More iPhone 3.0 features: Tethering and Find my iPhone

Chauncey Dupree
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March 18, 2009
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The onslaught of iPhone 3.0 features continues: 

A developer has found that that tethering both via USB and Bluetooth is possible under the 3.0 beta developer release (of course, those of us with Jailbroken iPhones won't be too impressed with this).  It isn't immediately clear how AT&T and the other carriers will be able to distinguish who is tethering and who isn't.   Apple will have to coordinate the locking and unlocking with the carriers.

Additionally, some features we've heard about including: "Find My iPhone" are bearing fruit.  Along with what Appleinsider has found, we've heard that this feature will use the iPhone's GPS to locate the device for the user.  While this would be super cool for stolen iPhones, it would even be cool if you can't find your iPhone and want to know the general area to look.  This remote opening of the GPS via background push notification is a novel use of the iPhone's new capabilities.

Additionally, there will be a mobile wipe feature in MobileMe that will allow you to clear your iPhone remotely, like Exchange Administrators can do.

 

Very nice!

 

Comments (8)

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 18, 2009 - 3:18pm

It would be cool to have the ability to share the position with other mobile.me members and/or through ichat.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 18, 2009 - 3:25pm

The iPhone is becoming more appealing update after update.

I like the Apple's 'way' of releasing products: The 1st iPhone came out with very basic phone features (yet pretty stable) and then they started building layers and layers of applications above it!

Cory Schulz | March 18, 2009 - 10:40pm

 This is how Apple works with a lot of their products. They start out with a very strong basic design, and slowly, but stably, add onto that design and think every step through before they implement it. This is why there is sometimes some lag where people want the feature, but Apple isn't finished developing it to their standards. They've done this with their iMacs, iPods, OS X, and now the iPhone. Progress is slow, but it is solid, and it is reliable, and it is overall much more useful.

Microsoft will just quickly release any piece of crap feature that they happen to have sitting around and then try and market it as best they can. But it won't be implemented very well, and the quality will be disappointing. It will also make it much harder to develop on top of later on because you're piling crap, on top of crap, on top of crap, and eventually everything falls apart and MS needs to start all over again with a new design (Yay, Vista!). But MS is learning and is getting a little better at smoothing out their development process. Windows 7 looks as though it may be an example of this. I'm just happy I'm smart and rich enough to own a Mac and iPhone and not have to deal with MS.

 

 

Cadoc (not verified) | March 19, 2009 - 4:16am

The question remains what about non locked Iphones. Since I hope that Apple is not in the iron grip of AT&T, all owners of non locked Iphones should have that hidden functions allready enabled.

Beholding that functionality from everyone that pays a fortune to have a non locked Iphone would not guarantee customer satisfaction.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 19, 2009 - 5:24am

I. Have a lot of unhidden functions on my iPhone already and so I don't need more without 3.0. It does cost $9.95 for itouch. But that isn't controlled by at&t. So your worries are unfeared today.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | March 19, 2009 - 7:36am

If apple is going to features like "find my phone" via paid mobile-me accounts, I hope they will also authorize 3rd party developers to do the same.

MAIMPEX (not verified) | March 19, 2009 - 7:37am

Download the new OS 3.0 BETA from here

http://www.maimpex.com.ar/index.php?mod=noticias&ac=detalle&noticia_id=1...

www.maimpex.com.ar

imagine engine | March 20, 2009 - 8:21pm

 It's nice to see Apple is listening to their customers. A while back I forwarded feedback to Apple asking for the iPhone 3G to allow tethering to compete on the same field as other smartphone competitors. As well for MobileMe subscribers the ability to remote track and remote wipe their iPhone.