If you have an iPhone you probably have iOS 4, here is a guide to the features in iOS 4. Please remember that most of the features apply to only the 3GS or iPhone 4 not the iPhone 3G. I am only going to cover features that are new or changed in iOS 4.

Multitasking

The first up in our list is multitasking which allows you to run multiple applications on your iPhone without closing them completely. For example you can listen to Pandora while browsing the web or using another app.

To access multitasking to see which apps you have running double tap the home button. The above screen will show and you are now able to either switch through your running apps or close them. To close a running app you just hold your finger on it until it starts shaking, then press the red minus sign that appears. To return from the shaking state, just press your iPhone’s home button one more time. You can also access the iPhone screen rotation lock and iPod controls by swiping all the way to the left. Multitasking is only available with the iPhone 4 and 3GS.

Folders

With the new iOS 4 you can now create folders for your iPhone apps to make them more organized and easier to access. To accomplish this all you need to do is hold your finger on an app until it starts shaking then drag in on top of another app and it will create a folder. Folder names are created automatically based on the app category or you can specify your own. Folders can also be dragged around like apps and even placed in the dock at the bottom of the screen.

iBooks

First it was on the iPad now it’s on the iPhone, iBooks allows you to read your favorite books or PDF’s right on your iPhone. iBooks does not come installed by default so you will have to visit the App Store to download it, and don’t worry it’s free. You can also get your complimentary free book “Winnie the Pooh” from the iBookstore. The online iBookstore allows you to actually download previews of books before you purchase them to see if it actually interests you, previews can be up to 50 pages in length.

Custom Wallpaper

New to iOS 4, you can now customize your wallpaper and the lock screen background. To do this you need to select Settings then Wallpaper press the button that appears, and then you can select from current wallpaper or something from your camera roll. When you choose an image you can select if you want it to appear on the home screen or lock screen or both.

Mail

The way email is handled with the iPhone has changed with iOS 4. You can now manage multiple mail accounts with one unified inbox. For example, you can view your email for specific accounts in their individual inbox’s or you can view a giant inbox that will display all of your new mail across all of the accounts at the same time. Also new with iOS 4 is threaded email, similar to Gmail when you receive a reply to a message Mail will thread the message so you can keep the conversation in one email instead of multiple. With the new setup you can also sync your calendars on your iPhone with Gmail.

Spell Check

The spell check on the iPhone has been improved with iOS 4 to work across all apps as long as you are typing something. The intelligent keyboard will also try to predict what you would like to say and help with inserting punctuation where needed. As always this can be disabled from the settings on the home screen.

Facetime (only iPhone 4)

FaceTime is Apple’s new video call program which is only available on the iPhone 4. FaceTime allows 2 iPhone 4 users while in a call to initiate a video conversation. To use FaceTime you must be connected to a wifi network with both iPhones and in an active call, a FaceTime icon will appear on the call screen, one person touches this button to invite the other and voila you are video chatting. If the FaceTime icon is not there when you are making calls it is probably disabled in the settings menu. To enable FaceTime go to Settings, then Phone, then slide the FaceTime slider to the On position. Here is a video made by Apple of FaceTime below:

I just received an email today that confirmed that Apple has shipped my free iPhone 4 case. The email provides tracking information and states that it should be delivered by August 4th not September 14th like previously said. I will be waiting for my case on the 4th! Check the picture below of the email I received.

Well we knew this was coming, a full Mac Pro refresh. Apple has updated specs for their entire Mac Pro line including a major upgrade in processors with a new 12-core Mac Pro. The new system is using Intel’s Xeon processors at a speed of 2.93GHz with 12 cores total and 24 virtual with hyperthreading. This refresh also includes an option to add up to 4 512Gb solid state drives to your new Mac.

The new Mac Pro’s also come standard with a ATI HD 5770 with 1GB of GDDR5 graphics card you can even upgrade to the ATI Radeon HD 5870 for even more graphic performance. You can pick up the Quad-core for $2499, 8-core starting at $3499, and 12-core starting at $4999.

“The new Mac Pro is the most powerful and configurable Mac we’ve ever made,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With up to 12 cores, the new Mac Pro outperforms our previous top-of-the-line system by up to 50 percent, and with over a billion possible configurations, our customers can create exactly the system they want.”

Today Apple has launched a new product, the Magic Trackpad. The Magic Trackpad is a larger verson of the track pad that is on the Macbook’s except that this one is portable. The trackpad uses the same functionality that you would get on your Macbook including all gestures. The trackpad is actually 80% larger than what is on the Macbooks and it connects to your computer via bluetooth and runs on 2 AA batteries. I would have to say, the trackpad actually looks useful. Here is some official info from Apples press release:

The Magic Trackpad brings the intuitive Multi-Touch™ gestures of Mac notebook trackpads to the desktop. With its glass surface, the wireless Magic Trackpad allows users to scroll smoothly up and down a page with inertial scrolling, pinch to zoom in and out, rotate an image with their fingertips and swipe three fingers to flip through a collection of web pages or photos. The Magic Trackpad can be configured to support single button or two button commands and supports tap-to-click as well as a physical click. Magic Trackpad is available separately for $69.

Today news surfaced that the DMCA had updated their rules which now allow you to jailbreak your iPhone with out legal action being taken against you. CultofMac reached out to Apple to ask for an official response on the new rules. They got a response and its detailed as follows:

“Apple’s goal has always been to insure that our customers have a great experience with their iPhone and we know that jailbreaking can severely degrade the experience. As we’ve said before, the vast majority of customers do not jailbreak their iPhones as this can violate the warranty and can cause the iPhone to become unstable and not work reliably.”

Basically while jailbreaking is now legal as long as its not used to obtain illegal items, Apple still frowns on this and will void your warranty. While it is true that you will probably have the best experience with the phone with its factory software on it, but we still should be able to do whatever we want with the hardware, however I do agree that it should violate your warranty if you modify the software outside the warranty’s terms.

Source: CultofMac

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) has been amended and now allows users to jailbreak their iPhones. This is a great win for consumers, now Apple or other phone manufacturers cannot sue you for jailbreaking or rooting your device. Check out the excerpt below:

(2) Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.

Now if you noticed above it mentions that the software has to be ‘lawfully obtained’ so that still doesn’t mean that you can install cracked or stolen applications legally. The changes also allow you to unlock your phone and change carriers if you want, the manufacturer cannot stop you from doing so.

I can honestly say, I am excited about this change because this is huge for the future of customization on the devices we own. I have included the full document below for your reading pleasure.

Statement of the Librarian of Congress Relating to Section 1201 Rulemaking

Section 1201(a)(1) of the copyright law requires that every three years I am to determine whether there are any classes of works that will be subject to exemptions from the statute’s prohibition against circumvention of technology that effectively controls access to a copyrighted work.  I make that determination at the conclusion of a rulemaking proceeding conducted by the Register of Copyrights, who makes a recommendation to me.  Based on that proceeding and the Register’s recommendation, I am to determine whether the prohibition on circumvention of technological measures that control access to copyrighted works is causing or is likely to cause adverse effects on the ability of users of any particular classes of copyrighted works to make noninfringing uses of those works. The classes of works that I designated in the previous proceeding expire at the end of the current proceeding unless proponents of a class prove their case once again.

This is the fourth time that I have made such a determination. Today I have designated six classes of works. Persons who circumvent access controls in order to engage in noninfringing uses of works in these six classes will not be subject to the statutory prohibition against circumvention.

As I have noted at the conclusion of past proceedings, it is important to understand the purposes of this rulemaking, as stated in the law, and the role I have in it. This is not a broad evaluation of the successes or failures of the DMCA. The purpose of the proceeding is to determine whether current technologies that control access to copyrighted works are diminishing the ability of individuals to use works in lawful, noninfringing ways. The DMCA does not forbid the act of circumventing copy controls, and therefore this rulemaking proceeding is not about technologies that control copying. Nor is this rulemaking about the ability to make or distribute products or services used for purposes of circumventing access controls, which are governed by a different part of section 1201.

In this rulemaking, the Register of Copyrights received 19 initial submissions proposing 25 classes of works, many of them duplicative in subject matter, which the Register organized into 11 groups and published in a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comments on the proposed classes.  Fifty-six comments were submitted.  Thirty-seven witnesses appeared during the four days of public hearings in Washington and in Palo Alto, California. Transcripts of the hearings, copies of all of the comments, and copies of other information received by the Register have been posted on the Copyright Office’s website.

The six classes of works are:

(1)  Motion pictures on DVDs that are lawfully made and acquired and that are protected by the Content Scrambling System when circumvention is accomplished solely in order to accomplish the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into new works for the purpose of criticism or comment, and where the person engaging in circumvention believes and has reasonable grounds for believing that circumvention is necessary to fulfill the purpose of the use in the following instances:

(i) Educational uses by college and university professors and by college and university film and media studies students;

(ii) Documentary filmmaking;
(iii) Noncommercial videos

(2) Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.

(3) Computer programs, in the form of firmware or software, that enable used wireless telephone handsets to connect to a wireless telecommunications network, when circumvention is initiated by the owner of the copy of the computer program solely in order to connect to a wireless telecommunications network and access to the network is authorized by the operator of the network.

(4) Video games accessible on personal computers and protected by technological protection measures that control access to lawfully obtained works, when circumvention is accomplished solely for the purpose of good faith testing for, investigating, or correcting security flaws or vulnerabilities, if:

(i) The information derived from the security testing is used primarily to promote the security of the owner or operator of a computer, computer system, or computer network; and
(ii) The information derived from the security testing is used or maintained in a manner that does not facilitate copyright infringement or a violation of applicable law.

(5) Computer programs protected by dongles that prevent access due to malfunction or damage and which are obsolete.  A dongle shall be considered obsolete if it is no longer manufactured or if a replacement or repair is no longer reasonably available in the commercial marketplace; and

(6) Literary works distributed in ebook format when all existing ebook editions of the work (including digital text editions made available by authorized entities) contain access controls that prevent the enabling either of the book’s read-aloud function or of screen readers that render the text into a specialized format.

All of these classes of works find their origins in classes that I designated at the conclusion of the previous rulemaking proceeding, but some of the classes have changed due to differences in the facts and arguments presented in the current proceeding.  For example, in the previous proceeding I designated a class that enable film and media studies professors to engage in the noninfringing activity of making compilations of film clips for classroom instruction.  In the current proceeding, the record supported an expansion of that class to enable the incorporation of short portions of motion pictures into documentary films and noncommercial videos for the purpose of criticism or comment, when the person engaging in circumvention reasonably believes that it is necessary to fulfill that purpose.  I agree with the Register that the record demonstrates that it is sometimes necessary to circumvent access controls on DVDs in order to make these kinds of fair uses of short portions of motion pictures.

Source: Copyright.Gov Via TechCrunch

Good news for anyone in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, the iPhone 4 will be available for purchase in these countries on July 30th which is Friday. However pricing has not been released for these countries yet by Apple. Full Press Release below:

iPhone 4 Arrives in 17 More Countries This Friday

CUPERTINO, California—July 26, 2010—Apple’s iPhone® 4 will be available in 17 more countries this Friday, July 30. iPhone 4 features FaceTime®, which makes video calling as easy as one tap, Apple’s new Retina display, the highest resolution display ever built into a phone, resulting in stunning text, images and video, and a beautiful all-new design of glass and stainless steel that is the thinnest smartphone in the world.

Beginning this Friday, customers can purchase iPhone 4 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. iPhone 4 will be available for purchase through Apple’s retail and online stores and Apple® Authorized Resellers.

iPhone 4 also features a 5 megapixel camera with LED flash, HD 720p video recording, Apple’s A4 processor, a 3-axis gyro and up to 40 percent longer talk time.* iPhone 4 comes with iOS 4, the newest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which features Multitasking, Folders, enhanced Mail, deeper Enterprise support and Apple’s new iAd mobile advertising platform.

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 4 will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland this Friday, July 30.

iPhone 4 is currently available in France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model. iPhone 4 will roll out to many more countries later this year and Apple will announce availability and local pricing for these additional countries at a later date.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork, and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple is reinventing the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

As announced at their press conference Apple said they were going to offer free cases for the iPhone 4, well it starts today. If you already have an iPhone 4, all you have to do is download the iPhone 4 free case app from the iTunes store and follow the instructions. More information on refunds below:

For iPhone 4 purchases made before July 23, 2010, you must apply no later than August 22, 2010; otherwise, you must apply within 30 days of your iPhone 4 purchase. To qualify for this program, you must purchase your iPhone 4 by September 30, 2010.

If you had already purchased a case by credit card you can expect the refund to happen automatically, and they started yesterday. Here are some shots below of the app.

As announced at the press conferece for the iPhone 4 by Steve Jobs, Apple has started automatically refunding your purchases if you already bought a iPhone 4 bumper case. Emails are starting to be sent out the users that have purchased bumpers and refunds issued accordingly. Apple had also stated at their financial presentation that this would cost them $175 million dollars.

Source: Engadget, 9to5Mac

STRATA has released results of their 2nd quarter survey. The results showed that mobile advertising is on the rise and that nearly 1/3 of advertisers are focusing on mobile ads.

With Apple’s launch of the iAd network, and Googles venture into Admob this would make a lot of sense. The report shows that the iPhone ranks at the top with 87% of clients interested in advertising on the iPhone, Blackberry and Android at 30%, and iPad at 26%. It would make sense that the iPhone would have the largest share of advertising considering it has been on the market longer than Android and iPad, but we are not sure what to say about Blackberry.

Another note, the survey reported that TV advertising may be on the rise with 72.5% of agencies interested in digital TV advertising. However advertising on TV is still down 16% from last quarter but the interest alone may be all it needs.

Source: STRATA

Today Apple released an update for iTunes which brings us to version 9.2.1. The update included a bunch of bug fixes and no exciting new features. Go ahead and get the update if you have any of these issues listed below:

iTunes 9.2.1 provides a number of important bug fixes, including:

• Disables older versions of some incompatible third-party plug-ins
• Addresses minor issues with dragging and dropping items
• Addresses a performance issue when first syncing to some devices with iTunes 9.2
• Addresses an issue upgrading to iOS 4 on an iPhone or iPod touch with encrypted back-ups
• Addresses other issues that improve stability and performance
iTunes 9.2 comes with several new features and improvements, including:

• Sync with iPhone 4 to enjoy your favorite music, movies, TV shows, books and more on-the-go

• Sync and read books with iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4 and iBooks 1.1

• Organize and sync PDF documents as books. Read PDFs with iBooks 1.1 on iPad and any iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4

• Organize your apps on your iOS 4 home screens into folders using iTunes

• Faster back-ups while syncing an iPhone or iPod touch with iOS 4

• Album artwork improvements make artwork appear more quickly when exploring your library

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

You may have heard of RedBox before, its those little red kiosks at Wal-Mart or McDonalds and many other places that offer DVD rentals for only $1. Well now they want to be more competitive with Netflix, by offering an online streaming service of their own. In a recent interview the president of the company said:

“The way we look at it is, How can it help us deliver to our customers things we can’t do in our kiosks?” Lowe said. “What role might it play in expanding our selection?”

This would be a bold move for RedBox, it may be a while before they will be able to catch up to Netflix’s dominating lead in the movie streaming business, but they actually might be able to do it. RedBox also faces some fierce competition from companies other than Netflix according to Bloomberg:

Redbox also faces competition from Apple Inc. and Best Buy Co., which sell movie downloads. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, bought the Vudu Inc. online entertainment service in February and Sears Holdings Corp., the largest department store owner, said on June 22 it plans to sell and rent movies online through an agreement with Sonic.

Well this may be good for consumers, it could drive down the monthly costs of online streaming and bring more new hit titles to your TV or computer.

Source: Bloomberg

With all of the issues with the iPhone 4 and antennagate, Apple has lost its lead on Microsoft in the Stock Market. Apple had a lead on Microsoft for a couple of months leading up to the iPhone 4 release, but with all the negative news they have fallen again behind Microsoft. Here are some screenshots below of the current market caps of both companies courtesy of Google Finance. MSFT 220.05B, AAPL 219.41B Its not much of a lead, but they are back in front. Apple may rebound with the recent announcement of the iPad being available in 9 more countries this friday.

You heard right, Apple announced that the iPad will be available in nine more countries this Friday. With iPad sales already soaring, this should increase them even more. All iPad models will be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore this Friday. Although local pricing has not been revealed by Apple as of yet so stay tuned. Full press release below.

iPad Available in Nine More Countries This Friday

CUPERTINO, California—July 19, 2010—Apple® today announced that iPad™ will be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore this Friday, July 23. iPad allows users to connect with their apps and content in a more intimate, intuitive and fun way than ever before. Users can browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s revolutionary Multi-Touch™ user interface. iPad is 0.5 inches thin and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life.*

Beginning this Friday, customers can purchase all models of iPad through Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

Pricing & Availability
All iPad models will be available in Austria, Belgium, Hong Kong, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand and Singapore this Friday, July 23.

iPad is currently available in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for 16GB, $599 (US) for 32GB, and $699 (US) for 64GB for iPad Wi-Fi models and $629 (US) for 16GB, $729 (US) for 32GB and $829 (US) for 64GB for iPad with Wi-Fi + 3G models. iPad will roll out to many more countries later this year and Apple will announce availability and local pricing for these additional countries at a later date.

*Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.