iphone os 3.0

Rocking out with stereo Bluetooth

Now that the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware has added stereo Bluetooth functionality to the Apple iPhone, we thought it would be a good idea to revisit stereo Bluetooth and what it promises.

Stereo Bluetooth, or A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile), is essentially a Bluetooth profile that lets you stream music from one device to another without the use of wires. The technology has been around for years, and almost all music phones have this feature. In fact, it was quite a big letdown that the original iPhone and iPhone 3G did not have this built in when they first launched, considering the iPhone's iPod heritage. Still, it's better late than never. The iPhone OS 3.0 update also brought stereo Bluetooth to the iPod Touch 2nd gen. If you have a music player instead of a phone, you can also purchase additional stereo Bluetooth adapters, like this Motorola D650 iPod adapter.

Stereo Bluetooth headphones come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some, like the Motorola Rokr S9 HD, are meant for active lifestyles, as it's shaped to hug the sides of the head. Others, like the Samsung SBH-600, are meant for serious audiophiles, especially with its promise of surround sound and bass boost. We also like the mono-to-stereo headsets, like the Plantronics Voyager 855, that can change from a mono headset to a stereo version simply by connecting an additional ear bud. One of the more popular stereo headsets among our readers is the Jabra BT3030, which isn't really even a headset so much as it is a pendant that you can use with any pair of 3.5mm-compatible headphones.… Read more

Finding iPhone OS 3.0's small changes

Though everyone knows the iPhone OS 3.0 brought welcome and long-awaited changes like multimedia messaging; a landscape keyboard; and cut, copy, and paste, there are a host of other tweaks from the software update that Apple has not publicized. According to Apple, the update offers 100 additions to the iPhone, but we covered just a handful in our iPhone 3GS review.

What other features are new? Well, a week after Apple released the update to the world we have a better idea. We've done our own exploring, but last week we also asked for your help in finding the update's hidden treasures. Thankfully, you responded in force, so we're glad to offer you this list. It's still not complete, so we'll be adding more as we (and you) find them. (Note: I've only included features not listed in the review.) Also, Apple has posted a handy chart detailing which OS 3.0 features are available on the iPhone Classic and iPhone 3G. … Read more

They're here: iPhone OS 3.0 and iPhone 3G S

roundup Apple has the world's attention once again as it delivers new versions of the iPhone and its operating system.

Smaller crowds line up for iPhone 3G S on first day The turnout is noticeably less frenzied and the activation problems that plagued last year's iPhone 3G launch appeared a thing of the past. (Posted in Apple by CNET News staff) June 19, 2009 11:30 AM PDT

364 days and counting to iPhone 4G If history is any indication, we have less than year to go before we see a new iPhone. Let the official countdown begin. (… Read more

iPhone OS 3.0: What else is new?

When Apple first announced the iPhone OS 3.0 in March, it promised that the update would bring 100 new features. We heard the same thing last week at the WWDC 2009 keynote, but Scott Forstall, Apple's head of iPhone software development, only demonstrated a handful of the most notable improvements. Sure, we know about stereo Bluetooth, the Spotlight features, and cut, copy, and paste--and we've analyzed them in our iPhone 3G S review---but we want a full list of all 100 features. Since then, we've asked for the details, but Apple has yet to cough … Read more

Apps get age-restriction alerts in iPhone OS 3.0

When I tried to update to the latest Shazam for iPhone after I installed iPhone OS 3.0, I saw this age warning pop-up window when the phone attempted to install the update:

I found this curious, because:

I had already downloaded the application; this was just an update--if I was OK with the original application, shouldn't the update be kosher as well? Shazam is perhaps no more "objectionable" than just turning on the radio; it's just telling you the song it thinks the source is playing.

Moral questions aside, it seems the addition of this … Read more

Latest Shazam lets you track musical journey in iPhone OS 3.0

Shazam has fast become one of those must-have apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Not only can you use it for song identification, you can then recommend that song to a friend via e-mail, or watch a related music video on YouTube, or purchase the song via iTunes. You can also add a photo to the music tag for a visual reminder of where you first heard the song.

Well, along with the iPhone OS 3.0 firmware update, Shazam also released version 1.7, which has a number of added features. It now integrates with the GPS function … Read more

Scattered reports of iPhone OS 3.0 update problems

Updated at 12:15 p.m. PDT

While the majority of commenters on CNET and around the Web are reporting success in downloading iPhone OS 3.0 Wednesday, there were scattered reports of problems.

My colleague Stephen Shankland, a CNET News reporter, tried several times to download the OS update around 12 p.m. Pacific to his iPhone and received the same error message, pictured above, each time.

A handful of CNET commenters reported problems accessing iTunes. "I see that the upgrade is now available, but four times the message I get after a couple of minutes is that … Read more

iPhone 3G S full review: Mostly, it delivers

If you can't bear the thought of waiting another two days for Apple's iPhone 3G S, CNET can offer a look ahead in our full iPhone 3G S review. The iPhone 3G S promises faster processing and network speeds, extended battery life, more memory, the OS 3.0 update (available today), and additional features.

In many ways, the iPhone 3G S delivers on its promises. It did run faster, the video recording is a treat, and the battery lasted longer. Yet we still have concerns about call reception and we're still waiting for a few features. The … Read more

iPhone OS 3.0 due at 1 p.m. ET, 10 a.m. PT

Today's the day that iPhone OS 3.0 arrives (a free upgrade for iPhone owners, $9.95 for the iPod Touch crowd). So where is it? If you've been feverishly clicking the Check for Update button, take a break.

According to gadget blog Engadget, citing some text messages received in Hong Kong, Apple will push out the OS 3.0 update starting at 1 p.m. ET.

That sounds reasonable, especially considering that as of 11 a.m., iTunes is still telling me that OS 2.2.1 is still "the current version."

When the clock … Read more

Updated: iPhone OS 3.0 now available

Updated at 10:20 a.m. PDT June 17: The software update is now available.

Many of the iPhone's long-awaited features will finally become reality Wednesday when Apple rolls out iPhone OS 3.0.

Current iPhone owners can download the software from iTunes for free, and iPod Touch users can get it as well, but for a fee of $9.95, just like the last OS update. What time exactly, we don't know yet. Apple will only say iPhone OS 3.0 will come out sometime Wednesday.

The update includes many functions other phones have had for a … Read more