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Two weeks after iPhone OS 3.0's initial release, Apple posted new, beta 2 versions of the iPhone OS 3.1 firmware and the iPhone SDK 3.1 for developers. The OS 3.1 is available for all versions of the iPod Touch and the iPhone, while the SDK 3.1 is available in versions that are compatible with Leopard and Snow Leopard.

Without seeing the update, we don't know which changes the beta brings, but we're hoping it contains bug fixes for problems we've covered here and here.

If you've seen and used this … Read more

TwitVid.com (not to be confused with Twitvid.io), the service that lets users affix videos to Twitter messages, has a new application out that lets iPhone 3GS owners post videos they've taken directly from the device.

Users can record a new video, or choose from an existing one in their libraries. It also features a handy upload bar to let you know how far the video has to go before it's done. The big twist is that TwitVid's got some technology running on its end that lets your followers start watching the clip before it's … Read more

This week on the Digital City, topics include Google's new Chrome OS, and what it means for Netbooks and Microsoft; some not-too-bright cell phone thieves; how Scott semi-scammed a new iPhone 3GS; and some new apps for navigating the NYC Subway system.

Related Links: >>Scott's iPhone upgrade update >>Google's Chrome OS: Why Microsoft shouldn't worry...yet

>>Watch the Digital City live every Friday at 3pm EST on CNET Live! >>Subscribe to Digital City on iTunes >>Join the Digital City Facebook fan page >>Need more? Follow Dan on Twitter! … Read more

Summer in Texas this year is hot, but not as hot as the debate over the iPhone 3GS overheating, an issue circulating the Internet for several weeks now. The debate finally came to a head when some users blamed white iPhone 3GS discoloration on overheating and only worsened when Apple updated the heat advisory for the iPhone 3GS.

After some users interpreted Apple's advisory as an admittance of guilt over the widely reported overheating issue and Apple responded that it was merely updating a technical document to cover the iPhone 3GS, a French site--FrenchiPhone.com--is claiming that certain cases … Read more

A few weeks ago, I was at wit's end. I couldn't upgrade to an iPhone 3GS, and apparently neither could many other people who bought their 2008 3G in the window that AT&T had promised would net "most customers" a 2009 3GS subsidy.

AT&T was never really forthcoming about what, exactly, would trigger being qualified for an update versus not. I gave up, and then had an idea: my wife was eligible for an upgrade to her 2G iPhone, but didn't want to pay $15 more for a 3G data service. In an incredibly generous move, she allowed me to use her upgrade eligibility for an experiment.

We went to the Apple Store at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, bought an iPhone 3GS, and then headed home. I swapped my SIM out of my 3G and into the 3GS, and synced with my home MacBook. In seconds, it seemed like a fluid swap had occurred.

Then I took my wife's new 3GS SIM and put it in her old iPhone. The iPhone 2G displayed a "plug into iTunes" screen and emergency call display when I restarted, but plugging back into her Vaio brought up an iTunes page that required reauthorization before an AT&T activation. After entering her social digits and billing zip, a funny thing happened: iTunes itself recommended to me that I downgrade my wife's newly-minted 3G data plan back to 2G, to match the phone detected. I agreed, and moments later, her first-gen iPhone was up and running once again. … Read more

According to iLounge and Engadget, a user is complaining that the iPhone 3GS' oleophobic screen is wearing off prematurely.

The reports are based off of complaints by a 3GS user, "Samsas Traum", who has shared pictures of the problematic screen on his iPhone 3GS. You can see the original complaints translated from German here and here.

According to iLounge: "Traum claims that the localized nature of the damage is likely due to repeat playings of Flick Fishing. While we have yet to see a second report of such extreme wear in such a short time, iLounge editors … Read more

We invite Natali Del Conte onto today's show to have some fun with us, but you should've been there in the preshow--she went berzerko! We calm her down a little bit and she talks to us about her Palin/Twitter fallout and her upcoming appearance at Comic-Con 2009. She also dispels rumors about drugs in her undergarments, and we get to a few more exciting stories on the show!

If you're wondering why there's a photo of Lara Croft to the left of this paragraph, look again: it's actually Natali Del Conte, host of Loaded on CNETTV. She'll be at this year's Comic-Con 2009 in San Diego, so be sure to look for that soon! We love it when Natali comes on because we always seem to bring out the dirty side of her, or so we think.

Today's show starts off a little rough because Natali just can't seem to get the Wi-Fi in the studio to connect to her computer, so we're warning you to brace yourselves for a classic NDC scream in the beginning of today's show. After that, everything runs smoothly (as smooth as it can get on The 404).

We get to talking about Sarah Palin resigning and the ridiculous speech that sort of made sense, but didn't say anything. I think NDC put it best when she said that the former Governor of Alaska is very good at the art of "saying without saying." We all watched the speech, too, and after several 17-minute viewings, I still have no idea what the heckbeans is going on. I guess she's not so much of a Maverick after all.

The next story in today's show rundown is about the city of Boston launching a complaint-filing iPhone application. Sounds like a disaster waiting to strike, right? I'd have to agree with you. Now that all citizens of Boston have an open forum to complain, I imagine a flood of the most mundane little squawks about graffiti, potholes, smells, street lights, etc...stuff that you normally wouldn't give a **** about.

After we report on the story, we go around the table and list off a few complaints that we have with the city of New York, and if you think Boston is bad, just wait, there are a few good ones in there. Are you listening, New York?

Finally, we want to send our thanks to our pal Daniel for sending us a very kind e-mail with a picture of what he did this weekend. He writes, "Hey Guys, Wanted to let you know that I spent sometime with the 404 and a Becks this weekend. Feel free to post this to the blog or whatever. Really love your show, keep up the work and congrats on the sponsor." Now if that isn't the most ideal way to sponsor a show, I don't know WHAT is! We jest, but we seriously appreciate pictures like these, they make our day. By the way, our new iTunes album art looks GREAT in Cover Flow!

Last year I had a bone to pick with Apple for not including a call duration feature on the iPhone. Not a big deal to most people I'm sure; however, when it comes to testing talk time here in CNET Labs, I can't think of a more useful feature.

With last year's iPhone 3G, I was able to circumvent this inconvenience by tracking the phone's "Time since last full charge" duration. This number, as you might have guessed, tells you the amount of time that's passed since the phone was last fully charged. So, all I had to do was charge the phone fully, start the test, wait until the battery died, plug it back in, and check that number.

This worked fine last year, but with the current round of iPhone 3G and 3GS testing, I'm getting extremely varied results--so varied, in fact, that I can no longer trust this method.

No matter, though, since the latest iPhone OS 3.0 added a call duration feature. I figured I'd just set up the talk time test--which involves taping earbuds from a MP3 player to the mic of the iPhone and a landline phone, calling the landline phone, and waiting for the battery to die. Then I'd come back several hours later and have delicious results waiting for me (kind of like an iPhone-testing-results Crock-Pot).

Once again, I'm slapped back to reality as, unfortunately, the couple of times I've tried using the call duration feature on the 3G and 3GS I've had little luck. Apparently, if the phone's battery dies in the middle of a call, the duration of that call isn't saved on the phone.--yet another roadblock. … Read more

Well, you don't really need to totally disregard this episode, but that is what 10-12 means in CB radio talk. And the news is light. Although we do learn that the head of MI6's Speedo is not a state secret. But it SHOULD be!

MI6 boss in Facebook entry row http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8134807.stm

Small towns and farms to get Net Neutrality http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-10278484-94.html

Apple orders up a ton of … Read more