What apps do you want to see with iPhone/ iPod touch SDK?

Well, now that you've all had a bit time to consider that little bombshell, we'd thought we'd give you a chance to have you say about what third party apps you'd like to see for the newly SDK-friendly iPhone (and iPod touch). Our wishlist has, of course, been growing since day one, but we'd be particularly keen to see some IM apps, push-style email, a Sling client, or even some Jam Sessions-style music creation apps, among a multitude of other possibilities. But enough about us, hit up the comments to make yourself known.

[Thanks, Engadget]

Apple announces a SDK for the iPhone to be released in Feburary!

Apple apparently wants third party applications on the iPhone and iPod touch just like every other sane individual on the Earth. The company just announced on its Hot News feed (and we'd say this certainly qualifies as such), that it is currently at work on an SDK for the iPhone, the apps from which will naturally work on the iPod touch. Apparently it's going to take 'em until February to do it up right -- you know, secure and stable and all that nonsense -- but this is certainly a beautiful breath of fresh air. Less excitingly, Apple claims that it agrees with Nokia's approach of "digital signatures" for applications, meaning that Apple gets to say who qualifies for entrance onto its hallowed devices as was rumored last week; though who's to say what exactly that will look like just yet. But even with that caveat, we suppose we should take what we get from this sometimes benevolent, but never aesthetically challenged, dictator of ours and eat it like we're told.

[thanks, Gizmodo]

iPhone v1.1.1 firmware gets to be free once again

The iPhone / iPod touch dev team have indeed managed to Jailbreak the new update. Apparently, the general-use tool hasn't made a showing yet, but baby steps have been taken, and the goods are sure to follow. So what can you expect? Third party apps are working, but will probably need to be recompiled due to the new frameworks, Springboard won't recognize DisplayOrder.plist (included apps now seem to be hard-coded into the Springboard app), you can activate the phone with third-party workarounds, and the Mobile Terminal and BSD suite work, as well as ARM-compiled command-line utilities. Of very interesting note: Erica says that the new firmware references both Nike and a radio, and that the devs are taking up a fund to buy a cake and deliver it to Apple, courtesy of "the Crazy Ones." She says the Jailbreak isn't "ready for prime time," and based on this info we tend to agree, but if you really want the full scoop, truck over to TUAW and check out the info for yourself.

Penryn 3.2GHz Processor for updated Mac Pros?

The dudes at The Inquirer have been busy chatting to the snoops in Tokyo; word on the street is Apple has purchased out all of the upcoming Penryn 3.2GHz processors. Clocking in at that speed, we shall guess they are intended for an anticipated refresh to the Mac Pro's insides. If true, Apple are sure to have put down a pretty penny on the deal to ensure the lion's share of Intel's goodies.

Theoretically, this would push Mac Pros to 3.2GHz with a 1600MHz front side bus, which would be increased from the current 1333MHz. We think it all fits nicely, it certainly sounds like a move Apple would pull off, but talk of the town is, as ever, far from fact.

Apple patent app describes force-sensitive touchpads

t's no secret that Apple loves its touchscreens, and a freshly published patent application provides a little reinforcement to that belief. The documentation explores a method for tossing in pressure-sensitivity to touchpads in order to add functionality, or as Cupertino puts it, "a new element of control." Furthermore, it's noted that "force information may be used as another input dimension for purposes of providing command and control signals to an associated electronic device," and it goes on to explain how spring membranes could be placed under the surface to detect force. Notably, the verbiage tends to "describe a touchpad like those used for the company's MacBook lines," but it does leave open the possibility for the newfangled pads to be used in mobile / portable devices such as the outfit's own iPhone.

Rumor: Mac mini turns Nano in late October

I've had this plan ever since the mini almost died earlier this year, and I'm sticking to it: as soon as I can buy a Mac mini with Leopard on it, I'll do so. And no one's going to stop me-- except maybe Jobs himself. Mac OS Rumors reports that they've heard that as of October's end, the mini is dead-- long live something new called the Mac Nano. Supposedly, the new low-end Mac will be even smaller than a mini (just tall enough to fit a hard drive in), and the enclosure will have a completely new design.

Intriguing idea indeed, even if it isn't quite new-- the Nano name has been floating around for a while. There are four other products sliding out of the rumor mill as well-- AppleTV is rumored to get an update (and a hard drive), and supposedly we'll see a MacBook Nano as well, the long-rumored ultraportable that Apple is supposedly working on-- a.k.a. Rumor #3.

The future of Mac, or wishful thinking? At this point, we have no indication-- Mac OS Rumors is no 9-to-5 Mac (ouch, but they deserve it, don't they?), but they are called "Rumors" for a reason. Either way, I want to buy an extremely small, compact, headless Mac with Leopard on it this fall. Whether it's called mini or Nano doesn't matter to me at all.

ATI Graphics May Be At The Root of iMac Freezing Issues

Apple's new iMac has been plagued by random—but reproducible for some—freezing issues, and it appears that the ATI Radeon HD graphics card and its drivers could be to blame. According to users participating in official apple support discussions, the iMac continues to run during the freeze, but users are unable to control the programs with mouse clicks or keyboard commands without rebooting. Apple is apparently aware of the issue, but at this point, no official fix has been released. Some users have even reported that the latest round of video driver updates have made the problem worse, although there is no evidence to suggest that the problem is widespread.