iChatAgent, Note syncing over MobileMe discovered in iPhone 4.0
Developers working with the new iPhone Software 4.0 beta report the existence of a new background process named iChatAgent, the same process used by iChat on the Mac [Updated with alleged evidence of forward-facing camera as well]. Meanwhile, Note syncing via MobileMe and a handful of other enhancements have been highlighted in a series of screenshots.
The presence of iChatAgent strongly suggests that iPhone 4 could arrive with a feature Apple did not highlight in today's introduction: a bundled Instant Messaging client. Either that, or Apple's using the agent to facilitate some other task or failed to remove it from previously planned support for iChat on the iPad, both of which seem unlikely.
Update: AppleInsider also received word that iPhone OS 4.0 has two frameworks not found in version 3.2 on the iPad, dubbed IMCore.framework and IMAVCore.framework. These frameworks allegedly contain the strings "front facing" and "back facing.
In addition, IMAVCore.framework even contains strings that reference screen sharing.
A recent rumor had suggested that a front-facing video camera was amongst a handful of major hardware enhancements destine for fourth-generation iPhones due to ship this summer. Others include the adoption of the same A4 chip found inside the iPad and a new 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, as AppleInsider recently reported. A purported photo of a fourth-gen iPhone prototype can be seen here.
Meanwhile, developers have snapped a handful of screenshots from the first external beta of iPhone Software 4.0 revealing some of the smaller enhancements Apple has planned for the summer's release, such as the addition of Note syncing for subscribers of its MobileMe internet services:
Over in Safari, Apple has added live Web search suggestions, as it briefly noted in a presentation slide earlier in the day that also included dozens of other minor feature additions.
Apple's iPhone camera application is gaining 5x digital zoom in addition to "Tap to focus video," as can bee seen below, while a new preference for MMS messaging offers to display the current character count:
Mail's new unified mailbox has given way to a new Mailboxes dialog, while the app itself will now offer to reduce the size of messages containing image attachments by automatically scaling them down to a smaller size. A view of threaded messages, another new feature, can be seen on the far right:
Users of iPhone 4.0-supported devices will also be able to switch Location Services on and off at the individual app level while support for IPv6 -- the next-generation Internet Protocol version designated as the successor to IPv4 -- makes its first appearance:
Finally, the two shots below show the purplish Location Services arrow indicator in the menu bar that will display when an application is requesting your location, as well as a new feature that lets you create playlists on Apple's handheld devices, without the need for iTunes:
The presence of iChatAgent strongly suggests that iPhone 4 could arrive with a feature Apple did not highlight in today's introduction: a bundled Instant Messaging client. Either that, or Apple's using the agent to facilitate some other task or failed to remove it from previously planned support for iChat on the iPad, both of which seem unlikely.
Update: AppleInsider also received word that iPhone OS 4.0 has two frameworks not found in version 3.2 on the iPad, dubbed IMCore.framework and IMAVCore.framework. These frameworks allegedly contain the strings "front facing" and "back facing.
In addition, IMAVCore.framework even contains strings that reference screen sharing.
A recent rumor had suggested that a front-facing video camera was amongst a handful of major hardware enhancements destine for fourth-generation iPhones due to ship this summer. Others include the adoption of the same A4 chip found inside the iPad and a new 5-megapixel camera with LED flash, as AppleInsider recently reported. A purported photo of a fourth-gen iPhone prototype can be seen here.
Meanwhile, developers have snapped a handful of screenshots from the first external beta of iPhone Software 4.0 revealing some of the smaller enhancements Apple has planned for the summer's release, such as the addition of Note syncing for subscribers of its MobileMe internet services:
Over in Safari, Apple has added live Web search suggestions, as it briefly noted in a presentation slide earlier in the day that also included dozens of other minor feature additions.
Apple's iPhone camera application is gaining 5x digital zoom in addition to "Tap to focus video," as can bee seen below, while a new preference for MMS messaging offers to display the current character count:
Mail's new unified mailbox has given way to a new Mailboxes dialog, while the app itself will now offer to reduce the size of messages containing image attachments by automatically scaling them down to a smaller size. A view of threaded messages, another new feature, can be seen on the far right:
Users of iPhone 4.0-supported devices will also be able to switch Location Services on and off at the individual app level while support for IPv6 -- the next-generation Internet Protocol version designated as the successor to IPv4 -- makes its first appearance:
Finally, the two shots below show the purplish Location Services arrow indicator in the menu bar that will display when an application is requesting your location, as well as a new feature that lets you create playlists on Apple's handheld devices, without the need for iTunes:
Comments
this further strengthens the possibility for a front facing camera for upcoming iPhone.
hoping the iPad & iPod touch get cameras soon ..
Also not syncing is helpful, but what about To Dos. These just seems like silly oversights by Apple.
Move Memos from a Palm device into the iPhone's Notes app
http://www.macosxhints.com/article.p...00317095036825
http://bit.ly/dmst0B
Hopefully, it'll work even better than my Treo 700p and Mac "duet"... Of course for ? PRIVACY ? consideration, I'd prefer not to have a copy of my Notes (a.k.a Memos that I'll be bringing from Treo) stored on Mobile.me. I'd just like to have MM serve as a "Conduit", not "IMAP" for Notes..., simply syncing them between iPhone and my Mac.
I hope someone reading this can give me some education! Thanks in advance!
Am I the only one who thinks it is totally ridiculous that you cannot organize any of the photos in the Photos app on the device. Why isn't there just a little "+" button on the photo albums page. Why must everything only reside in the camera roll when using the device.
Also not syncing is helpful, but what about To Dos. These just seems like silly oversights by Apple.
I too was waiting for To Do's to sync. I finally gave up and bought the OmniFocus iPhone app and OS X software. It is fantastic software. It might be a little pricey for some but I find it to be worth every penny. I don't know what it is with Apple, maybe no one there has To Do's. Maybe Steve checks in with each person on the hour via iChat to give commands...
Almost there but maybe we will get lucky with a mobile me upgrade possibly?
Also - I read no user accounts for the iPad - Oh no! Crazy that you can't share your iPad in the house. eks, not good.
I too was waiting for To Do's to sync. I finally gave up and bought the OmniFocus iPhone app and OS X software. It is fantastic software. It might be a little pricey for some but I find it to be worth every penny. I don't know what it is with Apple, maybe no one there has To Do's. Maybe Steve checks in with each person on the hour via iChat to give commands...
Yeah, I am planning to go that avenue too, soon, if you have the time can you give us your take of things vs. omnifocus?
I like the keyboard in the iPod (New Playlist screenshot)
The black bordered keyboard is oddly oit of place. I hope they aren't going to make the iPod as different as the rest of the systeM like iTunes is on a Mac.
now just let me create/manage photo albums, the ability to add custom sms ring tones and that will clear up any small issues I have.
Totally agree, this is SO annoying. I have like 1,400 pictures in my Camera Roll... I don't feel like syncing to the computer, setting up the albums there, then selecting the albums to sync back to the phone, then resyncing again. Only to take another 40 pictures later for another album and do it all again... I should be able to make a new album on the phone, take my pics, then hit the button that lets me do checkmarks and I can select all the photos, and select the album to move them to. So simple. Would take them like 2 days to implement this and it would be a giant improvement. Heres hoping they actually have that when released.
SMS tones. WHY WHY WHY didn't they add support for them when they did ringtones... 6 tones? and 4 of them suck because you can't even hear them unless you work in the corporate office... Yeah. I'm ready for this ASAP.
Notes Syncing is my killer app.
Thanks be to god for this.
There is nothing I have wanted more in the 3 years I have owned my iPhone.
iChatAgent could have something to do with the new Game Center. It could be that Apple is using iChat as the foundation for the new Game Center.
That sounds like a very plausible reason.