Apple adding Facebook features to iPhone OS 4 ?

Apple’s iPhone OS 4 could sport built-in integration with Facebook, including contact syncing and social connectivity to App Store software, according to a new report.

Citing a "plugged-in source in the mobile industry," Silicon Alley Insider reported Wednesday that the forthcoming iPhone software upgrade will "at least" allow direct syncing with Facebook contacts. The report said the feature could be unveiled as soon as June 7, at the keynote address at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference.

"We also hear that Apple could be integrating Facebook Connect directly into its software developers kit so programmers can more easily add Facebook ’social’ features to their apps," author Dan Frommer wrote. "But we don’t have details on how that might work."

He also speculated that Apple could build "some sort of Facebook messaging features" into the latest version of the iPhone OS, such as allowing messages to be sent via Facebook Chat in a manner as simple as sending a text message.

Integration with Facebook is already a prominent feature of Google’s competing mobile operating system, Android 2.0, released last year. Microsoft has also planned strong Facebook connectivity with its forthcoming Windows Phone 7, due out later this year.

In early April, Apple introduced iPhone OS 4 with 100 new features, the largest of them multitasking support for the mobile operating system. Developers currently have access to preview builds of iPhone OS 4, but the software does not currently offer any integration with Facebook.

Apple Concedes iPad Software Update Incoming

Apple has updated a support document to reveal that the company will be releasing a software update for the iPad aimed at resolving issues with Wi-Fi connectivity. The support document also offers a number of “workarounds”.

Apple offers the following steps to help resolve the issue:

• Verify your Wi-Fi router firmware is up to date.
• If your router’s security encryption is WEP, try WPA or WPA2, as WEP can cause intermittent disconnects with the iPad which requires retyping a password.
• Make sure the iPad screen brightness is not at the lowest level.
• Obtain a new IP address by going into Settings, Wi-Fi, accessing the settings of the current network, and choosing “Renew Lease.”
• Finally, if these steps do not work, users are recommended to try turning Wi-Fi off and back on.

Apple says that the issue affects a very small number of iPad users and “if after attempting the troubleshooting tips provided above you are still having difficulty connecting to a network please contact Apple.”

MacBook Air Update Expected

It is being rumoured that the MacBook Air could see an update as soon as tomorrow. Macworld.com.au is citing a “well placed source” who has identified at least one new model number as MC516LL/A K87 BETTER BTR-USA.

Australian Macworld says that there are “several thousand” of the rumoured product on the way to Australia and that the current MacBook Air is becoming scarce despite 24-hour shipping times on the online Apple Store.

Australian Macworld is unsure whether the product number actually refers to a 27-inch LED Cinema Display.

Mac OS X 10.6.4 to tackle issues with OpenGL, iPhoto, DVD Player

The next update to Apple⁽s Snow Leopard operating system will pick up where Mac OS X 10.6.3 left off by tackling compatibility issues with OpenGL-based applications and bandaging glitches with first- and third-party applications.

That⁽s according to a list of code corrections that Apple provided to some developers on Thursday alongside the second external beta of Mac OS X 10.6.4, carrying build number 10F46. It arrived roughly one week after the Mac maker issued the first external pre-release copies of the Snow Leopard update, which focused on graphics drivers, Windows file sharing, USB devices and Voice Over.

While the focus areas remain relatively the same in Thursday⁽s build, Apple added a fix for dropped connections with Cisco VPN and thus asked developers to evaluate the overall reliability of VPN connections under the beta.

According to developers testing Mac OS X 10.6.4, other fixes are also in the cards for pairing Apple remotes with Macs, graphics anomalies that surface when editing images in iPhoto⁽s full-screen mode, and video playback in DVD Player.

Additional code corrections reportedly target glitches with Parental Controls, erratic USB keyboard behaviors, 3D animations, and problems launching Adobe CS3 applications like Photoshop and Illustrator.

AT&T not responsible for iPad streaming video restrictions over 3G

ABC’s streaming video application for the iPad will not work over a 3G cellular network such as AT&T, as a result of Apple’s rules for HTTP Live Streaming and ABC’s development of the application.

When the iPad with 3G launched on Friday in the U.S., many users realized that the ABC Player application, which allows users to view episodes of the network’s most popular shows, does not work over the AT&T 3G network. While there were initially rumors that this restriction was due to AT&T -- which in the past has prevented services like streaming, MMS and tethering -- the wireless carrier played no part in the missing feature. While AT&T eventually alloed VoIP calls and MMS over its 3G network, it has not yet allowed tethering.

As noted by Engadget, the restriction in the ABC player was self-imposed, as the developers chose to skip the option of providing a 64 Kbps stream for 3G playback. That decision is why the ABC application does not allow streaming over 3G, while Netflix and YouTube do, albeit with lower bitrates.

"You must include a low quality stream of no more than 64 Kbps for your app to resort to when network conditions demand it, along with the higher quality streams you want to deliver to your customers when the network can support it," Apple’s rules in the iPhone OS Reference Library state.

But the restriction may not last for long. Silicon Alley Insider reported Monday that ABC is working on a 3G-compatible version of its popular streaming video application for the iPad. An ABC representative told the publication that the lack of 3G support was "based on a variety of business and technical considerations."

Both the ABC and Netflix applications were released for the iPad when the Wi-Fi model first launched in early April. While both are free to download, the Netflix software requires a subscription to the movie rental service.

Kraft Foods adds new support for employees choosing Macs

Following the general trend away from top-down, centralized corporate computing monoculture, Kraft Foods has initiated a "Bring Your Own Computer" program for its employees, providing new support for employees who want to use a Mac.

The new program, detailed in documents obtained by AppleInsider, notes that, "everyone works differently. For some, a standard computer or laptop is just the right tool to get their work done. For others, a computer with a little something extra – a different operating system, custom hardware, more memory, etc. – is the best fit for their job."

Kraft’s new employee initiative "gives you the freedom to choose the right computer for your lifestyle," according to the fact sheet the company distributed to employees. The program is described as "best suited for employees who want to use a particular type of computer that isn’t currently supplied or supported by Kraft Foods, such as a Mac," and prefer to take their work system home, "have the experience and know-how to take care of their own technical support," and "work out of the office on a regular basis."

As a new benefit for Kraft Foods employees, "Bring Your Own Computer lets you purchase the computer of your choice, giving you the flexibility to accomplish your work on your own computer in your own way, when and where you want. Kraft Foods helps pay for the costs with a stipend. In return, you agree to maintain your own computer and follow certain guidelines," the fact sheet outlines.

The new benefit is currently available to Kraft’s salaried employees in the US, with future plans to expand the program globally, "where it makes business sense." Participating employees must comply with company policies regarding software, security and data requirements, which includes installing Microsoft Office and appropriate anti-virus software and turning on disk encryption.

The company outlines minimum system requirements for the program that effectively limit it to PCs running Windows Vista/7 Ultimate (employees can’t use the Home, Business, or Professional editions) or any Intel Mac running Snow Leopard with at least a 2GHz processor and 2GB of RAM.