Apple’s iPhone 2.1 Update Now Available

Just as Apple CEO Steve Jobs promised during Apple’s “Let’s Rock” event last Sept 9. Apple delivered iPhone 2.1 Software Update, an update to the software that operates the iPhone. While the arrival of the iPhone 3G brought cool features, it also brought a lot of bugs so its a good thing that apple finally release the promised bug fixes, and not only does thies new software update be able to fix those bugs, it also brought some added new features with it. Here is a list of some of the cool features added with the 2.1 sodtware update for the iPhone.

iPod Application

probably the most significant feature changes in iPhone 2.1 come in the device’s iPod application. For one thing, displaying a list of tracks will also show the artist and album in smaller text underneath.

When browsing Podcasts or Videos, the iPhone 2.1 software also gives you more information. Rather than displaying a blue dot next to a video or podcast that hasn’t been listened to or watched, the software now also shows a blue half-moon for videos that have been started but not finished. And in the case of podcasts, it will also tell you how much time remains from the point at which you stopped listening. Telling episodes apart is easier too, since the iPhone will also show you when episodes were published, the episode name, and the full runtime.

Genius Playlist

What is an iPod Application without its cool new Genius Playlist. You’ll need to sync your iPhone to your computer before you get access to Genius, but once it’s installed creating a Genius playlist is easy: When listening to a song, tap the album art to show the scrubber panel. Nestled in between the shuffle and repeat controls is the Genius’s “atom” icon. Tapping that will generate a Genius playlist based on the playing track.

Once you’ve created a Genius playlist which, unlike iTunes, is limited to 25 tracks on the iPhone, you can save it, refresh it with new songs, or create a Genius playlist based on a different song on your iPhone. Saving the playlist will add it to your existing playlists; it’ll be named after the song on which the playlist was based and there’ll be a Genius icon next to it. There’s also a “Genius” playlist that permanently resides at the top of the playlist list and shows the last playlist you generated.

Few More Added Features and Bug Fixes

- Parental Restriction Settings which allows
- Decrease in call set-up failures and call drops
- Significantly improve battery life for most users
- Dramatically reduced time to backup to iTunes
- Improve email reliability, notably fetching email from POP and Exchange accounts
- Faster installation of 3rd party applications
- Fixed bugs causing hangs and crashes if you have lots of 3rd party applications
- Improved performance in text messaging
- Faster loading and searching of contacts
- Improved accuracy of the 3G signal strength display
- Repeat alert up to two additional times for incoming text messages
- Option to wipe data after ten failed passcode attempts
- For those who use the iPhone’s stock earbuds (or have a third-party headphone adapter with a click control) will also find that in addition to clicking once to play or pause music and twice to skip to the next track, a triple-click will now jump back to the previous track.
- Changed the icon in the menu for cell networks

Some of these “bug fixes” aren’t quite as easily tested in the short-term, like better battery life, fewer dropped calls, and fewer hangs and crashes but let’s just hope that Apple will make good with their promises. We will be keeping an eye on whether or not Apple will measure up to their claims.

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