Apple triggering iPhone updates via EDGE?

“Earlier today, a fascinating thing happened. iPhone owners across the country gained a new function without applying any software or firmware updates. The function in question is ‘Send to Web Gallery,’ a button that appears in the Camera and Photos applications when clicking the share button (lower left corner when viewing a photo), and did not exist for any iPhone owner (that we know of) prior to today. The button links with new .Mac iPhone integration functionality that allows photos to be sent directly from the iPhone to the new ‘Web Gallery’ function,” iPhone Atlas reports.

Triggered via EDGE? A timed addition that came along hidden within iPhone Update 1.0.1?

More in the full article here.

MacDailyNews Note: We can confirm that we have the “Send to Web Gallery” button now on our iPhones without applying any updates since iPhone Update 1.0.1 on July 31st.

63 Comments

  1. Yes I did update fool

    It’s that Apple is incorporating features that have the potential of being exploited.

    For instance if I turn off all wireless features, my computer should not be announcing it’s presence with a signal of any sort.

    With MDNrespoder, it is. Even if you force quit it it restarts automatically.

    With the right equipment, a guy in the next hotel room CAN HACK MY COMPUTER.

    Now with EFI based Mac’s, there is a very powerful firmware enviorment that runs independant of the operating system. It can contact the internet, read hard drives and download all without the OS.

    Is this security? Has Mac OS X ben secure this year? No, it’s has had numerous exploits and vunerabilities.

    Is Mac OS X more secure? No, it’s only more secure because less people are using it.

    I use a Mac because you don’t see to many of them, therefore it’s less likely to be hacked.

  2. No new button for me, updated to 1.0.1 via my iMac. I don’t think this was a EDGE push, nor was it timed.

    MDN, I think you’re playing a little fast and loose with this, as Macworld has a Web Gallery/iPhone troubleshooting article posted today that says, “First of all, if you have an iPhone, that option should be active. If it’s not, be sure that you have a .Mac account set up on your iPhone. That’s the trigger that tells the iPhone to show the Send to Web Gallery button when you tap the Send button when viewing a picture.” (emphasis mine)

    MW after, as in “What ever happened to publishing after getting the facts?”

  3. For sure, Apple is doing this. When I first used my iPhone (first 2 weeks), when I deleted an e-mail, it went directly down the trash chute. Then about 2 weeks ago, it started prompting me to verify this is what I wanted to do. I’m certain of this. Had to be a minor update.

  4. I’ve got the 1.01 update, on a mac, and the new button isn’t there on my iPhone yet. ATT is probably updating phones a bit at a time to keep from crashing their network.

    @Sneaky Pete – Hey… Peterson! you’re back! I knew it was you from the EFI comment man! Now all you have to say is “trusted computing” and we’re off and running.

  5. The article listed at Macworld says this is an iphone 08 enabled feature – version 7.01 with update from software update after install

    Is there anyone here that HAS this feature that hasn’t installed iLife 08 yet?

  6. The button showed up on my iPhone just now, right after I authenticated on my local WiFi. First time accessing the internet from my phone today. Button wasn’t there earlier this afternoon. When I click the button it tells me that my .Mac account hasn’t been configured for posting from mobile devices yet, which makes sense. My iLife 08 is due to arrive tomorrow or Friday.

  7. no way it’s a timed update. This occurred to me after noticing it on my iPhone yesterday, so I turned off auto-date & time in the iPhone’s settings, and manually set the D&T back a few days. When I checked, it was still there. My money’s on .mac itself enabling the option. Y’know, as

  8. My guess: It was triggered by some sort of state change/signal/availability thing coming from or seen on .mac on the web. That is the code was there since v1.0.1 (or even in the original)–it just had to see the relevant capability present on .mac. It would be much more logical to tie it to the presence of its target on the web than to a date… like it makes more sense to look for a specific feature in an OS than rely on a version number.

    I don’t have .mac or an iphone (yet!) or inside knowledge… but I do develop software for a living.

  9. “I guess I need to get a tin foiled room to run my computers with sensitive and private data in.”

    Don’t forget the tin foiled hat to keep out the NSA’s mind-reading scanners…

    Back on topic, has anyone considered that the appearance of the button may have been triggered not by date/time nor by an EDGE update “push” but rather by the iPhone querying an Apple server somewhere periodically and asking, in effect “is it time to unhide the web gallery button yet?”

    I have a feeling iLife 08 has been in development for quite a while (it probably would have been iLife 07 if not for being pushed into the latter half of the year by office 2007 compatbility, and leopard compatibility) and the iPhone was probably programmed with this in mind…

  10. No button here..

    Ok, installed the iLife 08 software, uploaded a web gallery at .mac using iPhoto 08. The issue is that you need to enable a .mac account with your iPhone, and this feature activation doesn’t appear in .mac is system settings, online at .mac, or on the iPhone itself.

    Checked the discussion boards, nothing there. I’m currently on hold with Josh at Apple iPhone support, he hadn’t heard of this feature yet for the iPhone. He’s “researching it.”

    I’ll keep yall posted.

  11. “Is there anyone here that HAS this feature that hasn’t installed iLife 08 yet?”

    I’ve got the new iPhone button but I don’t have iLife ’08. I do have a .Mac account. Clicking the button says I need to enable the Web Gallery function on my .Mac account first. I’ll try it later.

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