Facebook App Version 3.1 Released - Introduces Push Notification And Contact Syncing

One of the most popular free iPhone applications on the App Store just got a face-lift.

Facebook iPhone app version 3.1 is now available on the App Store for download and it has introduced a feature that users had been demanding for a long time - Push Notifications. The push notification will make it easier for users to follow their friends activities on Facebook.

You no longer have to constantly check back on your app for new updates.

Users will now be able to receive a popup notification whenever somebody writes on your wall or comments on your status messages. As MG Seigler from TechCrunch notes, this could let you to interact more passively with your Facebook data.

One of the other significant introductions in the new version of the Facebook app is the ability to sync your Facebook friends with your iPhone address book. This new syncing feature allows you to replace your address book contact pictures with those from Facebook.

These are no wonder very exciting updates to the existing platform. But it is interesting that it has taken quite a while for the updates to be implemented. Our readers might recall that Joe Hewitt had hinted at an impending push notification feature back in October of last year. It is not clear if the delay had something to do with Hewitt's exit from the Facebook app development team.

Users looking to download the iPhone app can check out the iTunes link here. As always, do let us know what you feel about the new features

in the comments section below.

[via TechCrunch]

Apple Tablet Will Support Multiple Carriers Including Verizon, Will Require Steep Learning Curve

More interesting news and speculations about the Apple Tablet is here. A few confirmed sources have revealed to Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall that the Tablet will not just work on Wi-Fi but will connect to the Internet via 3G as well.

According to his sources, the Tablet will be supported by multiple mobile carriers and one of the names doing the rounds is Verizon.

Marshall emphasizes that Verizon is a "certainty" in this case. According to him, the Apple Tablet will take off from where Kindle left and will focus on more than just text-based content. In his words,

"It will be an e-reader, that's certain. Amazon sold two million Kindles in the second half of last year. Clearly, the market is much larger than what I expected. So Apple's tablet will be an e-reader, but also a TV viewer and more. For Apple, content is the focus of the tablet."

Though Apple has been focusing on providing different forms of content via the same platform, the way users interact with these different content forms could vary. According to a source quoted by the folks at Cult Of Mac, the Apple Tablet could require users to undergo a significant learning curve. While the exact details about this is not yet known, it is believed that the interface-level engagement could differ based on the content bring consumed. You might remember our earlier article where Apple executives had remarked that users would be "very surprised" about the way they interact with the Tablet.

The Tablet is expected to be unveiled on the 27th of this month and launched in March. With the production and build up plan for the device already underway, it is believed that the company has chosen to do away with Intel Atom chips and instead use the processor chips

from PA Semi. PA Semi was acquired by Apple couple of years ago.

With just few more days to go, stay tuned for newer updates on the Tablet. Meanwhile, what do you make of these new developments? Please tell us in the comments.

[via The Street, Cult of Mac, Computer World]

AT&T Completes Software Upgrade for HSPA 7.2 3G Technology; Working on Backhaul Upgrades for 3G Speed Boost

Criticism about AT&T's network congestion have always been followed by assurances from the company that they are working on ways to improve network capacity.

Today, the company has announced that one of the key elements to the eventual improvement in overall service levels has now been completed nationwide.

According to a statement issued by the company, a software upgrade necessary for the deployment of HSPA 7.2 3G technology has now been completed across all the 3G cell sites. Does this mean AT&T subscribers now get to enjoy improved connectivity levels? Unfortunately, AT&T reminds that only half the job is done as yet. Ma Bell is still in the process of increasing the number of high speed backhaul connections to the cell sites with the help of fiber optic cables.

As of now, AT&T is working on the backhaul connections in only six American cities, namely Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles and Miami. All iPhone 3GS users in these cities can expect better performing networks soon. In fact, the company says that the new capabilities have already been turned on in a select few sites. The rest of USA will have to wait till the end of this year or early next year in order to enjoy improved network performance

.

Speaking about the company's plans for the future, John Stankey, the CEO of AT&T Operations has indicated that work on network capacity improvements will continue beyond HSPA 7.2 technology deployment. Stankey says:

"As we light up new backhaul connections across the country, we’re able to deliver a meaningful 3G speed boost for millions of customers who are already using HSPA 7.2-compatible devices. At the same time, we’re also looking to the future with these backhaul enhancements, which will support our move to next-generation LTE technology starting in 2011."

Our readers might recall that Verizon too has been working on deploying LTE across its network which is expected to be operational by 2011. With the country's two biggest carriers inching towards deployment of better networks, the days of network congestion and poor connectivity may finally be coming to an end.

What do you think?

[via AT&T Press Room]

Next Generation iPhone Could Come With Multi-Core Mobile Processor

Leading microprocessor manufacturer ARM Holdings have unveiled their next generation of mobile processor.

The new Cortex A9 multi-core mobile processor is built on top of the popular ARM MPCore technology and is said to provide unprecedented levels of peak performance.

This news is significant for the fact that Apple is a massive ARM licensee and this particular multi-core processor technology was rumored to be made available in the earlier generation of iPhone itself. The Cortex A9 processor has excellent power efficiency - applications would be processed at close to 2Ghz, consuming less than 0.25W of power per processor.

It is worth noting that most smartphones today, including the recently launched Google Nexus One make use of ARM Cortex A8 processor. This comes at a processing speed of 1GHz. With nearly double the processing speed at more efficient power consumption rates, expect a much faster iPhone 4G that could also come with a better battery life. Folks at The iPhone Blog have indicated that this could also make it to the Apple Tablet.

If you are interested in checking out the improved performance of the Cortex A9 processor, watch the video below.

What do you think? Will this solve iPhone's battery woes? Do tell us in the comments.

[via The iPhone Blog]

Apple Could Launch CDMA-iPhone Without Verizon

Will a CDMA-iPhone ever see the light of the day? Rumors about Apple partnering with Verizon in the launch of a new CDMA iPhone have been floating around for a long time.

In fact, Verizon was supposedly the first carrier Apple spoke to and the agreement with AT&T happened only after discussions with Verizon fell apart due to disagreements over pricing.

The situation it appears, has not changed much since then. After fresh speculations over a Verizon-Apple partnership appeared late last year, it appears that the discussions had not moved forward yet again due to pricing issues

In a note to investors, Maynard Um of UBS Investment Research has said that while a new CDMA-iPhone is definitely in the works for a mid-2010 release, doubts remain about Verizon partnering in the launch. Um says that in that scenario, the CDMA iPhone could make its debut in countries like Japan and China where Apple could be partnering with local CDMA networks.

While Um's statements are interesting, they are not exactly new. Last November, we heard reports of possible agreements signed between Apple and Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron for the manufacture of hybrid iPhones - devices that will work on both CDMA2000 as well as UMTS 3G networks

. These handsets were rumored to launch in Q3 2010. While Verizon is said to have expressed interest in partnering with Apple on this initiative, the problem it appears is because Apple has not relented to Verizon's pricing demands so far.

Apparently, this is also the reason why Verizon had opted to partner with Android devices like the Motorola Droid which are much more open. Folks at AppleInsider note that the average selling price of an iPhone is close to $700 while that of Motorola Droid is only around $450. This stands to explain the subsidy that AT&T has been offering to Apple on iPhones, something that Verizon is least likely to emulate.

Sprint, which is the other major CDMA network in the country has not been part of any of the rumors so far and it would be interesting if Apple is considering Sprint as a likely partner in its CDMA-iPhone launch. What do you think? Would you like to see a CDMA iPhone coming to Sprint this fall? Tell us your views in the comments.

[via Apple Insider]

Apple Could Release iPhone OS 4.0 Beta at Late January Media Event

Apple's January 27th media event could be more than just about the Apple Tablet. French website Mac4Ever writes that a lot of their sources have hinted that Apple could also be demoing their next generation OS during the event.

In a posting today, the website cites its sources as saying that Apple could be announcing a beta version of iPhone OS 4.0 during the event.

As per the sources, Apple could launch the beta version of iPhone OS 4.0 and iPhone SDK for developers. One of the important tools here would be a "simulator" that will enable iPhone app developers to scale their applications up to fit the larger screens of Apple Tablet. Mac4Ever reports:

"Several of our sources give us two pieces of information concerning the famous Apple tablet: In late January, in addition to its tablet, Cupertino should have a beta of iPhone OS 4, accompanied by an SDK. Our informants also tell us of a "simulator" specifically adapted for the tablet. Evidently, the major novelty of the SDK therefore concerns the interface, making it easier for developers to adapt to different screen resolutions. The new iPhone could also benefit from a higher pixel density."

The website cautions that these are rumors and are yet to be confirmed. Nevertheless, this sounds like an interesting development

that is quite a possibility.

With an increasing consumption of video and graphic content on the iPhone, a higher pixel density could vastly improve user experience.

What's on your wishlist for iPhone OS 4.0? Please let us know in the comments.

Apple Tablet Launching in March, To Come With 3D Graphics, Wireless Plans And More

There has been a great deal of interest in Apple's much hyped media event scheduled for the last week of January.

While it has only been suspected to be about the new Apple Tablet so far, fresh sources have confirmed all these speculations.

According to reliable sources that the Wall Street Journal(WSJ) spoke to, the Apple Tablet is indeed being unveiled this month. As was reported earlier, this could come with a 10" display screen and priced at close to $1000. However, the date of launch could be January 27th and not 26th as earlier reported.

So what is it about the Tablet that is exciting? According to the report, the tablet will do all that it was expected to do: You can watch movies, TV shows, play games, surf the internet, read books, textbooks and newspapers. Like the Kindle, expect a built-in wireless plan to come with the Tablet. As was earlier rumored, third party apps are coming too. A French website has reported that a select few app developers have been given a beta version of iPhone OS 4 SDK. This comes with a "simulator" that helps to reformat their applications

to fit Tablet sized screens.

One of the less talked about aspects of the Apple Tablet so far has been the speculation surrounding the implementation of 3D graphics. Not much is known about till now. However, a patent filed by Apple employees reveals finer details of this technology. In this patent, the inventors

write:

"[T]here is a need for electronic devices with touch screen displays that provide more transparent and intuitive user interfaces for navigating in three-dimensional virtual spaces and manipulating three-dimensional objects in these virtual spaces. Such interfaces increase the effectiveness, efficiency and user satisfaction with such devices."

As we had opined earlier, the Apple Tablet could simply be seen as a modern day rendition of a MacBook. However, as these news sources reveal, the actual device could mean much more than that. As Gus Sentementes from The Baltimore Sun notes with respect to the 3G graphics technology, "Perhaps this - 3D graphics -- is the future of Apple's interfaces for its portable multi-function devices."

With all that is on offer with the Tablet, Apple could well be aiming for this device to replace your TV, eReader, Gaming devices and Newspapers. What do you think? Can Apple Tablet be a game changer? Please do tell us your thoughts in the comments.

[via WSJ, All Things Digital, Mac4Ever and The Baltimore Sun]

Check Expectations for Apple's Tablet at the Door by Arik Hesseldahl Wednesday, December 30, 2009

provided by

If its engineers hew to recent history, Apple's tablet computer may look nothing like what the prognosticators foresee.

The speculative madness surrounding Apple's rumored tablet computer has finally reached its frothy peak.

More from BusinessWeek.com: • Five Ways Apple's Tablet May Change the World • New Gear from Apple and Verizon Wireless? • Apple: Finding Even More Uses for iTunes

Tech's chattering classes are obsessed with the unconfirmed product, which Apple (AAPL) may announce at an event in January, or February, or March, depending on which set of reports you adhere to. Apple, not surprisingly, is mum.

The hunger for information—and misguided speculation—reminds me of the mistaken prognosticating about the iPhone before its introduction three years ago. It may be time to step back and realize that Apple may uncork a product so surprising that the company again leaves the tech industry scrambling to catch up to its products' smooth operation and sleek design.

Documented facts about the tablet are few. This much we do know: In November 2008, Apple took control of the trademark name TabletMac from a company called Axiotron, which converts MacBook laptops into tablet computers running Apple's Mac OS X.

Wild Imaginings

More from Yahoo! Finance: • Gadgets and Tech: The Best and Worst of 2009 • Cut Your Tech Bill Without Trimming Services • Save Up to $1,500 per Year on Your Energy Bill Visit the Family & Home Center

In April, BusinessWeek talked with people who had seen prototypes of a device they called a media pad as well as a small iPhone, described as "iPhone lite" by the person who saw it.

Then there's outside speculation. In November the Taiwanese Web site Digitimes, often regarded as a solid source of information regarding the plans of Taiwan's electronic manufacturing sector, reported that the Apple tablet had been delayed until the second half of 2010 because of the price to build its display.

On Dec. 24, New York Times blogger Nick Bilton quoted two people—one an unnamed source, the other a former Apple employee—dropping tantalizing clues. Jobs is "very happy" with the machine, and users will be "very surprised at how you interact with the new tablet," the Times wrote. About the same time, the Financial Times reported that Apple plans to reveal the new device at an event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on Jan. 26.

Missing the Mark on the iPhone

It's important to take reports like these with an appropriate helping of salt. Apple holds numerous trademarks it doesn't actively use; ever hear of MacTel, Vingle, or Drypod? In addition, Apple's top-secret labs in Cupertino, Calif., have probably developed numerous tablet prototypes, some of which may be used to show potential partners but that don't represent a finished product. And leakers have a tendency to exaggerate what they know, or invent from whole cloth.

A similar speculative frenzy surrounded the January 2007 iPhone launch. Looking back at Apple rumor site postings in the months leading up to its debut, I noticed how far off the mark many were about the iPhone's looks, Apple's partners, and who the carrier would be who could resell it. For example, enthusiasts' home-made design drawings that emerged on rumor sites showed a phone that sported a navigation wheel similar to the iPod's. Others imagined the iPhone would have a slide-out keyboard.

Few saw the potential for a touch-sensitive display, which eventually became the signature design element of the iPhone and iPod touch.

Consider the fevered imaginings endemic to Apple. The company engenders such strong reactions from its customers that users tend to "project the known upon the unknown," says Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at market researcher Interpret. That's why so many observers took the well-understood iPod and grafted a phone onto it when imagining Apple's iPhone plans.

A Larger Screen?

Apple's tablet may revolve around a larger touch-sensitive screen than the iPhone's, which could be central to its design and control. I've speculated about it myself in a past column. The iPod touch is so useful an Internet device that I keep one handy on my bedside table. It would make a lot of sense for Apple to market a device with a larger screen—say, 7 in. to 10 in. diagonally—that runs applications downloaded from the iTunes app store, wouldn't it?

Writers and tech pundits think so. But we're not Apple engineers and designers. What seems from the outside to be a logical progression may seem merely simplistic to the folks at Apple's 1 Infinite Loop headquarters. Their job isn't so much to think about the next logical step on a path as to set a divergent course for what people are likely to want for years to come.

Apple may throw everyone a curve ball here. Imagine an Apple tablet about the size of a 11-in. spiral notebook with an iPhone-like touch screen. How about the ability for the machine to recognize voice commands and dictation of text? A built-in video camera and maybe a mini-projector for meetings would be nice. And if the reports of Apple's discussion to land print media content in the iTunes store are true, how about an easy-on-the-eyes display for reading electronic magazines and books?

Embracing Two Worlds

A more fundamental question is whether Apple's tablet will more closely resemble an iPhone or a Mac. It will be fascinating to see how whatever emerges straddles those two worlds.

We use PCs and laptops to get things done when we're stationary; we use mobile devices to stay informed and complete small tasks when we're out and about. This device, it seems, will either have to incorporate both paradigms or have to create one of its own.

My bet? There will be a product from Apple reasonably described as a tablet, and Apple will reveal it during the first quarter of 2010. That's not going too far out on a limb. As the iPhone enters its third year, Apple needs something new to sell to keep delighting its customers, inspiring envy among its competitors, and increasing its sales.

Check your expectations about this product at the door, though. We're probably all in for a very big surprise.

Arik Hesseldahl is a reporter for BusinessWeek.com.

Obama administration seeks more wireless spectrum Obama administration calls on FCC to find more spectrum for wireless broadband services

On Monday January 4, 2010, 3:15 pm EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Obama administration is calling on federal regulators to make more radio spectrum available for wireless Internet services to compete with broadband plans provided by the major phone and cable companies.

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration says wireless connections offer the best hope for injecting new competition into the duopoly market for broadband services in the U.S.

The NTIA, an arm of the Commerce Department, made its stance known on Monday in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission.

The agency is offering its input as the FCC drafts a plan for bringing affordable high-speed Internet access to all Americans. That plan, mandated by last year's stimulus bill, is due next month.

How to Set Custom Incoming SMS Alert Tone On Your iPhone

Presently, non-jailbroken iPhone users cannot customize their incoming SMS alert tone. But if you have a jailbroken iPhone, you may follow these steps to customize your SMS alert tone .

Please note that you need to have OpenSSH installed on your iPhone. If you do not have it already, check out steps a-c. If you are looking for a tutorial to jailbreak your iPhone first, you may check out these tutorials for Mac and Windows users. Also, ensure to tether your iPhone to your computer before starting the process.

Some important points to note before we start:

• Hacking your iPhone could void its warranty. So please proceed with caution and at your own risk.
• Please take a backup of your iPhone, refer to this post for more details.

Installing OpenSSH

Step a: From your iPhone Springboard, go to Cydia -> Sections -> Networking -> OpenSSH

Step b: Once OpenSSH is selected, tap on the Install button on top of the screen and Confirm

Step c: Once OpenSSH has been installed, tap on Return to Cydia to finish

Using Custom SMS Alert Tone

Step 1: You need to have the sound clip you want to use for the SMS alert on the iTunes Music library. Open iTunes and drag this sound clip from your computer into the iTunes library.

Step 2: Press Ctrl, (On Windows) or Cmd, (On Mac) to open Preferences on your iTunes Library

Step 3: Under the General tab, Click on "Import Settings" button.

Step 4: You will now see an 'Import Using' option. Select 'AIFF coder' in the drop-down menu option and finally click OK

Step 5: Now in the Music library, right click on the sound clip you wish to use and select 'Create AIFF Version'. You will now see a duplicate version of the sound clip created.

Step 6: Drag the duplicated version back to your Desktop folder and rename it as sms-received6.caf. Actually, there are six incoming SMS tone slots and so you may use any one of sms-received1.caf through sms-received6.caf.

Step 7: On your iPhone Springboard, press Settings -> WiFi and tap the blue arrow against your WiFi network. Note down your iPhone's IP address

Step 8: Launch Fugu from your Applications folder and enter your SSH credentials. Your username shall be 'root'

Step 9: Enter your password in the next screen to authenticate. You may try 'alpine' if you are not sure of the password. On a side note, please remember to always change your password for security purposes. You can check our tutorial here to learn to change password.

Step 10: From the toolbar open the GoTo window and enter '/System/Library/Audio/UISounds/'. Select 'Remotely' and click Go.

Step 11: On the right pane of the window, look out for the sound clip you want to replace (sms-received6.caf). Right click or Control-click on the file and select 'Rename'. Rename the file to sms-received6.caf.bak .

Step 12: On the left pane, click on the sound clip file (sms-received6.caf) to drag and drop it in the right pane. The sound clip has been replaced. Alternatively, you could also use a tool like DiskAid to copy the sound clip to the UISounds folder, which you might find a lot easier.

Step 13: Reboot your iPhone and go to Settings -> Sounds -> Next Text Message.

Step 14: If you had used sms-received6.caf for your sound clip, locate the sixth sound clip (After None) in the list to start using the new sound file.

As always do let us know how it works at your end.

Apple Refuses to Return Stolen iPhone to Rightful Owner

Controversies are not new to Apple

and here's yet another one, which has the blogosphere

rallying against Cupertino for what they call is an illogical move.

This is about a recent Consumerist report which vilifies the company for taking sides with a cellphone thief and not with a loyal Apple customer who was robbed.

The story goes like this: NYC resident Alisa's iPhone was robbed a couple of weeks back. This week, she got a call from Apple CareService as her email address is still associated with it. Apparently, the thief had requested for a replacement phone since the original had a software malfunction

. Despite Alisa's plea that the phone was hers, Apple said that their hands were tied since Alisa had not filed any police complaint. This, even after Alisa got the police officials to speak to the Apple customer service

. Apple's point has been that Alisa had no police complaint filed to prove that her handset was lost and so they really cannot trust Alisa's version of the story though they empathize with all that she had to go through.

This is indeed a curious case and it is sad that a loyal Apple customer had to go through this with the very company she trusted. And it is exactly this that has caused a lot of prominent bloggers to speak against Apple's stand.

While this does look like a simple problem that Apple can solve by choosing to hand the phone back to the rightful owner, one does wonder if that would indeed be the rightful decision. It cannot be. Apple is right in the fact that Alisa cannot be handed over the phone simply because she happened to own the phone previously. There is no way to find out if the phone got a new owner as a result of a robbery or because Alisa sold her phone. And a police complaint is the only way anyone can decide if the phone was actually stolen or it was given away.

Nevertheless, we do feel sorry for Alisa. However, the take-away from this story is if you are robbed of something yourself, do not forget to file a police complaint.

What do you think? Do you think it would be unfair for Apple to not handover the phone to Alisa? Please tell us your opinion in the comments.