Developers discover hidden panorama, keyboard features in iO
Source: Jacqui Cheng
It's not often that Apple buries hidden features within public releases of iOS, but two previously unknown features within iOS 5 caught the attention of developers this week. The first, discovered on Monday by developer Conrad Kramer, is a panorama mode within the iOS 5 Camera app. The second, discovered Thursday morning by iOS hacker Sonny Dickson, reveals an "Android-like" autocorrect bar above the on-screen keyboard.
Both features appear to have been tested by Apple for iOS 5 but were not included in the final release for whatever reason. Regardless, users can still enable them both on their iOS devices by using a tool called BackupBot to manipulate your iPhone or iPod touch's backup file. Detailed instructions for exactly what to add to which files can be found at MyGreatiPhone for the panorama mode, and Dickson's own blog for the keyboard autocorrect bar.
Neither of these require jailbreaks, but they do require some poking around in files that Apple doesn't like people to mess with, so use the requisite caution when doing so. If you are a jailbreaker, however, developer Grant Paul has submitted an app called Firebreak to Cydia in order to enable the panorama mode.
if you ask us, panorama mode is much more interesting than the keyboard hack―it appears as though the latter is simply a different way of displaying the same autocorrect suggestions that iOS already provides. Then again, there are plenty of third-party panorama apps available to users already, so if you're looking for the easiest way to start taking those kind of photos, the App Store may be a more attractive place to start.
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