iPhone & iPhone 3G News

Here is a list of the changes for the new iPhone 2.1 firmware, which have been released last Friday

iPhone 2.1 Change Log:

• Decrease in call set-up failures and dropped calls
• Significantly better battery life for most users
• Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
• Improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
• Faster installation of 3rd party applications
• Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes for users with lots of third party applications
• Improved performance in text messaging
• Faster loading and searching of contacts
• Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
• Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
• Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
• Genius playlist creation

The iPhone Dev Team has also released their new PwnageTool 2.1. The team has figured out a way to avoid iTunes 8.0 detection which previously do not allow your Pwnaged iPhone to connect with the iTunes. Check out the Pwnage Tool 2.1 here

Among the many improvements to the iPhone with the 2.1 software update posted on Friday are changes meant to enhance security on the device. Apple has provided details about what’s changed. All of the changes affect security issues noted for iPhone 2.0 through 2.0.2 software releases. None of the problems affect iPhone software prior to 2.0.

Among the notable fixes in 2.1:

• an update to the Application Sandbox to enforce proper access restrictions.
• FreeType vulnerabilities have been shored up.
• mDNSResponder has been updated to reduce susceptibility to DNS cache poisoning.
• TCP initial sequence numbers are now randomly generated to stop attackers from spoofing TCP connections.
• Passcode Lock has been corrected to fix the emergency call exploit.
• WebKit has been updated to address CSS import statements that were causing problems.

iPhone firmware 2.1 (5F136) weighing in at 237.8MB is now live and available via iTunes.iPhone version 2.1 contains many bug fixes and improvements, including the following:

• decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
• significantly improved battery life for most users
• dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
• improved email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
• faster installation of 3rd party applications
• fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes if you have lots of 3rd party applications
• improved performance in text messaging
• faster loading and searching of contacts
• improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
• repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
• option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
• Genius playlist creation

The iBikeConsole takes iPod accessories to another level. And while we’ve seen a ton of accessories and cases that attach your iPod to your body somehow, this one keeps your iPod hooked onto your bike.This case clips onto your bike’s handle bars right in the center. The controls then attach to either side of the iPod, keeping the device right in front of you, and the controls at your hands.

The Mode button on the controls also let you check your mph, distance traveled and other nifty stats. You can get the iBikeConsole now for $76 and it is compatible with the first through third generation of iPod nanos. We’ll have to see if they’ve made any adjustments for iPod nano 4th gen once its announced tomorrow!

Steve Jobs told us that two new firmware updates were coming to the iPhone and the iPod touch, respectively.

The iPhone 2.1 firmware is a “big update,” according to Jobs and “it fixes a lot of bugs.” These “bugs” were to be fixed with battery life improvements, a fix for app crashes, faster back ups and fewer dropped calls.

But that was it for the iPhone and Jobs quickly switched focus back to the iPod touch. Firmware v2.1 will be available for the touch as well, but with one stipulation. If you never upgraded your original touch to 2.0, you will have to pay $9.95 to update to 2.1.

The iPhone 3G Pay & Go plan will be live on September 16th, enabling users in the UK to purchase the handset sans contract for £349.99 (8GB) or £399.99 (16GB). Yeah, it’s quite a bit more than free on contract, but those prices do include unlimited browsing and WiFi for the first 12 months after the phone is activated. Once that honeymoon ends, you’re looking at £10 per month to keep browsing. Also of note, Visual Voicemail is conveniently omitted from Pay & Go phones, but if you’re cool with that, you can get going in a fortnight by heading to your local O2, Apple or Carphone Warehouse store.