We know, we know, you’re sick of future iPhone OS rumors… but one more couldn’t hurt right? The folks over at 9to5Mac have been exploring the new iPhone 3.2 beta 4 SDK, and have found a few files that could indicate more gestures are coming to the next iPhone OS. Something we reported on a pretty decent amount of time ago. The two files, “3Tap.plist” and “LongPress.plist, are located in the “gestures” library folder and, according to 9to5Mac, are not in previous versions of the SDK. Now, we know that “three taps” does not have a defined OS-wide function in the current iPhone OS, but we’re pretty sure that a “long press” will bring up a contextual menu to copy, cut, and paste among other things. For those iPhone haters out there, we’re pretty sure we know what one fingered gesture you want to give the iPhone… but unfortunately the “FlipBird.plist” file was not included in this build of the SDK. Check out the full report at 9to5Mac.

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Don’t get mad at me—I wanted to go to GDC, but The Man said no. So now we’re relying on CNET to bring us word of Epic Games’ efforts to bring the Unreal Engine to the iPhone. You may not have even played Unreal for several years, but plenty of big games are based on the engine. Mass Effect and BioShock are based on versions of the engine, as is EA’s upcoming Medal of Honor. Just think: playing Unreal on your iPhone. It’s almost… unreal.

The engine is written entirely for the PC, and it goes from PC to Mac to iPhone. It’s quite a bit of work to port over, yes. Just think: on the PC, the engine can count on multi-core processors to drive the whole show. One core for this, one core for that. The iPhone 3GS, fast as it is (by smartphone standards), cannot compare with the likes of the Intel Core i7. Breaking news, I know.

It does seem that the hardest part is getting all those high-resolution textures down to iPhone size. Epic uses something called DXT to compress the textures, a technology that Apple doesn’t support on the iPhone. So Epic has to both shrink the textures beforehand and then drop the quality by quite a bit. Will you really care when you’re playing the latest FPS on your iPhone at a steady 30 frames per second? I doubt it.

This is the Unreal Engine 3.0 we’re talking about, remember, not some 1999 technology nonsense.

Specialists and analysts have the gift of getting predictions right, specially in the tech biz, so we might believe Daring Fireball when it says that the iPhone OS 4.0 is coming in June. Also, the same source claims we’ll be seeing the 4.1 firmware available in September or October.

It’s very likely that the release of iPhone OS 4.0 will coincide with the debut of the iPhone 4G or whatever the new model is called. Version 4.1 will most likely be the first update on the new handset, available this Fall and we wonder if the iPad and iPhone 4G will get it at the same time.

Another interesting aspect to mention is that version 4.0 will unify the features and functions on the iPad and iPhone under a single platform, with basically the same apps and potential. All that’s lacking now on the iPhone and it’s present on the iPad will be ported, so this year end will prove to be interesting.

Maybe we’ll finally find out what the deal with that rumoured iPad camera is.

[via iSpazio]

If you’re looking to improve the picture taking feature of your iPhone, there’s always a cool Crystal Case to purchase. Pictured below, this accessory incorporates a macro lens and it’s compatible with the iPhone 3G and 3GS units.

The case comes with an ergonomic design, it protects the device from scratches and hits, plus it’s a pretty lightweight piece of equipment. Crystal Case also lets the user access all of the iPhone’s physical buttons and if you’re wondering about the performance of the macro lens, have a look at the comparison shots below (with and without it).

Product goes for $19.99 and can be bought from here with a $2.99 shipping fee.

[via ispazio]

Apple’s patent lawsuit against HTC may be much more far reaching than initially thought. According to a report at CNN’s Fortune website, Apple’s lawsuit has Android handset manufacturers shaking in their boots with many hiring legal teams, revising their OS strategies, sending hardware back to engineering, and changing development roadmaps behind closed doors. It all started in early 2009 when Apple COO Tim Cook launched the fist attack during an earning conference call by stating “we will not stand for having our IP ripped off and we’ll use whatever weapons we have at our disposal. I don’t know that I can be more clear than that.”  Apple reportedly remained passive during much of 2009, sitting idle while Palm launched the Pre and other manufacturers pushed out non-multi-touch smartphones that posed no threat to its iPhone market share. Enter the HTC DROID ERIS, the Nexus One, and the Motorola DROID which recently took the smartphone world by storm with their sleek good looks and potential multi-touch capability. Apple is now on the proverbial warpath with HTC as its first target and other manufacturers are fearful that they will be next. Apple reportedly held conversations with “Tier 1″ device manufacturers to inform them of Apple’s intentions. The winner in this fearful frenzy, ironically, may be Microsoft which is reportedly swooping in with its extensive patent library in hand, and promising Windows Phone 7 Series as a safe harbor to companies that are fearful of Apple’s wrath. It all sounds like a daytime soap opera conjured up for the geek world but it is unfortunately and incredibly true.

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…and we use the word refine very loosely. In the last 30 days, Apple has dropped the App Store ban-hammer on applications that display images of scantily clad women and Wi-Fi scanning/stumbling applications. The bare-naked ladies were removed because, as Apple VP Phil Schiller put it, “the needs of the kids and parents” had to come first. Wi-Fi scanning applications got the boot for making calls to a private API, which raises the obvious question… why were these applications approved in the first place? So, what is latest app genre to feel the sting of Apple’s proverbial backhand? So called “cookie-cutter” applications. Apple is beginning to reject apps that were created using application building services and do not add any specific functionality to the iPhone or iPod Touch. Or, as TechCrunch’s Jason Kincaid succinctly put it, “Apple doesn’t want people using native applications for things that a basic web app could accomplish.” Whatever the reasoning, Apple is sending a scary message to potential application developers… we can change our mind.

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New Potato Technologies has just launched the FLPR app, available for the iPhone and iPod touch, bundled with an accessory. The product and software turn your handset or player into an universal remote control for electronic devices ranging from TVs to stereo systems, lighting systems and much more.

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Tags: FLPR iPhone accessory price, FLPR iPhone App, hardware dongle infrared, infrared remote control, universal remote control iPhone app

There’s a big, bold question mark at the end of that title for one simple reason: this really is a mystery. The truth of the matter is, that we literally have only scraps to go on here, plus a lot of word of mouth. No, this isn’t the same word of mouth from “people familiar with the matter,” but it’s pretty close. What is the Elan? We don’t know. Is it the bigger-screened, slate-style handset that people want? We just don’t know. But, there are some hints that could give away to a clear image, somewhere within all this mobile madness.

Count this the second handset that strikes more confusion than anything else. The first is, not surprisingly, another one from Palm, actually. Codenamed the C40, it’s been sitting in Sprint inventory screens for quite some time now. And now, we have the Elan. Where’d it come from? Well, over at PreCentral, we have TopTongueBarry who is an AT&T IT person. Apparently, he confirmed previously that the Pre Plus and Pixi Plus had both gone through the testing phases of AT&T, and now a third device, the Elan, was going to start being tested as well.

It doesn’t stop there, however. No, another member, Shadow360, took it upon themselves to start digging around, and they hit the jackpot (more or less). Apparently there were accessory manufacturers creating things for the Elan. Furthermore, the Elan’s accessories are compatible with the iPhone. Also, TopTongueBarry added that testing for the Elan should begin in about two weeks, will rock a “soft keyboard,” and be released in Europe, but could see an unlocked version here in the States. Yes, that last part has us scratching our heads a bit, but if Palm is planning to serve up an unlocked device with AT&T’s 3G network, it makes complete sense. Otherwise, there’s really no reason why AT&T would need to be testing the Elan.

As we mentioned from the start, this isn’t even technically a rumor. We’ve got, as you can see from the screenshot above, that the word ‘Elan’ exists, and that accessories were indeed made for it. But, the entire project could be scrapped, or it may never grace the network of AT&T at all. There’s still too many questions, to be honest. However, there’s no arguing that Palm needs to get a new device out there, and one with a bigger screen (in the more slate-style of handsets) would be a dream come true for quite a few people out there. So let’s hope that Palm is already working on it. Either that, or succumbs to peer pressure.

[via PreCentral]

Late last year, Ustream and qik launched iPhone applications that let you stream videos from the iPhone to the web and allow others to watch them as they’re being recorded. And now there is an iPhone app called TwitCasting Live (iTunes link), which offers the same basic functionality, but is – as the name suggests – much more deeply integrated into Twitter.

The free app is essentially a live streaming app and Twitter client rolled into one. TwitCasting Live splits the iPhone screen in half, allowing you to view your Twitter timeline, update your status, access the web etc. on the bottom half, while recording (broadcasting) video on the top.

When the recording begins, you can automatically tweet out a specific URL for the broadcast (“I’m live on Twitcasting!”) to your followers who just need to hit the link to watch the live stream on the web or even on their iPhones (iPhone users won’t hear sound though). The app comes in especially handy during events, for example. After the broadcast, you can choose to save and archive the recording on the TwitCasting website.

TwitCasting Live works with both the iPhone 3G and 3GS, under Wi-Fi or 3G. Results were OK during tests with my 3G under a Japanese 3G network (I live in Japan), but naturally performance is best when using the app with Wi-Fi and a 3GS.

Tokyo-based Twitcasting provider sidefeed claims video latency is as low as 0.3-2.0 seconds in most countries, adding 750 concurrent viewers are the maximum the app can handle at the moment (although this number will be boosted to “a couple of thousands of viewers” next week).

Launched in Japan first, the English version made its formal debut during a demo event from TechCrunch Japan last week. Sidefeed says they have accommodated over 50,000 live broadcasts (80% over 3G) in the first four weeks and that they’re currently thinking about an Android port.

As technology progresses, people are going to be faced with all sorts of questions. Like, do you really want to get up from that couch? After all, you’ve got vacuums that pick up after you without you needing to push them around; you’ve got video game consoles that turn off and on without the need of you actually pushing a button on the box; and now the home automation market is on the verge of climbing to a brand new level. Considering the iPhone’s capabilities, there’s no wonder that this is happening at all. Just plug in a simple IR dongle, and you’re off to the races. Or, perhaps quite the opposite.

New Potato Technologies is based out of North Carolina, and they’ve created a new infrared dongle that plugs into your iPhone (or iPod Touch, if you’re so inclined). But, unlike the multitude of other IR dongles out there, this one from New Potato plugs into the dock connector. And much the same way that you’re standard IR remotes control the products in your home, the FLPR can tell your stereo equipment, fans, and lights exactly what to do. All from the comfort of your 3.5-inch touchscreen.

As an added bonus though, the application that New Potato Technologies has created for the FLPR also contains over 14,000 device codes, so that connecting to all your IR-based devices should be a relative breeze. If this is something that you’re dying to have, for no better reason than you want a legitimate excuse to use your iPhone upside down, you can go ahead and order one from the company’s website today. It will cost you a cool $79.99 for the IR dongle. If you’re more inclined to wait, retailers such as Best Buy should be ready to sell you one by March 28th.

[via Engadget]

Mobile data is on fire. Despite a few false starts, we are now in the midst of a transformative “Open Mobile 3rd Wave” (remember WAP, and J2ME?). We are just in the early swell of the wave; the iPhone itself is not even three years old, and thanks to continued improvements we’re now seeing in smart phones, mobile OS platforms and 3G/4G networks, the raw ingredients are just getting better every month. Per the views of many mobile denizens and thought-leaders such as well-known internet analyst Mary Meeker of Morgan Stanley, I certainly believe there will emerge new industry-transforming Facebooks, Googles, and Yahoos in this mobile wave.

However, a key topic discussed by us mobile geeks and startups is the challenge of mobile platform fragmentation. There is an alphabet soup of protocols, standards, and regional differences by-country which can be daunting for any entrepreneur.

Editor’s note: Richard Wong is a venture capitalist with Accel Partners, an investor in AdMob, GetJar, and SunRun, and a former mobile industry executive..

More and more apps are stricken from the App Store as of late, for a variety of reasons. Today, the Apple hammer hit Tokyo-based Tonchidot whose augmented reality app Sekai Camera was removed without warning.

The free app, which made its – memorable – debut during TechCrunch 50 in 2008, intends to help users “tag the world” by imposing information (text, pictures, video and audio) over images in the iPhone camera.

As reported (and following Final Fantasy I and II, which are now available), the App Store will get another hit Japanese video game this month, Streetfighter IV. It will be the first mobile version of the Arcade game that so far was only ported to PS3, XBO360 and the PC. And today maker Capcom released the official trailer and a slew of new screenshots.

Steve Jobs made headlines last month when he publicly dissed Adobe and its Flash technology and declared HTML 5 as the future of interactive media on the web. Though not as bold in its pronouncement, Virgin America has confirmed that it is switching to an all featured, interactive non-Flash website and has become the second high profile technology company to publicly dump Flash in lieu of HTML. According to Virgin CIO Ravi Simhambhatla, HTML will provide all the functionality Virgin’s website will need and will open up the company’s website to all mobile users regardless of platform and Flash support. Virgin is turning its sights towards mobile users as it seeks TSA approval for an electronic boarding pass that can be displayed on a mobile handset. If Virgin wants to grab the largest number of potential customers, it can not utilize Flash and risk excluding those users of non-Flash handsets, most notable of which is the iPhone. Not only is it interesting to see the HTML vs. Flash war play out in the technology industry, it is also interesting to see how Apple, through the success of the iPhone, is indirectly influencing the future of the Internet. But that was part of their plan all along.

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Do you have problem in keeping you fully awake every morning? The new iMM178 Vibe Plus from iLuv is its latest Shake & Awake alarm clock dock series that features a bed shaker and built in ten ways to wake up with your favorite music. The bed shaker vibrates a bed or a pillow to wake up the heaviest of sleepers and includes a 3-level volume control. Its integrated universal dock is compatible with your iPhone and iPod Touch, letting you charge your iPhone overnight.

The iMM178 Vibe Plus also comes with a built in FM Radio receiver, works together with the alarm system to wake you up in 10 different combination ways, that’s include iPod, FM radio, buzzer, bed shaker, iPod + bed shaker, FM radio + bed shaker, buzzer + bed shaker

it will be available now for the suggested retail of $89.99 at www.i-luv.com and other retailers.