Latest iPhone 3.0 Beta Reveals Parental Controls
Developers got an unexpected surprise yesterday after Apple released a new beta of the iPhone OS 3.0 and a second version of iTunes 8.2. This release comes just eight days after Apple released 3.0 beta 4 and the first public version of iTunes 8.2. Apple's typical release schedule for new 3.0 beta versions has been about two weeks. If beta 5's availability signals a faster release schedule, then a near-final version of iPhone OS 3.0 may be just around the corner. That would make sense since it's barely over a month until Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco where 3.0 is expected to make its debut.
Nothing has been found in yesterday's release as dramatic as last week's hints that Blu-ray functionality may be coming to iTunes 8.2. However, there are some notable additions in this latest version of iPhone OS 3.0. The biggest change is that iPhone apps may be getting restriction settings with parental controls built into the iPhone. Apple has been criticized for its heavy censorship restrictions having rejected iPhone apps like Nine Inch Nails' nin:access or South Park's iPhone App for containing material that some users may have found objectionable. Parental controls for iPhone apps are a great way to allow users get the content they want while keeping explicit material away from minors.
