Our sibling site, Android Central, brings word we’d almost given up faith at ever being brought’ned. Google apps, including the Gmail, Calendar, Docs, and Talk we love so much on the iPhone (and iPod touch), are out of beta and high on life! Google’s own blog explains-ish:
We’ve come to appreciate that the beta tag just doesn’t fit for large enterprises that aren’t keen to run their business on software that sounds like it’s still in the trial phase. So we’ve focused our efforts on reaching our high bar for taking products out of beta, and all the applications in the Apps suite have now met that mark.
Makes the kind of sense that doesn’t, but whatever. Opaque, non-standard definitions of beta aside, it’s still good news. What’s next, announce a second operating system or something?
Anything but Push Gmail, right?
iPhone 3.1 Beta 1 has just been released, and unlike the major new version that was iPhone 3.0, it’s still unclear how many features — compared with bug fixes — will be added. However, enterprising developers have already discovered at least a few things we can all look forward too.
So, here’s TiPb’s iPhone 3.1 Beta Walkthrough, and we’ll keep it updated as/if Apple releases future betas.
Read the rest of this entry »
It’s that time again — time for us to pick out some of the hot topics on TiPb’s forums. In order for you to reply to any of the following threads please be sure to register. It’s a painless process that will only take a moment of your time.
Todays first thread in the spotlight was started by Ivoryplum, what would you like to see in the iPhone 3.1 software? We already got word two days ago that the 3.1 beta has been made available to developers and along with some of the new features that are included in the release. What else would you like to see added and/or corrected in the 3.1 software?
By now, chances are you already own a iPhone 3GS – how is it holding up? Do you have any hardware related issues similar to those good folks over at PreCentral.net? If so, stop by the following thread and share your troubles with us: iPhone 3GS Bugs/Issues. Luckily for all of us here at TiPb, we have zero issues.
This next thread was started by rrrl17, while a new iPhone has just been released it’s never too early to start discussing the next generation! What do you expect from the next generation of iPhone? Will Rene’s dream of an iPhone HD finally come true?!
Our last thread of the day comes to us from Joey Neat and he wants to know about battery life on the iPhone 3GS? So far TiPb can’t complain too much, it pretty much appears to be what we expected. And for those of you really think it is lacking in battery power, hopefully the 3.1 software will give you a little bit of a boost.
See you on the forums!
Say you are having a hardware related issue on your iPhone, first place you would think to go is your local Apple store, right? Well not if you’re running iPhone 3.0 Beta it turns out, as MacRumors forums show you will politely get rejected and denied any sort of help.
TiPb has confirmed this is indeed true from speaking with a few Apple employees.
Now where does that leave someone who purchased the beta from a stranger on Graigslist? Not in a good place obviously since to get your issue taken care of or to have your phone replaced you must call a developer-only help line. Now if you are a bit more expierienced with the iPhone you can always try to downgrade back to the 2.2.1 software before going into the Apple Store but say your home button is not working, you are flat out of luck and you are now stuck with a official iPhone paper weight.
So with all that said, TiPb can not stress enough — and we’ve said it many times — do not purchase the 3.0 Beta from anyone.
This late into the beta cycle, in a few short months it will be released to the public anyway.
There are no demos available in the App Store, we know this. No try before you buy, no download now, pay later. According to Erica Sadun at Ars Technica, even mentioning demo in your verbiage, like beta, will get you a swift kick in the rejection button. Free “Lite” versions are the only way to go.
Zach Epstein over on the Boy Genius Report wonders out loud why Apple, in its infinite usability, can’t create a mechanism where Apps get downloaded free, and then expire after a short period of time unless you decide to buy and keep them.
So, does Apple really not know how to handle App Store demos yet? Or do they suspect, as TiPb does, f that demos would kill the $0.99 novelty App (and CrApp) impulse-buy business dead? After all, how many would really not tire of the gags before the demo period expired?
I’ll fess up that the Lil John “YEAH!” “OKAY!” “WHAT!” travesty App would never have eaten my $0.99 had there been a demo! What percentage of Apps you’ve bought, do you think having had a demo period wouldn’t have made sure you didn’t buy instead?
No, not the 2.1 firmware beta, that one’s for realz. We’re talking here about the Washington Post, which ran a Techcrunch story breaking the news that:
Now we’re hearing from an app developer that Appleis finally going to start rolling out a new beta program in the next few days has released an Ad-Hoc program. Details are slim, but it seems like Apple is capping the total number of beta participants at 100 per app. In order to download a beta app, users will need to submit their iPhone’s UDIDs number to the developer,who will then need to flag its eligibility in the store itself. All betas will still be distributed through the App Store – you won’t be able to download one on an external site.The apps will be directly distributed by the developer.
Sound an awful lot like the Ad-Hoc distribution method Apple announced for educational institutions way back at WWDC to you? Sure did to iPhone developer extraordinaire Erica Sadun, who rumor smashed thusly:
The “Beta Program” will not be released in the “next few days.” Ad-hoc distribution is already available and working. Developers can create ad-hoc provisions through the iPhone Developer Program site today.
Sadun also provides a handy-dandy Ad-hoc Helper app for mailing your UDID directly to a developer, should you be part of an Ad-hoc app distribution group.
Apple has just dropped the sixth (6th!) update to their iPhone SDK and 2.0 beta firmware. Pre-req is Apple’s almost simultaneously dropped OS X Leopard update, 10.5.3, so developers are forewarned to get that first before beginning the SDK install.
No word yet on what new treasures may be hiding in this version, but if past betas are any indication, there’ll no doubt be something hidden in them there strings
According to TUAW, however, Apple is now carding. Yup, they’re checking Application IDs at the door, so make sure you’re registered before you try to install apps on a test iPhone.
Head on over to Apple’s iPhone DevCenter to get yours now!
A New Version of the iPhone SDK is Now Available
Sixth beta version just posted.
Via
After waking up on Tuesday to face the dreaded Blue– er… Pink-Screen-of-Death (?!) that signaled the expiry of the 2nd beta release for the iPhone SDK, would-be-developers managed not to go to bed angry as Apple kissed and made-up in the form of SDK Beta 3.
Erica Sadun over on TUAW reports that the latest/greatest weighs in at 1.4GB, or just three-quarters the size of the original beta, with the matching firmware at under 200MB according to a commenter.
What new goodies does this release hold? We’ll have to wait a bit to find out. But with the continual slow, grinding, excruciating march towards an anticipated June release (WWDC? June 30 at 11:59 pm? Little help?) waiting is something iPhone lovers are used to.
According to Engadget, Apple is serving up (yet another?) new beta firmware, this one doing away with the (confusing?) 1.2.0 designation and lining up squarely behind Steve Jobs’ announced 2.0 labeling.
Aside from some VPN, mail, and ActiveSync tweaks and re-org’s, Engadget can’t find much else aside from the shiny new version release, but as June gets closer, no doubt Apple’s engineers will get busier!
