Only a few weeks after the previous beta release, the new beta 4 for the iPhone OS 3.0 (Build 7A300g) has been released to developers, correcting many bugs and introducing new features, including the support to the pre-release version 8.2 of the iTunes and Blu-Ray.

In order to activate the new beta, the users need to install a pre-release version of iTunes 8.2 that doesn’t seem to bring many new features, except for the Blu-Ray support on Gracenote, which could mean that the next update coming to Apple’s multimedia player will probably support some sort of Blu-Ray compatibility.

Other new things will probably come up as soon as developers start to study the software, and we’ll be tuned.

Apple has communicated that all the available places for the annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2009 are taken. Perhaps not something that concerns the end-user, but it at least confirms Apple’s usual appeal.

According to the worksession calendars, the iPhone OS 3.0 should be the main point of the developers conference, but many claim that the final version of Snow Leopard should be released during the event as well.

The WWDC 2009 will take place from June 8th to June 12th in San Francisco, California.

Besides the video recording function, a new feature has appeared on the new QuickTime X. The new multimedia player coming with Snow Leopard will in fact be able to create a web-optimized version of a video e once the user’s YouTube information is inserted, it will directly upload the video on the famous website. Obviously, there’s also the possibility of uploading the video content to the MobileMe galleries, Apple’s paid service.

The options on the export menu will also be different, and it’ll combine the many sharing video options under the “share” menu option.

It’s not that surprising to see another partnership between Google and Apple, since part of the agreement includes an YouTube application on iPhone, and Google had already agreed to start converting its video archive into the H.264 standard used by Apple.

Appleinsider has reported that Apple has added an interesting desktop video recording function on the latest Snow Leopard Beta version. The brand new option will be available directly from QuickTime X and will simplify the process of creating video tutorials, software demonstrations or whatever needs to be shown on Finder.

For now, in order to show a detail on the desktop, users must use the integrated screenshot feature on the Operational System, while in order to make desktop videos, there’s the need of a third-party software.

In an article published today, Appleinsider has reported that Apple apparently has distributed a new pre-release build for the Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard to the developers, known by the code 10A335. The second beta of the operational system released this month doesn’t seem to bring many changes.

Three weeks after the previous one, this latest release could indicate that Apple wishes to receive faster feedback from the developers, due to the official presentation coming this summer.

The list of bugs found on the 10A335 build are mainly about the QuickTime X player, application crashes under Rosetta, problems with Migration Assistant and some errorws found on the Disk Utility. Apparently, there are no big changes, but it’s possible that more new features could be found in the next few days, as developers proceed to test it a little further.

Many had assumed that the previous build for the Mac OS X 10.5.7, released a few days ago, would have been the final version for the operational system, which should be launched during the next few days. But Apple decided to release yet another build, called 9J56 that corrects problems with Bluetooth, AFP volumes and other bugs.

Some of those bugs concern the AFP volumes that could bring a halt to the system, the bluetooth compatibility and stability has been enhanced and some bugs with Time Machine have also been corrected. Strangely though, the bug that prevents the installation of Safari 4 is still present, but it’s likely to e solved with a new Safari beta which should be launched sometime soon as well.

Apple has released a software update for the new iPod Shuffle, presented back in March. The Update 1.0.2 aims at optimizing the response on the control button found on the headphone wire. Those are the specific enhancements:

- Faster response on the “Play” button once it’s pressed after a longer period of inactivity
- The volume controls are done now through individual button presses
- The Japanese VoiceOver was enhanced
- Many “secondary problems” (which weren’t specified) have been fixed.

In order to proceed with the update, users must simply connect the iPod Shuffle to the computer and wait for iTunes to be launched.

The site Arstechnica has reported some new indications that would point to a voice interface on the new 3.0 Operational System for iPhone and iPod Touch.

In particular, all the reference sto a code name, “Jibbler”, would mean a voice synthetizer and recognition system. The references in the code would be these ones: VSSpeechSynthesizer, VSRecognitionSession, SBVoiceControlDisableHandlerActions, SBSensitiveJibblerEnabled, e SBVoiceControlSoundCompletion. SB would mean SpringBoard (the multiple “desktops” on the iPhone graphic interface) and VS would mean Voice Services.

Other indications make it seem that the voice recognition features would be able to be activated from the headphone buttons. We’ll have to see if those rumors are true or not.

Apple has sent the eighth build of their Mac OS 10.5.7 to developers. The build is labeled 9J50 and there was only one bug solved. That fact, plus the update frequencies (two in less than a week) makes everyone think that the final release of Leopard’s update should be coming soon.

With the development of the Mac OS 10.5.7, Apple has corrected more than 100 bugs. The update should be 440MB large, and the combo update for all Leopard versions should have 730MB.

We’ll be tuned.

Apple apparently has ordered the manufacturing of 4 million of the next generation of iPhones, according to the Commercial Times, a Chinese newspaper. The shipping is scheduled for the end of this trimester, more precisely June, which could probably mean that the units would arrive on the stores in the first days of July. A formal launch of the new iPhone should be anticipated at the WWDC 09 in San Francisco, scheduled for June 8th.

The newspaper reports that at least 3 different iPhone models were ordered to the Chinese assembling companies. The main one is a 3G device with all the updated components; together with that model, another one that seems to have only EDGE protocol and costing less than the top one. The third model would be aimed only for the Chinese market, without Wi-Fi and with TD-SCDMA support.

The news from the Chinese newspaper differs from the estimatives from Kaufman Bros. The research group suggests that 3.7 million iPhones could be sold in June as part of lot of 5-6 million pieces. The Institute also says that only 2 of the 3 iPhone models should be available in June, and claims that the Chinese-only market model is still at a developing phase that would make it too early for a June launch.

We’ll label all this information as rumors until we get official confirmation, of course.