Unbound Medicine has released Relief Central, a free web and mobile resource that delivers reference information and news to relief workers, first responders, and others in disaster relief situations. Users can search The World Factbook from the CIA for detailed information on over 250 countries and territories or review disaster assessment and response guidelines in The Field Operations Guide from the USAID. Relief News gives you up-to-the-minute RSS feeds from trusted government, non-profit, and international resources such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Red Cross, ReliefWeb, and more. With Unbound Medicine's selected MEDLINE Journals users can link to the latest abstracts and articles in relevant scientific and medical literature. See here to view Relief Central on the Web and to get instructions for downloading it to your iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile, or Palm device.

Touch tablets will come out optimized for operating systems ranging from closed (iPhone OS) to open (Linux) and everything in between. Take your pick. Get the full story here at Datamation.

The iPad targets the business market as it simultaneously aims at the education, publishing, and gaming markets. Get the full story here at Datamation.

Apple today rolled out the latest software update for the iPhone, OS 3.1.3. The firmware ugrade fixes a number of bugs (see image below) and, according to reports, wreaks havoc on jailbroken iPhones. The former is entirely welcome. And, while the later isn't welcome, no one should be surprised that Apple's once again reasserted control over the iPhone. Now it's up to hackers to reassert themselves and enable iPhoners to run their unofficial apps again. No doubt they've already gotten to it.

Today's update follows one released by Apple for iTunes earlier in the week. iTunes 9.0.3 provides a number of important bug fixes, including:

--iTunes no longer ignores your "Remember password for purchases" setting.

--Addresses problems with syncing some Smart Playlists and Podcasts with iPod.

--Resolves a problem recognizing when iPod is connected.

--Addresses issues that affect stability and performance.

Engadget's gotten some tips from "extremely trusted sources" regarding what may be in store with the next software update to the iPhone. The most interesting of these new features is, reportedly, that iPhone OS 3.2 will add rudimentary support for video calling. This would include the ability to accept or decline a video conference, flip a video feed, run a video call on the iPad (and maybe the iPhone's) full display or just on part of the screen. These rumors suggest that the next iPhone—but more likely the next iPad—may contain a front-facing camera. Or, at the least, you'll be able to face the first-gen iPad's camera attachment to the user for video conferencing purposes. Possible additional new features in iPhone OS 3.2 includes support for browser-based file downloads, multiple dictionaries with the ability for users to add entries, and phone, possibility phone and SMS capabilities for the iPad. See here for more on iPhone OS 3.2 at engadget.

Stephen Colbert, host of te Colbert Report on Comedy Central, had something up his sleeve (okay, in his jacket) when he hosted the Grammy Awards lat night. He pulled out an actual working iPod. Check out the video below to watch Colbert handle his Apple toy and see the iPad's display flip automatcially from vertical to horizontal modes with a turn of the device itself.

 

iPodcaStudio ($0.99, available here) is an all-in-one podcast solution that launched last fall. It allows casual users to record, edit, and transfer audio right from their iPhone or iPod touch. They can also edit audio and transfer files via Wi-Fi, e-mail, or FTP. Check out a review of the program here at tuaw.

G5 Entertainment, the developer behind iPhone games like Stand O'Food, Supermarket Mania, and The Mystery of the Crystal Portal, has released its latest title, Jane's Hotel ($2.99, available here). A version of the time-management game is already popular on PC. In the iPhone edition of Jane's Hotel, players guide Jane as she begins her hospitality career with a simple 2-star hotel on the outskirts of town. Players must keep visitors satisfied with clean rooms, drinks and tasty meals. As the cash rolls in throughout 40 levels, accommodations can be upgraded until Jane is running a sophisticated five-star hotel.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs today unveiled the worst-kept secret in the Silicon Valley: Apple's tablet PC, dubbed the iPad. It sports a lower-than-expected price tag  (starting at $499) and a few surprises. And, in a nutshell, the iPad is potentially one of the most important, culture-changing tech products in history, because it can replace all media, according to Datamation columnist Mike Elgan. Read his informative yet concise rundown of the iPads features and specs here. You can find the video about the iPad Steve Jobs showed during his presentation and more information about the 1.5 pound, half-inch thick tablet with the 9.7-inch LED capacitive (multtouch) display that can run over 145,000 iPhone apps out of the gate here at Apple's website.

Despite its position as a mobile competitor, Google continues to support multiple platforms that compete with its Android-powered devices. Rejected by Apple fo the App Store, Google Voice is now available as a Web app for both iPhone and Palm Pre. Get the full story here at InternetNews.com and here at Google.