Monday, June 21, 2010

Apple iOS 4 for iPhone and iPod touch

Today June 21, 2010 the release of the long time waited Apple iOS 4 has happened. The software update will be available on iTunes to everyone for free who owns iPhone, iPod Touch and iPhone 4.

Apple iOS 4 brings users a new experience and functionality, including iPhone's 4 FaceTime and multi-threading for last years iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch third generation.

iOS 4 does not support previous generations of 2007 and cannot be installed on the iPad although Apple promises to expand their software to these platforms. Apple sees the update as a major step through unlike Google's smartphones which require users to wait for months for an update for a particular device and a particular model.

Here are some screen shots of iOS 4 and its functionality. iOS 4 will transfer its functionality of iPhone OS 3.2 (which appeared in iPad) to users of iPhone and iPod Touch.
  • new and improved interface which reminds us of Mac OS X desktop;
  • function to split files in iTunes, which will copy accociated files with appropriate applications and their devices during synchronization with iTunes.
  • Safari - improved suggestion and recommendation search options;
  • HTML5 video clips now may be played right in the browser;
  • included application Apple iBooks for reading books and reading PDF files as well;
  • support for Bluetooth keyboards and grammar spelling everywhere;
  • now users are able to block automatic change of application orientation between album and portrait;
  • new pictogram in the menu which shows active applications in use with GPS or Wi-Fi
These features are included with iPad doesn't have and won't have until fall.

  • multi-threading, which is the most important in the new OS;
  • video conferencing FaceTime, exclusively for iPhone 4;
  • organizing applications on the screen, all you have to do is drag the item where you want it to be and the icons will group themselves;
  • support for Microsoft Bing in Safari as an alternative search engine;
  • new function to use Spotlight for launching search through Safari or in Wikipedia;
  • support for search in SMS-messeges;
  • improved email box for personal posting;
  • improved picture/album functionality;
  • ability to focus the camera by pressing on the area of the screen while recording (for iPhone 3GS and new phones), improved digital zoom and improved LED-flashlight;
  • support for pin code longer than 4 numbers;
  • support reading for the blind, connecting through Bluetooth and sound output virtual keyboard;
  • support for viewing YouTube in portrait format;
  • improved functionality with favorites;
Apple indicates that new iOS already has over 1,500 new APIs, most of them are exotic but few will manage to capture general users' attention:

  • support for IPv6 and SSL VPN network;
  • new ways of accessing the camera: improved HTTP Live Streaming viewing;
  • CoreMotion for indepth use of the compass in iPhone 4;
  • support for built-in calendar through Calendar Event Kit;
  • built-in advertising iAd, deeply into the OS, nothing but another way of mobile advertising;
  • support for improved and extended OpenGL ES for hard shadows and full screen smoothing;
  • new Game Center also is included in iOS for developers to be able to deploy it later on this year;
  • new, improved and faster APIs present hundreds of mathematical functions optimized for iPhone and iPod.
These are only few of the features Apple improved and built into the new OS for iPhone and iPod users.

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