Two smartphone giants – iPhone and Nexus One – got a software update yesterday.

Apple released iPhone OS 3.1.3 for iPhone and iPod touch that improves accuracy of reported battery level on iPhone 3GS, resolves issue where third-party apps would not launch in some instantes and fixes bug that may cause an app to crash when using the Japanese Kana keyboard.

The update relates to security issues with:

Recovery Mode: a person with physical access to a locked device might be able to access the user’s data. The update improves handling of the USB control message;
WebKit: accessing a maliciously crafted FTP server could result in an unexpected application termination, information disclosure, or arbitrary code execution. The update addresses the issues through improved parsing of FTP directory listings;
CoreAudio: playing a maliciously crafted mp4 audio file might lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. This issue is addressed through improved bounds checking;
ImageIO: viewing a maliciously crafted TIFF image might lead to an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution. Apple fixes it also through improved bounds checking.

The update is compatible with all iPhone and iPod touch models and is available for download from iTunes.

Also Nexus One users began to receive an over-the-air software update on their phones yesterday. This update fixes a few problems and provides some new features, including:

Multitouch: Nexus One will now include a new pinch-to-zoom mechanism in the phone’s Browser, Gallery and Maps applications;
Google Goggles: this application will now be available directly on the device by launching it from All Apps menu;
Google Maps: the Maps will be updated to a new version, Google Maps 3.4, which will include starred items synchronized with maps.google.com, search suggestions from the personal maps.google.com history as well as night mode in Google Maps Navigation that automatically changes the screen at night for easier viewing and driving.

Google said they will also provide a general fix to help improve 3G connectivity on some Nexus One phones.

The company also informed that this update will be rolled out gradually to phones – and most users might not receive the notification until the end of the week.

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