iPhone OS 3.1 made the scene today at the Apple event, with a number of new features and fixes that should make iPhone owners happy (and iPod touch owners -- although for them, the version number is 3.1.1 instead). After a slow start to the download, I was able to get the update loaded onto my iPhone 3GS and I gave some of the new features a test drive.

The first big new feature is the Genius for Apps. To turn it on, you go to the Featured screen the App Store, and click the Genius button at the top of the display. After approving the license agreement, Genius is up and running, and clicking on the Genius button gives you a list of what it considers to be good suggestions based on what I have purchased. I wasn't very happy with the first list it produced (see screenshot at right), since I don't live in NYC, don't read Time, and really don't want something called The Most Useless App Ever.

The Genius lets you refine this list by swiping items to remove them. I did notice by the third screen of suggestions that the Genius was starting to pick apps that were more my style, so I think it's going to work out.

Read on for more impressions of 3.1.

FileMaker issued an update to their Mac database application Bento this morning. Bento 2.0v5 is a bug-fix release, with no new features added to the application.

According to the download notes, Bento 2.0v5:

• Resolves an issue related to duplication of Address Book and iCal information when synchronizing with Bento for iPhone and iPod touch. They've also posted details on removing duplicate entries.
• Resolves an issue related to library icons when importing library templates. This issue was originally reported as fixed, but Filemaker has updated the release notes and now indicates that it is NOT a fix in this build.
• Resolves an issue related to importing Bento databases to FileMaker Pro

The download weighs in at 76.1 MB, while the expanded disk image is a full 127.9 MB in size and replaces the existing Bento installation. FileMaker also notes that this release includes the changes that were delivered in Bento 2.0v4, which added compatibility with Bento for iPhone and iPod touch as well as improved performance of the application.

If you have one of those small, multi-colored nano-chromatic iPod nanos, then you might be in for a surprise the next time you sync it with iTunes. That's because an update is waiting for you; the iPod nano (4th Generation) update 1.0.3 gives your musical friend the following new features/bug fixes:

• Support for Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic (yeah, the ones we've been waiting for)
  
• Support for Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic
• Fixed instability issues when using Nike + iPod Sport Kit
• Added a setting to turn off Cover Flow when rotating iPod nano and a Cover Flow menu item under the Music menu
• When Shuffle setting is set to Songs, pressing play on a song in saved Genius playlist will now follow the Shuffle setting
  
• After playing a slideshow with TV out, Cover Flow album art is no longer distorted
  
• Waking iPod nano after hibernating no longer distorts photos
• Other minor bug fixes

If any of these things have been bugging you, you'll be pleased to know that Apple has fixed them. I know I have wanted the ability to disable Cover Flow for a long time. You can download this update by docking your iPod nano (4th Generation) with iTunes, selecting your iPod under devices and choosing "Check for Update."

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Realmac Software has updated their easy Web site creation tool RapidWeaver to version 4.2 (not 2.2! Sorry). The new version is primarily a bug fix, but also adds a couple of new features.

The bugs that were squashed include:

• An issue when undoing set/remove links
• Blog plugin confused image file names in body and summary fields
• Growl notifications no longer occur when RapidWeaver is in the foreground
• The application no longer hangs on quit
• No more "System Exception 11" when duplicating themes
• Now able to add 3GP and M4V files to Movie Albums

The new features include the ability to hold down either the Command or Option key while starting RapidWeaver to disable all third-party add-ons until the app is restarted, and the ability to add and remove links from the sidebar is available again.

This is a free update for existing RapidWeaver owners.

It was just last week when our favorite multi-service instant messaging client was updated. Now Adium has been updated to 1.3.1. While there aren't any major new features in this version, some big bug fixes improves the application's usability.

Here's some of the major bug fixes in this version:

• Facebook timing out when attempting to connect is now fixed
• Avatar not updating in open message windows after change is now fixed
• Stopped Adium from crashing when updating an account password

You can read the full release notes here, and get the new version by downloading it from Adium's website, or by opening the application and going to Adium > Check for updates.


Thanks, Eric!

It was only a couple weeks ago that Growl version 1.1.3 was released, but as some commenters noted on the 1.1.3 post, there was a bug that caused some the inability to install Growl under Leopard. Well, the Growl team has heard your cries and issued an update to Growl that hopes to solve the problem. Some of the bug fixes include:

• "Install Failed" message on Leopard is now fixed
  
• Fixed the problem of Growl thinking it was 1.1.2 even after installing 1.1.3
• Fixed Growl updater to stop showing updates after you've already installed them
• Growl Safari actually works now
  

You can see all of the improvements before installing by visiting the Growl Version History page. You can also download the new update by visiting Growl's homepage.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

We don't have a whole lot to go on for this one, but Apple has released MacBook pro Software Update 1.0. What's in it, you ask? Well, it "provides important bug fixes and is recommended for all 2.2/2.4GHz MacBook Pro models" (the most current ones available as of this writing). Sorry folks, but that's all the update page says. If you don't see this in Software Update, head on over to said update page and get to updatin'.

Last night, we received a tip from an intrepid TUAW reader who pointed us to this page. He thought the page suggested that 1.2.1 update might be more involved than Apple originally stated.

According to Apple, the 1.2.1 video iPod update offered "bug fixes". So the TUAW geeks got to work. We copied the download.ipsw from the firmware into our top secret lab folder. We unzipped it. And then we compared the strings in the Firmware to the strings in the last Firmware release. And found...

Well, we found pretty much nothing. No smoking guns. No new hidden strings. The only changes between the two Firmware files seem to be...um...bug fixes.

Thanks bl8ant

If you're an iWork '06 user, Software Update has a couple of presents for you: Pages 2.0.1 and Keynote 3.0.1.

About the Pages update (direct link): "addresses issues with charts and image adjust. It also addresses a number of other minor issues."

About Keynote's update (link): "addresses issues with three-dimensional charts and textures. It also addresses a number of other minor issues. This update should be installed on all computers that share your Keynote 3.0 files, so that textures display properly."

Enjoy.