Apple Releases iOS 4.3

Today, Apple released the latest version of its iOS platform to developers used by the iPod Touch, the iPad and the iPhone,  iOS 4.3. Various new features which have been introduced in this new edition include the ability to share the data connection of an iPhone 4 over WiFi as a WiFi hotspot, the double functionality of iPad’s side switch which can now be used to either mute the audio or lock the screen calibration to landscape or portrait views, new Nitro JavaScript engine for the Safari mobile browsing platform and AirPlay enhancements for iTunes Home Sharing.

CEO Steve Jobs said during the launch that the current global market for iOS devices is growing at an unprecedented rate with over 160 million devices using the platform having been sold, which includes more than 100 million iPhones. He said that the new version of the platform added many new features to the existing build which provide the users a better overall experience and more options to the developers.

The improvement in the Safari browsing experience is said to be substantial with the new Nitro JavaScript engine which Apple has already used quite successfully in its desktop models. It provides an almost double performance boost by using just-in-time compilations for rendering webpages. It also decreases the load up time for the more complex websites. The Personal Hotspot feature finally brings the ability to transform the iOS devices into WiFi hotspots, which means that they can share the cellular data connection access with other WiFi devices in the vicinity through wireless connections. Up to three devices can be connected through WiFi, three over Bluetooth and one on USB. All these connections are password protected and there are various measures taken to protect unauthorized access to these services.