey via their PC or Mac, and then have the route wirelessly delivered to their iPhone.

It’s all sounding great, aside from the price.  AT&T Navigator for iPhone is priced at $9.99 per month, which works out at around $240 if you subscribe for the lifetime of your AT&T contract.  With standalone GPS units going for bargain-basement prices right now, we’re not sure that’s cost-effective. 

Press Release:

AT&T Brings AT&T Navigator Application to Apple App Store

iPhone Customers Benefit From Turn-by-Turn, Voice-Guided GPS Navigation with AT&T Navigator, Powered by TeleNav

DALLAS, June 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — You have arrived at your destination. For the first time, millions of iPhone customers can now experience one of the most popular turn-by-turn GPS navigation applications. AT&T* (NYSE:T) today announced the availability of its award-winning location based services app – AT&T Navigator – on iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. Using the latest iPhone OS 3.0 software the app brings full audible and visual turn-by-turn navigation service over the nation’s fastest 3G network.

Loaded with enhanced functionality and capabilities, AT&T Navigator provides a rich lineup of user-friendly features, including: map updates, speech recognition, ETA updates, more than 10 million business listings, real-time traffic alerts, one-touch rerouting, daily gas prices and more.

“AT&T Navigator has been one of our most popular and best-performing apps since we launched it last year,” said Mark Collins, vice president of voice and data products for AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. “With the new iPhone OS 3.0 software, we’re expanding the advantages of true turn-by-turn navigation – both voice and on-screen directions – to millions more customers. We’re bringing greater convenience to drivers and travelers nationwide, including providing regular, automatic updates to map information at no charge so customers have the latest at their fingertips.”

Perfect for Parent and Professional

Gone are the days when business travelers are dependent on built-in car GPS devices. Same goes for parents managing caravans and car pools to overnight soccer tournaments. Built to accommodate road warriors of all kinds, AT&T Navigator maximizes the customer experience to provide:

Automatic Content Updates: No manual updates required. The latest map and navigating details are automatically available to subscribers at no extra cost.
Voice and On-Screen Turn-By-Turn Directions: Real-time voice and visual guidance, including street names, automatic re-routes, ETA and total mileage updates. Drivers can also choose among multiple route options, including ‘traffic optimized’; ‘fastest’; ‘prefer streets’;'prefer highways’ and ‘pedestrian mode’ to ensure the most customized navigation experience.
Speech Recognition: Touch and talk capability for instant turn-by-turn directions to destination.
Traffic Alerts: Real-time route monitoring and proactive searches every five minutes for traffic congestion or incident. Voice and on-screen alerts, plus faster route options provided.
3D Maps: Full-color 3D moving map brings navigation to life. Maps provide details on current location, plus streets and interstates within driving distance.
Business Listings: One-touch access to more than 10 million business listings from YELLOWPAGES.COM. Plus, access to business ratings, phone numbers and one-touch dialing.
In-Route Customization: Users have the advantage of finding convenient rest stops for gas, food and other needs along their current route – saving both time and mileage.
Online Trip Planning: Preplan trips, save addresses and manage travel accounts online at www.navpreplan.com. Save locations and send directions straight to iPhone.
Award Winning

AT&T Navigator was recently recognized by global growth and consulting company Frost & Sullivan as the 2009 Consumer Location-Based Service Navigation Application of the Year because of its aggregation of a premier list features into one intuitive application.

The app is available for $9.99 a month from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

As with AT&T Navigator subscriptions on other devices, the app will be billed directly by AT&T and included on the customer’s monthly statement. AT&T Navigator works within the United States. Customers can download the app through Apple’s App Store under the “GPS and Navigation” category. AT&T Navigator on iPhone requires iPhone OS 3.0 software.

Additional information, including other devices programmed for AT&T Navigator, is available at www.att.com/navigator.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. 

[via iPhone Buzz]

There’s also a 2,000mAh Li-Ion battery, which not only powers the GameBone Pro’s functionality but – if you use the wired connection – can recharge your iPhone or iPod touch, too.  A row of LEDs shows charge status.

The controller also has integrated speakers, a microphone, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.  It’s set to hit shelves in mid-September, but we don’t know price yet; 22Moo are asking potential customers to suggest what they’d pay for the GameBone Pro, which seems like an obvious way to find your shiny new peripheral now costs fifty cents.

Apple haven’t revealed how many people picked up the iPhone 3G 8GB in the past couple of weeks.  Their previous-generation smartphone was reduced to $99 with a new contract after the iPhone 3G S was announced, offering a new point-of-entry to iPhone ownership though lacking the newer handset’s autofocus camera, extra megapixels, digital compass and other functionality.

For our hands-on first impressions of the iPhone 3G S, check out this post.  We’ll have our full review up later this week!

Press Release:

Apple Sells Over One Million iPhone 3GS Models

iPhone 3.0 Software Downloads Reach Six Million

CUPERTINO, Calif., June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple(R) today announced that it has sold over one million iPhone(TM) 3GS models through Sunday, June 21, the third day after its launch. In addition, six million customers have downloaded the new iPhone 3.0 software in the first five days since its release.

“Customers are voting and the iPhone is winning,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “With over 50,000 applications available from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, iPhone momentum is stronger than ever.”

The new iPhone 3GS is the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including improved speed and performance — up to twice as fast as iPhone 3G — with longer battery life, a high-quality 3 megapixel autofocus camera, easy to use video recording and hands free voice control. iPhone 3GS includes the new iPhone OS 3.0, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 100 new features such as Cut, Copy and Paste, MMS*, Spotlight(TM) Search, landscape keyboard and more. iPhone 3GS customers get access to more than 50,000 applications from Apple’s revolutionary App Store, the largest application store in the world where customers have already downloaded over one billion apps. iPhone 3GS offers twice the capacity for the same price with a 16GB model for just $199 and a new 32GB model for just $299.** And iPhone 3G is available at the breakthrough price of just $99 for the 8GB model — a huge milestone for the high end smartphone market.

*MMS messaging is available only on iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS; fees may apply. MMS may not be available in all areas. MMS support from AT&T will be available in late summer.

**Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year AT&T rate plan, sold separately.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

Elsewhere, Nokia’s long-awaited N97 finally reached North American customers’ hands, ours included, and you can find our unboxing and first-impressions here.  It’s a decent smartphone, and understandably the flagship of Nokia’s line, but can it hold up in the face of iPhone’s upgraded OS 3.0 software?  We’ll have our full review this coming week.

If it’s a QWERTY keyboard you’re after, but you prefer your phones berry-flavored, then the news that both Verizon and Sprint would be offering the BlackBerry Tour 9630 in the near future will probably come as some relief.  3G, GPS, for all the specs check out the official RIM video.  Finally, Samsung took the wraps off of the Omnia Pro B7610, complete with a glorious OLED touchscreen display and slide out ‘board.

It’s not all been smartphones, though.  SlashGear sat in front of a small screen, in the shape of Fujitsu-Siemen’s Amilo Mini Ui 3520 netbook, and a big screen (albeit a virtual one) with the Q-London 3D 80″ Video Eyewear.  Oh, and in the name of extreme destruction, we watched Lenovo’s ThinkPad T400s go head to head with a 26,000lb DOW truck.  If you want to see whether a slender ultraportable notebook can cope with getting comfortable between rubber and gravel, check out the video.

Finally, Microsoft confirmed that the Zune HD PMP will use NVIDIA’s Tegra chipset, making us even more keen to see what this potential-iPod-killer (yes, we know, a cliché if ever there was one) brings to the table.  And for your high-definition home entertainment, PopcornHour delivered their C200 Blu-ray ready media-streamer.  If you’ve ever looked at your media collection and wished there was a set-top box that could handle it all without breaking a sweat, this is the gadget for you.

read on for our iPhone 3G S first-impressions. Update: iPhone 3GS Review

Until you turn the 3G S on, you could be holding any iPhone 3G.  While there are a few physical differences – the most obvious being reflective text on the back panel, to match the Apple logo – the big changes are inside.  Turn on the smartphone and it loads quicker, while everything from swiping through different homescreen panes, loading native and third-party apps, and even just the 3G’s periodic lags has been smoothed out.  Our first-impressions of the impact on data-rich apps, such as a packed inbox or the always-thorny SMS messaging, is that the sluggishness as the handset churns through content is removed.

We’ll spend more time with third-party applications over the weekend, but the few graphically-demanding games we downloaded through the App Store show a marked improvement courtesy of the new video chipset.  Apple use the new PowerVR SGX graphics chipset, with support for OpenGL ES 2.0, and while it’s early days for titles that specifically take advantage of it, rendering speed and results for existing titles have improved.

Perhaps the next biggest feature after speed boosts is the new camera, a 3-megapixel shooter with autofocus.  There’s still no dedicated camera shortcut, though you can set a double-tap of the Home button to trigger it.  Touching the screen sets the focus, something not exclusive to the iPhone 3G S but admirable all the same, and the smartphone seems to do a pretty good job at locking on and then snapping shots a little quicker than the 3G manages.  We’re a little disappointed that there’s no macro mode, though, and that you’re limited to non-touch autofocus when you flip over to video-recording mode.

Still, we’re thankful that there’s even the possibility of recording video on the iPhone 3G S in the first place, something requested ever since the original iPhone in 2007.  The two modes are selected by a simple on-screen switch, and after that all you need concern yourself with is tapping record.  Our first-impression is that we wish there was more manual control over things like white balance and exposure; both video and photos are lighter than our tastes prefer, and there’s no way to change that apart from in post-production off of the handset.

Post-production is actually something Apple are encouraging people to do with their iPhone 3G S itself; while there’s not the mini-iMovie suite originally tipped, you can trim down clips to slice out the portion you really wanted.  Unfortunately there’s no way to join more than one clip together, nor to snip out an unwanted middle section, and all edits are final.  Perhaps it’s a storage issue, but we wish we had at least the choice to save raw footage and edit a copy rather than the original.  Once we’ve had a chance to sync the iPhone 3G S with our computer we’ll see just how the end results turn out; on the phone’s own display, playback is smooth and clear.

Getting footage off the iPhone 3G S needn’t involve synchronization with iTunes, though.  The smartphone can upload to YouTube or MobileMe, be attached to an MMS message if your carrier supports it, or send a .MOV format file via email.  It’s also clever enough to compress the file before it attempts it, though we’ll be playing with this to see exactly how long YouTube uploads take over 3G and WiFi.

Another new feature is the digital compass, which works pretty much as it does on HTC’s Android smartphones.  Now, as well as using GPS to pinpoint your location in Google Maps, you can also see which direction you’re facing.  Clever, though maybe a bit gimmicky right now, but this will come into its own with third-party turn-by-turn PND apps.

One of the things we’re most excited about is battery life, which Apple promise has been extended in the iPhone 3G S over the iPhone 3G.  We’re used to carrying around a Mophie Juicepack to top up the charge throughout the day; happily it’ll still be compatible with the iPhone 3G S, but we’re hoping it won’t be so necessary.

The physical design of the iPhone 3G S is still great – and the new oleophobic coating to the screen does a decent job of letting face-grease slide off with a single swipe against the nearest soft surface – though there’ll be fashionistas disappointed at no obvious way to flag up the fact they’ve the latest Apple device.  Of course, iPhone 3G owners have already been able to play with most of the new software features on the iPhone 3G S, thanks to OS 3.0 which was released on Wednesday.  That means cut, copy & paste support, horizontal QWERTY keyboards, Spotlight universal search, the new Voice Memos app, push notifications, MMS support (again, carrier dependent) and even unlocking the 3G’s Bluetooth to support the A2DP stereo profile.  Unfortunately neither the iPhone 3G or the new 3G S offer AVRCP, which means that even if your wireless headphones have play/pause and other buttons, you won’t be able to use them to control media playback.

You can bet we’ll be playing more with the iPhone 3G S over the rest of today and the weekend, in preparation for the full SlashGear review next week.  Until then, if you’ve any questions regarding the handset, let us know in the comments.

“Internet rumours suggest that some customers have modified their iPhone to enable Internet Tethering without the purchase of the Internet Tethering Bolt On. Any use of this particular feature without the purchase of the Bolt on is specifically prohibited under our terms of service.

Under those terms we reserve the right to charge customers making modem use of their iPhone or disconnect them. If customers wish to use the Internet Tethering feature on their iPhone 3G or iPhone 3G S, we recommend taking the Bolt On which is available from Friday 19 June” O2 statement

The carrier has been less forthcoming about how they will check for unofficial tethering use, though it seems likely that anybody with high traffic rates will stand out and be investigated.  Like other carriers, O2′s so-called “unlimited” iPhone data package actually has a 3GB limit, and they closely monitor traffic for signs of P2P or VoIP use.

Arguably, O2′s stance is more understandable than, say, AT&T.  At least the former offers a tethering package in the first place – albeit an expensive one, charging £14.68 ($24) for 3GB per month or £29.36 ($48) for 10GB – whereas AT&T won’t offer official tethering at all until later in the year.

One thing we know about iPhone users, though, is that if you show them a sign saying “no entry” they’ll work out a hack to enable it, and sure enough there’s now a simple way to turn on iPhone tethering no matter your carrier or tether-plan status.  All you need do, in fact, is visit help.BenM.at on your iPhone and install a new local carrier profile configuration file.

There are files for tethering on multiple carriers – not just the official Apple partner in each company, but rivals for those using their iPhone unlocked – and more apparently being added all the time.  Plus, there are install files for MMS support, including AT&T who have previously said that they won’t be officially enabling it on the iPhone until late summer.

This is one of those cases where “because you can” might not mean “you should”; carriers have been very clear now and previously as to the fact that tethering data is not considered part of an “unlimited” on-device data package.  If you do attempt it – and obviously there’s also risk in installing any software from an unknown site – then bear in mind your carrier will likely be monitoring data traffic to identify any unofficial tethering or MMS use.

Video explanation after the cut

That basically means that, if you’re a high-spending customer (e.g. you give AT&T more than $99 per month) and would generally be allowed to upgrade 12 or 18 months into a contract, you may be allowed to buy the iPhone 3G S 16GB for $199 or the 32GB version for $299.  That’s as opposed to paying $399 and $499 respectively, as is the “normal” early upgrade price.

If you’ve already pre-ordered the iPhone 3G S then AT&T will either reduce the price when you pick the handset up in store, or – if it’s shipped direct to you – they’ll email you with a credit code.  You’ll be able to find out if you’re eligible for the new pricing from tomorrow, either by logging in to AT&T’s site or calling them up.  More in the AT&T FAQ here.

Press Release:

AN UPDATE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS

Some customers have had questions about our plans and policies for iPhone 3G S, and we’d like to provide you with answers. We’d also like to announce a change to the date when some iPhone customers are eligible for our best upgrade pricing to iPhone 3G S.

PRICING
Importantly, we want our customers to better understand our wireless device upgrade program. Like most U.S. carriers, we offer a variety of phones that we sell below our actual cost when customers agree to sign service agreements. In general, the more a customer spends with us, the quicker they become eligible for a price break on a new device. For example, iPhone customers who spend more than $99 a month per line with us generally are eligible for an upgrade between 12 and 18 months into their contract.
We also currently offer early upgrade pricing only for iPhone 3G S and iPhone 3G.

All of that said, we’ve been listening to our customers. And since many of our iPhone 3G customers are early adopters and literally weeks shy of being upgrade eligible due to iPhone 3G S launching 11 months after iPhone 3G, we’re extending the window of upgrade eligibility for a limited time.

We’re now pleased to offer our iPhone 3G customers who are upgrade eligible in July, August or September 2009 our best upgrade pricing, beginning Thursday, June 18.

If you’re one of the many customers who will benefit from this change, please note that our upgrade eligibility tools will reflect this change on Thursday, June 18.

We invite you to come to our stores beginning Friday during normal store hours, although please be aware that customer demand may exceed supply in some of our stores. You may also preorder online on June 18 at www.att.com/iPhone, and your iPhone 3G S will arrive in 7 – 14 days. Or you can purchase iPhone 3G S at Apple’s retail and online stores, as well as at other popular retailers.

If you’re one of the customers who benefits from this change, and you’ve already preordered from an AT&T store, we’ll adjust the price of the device when you pick it up. If you benefit from the change and you pre-ordered from AT&T online, we’ll send you an e-mail and issue you a credit.

If you pre-ordered an iPhone 3G S through Apple’s online store, your upgrade eligibility will be reassessed based on AT&T’s new upgrade policy for iPhone 3G owners. If you are eligible for the lower price, Apple will issue you a credit for the difference as applicable.

So, what if you still aren’t eligible for our best upgrade pricing and you still want iPhone 3G S now? You do have options:

· You may qualify for the iPhone 3G S early upgrade price of $399 (16GB) or $499 (32GB).

· You can pay full retail—and not have to sign a 2-year contract—at $599 (16GB) or $699 (32GB).

· You can wait until you’re eligible for our best upgrade pricing. We invite you to check your upgrade eligibility by visiting www.att.com/iphone, calling *NEW# (*639#) on your AT&T device (we’ll send you a text with upgrade information), or visiting any of our over 2,200 stores.

If you want more details on our pricing and upgrade policy, check out our FAQs (here). And as always, you may visit one of our stores to talk with a representative.

IN SUMMARY
We’ve listened to our customers — and hope our response helps answer some of your questions and concerns.

We are incredibly proud to be the U.S. carrier for the new iPhone 3G S and will work around the clock to be ready on June 19 to serve customers who are interested in the fastest, most powerful iPhone yet.

The upgrade is free for iPhone and iPhone 3G users, and will come as standard on the new iPhone 3G S when that launches this Friday.  It’s also available for iPod touch owners, but they’ll be charged $9.95 for the privilege.

As you might expect, Apple’s servers are currently under huge strain, and speeds are right down.  To update, hook up your iPhone or iPod touch to iTunes and hit the update button; we’re doing the same, so let us know how you get on in the comments.

Video demo after the cut

yellowsn0w will get its release shortly after Apple push out iPhone OS 3.0 – the Dev Team are being cautious, so as not to give Cupertino’s engineers any time to scupper the jailbreak/unlock setup – but ultrasn0w won’t see daylight until Friday at the earliest.  There’s no telling right now as to whether the iPhone 3G S can be jailbroken and then unlocked.

As ever, the tools to do all this will be free – if someone is trying to charge you, they’re not legit.  In the video below, skip to around the two-minute mark to see the actual unlock demo. 

“If you want to attack iPhones, you have to be able to run code to do whatever it is you want to do.  Maybe that is grabbing credentials, maybe it is listening into phone calls, maybe it is turning on the microphone. Who knows? But this all requires that you be able to run code”  Charles Miller

Unlike jailbreaking an iPhone, which usually requires physical access to the handset, this new system will work remotely.  Apple’s security software – which was bolstered for the launch of the App Store, to prevent copied or pirated apps from being used – usually prevents such exploits, but Miller and Iozzo found several loopholes.

The attack will be demonstrated at the Black Hat Conference in Las Vegas next month.  At present it works with iPhone OS 2.0, which is the version Miller and Iozzo developed it on; they’re unclear whether Apple will have addressed the exploit in iPhone OS 3.0, which is set for release on June 17th.

[via Slashdot]

If Apple isn’t your choice of platform, then we also unboxed HTC’s new flagship Windows Mobile smartphone, the Touch Pro2.  A slide-out QWERTY keyboard, huge touchscreen and more connectivity than you could legitimately ask for, we’ll have the full review this coming week. 

Meanwhile, we also reviewed Amazon’s latest ebook reader, the 9.7-inch Kindle DX.  Aimed at students, newspaper & magazine addicts and businesses, the big question is whether it offers a realistic leap over the Kindle 2 that’s around $100 cheaper.  Finally, we featured our review of Sleek Audio’s CT6 Custom earphones, individually molded to the wearer’s ear-canal and promising tailored audio. 

Elsewhere, we saw the Palm Pre jailbroken and running Doom, heard a glowing review of the Viliv X70 UMPC, and saw leaked details of Intel’s upcoming Atom CPU range.  There were also hands-on videos of Pixel Qi’s incredible 3Qi low-power display, leaked photos of Sony Ericsson’s XPERIA X2, and confirmation that the Nokia N97 and N86 8MP were both arriving in stores across America.  Archos also held their long-awaited press conference, sadly not delivering the Android MID we’d been promised but dropping the Windows 7 Archos 9 UMPC instead.

There are also POIs (points of interest) that can optionally be displayed along the route, and both portrait and landscape orientations for making best use of the iPhone 3G and 3G S display whether in the car or on-foot.  MobileNavigator integrates with the iPhone’s contacts, offering one-touch directions, and should a call come in during the journey the route will automatically resume once you hang up.

Both a Lite version (with no directions, but browsable maps and POIs) and the full version will go on sale June 17th, through the App Store.  No word on pricing as yet, nor whether there’ll be an optional car kit as with the TomTom system, but hopefully a little competition in the market will encourage each company to keep costs down. 

Press Release:

NAVIGON takes off first: MobileNavigator now also leads the way on the iPhone already in June

To turn the iPhone 3G and the forthcoming iPhone 3G S into an innovative navigator, you only need two “ingredients”: the new Apple OS 3.0 operating system and the MobileNavigator from NAVIGON. By June iPhone users will be able to turn their phones into a handy, convenient navigation device with the professional software from NAVIGON for the first time.

Hamburg, 9th of June 2009 – Lunch break. Time to eat and a chance to send private emails, make phone calls and to relax listening to songs from your own playlist. Now and again checking the status of online bidding, and taking a funny photo of a colleague. One thing is for sure, there’s hardly another smartphone on the market that makes multitasking so much fun as the iPhone. And soon users will be able to have themselves navigated from the office to the new Italian restaurant in town. All that‘s needed is an iPhone running on the new Apple OS 3.0 operating system – and the MobileNavigator from NAVIGON.

Before the end of this month iPhone users will be able to kit out their smartphones with the professional navigation software from App Stores across the globe. “With the new OS 3.0 operating system, Apple has made the use of navigation software on the iPhone possible, and NAVIGON has quickly managed to adapt the MobileNavigator software to the new firmware. The iPhone can now be transformed into a versatile, fully functional navigator”, quotes Egon Minar, CEO of NAVIGON AG.

Alternative in the App Store

When equipped with the MobileNavigator software, the iPhone 3G (with Apple OS 3.0 operating system) and the iPhone 3G S guide their users safely to their destination – with updated map material and intelligent navigation.

The package includes well-known functions such as Reality View Pro, Real Roadsign Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant, Day & Night Mode, amongst others, as well as the option of displaying POIs along the route. With this range of functions, Mobile Navigator stands out from its competition on the market – also by the fact that the typical user functions of the iPhone have been implemented seamlessly in order to make navigation using the iPhone and NAVIGON software even more enjoyable. If you turn the iPhone 90 degrees, then the display switches automatically from portrait to landscape view. As well as this automatic display adjustment, and the intelligent address entry, there is also the option of navigating directly to an address from saved contacts. If navigation is interrupted by a telephone call then navigation is resumed automatically after the call has ended.

“This allows iPhone users to navigate wherever they are, whenever they want – conveniently and while on the move,” states Egon Minar.

Within this month MobileNavigator will be available in the international AppStore where iPhone users can choose between various options. One option is the LITE Version available for free, with no active route guidance, but with map material and the possibility to display POIs (points of interest) in the vicinity. Another option is the full version, which navigates users quickly and reliably to their destination.

The prices for the full version will be released by the AppStore at the launch.

About NAVIGON:

NAVIGON AG is a world-leading manufacturer of navigation systems. With its own portable navigation systems, and thanks to its partnership with reputable consumer electronics manufacturers, NAVIGON stands for high-quality GPS navigation on pocket PCs, PNDs and mobile phones. NAVIGON also provides professional navigation solutions such as driver-assistance features for the automotive OEM market. NAVIGON was founded in 1991, and employs over 400 workers in locations in Asia, Europe and North America. – NAVIGON. And the world is yours.

Video demo after the cut

There’s also portrait and landscape modes, with the mapping automatically rotating to suite.  TomTom have given the app a night mode, which changes the colors to low-glare alternatives, and the car kit will support the iPhone in both orientations.

The kit also supplies power to the iPhone, and can be used to “enhance GPS data” presumably with some sort of integrated GPS antenna of its own.  Meanwhile it also has a speaker and microphone for hands-free calls.  We don’t yet know how much software or car kit will cost, though something tells us it won’t be all that cheap.

Tethering means that iPhone owners will be able to connect their handset up to their PC or Mac and use its 3G connection to get online.  Both Bluetooth and USB hook-ups will be supported, and no specific software is needed.  According to Apple, 22 carriers have announced support for tethering as of OS 3.0′s June 17th release, though frustratingly AT&T does not appear to be one of them.

Find My iPhone is a location service available to MobileMe subscribers, and allows a lost or misplaced iPhone to be tracked by GPS.  It can then be instructed to make a noise – even when set to silent – or display an on-screen message; if properly lost, not just misplaced, the iPhone can be remotely wiped.

As for Safari, that gets 3x faster JavaScript and the same HTTP audio and video streaming as in QuickTime X.  Autofill uses contacts information and stored passwords to fill in forms, and there’s also HTML 5 support including video and audio tags. 

Apple also announced that iPhone users will be able to rent and purchase movies on their handset, together with audiobooks, and download them across the 3G network.  iPhone OS 3.0 will be a free upgrade to original and 3G iPhone owners, while iPod touch owners will be charged $9.95 for the upgrade.

The keynote kicks off at 10am PT on June 8th 2009, and begins several days of programming, code-comparing and general hands-on excitement of the sort that makes OS X devs moist.  Apple will also roll out the final Developer Preview release of Snow Leopard.

SlashGear will be attending the WWDC09 keynote, and live blogging the whole event at http://live.slashgear.com/ from 10am PT June 8th (e.g. 1pm ET).  It’ll also be an opportunity for iPhone and iPod touch users to try out our new mobile liveblog client, specially formulated for the Apple touchscreen devices.  The same news, the same automatic refresh, but perfectly to-scale on your iPhone or iPod touch!

Press Release:

Apple Worldwide Developers Conference to Kick Off with Keynote Address on Monday, June 8

CUPERTINO, California—May 13, 2009—Apple® will kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, June 8 at 10:00 a.m. A team of Apple executives, led by Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, will deliver the keynote. WWDC will offer in-depth sessions on both iPhone™ OS 3.0, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and Mac OS® X Snow Leopard™, an even more powerful and refined version of the world’s best desktop operating system and the foundation for future Mac® innovation.

“Last June, we gave developers an early look at the powerful new technologies that form the underpinnings of Mac OS X Snow Leopard,” said Bertrand Serlet, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “At WWDC, we will be giving our developers a final Developer Preview release so they can see the incredible progress we’ve made on Snow Leopard and work with us as we move toward its final release.”

Snow Leopard and Mac technical sessions will showcase hundreds of refinements to the operating system and dive deep into its new technologies including a 64-bit architecture, QuickTime® X, next-generation multicore and GPU processor support, and amazing new accessibility technologies. iPhone OS 3.0 technical sessions will cover introductory and advanced concepts to help developers get the most out of the iPhone OS 3.0 SDK and over 1,000 new APIs available for iPhone OS 3.0.

WWDC also offers attendees the unique opportunity to work side-by-side with Apple engineers to solve code-level issues, gain insight into development techniques and get expert advice on interface design.

Other activities at Apple’s WWDC 2009 include:

more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers on a wide range of technology-specific topics for developing, deploying and integrating iPhone OS 3.0 and Mac OS X technologies;
over 1,000 Apple engineers presenting the latest in Apple technologies and providing one-to-one direction in hands-on labs; and
the opportunity to connect with thousands of fellow iPhone and Mac developers from around the world.

Visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2009 website for registration and more details at http://developer.apple.com/wwdc.

The screenshots show options to switch on and off compass functionality, and appear to have been taken from the iPhone OS’ debugging menus.  There’s also a “Kitchen Sink” menu, which is presumably the place for all of the other “not for public consumption” options that are required in these testing stages but not when the device is actually launched.

Magnetometers have been used to good affect in the T-Mobile G1 and HTC Magic, with various applications relying on them for augmented reality programs.  These have included overlaying topical information onto an on-screen view of the local area.

Other changes Apple have made include disabling the ability to update the iPhone’s carrier file; the option was available in beta 4, but is grayed-out in beta 5.  However tethering is still functional, and there are other new tweaks such as a trashcan icon appearing in landscape orientation apps (previously only occurred in portrait) and the return of the SMS sending sound.

There’s also a warning from Apple that some users may find their 3G data service no longer functions after installing beta 5.  No word on exactly why this might happen, but such users are advised to call the Apple developer support line, and we’ve a feeling they won’t be too helpful to anybody using unofficially-obtained versions of the new firmware.

Known Issues
A small set of AT&T customers may experience data services that stop working  after installing iPhone OS 3.0 beta 5 on a device. If you experience this problem  with a device that worked properly before the beta 5 update, please call the  developer support line at 1-800-xxx-xxxx for help restoring data services.

[via iPhone Buzz]

“Evidently, shooting video is as easy as it is with a Flip, the ingenious device made by Pure Digital (recently purchased by Cisco). Then there’s an iMovie app that lets you quickly save the sections you want, right there on the phone itself. There may also be support for MMS, so the clips can be shared wirelessly with friends. And because of the iPhone’s relatively large screen, your friends don’t have to schlep to your PC or their Facebook page to see that video of your kids or your safari. Just hand them your iPhone” Peter Burrows, BusinessWeek

From iMovie Mobile, the clips can then be sent via MMS or viewed on the iPhone’s own, large display.  It also seems likely that the smartphone will allow uploading to video sharing sites, such as YouTube, or possibly an Apple version integrated with the Mobile Me service. 

Alternatively, the files could sit on the iPhone until it’s next synchronized with iTunes, at which point the new clips would be transferred over, automatically uploaded or left for further editing.  Apple themselves have not confirmed video editing on the next-gen device, but signs that it will be included have been found in the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware. 

[via MacRumors]

According to developers taking part in the iPhone OS 3.0 beta program, key changes include the requirement for 10.5.7 or later in order to synchronize the new Notes app, while the Store page now has information about the user’s iTunes account.  This is linked to Apple’s servers, taking users to a webpage where they can tweak their credit card settings from the iPhone itself.

As for iTunes 8.2, the app now allows users to play music on their computer while updating their iPhone or iPod touch with new software.  More interestingly, it also warns that it will check a connected device to see whether it’s registered to the developer program prior to installing the latest OS 3.0 beta.

[Thanks Charlie and applecore!]

The event is also expected to coincide with Apple releasing the iPhone and iPod touch firmware 3.0, which will bring several new features to the devices.  While many column inches have been given over to iPhone OS 3.0′s cut & paste abilities, of more interest to developers are the new APIs such as push notification, that will allow them to create applications more in line with Apple’s own.

There also might be the chance of an announcement for the release date of OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard”, which has seen multiple new seeds to developers in recent months.  Videos from the WWDC will be available – to purchase, mind – after the event, for any developer who was unable to attend.

“Our sources turned up references to classes and methods named VSSpeechSynthesizer, VSRecognitionSession, SBVoiceControlDisableHandlerActions, SBSensitiveJibblerEnabled, and SBVoiceControlSoundCompletion. SB refers to SpringBoard, and VS likely refers to Voice Services” ArsTechnica

Jibbler is said to be an enhancement to the iPhone’s existing SpringBoard app, which acts as a software launcher.  That is set to gain integration with OS 3.0′s new Spotlight searching, but going by the new Jibbler classes and methods it will also get voice control and real-time spoken responses. 

The assumption is that Apple will use Jibbler to enable voice-controlled dialing and hands-free control, but it could also introduce the spoken media prompts as seen on the latest iPod shuffle.  No word as yet on whether specific new hardware would be required, or if this would be backward enabled on the existing iPhone 3G and/or the first-gen handset; similarly, it’s unclear whether developers will be able to access the Jibbler features.

[via AppScout]

It seems that Apple has been pushing out Betas much faster than usual. It’s been roughly two weeks since the previous beta dropped, and two weeks before that was the initial 3.0 beta.  The 2.0 beta software was much slower to be rolled out, with more than two weeks in between betas. At this rate, we might see multiple more betas before the June 8th WWDC, where it is expected that the iPhone and iPod Touch 3.0 software will be made available to the public.

Apple announced the iPhone 3.0 software update back in March at a small meeting in the Apple town hall. The iPhone 3.0 software will include many updates, including cut, copy and paste, MMS, Spotlight Searching, and Push Notification API’s for developers to use in their applications, as well as many other additions.

[Via Apple via Gearlive]

So it looks like CSR will still be taking care of the Bluetooth components, but OmniVision will take over the image sensor–which will sport 3.2-megapixels–and Samsung will be providing the memory.

We don’t know who will be providing the processor, but there are several other companies listed as well, some that are not so familiar, for the GPS, power and baseband. While all of this seems pretty logical, nothing is confirmed as of yet, so I would still file this one in the rumor category for now.

[via Apple Insider]

Low supply and higher demand will drive the prices up for the near future. DigiTimes cites their source:

As Toshiba, Hynix Semiconductor, Intel and Micron Technology have allocated less chip supplies to the Asia market since early April, downstream memory suppliers are striving to grab more NAND flash chips to meet substantial volumes of short lead-time orders from device makers, the sources indicated.  Spot prices for mainstream MLC NAND flash trended upward during the week of March 27-April 2, as a result of tightening supplies, data gathered by inSpectrum show.

This move by Apple is a good sign for those looking forward to a new iPhone this summer. Apple has been known to place large orders of NAND chips and other supplies right before a large product launch.  This could be a signal for a new iPhone, and provide the supplies for the next generations of iPods as well.  The iPhone 3.0 software update announced in March is expected to be released at the WWDC in June, and many are expecting the announcement of a new iPhone as well.

It’s unclear whether that “launch” means an announcement or the new iPhone physically hitting shelves.  While the original iPhone took an extended period to reach stores after Apple announced it, news of this new replacement would likely cease the majority of sales of the current iPhone 3G.  Therefore it’s in Apple’s best interest to have the new model ready for sale simultaneous with its announcement.

Previous leaks regarding components have suggested that the next-gen iPhone will include WiFi draft-n, an FM transmitter and a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus.  As for software functionality, it’s expected to record video and have compass features.

The presence of an FM transmitter could mean that next-gen iPhone owners will be able to dump the third-party radio transmitters and stream music short-range directly to their car stereos.  As for the improved WiFi functionality, as well as draft-n support the BCM4329 also includes compatibility with MIMO multi-antenna signal technology, 5GHz network support and channel bonding, which can couple two channels so as to boost throughput.

The existing iPhone 3G and iPod touch use the Broadcom BCM4325, which supports WiFi b/g and has an FM receiver.  However Apple have locked down the latter so that it will only receive signals from the Nike+ exercise accessory.  It remains to be seen whether the company will do the same with the FM capabilities of the newer Broadcom chipset in their newest smartphone.

[via iPhone Buzz]

Video demo after the cut

As standard, only WiFi connections should be available for Skype calls.  It’s unclear what in OS 3.0 is confusing the software, but right now people aren’t complaining.

Skype for iPhone is available to download now through the Apple App Store.  It’s a free app, although calls from Skype to landlines will require loading some credit first.

“In the event that Apple receives any notice or claim from any end-user that: (i) the end-user wishes to cancel its license to any of the Licensed Applications within ninety (90) days of the date of download of that Licensed Application by that end-user; or (ii) a Licensed Application fails to conform to Your specifications or Your product warranty or the requirements of any applicable law, Apple may refund to the end-user the full amount of the price paid by the end-user for that Licensed Application. In the event that Apple refunds any such price to an end-user, You shall reimburse, or grant Apple a credit for, an amount equal to the price for that Licensed Application. Apple will have the right to retain its commission on the sale of that Licensed Application, notwithstanding the refund of the price to the end.” iPhone developer clause

Anybody buying software through the App Store has ninety days to decide they want a refund, and Apple reserve the right to given them back all that they paid for the program.  If that happens, the contract developers must sign in order to distribute through the App Store commits them to paying Apple back “the price for that Licensed Application” with Apple retaining its commission.

If enough refunds were requested, developers could actually end up paying out more than they make.  There are mixed reports about whether this clause is new – some are claiming that it is the updated contract for iPhone OS 3.0 – or was in the original contract.

Of course, just because there’s a significant announcement from them, it doesn’t mean the Apple rumor-machine winds down but for a second.  This week we’ve heard about a possible OLED maelstrom from the company, with not only iPhone and iPod touch models using the new display technology but a netbook, desktop and more. 

Dell’s Adamo launch didn’t quite have the same impact as iPhone OS 3.0, but then now perhaps isn’t the best economical time to offer a luxury notebook.  Still, it’s a handsome machine and, in the unboxing experience and metal-to-metal, does a decent job of holding its own against the MacBook Air.  What could undermine the whole thing is if users demand performance along with their glossy casings: neither the entry- nor high-spec Adamo’s pack the punch to go along with their price-tags.

Ironically, Steve Ballmer picked this week to accuse Apple of attempting to sell the same hardware as everyone else, only with a $500 logo charge.  According to Ballmer (who obviously missed out on the Adamo press release) the tide has turned and Apple’s days of selling overpriced computers are nearing an end.  Cue much Apple/Microsoft drum-banging and banner waving, as most people forget that, like with so many things, when it comes to computers it’s really what you do with it that counts.

In mobile devices, Sony Ericsson’s Idou smartphone showed its pre-production head not once but twice, amid talk that Ericsson were considering selling off their stake in the collaboration to Sony.  Perhaps Sony were too busy toasting their successful negotiations with Google for over 500,000 ebooks on the Sony Reader to notice.

As for the SlashGear testbench this week, two of Logic3′s iPod touch/iPhone docks – the i-Station Rotate and i-Station25 – strut their musical and video stuff, while the BeamBox Evolution R1 pico-projector shed its packaging in our video-unboxing.  We’ll have the full review of the R1 this coming week, together with a few more AV pleasantries.

Finally, there are fresh faces old and new here at SlashGear, with the return of former writer Brenda Stokes and the arrival of Steven Grady, a new member to the team.  Brenda will continue her broad consumer tech coverage and sparring with me in a new round of “He Says, She Says” editorials, while Steven will focus on gaming news.  For Steven’s full introduction, check out his introduction at My Pre, where he’ll also be community manager.

The exploit was seemingly first identified by Steven Troughton Smith, who wowed and then frustrated with the news that, yes, he’d activated tethering in OS 3.0, but no, he couldn’t remember how it had been done.  Still, confirmation that it was indeed possible spurred others on to create the following method (which obviously requires you have access to the iPhone OS 3.0 beta):

Step 1: Check if you own a 3G iPhone. If you’re on EDGE (as I am): sorry. Tethering does not seem to work with EDGE phones.

Step 2: Check to see if AT&T is your carrier. If it is: sorry. AT&T will not let you tether.

Step 3: Navigate to ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Carrier Support. Notice the spaces in that last folder name! If you’re at the command line, use backslashes to escape the spaces, i.e. cd ~/Library/iTunes/iPhone Carrier Support. You will find a file with an ipcc extension. Copy that file: e.g. cp foo.ipcc foo.ipcc.original. This creates a backup for when you mess up.

Step 4: rename the ipcc extension to zip. For me that was ATT_US.ipcc renamed to ATT_US.zip. (Did I mention how I’m on a 1st Gen iPhone with AT&T?). Unzip it. This creates a new folder called Payload.

Step 5: Navigate into Payload and then into the folder under that. Mine was called ATT_US.bundle. Yours will differ. Inside that folder you will find three files that you will edit: Info.plist, version.plist, and carrier.plist. Open all three in the Property List Editor that comes with the dev tools on a Mac.

Step 6: In Info.plist, change the CFBundleVersion to 5.0. Save.

Step 7: In the version.plist, change the CFBundleVersion to 5.0. Save.

Step 8: In carrier.plist do the following and then save:
(a) Add a new dictionary to the apns array:
apn = internet
password = password
username = iphone
(b) In the wap dictionary (mine is wap.cingular, sts’s was wap.dol.ie), add a new pair. Do not edit the password or username:
type-mask = (NUMBER) -2
(c) Add a new pair at the top level dictionary of the carrier.plist file. (We’re not sure this is strictly speaking necessary but go ahead and do it.):
AllowEDGEEditing = (BOOLEAN) YES

Step 9: Zip up the Payload folder in which you just made your edits. Rename it to the same name as the original ipcc file. (For me that was ATT_US.ipcc).

Step 10: Connect your iPhone to iTunes.

Step 11: In the Summary tab, option-click “Check for Update”. Navigate to your ipcc file, select it. It takes no more than a second or two to update.

Step 12: Reboot your iPhone.

Step 13: In prefs (on the phone) navigate to Settings > General > Network.

Step 14: Let me know how this worked for you.

HOW TO FIND A CARRIER IPCC FILE:

curl -s -L http://phobos.apple.com/version | grep -i carrier

It’s a convoluted setup, certainly, but only has to be done once; after that, there’s a new menu in Network settings which lets you turn on either USB or Bluetooth tethering.  Remember, Apple isn’t just a factor here, your carrier is too, and it’s the networks – and the absence of a finalized deal regarding data use – which has seen tethering disabled so far.  You may fall foul of a data limit or, worse, contravene some aspect of your contract and be penalized if it’s discovered that you’ve been using your iPhone 3G as a modem without the proper data package, so attempt the above hack at your own risk.

[via iPhone Buzz]

The article covers everything from Palm and Apple’s strongly opposed stances on background applications, through their different efforts to bring universal search to mobile devices, and of course how they handle synchronization.  There’s also the thorny issue of gaming and the App Store, which thanks to a well-motivated legion of developers is already rammed to the rafters with iPhone software.

Of course, most of us are expecting Apple to announce new iPhone hardware in June or July, which will not only get OS 3.0 but whatever physical tweaks and refinements Cupertino have been able to come up with.  That’s going to throw another spanner in the proverbial works.  Check out the full comparison here.

There’s also the ability to forward or delete individual SMS or MMS messages, and tethering support has been added; the latter will require some cooperation from carriers, however.  Cut, copy & paste works in every major app, including third-party software: a double-tap selects a word, then grab-handles can be used to expand the selection.  Pop-up buttons control cut, copy and paste, and you can shake the handset to undo or redo any action.

In addition, the iPhone Mail app is getting support for sending multiple photos simultaneously – they can be selected in the Photo gallery and then pasted into the message.  As for Spotlight, that lives in a new menu which is accessed by flicking to the left from your first homescreen page; searches are across contacts, mail metadata (to/from/subject/header, though not body text, first locally and then on the mail server), audio/video media and calendars.

There are also new applications and tweaks to existing Apple software.  Voice Memos allows you to use the onboard microphone or an external mic to record sound files.  Stocks now has improved data and news stories, plus a landscape orientation view.  Speaking of landscape, the keyboard is now available in landscape orientation across all “major apps”.  Mobile Safari gets a password manager and form auto-fill, together with new phishing protection, while Calendar gains support for the CalDAV format (as used by Google and Yahoo!) and .ics subscriptions.  Notes can by synchronized via iTunes to a Mac or PC, and there’s newly added YouTube account support with favorites, sharing and subscriptions.

Developers get the bulk of the changes, however, with in excess of 1,000 new APIs that include access to the iPod media library, Google Maps API (including turn-by-turn direction support, though only if the developer brings their own mapping data), Bonjour over Bluetooth for peer-to-peer transfers between iPhones and the iPod touch 2G (the Bluetooth of which will be unlocked with OS 3.0) and the long-awaited Push Notification system.  This remains in place instead of background processes, which according to Apple are simply too battery-demanding.

The App Store is being rolled out to all 77 countries the iPhone 3G is available in (16 more as of today’s announcement), and will include In-App Purchase support whereby new features, game elements and media can be bought via a pop-up menu within the software.  Apple brought various developers on-stage during the event to demonstrate this, including gaming with new weapons available to buy.  Developers will also be able to link up to accessories and peripherals, either via the dock connector or Bluetooth, and Apple have allowed in-app streaming video and audio, together with in-game voice chat. 

Developers will have access to the OS 3.0 developer beta from today, and Apple are encouraging them to begin testing immediately.  Consumers, meanwhile, will have to wait until the Summer for iPhone OS 3.0, when it will be a free update to iPhone 3G and iPhone owners (although the latter won’t get Bluetooth A2DP or MMS support) and a $9.95 update for iPod touch owners.

Full gallery of shots from the iPhone OS 3.0 event today here.

We already went through the latest rumors this morning, but it’s worth a recap.  We’re expecting a few long-overdue feature introductions to the iPhone platform that it’s almost embarrassing it’s taken so long for them to arrive: copy & paste is one obvious one, and MMS support is another.  There should also be more detail about the iPhone SDK, which will be of interest not only to developers but to users wondering what apps they can expect over the next six months. 

Less certain are background processes, currently verboten for all but Apple’s own software, but coming under pressure with the advance of the Palm Pre and the webOS platform.  Perhaps even more tenuous is the rumored Apple Mac Tablet, a 10-inch capacitive-touchscreen handheld that ties in with all the netbook rumors we’ve been hearing over the past few months.

We’ll have all the announcements, plus photos and opinion, in the SlashGear liveblog, so head over to http://live.slashgear.com/ and settle back: the liveblog automatically updates, so you don’t even have to hit refresh!

According to Computer World’s Seth Weintraub, Apple will possibly use today’s event to launch the 10-inch capacitive touchscreen device we’ve been reading rumors about over the past few weeks.  Contrary to what some believe, though, Weintraub expects not a netbook – with a hardware keyboard and traditional clamshell design – but a slate-format device similar to a larger iPod touch.

Of course, there’s no knowing until Apple take to the stage in under six hours time.  SlashGear will be liveblogging (http://live.slashgear.com) the whole iPhone OS 3.0 event, so make sure to tune in on March 17 at 10AM Pacific time (1PM Eastern; 5PM London).

Mac Tablet concept via