iPhone 3.1 Beta 1 has just been released, and unlike the major new version that was iPhone 3.0, it’s still unclear how many features — compared with bug fixes — will be added. However, enterprising developers have already discovered at least a few things we can all look forward too.

So, here’s TiPb’s iPhone 3.1 Beta Walkthrough, and we’ll keep it updated as/if Apple releases future betas.

Home Screen

The jigglies — what Dieter lovingly calls the little dance icons do when you hold them down long enough to make them moveable and rearrangeable — now make the iPhone vibrate once to further indicate the change of state. Whether or not this will somehow factor in to the iPhone 3GS accessibility features is uncertain.

Voice Control

Voice Control, after holding down the Home button for several seconds, let you speak simple commands to place calls and control music. In iPhone 3.1, it will also work over Bluetooth.

The exact process isn’t clear yet, but it’s hard to imagine anything other than holding down the call button on a Bluetooth headset function similarly to how the Home button currently works.

Messages

After being present in iPhone 3.0 Beta 1 through Beta 4, before being stripped out in Beta 5, AT&T users will again find MMS functionality restored to the interface. However, it’s not functional without hacking the carrier file, and it’s unknown if it will survive until release or be stripped out again if AT&T still isn’t ready for the feature to go live.

Calendar

Calendar gets a minor tweak in iPhone 3.1. Now event alerts also display the location of the event in the popup. Presumably, this is now considered important glance-able information.

Photos

Video trimming is now non-destructive. Previously, if you trimmed a video, it was automatically saved over the original, meaning you could never undo or go back to the full clip. Now, a Save As… dialog gives you the option of preserving the original and creating as many version copies as you want (an short clip to email, a longer one to share to YouTube, and the full clip to sync and bring into iMovie, for example).

Phone

Copy and Paste comes to the Phone Keypad. Just tap and hold and the input area will change from dark blue to light blue, and the Copy Paste menu will pop up.

Reportedly, the iPhone Paste feature is “smart” enough to change alphanumeric phone numbers to pure numbers (i.e. 1-800-FLOWERS to 1-800-356-9377).

When Will it Ship?

If history is any indication, iPhone 2.0 was released on July 11, 2008, and iPhone 2.1 followed some two months and 4 betas later on September 12, 2008 hot on the heels of Apple’s Let’s Rock introduction of the 2nd generation iPod touch. Will we have to wait for another new iPod and music event before we see 3.1?

Our guess is Apple will try to get 3.1 out earlier to fix a few of the more onerous bugs, but as always, only Jobs knows for sure…

Note on Using Beta Software

Unlike iPhone 2.0 Betas, where access seemed much more limited and leaks were few and far between, 3.1 like 3.0 seems to be on every iPhone users want-now list. Also, unlike 2.0 when many devs were seasoned pros, now Apple is touting thousands upon thousands in the program, some seemingly happy enough to enable 3.0 access for the general user base.

However, betas are intended for developers to test and report back on. They’re not as stable, not as snappy, not as feature-complete and anyone trying to use them as a production OS on their main (or worse, only) device is likely to have something less than an ideal experience. People trying to use it as such may wish they could go back to iPhone 3.0 almost as much as they wished for 3.1. Think thrice before taking the plunge.

[Via Chris, Muero, WhenWillApple, and BGR. Thanks to everyone who sent in descriptions and screenshots.]

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iPhone 3.1 Beta Walkthrough

Could the iPod touch and iPod nano also be getting in on the camera action? We’ve heard the rumor before but evidence continues to mount with Techcrunch claiming:

One of our sources in Asia say that Apple has placed an order for a massive number of camera modules of the type that they include in the iPhone. These are inexpensive cameras, in the $10 range. And the size of the order, our source says, means they can only be used for one thing - the iPods.

As Dieter mentioned on iPhone Live! a camera is such a natural fit for the iPod touch that it’s hard to imagine Apple not doing it at this point. Adding video recording, editing, and sharing (along with the beefier chipset) also seems like a no-brainer port from the already-enabled iPhone 3GS. Even if Apple sticks with VGA resolution, users who want highly portable video recording might easily take the iPod integration over the better quality of a dedicated device like a Flip Mino HD.

Macrumors is also showing off a case that, if real, re-enforces the iPod nano camera rumors as well. Absent the iPod touch interface and processor power, however, it’s hard to see that being functional for anything but still photography. That being said, it remains a great way for Apple to keep moving the traditional iPod line forward even as it approaches market saturation.

Anyone eager to get their iPod camera action on?

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPod touch and iPod nano Getting Camera?

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This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Best of Smartphone Experts, 5 July 2009

We’ve just gotten word from TiPb forums that George Hotz has released his much anticipated Mac OS X version of purplea1n.

So you say you have an iPhone 3GS along with that jailbreak itch? Hit the link and get your download on. As always proceed at your own risk. TiPb and all of it’s staff take zero responsibility to any wrong doings that may occur while using the software.

[Thanks for the tip Matt74!]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Purplera1n for Mac OS X Released

Engadget Mobile has posted a link to a forum in which an individual claims to have issues with the oleophobic coating on his iPhone 3GS wearing off.

Is it possible? Sure, anything is possible. Is it likely this will happen to you? Highly unlikely. There could be a few explanations here: could be a simple case of user abuse, perhaps it is a stroke of bad luck for the owner who happened to get a defective iPhone, or maybe the screen needs to be cleaned!

Whatever the case may be - there is no reason to panic. This is a single report - TiPb has found no other cases of users having this very issue, even within the 10 page thread linked above. Nobody really knows what really happened here so there’s no need to worry. Start to worry when flocks of people start having issues with it.

Until then, sit back, relax, and enjoy your iPhone 3GS.

[Via Engadget]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3GS Oleophobic Coating Wearing?

The UK’s Telegraph ran an article recently with a headline stating “Overheating iPhone 3GS: Apple blames the weather”… that could be a tad misleading. The Telegraph cites an Apple knowledge base article, last updated June 25, 2009, that warns about leaving the iPhone 3GS in hot places or using it under hot conditions, and shows a screenshot of the iPhone’s temperate warning screen,

The problem is, as longtime TiPb readers know, it’s the same knowledge base article that’s been up since the introduction of the iPhone 3G in 2008, the update merely adding in the newly launched iPhone 3GS.

So, while the iPhone 3GS may indeed have overheating problems — though we’re not experiencing any yet — saying Apple blames the issue on heating is, as mentioned, a tad misleading.

In any event, we’re more interested in whether or not our readers are experiencing iPhone 3GS overheating issues, and if so, what are you doing on the device when you experience them, and are you running a jailbroken device?

[via Engadget]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Regarding iPhone 3GS, Overheating, and “the Weather”

Every week a few of us from team TiPb, bloggers and forum crew alike, will bring you our current favorite, funnest, most useful App Store apps, WebApps, jailbreak apps, even the occasional accessory, web site, or desktop app if the mood strikes us. As long as they’re iPhone (or iPod touch) related, they’re fair game.

So who’s on deck this week and what are our picks? Find out after the break!

Chad’s Pick: Doom Resurrection

I was a little apprehensive about this on-rails First Person Shooter (FPS) but id did a great job with it. It controls great, has a nice environment and all the weapons you love from the original. The ability to dodge adds an extra level of immersion as well. This is a fine hold-me-over until Doom Classic gets released soon…[$9.99 - iTunes link]

Chris’ Pick: iTunes Movie Rentals

I was just out in the field, and my hotel didn’t have a TV or anything. Luckilly I had planned in advance and rented some movies through iTunes, so I was able to watch them on my iPhone while in the hotel room. [Variable - iTunes link]

Jeremy’s Pick: Tap Tap Revenge 2.6

I scored 428,486 on Wrong by Depeche Mode, in Tap Tap Revenge 2, the hot music rhythm game for the iPhone and iPod touch. If you are on your iPhone or iPod touch and have Tap Tap Revenge 2 installed, click the link below: Open Tap Tap Revenge 2 and play the challenge! [free - iTunes link]

Leanna’s Pick: IM+

I’ve been hesitant to spend the money on an IM client, but IM+ won me over with the integration of Twitter push. Now, I’m not going to say that IM+ perfectly pushes Twitter, because it doesn’t, but it’s an impressive first attempt. Every direct message and @ mention gets pushed to me 1 to 4 minutes after it was sent. Every once in awhile some random tweet gets pushed through as well, but not often. What about normal IM? It’s works great! I will have a full review of IM+ soon, so stay tuned! {$9.99/month - iTunes link]

Matt’s Pick: Appshopper.com

Appshopper.com has recently updated their site so that you can now log in to your own account and add apps that you have bought. Appshopper.com will then notify you (optional) when updates come out for your apps. You can also create a wish list for apps that you want to purchase in the future (an also receive updates about price changes). The website also allows different sorting options and rankings of your apps in your collections. [Web link]

Rene’s Pick: Autostich

My photographic aspirations far exceed my talents, and while my experiments at iPhone 3GS HDR are still resulting in misaligned ghost worlds, my iPhone 3GS panoramas have taken a step towards… well, if not the better, at least the easier. Previously, I would take my shots and bring them into Photoshop to assemble a pano. Now, I just use Autostich right on the iPhone, and the results have been excellent. If they could add a cropping feature, my on-device workflow would be complete. [$1.99 - iTunes link]

Your Pick?

You’re part of team TiPb too, so what’s your pick? What app was your absolute fav last week? Let us — and everyone — know in the comments!

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Doom Resurrection, iTunes Movies, Tap Tap Revenge, IM+, Appshopper.com, Autostich - TiPb Picks of the Week

CNNMoney.com News, Stocks, and Video [free - iTunes link] for iPhone (and iPod touch) is the latest big name entrant into the App Store financial news and media space. Leveraging their brand and resources, it looks like CNN.com’s mobile site while working like an iPhone app. iPhone-likeness aficionados may take a few blinking moments to adjust, but it’s a deliberate design decision that will no doubt appeal to the massive user-base of CNN.com’s existing web services.

TiPb had a chance to test drive CNNMoney, and from a pure content standpoint it’s impressive. When you first launch, you’re greeted with the News dashboard. At the very top is a rotating stock-ticker, then a sampling of latest news, stocks, videos, etc. Users can easily check or uncheck specific content options, and drag them around to re-sequence them in whatever order they prefer. (I immediately put technology news at the top).

The content itself isn’t merely a feed. In an effort to give mobile users the best experience possible, both statistical measures like popularity and hand-picked curation on the part of CNN Money’s editors determine which stories and in what order they’re made available to the iPhone app. Also, stories loaded into the app are cached locally in case you need to go offline (i.e. on an airplane).

The free app is supported by advertising, but when there is no appropriate or available ad, rather than filler or “house ads”, CNN Money cuts users a much-appreciated break and removes the ad space completely.

My Stocks is pre-populated with a few high profile favorites but can be easily customized. Tapping a stock brings up a details and graph view. As is typical with online stock reporting, quotes are delayed roughly 15 min. Once you’ve viewed a stock quote, a new section pops up on your dashboard News tab called Last 3 Quotes, and as the title indicates, it keeps track of your most recently views stocks.

Videos shows thumbnails and a brief description of the story. CNN Money typically produces over a dozen unique video segments a day, and they load quickly and look good on the iPhone.

The Add/Remove tab lets you do the content re-arrangement mentioned previously.

It should be noted that while CNN Money is compatible with iPhone 3.0, and the system-wide Copy functionality works fine, it doesn’t yet support push notification alerts, or automatic HTTP video stream optimization. Hopefully we’ll see these in an update. Along with a good James Earl Jones rendition of “This is CNN”.

Screenshots after the break…

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

Quick App: CNNMoney.com News, Stocks, and Video for iPhone

OH (original hacker, yo!) George Hotz has posted the RC2 version of his iPhone 3GS jailbreak tool, purplera1n. Along with other improvements, the new version supports Vista, Windows 7, and supports 64-bit.

If any of the above interests you, and you’re a responsible adult who understands the risks involved, hit the link below and check it out. Jarrrr!

[On the iPhone]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

iPhone 3GS Jailbreak purplera1n Updated to Support Vista, Windows 7, 64-bit

Dave wrote in asking TiPb how he could email full size, full quality photos from his iPhone 3GS. Sounds simple, right, but by default if you go into Camera Roll choose one or more photos, and then choose Share, the iPhone will crunch the image(s) down to 800×600.

If, however, you use the copy command, then exit, go to email, and use paste to insert the images, the iPhone will keep them at their full 2048×1526 size.

Of course, increased resolution means increased file size, in our test case 816KB vs. 104KB for a single photo, so keep that in mind before trying to attach 10 full res photos and then wondering why it takes forever for the email to send and your buddy’s tiny free-mail account bounces it back for exceeding maximum capacity…

But for people like Dave who just need to get a few, high quality shots off via email, this looks like a great work around.

[Geek.ThinkUnique.org via DaringFireball]

This is a story by the iPhone Blog. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

How To: Email Full Size iPhone 3GS Photos via Copy/Paste