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Posts Tagged ‘WWDC’

The Palm Pre Has Been Jailbroken

Steven Troughton-Smith has jailbroken the Palm Pre while at WWDC in San Francisco.

Well, success :-) I gave up Tuesday eve because I couldn’t get the device into restore mode no matter what I did, but on Wednesday morning I figured it out: you have to hold the volume-up button while the device is off before plugging it into USB, and from there you can use Palm’s firmware flashers to do whatever you like with it. As the device can run unsigned firmware (!!!) I was easily able to hack out the activation check, and get up and running and enable the root shell. In that respect, I may just have the first jailbroken Pre in existence.

Troughton-Smith says that for hacking, the Pre is incredible. It runs unsigned firmware, has root shell over USB, its entire UI and all apps are written in javascript, and you run write C/C++ native Linux apps.

(via iClarified.com)

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10 Signs Of A New iPhone

9to5Mac has posted a list of ten signs that points to a new iPhone coming soon.

THE TEN SIGNS:

1. AT&T is selling refurbs for $99 (again) with activation and plan

2. O2 is giving away free iPhones with their low cost plans (not their expensive plans)

3. AT&T and Apple are now selling iPhones without contract (or second line) knowing that more will go Jailbroken this way. (If you have $600-$700 to spend)

4. France is now selling them unlocked at department stores.

5. China Unicom might get offloaded a few million on May 17th, ahead of new model.

6. AT&T executives have the new models for testing and are so excited they can’t keep their mouths shut.

7. UK retailers are selling unlocked 3G iPhones.

8. WWDC, the traditional launching pad for new iPhones was announced yesterday. It will be June 8-12th.

9. Remember all of those extra iPhone part numbers found in the 3.0 build? Yeah, those can’t all be Tablets.

10. Steve Jobs is coming back at the end of June. You don’t think he will be empty handed do you?

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Apple WWDC 2009 | June 8-12

Apple announced Thursday that its annual developers conference will kick-off on Monday June 8th and run through the 12th at the Moscone West convention center in downtown San Francisco.

Tickets for 5-day event will run $1295 through April 24th, at which time Apple plans to increase the price by $300.

Snow Leopard at WWDC

Apple is expected to use this year’s conference to show off a feature-complete version of its Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard operating system, possibly unveiling an updated interface theme if it does not do so in developer builds that arrive in the weeks leading up to the conference.

The primary focus for developers is Snow Leopard’s new 64-bit kernel with enhanced support for multicore and GPU computing. Apple is also drawing developers’ attention to QuickTime X as a streamlined media playback system.

Specific sessions will target how to get the most from Apple’s developer tools in terms of performance and efficiency, how to debug and analyze applications as they run with Dtrace, how to build solid user interfaces, and how to port existing code from other platforms to the Mac.

In depth sessions will focus on how to get the most from Apple’s frameworks, including high performance graphics accelerated in GPU hardware and how to leverage OpenCL and Grand Central to get the most from multicore systems with powerful graphics processors.

WWDC will also present how to use open web standards to take full advantage of new technologies in HTML 5, including client-side storage, audio and video playback, CSS vector animations, transitions, transforms, form control styling, CSS3 downloadable fonts, and other emerging features.

iPhone at WWDC

The iPhone platform will also serve as a major component of WWDC, with sessions and hands-on labs covering the new iPhone 3.0 SDK. Information how to to implement the new 3.0 features, including peer to peer Bluetooth, interaction with hardware accessories, in-app purchases, and the new Apple Push Notification service, will be presented, along with details on best practices for building mobile apps with an engaging user interface that takes full advantage of the iPhone’s rich media and graphics features, and how to localize apps to reach a global audience.

The event may likely also serve as the introduction of new iPhone hardware, as Apple has long been expected to release a significantly new iPhone version in mid June.

IT at WWDC

Apple also maintains an information technologies track at WWDC. This year, attention is being placed on how to use Snow Leopard Server to deploy collaboration features such as the new iPhone-optimized wiki features, enhanced new Podcast Producer capabilities, new standards-based services for exchanging calendar events and meeting request and shared contact records.

There’s also new information on how to use the iPhone in large organizations, both with push notifications and the new Mobile Access Server, as well as tools to integrate the iPhone into existing corporate infrastructure from Exchange Server to 802.1x wireless authentication.

WWDC for students

WWDC will host a Student Career Fair, offering the opportunity to meet hiring managers from around the world. Apple is also offering free passes to WWDC as part of its student scholarship program for ADC Student Members and student Team Members in the iPhone Developer University Program.

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Apple Close To Unveiling Snow Leopard UI Overhaul

While developers have been privy to pre-releases of Apple’s Snow Leopard operating system for quite some time, those distributions have been stripped of several features including a major UI overhaul that the company is now preparing for broader consumption, AppleInsider has been told.

People familiar with the matter say the next developer build of the software will unleash some of the biggest changes to the next-gen OS since Apple first previewed the software to developers at last June’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

Among the changes under consideration for the new build is a striking overhaul to the Mac OS X user interface, which is expected to surrender its platinum theme. Apple has reportedly been working on this new interface since day one, despite public claims that Snow Leopard would forgo forward-facing improvements for a focus strictly on under-the-hood enhancements.

Still, those familiar with the situation say it’s not clear whether management has given the green light to include the UI changes in an incremental developer build. The concern is that those changes will inevitably leak on the web, and therefore they may preserve them for an official demonstration during the company’s spring Worldwide Developers Conference.

These latest reports add to previous claims that similarly predicted Apple would eventually wrap Snow Leopard in a new interface rumored to go by the code-name “marble.” Details were sparse, but speculation pointed to the adoption of the smoother iTunes-style scrollbars and a move towards a darker chrome motif for application windows alongside an inverted menubar with light text on a dark background.

Marble
Interface elements and colors of the rumored “Marble” theme.

It’s possible that Apple may have already tipped its hand to this end earlier this month when it included the first external builds of its QuickTime X Player with Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard build 10A286. The software included a new minimal interface consisting only of a titlebar, leaving all playback controls to reside in floating interface overlays.

QuickTime X
Another artist’s mockup of the minimal QuickTime X Player window interface with the “trim” tools overlay.

The titlebar itself (seen in the artist rendition, above) is reminiscent of the iPhone’s semi-transparent black glass interface but is also capable of adopting hues from the video frames playing beneath it. Although seen in the rendering as sporting a purplish hue (due to the underlying blue video frame) the titlebar appears glass-black when set atop a white or tan-colored video frame.

Story Highlights

  • Next Snow Leopard builds to include big changes
  • Snow Leopard to be wrapped in new interface ahead of launch
  • WWDC to offer finalized preview, release date
  • Snow Leopard to hit retail within two months of WWDC
  • Upcoming iPhone OS 3 beta to activate live Push Notification support

As it stands, Apple reportedly plans to use its WWDC 2009 to preview a feature complete version of Snow Leopard and announce a formal release date. Based on the current status of the software, those familiar with the project say the company will need approximately two months from this public preview to fine tune the software. Assuming WWDC takes place in June, that would suggest a release around August.

In somewhat related news, company engineers are also racing to deliver a new build of iPhone Software 3.0 to iPhone and iPod touch developers. One of the big features destined for this build is said to be live support for Push Notifications through Apple’s servers, which is currently undergoing some final internal tests.

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Rumor - 3G iPhones ‘does’ have front facing camera

Well looks like the scruteneers have been going through the Keynote presentation with a fine tooth comb to see if they could find any hidden treats in the video. It seems as though Nathan Ziehnert & Friends have found what looks to be a front facing camera on the 3G iPhone, or a big smudge that when hit with the right light looks like a camera

My problems with this, Apple would have announced this, c’mon, it would have been a HUGE selling point and definitely would have raised investor confidence in the 3G iPhone and at least would have given the Apple stock (AAPL) a little well deserved boost. My other gripes with this rumor is that you see what looks like it could be the camera in one shot where the lighting is right, BUT, then its gone again in the next scene where you can see the front of the 3G iPhone. I don’t know, but I thought that with the 3G officially being announced, that we were over all the rumors.

“Gizmodo readers and conspiracy theory aficionados Nathan Ziehnert & Friends have spent a few hours analyzing the footage from the WWDC08 keynote like CSI agents investigating the Zapruder film. The result: they found what they believe could be a front-facing video camera in Applemeister Phil Schiller’s demo iPhone 3G. Is this a prototype or just a—likely—greasy fingerprint? Check out the video and the captures and tell us what you think.”


Thanks to iClarified and Gizmodo for the story.

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Rumor - 3G iPhones ‘does’ have front facing camera

Well looks like the scruteneers have been going through the Keynote presentation with a fine tooth comb to see if they could find any hidden treats in the video. It seems as though Nathan Ziehnert & Friends have found what looks to be a front facing camera on the 3G iPhone, or a big smudge that when hit with the right light looks like a camera

My problems with this, Apple would have announced this, c’mon, it would have been a HUGE selling point and definitely would have raised investor confidence in the 3G iPhone and at least would have given the Apple stock (AAPL) a little well deserved boost. My other gripes with this rumor is that you see what looks like it could be the camera in one shot where the lighting is right, BUT, then its gone again in the next scene where you can see the front of the 3G iPhone. I don’t know, but I thought that with the 3G officially being announced, that we were over all the rumors.

“Gizmodo readers and conspiracy theory aficionados Nathan Ziehnert & Friends have spent a few hours analyzing the footage from the WWDC08 keynote like CSI agents investigating the Zapruder film. The result: they found what they believe could be a front-facing video camera in Applemeister Phil Schiller’s demo iPhone 3G. Is this a prototype or just a—likely—greasy fingerprint? Check out the video and the captures and tell us what you think.”


Thanks to iClarified and Gizmodo for the story.

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Firmware 2.0 and Keynote Summary

Apple has officially announced that on July 11th they will officially start selling the 3G iPhone in 22 countries around the world. Well what does that mean for people like us who have the current (soon to be or already old model) iPhone?

Current iPhone owners will get a free upgrade to Firmware 2.0. It is the same firmware found in the 3G iPhone. So all of the new features shown in the Keynote by Steve Jobs and others will be right there on your old iPhone. If you would like to have a closer look at all the features of firmware 2.0 check out Apple’s website, or have a look at the list below from TUAW.

Apple Store

2.0 Features for Current iPhone Owners (2G)

  • AppStore
  • Full Exchange support
  • MobileMe
  • Mass e-mail move, delete and save images
  • Contacts search
  • Additional language support
  • Full iWork and Microsoft Office viewer support
  • Scientific Calculator
  • Possibly/Probably Unlocked!!

This update is free for all iPhone owners and will be a $9.99 upgrade for iPod touch owners (boooo). But the fact that developers know the old model iPhone inside out means that it will probably be unlocked very soon and we will have 2.0 firmware with the AppStore on any Carrier (how that will work with the new iTunes and AppStore is yet to be seen as each app is signed by Apple to run on the iPhone)

If you didn’t have a chance to check out yesterday’s Keynote Address, or you don’t have about two hours to watch the complete thing, check out the video below from MahaloDaily.com and you’ll get a better idea of whats going on.

Besides 3G (and GPS) there may not be much reason to upgrade, unless the battery life and other hardware upgrades really make it a superior iPhone even when used on Quad Band GSM. I guess until I get my 3G iPhone (if it can be jailbreaked and unlocked is another story) and install 2.0 on my old iPhone I will not know how I really feel about the two devices side by side.

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Disappointed with the new 3G iPhone?

Seems as though you can’t please them all Steve, some of the community is not so happy with what has been delivered. I guess thats what happens when you have 10,000 iPhone bloggers working in the Rumor Mill

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.
- No Video Recorder in the Camera App
- No Front Facing Camera
- No Increased Camera Resolution (Mega Pixels)
- No 32 GB Model
- No Copy & Paste *
- No Embedded Flash Support (No plugin for Safari)
- No Bluetooth file transfer *
- No Native MMS App
- No Chat App
- No Native Turn by Turn GPS
- No Storage Mode *
- No Real File Browser
- Not Unlocked *
( * means we should have known this was not going to happen)

Apple StoreI myself feel a little let down, I was hoping for all sorts of bells and whistles. I had dreams of video chat and 5MP cameras with a flash, Copy and Paste built into the OS. So I am wondering, who else was let down? I stumbled upon this thread on Hackint0sh where you can clearly see that the mood is a little glum.


But I say cheer up, the price is great, the supported Carrier service is spreading like wild fire world wide to 70 countries and counting. The AppStore will be the answer to the majority of the No’s on the list above. Turn by Turn GPS, look for Tom Tom and others to deliver that, Adobe may answer the Flash Plug-in, File Browser, MMS, Chat and even Video will/have been answered by third party developers, what we wait for now is official announcements and more importantly pricing

At the end of this all I am happy, video cam and video chat would have been great. I would have loved to be able to call my girl during the day face to face so to speak and let he tell our dog hello. If we didn’t hear all those rumors we would have been tickled pink. Thanks Apple, I may not be pink, but I am grateful.

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