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Rumor Has It: iPhone 4.0 Bringing Multitasking

Darrell Etherington — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:25:09 +0000

The iPhone has a number of advantages over its smartphone competitors, but one thing it hasn’t had that users have been clamoring for is true multitasking. Push notifications were intended as a workaround designed to give users the ability to stay up-to-date with multiple apps without having to actually run them at the same time.

It’s still only a partial solution, though, and one many iPhone users aren’t satisfied with. True multitasking is still high on the want list of many iPhone users, and really remains the only thing not addressed by the many major feature additions iPhone 3.0 brought. Luckily, true app backgrounding capabilities are said to be on the way in iPhone 4.0.

That’s according to sources AppleInsider describes as having a “proven track record in predicting Apple’s technological advances.” According to those same sources, though, Apple still has a ways to go before it can introduce these features to iPhone users. But the problem doesn’t lie with the iPhone’s ability to run multiple applications at once.

In fact, the iPhone is quite good at multitasking in its current incarnation. Nike+ runs great while you do other things like take calls and/or check your email. But it’s the only non-Apple app that’s allowed that privilege. And Apple developed it for Nike, so it doesn’t really count. What’s new in iPhone 4.0 is that third-party developers will finally be able to run their apps in the background, too.

Apple hasn’t enabled true multitasking for all apps not because it’s been technically prevented from doing so, but because doing so represents a security risk in terms of opening the door to apps being able to run in the background without the user’s knowledge, which is how viruses and other malware works.

There’s also the issue of increased performance requirements, and increased battery usage. Apple is said to be addressing both of those with the new framework, though the source provided no specifics about how exactly that would be managed. I predict that mutitasking will only work on newer hardware, most likely the 3GS and above. A next-gen iPhone will probably be built from the ground up with multitasking in mind, and should offer battery and processor improvements scaled to compensate.

Another challenge Apple faces in bringing background multitasking to the iPhone is redesigning the user interface. As of now, users can access any currently running Apple programs that use backgrounding by tapping a thin colored bar at the top of the screen. While that works quite well for just one app, if you have a number running at once, it could quickly become way too cluttered and obscure the app you’re actually using at the moment.

According to AppleInsider’s source, the solution in the works at Apple leverages some existing tech from OS X to accomplish this. Personally, I’m betting on some kind of Exposé-type interface, possibly accessed through a special gesture or in a way similar to the one used now to bring up the iPhone’s Spotlight search screen. It might also take a page out of mobile Safari’s book, and use an interface similar to the one the browser has for displaying multiple pages.

The iPhone’s interface in general could probably use a makeover at the point. It’s been unchanged since its launch, and while many would call that a testament to its strength and intuitiveness, there’s no denying that as the iPhone gains new abilities, Apple might want to consider some more drastic changes to the ways in which users access and make use of those functions.

I’m sure Apple can handle the UI challenges, but I’m much more wary about how it addresses the potential security risks that come with opening up backgrounding. Luckily, it still has absolute control over the App Store, but it still might be possible for industrious hackers to bypass the safeguards in place and get some malicious software onto people’s devices.

Related GigaOM Pro Research: The App Developer’s Guide to Choosing a Mobile Platform

30 Apple-Themed Desktop Wallpapers

Andrew Bednarz — Tue, 19 May 2009 21:00:55 +0000

Is your desktop background getting boring? Perhaps something new is just what the doctor ordered. And what better way to show your love for Apple that an Apple-themed (Hey, this is TheAppleBlog remember. If you don’t love Apple, why are you here?) wallpaper! I scoured the Internet and found a whole heap of nice shiny wallpapers. Here’s a collection of my favorites.

Celebrate the Apple Logo

The Apple logo is an icon that’s instantly recognized around the world, and will no doubt long be writ down in the annals of history.

Download here

Celebrate Apple Devices

Of course sometimes you can sick and tired of staring a piece of fruit with a bite taken out of it. Apple’s hardware designs have always been sleek and smooth and provide a nice alternative to the iconic fruit.

Download here

Celebrate Misc Apple-themed

Variations on existing apple wallpapers and icons, instantly recognizable (by us Apple fans anyway), but with a slight twist.

Download here

Can’t Decide?

Don’t forget, you don’t need to be stuck with one wallpaper. In the Desktop & Screen Saver System Preference pane you can tick “Change Picture” and select options such as “Every Hour” or “When waking from sleep.” Select a specific directory where you keep desktop folders as the source and keep adding pics to it for a look that never gets old.

Post us more!

This is only a sample of the offerings available from ever-creative Apple fans around the world. What are your favourite Apple-themed desktop wallpapers? Post links to them in the comments.

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iPhone 101: Syncing Photos & Wallpapers to Your iPhone/iPod touch

Brandon Eley — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:00:04 +0000

Getting photos or wallpapers to your iPhone/iPod touch isn’t initially very obvious, but it’s actually quite easy. Once you have the photos or wallpapers you want, you can either use a software program to organize them (such as Aperture or iPhoto) or organize them yourself into folders and sub-folders.

Syncing Photos to Your iPhone

You can sync photos via iTunes to your iPhone from your iPhoto or Aperture libraries, your Pictures folder, or from any folder you select.

Open iTunes and plug in your iPhone.
Once your iPhone is mounted and you see the iPhone icon in the “Devices” list, click on your phone’s name.
Click the tab labeled “Photos”
Check the checkbox labeled “Sync photos from: “
Select the source of your photos.
Click the “Apply” button to sync the photos to your iPhone or iPod touch

If you are using iPhoto or Aperture, I highly recommend making albums with only the photos you’d like to sync to your iPhone. Syncing your entire photo library is not only time consuming, but it could also take up a substantial amount of disk space on your iPhone.

I created an album titled “iPhone Wallpapers” specifically for my wallpapers. It helps me keep them separate from all my other galleries and makes changing my wallpaper a snap.

Setting Your iPhone Wallpaper

Once you have the photos synced to your iPhone or iPod touch, setting your wallpaper is a breeze.

Open the Photos application
Browse to the photo you’d like to set as your wallpaper
With the photo selected and enlarged, click it once to bring up the menu
Click the arrow icon in the bottom-left to bring up the action menu
Click “Use As Wallpaper”
Position/resize as required
Click “Set Wallpaper”

See the photo gallery below for a visual step-by-step for setting your iPhone wallaper.

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