With the iPhone 3.0 Firmware and the 3G S out and in full swing applications are starting to take advantage of the new performance of both these Apple releases.

One big update is the new Facebook app. It’s added some great features and redesigned the home screen in a new layout. There’s no push yet, but we hope to see that in the 3.1 firmware update. Supposedly coming soon.

Check out some of the new features with this update, available in the Apple iTunes store:

• Respond to RSVP
• Upload and create new photos
• Photo tagging
• Zooming on photos
• Easy contact integration for texting and calling
• New, better home screen

There’s a lot more in the update and if you’re a F-Book user, we highly recommend downloading this update and enjoying thoroughly.

[via Gizmodo]

Tired of high mobile phone bills? Looking to reduce those text message fees? Are you German? If you answered yes to those questions (especially the last one), the German carrier E-Plus may have the solution for you.

Communications Tech Firm Alcatel-Lucent announced that they will be providing hardware to E-Plus to allow them to integrate advertisements into their mobile phones. Customers have the option to select service with advertisements for reduced service fees.

While further details about how the advertisements will be presented are not available this could be a great way for other carriers to offer more affordable plans to their customers. However if it becomes intrusive and disruptive you won’t likely be seeing people running to get 2 cents off of a text message while having to sit through a 20 second ad.

Hopefully they will come up with a solution that provides customer and advertiser with good service and simple advertising which doesn’t make you want to toss your phone in a lake.

[via GigaOM]

Those of you who have been huffing and puffing for the last two weeks can finally calm down. It’s here! Jailbreak and Unlock for the iPhone 3G S, under the name purplera1n. It hasn’t come from the usual source of the Dev-Team however. It is being brought to us from one of the original iPhone geniuses, geohot.

At the moment there are just a few limitations:

1. Do not go near the 3.1 OS update. This apparently has fixed the hole that is being used for the 3.0 Jailbreak on the 3G S
2. It’s Windows only for the moment, but a Mac version is coming soon.
3. This is a beta version and like every other jailbreak out there, so ba USE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

The jailbreak uses a slightly different approach to more popular methods and does not require a full custom firmware upgrade and works with apparently more sneakier methods. It also jumps the gun on the Dev-Teams conservatism in that they were waiting for the 3.1 upgrade to get a full attack on Apple without revealing too many of their tricks.

Once the jailbreak is performed you will then have access to Cydia and can use the same ultrasn0w utility which unlocked the iPhone 3G.

So proceed with caution, but have some fun.

[Via GSM Arena]