PhotoStream
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iOS 4.3 gold master rumored ready
According to Boy Genius Report, Apple has finalized the code for iOS 4.3 with build 8F190. The upcoming update is rumored to include a handful of new features, like iPad FaceTime, PhotoStream and PhotoBooth for iOS. If true, we'll likely see iOS 4.3 discussed or released next week during the press event scheduled for March 2.
iOS 4.3 rumored to have PhotoStream service, iPad FaceTime, PhotoBooth apps
They're not just rumors any more, or Apple's setting us up for a big April Fools Day. The developer release of iOS 4.3 Beta 2 has a home page icons image that's used in the wallpaper settings, showing the standard icons on your choice of wallpaper to show you how your choice will look. This new overlay file, aptly named Home Screen Overlay Facetime ~ iPad, has three more icons: FaceTime, Camera and PhotoBooth. FaceTime will let iPad 2 owners video chat with their iPod touch, iPhone or Mac toting friends. PhotoBooth will make a lot of social photo sharers happy, as the beta already includes photo filters such as Thermal Camera, Mirror, X-Ray, Kaleidoscope, Light Tunnel, Squeeze, Twirl and Stretch. Camera could mean a front- or rear-facing camera, and will presumably work much like the iPhone or iPod touch app, but the big rumor here is a "photo streaming" service called PhotoStream, which will upload your last 30 days of photos to MobileMe and sync them across all your MobileMe devices, so they can be shared with other people. Taking pictures with your iPhone 4's great camera but sharing them around the table on your iPad or MacBook is a common wish. This rumor gives all of us something to look forward to, not just the iPad 2 dreamers. [Via MacRumors]
iPhone rumor two-pack: multitasking gestures and MobileMe Photo Streams? (Update: those pics are real)
Looks like the iPad might not have an exclusive on those new "multitasking" gestures unearthed in the latest iOS 4.3 beta, because BGR's got some shots up of an purported internal build that seem to indicate Cupertino intends to push them down to the iPhone line as well. Now, there are a couple of obvious red flags here -- using "four or five fingers" sounds pretty unreasonable for a 3.5-inch display, though it'd certainly tie in with recent rumors that Apple's turning sour on the physical Home button and might indicate that the complete redesign we're hearing about could include a slightly larger display. Of course, it could also indicate that this is really early software with the wrong (read: iPad) wording -- but at any rate, we could definitely see the benefit of, say, a two-finger gesture to swipe between apps. Now, on to part two: 9to5 Mac seems to have unearthed traces in the iOS 4.3 beta of a new feature called "Photo Streams" that seems to be -- you guessed it -- a way to share continuous streams of photos with friends you approve, presumably through MobileMe (which would fit in nicely with the Find my Friends stuff). Alone, that's not worth $99 a year -- plenty of other services offer similar functionality -- but we wouldn't be surprised if this were bundled in with a bunch of MobileMe refreshes this year. Update: We just received an interesting tidbit of information on the above pic (and others that BGR has its hands on). According to sources, after the iPhone 4 barroom debacle, Apple made significant changes to how it keeps track of -- and identifies to third parties -- its devices. Namely, the company began adding clauses to screens on the phones which read "Confidential and Proprietary, if found, please contact..." followed by a 408 number (that's Cupertino, of course). This prevents any misunderstanding from parties who may come across these devices. So what does it all mean? Well, not much, save that it seems these photos we're viewing are in fact the real deal... which means gestures may be headed to your iPhone. Intrigue!
Visualized: a treasure trove of modern design in one amazing Flickr photo stream
Looking for a crash course in modern industrial design? Then you could do a lot worse than the Flickr account of one known only as "afghtiga," who has compiled an amazing photo stream (and seemingly an amazing collection) of some key design touchstones of the past fifty years or so. As you might be able to discern from some of the curves and colors in the image above, there's a particular emphasis on products from the 1960s and 70s, but he does also include a few more recent gadgets, and we won't even begin to mention the number of watches on display. Head on past the break for another taste of what's in store, and hit up the source link below to dive in.
