iOS 4.3.3 is out with location tracking fixes for iPhone, iPad
Apple has released an expected iOS update that addresses a number of issues related to the iPhone location tracking controversy. iOS 4.3.3 is available via iTunes for the GSM iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, all iPads, and the fourth-generation iPod touch. (Another update, iOS 4.2.8, is available for CDMA iPhone users.)
According to the release notes, iOS 4.3.3 reduces the size of the location database cache, stops backing the cache up to iTunes when you connect your device to a computer, and deletes the cache entirely when you turn Location Services off. There are no other notes attached to the update, though it's possible (as always) that Apple may have slipped some other bug fixes into it as well. (We hear there are bug fixes for the iPod touch, but we're not sure what those fixes are yet.)
Apple came under fire late last month when two researchers made it especially easy for regular people to see what their 3G-enabled iPhones and iPads had collected about their whereabouts. Though the existence of the location cache has never been a secret, experts agreed that the release of iOS 4 last year made it easier than ever for shady individuals to see where you've been, either by jailbreaking your iPhone or simply accessing the file from your iOS backup in iTunes. The iPhone and iPad kept logs of user locations even when Location Services were turned off in the iOS settings, and there was no apparent way to get rid of the log on the phone or the computer.
