iPhone clues in latest nano firware update? (+ weird findings)
I found these very interesting text strings in the latest iPod nano Firmware updater. The file is called Firmware-14.5.2 and is found inside the 2006-6-28 iPod updater package. (Use right click to "Open package content")
There's a big list of labels used for commands and variables somewhere inside the file, if you look with an hex editor.
Among the weirdest I found are the commands/variables names bellow...
Could this be enough to confirm an iPod phone based on the iPod OS?
t_feature_app_PHONE_APP
kPhoneSignalStrength
clPhoneMocksApplication
clPhoneCallModel
clPhoneCallHistoryModel
prPhoneSettingsMenu
prPhoneSettingsMenuView
prPhoneEnableSetting
prPhoneMenuItem
These are definitely not from the Motorola phones, as they are running a completely different OS. These are also not from the contact and address lists features that can contain phone numbers.
Now if it weren't enough, look what I found too, just after the phone references:
t_feature_app_MESSENGER_APP
clMessengerModel
clMessengerApplication
Can anyone explain what these do in the middle of the main iPod feature/apps list?
A messenger application to go with the phones I guess?
The following are presumably games that were not included. (found among other included games)
t_feature_app_SIMON_APP
t_feature_app_STACKER_APP
Maybe Stacker is a Tetris clone?
I wonder what a search feature could do on an iPod...
t_feature_app_SEARCH_APP
t_feature_QUICKFIND
Changing the main menu font could be a feature?
A long list of seemingly included fonts can be found elsewhere.
t_feature_EXPANDED_FONT_CHOICES
There is a few reference to a graphic EQ that would be enabled by some accessory.
I concluded that it was for the iPod Hi-Fi speakers.
t_feature_view_GRAPHICEQ
Now is this thing about AppleTalk? Or an instant messenger?
t_feature_view_APPLETALKBALLOON
A keyboard for the iPod? For the messenger app?
t_feature_view_APPLEKEYBOARD
A choice of multiple graphical appearances?
t_feature_APPEARANCE_CHOICES
prAppearanceCurrentAqua
prAppearanceCurrentBlue
A way to put a picture in the background of menus?
t_feature_MENU_BACKGROUND
Maybe a way to set a startup photo?
prStartupPhotoSettingsMenuView
prStartupPhotoSettingsScrollView
prStartupPhotoSettingsMenu
prStartupPhotoSettingsItemView
prStartupPhotoSettingsMenuItem
There seem to be a hidden built-in photo folder in the iPods that's used for retail demos. Anyone knows how to access it?
kPhotoLibrary_RetailDemo
The next one is a variable name, I guess that it could enable a wider range of movie formats to play on the iPod Video. (Maybe enable all .mp4 and .h264 to play even if they're not pre-scaled to 320x240?)
AllowUnsupportedMovies
I also saw many references to a brightness and contrast features, and ways to display and operate the iPod video LCD menu on the TV like Jobs did on stage at Macworld.
Among this list of variable and command name is this Boolean variable:
__USE_ORIGINALLY_PLANNED_FEATURES___
I guess that if this variable was set to true, some of the hidden features would be activated. Maybe we could even access the prototype Phone mock-up application?
(Edit: Oops, I forgot the M in Firmware in the title)
There's a big list of labels used for commands and variables somewhere inside the file, if you look with an hex editor.
Among the weirdest I found are the commands/variables names bellow...
Could this be enough to confirm an iPod phone based on the iPod OS?
t_feature_app_PHONE_APP
kPhoneSignalStrength
clPhoneMocksApplication
clPhoneCallModel
clPhoneCallHistoryModel
prPhoneSettingsMenu
prPhoneSettingsMenuView
prPhoneEnableSetting
prPhoneMenuItem
These are definitely not from the Motorola phones, as they are running a completely different OS. These are also not from the contact and address lists features that can contain phone numbers.
Now if it weren't enough, look what I found too, just after the phone references:
t_feature_app_MESSENGER_APP
clMessengerModel
clMessengerApplication
Can anyone explain what these do in the middle of the main iPod feature/apps list?
A messenger application to go with the phones I guess?
The following are presumably games that were not included. (found among other included games)
t_feature_app_SIMON_APP
t_feature_app_STACKER_APP
Maybe Stacker is a Tetris clone?
I wonder what a search feature could do on an iPod...
t_feature_app_SEARCH_APP
t_feature_QUICKFIND
Changing the main menu font could be a feature?
A long list of seemingly included fonts can be found elsewhere.
t_feature_EXPANDED_FONT_CHOICES
There is a few reference to a graphic EQ that would be enabled by some accessory.
I concluded that it was for the iPod Hi-Fi speakers.
t_feature_view_GRAPHICEQ
Now is this thing about AppleTalk? Or an instant messenger?
t_feature_view_APPLETALKBALLOON
A keyboard for the iPod? For the messenger app?
t_feature_view_APPLEKEYBOARD
A choice of multiple graphical appearances?
t_feature_APPEARANCE_CHOICES
prAppearanceCurrentAqua
prAppearanceCurrentBlue
A way to put a picture in the background of menus?
t_feature_MENU_BACKGROUND
Maybe a way to set a startup photo?
prStartupPhotoSettingsMenuView
prStartupPhotoSettingsScrollView
prStartupPhotoSettingsMenu
prStartupPhotoSettingsItemView
prStartupPhotoSettingsMenuItem
There seem to be a hidden built-in photo folder in the iPods that's used for retail demos. Anyone knows how to access it?
kPhotoLibrary_RetailDemo
The next one is a variable name, I guess that it could enable a wider range of movie formats to play on the iPod Video. (Maybe enable all .mp4 and .h264 to play even if they're not pre-scaled to 320x240?)
AllowUnsupportedMovies
I also saw many references to a brightness and contrast features, and ways to display and operate the iPod video LCD menu on the TV like Jobs did on stage at Macworld.
Among this list of variable and command name is this Boolean variable:
__USE_ORIGINALLY_PLANNED_FEATURES___
I guess that if this variable was set to true, some of the hidden features would be activated. Maybe we could even access the prototype Phone mock-up application?
(Edit: Oops, I forgot the M in Firmware in the title)
Comments
strings "iPod Updater 2006-06-28.exe" | grep -i FEATURE
t_hw_feature_RTC
t_hw_feature_WHEEL
t_feature_VIDEOCORE
t_feature_app_MP3PLAYEREXAMPLE
t_feature_app_SETTINGS
t_feature_app_BLOCKO_APP
t_feature_app_CHOPPER_APP
t_feature_app_MUSICQUIZ_APP
t_feature_app_SIMON_APP
t_feature_app_STACKER_APP
t_feature_app_ADDRESSVIEWER_APP
t_feature_app_ADDRESSVIEWER_EX_APP
t_feature_app_TEST_AUTOMATION
t_feature_app_GAMES_APP
t_feature_app_NOTES_APP
t_feature_app_VOICERECORDER
t_feature_app_PHOTOIMPORT
t_feature_app_PHOTOIMPORT_SIMULATOR
t_feature_app_REMOTEUI
t_feature_app_CLOCK
t_feature_app_SPORTTIMER
t_feature_app_SLIDESHOW
t_feature_app_PHOTOBROWSE_APP
t_feature_app_DISKBROWSER_APP
t_feature_app_VIDEO_APP
t_feature_app_RADIO_APP
t_feature_app_RADIO_MOREREGIONS
t_feature_app_RADIO_SCANSUPPORT
t_feature_app_RADIO_DISPLAYFADED
t_feature_app_EAPPSHELL
t_feature_app_PHONE_APP
t_feature_app_MESSENGER_APP
t_feature_app_CAL_APP
t_feature_app_TRAINER_APP
t_feature_app_SEARCH_APP
t_feature_SHUFFLESONGS
t_feature_READING_SPEED
t_feature_MULTIPLE_OTG
t_feature_PODCASTS
t_feature_LYRICS
t_feature_CLOCK
t_feature_WORLD_CLOCK
t_feature_UNIT_TESTS
t_feature_FONT_MENU
t_feature_EXPANDED_FONT_CHOICES
t_feature_SHOWSETTINGVALUE
t_feature_ALBUM_ARTWORK
t_feature_EXTRAS_CACHE
t_feature_app_LOCK_APP
t_feature_ALARMS
t_feature_SPEAKERS
t_feature_CARDREADER_SUPPORTED
t_feature_iMA_TestImageFolder
t_feature_view_GRAPHICEQ
t_feature_view_INDICATOR
t_feature_view_OVERLAY
t_feature_view_APPLETALKBALLOON
t_feature_view_APPLEKEYBOARD
t_feature_graphics_COLOR
t_feature_APPEARANCE_CHOICES
t_feature_TIER3_LANGUAGES
t_feature_ALBUMART_BROWSE
t_feature_MENU_BACKGROUND
t_feature_STARTUP_PHOTO
t_feature_EXTRA_REMOTE_COMMANDS
t_feature_LOCK_ORIGINAL
t_feature_QUICKFIND
t_feature_CONTEXTUAL_MENUS
t_feature_BRIGHTNESS_CONTROL
t_feature_TIMEBOMB
__USE_ORIGINALLY_PLANNED_FEATURES___
And so far, mum's the word on the iPhone from AppleInsider, apparently (as we haven't seen any articles on it), so how accurate can ThinkSecret's information be?
Now these are labels associated with functions and commands. Would it be easy to know which ID number is associated with which label? Maybe it'd be possible to find where those IDs are used as menu commands.
That way we could swap the Chopper game ID with the Simon game ID, reload the Firmware and hope it works. The same could be done to try to use other hidden features like the phone mock-up. Most of these are probably functional, and were just removed from the menus at the last minute.
By the way the strings about the phone don't necessarily that Apple is on the verge of releasing an iPhone. But it mean that Apple at least toyed with the idea to the point of making a mock-up that could work in the Nano.
Other new interesting things can be found in this Firmware, like tons of .wav files with the voices of Lance Armstrong and Paula Radcliffe, saying things like "Congratulation! you just completed your first 100 miles!". Obviously it's for the Nike thing. Look for the "RIFF" string to find the beginning of these files.
There's a reason it's called the iPod and not the iJam, iRock, or whatever (aside from the latter names reallly sucking). It has the potential to be so much more.
Needless to say, I just signed a 2 year contract and bought a razr. The wife will learn to love it.
They could just be support for 3rd party devices, but in that case, so could the phone bits.
Hmm. Could be a move to offer an iPod OS to *other* HW manufacturers to compete against Symbian, NokiaOS, etc. License them the clickwheel and the OS, and let them take the heat for entering new markets?
My 1 yen (1 penny) Japanese phone is ten times better than any phone here in the US. The size and screen are perfect and I can only wish for something just as good. If it is an iPod too, that would just be perfect.
I was on the verge of buying a Samsung 904SS while I was last there. Hopefully a WWDC announcement will have made my decision to wait correct..
Perhaps the new nano and iPhone will launch together?
I am a little nervous about the iPhone having the same form factor as the nano.
I think it would be a little bit too small for a phone.
Also at that size the battery would probably be under-powered.
I'm also curious what the accompanying bluetooth headset will be like.
Originally posted by Kickaha
What, no one's pointing out the t_feature_app_VOICERECORDER and t_feature_app_RADIO* bits?
They could just be support for 3rd party devices, but in that case, so could the phone bits.
A voice recorder would seem like an obvious feature for a cell phone.
But, I doubt Apple ever has any intentions of making Radio standard on an iPod or iPhone.
Originally posted by TKN
There were rumours that Apple was working with Softbank in Japan to develop a cell-phone, so, for me, the most exciting part would be getting a beautiful Japanese cell phone here in the US that is truly world-roaming (and hopefully 3G). If they announce that, I am buying one immediately.
My 1 yen (1 penny) Japanese phone is ten times better than any phone here in the US. The size and screen are perfect and I can only wish for something just as good. If it is an iPod too, that would just be perfect.
I was on the verge of buying a Samsung 904SS while I was last there. Hopefully a WWDC announcement will have made my decision to wait correct..
I don't think Apple has historically used the WWDC as a platform for iPod related announcements.
Are the 3G networks here in the US up to speed yet?
Kick, the Radio stuff is probably just for the FM remote (though Apple certainly could fold FM radio into the iPod if they wanted to).
Originally posted by VL-Tone
I found these very interesting text strings in the latest iPod nano Firmware updater. The file is called Firmware-14.5.2 and is found inside the 2006-6-28 iPod updater package. (Use right click to "Open package content")
The only problem with all of this is that this is the Nano firmware, not the 5G (iPod Video) firmware. (Which is Firmware-13.6.1.2 in that same package), which I compared to the archived version on my 5G iPod, and it's the same.
This being the case, all of these features are Nano-only, which actually doesn't make any sense. Most of those strings are NOT present in the iPod 5G firmware, including the ones related to video, use original features, etc.
I've poured over my firmware for the 5G because I was trying to get the LCD output to the screen (as displayed at its introduction). To no avail, of course.
Why would all of these things be present in the Nano version, and not the 5G version?
Originally posted by udecker
Why would all of these things be present in the Nano version, and not the 5G version?
lehmiefink...
because the iPod part of the iPhone is iPod nano based?
Maybe?
Originally posted by gar
lehmiefink...
because the iPod part of the iPhone is iPod nano based?
Maybe?
I was, of course, referring to the "Movie" and "video" portions of the keywords discovered in the firmware.
The firmware for the 5G iPod remained unchanged in the last iPod updater. The iPod (Video) Software 1.1.2 in the 2006-6-28 updater is the same as the one in the 2005-9-23 updater.
Only the nano and shuffle were really updated in the 2006-6-28 release.
Apple must keep a code base that is common to both the nano and video iPod, and usually trims out what's not used in a particular model. Seems they forgot about this in the latest nano update.