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Apple has issued another update to the Safari browser — the second in just two weeks. The new update, version 3.2.1, became available yesterday via Software Update. Release notes for the new update simply said:

This update includes stability improvements and is recommended for all Safari users.

It is speculated this update follows reports from many users who downloaded the 3.2 Safari update and who are suffering from frequent crashes, particularly when the new anti-phishing feature was enabled. A thread on the Apple Support Discussions forums entitled “Safari 3.2 Is Unusuable - Spontaneously Quits,” has 112 posts at the time of writing, mostly from users who are finding Safari unusable after the 3.2 update. And it’s not the only one of its kind either. The same post has also had over 4,000 views, most probably from people who have typed in to Google “Safari 3.2 keeps crashing,” desperately looking for a fix.

I have had no problems with the 3.2 update, but then I have not enabled the anti-phishing feature.

If you’ve had problems with 3.2, let us know if 3.2.1 has solved them!

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The 2.2 firmware update has been available for just two days. Many people love it, with its Google Street View, podcast downloading and other enhancements, it’s an improvement on 2.1. However there are many that hate it, with its short list of bugs and issues.

The good news is for those of you who wish to “jailbreak” the 2.2 firmware, the DevTeam has successfully created QuickPWN for firmware version 2.2. Available for Mac and PC, QuickPWN will allow you to “jailbreak” your iPhone and install third-party applications that may not be available through the App Store for various reasons.

I’m yet to test the jailbreak software myself, however many of the comments on the QuickPWN website lead me to believe the DevTeam has done a great job — I’m yet to read a comment that highlights bugs or issues with jailbreaking the 2.2 firmware. However that doesn’t mean to say they aren’t any.

If you’ve successfully performed a jailbreak on your 2.2 firmware, let us know how it went and how your iPhone is running after the process. Please note: Mactropolis does not recommend you jailbreak your iPhone and you do so at your own risk.

Yesterday Apple made the new iPhone 2.2 firmware available to download through iTunes. The new firmware boasts Google Street View in Maps, podcast downloading, changes to Safari and a bit more. However it also comes with some bugs, and not just one or two.

Since the firmware has become available, many users have reported issues like; third-party applications no longer working, connection issues when trying to access the internet, SIM card & PIN issues, e-mail account issues in Mail and more.

If you have experinced issues with third-party applications, it has been advised that if you uninstall the application and then install it again, it may work. If this fails, you will need to wait until an update becomes available from the developer. I have experience this issue with the DigiDrummer Lite application that our own Mr Mayor did a post on recently — when I load the application up, it just crashes and I have to exit. I have tried removing the application and installing again through iTunes but it still won’t work. At the moment, this is the only application I’ve had issues with.

Other issues include having a PIN lock activated mysteriously and a ‘SIM card not inserted’ error which requires users to remove their SIM, restore the iPhone in iTunes and then insert the SIM again. This is a big issue for me. I work miles away from home and I live in the middle of nowhere. If I break down in my car, I would be in a difficult situation if all of a sudden my iPhone gave me a ‘SIM card not inserted error’. With no access to a computer or iTunes, my iPhone becomes worthless. I’m yet to experience this error however I’m firmly touching wood now.

For some, when trying to access the internet with 3G a ‘Could Not Connect To Internet’ error appers. It is believed that turning off 3G and then turning it back on again solves this issue.

The last issue at the moment is with Mail, particularly for users with AOL accounts. If you have an AOL account set up and you’re unable to delete e-mails, you will need to try and reconfigure your e-mail settings. This can be done by going to Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> (your account) -> Advanced -> Delete Mailbox and then set the e-mails to be deleted ‘On My iPhone’ or ‘On the Server,’ depending on whether you’re using a POP or IMAP account.

It is said that the vast majority of iPhone users are using the 2.2 firmware without any of these issues quite happily. Other than the third-party apps issue, the 2.2 firmware has been quite kind to me. If you’re experiencing any issues and have maybe had to downgrade to 2.1, please leave us a comment!

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Following the release of the new 2.2 iPhone/iPod Touch firmware earlier today, Apple have now released an updated Software Developmemt Kit — build 9M2621.

The new SDK download is larger than the previous release at 1.56GB. It is said that the new SDK offers overall system stability and performance improvement, although, Apple are yet to release any details publicly.

If you’re a registered iPhone developer, you can download the new SDK from the iPhone Dev Center. You will need OS X 10.5.5.

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Today the long-awaited iPhone/iPod Touch 2.2 firmware became available through iTunes, just as previous rumors had suggested. The new update includes everything we expected plus a little more.

Street View is now a feature of the Maps application and this is something I was looking forward to. I had chance to play around with it for a bit earlier today and it’s certainly quite impressive. It’s cool to take a walk around New York when you’re thousands of miles away. As well as routes for driving, Maps now also offers public transport and walking routes.

Podcast downloading is another feature included in the update. You can now download podcasts directly from iTunes on your device. The Safari bar has changed and now displays both the address and search bars side by side, just like the Safari browser for Windows & Mac. Other features in the update include improved sound quality for visual voicemail, fewer call drops and decreased call set-up failures, the option to turn off auto-correction when typing, plus lots more.

One thing that was rumored that hasn’t materialized was the ability to tether the iPhone and use it’s connection to access the internet on a computer. Some believed this would be another feature we would see in 2.2 however its absence is a disappointment.

The download weighs in at around 250MB but is certainly worth the wait. For more info, visit Apple’s software update page for the iPhone.

Apple has released iTunes 8.0.2. This is only a day before Apple’s rumored release of iPhone Firmware 2.2 on Friday.

Here’s what Apple’s Release notes say:

iTunes 8.0.2 improves stability and performance and provides a number of important bug fixes, including:

• Addresses a quality issue creating MP3s on some computers.

• Fixes a connectivity issue with the iTunes Store when using some Internet proxies with Mac OS X.

• Improves accessibility with VoiceOver.

Apple has released Safari 3.2 and can be downloaded through Software Update or can be downloaded individually for Tiger, Leopard, and Windows. This version includes security updates and better protection against online phishing websites. Release notes as usual are not very detailed only saying 

This update is recommended for all Safari users and features protection from fraudulent phishing websites and better identification of online businesses. This update also includes the latest security updates.

However detailed information about the update can be found here

Over the past few weeks, since developers got their hands on the new iPhone 2.2 firmware, we have seen many screenshots that have given us an insight in to what we can expect with the new software update. The latest were found on The Boy Genius Report and they show some changed to the App Store.

It seems it will soon be possible to sort the Apps in to ‘Top Paid’, ‘Top Free’, and ‘Release Date’ within the Categories section of the App Store. Also, when searching via Categories, you will also notice that each Category has been given its own little icon.

This will be handy for those times when you’re desperate to download the latest flashlight application.

If the rumors are true, the new firmware will be released next Friday on November 21st. To see more screenshots of the App Store changes, click the ‘Source’ link below and let us know what you think by leaving a comment!

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Many people use more than one social networking site. So what if you could have all of them in one spot? That’s what EventBox, from The Cosmic Machine, is for. Recently released as a beta, EventBox lets you view updates from many different sites. All in one clean window.

EventBox has a very simple interface. On the left you can select the site, or just click recent, and on the right you can view the content. In the recent section everything shows up differently. Status updates show up as chat bubbles and images show up as film reels. It looks great. When you click on some items, like RSS feeds and Twitter updates, a new section slides in from the bottom. This will let you view the RSS feed, reply to the tweet, and even comment on Flickr photos!

Currently, EventBox supports the following sites, but more are coming soon:

• Digg
• Facebook
• Flickr
• Pownce
• Reddit
• RSS
• Twitter

EventBox is a great all in one application to easily view many social websites in one place. The developers at The Cosmic Machine plan to add many features in upcoming releases. Including del.icio.us, last.fm, and Orkut support, RSS syncing, a HUD window, and much more. This is still just a beta, but this first release is very impressive. EventBox is currently available for $20 and you can download a 14 day trial here.

Piergiorgio Zambrini, better known in the iPhone world as ‘Zibri’, found a bug in the iPhone/iPod Touch earlier this week that causes the devices to crash if a certain video file is loaded. Zibri contacted Apple regarding the issue and even offered to help fix it for free, however Jobs and crew weren’t interested.

To highlight the issue and to allow Apple to work on a fix, Zibri has posted a video on his blog that, if watched on an iPhone/iPod, will cause the device to crash, although it will not cause any damage.

Zibri first announced the bug in an interview with Forbes. Following the interview however, Si Brindley a UK software engineer spoke out and claimed he was the one who had discovered the flaw and that he shared his findings with Zibri via an IRC conversation back in February. Zibri claims he can’t quite recall how he discovered the video exploit although he “can’t remember” Brindley telling him about it. Zibri questionned if it was indeed Brindley who found the flaw, why didn’t he speak out about it? Brindley claims he did not announce the issue because engineers he spoke to at the time reassured him it was not a security issue and that it was a simple glitch. Zibri says the bug is a serious issue and can even effect applications on PCs and Macs as well as the iPhone.

If you’re curious to see how the video crashes the device, take a look here on Zibri’s blog. This video shouldn’t cause any damage to your iPhone/iPod Touch other than crashing it. However Mactropolis takes no responsibility if any damage is caused!

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