Boy Genius Report claims to have received information from a source regarding iPhone OS 4.0, which is rumored to be introduced at next week's media event in San Francisco. According to the source, iPhone OS 4.0 will be limited to the iPhone 3G and 3GS (presumably including at least more recent iPod touch models and omitting the original iPhone) and will incorporate solutions for multitasking by running applications in the background and a revamped user interface for easier navigation.
- There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide. (Would make sense for that as the rumored OS for the iTablet is close if not the same as the iPhone)
- "A few new ways" to run applications in the background -- multitasking.
- Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient. We haven't had this broken down, but we can only hope for improved notifications, a refreshed homescreen, etc.
- The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will "put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers" more than any other phone to date. Everyone is "really excited."
- The last piece of information is the most vague, but apparently there will be some brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.

The ability to run iPhone applications in the background has been near the top of many users' wish lists, but Apple has yet to implement full backgrounding and multitasking due to its effect on performance and battery life, instead opting to deploy push notifications as a means for closed applications to serve data to users. The expansion of the ability to run applications in the background beyond those few specified by Apple has been a relatively common theme, with multiple reports suggesting that Apple has been working on ways to deploy the functionality in at least a limited sense, although many expected such developments to be included in iPhone OS 3.0 last year.

Fring for iPhone now lets you call with Skype over 3G
By Ross Miller posted Jan 28th 2010 9:24PM
Now that the iPhone SDK seems to allow for 3G VoIP, it looks like the floodgates are beginning to open. Joining the ranks of iCall in this somewhat uncharted territory is Fring. Same deal as the previous one, the ability is already inherent in the current build, and now that the restriction has been lifted, users can simply place calls as they usually do through the service -- yes, that includes Skype calls -- only now not tethered to the nearest 802.11 cloud. As for the native Skype app, last we checked it was still not working. But it's only a matter of time.

The iPad may not have a camera in its current incarnation, but Apple's at least laying the foundation for one: we just confirmed with extremely trusted sources that iPhone OS 3.2 contains rudimentary support for video calling, which could explain that mysterious space at the top of the device in our leaked pics. We're told that there are hooks to accept and decline a video conference, flip a video feed (which suggests a front-facing camera) and -- most importantly -- run the video call in either full screen mode or in just a portion of the screen. That means you'll be able to chat and do other things at the same time, which could mean there's at least some type of multitasking going on here.

We can also confirm that iPhone OS 3.2 supports file downloads and local storage in the browser, which means you'll be able to pull files off the web and use them in other apps, and there's at least the beginnings of SMS support buried within the code -- a fact we were able to verify with noted iPhone jailbreaker chpwn, who sent in the above screenshot from a hacked-up copy of the iPad simulator. (The simulator always says "iPhone simulator" in the menu bar, but that's the iPad.) chpwn also tells us he's found some inklings of actual phone support, there's a spellchecker, and that both the new landscape orientation for the homescreen and keyboard support appear to be destined for the iPhone itself when 3.2 comes out.

We're not sure what any of this means at this point, or if any of it will ever be implemented, but we're definitely starting to get the impression that Apple didn't tell us everything there is to know about the iPad on Wednesday -- and we're even more curious to find out what iPhone OS 4.0 will look like when it arrives.

P.S.- chpwn was also able to port iPhone multitasking hacks ProSwitcher and Backgrounder to the iPad simulator, which is certainly going to be useful if an iPad jailbreak exploit is eventually discovered. Check out a shot of it going in the gallery below, along with some other settings panels the coder dug up.

Apple today released iPhone OS 3.1.3 for all iPhone and iPod touch models, addressing several specific bugs as well as offering fixes for a handful of security issues.
This update for the iPhone and iPod touch contains bug fixes and improvements, including the following:

- Improves accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS
- Resolves issue where third-party apps would not launch in some instances
- Fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using the Japanese Kana keyboard

Full details on the security updates included in iPhone OS 3.1.3 are available in the associated support document.

AT&T Approves 'SlingPlayer Mobile' Television Streaming Over 3G

Thursday February 04, 2010 10:48 AM EST; Category: iPhone
Written by Eric Slivka

Mac News
AT&T today announced that it has decided to allow Sling Media's SlingPlayer Mobile iPhone application to stream video content over its 3G network. SlingPlayer Mobile allows users of Sling Media's "Slingbox" hardware to control and stream live and recorded content to their iPhones and iPod touches.

AT&T attracted significant attention when it refused to allow the SlingPlayer Mobile to stream video over the carrier's wireless networks, citing the potential for the video traffic to overwhelm its network capacity and create service issues for other users. Consequently, the application has been Wi-Fi-only in the U.S. since its launch in May 2009.

Since mid December 2009, AT&T has been testing the app and has recently notified Sling Media -- as well as Apple -- that the optimized app can run on its 3G network. The SlingPlayer Mobile app already is available for use today on AT&T's Wi-Fi network, the nation's largest with more than 20,000 hotspots.
In its press release, AT&T also took the opportunity to publicize its willingness to work with developers on bandwidth-intensive mobile applications in order to create the best possible experience for users.

"Just as we've worked with Sling Media in this instance, we look forward to collaborating with other developers so that mobile customers can access a wider, more bandwidth-sensitive, and powerful range of applications in the future," said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets. "Collaboration with developers like Sling Media ensures that all apps are optimized for our 3G network to conserve wireless spectrum and reduce the risk that an app will cause such extreme levels of congestion that they disrupt the experience of other wireless customers. Our focus continues to be on delivering the nation's most advanced mobile broadband experience and giving our customers the widest possible array of mobile applications."
Support for developers is offered through AT&T's dedicated developer site.