In other news, Google has managed to bypass the App Store (and its approval process) and release its much-lauded Google Voice app to the iPhone and webOS devices via an HTML5-based web app. Per Engadget, the app should work with any HTML5-compliant device, although the formatting at this point has been tailored to Apple and Palm’s platforms.

The app, which can be found at http://m.google.com/voice, caches your contacts list in a browser page and allows users to write SMS messages, check their your inbox, and, in future versions, listen to voicemails.

To place a call, you choose the recipient, the app prompts you to call one of Google’s local numbers via the native dialer and the recipient will see your proper Google Voice, and upside with this method is you’ll still be able to utilize call waiting and background usage.

The page should be up and running later today, so if you’re anxious, direct your mobile browser to voice.google.com and just keep hitting refresh.

If you’re interested, take a gander and let us know what you think.

Mobile analystics firm Flurry claims to have discovered evidence of 50 tablet-class devices accessing web sites from Apple’s campus. Per the Flurry blog, the researchers noted that all of the devices are running the as-yet-unreleased iPhone OS 3.2. The move suggests tablets may have a significant update to the interface but not necessarily a major overhaul.

The report also mentions that the devices appear to be using existing iPhone apps but that the bias appears to be towards games, suggesting a heavy entertainment focus. It also has a significant daily media component, such as e-readers and Internet radio. In many cases the downloads were for very recent apps. Media sharing, social networking and travel guides were also common app categories among the 50 devices.

Additional features remain unknown while the questions and speculations should end on Wednesday at Apple’s Yerba Buena press event.

You have an iPhone and that’s fine, but bears still roam through America’s forests, eager to eat you and your iPhone.

Per The Unofficial Apple Weblog, Flying Jalapeno Software has released something that could save your life against these furry terrors; the ScareBear Trail Companion.

ScareBear Trail Companion is an iPhone app that replicates the sounds of bells, clapping, and rocks in a tin can which could help scare bears from your path before you even encounter them. Should you happen to come across a bear immune to these charms and wards, ScareBear Trail Companion still has you covered – in an emergency, you can use the app to sound an emulated air horn, which may terrify the creature and send it scurrying away.

While this isn’t guaranteed to save your life, it’s designed for the iPhone user who fears being eaten by bears (which we all should on one level or another).

ScareBear Trail Companion retails for US$0.99 and requires iPhone OS 3.1.2 or later to install and run.

You’ve got to admit, it’s the rumors that make life interesting.

Boy Genius Report has reportedly received information from a source close to the story claiming iPhone OS 4.0 will be introduced at Apple’s press event next week at the Yerba Buena on January 27th. Per the source, iPhone OS 4.0 will be limited to the iPhone 3G and 3GS (presumably including at least more recent iPod touch models and omitting the original iPhone) and will incorporate solutions for multitasking by running applications in the background and a revamped user interface for easier navigation.

Other changes will include the following:

- There will be multi-touch gestures OS-wide.

- “A few new ways” to run applications in the background — multitasking.

- Many graphical and UI changes to make navigating through the OS easier and more efficient.

- The update will supposedly be available for only the iPhone 3G and 3GS, but will “put them ahead in the smartphone market because it will make them more like full-fledged computers” more than any other phone to date. Everyone is “really excited.”

- A brand new syncing ability for the contacts and calendar applications.

The ability to run iPhone applications in the background has been near the top of many users’ wish lists, but Apple has yet to implement full backgrounding and multitasking due to its effect on performance and battery life, instead opting to deploy push notifications as a means for closed applications to serve data to users.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available and let us know what you think in the comments.

Additional evidence of iPhone OS 4.0′s release being just on the horizon emerged Friday when Rick Broid of CNET’s iPhone Atlas stated that he received an e-mail from a “prominent app developer” regarding an update to the iPhone operating system. “Just wanted to give you a heads up that we’ve submitted an updated app for the new iPhone OS 4.0 software,” the e-mail allegedly said. Additional details on the supposed software were not given.

Earlier this month, it was alleged that Apple’s rumored January 27th media event at the Yerba Buena could include the introduction of iPhone OS 4.0. One report claimed the new software developer kit includes a “simulator” that makes it easy for developers to adapt to different screen resolutions.

Apple is widely expected to introduce its long-rumored tablet device at the event. This week, one rumor claimed that Apple has not issued any updates for the iPhone in some time because the next version has many tablet-related references that the company did not want to leak in advance of its planned unveiling.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available and let us know what you think in the comments.

Apple’s long-awaited media event at the Yerba Buena Arts Center is still set to take place.

You’ll just have to wait an extra day.

Citing anonymous sources close to the story, Digital Daily has reported that Apple’s event will occur on Wednesday, January 27th as opposed to the 26th. During the event, Apple is expected to unveil a touchscreen tablet device.

Weeks ago, the Financial Times reported that Apple had rented the stage in San Francisco for “several days,” starting with Jan. 26. Apple often uses the stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts for special media events.

Last week, that report was bolstered by yet another claim that Apple would have a product unveiling in late January.

Some developers have reportedly been asked to prepare full-screen demos of their iPhone applications for an event in late January. Select developers were told to make their apps run at a resolution beyond the fixed 320×480 pixel size of the iPhone and iPod touch screen. It was said that applications that can support the new larger screen size will run “just fine” on the new hardware.

In other news, French Apple site Mac4Ever claimed yesterday that a new iPhone 4.0 beta SDK includes a “simulator” that aims to make it easy for developers to adapt to different screen resolutions. Some developers are allegedly already working with the beta SDK.

Tech site Engadget has also written that sources “very familiar with the situation” have been given information on a tablet device set to debut this month. The device will have a new screen size and resolution different from the one currently found on the iPhone and iPod touch.

Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

Welcome to 2010 and the staff of O’Grady’s PowerPage will be taking the day off to thoroughly rock out to Heart’s “What About Love?” (which will be played on a continuous loop) as well as ponder the upcoming Apple tablet and iPhone OS 4.0 in the new year.

Come back Monday, January 4th, and we’ll continue to do our best to keep you up to date with the best Macintosh mobile news available.

On Monday, wireless carrier AT&T released its Mark the Spot application, a free app which allows users to report any network shortfalls or missed calls on their iPhone.

The application requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later to install and run.

Now whether AT&T will actually pay attention to the network issues reported via the app, that’s another story…

Late Thursday, Apple released version 3.1.2 of its iPhone OS firmware. The update, which weighs in at over 200 megabytes and can be downloaded by attaching your iPhone to your Mac or PC, clicking the device in iTunes, then clicking the “Check for Update” button, adds the following fixes and changes:

- Resolves sporadic issue that may cause iPhone to not wake from sleep.
- Resolves intermittent issue that may interrupt cellular network services until restart.
- Fixes bug that could cause occasional crash during video streaming.

The update also leads to a small carrier update from AT&T for American users.

If you’ve installed 3.1.2 and noticed any changes, for good or ill, please let us know what you think.

You’ve gotta love iFixIt and their recent teardown of the new third generation iPod touch has revealed some interesting details pertaining to Apple’s newly-released third generation media player.

Per the report, the new iPod touch features an 802.11n chip as well as enough space to fit a video camera such as the one found in the new iPod nano. In addition, the space is in the center on the back of the device, where the camera was rumored to be located. However, there are no headers on the iPod’s board for a camera cable.

“It appears that Apple left in room for a camera in the top of the device,” the solutions provider said. “There is a 6mm x 6mm x 3mm space between the Broadcom chip and the wireless antenna. There isn’t enough depth for an iPhone-style autofocus still camera, but just enough room for the camera that Apple used in the 5th generation iPod nano.”

The new iPod nano features a video-only camera and Apple co-founder Steve Jobs said in an interview with The New York Times this week that the iPod touch was not given a camera because the company wanted to focus on promoting the hardware as a gaming machine, and keeping the low-end model’s price under US$200.

The teardown located a Broadcom BCM4329 chip inside the new third-generation device, the chip supporting the 802.11n protocol. The iPhone 3GS features a BCM4325 chip, which only supports 802.11 a/b/g. The new iPod touch does not support 802.11n Wi-Fi out of the box.

“This reminds us of last year when we broke the news that the 2nd generation touch had Bluetooth support in hardware,” they said. “Apple didn’t enable software support until 9 months later with iPhone OS 3.0.”

The new device also features a Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR and and a FM receiver and transmitter. However, that does not necessarily mean that the iPod touch will be able to receive and send FM signals. The latest iPod nano, however, does have a built-in FM receiver.

“If they built in the antennas, and if Apple adds software support,” iFixit said, “you could theoretically stream music to your car stereo without any external hardware. But that’s a lot of ifs.”

“While we were all disappointed by Apple’s underwhelming iPod touch announcement, it is clear that there is more engineering effort under the surface of this device than meets the eye.”