Google Music Beta Web App Now Available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, Try It Now!

It seems that these days, many major companies have set their eyes on cloud storage in order to capitalize on the music business. We've all heard about Apple's plan to set their own cloud based service called iCloud which let users store and access their music library through the cloud. And of course we can't forget about Amazon's offering called Cloud Player which offers a similar service. Earlier this year, Google introduced their very own cloud service called Google Music. It was initially available only for Mac, Windows and Android. But now iOS users will now be able to join in on the fun as the Google Music Beta App becomes available.
The announcement was made through Google's official Twitter account. The Google Music Beta app was first launched on the Android which is baked into the Music app. But now Google finally rolled out an app for iOS users so that they could give Google Music a spin as well. But keep in mind that Google Music Beta is not a traditional native app, instead it's web based. In addition to that, also remember that Google Music Beta can only be accessed if you have an invite and it is a product exclusive only to users in the U.S.
So how does Google Music works? It's actually quite very simple. Users are able to upload their music library of up to 20,000 songs from a computer. The music is then stored in the cloud which can be easily streamed as long as you have an internet connection. And you can do that by either pointing your browsers to Google Music's website or if you own an Android device, you can run the official app of the service. New tracks can only be uploaded through a computer which then you can play in your smartphone.
Despite being a mobile web app, Google Music Beta is reportedly operating smoothly and acts as if it is a native app. You have all the basic music controls, playing the song, search, shuffle and so on. You can also use swiping gestures which takes you between songs, artists, albums, playlists etc. And we must add that the transitions were done quite well. Another nice touch of this mobile app is that the music remains uninterrupted even when you exit Safari. Overall, the app looks very slick and the interface is quite intuitive. Google definitely nailed it on that aspect. In order to get to Google Music Beta, just direct Mobile Safari at music.google.com.

When asked if there are any plans for a native iOS app in the future, Google simply replied that they have nothing to say with regards to the subject. Although they are considering all options in order to bring Google Music to more people.

Lowe’s Adding 42,000 iPhones as Portable Payment Systems for the Store Floor

Lowe’s home improvement is in the process of deploying 42,000 iPhones to employees to serve as portable payment systems in its retail locations throughout the US, according to Bloomberg. The iPhones will be used by Lowe’s employees to help answer customer questions and handle transactions on the store floor.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because Apple does the exact same thing with iPod touches in its retail stores. Has a retail trend begun?
Instead of having to checkout your paint and toilet seats at the register, a Lowe’s employee will be able to process the transaction in the aisles of the store itself with the iPhone. The smartphones will replace scanner guns, and they will also be used to check inventory. Pretty handy!

Lowe’s plans on rolling out these new ‘payment systems’ by assigning 25 iPhones per store, and the devices will be used with an online app called “MyLowe’s.” Employees will be able to view information like product manuals, warranties, paint formulas, and the Lowe’s database to assist customers.

Apple uses EasyPay to handle transactions, and Old Navy has also begun to use the software on iPhones in its stores. Are we approaching the end of the traditional cash register in retail? We certainly hope so!

Angry Birds Speakers Are Angry, and Speakers

Have you ever wanted something, but you’re not entirely sure what you’d use it for, or even why you want it in the first place? Well, that’s exactly the predicament we find ourselves in when looking at these Angry Birds speaker docks.

Manufactured by well-known accessory company Gear4, the speakers come in two flavors – the pigs are actually iPod speaker docks, and the bird version serves as plug-and-play speakers. You’ve gotta love it.
Expect both versions to go on sale across the globe some time in the coming weeks, but we don’t have solid pricing just yet. Engadget suggests the non-dock variety should retail around €69 ($96), though.

If Angry Birds speakers float your boat, how about a lovely set of Angry Birds bras, too? Go on, treat yourself!

Google Finally Releases a Blogger App for iOS

It’s only fitting that one of the oldest blogging platforms currently in existence just got its own iOS app. Google has announced Blogger for the iPhone and iPad.

Blogger itself recently underwent a huge revamp, and the iOS app takes obvious cues from the platform’s new design. Mainly, you get to look at that ugly orange color…
“You can also open a blog post you’ve been working on from your computer and continue editing it while you’re on-the-go. Your blog posts are automatically synced across devices, so you’ll always have access to the latest version. Pictures are worth a thousand words, and the Blogger app makes it easy to add photos either by choosing from the gallery or taking a new photo right within the app. You can also add labels and location to provide more details about the post.”

Blogger is available as a free download in the App Store for the iPhone and iPad.

San Francisco Police Launches an Investigation into Missing iPhone 5 Search

There have been more developments in the case of San Francisco police helping Apple search a man’s home in the hunt for a missing prototype iPhone, according to CNET, with the news that the police department is conducting an official, internet investigation into the role its officers played in the search.

San Francisco resident Sergio Calderon opened the door one day in July, to be confronted with what he thought was a group of plain clothed police officers. What he wasn’t aware of was the fact that the individuals who entered his home were actually Apple’s own security team, with the people who remained outside being the only ones who were actual police officers.
Lt. Troy Dangerfield of the San Francisco Police Department confirmed to CNET that the matter was being investigated internally, but the SFPD aiding private security in investigations is not uncommon according to another officer, Chief Greg Suhr.

Questions had been raised about just how much involvement police officers had in the search, with Calderon saying that if he had known that not all of the security team members were police, he would have not allowed them into his home. Apple’s security team searched his family’s house, car and computer. Nothing was found.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mr Calderon is now seeking legal advise on the matter, though with Apple being pointed to the address thanks to a GPS lock from the missing iPhone, we have to wonder whether there may have been something fishy going on anyway.

We can’t see this story going away just yet, regardless!

iPhone 4 Shipping Times Extended to 1-3 Days, Product Refresh Imminent

Apple has extended shipping estimates for nearly all of its products on its online store, including the iPhone 4. Many of Apple’s products would usually ship within 24 hours, but estimates have been moved to a longer timeframe across the board.

The changes are visible in the US and European Apple stores, though shipping estimate changes were initially discovered in the European channel last night…
MacRumors provides a list of the effected products:

- iPhone 4: 1-3 business days
- iPad 2: 2-3 weeks
- iPod touch: 3-5 days (8 GB and 32 GB), 1-3 days (64 GB)
- iPod nano: 3-5 days
- iPod shuffle: 1-2 weeks
- iPod classic: 1-3 days
- Apple TV: 3-5 days

- MacBook Air: 3-5 days
- MacBook Pro: 3-5 days for all models except low-end 13-inch, which remains at 24 hours
- iMac: 3-5 days
- Mac Pro: 3-5 days for all models except 12-core, which is at 2-4 days

Normally, a move like this would indicate that Apple is depleting its inventory for new products to fill. While that’s still most likely the case for the iPhone 4, it doesn’t explain why other products would see extensions after being just recently refreshed.

The same iPhone 4 shipping estimate applies to the iPhone 3GS as well, reports AppleInsider.

A report this morning from sources overseas claims that Apple is already making an upwards for 150,000 iPhone 5 units per day. An Apple announcement is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

Apple Already Churning Out 150,000 iPhone 5 Units Per Day

With Apple’s next media event on the horizon, iPhone 5 production has already ramped up overseas. Foxconn, Apple’s main supplier, is allegedly building 150,000 iPhone 5 units per day.

The supply chain is expected to reach 5-6 million iPhone shipments during September, with Apple’s next gen iPhone announcement expected to drop at the end of this month or in early October.
Digitimes reports:

“Suppliers in the iPhone 5 supply chain in Taiwan have geared up production recently with volume shipments of the new Apple smartphones to begin soon. Production of iPhone 5s at OEM maker Foxconn Electronics has reportedly reached 150,000 units per day, according to industry sources.

Shipments of iPhone 5 from the supply chain are expected to reach 5-6 million in September and top over 22 million units in the fourth quarter as suppliers will ship less iPhone 4 and CDMA-version iPhones during the final quarter of the year, noted the sources.”

Another report has claimed that Apple will sell more smartphones than any other company in 2011, with a staggering 86.4 million units expected to ship by year’s end.

We’ve already heard that suppliers have begun iPhone production, but have not yet installed iOS 5 on the devices. Apple has allegedly seeded the final build of iOS 5 with text-to-speech and FaceTime over 3G capability to carriers for testing. Once iOS 5 has been verified as ready for prime time, the software will be installed on Apple’s new devices.

While these supply chain reports are helpful to see that Apple is gearing up production, the rumor of a second, cheaper iPhone model remains a mystery. Most likely, Apple will slightly re-tool the iPhone 4 and sell it as a cheaper offering with heavy reliance on iCloud storage. Perhaps the rumored device’s alikeness to the current iPhone 4 explains why no mention has been made from supply sources overseas.

Grab mTrip’s Free iPhone Travel Guide Apps While You Still Can!

The folks at mTrip do some of the best travel guide apps for the iPhone around. They have in-depth travel guide apps for 16 cities in Europe, 5 major cities in America, and 7 cities in Asia.

mTrip is currently offering 7 of its travel guide apps for free! Each guide normally costs $5.99, so if you plan on ever visiting one of the offered cities, make sure to grab the guide for free while you still can!
Free travel guides are currently offered for:

■Madrid, Spain
■London, UK
■San Francisco, USA
■Berlin, Germany
■Dublin, Ireland
■Shanghai, China
■Trondheim, Norway
mTrip makes quality apps, with visually stunning and interactive travel guides that give you a detailed and thorough walkthrough of a city.
Each travel guide is downloaded to your device, which means you don’t have to worry about a 3G connection. Each guide also offers personalized trip itineraries, offline map and navigation services, augmented reality, and trip sharing through mTrip’s web service.

More Details on Atari’s iPad Joystick Emerge

Remember that Atari-branded iPad arcade joystick peripheral we told you about yesterday? Remember how excited we were about the possibility of playing our classic arcade games on the thing, despite our lack of any real information about the device? Well, it turns out DVICE has played with the real thing, and all of a sudden, we’re not quite as excited as we were yesterday!

You see, DVICE has answered some of our burning questions, and we don’t like some of the answers…
The main question we had was whether the iPad could be used with the joystick in both portrait and landscape orientations. We assumed it could, but it turns out we were wrong.

The reason for that is the way the joystick interfaces with said iPad. The iCade, for example, uses bluetooth to communicate with the iPad, which means there are no restrictions on how the iPad is sat. The Atari unit however, works differently.

Atari has taken the decision to use the iPad’s dock connector as a means of sending information to the device, which obviously means the only orientation that’s going to work, is portrait. That’s a real shame, seeing as the joystick would have been really suited to side-scrolling shooters, for example.

Ho-hum.

We do now know the release date and price, at least:

“The Atari Arcade is scheduled to drop on October 2 at Target and then in November at Toys “R” Us and Walmart for $60. Take your pick, the iCade sells for a whopping $100. They’re both considerably expensive peripherals, but when has any decent “appcessory” made for the iPad been cheap?”

The choice between Atari’s Arcade and the iCade seems to simply come down to one thing: do you want to be able to play games in landscape, or would you rather save the $40?

We think we’d rather pay the cash and play whatever we want.

Add Themes to Your Folder Icons With ‘Beautifolders’

Looking to add some much needed pizzaz to your iPhone’s folder icons? What about the ability to create your own folder themes from scratch?

Beautifolders is just that — an easy to use theming platform, capable of adding some spice to the iPhone’s stock folder icons.

Check inside for a video demonstration of this easy to use jailbreak tweak.
Beautifolders adds a settings panel to the iPhone’s Settings app, which allows you to pick from three different built in themes.

The themes work by recognizing the name of the folder, and theming the folder according to its name. All of the theme names are defined in advance, so the names must fall within the predefined criteria.

If you’re feeling courageous, the tweak also contains instructions for creating your own folder icon themes.

Is your iPhone jailbroken? If so, you can download Beautifolders free of charge from Cydia’s ModMyi repo.

Check it out today, and let us know what you think below.

Sprint Drops Dime About iPhone 5 in Litigation Documentation

Some interesting information came out of federal court regarding Sprint’s ongoing opposition of AT&T’s T-Mobile acquisition.

The interestingly worded portion of the court filing states that “Sprint has had to compete without access to the iPhone for nearly five years.” Now of course, we and others could be reaching here, but the wording is most definitely eyebrow raising.

What particularly makes me curious, is the use of the word had, which of course, indicates past tense. It’s widely expected that Sprint will finally even the playing field this fall when the iPhone 5 launches, and this just adds more fuel to an already smoldering fire.
The documentation goes on to emphasize that Apple “gave Verizon a time-to-market advantage for the iPhone…”

This is My Next takes a logical stance in the matter, and states that it “would only be an actual advantage if other carriers like Sprint and T-Mobile were set to get the device later on.” Hey, makes sense to us.

What do you think? Is this more concrete evidence that the iPhone is headed to big yellow, or do you think we’re reaching like a toddler for the cookie jar?

Best Buy’s New Apple Fixture Isn’t for iPhone 5 After All

Well, that’s another rumor quashed. Those paying attention may remember us telling you a couple of days ago how a Best Buy employee had tipped ‘This is My Next‘ that the retailer was expecting a new Apple fixture to arrive in October.

The magic date was October 21st, with a member of store management required to be in-store at some un-godly hour to help facilitate the installation. This led to much excitement, with some believing that the reason behind the new ‘point of sale’ being the release of a new iPhone.

Unfortunately, it turns out that’s not the case, with the real reason being wholly underwhelming. Best Buy is getting an update for its in-store iPad display.

All together now for a resounding ‘meh’…
The bad news comes courtesy of one of MacRumors‘ sources, who says that the display mentioned in the photo above is actually an end-display used for iPad POS, meaning a routine update is most likely what will be occurring.

“We have heard from several of our Best Buy sources, however, that this is not the case. The “C2 end display” cited in the calendar listing is the location of Best Buy’s iPad display, and updates to this display are fairly routine with new promotional materials or other layout changes. We have heard that Best Buy may be planning to enlarge these “endcap” displays with this event to be able to display more iPad units.”

What this does show is how easy it is to turn something so meaningless into a full-on iDevice release rumor. People really want a new iPhone, don’t they?!

So then, where’s the next rumor going to come from?

‘Magnifier for Safari’ Makes Reading Websites Easier

Reading small text is difficult. Reading small text on a 3.5″ screen is insane. Sure, Safari allows for pinch to zoom, but what if you just want to magnify your text old-school style? Sadly, there’s no default provision to do so.

As always, that’s where the jailbreak community comes in. This latest tweak — Magnifier for Safari — makes it really simple to dynamically boost the size of your text. Check inside for a brief demonstration of this text-size boosting tweak.
Available to all iPhone owning jailbreakers on Cydia’s BigBoss repo for $0.99, Magnifier for Safari adds an Adjust FontSize option to Safari’s share menu.

Tapping this new option enables a sliding magnification scale, which changes the text size of the web page you’re visiting on the fly.

If you’re on iOS 4 or higher, and you’re eyes are beginning to hate your habits, check out Magnifier for Safari and let us know what you think.

Ever Wanted an iPhone With a Wooden Back Panel?

If unique is what you’re after, then you’re going to love JackBacks.

If there’s one downside to everyone and their grandmother being the proud owner of an iPhone 4 right now, it’s that there’s nothing really unique about the handset itself. Granted, some may have a fancy case, but other than that, all our iPhones look the same.

The JackBacks wooden iPhone 4 case is sure to set you apart from the rest of the boring, bumper-clad iPhone lovers out there.
If you’re anything like me, and I hope for all our sakes that you’re not, you’ll have found yourself scouring the internet for replacement back panels for the iPhone 4. Not necessarily because you’re old one is broken (though, let’s be honest, it’s a distinct possibility), but because you like to be different. Unique, if you will.
Developer-turned-iPhone back panel creator Adam Baumgartner might just have something to make your iPhone 4 stand out from the crowd, and that’s a wooden back plate.

You have a selection of wood to choose from; bamboo, mahogany, and maple all included. But that’s not where the fun ends. Baumgartner will also etch a logo or design into the aforementioned panels, too, making your iPhone truly unique.

Costs vary depending on the wood chosen and design to be used, but it’s a small price to pay for knowing that nobody has the same iPhone as you anymore. If you like to stand out from the crowd, you might just want to give JackBacks a whirl.

First person to get the iDB logo etched into one of these things wins, well, nothing. But hey, it’d be super cool!

GameStop to Begin Selling Apple iDevice Lineup, Now Accepting Trade-Ins

As of this week, GameStop has begun accept iDevice trade-ins at its retail outlets for in-store credit. 9to5Mac is reporting that GameStop will soon offer Apple’s entire lineup of iDevices for sale, and it’s speculated that GameStop is accepting new and used trade-ins first to make room for new products this Fall, like the iPhone 5.

Resellers are gearing up for a mass influx in used iPhone trade-ins, with Apple’s next smartphone slated to make its debut before the end of next month.
From GameStop’s trade-in Terms and Conditions:

“Trades must be in full working condition to receive full value. Trades with case damage or unsightly scratches, personalization or engravings will not be accepted. All trades are subject to manager approval. GameStop reserves the right to cease taking trades of iPod, iPhone or iPad without notice. By trading your iPod, iPhone or iPad you release GameStop from any claim relating to the product (including but not limited to loss of the iPod, iPhone or iPad or its contents) and any music, pictures or other data stored on it. You also release GameStop from any claim for loss or unauthorized access, use or disclosure of any personal or private data or information stored on the iPod, iPhone or iPad. iPod, iPhone, iPad (including images of the iPod, iPhone or iPad), and Apple are all registered trademarks of, and owned by, Apple Inc.”
Gadget resellers, like Gazelle, expect a huge amount of used iPhone sales in the coming weeks, and GameStop’s new trade-in program will surely garner much attention from consumers this holiday season.

Apple is gearing up for what will undoubtedly be a huge holiday quarter, and the iPhone 5 is rumored to already be in production overseas. Today, Deutsche Telekom started offering pre-orders for the unreleased device, and it’s expected that Apple will hold its next media event this month.

TomTom’s iPad App is on the Horizon

Are you a TomTom iPhone app user? Ever wish that your little 3.5″ screen was just a bit bigger for GPS navigation? Perhaps, I don’t know, say.. 9.7″ big for example? Oh, you have? Then you’re in luck, as the sat nav company has announced that it will be bringing its popular iPhone app to the iPad – and it won’t cost existing owners a penny.

Slated for release this Fall, the app will be a free upgrade to the existing iPhone app, turning it into a fully-fledged universal app…
So, what do all those extra inches get you?

According to the guys at Pocket-Lint, who were lucky enough to get some hands-on time with the app, the extra real-estate afforded by that huge screen will mean we no longer have to switch between screens for information, and the app itself can display more navigational data simultaneously, which is always a good thing!

“What you benefit from on the iPad is the superb size and sensitivity of the touchscreen, the like of which satnavs have been failing to ape for years. What that real estate now means is that there’s space to split the screen with window views within. Practically speaking, that means that you don’t have to surf the menus and experience the advanced lane guidance view as a screen switch but instead at the very same time along side the route map.”
The issue now appears to be a severe lack of any TomTom branded iPad dock for your car. Hoisting that great big lump of aluminium and glass into the air is no easy job, and you’ll be wanting a sturdy contraption if you’re going to trust it with your pride and joy. While there are third-party solutions out there, we’d feel more confident if TomTom had one they could offer up. Until then, we’re not sure we’re brave enough to risk it.

As with all iPad navigation software, you’ll need a 3G iPad, as the WiFi-only models do not support GPS. Bummer.

SnoozeOrStop: Stop Your iPhone’s Alarm Clock Directly From the Lock Screen

If there’s one thing I dislike about the iPhone’s alarm clock, it’s the inability to completely disable the alarm from the lock screen.

Sure, you can snooze it, but a few minutes later, there it goes blaring again.

With SnoozeOrStop, you can completely stop the alarm clock right from the convenience of your lock screen. Take a peek inside for the full video walkthrough.
Seeing as the iPhone acts as my primary means of morning torture, SnoozeOrStop is an awesome jailbreak tweak that evens the playing field.

I highly recommend this lightweight jailbreak tweak for all iPhone alarm clock users. If you’re jailbroken, you can head over to Cydia’s BigBoss repo and download it for free.

Are you planning on giving it a go?

Deutsche Telekom Already Taking iPhone 5 Pre-Orders

Apple hasn’t even announced the iPhone 5 yet, let along a release date and details of availability, but that hasn’t stopped Deutsche Telekom from starting its pre-orders.

The German telecoms giant, and owner of T-Mobile, has taken the unusual step of offering pre-orders for a device that doesn’t actually exist in public yet because they foresee ‘supply bottlenecks.’ If previous iPhone releases are any indication, they may well be right on that score…
Deutcsche Telekom spokesman Alexander von Schmettow told Bloomberg that the carrier will hand out coupons to people who expressly request an iPhone 5, or indeed iPhone 4S, depending on which rumors you believe. These coupons are only available to existing Deutsche Telekom customers, and will be redeemed on a ‘first come, first served’ basis once the fabled handset is available.

We’re not huge fans of offering a product that doesn’t even have a name yet, let alone hasn’t been publicly announced, but we can see where Deutsche Telekom is coming from, and anything that stops the anual clamour for pre-orders has to be a good thing.

Would you pre-order a phone you knew nothing about, or are you the kind of person that prefers your smartphones to be of the real variety?

Apple Stores Begin iOS 5 and iCloud Training

Today, In Apple Stores everywhere, Apple began iOS 5 and iCloud training for employees. The training is done through the Daily Download application, which was part of the Apple Store 2.0 upgrade.

What’s the significance of this? Apple only launches new OSes with a new iPhone, therefore hinting that the iPhone 5 launch is right around the corner.
Training for new software usually happens about 2 weeks before a product announcement. This could also point to press invitations for a September event for next week.

What are your thoughts? Excited for iOS 5?

Best Buy Clue Points to October 21 iPhone 5 Release

We might just found our first reliable iPhone 5 release date rumor, and October 21 is looking like the magic day to mark on your calendars. The Verge has received a tip from a Best Buy employee that suggests the retailer is set for an ‘Apple fixture’ installation on the 21st.

What makes this seem so plausible is the continued rumor that October is indeed the timeframe in which we should expect an iPhone 5 to go on sale, with an announcement coming some time in the next few weeks. Does Best Buy know something we dont? It’s entirely possible…
The tipster says that while the instructions from Best Buy are intentionally vague, such occurrences don’t happen often, and a similar request for a member of the management team to be on hand was also part of the iPhone 4 launch documentation.

It’s clear that Best Buy is expecting something from Apple on that date, and it has to be something that both parties deem worthy of a new point-of-sale.

The date also falls nicely around a planned meeting of managers of Best Buy’s mobile devision, according to the source, suggesting plans may be afoot.

“On a related note, our tipster tells us that Best Buy Mobile managers have a meeting scheduled for October 10th to “discuss upcoming BIG release dates” (emphasis his). Assuming we get an Apple press event for the new iPhone a few weeks in advance, the managers would be well aware of the release date in time to discuss it at that meeting, so that’d support a release on or around the 21st, too.”

We’ve been more than a little skeptical about such rumors, and possible release dates are always tricky to pin down, but this does have a good feel to it. Did we just find out when Apple will bring its next iPhone to market?

We’ll let you know when we find out more!

Apple Manufacturers Begin iPhone 5 Production for October Release

A report from Japanese site Macotakara claims that Apple OEM manufacturers have begun iPhone 5 production for an October launch. Foxconn will allegedly assemble 85% of the units, with Petragon accounting for 15% of production volume.

While iPhone 5 units are being assembled, Apple has yet to install iOS 5 on the devices. This is due to the fact that iOS 5 is still in the final beta stages, and the software will be installed on the new hardware when it reaches its final GM version in the coming weeks.
Foxconn will produce the bulk of Apple’s orders, with Petragon slated for a much smaller percentage. The unit volume for Petragon production matches up with a previous report.

The report from Macotakara states that sources overseas project an early October launch for the iPhone 5, based on production roadmaps. We’ve been hearing a late September to early October timeframe for Apple’s next announcement already, so we have reason to believe that this new report is legitimate.

If the iPhone 5 has indeed entered the production stages, a release is imminent. The iPhone is expected to sport an A5 processor, 8 megapixel camera, and a larger display. The device could also feature a tapered design with an aluminum body. The iPhone 4 will most likely be re-tooled with cheaper components and dual baseband support.

Both devices should be featured in Apple’s next announcement, which is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

Nuance’s Speech-to-Text Functionality Currently Being Tested in iOS 5

Remember that Nuance speech-to-text feature that everyone’s been so excited about ? A new photo sent to 9t05Mac by a claimed Apple employee appears to confirm its existence, and more importantly, that it’s being tested right now as part of iOS 5.

While not yet active in the betas of iOS 5 that developers are getting to test in the wild right now, it is becoming clear that those inside Apple, and possibly those close to the company, have already been testing the feature for a while…
As the image above shows, iOS will gain Android-like voice input via a button on the on-screen keyboard. Once tapped, whatever is spoken into the phone’s microphone will be converted to text and entered into the selected field, using Nuance’s voice recognition technology. This means we’ll be able to dictate emails, SMS messages and more, a real plus for many and a boon for people who rely on hands-free kits while driving.

We don’t expect the dictation feature to find its way into any of the public betas of iOS, but rather for Apple to just add it to the final release when it is made available to the public. Apple has a track record of pushing features into final builds that were not present in betas, and this appears to be taking the same route.

Apple has already said that iOS 5 will be made available in September, which means, in theory at least, that we should be speaking into our iPhones and iPads as soon as the next few weeks.

Of course, Apple has been known to delay things before, hasn’t it?

SmartKeyboard Concept Gives the iPhone a Physical Keyboard Based on the iPad’s Smart Cover

When Apple introduced the iPad 2, the Smart Cover also debuted as a new accessory for the device. Apple designed the iPad 2 with magnets that interface with the Smart Cover to wake the device from sleep when opened.

The iPhone’s virtual keyboard is a fantastic replacement for a physical keyboard, but some consider the lack of physical buttons to be the iPhone’s main downfall. A genius new concept takes the Smart Cover approach to offering a detachable physical keyboard for the iPhone…
Highlighted by Mobiflip, the SmartKeyboard concept, by Jing Yang, illustrates a tactical keyboard that can be removed and attached to the iPhone like the iPad’s Smart Cover. Instead of a slide out keyboard solution, the SmartKeyboard could be easily taken off the iPhone when not in use. This would give those that need a physical keyboard for typing longer emails or documents a temporary attachment.
This concept is sleek, beautiful, and totally Apple-like. The keyboard even has backlit keys. The SmartKeyboard would simple attach to the bottom of the iPhone with magnets. The only downside is that the keyboard would cover the home button when in use. But if you’re using the SmartKeyboard to type for longer periods of time, switching in and out of apps isn’t really that big of a deal.
Dear Apple, please introduce this with the iPhone 5!

San Francisco Police Admits to Helping Apple Retrieve Missing iPhone 5 Prototype

An already strange story has taken a turn for the downright silly, with the news that the San Francisco Police did actually have a hand in the searching of a 22 year old’s home, contrary to the authorities’ own accounts.

We told you yesterday how Apple’s own security firm had taken it upon themselves to search the home of one Sergio Calderón in a hunt for a missing iPhone 5 prototype. Calderón had been told that the people involved were SFPD, but the department’s own files said that they had no hand in the search, and furthermore, they had not had any contact from Apple regarding the device.

This now appears to have been incorrect.

In a report for The San Francisco Weekly, we learn that the SFPD did in fact send some officers along for the ride…
“Contradicting past statements that no records exist of police involvement in the search for the lost prototype, San Francisco Police Department spokesman Lt. Troy Dangerfield now tells SF Weekly that “three or four” SFPD officers accompanied two Apple security officials in an unusual search of a Bernal Heights man’s home.

Dangerfield says that, after conferring with Apple and the captain of the Ingleside police station, he has learned that plainclothes SFPD officers went with private Apple detectives to the home of Sergio Calderón, a 22-year-old resident of Bernal Heights. According to Dangerfield, the officers “did not go inside the house,” but stood outside while the Apple employees scoured Calderón’s home, car, and computer files for any trace of the lost iPhone 5. The phone was not found, and Calderón denies that he ever possessed it.”

It’s interesting to note the actual search was carried out by Apple employees, and not the actual police. And it’s even more interesting that the Police themselves didn’t seem to know about it.

We get the impression this won’t be the last we hear about this episode, and it’s worth remembering that the missing iPhone 5 is still, well, missing. Someone somewhere must have it, but with the iPhone 5 due to be announced in the coming weeks, it may not matter for much longer.

Until then, grab some popcorn and watch this story unfold!