iOS 4.3 Beta 2 Hints at a New Media Streaming Service [Unconfirmed]

While testing iOS 4.3 Beta 2 , I found a mysterious error message proclaiming PHOTOSTREAM_NO_NETWORK_WIFI. Due to 9to5 Mac digging into the iOS file system, that message makes some sense now: It can be referencing Apple’s new media streaming service.

Apparently there are several more references to a ” Photo Stream” and a ” Media Stream” hidden inside the iOS system files. There are alerts and graphics indicating privacy settings, subscription options, an invitation system, and a connection to Mobile Me. Based on those things, 9to5 has already dreamed up how a new service might work:

From the looks of other alerts and plists, it seems that that Apple will let iPhone users organize ” Photo Streams” that friends could ” subscribe” to. Also, it looks as if there shall be some privacy preferences regarding this, so you may choose who is authorized to view your ” Streams.”

With Photo Streams, additionally be allowed to ” invite” other users to view your pictures as you’re taking them and upload them to a service. This service appears like it truly is connected to MobileMe, and we speculate that ” Media Stream” may be directly connected to ” Find my Friends.” We expect Find my Friends shall be another aspect of Apple’s social network, an element of a free MobileMe, where you’ll be able to prefer to view your folks’ ” Photo Streams” all on that same map. Apple has a patent on something called iGroups when it comes to this. This could clearly tie into the Mac and iOS photo app’s Places feature. From gazing the SDK, it looks as if ” Media Stream” could really well actually have a plugin counterpart, like AirPlay, in 3rd party apps.

While all of that’s speculation based on a number of files, folders, and alerts, the small print do sound fairly plausible. Needless to say, notwithstanding this service becomes reality, it could actually still be ages before we will be able to actually use it. [ 9to5 ]

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This post is tagged: error message, invitation system, privacy preferences, privacy settings, streaming service, subscription options