First Look: IOS 4.1
As it has in previous years, Apple has quickly followed up a major iOS release with a point-one release that promises not only to fix outstanding bugs, but also to bring new and wondrous features to the company's mobile operating system. And this time around, those enhancements are hardly inconsequential: among other things they include a brand new social network (Apple's second to debut in the last week), slick new camera functionality, and a handful of smaller tweaks that you might not have noticed.
Wed, September 08, 2010
Macworld — As it has in previous years, Apple (AAPL) has quickly followed up a major iOS release with a point-one release that promises not only to fix outstanding bugs, but also to bring new and wondrous features to the company's mobile operating system. And this time around, those enhancements are hardly inconsequential: among other things they include a brand new social network (Apple's second to debut in the last week), slick new camera functionality, and a handful of smaller tweaks that you might not have noticed.
Like iOS 4 before it, 4.1 is compatible with the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, as well as the second-, third-, and fourth- generation iPod touch models. Unfortunately, the iPhone 3G is the black sheep of the family here, as it only gets some of the features of the new software. And the iPad remains out in the cold until iOS 4.2 finally brings these features, along with the rest of iOS 4's capabilities, to Apple's tablet in November.
Game on
It's unquestionably the biggest new addition in iOS 4.1: a brand new built-in app that capitalizes on the success of gaming on Apple's mobile devices.
Game Center is Apple's answer to Microsoft's (MSFT) Xbox Live and Sony's PlayStation Network, a social service that helps connect gamers with their friends, earn achievements, and find opponents online. When you first launch the app, it will request you to confirm a few profile details and pick a username; Game Center uses your Apple ID to log you in, but you can add multiple e-mail addresses so your friends can easily find you (you'll have to verify each address by clicking a link that Apple sends you).
Once you've registered your account, the app lets you view your list of friends and their respective statuses, browse a list of Game Center games, and set your own status. Apple says you'll be able to download Game Center-capable games directly from the app, as well as start sessions, but I wasn't able to check these out due to a lack of Game Center-compatible titles available prior to the software's official release.
Game Center will alert you with an e-mail, a badge on its icon, a pop-up notification, and a trumpet sound when someone requests to be your friend (hey, it's an event, after all). In case you're someplace that you'd rather not have the latter two going off willy-nilly, you can deactivate them under Settings -> Notifications -> Game Center. You can always view your list of outstanding friend requests in Game Center, and accept or reject them as you wish.
