Word is out: new versions of the iPhone SDK and firmware are available for download. Word about the details are still trickling in from developers. This is Apple's fifth beta release since the iPhone SDK was released in March. There's just under a week left until the end of the Apple Design Awards submission period. No word if iPhone developers who submitted under earlier firmware will be able to re-submit outside the 72 hour period that Apple allots for "re-dos".

Readers report that this is a smaller download (just over 1 GB) and details are trickling in through the comments.

Thank you everyone who sent this in!

I don't know if this is going to pan out or not, but TUAW reader Skaro (exterminate!) reports that he's been accepted into the iPhone developer program. Not a big deal until you realize that he lives in the UK and paid up his £59 fees.

If true, this is huge. Many important 3rd party Apple developers are located throughout the world. Are you an out-of-States developer who's gotten your acceptance email? Please let us know.

Update: A blue and green birdie sang in our ear about the UIApplication delegate class: "There are definitely some very interesting methods added to UIApplication's delegate, including methods for badging the Springboard icon, and methods related to gaining and resigning "active" status - seems like background apps may be permitted somehow."

Good news iPhone developer boys and girls. A brand new iPhone Beta SDK just went live. This is release #3 of the SDK for those of you who have been keeping count. No word yet as to what changes this new SDK brings but we're betting on two things: First, that it re-vitalizes all those PSOD iPhones and second that it will fix all those user 501 errors we've been hearing about from ticked-off developers.

The new release is reportedly just 1.4 GB--thinner than honking 2+GB initial first release.

Have you downloaded and installed the new SDK? Let us know what you've found. Drop us a note in the comments. Want anonymity? Our tipline is the best bet for super sekrit tips. Make sure you tell us to guard your identity.

I haven't played with iPhone firmware 1.2/2.0 yet, but I'm told that some developers have encountered what is becoming known as the PSOD: a pink-colored start screen that apparently replaces the "connect to iTunes" graphic you'd normally see before activation.

iPhone hacker AlJaMa wrote in with his how-to method for downgrading a 2.0 iPhone back to 1.1.4. According to AlJaMa, you can put your iPhone into restore mode, do a 1.1.4 restore (use option-Restore to pick the 1.1.4 ipsw package) and be no worse off than getting the Error 1015 we've all come to know and love. iLiberty or INdependence will kick you out of the 1015/recovery mode. The restored phone will continue to work as a phone despite the updated baseband.

AlJaMa warns that you may encounter error -2002. In such a case, he suggests you try restoring to other firmware versions until you get back to the 1015 error.

Want a gig as an iPhone CSI? You'll need a good working knowledge of the iTunes protocol and a way to communicate directly with the iPhone without altering any data that could be used for evidence.