It appears we can all breathe a big sigh of relief when it comes to our iPhone apps. According to John Gruber (Daring Fireball), that suspicious looking URL discovered in firmware 2.x which appeared to be set to deactivate applications may be something slightly more innocuous. According to Gruber -- via "an informed source at Apple" -- the "clbl" in the aforementioned URL stands for "Core Location Blacklist" and is actually used to stipulate that specific pieces of software don't have access to... you guessed it... Core Location. Gruber argues that this makes sense, as the API is covered by fairly strict rules in Apple's SDK. So it looks like (at a glance) this was much ado about nothing -- thanks to a little misinterpretation by Jonathan Zdziarski -- though we are considering getting hot under the collar that Apple reserves the right to deny Core Location access. How dare they?

[Thanks, Paul]

Feeling a little left out after yesterday's Mac-based Pwnage Tool festivities, Windows users? Fret not, because the ever-vigilant, ever-studious hacking community has managed to come up with a series of steps to get you back on your feet again with a fully pwned first-gen handset. The whole shebang isn't necessarily for the most casual jailbreakers -- let's just say it isn't quite as straightforward as the Mac procedure yet -- but it'll allegedly get you going if you're starting with an iPhone running 1.1.4 (there are additional steps if you jumped the gun on 2.0, you impatient son of a gun, you -- think of it as penance). As always, exercise extreme caution, understand that this could cause your iPhone to spontaneously combust into a useless pile of metal, plastic, and ash, and let us know how it goes in comments.

[Thanks, Z-]

We know it's been a whirlwind week of either: a) patiently sitting outside your local Apple store, b) losing touch with family, friends, and significant others while buried knee-deep in your new phone / firmware, or c) desperately trying to ignore the iPhone. But it's time to come up for air and take stock. We're all aware that things didn't go quite as planned with Apple's trifecta (iPhone 3G, firmware 2.0, MobileMe) launch last week, and we're just starting to see the fallout from last Friday's debacle.

The most prevalent complaint we've been hearing from users concerns ongoing issues with the phone's new firmware, which has delivered on a lot of its promises, yet is also exhibiting frustrating bugs that make us think this one needed a little more time in the oven. In particular, we've experienced -- and have been assailed with reports about -- painful lag times when typing, as well as choppy, clunky behavior while scrolling through or searching contacts, calls which can't be answered, and even outright crashes while receiving a call. Some owners have encountered repeated forced quits while trying to use the App Store, while a group of our editors vented about an SMS issue which not only grinds the phone's performance to a halt, but makes the keyboard inaccessible altogether.

When you toss in problems other users are having with email, MobileMe syncing, and assorted minor kinks (trouble rotating Safari anyone?), it seems obvious that there's cruft beneath this firmware creating hiccups in usability. Coupled with 3G reception concerns, the company's continuing struggle to get MobileMe working as advertised, and rumors that 2.0.1 is already in the works, you get the impression that everyone is looking for a little relief here... Apple and its customers alike.

So, how's your first week been?

According to reports we're getting from a slew of iPod touch users, the firmware 2.0 update everyone has been patiently waiting on has finally gotten its act together. Hit the read link and be magically transported to the iTunes Store, where you can fork over some cash for the upgrade to your devices. Let us know how it goes in comments!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in; Image courtesy of nickganga]

So yesterday we posted a link to a version of the 2.0 iPhone firmware which was supposedly the release version of the new system software. After getting weirded out by some buggy behavior, then discovering that there were number differences between our version and the version shipping with new iPhone 3Gs, we got a little suspicious. Today, we noticed that the file which Apple made available for upgraders via iTunes sported a slimmer file size and separate designation (1,1 as opposed to the 1,2 of the previous iteration). The new version (supposedly the "official" version) is now available from Apple's servers -- so if you had any misgivings about that initial update, you can snag this and get a do-over. We've updated and restored on our phone, and we'll be honest -- it does seem a little bit snappier. Hit the read link for the file, and let us know if you notice any differences.

[Via MacRumors]

You saw this coming right? With barely even 24 hours of 2.0 in our life, the Dev Team has once again cracked the case wide open. They've got a video of all the action -- featuring the upcoming PwnageTool 2.0 -- that just went live on their site, so hit the read link and check it out for yourself... you won't be disappointed.

Update: It's looking like the video isn't functioning right now -- we're looking for a mirror and will let you know when we find it.

Update 2: Video is up after the break! Just do it.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

We want to love you, iPhone apps -- we really, really do. Unfortunately for us, a lot of you are sucking pretty hard right now. Between the sluggish behavior, poorly implemented UIs / features, and lack of necessary services... well, let's just say it isn't pretty. Still, we can't say how much trouble is caused by the new firmware, and there are a few really bright beacons of light out there (we're hoping their numbers grow). We didn't try all 500+ applications (fitness? puhlease), but we did handle quite a few, and we've rounded up the best and worst that we've seen so far for your viewing pleasure. We'd love to hear from you too -- what apps are you loving or hating right now?

Listen up children, we've got a story to tell. It's scary and exciting and might just turn your iPod touch to fairy dust if you're not careful. The 2.0 firmware is reportedly leaked (and thus cash-free) to those of you daring enough to try. We've been contacted by a dozen netizens who claim to confirm the authenticity. However, at least one tipster reports their iPod touch getting "bricked doing it from pc but mac restore worked fine." What's more, we can't find the file in Apple's XML. Still, most say it "works like a dream," installing goodies from the App Store without problems. While the original download source is now 404, we're sure you can figure out other ways of locating "iPod1,1_2.0_5A345_Restore.ipsw." Ready, go. One more pic after the break.

Update: 2.0 for iPod touch now officially released. You can purchase now for $9.95... er, when the link starts working. [warning: iTunes link]

Update 2: iPhone 2.0 now official as well. Looks like it's the same 5A347 build we all grabbed yesterday with a filename of iPhone1,1_2.0_5A347_Restore.ipsw -- the 1,1 looks new, though, so perhaps this version is a bit less cranky. Stay tuned.

Update 3: And, it's gone again. Now iTunes is telling us that our 1.1.4 version is "the current version." Fun!

Update 4: Well what do you know. 2.0 for iPhone is back up via iTunes. Is this a rollercoaster or what?

Update 5: Looks like the activation servers are on the fritz, so if you updated your iPhone you can't activate it with 2.0 just yet, leaving you with a locked iPhone. Even more fun!

Update 6: At least for us, activation is back up and running after iTunes sat in limbo for a good 30 minutes. So be patient, people. Looks like iTunes activation is working but is taking quite some time.

[Thanks, Gerald D., Victoria R., and Sangadang]

You'll never believe this, but it looks like Cupertino might be getting ready to drop a bomb this summer -- a 3G bomb, in fact! The latest beta release of firmware 2.0 for the iPhone has apparently revealed a preference screen that allows users of the new model to disable the 3G radio and fall back to GPRS / EDGE because the faster service "decreases battery life." Gotta pay to play, as they say. The ability to disable 3G service in favor of improved standby performance is a pretty common one in modern phones, so we're not surprised to see it here -- just a little disappointed that Apple hasn't incorporated enough fairy dust to magically make the problem go away.

Screen shots posted on Chinese site wretch.cc allege that iPhone firmware 2.0 has added support for Chinese handwriting recognition in addition to a revamped (albeit non-recognition) Japanese interface. While that's still light years from an Apple admission that not everyone is in love with the on-screen keyboard, it's one small step toward functionality that seems to make boatloads of sense -- in any language -- given the phone's generously proportioned touchscreen and its reluctant but unavoidable nomination as the Newton's spiritual successor. What isn't clear is how folks are expected to draw characters, seeing how there's no provision for an on-board stylus, the entire interface is designed for finger use, and we don't see many owner rushing out for a Pogo. However Apple intends for this feature to be used, the implementation looks pretty hot, capable of operating in both portrait and landscape modes. Sadly, it seems that Chinese is the one and only language supported at the moment; sure you don't want to let everyone in on the Graffiti-esque retro fun here, guys?

[Via Mac Rumors]

Remember that sweet little magnifying glass from the iPhone SDK demo? Well apparently we all weren't having a shared hallucination -- it's in the enterprise version of firmware 2.0. Thanks to a tipster, we've now got shots of the search bar clearly hanging out at the top of the contacts list. While we're unraveling mysteries, you'll be happy to know that the little drawer button -- which did nothing in the regular old firmware we had -- is actually a meeting invitations folder, which displays the number of requests just like the SMS and mail icons. Other changes? Enterprise users don't get the app store or iTunes store icons. Boo. Check out the gallery below to see just exactly what we're talking about. Now, on to finding JFK's real killer!

This is just getting silly, don't you think? The iPhone Dev Team has once again proven their totally gnarly talents by freeing up the latest firmware before it's even the latest firmware. Apple, here's our suggestion -- just let people do what they want with your devices, since they're clearly going to do it anyway. That way, instead of making enemies, you're making lifelong buddies. Reasonable, right? Steve, give us a call, we're more than happy to riff on some ideas for playing nice with the end-user.

Update: Dev chat room chatter claims that the 2.0 is now fully unlocked as well.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]