iPhone software update brings pleasure and pain
Apple’s latest update to the iPhone operating system has brought new features and controversy alike. The addition of wireless podcast downloads has reawakened a row over the iPhone Apps store vetting process.
The most high-profile feature added by version 2.2 of the software is the inclusion of Google content to the mapping tool. Users can now get walking directions, public transport scheduled and even switch to Google’s Street View.
While that’s clearly a useful feature, it’s likely to irritate developers who are still smarting over the recent revelation that Apple is letting Google break the rules on the iTunes Apps store. Google’s voice-operated search feature uses a sensor in the device which switches off the touchscreen control when the user holds the phone to their face. However, App store rule ban third-party firms from using this sensor in applications.
Another feature added by the software update, the ability to directly download podcasts to an iPhone wirelessly rather than via a computer, is also smarting for some developers. An independently developed application, Podcaster, offered that service back in August but got the thumbs down from the App store, supposedly for duplicating iTunes functionality. The added feature in this update makes it clear this wasn’t the case and gives more credence to the theory Apple was simply embarrassed that somebody else had tried to fill a gap in its product.
The update also includes a variety of improvements, tweaks and fixes to the mobile edition of the Safari browser, which have generally received a positive response. However, some sources report Safari is still causing problems with links in the App store, and with the web page coding designers use to automatically redirect visitors from one page to another (for example, after changing website addresses).
As with all iPhone updates, the race was on to find a way to ‘jailbreak’ the software – in other words, to remove the restrictions on users running unsanctioned applications on the phone. This time round the group known as the iPhone Dev team figured out the solution in under 48 hours.
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