AppleInsider Staff
A forthcoming iPhone software update will add features such as voice recording and disk mode, according to an unconfirmed report from an overseas publication. Meanwhile, a previously rumored relationship between Apple and Volkswagen appears to have never made it to first base.
Apple may be preparing a significant update for the iPhone as early as this weekend that will have some heavily requested features, according to a claim from CNET France translated by Electronista.
The overseas publication says multiple rumblings suggest that a 1.1.3 upgrade for the iPhone will appear by Saturday, adding both a disk mode for storing general data on the device and a voice recording mode for capturing lectures or voice memos.
The disk feature will reportedly behave like the equivalent for iPods but will still block users from simply dragging and dropping media content onto their phones, CNET says.
While unverified, the reported release would come roughly a month after the 1.1.2 update that added international keyboard support and other minor upgrades to the iPhone for its launches in Germany and the UK.
It should be noted that the report runs contrary to recent claims by Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who in a note to clients last month stated that Apple would hold off on issuing any additional significant software updates for iPhone until early next year. At that time, the analyst said, the touch-screen handset would gain a system-wide Spotlight search function.
iCar project "on hold"
Not that there was ever an indication that such a partnership had blossomed, but Germany's PressPortal is reporting this week that talks between Apple and automaker Volkswagen over an "iCar" concept have stalled.
"The project is shaky," according to the report, which notes that Apple has since entertained discussions with several rival automakers.
Back in August it was reported Volkswagen chief executive Martin Winterkorn flew to California where he sat down for a brainstorming session with Apple chief executive Steve Jobs.
Though in the early planning stages at the time, it was report that the two firms hoped to cooperate on the development of a new generation of Volkswagen compact cars that would include several Apple tie-ins.
Soon thereafter, market intelligence firm iSuppli weighed in with its thoughts on the matter, essentially warning industry watchers that such a partnership was unlikely to materialize for several years.
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28 Comments
What happened to the NAV/Entertainment system Apple was working on for Mercedes?
I am not in the least bit surprised that this project is on hold. I think the auto manufacturers are tired of being screwed with by Apple. Honda, yes Honda discontinued their efforts at iPod compatibility several years ago and withdrew their parts from the market as a consequence of Apple not providing them with the information necessary to keep the system up to date when Apple kept changing things (which "broke" the system).
Honda now simply provides a headphone input jack which any player can use with control of the external device left to the device itself.
Even so Apple continues to list Honda on the iPod ready lists which simply is not true and has not been true for quite some time now.
I have to wonder if 1.1.3 would add the same functionality to the touch.
Adding disc mode would only be fair and I'd be pretty ticked if it didn't.
Granted there's no built-in hardware to support sound input on the touch, the same is true for Nanos that use recorder add-ons.
I've seen recent reports that its been confirmed that the touch docking connector does have pins dedicated to voice-in, just like the nano, so there's no reason not to provide voice recording mode to allow folks like Griffin to provide the hardware.
The disk feature will reportedly behave like the equivalent for iPods but will still block users from simply dragging and dropping media content onto their phones, CNET says.
Why do they do this?
....Meanwhile, a previously rumored relationship between Apple and Volkswagen appears to have never made it to first base....
Damn, I hate it when I never even make it to first base!
..........
thought i'd lighten up after that the-world-is-going-to-hell
thread i started