Apple Working on 'Photo Streaming' and Other Social Features in iOS? [Update]

211414 mobileme

With the release of Beta 2 of iOS 4.3, it seems there is more evidence that Apple is working on integrating more social features to iOS. The first beta revealed evidence of a "Find My Friends" features for MobileMe that might provide users with real-time location data of their friends. In Beta 2, 9to5Mac points to findings of references to two new services called "Media Stream" and "Photo Streaming".

With Photo Streams, you will also be allowed to invite" other users to view your pictures as you take them and upload them to a service. This service looks like it is connected to MobileMe, and we speculate that Media Stream can be directly connected to Find my Friends. We think Find my Friends will be another aspect of Apples social network, a part of a free MobileMe, where you can choose to view your friends Photo Streams all on that same map.

The site speculates that this service could tie in with Apple's massive NC data center. There only appears to be scant evidence of the new features in the latest betas, so it's hard to know how close they are to completion. This along with "Find My Friends" references could point to a significant new social initiative for Apple.

In a previous email, Steve Jobs claimed that MobileMe would get "a lot better" in 2011.

Update: We've received additional information about what "PhotoStream" is. According to text found in the iOS 4.3 beta:

Photo Stream uploads and stores the last thirty days of your photos on MobileMe and downloads them to all of your devices.

Photo Streams can also be shared to other individuals.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Use Same Rear Chassis as iPhone 16

Friday July 19, 2024 7:16 am PDT by
Apple will adopt the same rear chassis manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 that it is using for the upcoming standard iPhone 16, claims a new rumor coming out of China. According to the Weibo-based leaker "Fixed Focus Digital," the backplate manufacturing process for the iPhone SE 4 is "exactly the same" as the standard model in Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, which is expected to...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Just Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Monday July 15, 2024 4:44 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
bsod

Crowdstrike Says Global IT Outage Impacting Windows PCs, But Mac and Linux Hosts Not Affected

Friday July 19, 2024 3:12 am PDT by
A widespread system failure is currently affecting numerous Windows devices globally, causing critical boot failures across various industries, including banks, rail networks, airlines, retailers, broadcasters, healthcare, and many more sectors. The issue, manifesting as a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), is preventing computers from starting up properly and forcing them into continuous recovery...
iphone 14 lineup

Cellebrite Unable to Unlock iPhones on iOS 17.4 or Later, Leak Reveals

Thursday July 18, 2024 4:18 am PDT by
Israel-based mobile forensics company Cellebrite is unable to unlock iPhones running iOS 17.4 or later, according to leaked documents verified by 404 Media. The documents provide a rare glimpse into the capabilities of the company's mobile forensics tools and highlight the ongoing security improvements in Apple's latest devices. The leaked "Cellebrite iOS Support Matrix" obtained by 404 Media...
Apple Watch Series 9

2024 Apple Watch Lineup: Key Changes We're Expecting

Tuesday July 16, 2024 7:59 am PDT by
Apple is seemingly planning a rework of the Apple Watch lineup for 2024, according to a range of reports from over the past year. Here's everything we know so far. Apple is expected to continue to offer three different Apple Watch models in five casing sizes, but the various display sizes will allegedly grow by up to 12% and the casings will get taller. Based on all of the latest rumors,...
tinypod apple watch

TinyPod Turns Your Apple Watch Into an iPod

Wednesday July 17, 2024 3:18 pm PDT by
If you have an old Apple Watch and you're not sure what to do with it, a new product called TinyPod might be the answer. Priced at $79, the TinyPod is a silicone case with a built-in scroll wheel that houses the Apple Watch chassis. When an Apple Watch is placed inside the TinyPod, the click wheel on the case is able to be used to scroll through the Apple Watch interface. The feature works...