TechMunch

Gizmodo, a high-profile gadget blog, had gotten access to an iPhone 4 prototype last week, which was reported as a lost iPhone in a bar. While this prototype has been in their possession, there have been some new information regarding the next generation of iPhone hardware.

The prototype phone was hidden in a case that disguised it to look like an iPhone 3GS, but once the case was uncovered it revealed a completely flat unibody device with a back that seems to be made of glass or ceramic or shiny plastic. The device also has metal edges rather than a bezel like on previous models. This looks closely resembles that on the unibody MacBooks, the iPad, and the iMac.

The specs of the new hardware include:

• 940x640 resolution display
• Front-facing video camera
• Camera flash
• Secondary mic for noise cancellation
• Micro SIM instead of regular SIM (like the iPad)
• Split buttons for volume
• Power, Mute, and Volume buttons are metallic
• 16% larger battery due to other components being shrunk in size

It’s also been reported that this iPhone prototype was running iPhone OS 4.0 before the official announcement earlier in the month.

The story of how Gizmodo acquired this prototype involves an Apple engineer who was field testing the device and some beers from a local bar near the Apple HQ in Cupertino. The phone got left behind, which then found it’s way to a person who had tried to find the owner, failed, and sold it to Gizmodo for $5,000, who then ran their exclusive story.

Many ethical questions can be raised from this case, which at this moment has just involved the Santa Clara County police department, who will determine if criminal charges will be filed against Gizmodo.

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Microsoft has revealed earlier this week their new social-networking oriented phones, formerly known as "Project Pink", the Kin 1 and Kin 2.

The Kin 1 is a simple palm-sized portrait QWERTY slider that contains a 5 megapixel camera. The Kin 2 is a landscape QWERTY slider with a whopping 8 megapixel camera. Both of these powerful social networking phones will be dropping exclusively on Verizon in May.

The Kin phones should not be looked at as 'smartphones', with a lack of an application store like the Apple iPhone and other such functions like basic calendar and instant message functionality. It is really aimed at being a social-networking devices for teenagers, much like what Danger's Sidekick device did a couple of years ago. This does not come as a surprise, as Microsoft acquired Danger in 2008.

The Kin platform is focused on two core features - “The Loop” and “The Spot”. “The Loop” will be a 3 pane homescreen featuring news/social feeds, contacts, and access to the phone/browser. “The Spot” will be a little circle at the bottom of the screen to share content on social sites, with drag-n-drop access from “The Loop”.

All device activity, from texts to pictures to videos, will be synced with an online cloud, like the Sidekick series. The cloud backups will be browser based to ensure it’s cross platform. With unlimited cloud storage, a login with a Windows Live ID at kin.com lets users see all synced media.

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So on Thursday, April 8, Apple formally announced the 4th iteration of the iPhone OS. iPhone OS 4.0 is the much needed update to the 3 year old mobile operating system that finally brings it up to par with all of the other smartphones in the market that have surpassed the iPhone in terms of features, but perhaps not usability.

In this release, which will be available to the public in ‘summer’, there are many new API tools for developers to use as well as over 100 new user features, which all are based around 7 ‘tentpoles’, as Steve Jobs called them during his presentation.

The user features include the use of folders to keep apps organized, new Enterprise features, “Game Center” (think Apple’s own XBox Live), interactive advertising, and the biggest change: multitasking.

Multitasking on the iPhone will be unlike the way any other company has done it before. Apple has completely scratched off the idea of a ‘task manager’, like that used on Windows computers or Android mobile devices. There is going to be no ‘task manager’ and apps won’t be fully running. Double tap the Home button and a dock of currently running apps will show up.

Developers will use 7 available multitasking services as APIs in their apps. These APIs will allow apps to have background audio, VOIP, background location, push notifications, local notifications, task completion, and fast app switching.

No more sluggish performance and confusing task managers. Multitasking for the rest of us.

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