Pebble, the latest Kickstarter success story, is an e-paper watch that connects via Bluetooth to your iPhone or Android device, giving you access to music controls, fitness applications and a full watch replacement. With a 7-hour 7-day battery and scratch resistant display, it’s not that much of a surprise that the project has gained attention. The surprise is that, with a month remaining. the Pebble has raised over US$3.3 million.

Not to be confused with the Sony LiveView or the iPod nano, Pebble isn’t a touchscreen device. But it makes up for that with beautiful clock faces and great potential with an SDK for apps, as well as included apps. Out of the box it also supports caller ID, email, calendar alerts, Facebook and Twitter notifications, weather and silent vibrating alarms and timers. There are already applications in development that track jogging, cycling and other excercise using your phones GPS. Apps can be easily made with if this then that (ifttt.com) or their own web service or an SDK and an application storefront.

For now the watch will work with the iPhone 3GS and above, the iPod touch with iOS 5 (lacking GPS and other data features) and Android phones running 2.3 and above. It doesn’t work with Blackberry, Windows Phone 7 or Palm devices (personally devastating, as an owner of a Palm Pre 2 and a Windows Phone), but it’s unclear as to whether this could be included via software update or buying a new device altogether later down the line.

I really find the idea of using a phone via a wristwatch pretty exciting, especially after enjoying my iPod nano watch (more on that soon), and this really feels like something that could only have been dreamed of in the past.

If you would like to pledge some money, you can do so here at the Kickstarter page. Otherwise, here is their video featuring a fully-working prototype.

Google has just pushed out an update for the Google+ iOS application which brings 3G and Wi-Fi video calling to the iPhone application, beating FaceTime to 3G video calling and also allows iDevices to video call not only other iDevices, but also Android and users on the website.

Also included is a new Photos user interface, which makes it easier to share your phones photos.

So grab your iPhone 4 or 4S, iPod touch 4, or iPad 2 and get ready to video call outside of your Wi-Fi’s reach, something FaceTime cannot do.

The year 2011 was one year that we will all never forget. Even though they were all in the beginning of the year, the floods in Queensland and Brazil, the earthquakes in Christchurch and the tsunami in the north of Japan are still present in all of our minds. We also saw the death of a tech luminary, Steve Jobs; and the powerful News Corporation losing its influence over politicians in the UK after the phone hacking scandal took a drastic turn from celebrities to victims of crime.

This year, we’ve decided to recap the top 11 tech stories of the year – from security problems to business failures, and even the growing popularity of Windows Phone 7.

You can explore the choices below.

• The Revolutions Heard Around The Globe
• The Catastrophic Disaster of the PSN
• Steve Jobs: 1955 – 2011
• The Phone Hacking that killed the News
• A Global War – Apple v Samsung
• A 50 Day Hacking Campaign, for the lulz
• The Rise of Windows Phone 7
• An annus horribilis for RIM and Netflix
• Palm is dead, WebOS lives on
• Social: Google enters, LinkedIn goes IPO and Timeline
• Gone Viral: Friday – an instant success amongst the haters
• Credits

Image Credits: Al Jazeera English (Left) and David Shankbone (Right). All are licensed under Creative Commons.

It’s $7.49 on the App Store and the app is Universal so you can play it on all of your iOS devices and only pay once. The trailer is below and if you want to encourage Activision to milk the Call Of Duty cash cow you can buy the game here.

New research from Korea is suggesting that you can self-diagnose yourself with your smartphone with a push of a button. Yes, you no longer have to trust Google or WebMD to tell you, your phone will simply read it off your spit to tell you that you have the flu, or food poisoning.

Hyun Gyu Park and Byoung Yeon Won, both from the Korea Advanced Institute for Science, say that the your smartphone would become a “lab-on-a-chip” – where you simply inject a droplet of some bodily fluid – blood, saliva and even urine, and it will then process it by targeting disease biomarker molecules. This is because the supersensitive of the smartphone’s screen.

“Since these touchscreens can detect very small capacitance changes we thought they could serve as highly sensitive detection platforms for disease biomarkers,” Park told the New Scientist.

And yes, they have made a proof-of-concept that somewhat works. Both Park and Won tested this by dropping three different solutions containing concentrations of bacteria linked to chlamydia onto an iPhone-sized multitouch display. However, while it could recognise it, it could not identify the individual pathogens.

But hey, it’s first steps to urinating on your iPhone in order to determine if you have a bladder infection. Also, if this does actually go ahead, please make sure you clean your smartphone thoroughly.

IN BRIEF: It appears my Twitter feed has been a flurry with this story, but I always love a story that screams “Apple hater”. The story: An iPhone 4 self-combusted during a Regional Express flight from Lismore to Sydney on Friday.

It was noticed by a flight attendant after it started emitting a significant amount of smoke, followed by a red glow. The flight attendant was able to extinguish it, and all passengers and on-air crew were not harmed. The phone has been handed over to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau for analysis. The airline has also notified the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

You can read the press statement below:

MEDIA RELEASE
MOBILE PHONE SELF COMBUSTION

Regional Express (Rex) flight ZL319 operating from Lismore to Sydney today had an occurrence after landing, when a passenger’s mobile phone started emitting a significant amount of dense smoke, accompanied by a red glow.

In accordance with company standard safety procedures, the Flight Attendant carried out recovery actions immediately and the red glow was extinguished successfully.

All passengers and crew on board were unharmed.

The matter has been reported to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) as well as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) for investigation and directions.
The mobile phone in question appears to be an Apple iPhone (see picture below) and has been handed over to ATSB for analysis.

Regional Express (Rex) is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of more than 40 Saab 340 aircraft on some 1,300 weekly flights to 36 destinations throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. The Rex Group comprises Regional Express, air freight and charter operator Pel-Air Aviation and Dubbo-based regional airline Air Link, as well as the pilot academy Australian Airline Pilot Academy.

Source: The Register

Is the MacBook Air going to get an upgrade soon?

Here’s a double whammy of Apple rumours to drool over. A report is claiming that the MacBook Air could have another redesign in the first-half of the year to compete with the new “ultrabooks”; while another is claiming that the iPhone could have a larger, 4-inch screen.

A MacBook Air ultrabook?

DigiTimes is reporting, from unnamed sources, that the MacBook Air will see an upgrade in the first quarter of 2012. It will also add a 15-inch model – which would be great for those looking for a lightweight, but not too small notebook. Also, expect to see price cuts on the existing MacBook Air on sale currently, according to the report. That is apparently a sign that Apple is planning to launch the new-look MacBook Air.

However, DigiTimes notes: “ultrabooks with Windows and document processing software will still be more attractive for the enterprise market.”

Though, like I said before from DigiTimes, don’t get your hopes up just yet. They have a somewhat bad track record when it comes to Apple rumours.

Next iPhone to get a screen upgrade?

Japanese blog Macotakara is reporting that the next version of the iPhone could have a 4-inch display. Citing an “Asian source”, both Sony and Hitachi have started to ship new LCD displays for a “new iOS device” – which could only mean two things: the iPod touch or the iPhone. I place my bets that it is the latter, since it always gets the upgrade first, then the iPod touch that are slightly reduced (like the camera, for example).

While the upgrade will most likely put the phone on-par with its Android rivals, who have been increasing the screen-size to borderline tablet-sized screens, it does mean that it lose something. As pointed out by Dustin Curtis in October, the 3.5-inch display allows the user to touch the screen with just a thumb.

The big important question is when will this device be launched? 9to5Mac is claiming that it will be in winter (our time) next year – though that would make the iPhone 4S less than a year old before being succeeded by a new-generation iPhone.

Like I said, take it with a grain of salt.

Two separate reports from Taiwanese publication Digitimes is reporting that Apple could be overhauling all of its product lines in 2012 – including the iPhone, iMac, iPad and MacBook Air lines. These are coming from, as usual, ‘anonymous sources within’.

One report claims that the iPad 3 is set to launch in March, with all the internal suppliers and components secured by December. However, things get a bit confusing from there. The real iPad 3 is most likely going to be released in the third-quarter of 2012, with the one coming in March set to be an “upgraded iPad 2″.

According to Digitimes’ anonymous source, the “upgraded iPad 2″ would offer a longer battery life and a thinner body.

Another report, again quoting anonymous sources, has revealed that the company has asked its suppliers to produce screens for two prototypes called J1 and J2 with different LED and flat panel requirements. These could add fuel for a high-resolution iPad 3, with difficulties cited as why they have prevented the company to do so.

Apple Insider adds that it also falls in line with a report that its suppliers are producing a 1600×1200 resolution display if they could not get the 2046×1536 resolution screen working.

The same source is also noted that the next versions of the iPhone and iMac are to be revealed in “the second half of 2012″.

Some interesting rumour mill content, but these are coming from Digitimes. The publication has a somewhat bad track record in recent years in getting rumours right. So, like we always do for rumours, take this with a bit (or in this case, since it comes from them, a lot) of scepticism about this actually occurring.

1 million pre-orders in the first 24 hours perhaps isn’t the greatest context in which to read this article, but suffice to say, Apple’s sales numbers rarely have any coalescence with the activities of their business. The original iPhone 4 was marred by antenna problems, only to cleverly be called ‘antennagate’ in the closed circles of tech fans whilst consistently ranking as the best selling smartphone worldwide. So to say that I’m unsurprised over my knowledge of the iPhone 4S’s phenomenal pre-order statistics would be an understatement. However, the post-show disappointment that almost everyone expressed on the day of the iPhone 4S’s unveiling leaves a lot worth talking about, and a lot of lessons to learn.

Now, the iPhone 4S was always going to an inevitable sales success, piggybacking upon the success of its older siblings. Apple’s sales numbers and preorder statistics are no longer a way to measure the success of the company like it is for many others, Apple’s success goes beyond the superficiality of money and numbers because Apple’s monotonously consistent success makes the numerical stats almost secondary. iPhone 4S has disappointed, not in its monetary success but as a product. It’s the first Apple product in a very long time that has left the crowd legitimately nonchalant and unexcited, and as a first move for Tim Cook, this can’t possibly be a good thing.

Perhaps one of the most important lessons that Steve Jobs taught us in his tenure is that design is important. In fact, design is often more important than the very things inside that make the magic happen. That’s not to say that you’re better off having an aesthetically marvellous rock than a turd-shaped phone, but it’s saying that from a very very direct and impressionistic stand point, design talks to an audience much more than specs and inner hardware ever can. Design is more than just encasing a product, it’s about expressing that very product. Innovative design encapsulates and communicates innovative products. Poor design therefore often isn’t a sufficient conveying and justification of something that may be really great. Contrary to Barney Stinson’s highly clever strategies, you only ever do get one shot to make a first impression, and design is the sole makeup of a first impression, because naturally, it’s the first thing you see.

Design when utilised effectively, isn’t just about encapsulating and transforming ideas and creations into tangible items, but it’s a method to manifest and exemplify the stance, core and beliefs of a corporation. It’s a method of subtle, but rather direct communication. Let’s take Apple again for instance – perhaps their most iconic design, the original quasi-transparent blue iMac exemplified the companies slogan and belief to ‘Think Different’. I never saw a computer like that before. Apple effectively used the physical design of the iMac to materialise their belief in challenging the status quo and thus lending credibility to what otherwise would have been a purely shallow and superficial marketing message. The original iPod, another timeless and iconic design was an aura of innovation, creativity and forward thinking. Its design effectively communicated what really was an innovative, creative and forward thinking idea. Had the iPod simply been a generic design lacking its novel click wheel, sure it still would have been a market success but minus the buzz, excitement and word of mouth that it had garnered.

So to throw all of this talk back into context, a large reason why the iPhone 4S has been so critically received is due to its lack of physical design alteration or improvement. The hardware improvements within the phone itself are undeserving of the criticism it has warranted, and Siri from what I’ve seen is perhaps even worthy of the label ‘revolutionary’. Disappointingly, Apple packed it all in the same stylish albeit ageing casing, eliminating much of the ‘first impression’ hype it would have otherwise harvested – the kind of hype that the original iPod had entranced. Design is an immediately obvious visual representation of progression, and in keeping the new design, Apple have undermined what is really a significant step forward.

We can blame the rumour mill and the hype machine for a lot, for feeding us with false expectations and unrealised dreams. But, we can also blame Apple in part for what ultimately was a disappointing product unveiling. Rumours are rumours for a reason and hype is a hype for a reason, they’re not just pure dreams and imaginings, they’re expectations and this is the first time in a very long time that Apple has failed to live up to the lofty expectations of consumers and pundits. Having said that, the worthy progressions that iPhone 4S has made are simply unsung by a crowd left with a bitter after-taste created by the harsh deceitfulness of first impressions. Just because the iPhone 4S looks the same doesn’t mean it is the same, and when they say ‘don’t judge a book by its cover’, this is one of those times when you’ll get a lot more out of opening the book.

But Apple, suffice to say, it’s always the flashy covers that get the most attention and I would expect you to have first-hand knowledge of that. But to hide new innovations inside an old box is the very best way to disguise the magnitude of your own creations.

Not much has changed since it’s original announcement. However it has been officially revealed that iCloud will come with 5GB of free storage.

As seen at WWDC, iCloud will sync Mail, Calendars, Contacts, Documents and Photos to OS X and iOS. It will also be included in iTunes 10.5 which will sync Apps and Books between devices.

With the iOS 5 beta music sync has only been available in the US but will be coming to other countries, including Australia, very soon. Hopefully the Australian availability of iTunes music sync comes October 13, but there are no official details yet.

After the break is a new iCloud video which was shown at the Apple event today.

The conference will be covering the next iPhone, presumably the iPhone 5 and rumoured budget iPhone 4S, a bit of iOS5 and I’m guessing that it’ll be delivered by the soothing voice of Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook.

Remember you can get all the coverage right here on TECHGEEK.com.au, including up to the minute information. If it happens, it’ll be here and on our Twitter feeds. We hope that you can join us. Unless you enjoy sleep, that is.

Image: Pedro Eugenio Antunes/Flickr (Creative Commons)

Samsung’s plan to ban the iPhone and iPad has officially started with the Korean company asking a Dutch court to ban the products made by rival Apple over infringing on patents relating to 3G technologies it holds in Europe.

According to Dutch publication Webwereld.nl, Samsung has appealed for an import ban on Apple smartphones and tablets, and has widen it to not only affect Apple but to five other companies that are affiliated with them to handle sales and distribution. Samsung is also claiming one million euros for each violation of the ban.

Webwereld.nl (according to translation by Google) notes that these are the patents that have been named by Samsung:

European Patent (EP) 1114528Samsung “the device for controlling a demultiplexer and a multiplexer for the matching of data rates (rate matching) in a mobile communication system, so the data according to the 3G standard wireless can be established between a mobile station, such as a mobile or tablet, and a base station. ”

EP 1478136 provides a method for controlling the speed of the uplink from mobile to base station, through which great strides to increase or decrease, which improves throughput.

EP 1097516 is a ‘turbocodeerorgaan’ for the data signal from a 3G device. And EP 1188269 relates to finally TFCI (Transport Format Combination Indicator) field that informs receiver on the data rate of the data that is transmitted by a mobile or tablet.

Samsung brings also other similar patents in contention against Apple in the courts including the United States, Britain, Germany, France, Japan and South Korea.

Because they are so fundamental to mobile technology, Samsung is obliged to offer them on a reasonable term under FRAND conditions (Fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) in order to promote competition. According to Samsung, Apple is the only company that has not paid “reasonable” royalties for use of its technology.

The case has been scheduled to be discussed next Monday, allowing Apple to settle the case before the court reaches a judgement that could see a ban of the iPad and iPhone in the Netherlands – or in fact for the entire EU, as a Dutch court has previously done with Samsung.

It must really hurt when one of your legal tactics have been used against you.

An eye for an eye. Samsung is gearing up a legal assault on Apple’s highly awaited iPhone 5 in retaliation to the iPhone maker’s attempts to ban its products from sale in Australia, the United States and Europe.

Some say a flaw in patent law, I say its Samsung’s attempt at payback.

According to the Korean Times quoting “Samsung insiders” the company could ban it from South Korea, claiming that the product violates the wireless technology patents that Samsung holds.

Apparently, the patents cover most of the technology used by Apple for its phone functions and the South Korean rival believes it could have a case.

“For as long as Apple does not drop mobile telecommunications functions, it would be impossible for it to sell its i-branded products without using our patents. We will stick to a strong stance against Apple during the lingering legal fights,” according to one senior executive at Samsung.

Apple has launched lawsuits against Samsung, claiming that their products infringe on their patents and trademark designs. However, as Samsung is a big backer of Android, and Apple recently targeting most of the strong backers of the Google OS rival – such as HTC and Motorola – it appears that Apple is trying to kill it off so it can continue its dominance.

Anti-competitive behaviour, anyone?

Apple has also been accused of manipulating images in order to assist its cases in Europe.

However, Apple appears to be winning. Samsung has hit several setbacks in the past few months. A US judge denied its request to see the iPhone 5, while also having its products pulled from sale in Germany and the EU (thanks to a Dutch ruling). And in the end of the day, it only matters if you are the winner.

“Expect things to get really, really busy in the next 35-50 days, so prepare your teams accordingly,” according to the source to Boy Genius Report, apparently quoting the Vice President.

So, add that to your long list of potential dates that the iPhone 5 would be released. Rumours have it that the product will most likely hit that date – only after the Wall Street Journal’s All Things D actually said that the new phone would come out on that date. Some are speculating that an announcement would come in late September.

And since we are so close to September, expect a flood more of Apple rumours. Yes, I know, you might be sick of them, but hey, Apple news is basically the hype of a product or a security bulletin.

A new report has claimed that Apple has also provided false evidence in its trial against rival Samsung in the Netherlands, manipulating a photo of the Galaxy S to appear like it is in similar proportions to the iPhone when in reality it is not.

The news was broken by Dutch publication Webwereld.nl. It claims that the Samsung Galaxy S is a tad wider by 0.1mm, but it is far taller. The phone’s dimensions are 122.4 x 64.2m, while the iPhone 3G is 115.5 x 62.1mm.

That means, unless you have been using James’ Maths (inside joke, comment to find out what it means), the image above on the left comparing the two phones is incorrect.

This isn’t the first time Apple has been caught out on similar things. In fact, it was just this same week when it was caught falsifying evidence in its lawsuit against Samsung in Germany. The case saw an EU-wide injunction before being reduced to just Germany over “competency” issues – or in other words, do they have the right to make law abroad.

As I have mentioned before:

Obviously, producing false evidence in a civil suit could jeapodise Apple’s claim of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 infringing on its design trademark. But does it highlight something else? Why would a company go this far – and can be easily proven by comparison (the image doesn’t even look like it) – to falsify evidence in its filing?

Does Apple fear the Android platform? Based on the previous clashes with Android and its big partners, it appears so.

Another question should pose into other people’s minds is the Australian case. Will two instances abroad affect its lawsuit here. Or, has the company even gone as a far and produced false evidence in order to win?

Desperate, much.

Image: Tom Solari/TECHGEEK.com.au

An interesting graphic released today by the folks over at JumpTap, a mobile ad firm, that shows the United States divided – but not on the typical political lines. This one, however, is on what they carry in their pocket – what smartphone do they carry.

Surprisingly, the results show that despite the numerous complaints of iPhone users in New York, it is deemed a “Blackberry” states. In fact, there are several states that are loyal to the now-fledging smartphone.

What’s sure to surprise people is that despite the high profile iPhone users, California is deemed to be an “Android” state, and in fact seems to dominate the Western states with a small pocket in the East. The iPhone, however, tends to be predominantly centred in the East.

And if that didn’t surprise you, this might, from All Things D‘s Ina Fried:

Android did particularly well in California, Texas and Florida, which have a lot of electoral votes, so those might be places where Apple needs to do some campaigning.

Image: Glen Bledsoe/Flickr (Creative Commons)

As we all know, Australians usually pay more for everything. Gadget’s, Games and up until now, Apps. But one of those is about to change.

Apple is introducing a new pricing scheme for the Australian App Store so that it matches our strong Aussie Dollar. Apps will now come as $0.99, $1.99, $2.99, $4.49, $5.49, $6.49, $7.49, $8.49, $9.49, $10.49 and so on. Here is a small comparison:

This is nothing but good news for Australian’s, even if we’re still paying a little extra for some Apps.

iPhone’s, iPod touches and iPad’s are great. But Apple sure does love to keep it’s ecosystem closed. That’s why Jailbreaking was discovered. The practice, frowned upon by Apple, allows any user to do whatever they want. But Apple usually locks it down in updates.

And that’s where JailbreakMe.com comes in. Created by @Comex and his team, JailbreakMe uses a exploit in the PDF Reader in the iOS Safari browser, meaning everyone can jailbreak in literally seconds. As Apple would say, it’s post-PC.

The Jailbreak is fairly straightforward, but here are the full steps.

1) Backup your iOS device in iTunes. If you’ve synced it recently, you probably already have a recent-enough backup.

2) Open Safari and go to www.jailbreakme.com.

3) Click FREE and then INSTALL.

4) Cydia, the Jailbreak communities equivalent to the App Store, will install like a regular app from the Apple App Store.

5) You’re done!

Seriously, Comex has done a masterful job in his new Jailbreak. So get to it, before Apple patches the new exploit.

Remember to check back later for my Top 10 Jailbreak apps and tweaks!

Note: If your iDevice is very important (e.g work iPhone), then you might want to wait just a little longer. Or if you don’t own it you might get in trouble for Jailbreaking the device. But if you do decide to go ahead it’ll be almost impossible to brick your phone. Remember, TECHGEEK takes no responsibility for any damage, which while unlikely, could still occur from a user’s actions.

For US$24.99 a year iTunes Match will scan your ripped (or pirated) music and match it with 256kbps DRM-free AAC songs from iTunes servers.

“We have 18m songs in the music store. Our software will scan what you have, the stuff you’ve ripped, and figure out if there’s a match. If you have to upload your whole library, that could take weeks. If we’re scanning and matching, we don’t have to upload them. They’re in the cloud.”

Sadly you have to use iTunes to listen to “cloud” music instead of a much easier web interface, which is a shame.

And the fact that Apple just tried to diss Google and Amazon for using a web application instead of a native one is sad.

Source: thisismynext.com

Also announced at WWDC 2011′s opening keynote is iOS 5, which brings some big changes to Apple’s widely popular mobile OS.

Some of these features include a brand new notifications system, which is almost the same as MobileNotifier for Jailbroken devices.

Source: Apple

Source: Apple

The new system includes Notification Center, an application dedicated to all of your Notifications. Notification pop-ups have also been replaced by a screen viewable by pulling down the top bar of iOS (just like Android).

Not only can you see Notifications in this menu but also (Apple-only) widgets including live Weather and Stocks. The notifications are also viewable on the lockscreen and you can go to a Notification’s specific app by swyping right on the lockscreen, similar to Slide to Unlock.

Also announced is Newsstand, which is iBooks for newspapers and magazines. It auto-downloads new editions of magazines and newspapers in the background, so whereever you are you can be sure you’ll have the latest edition. Hopefully Australian publishers (of newspapers and magazines) get on board.

iOS 5 also includes deep Twitter integration, with your login carrying across many OS apps. Some of these apps include Safari, YouTube, Camera, Photos, Maps and Contacts.

Source: Apple

Safari for iOS also got a feature-boost, with Reading List (read: Instapaper but by Apple) and Reader (from Safari for Mac). Also Safari is coming into 2004 with tabbed browsing (on iPad only?), fixing the complaint I had with the original iPad.

Source: Apple

Reminders was also detailed, which is Apple’s to-do-list. The app let’s you create notes and lists with a schedule.

Source: Apple

Camera now also has a lockscreen shortcut, which is Apple’s answer to a hardware shortcut. Even with a passcode you can take a photo, and also use the volume button to take it. Also there is simple editing in iOS 5 of photos.

Mail is also getting new features, including rich-text editing, draggable addresses, message flagging, better search and swipe to inbox.

Source: Apple

iOS is also getting a split keyboard (exactly like the one in Windows to allow better typing. Also iOS is growing up, with the ability to use your iPhone (and presumably iPad and iPod touch) without ever plugging it into iTunes. This includes no-more Connect to iTunes. Also, it includes OTA updating for iOS. 600MB 3G files for the win right? Which leads to the new feature, delta updates. This only downloads what is needed, not a massive file. Yay.

Game Center is also getting more social with Achievement Points, Game download and discovery and turn-based games.

Blackberry also just lost their big advantage and has a major competitor, with iMessage. This sends IM’s between all iOS devices (and we’re guessing Mac too) with text, photos and videos. This works over 3G and Wi-Fi, and it’s all encrypted. It works extreemly well with iOS Notifications too.

There are also many other features like WiFi Sync, Multitasking Gestures, new Music app for iPad and so many more.

It ships this Autumn (US) and is available for iPhone 4 and 3GS, iPad and iPad 2 and iPod touch 3 and 4. We’re guessing the 3GS, iPad 1 and iPod touch 3 will miss out on many of these features if it’s anything like iOS 4.

Press Release:

SYDNEY―7 June 2011―Apple® today previewed iOS 5, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, and released a beta version to iOS Developer Program members. The iOS 5 beta release includes over 200 new features that will be available to iPhone®, iPad® and iPod touch® users this fall. New iOS 5 features include: Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption; iMessage, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS devices; and Newsstand, a new way to purchase and organise your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. With the new PC Free feature, iOS 5 users can activate and set up their iOS device right out of the box and get software updates over the air with no computer required.

“iOS 5 has some great new features, such as Notification Center, iMessage and Newsstand and we can’t wait to see what our developers do with its 1,500 new APIs,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Perhaps iOS 5’s paramount feature is that it’s built to seamlessly work with iCloud in the Post PC revolution that Apple is leading.”

With iOS 5 and iCloud®, you just enter your Apple ID and password and iCloud will seamlessly integrate with your apps to automatically and wirelessly keep all of your mail, contacts, calendars, photos, apps, books, music and more, up-to-date across all your devices without ever having to connect to a computer.

Notification Center provides iOS 5 users with an innovative way to easily access all notifications―text messages, missed calls, calendar alerts, app alerts and more, all in one place, from anywhere in iOS 5. When they arrive, notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen without interrupting what you’re doing. With one swipe you can see all your notifications, and a simple tap will take you right to its app for more detail. Notifications also appear on the lock screen, with the ability to be taken to the notifying app with just one swipe.

Newsstand is a beautiful, easy-to-organise bookshelf displaying the covers of all your newspaper and magazine subscriptions in one place. A new section of the App Store™ features just subscription titles, and allows users to quickly find the most popular newspapers and magazines in the world. If subscribed to, new issues appear in the Newsstand and are updated automatically in the background so you always have the latest issue and the most recent cover art.

Safari is the world’s most popular mobile browser, and with iOS 5 it’s now even better. New features include Safari® Reader, which gets all the clutter out of the way and sets the right font size on a web page, so you can easily scroll and read through a story; Reading List, so you can save articles to read later and they automatically show up on all your iOS devices; and Tabbed Browsing, which makes it easy to flip between multiple web pages on iPad.

iOS 5 includes built-in Twitter integration, so you can sign in once and then tweet directly from all your Twitter-enabled apps, including Photos, Camera, Safari, YouTube and Maps with a single tap. New APIs give third party developers the ability to take advantage of the single sign-on capability for their own iOS 5 apps.

iMessage in iOS 5 brings the functionality of iPhone messaging to all of your iOS devices―iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Built right into the Messages app, iMessage allows you to easily send text messages, photos, videos or contact information to a person or a group on other iOS 5 devices over Wi-Fi or 3G. iMessages are automatically pushed to all your iOS 5 devices, making it easy to maintain one conversation across your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. iMessage also features delivery and read receipts, typing indication and secure end-to-end encryption.

The new Reminders app helps you manage your tasks; create and group related tasks together; and set time or location-based reminder alerts, priorities and due dates, so you can be reminded of a task as its deadline approaches, or when you arrive or depart a given location. Reminders can also be viewed in iCal® and Outlook and are updated automatically.

New features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject. The new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organise your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go.

With the new PC Free feature, iOS 5 users can activate and set up their iOS device right out of the box with no computer required, and iOS software updates are delivered over the air and installed with just a tap. Wi-Fi Sync in iOS 5 transfers and backs up your content securely over SSL and wirelessly syncs purchased content from your device to your iTunes® library.

Additional new features in iOS 5 include:

• Game Center, now with the ability to add photos to your profile, purchase new games from within the Game Center app and easier ways to find friends and new games;
• Mail enhancements which include the ability to compose messages using draggable addresses, and a new formatting bar with bold, italics, underline and indention controls;
• AirPlay® Mirroring to wirelessly display everything you do on your iPad 2 right on your HDTV through Apple TV®; and
• a system-wide split keyboard to make it even easier to type on your iPad.

Availability
The iOS 5 beta software and SDK are available immediately for iOS Developer Program members at developer.apple.com. iOS 5 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad, iPod touch (fourth generation) and iPod touch (third generation) this spring. Some features may not be available on all products.

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 has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

So what will iCloud offer? What is so important about iOS 5? And what else is coming to Lion?

Of course you can get the answers to all those questions right here on TECHGEEK.com.au.

SYDNEY, Australia— 1 June 2011—Apple® CEO Steve Jobs and a team of Apple executives will kick off the company’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) with a keynote address on Monday, 6 June at 10:00 a.m (PST). At the keynote, Apple will unveil its next generation software – Lion, the eighth major release of Mac OS® X; iOS 5, the next version of Apple’s advanced mobile operating system which powers the iPad®, iPhone® and iPod touch®; and iCloud®, Apple’s upcoming cloud services offering.

WWDC will feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by Apple engineers. Mac® developers will see and learn how to develop world-class Mac OS X Lion applications using its latest technologies and capabilities. Mobile developers will be able to explore the latest innovations and capabilities of iOS and learn how to greatly enhance the functionality, performance and design of their apps. All developers can bring their code to the labs and work with Apple engineers.

For more details, visit the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference 2011 website at developer.apple.com/wwdc.

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 has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

According to Peter Misek, Apple’s new phone would more likely be a iPhone 4S, with minor changes, including “better cameras, A5 dual-core processor, and HSPA+ support”.

LTE, however, “is currently not achieving yields sufficient for inclusion in the iPhone 5″ – despite many phones, such as Motorola ATRIX, are supporting the new standard, which is faster than 3G speeds. Verizon, in the USA, is currently one of the biggest pushers of the new standard.

Misek is also saying that distribution deals for Sprint and T-Mobile (which is being acquired by AT&T) could come during the holidays. Other rumoured carriers to be getting the iPhone 4S will be China Mobile. In China, only China Unicom has the rights to it, despite the fact that both carriers are owned by the Chinese Government.

Just before Easter hits around the corner, there is a new rumour out there that claims that Apple will release a brand new shell design for the iPhone 5 that could be more like its sister product, the iPod touch, and could have a “teardrop shape”.

The shape, according to Joshua Topolsky from This is My Next, is said to be along the lines of the MacBook Air design. His source also claims that the home button will be enlarged, and the screen will be extended to fit near the edge. Also rumours have emerged that Apple could drop the screen pixel density to 312ppi (pixels per inch) from 326ppi, or even as far as 288ppi – the latter unable to be classified as “Retina Display” – but with a 4-inch display.

Of course, the image above is a mock-up (provided by the site). But this is one of the many rumours all over the web about the phone, so get ready to expect more (and even contradictory) rumours.

Release notes include:

This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:

- Fixes an occasional graphics glitch on iPod touch (4th generation)
- Resolves bugs related to activating and connecting to some cellular networks
- Fixes image flicker when using Apple Digital AV Adapter with some TVs
- Resolves an issue authenticating with some enterprise web services