Yet another update to the iPhone firmware 2.0 and the SDK have leaked out. The new firmware has been dubbed 5a308. This build was released today, along with a fresh build of the SDK. The new SDK is 1221.8MB, so it is a little bigger than the last release, which was the fifth such release. It is not known yet if this is the firmware beta that adds the rumored geo tagging features.

The firmware is fresh off the server, and the details about it are few. What we do know right now is that the new SDK requires developers to register an application ID, suggesting that they are tightening things up in anticipation of the launch, which is rumored to be soon. Application IDs are required for provisioning now, all previous provisioning is now longer valid.

Another interesting thing is you must be running OSX 10.5.3, which was just released this morning. It is odd that Apple would cut off the still large amount of users running Tiger, or 10.4. The new updates release notes were uploaded to Apple’s site earlier, and can be viewed now. Apple also removed six demo applications from the SDK package.

As the iPhone continues to march across the globe, Google’s special (and slick) interface that was introduced in mid-December has been limited to English speakers. However, yesterday the company rolled it out to 33 countries in 16 languages, including Chinese–despite the fact the handset is not available through any Chinese carriers.

More importantly, Google continues to create special mobile variations of its other pages, which now includes Google News and support for users of Google Apps. Google Apps users can now check their mail using the same interface regular Gmail users have been enjoying, with the added benefit of being signed in to use the other mobile Google services.

The updated news viewer allows users to browse by the front page or by section, and features a built-in search tool. It’s still essentially a link repository to other third-party sites, but it’s now far easier to parse through on smaller screens than its original format.

What really makes the updated News page shine is that it integrates YouTube videos in the related stories. If there are videos for a selected subject, you can view them as thumbnails, which when clicked will jump you to the handset’s built-in YouTube viewer. Short of actually having Flash, this is the closest you’ll get to being able to casually watch Web videos while browsing other news networks. You could also use a conversion tool like vTap or Avot mV, but this new system requires one less step.

I still think most iPhone users will be inclined to use Safari’s built in-search tool, which can be set to use either Google or Yahoo without having to venture to a search page first. With the speed of EDGE, I often find myself skipping any unnecessary page load when it comes time to search on the go, something that won’t be fixed until the purported 3G version of the handset comes out later this year.

Twinkle – the native iPhone Twitter client with Locate Me features – has been updated, to Version 0.75.  It’s very late here and I’ve only just updated – but the big additions are:

• *Clickable links*.  This had been one of or maybe the most requested feature, so it’s very nice to see it added to this update!
• Follow and Stop Following buttons added – another big wish list item checked off
• Embedded image URLs for non-Twinkle user – and another one

The Dev Team has released an update to the iPhone Pwnage Tool program today – to Version 1.1.  The application will auto-update if you’re running 1.0 of it already.

Here’s the list of changes and fixes from the Dev Team press release:

Fixes:

*  EDGE settings fix for iPhone 1.1.4 firmware

*  iPhone/iPod firmware 2.0 5A240d support

New Features:

* Added custom package support
* Added custom logo support
* Added auto delete of BootNeuter.app

See HERE for all the details and download links.

via Ars Technica

In the last several weeks, rumors and speculation about the upcoming 3G version of the iPhone have greatly multiplied. The reasons for this sudden increase in noise could could be any number of things, but seasoned Apple-rumor-followers know from experience that an increase in chatter almost always indicates that something is about to hit, regardless of whether any one chatterer was entirely accurate.

So, we know it’s coming, but what else? Here, we try to differentiate between what we know, what we don’t, and everything in between.

What we know

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Twinkle is a shiny new native Twitter client for the iPhone, that adds location-aware features to your Twittering. It has a very nice and easy to use interface and works very well so far in my testing of it.

The Locate Me feature seems very cool, to combine Twitter with geo-location. It will be a lot more fun when more people are on Twinkle of course. The Locate Me feature can easily be toggled On and Off. If you choose to use it then you can use the ‘Near Me’ tab to see tweets from folks who are within X miles of your location. The default is a 50-mile distance, and you can choose to change this to 1, 2, 10, 25, 100, 1,000, or 252,000.

It is quite cool to see tweets from people in your same general area.

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Another concept from The Greener Grass
The Greener Grass is produced by Kaleidoscope, a product development consultancy in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Multitasking is impossible to escape in today’s world. As humans, we’ve always had the desire to stay connected to the people around us. Now that technology has made this easier than ever, we’ve developed a fear of urgency that any given phone call, email, or text might be really important. Multitasking is necessary, but it can be dangerous in some situations. Texting while driving is the number one distraction for new drivers, but it would also be difficult to restrict all phone use in a car. While we’re stuck with this desire to be connected, we think we can tame our multitasking.

Tame is a concept that sets a status message synced with all of your devices and applications. If you’re driving or need some privacy, you can tell Tame to handle auto-responses to your phone, IM, text, Facebook, and more. You can store messages on each face, and when you need to change your status, just rotate the cube to the desired face. Besides a written message, Tame uses a red-yellow-green color coding system to let people know at a glance if they can contact you.

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The recently released iPhone SDK Beta 3 continues to give up juicy hints as to Apple’s intents for the handset’s next major update; not only has the 3G chipset been identified but new code referring to stereo Bluetooth headset support, suggestions of GPS and new functionality for mobile Safari and Google Maps.  There are also signs that Apple may not be taking the ongoing hacking of the iPhone lying down, with the inclusion of a “BRICKED_AND_LOCKED_SIM_STRING” that suggests the handset could seize up should an unlocking attempt be made.

In terms of Bluetooth, A2DP has been included in the code as well as “HeadphonesBT” that indicates wireless stereo capabilities, long requested for the handset.  Bluetooth remote control is also mentioned.  The new beta also references “RoleGPS”, which many have assumed will mean either in-built navigation capabilities or at least compatibility with an external GPS device (likely connected via Bluetooth).

The library also includes a mention of “Printers”, a new addition, while reference to Nike+ sports monitoring equipment have been deleted.  The suspected integration of the currently standalone YouTube app into mobile Safari is also present, via a “YouTubePlugIn.webplugin” component, and “Google411″ – the search company’s directory enquiry service – is now associated with Google Maps on the iPhone.

Finally, there are suspicions that Apple will require official activation of an iPhone via iTunes before Firmware 2.0 is permitted to install.

per TGDaily

Cupertino (CA) – Apple is accelerating its patent efforts cover all legal bases to protect its iPhone assets, which also includes a potentially new cash cow – the App Store. It should not come as a surprise that the company has trademarked an App Store icon that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Applications folder in Mac OS X Leopard.

Last week, the US Patent and Trademark Office published a granted a trademark for the App Store icon, showing a visual representation for the upcoming digital download store for iPhone/iPod touch that will enable users to browse, preview, purchase, download and update iPhone applications.

The App Store icon reveals more than just a passing resemblance of the Applications folder in Mac OS X. Both icons use almost identical pictogram outlining the letter “A”, constructed from a pencil, a paintbrush and a ruler. Unlike Mac OS X Leopard icons for the Applications folder, the  App Store icon sports shiny dark and light blue shaded background that appears as if light streams originating from its center.

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Just a quick note that Caterpillar update, 1.2.1 is out. It fixes an issue with the Zibri’s Wi-Fi fix, theme icons on the iPod touch, and more.

Full version history is available here.