Now that iOS 5.1 Beta 3 has been seeded to developers, we are now seeing reports and hints at what could be included in future updates. One of the first discoveries is that the iPad and perhaps the iPod touch could be getting some form of Siri.
Search: ipod+touch
New patents published in the US hint that iOS devices could be getting a Thunderbolt port. One of the patents says “a connection may be provided between a portable media player and a display, a computer and a portable media player, or between other types of devices.” which has led a number of people to believe that this will include iOS devices.
60beat has launched a new games controller for iOS devices. The controller is called GamePad and is unique in that it uses the headphone port of any iOS device to function. As it uses a 3.5mm jack, all power is provided by the iPhone, iPad or iPod touch meaning that no charging/batteries are needed.
You might remember that Apple [AAPL] has recalled a number of first generation iPod nano units. These were the ones build in September 2005. We are now seeing evidence that Apple has replaced some 1st gen units with the latest 6th gen models.
Update: It appears that this was a bug and that 3.1.3 devices are now once again able to access the App Store direct on their iOS device.
iPhone and iPod touch users still running iOS 3.1.3 are now (as of the 16th December 2011) unable to directly download apps from the App Store. Instead, new updates and apps will need to be downloaded in iTunes and then synced to the iPhone or iPod.
Apple could be planning to launch a smaller iPad in time for Christmas 2012. This new iPad would follow along from the iPad 3 that is expected in April. The difference will be the screensize of 7.85 inches as opposed to the regular 9.7 inch iPad screen we see on the yearly generation changes.
Microsoft [MSFT] has launched an update for OneNote on iOS devices. Before the latest update (version 1.3) the app had been restricted for use on the iPhone and iPod touch. The new update now brings OneNote to the iPad although the app isn't universal which means you'll need to install the iPad version for the iPad, rather than the same version for both devices.
A new beta version of iOS 5.1 has just been launched by Apple [AAPL]. The new version brings iOS 5.1 closer to a public launch. The new version has been designed to fix the battery issues that some iOS 5 users have been having.
The BBC has launched iPlayer for the Apple iPhone. The iPad version has been available since earlier this year and has already seen around 1.5 million downloads. The latest update that launched today now adds universal support to the app so that it works on the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch.
As with other BBC content, the app is free and allows those in the UK to catch up with a number of channels. The app has been designed to allow watching content over WiFi as well as 3G if desired.
iOS developer Pod2g revealed a few days ago that he has managed to jailbreak iOS 5. What makes this jailbreak different is that it's untethered. At the moment the only way to jailbreak is through a semi-tether which allows you to boot your iPhone but with some restrictions until you can tether it to re-enable it.
Apple [AAPL] has launched a new version of iBooks for iOS devices. The new update brings several new features to the app which make it more friendly to use. Although most, if not all, of the features are already available on other eBook readers and have been for a while they are still a welcomed addition.
Flipboard is a news reader app that pulls content from a number of sources and presents them in a more friendly way. It was originally launched on the iPad only. The app has now been updated and with that update it has been converted to a universal app which now makes it compatible with the iPhone and iPod touch.
