On Saturday we covered some MobileSafari browser makeovers for iPhone 2.2, now it looks like its the on-board App Store app that’s getting a (minor) fresh coat of paint. Apple Insider reports on the changes:
Among them is a new categories page that will feature large category icons — not yet functional — and more generous spacing between each listing. [As well as] shifting the “Tell a Friend” option from the title bar to just below the reviews summary, and adding a “Report a Problem” function that will allow shoppers to inform the company of problematic apps.
Neither of these are the unified inbox or searchable email I was hoping for, let alone cut and paste, but before jumping to conclusions, we’ll let Apple take a few more of these tiny little steps…
For now.
Wired’s blog picked up a story from iPhone Atlas today about a minor MobileSafari browser UI change that sees the (defaults to Google) search box surfaced right on top beside the URL address box (currently it only pops up when the top box is activated to save on vertical real estate). To compensate, the Refresh button gets demoted and tucked inside the refresh box. Not sure about the usability on this change yet…?
The more interesting speculation is about cut and paste, which Wired claims NO specific info on, but offers this as part of the ongoing search for some reason why Apple hasn’t yet implemented this seemingly core functionality:
It’s possible that Apple is taking so long to implement copy and paste not because it is difficult, but because Apple is reinventing it. Imagine a system-wide menu added to all applications which, instead of shuffling items off to a clipboard, lists all the places you can send that file (or text string). This would be like the existing “Open with” option available in the Mac’s right-click menu — each application effectively reports to the OS exactly what kind of files it can handle and the OS remembers this. Thus a picture could be sent to not only the Photo app, but to any other photo program. Text could be sent directly to any open dialog box in, say, Safari.
Sounds good to us. What about it, Joz?
Today on the forums we have a few interesting poll threads for you.
The cat is out of Apple’s bag regarding the 2.2 beta firmware and we want to know exactly what feature you most want to see added??? Take a look at the options and make your vote!
In the next poll we want to know how you spend most of your time on your iPhone? Browsing the internet? Talking on the phone? Emailing perhaps? Let us know!
Are you still on the fence about jailbreaking your iPhone? hermdog started a thread that lists a few good reasons why you should jailbreak! Jailbreaking really does open your phone up to another world. So if you know of any good apps that not many people are aware of, please post it up for others to check out.
Join our growing community and get in on the conversation!
See you on the forums!
Did Apple finally bring the hounds to the old iPhone jailbreak/unlock cat and mouse game?
Maybe. It’s been over 2 months and while the miraculous iPhone DevTeam has jailbroken the iPhone 3G, unlocking the device to work on any carrier has thus far eluded them. Likewise, the brand new iPod Touch — which might be a sign of things to come with the next iPhone as well — has proven more resistant to Jailbreaking. Says the DevTeam:
the 3G iPhone soft unlock and iPod Touch 2G jailbreak are still relatively new challenges (compare them with the timeframe of the iPhone challenges last year). We’re making slow advances on both fronts, but it’s not the sort of thing that can be easily described in a blog like this. But, to maybe show how interlinked these challenges are, this weekend we’ll be trying some hardware based ideas on the iPod Touch 2G jailbreak 
It’s not all doom and gloom, however, as the DevTeam also elaborates a little on iPhone 2.2 “Timberline”, confirms it’s still vulnerable to pwnage, and shows it running Terminal.app.
Clever.
Roughly half a second after Apple began seeding Beta 1 of Firmware 2.2 to select developers, we began wondering: what we gonna get?! Firmware 2.1 handled the stability. Now we want some new features!
The usual suspects sound like a (still) broken record: cut/copy/paste, turn-by-turn GPS, video recording, Flash support, and MMS.
The recently “pushed” back include: Notification Server support to simulate multitasking for App Store apps (like instant messenger).
For us: unified inbox, email aliases, some Squirelfish-boosted Safari browsing, App Store refunds for duds, and pervasive landscape mode would be nice.
What about you? What features do you most want to see Apple implement in iPhone (and iPod Touch) firmware 2.2? Take part in the pole over on our forums!
‘Tis soon the season. No, not fall, but new firmware season as Apple has released the first beta for firmware 2.2. Following on the 8 betas for 2.0 (released July 11, which turned out a little on the undercooked side…), and 4 for 2.1 (released September 12, which changed from feature bump to stability patch), 2.2 will hopefully bring us a little Notification Server love, and who knows what else? (Not going to say cut and paste — a blogger can only get their heart broken so often!). Says Macrumors:
The new version is labeled iPhone OS 2.2 beta 1 and is accompanied by a new beta of the iPhone SDK (build 9M2611). Beyond “compatibility testing”, there are no other differences noted by Apple.
Doubtless, the one NDA to [redact] them all is in full effect, but hopefully some deep-delving coders will discover (and leak!) a few goodies for us anyway.
