My family has multiple iPhones (both 1st Gen and 3G) and I've recommended to everyone to update to iPhone OS 2.1. I've been running the new update since Friday and it's been great. Backups now take minutes (instead of hours) and I can install an app in 10-15 seconds (previously 5-6 mins!).




Also, the AOL iPhone team has released a new update to AIM to fix issues with authentication that were in a post last week on the Mac@AOL Blog.

Thanks!
Lee Givens
AOL Mac Product Lead

A quick note from our AIM for iPhone team...

If you're experiencing issues with connecting to the AIM network, just try the following:

1. Go to the Home screen on your iPhone
2. Click Settings and go to the AIM settings (below Photos-All 3rd party apps have settings under the standard iPhone settings)
3. Delete your Screen Name and Password
4. Go back to your Home screen and launch AIM
5. Re-enter your Screen Name and Password

This should take care of most connectivity issues. We will be posting an update in the near future.

Thanks...
Lee Givens
AOL Mac Product Lead

Some of our loyal listeners have discovered that AOL Radio on iPhone, powered by CBS Radio is now streaming ALL stations on both EDGE/3G and WiFi networks (Thanks to the AOL Radio and CBS Radio Team!). This has been the most requested feature and we've been happily listening to streams for the past few days. Here's a snippet of the 4 latest reviews from the Apple iTunes App Store (I did not cherry pick, these are the 4 most recent reviews posted as of 7:37PM EDT!)...





If you just picked up a new iPod touch or iPhone 3G (or upgraded your original iPhone, stop by the Apple App Store and download today!

Posted: July 10, 2008

Instant Messaging, Online Radio and Video Search Applications for the iPhone & iPod touch

NEW YORK – July 10, 2008 – AOL today announced three new iPhone OS applications: AIM, the leading instant messaging service; AOL Radio, the most popular online radio service and recent recipient of an Apple Design Award; and Truveo, the leading video search engine are available as free downloads from the Apple App Store beginning today.

"With AIM, AOL Radio and Truveo for the iPhone, consumers now have access to the world's largest instant messaging network, over 350 streaming radio stations and millions of online videos," said Kevin Conroy, Executive Vice President of AOL. "Over the past twelve months, AOL has revitalized its Mac development efforts and we're thrilled to be bringing our world-class communications and multi-media experiences to iPhone users around the world via the App Store."

The new AIM, AOL Radio and Truveo applications for the iPhone were built using Apple's iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK) and provide users a rich, full-featured experience, with added features unique to the iPhone.

* AIM for iPhone brings together all of the core features of AIM – such as real-time communication, the Buddy List window and the ability to see when friends and contacts are online and available to chat – and combines them with a host of new capabilities that make IM'ing from the iPhone easy and convenient, whether over a Wi-Fi, EDGE, or 3G network.

AIM has been designed from the ground up to take advantage of the iPhone's unique user interface and advanced capabilities. New features developed specifically for the iPhone include the use of Gestures, which allows users to simply tap to start a new message or to swipe a finger to switch between conversations; Favorites, which puts the buddies with whom you keep in touch at your fingertips; and the ability to easily incorporate a photo taken with the iPhone's built in camera as a Buddy Icon. AIM for iPhone will be available to users worldwide.

* AOL Radio for iPhone gives users in the U.S. immediate, free access to more than 350 best-in-breed stations including more than 150 local CBS RADIO stations and custom channels and more than 200 AOL Radio stations spanning 25 musical genres. AOL Radio for iPhone leverages the iPhone's Core Location framework to detect a user's location and automatically displays CBS RADIO stations nearest to the user. Additionally, AOL Radio for iPhone automatically adapts to the current connection speed of the device providing low-bandwidth streams when on a cellular network versus higher quality audio for Wi-Fi connections.

At Apple's World Wide Developer Conference in June, AOL Radio was highlighted during the iPhone Developer Showcase and received the Apple Design Award for "Best Entertainment Application."

* Truveo Mobile Video Search for iPhone maximizes the device's premium video experience and makes it easy for users to search and browse through millions of online videos while on the go. Truveo's leading video search engine provides direct links to video content that's been optimized for the iPhone from a wide variety of video sources including CNN, Discovery Channel, HBO, NBC, PBS, Channel, Comedy Central, MTV and YouTube. Localized versions of Truveo Mobile Video Search for iPhone will be available for the U.S., Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, and the UK, with support for additional countries to follow in the coming months.

All three applications are available for free from Apple's App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/

More information on AIM, AOL Radio and Truveo Mobile Video Search for iPhone can be found at http://mobile.aol.com/iphone.

In addition to the AIM, AOL Radio and Truveo applications for the iPhone, AOL has also optimized many of its popular websites and services for the iPhone's Safari browser including; AOL.com, AOL Mail, AOL Mobile Search, AOL Money & Finance, Moviefone, AOL Food, AOL Horoscopes, AOL TV Listings and AOL Shopping.

AOL: Getting Back to the Mac

Over the past year, AOL has reinvested in the Mac platform and created new mobile and desktop experiences for the iPhone, iPod Touch and Macintosh computer. Using Apple's tools and SDKs, as well as working closely with Apple's design and development teams, AOL has launched a series of new applications including AOL Mobile Search, an optimized AOL.com portal and AOL Desktop for Mac.

About AOL
AOL is a global Web services company that operates some of the most popular Web destinations, offers a comprehensive suite of free software and services, runs one of the largest Internet access businesses in the U.S., and provides a full set of advertising solutions. A majority-owned subsidiary of Time Warner Inc., AOL LLC and its subsidiaries have operations in the U.S., Europe, Canada and Asia. Learn more at AOL.com.

Contact:

Derick Mains
AOL
(650) 937-2603
Derick.Mains@corp.aol.com

Wow! What a week. Five days of sunny weather, 5000+ Mac developers and the AOL Mac/iPhone team received a small grey cube that has a light-up logo.


It's not just any cube, it's a reaffirmation of AOL's dedication to the Mac (and now iPhone) platforms. The 2008 Apple Design Award for best iPhone Entertainment Application went to Ron Anderson and Dan Gilliam, our two most senior Mac developers who built AOL Radio for iPhone (powered by CBS Radio).

I want to congratulate the entire team (including our user experience/visual designer, AOL management and the entire Mac team) on this outstanding achievement. With WWDC '08 winding down, it's back to the Xcode to work on the next (award winning?) Mac/iPhone application.

Enjoy!
Lee Givens
AOL Mac Product Lead

If you're a Mac developer and interested in integrating AOL's Open AIM into your application, you can download the source code for the Cocoa WIMFramework.

This Objective-C/Cocoa wrapper implements the logic for AOL's openAIM WIM protocol. Protocol documentation and AIM Network license requirements can be located at http://developer.aim.com

Description
If you want to integrate AIM into your Objective-C based application, this project is meant to make it easier for you. We're using it ourselves to build some AIM experiences.

This library is just beginning. We will be continuing to make available enhancements. The Framework concentrates on making the WIM AIM server protocol easier to consume. It does not make any assumptions about user interface.

Take it for a spin!

Lee Givens
AOL Mac Product Lead

We can place info and downloads of the Cocoa AIM frameworks.

March 6, 2008 will go down in Apple history as a seminal day for the iPhone platform and Mac users. I've been around the Mac platform for decades and I haven't seen this much excitement since the Newton or when Apple was testing Rhapsody, the code name for the upcoming Mac OS X (back in the late 1990's).

You can relive today's event in Cupertino at our sister sites - Engadget and TUAW (Engadget and TUAW are in the AOL family). One more thing...Apple also announced that they're working with Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers to start the $100,000,000 iFund to invest in up-and-coming iPhone independent software developers.

Enjoy!
Lee Givens
AOL Mac Product Lead

I'm looking forward to the cool applications after Apple releases the iPhone SDK (software developer's kit) next February.

I'm not the only one at AOL excited about iPhone application possibilities. Take a look at the mobile blogging application being built by Johnfronck on the AOL Developer's Network.



Also, you may have already tried TinyBuddy, the Instant Messaging app for iPhone built by James Burke. If you're surfing the Mac@AOL blog via iPhone, you can use your AIM account and log right into TinyBuddy IM (http://tybyim.com).

Thanks!
Lee Givens
AOL Mac Product Lead