Returning from a holiday break, Apple today seeded iOS 5.1 Beta 3 to developers to allow for further testing of the next update to the company's mobile operating system. The new version arrives as Build 9B5141a, up from the previous Build 9B5127a released ad iOS 5.1 Beta 2 on December 12.
Screenshot of iOS 5.1 Beta 3 over-the-air update (Source: @CDeeRON)
So far the update appears to only be available via the over-the-air update mechanism for existing iOS 5.1 beta users, but should become available for general download through Apple's iOS developer program site shortly. We'll have more information on the new build at that time.
Update: We're still waiting for Apple to post iOS 5.1 beta 3 to the developer site with release notes, but commenters in our forums have noted that the new build restores the toggle that allows users to turn off 3G cellular data access. As Apple notes on the setting, 3G offers faster data speeds but uses more battery power than EDGE.
Update 2: iOS 5.1 Beta 3 is now available via the iOS developer program portal. Xcode 4.3 Developer Preview 3 and Apple TV Software Beta 2 have also been released today.
The full release notes for iOS 5.1 Beta 3 still have not been posted.
Update 3: The release notes for iOS 5.1 Beta 3 have now been posted, and one item of note involves a new API to help developers flag app content that should not be backed up.
iOS 5.1 introduces a new API to mark files or directories that should not be backed up. For NSURL objects, add the NSURLIsExcludedFromBackupKey attribute to prevent the corresponding file from being backed up.
The addition appears to be an expansion of the company's iOS 5.0.1 effort to help deal with content being stored for offline use that does not need to be committed to a device backup but which should not be subject to removal during the purging of caches. Apple will be replacing the com.apple.MobileBackup file attribute introduced in iOS 5.0.1 with the new API usage in iOS 5.1.
Apple today seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.5 to developers and public beta testers, giving us a look at the final version of the update that will be provided to the public next week.
With the release candidate, Apple provided release notes, so we have a more complete look at the new features that are included in the update, including those that weren't found during the beta...
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Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now.
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Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...
Absolutely NOT. Edge is painfully slow. And other than battery life, it isn't like your data usage will be less on Edge. It'll just download slower.
But it can effect battery drastically. If you are in an area with poor 3G, your phone is constantly looking for that signal. If you manually switch to Edge it saves battery because its not looking for 3G.
Absolutely NOT. Edge is painfully slow. And other than battery life, it isn't like your data usage will be less on Edge. It'll just download slower.
Obviously....but that's not why people turn off 3G. Sometimes 3G can be bogged down or unresponsive. For example when I attend NFL games, it's sometimes impossible to send texts or get data on 3G, but when I switch to EDGE, things go through. Ever since I got my 4S though, this hasn't been possible.
Anyone else crossing their fingers this enables 4s users to be able to switch 3G off and use EDGE only. I'm not talking about turning cellular data off.
Anyone else crossing their fingers this enables 4s users to be able to switch 3G off and use EDGE only. I'm not talking about turning cellular data off.
