Mobile & Wireless
Steve Jobs shows off Apple iOS 4.1
iPad to get multitasking in iOS 4.2
By Matt Egan | PC Advisor | Published 09:10, 02 September 10
Steve Jobs has unveiled the latest update of Apple's mobile operating system: Apple iOS 4.1. iOS 4.1 launches next week as a free download for iPhone and iPod touch. A further update, iOS 4.2, will be available in November and will bring multitasking to the Apple iPad.
Jobs said that lots of bugs had been fixed in iOS, including proximity sensor, Bluetooth bugs, and iPhone 3G performance bugs.
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iOS also gets HDR photo support, the ability to upload HD video over Wi-Fi, TV show rentals and Game Center.
HDR stands for 'High Dynamic range'. Normally cameras have a specific range of light they can see, based on the shutter. With HDR, Jobs said, the iPhone takes three different photos at once. One normal, one overexposed, one underexposed. It then merges them together, keeping both the normal photo and the HDR photo in the photos app, so you can compare them and use whichever you like.
Jobs said GameCenter is "both APIs for developers, and an app called GameCenter right on the phone".
On the phone it's all about multiplayer games. GameCenter allows you to challenge your friends, they can challenge you, and it'll auto-match you "if you don't have any friends". You can compare scores and discover new games your friends are playing.
At the launch event Mike Capps from Epic Games demoed Project Sword, an action-packed roleplaying game with what he called 'epic sword battles'.
Jobs also demonstrated a sneak peak at Apple iOS 4.2 which is, he said, "all about the iPad", and will include wireless printing, multitasking, folders and something called 'AirPlay'. Describing AirPlay, Jobs said: "Well, you know what AirTunes is. We're changing the name to AirPlay, because it's not just music anymore. You'll be able to stream video and photos as well, over Wi-Fi."
Apple iOS 4.2 will launch in November and it will be a free update for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
Jobs described iOS as "a revolution in both touch and apps". He said there were currently 230,000 new iOS activations per day and that 120 million iOS devices had shipped so far.
According to Jobs, around 200 apps are downloaded each second, and there are 25,000 iPad apps on the store right now.
Jobs said that iOS "made the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad possible".
