iOS 4.1 Is Here In A Week - What Is It?

We've all been waiting for 4.1 for some time now, and Steve Jobs, seemingly sensing our anticipation, started the keynote with the iOS 4.1 announcement. As Steve would say, "I think you'll like it".

Bugs Fixed- Unlike some of the rumors that were floating around online the last few days, 4.1 will fix all of the issues that were plaguing the iPhone. The proximity sensor issue is taken care of, the bluetooth issues are fixed, and 4.1 will make the iPhone 3G not seem like it's quite as outdated.

HDR Photo - HDR Photo looks to be a really cool new photo feature that will make your photo's even nicer on the iPhone. Instead of just taking your standard, whitewashed or overly dark pictures, HDR photo will take 3 pictures at once, an underexposed one, an overexposed one, and the standard one. In a bit of Apple magic, it blends the three together to make your photo super pretty. Whitewashed and overly dark photos will magically become good looking, details that you never knew existed will pop up in your photos, and we will see world peace in 2011. Maybe I got a bit excited there.

GameCenter - GameCenter, Apple's attempt at unifying social gaming on the iPhone, looks to be far better than I expected. They didn't go into too many details, but unlike the current social gaming networks, Apple's GameCenter can push game invites straight to your phone. That's right, no emails for game invites, no going into silly websites to see what friends are playing what, just a solid push system. Jobs made a funny quip that if you don't have any friends, GameCenter will auto match you up with other people who are on a similar gaming level.

I can't believe I am saying this, but I'm pretty excited for GameCenter.

4.1 will be out next week, so be ready for some GameCenter invites from all of us here at 148Apps as soon as it launches.

Also announced in the keynote was 4.2, which will finally bring all these cool features to the iPad. Poor iPad users have been waiting far too long to get folders and multitasking, but all they have to do is wait a bit longer.

Also included in 4.2 is AirPlay and wireless printing.

Wireless printing does exactly what it says, finally allowing your iDevices to print from any printer in your wireless network. Will business users (people stuck on BlackBerry) finally stop complaining that iDevices aren't business savvy? Probably not.

AirPlay is the new redux of AirTunes, allowing not only music to be streamed, but video too. Now I guess college party hosts around the nation will start mixing videos instead of play lists.... oh the 21st century.

4.2 will be out on the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and the iPad in November.