Loading up SlashGear on WiFi, iPhone 2.01 finished roughly 2-seconds faster than 2.0.  iPhone OS 2.01 literally obliterated 2.0 beating it by a massive lead of 26-seconds when loading up iPhoneBuzz.com!  If you don’t believe me, watch the side-by-side video below and see it for yourself.  Poking around in the about page of the new firmware, it looks like there’s a new modem firmware.  iPhone OS 2.01′s modem firmware is now 01.48.02 versus 01.45.00 on iPhone OS 2.0.

Other differences include call quality.  On 3G, I’m barely able to maintain a phone call (at home), while 2.01 “seems” to have better reception, allowing me to finish a full conversation with Ewdison.

Another notable improvement includes faster SMS.  By faster, you can say good-bye to the lagging keyboard.  I still need to test out the back-up feature, which everyone on the net is swearing up and down the pole that it’s much faster now.

That’s all for now from me, but feel free to chime in and post your comments should you discover something new.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ec63VkJejiI[/youtube]

Update: NetShare still works, you need to delete and reconfigure your profile.  WiFi and Google maps is fixed, no more missed calculation even using without gps signal and assisted.

I find it ironic that Apple takes every effort to make sure our user experience is nothing less than the best, even right down to what applications are allowed on iTunes; yet they can’t seem to get the battery right.  I counted ELEVEN different things you should do to your iPhone 3G daily in order to ensure that it DOES NOT die on you during that oh so important sales call or while chit chatting with your wife.  We’re busy people, not to mention busy enjoying the awesome 3G speed surfing the web, getting push email or trying to hook up with an old friend on Loopt.  The last thing we need to be concerned with is — turning off EQ, making sure push email is off or worried if I should fetch my email less (the list goes on and on and on!).  This is nonsense! Of all the suggestions, this particular one gave me a few chuckles.

Use Airplane Mode in low- or no-coverage areas: Because your iPhone always tries to maintain a connection with the cellular network, it may use more power in low- or no-coverage areas. Turning on Airplane Mode can increase battery life in these situations; however, you will be unable to make or receive calls. To turn on Airplane Mode, go to Settings and set Airplane Mode to On.

I’m not sure if it’s even possible to improve the iPhone 3G’s battery at this point, so I’ve resolved to the fact that the battery is a piece of junk and it should be criminal of Apple to release such a superior device on an inferior battery!  At this point there’s nothing I can do, and you must be feeling the same.  There is some hope; third-party battery extenders.  There are three brands/makes that I know of: Mophie Juice Pack, iGo battery extender from Mobility Electronics or the Kensington Mini Battery Pack and Charger.  Check out the video for more details on the first two, and jump on over to Geek.com to read up on the last one.

You have a chance to win a FREE Mophie Juice Pack right here on iPhone Buzz!  Stay tune for details.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OOdKHLXGDQ[/youtube]

mophie Juice Pack Battery Pack/Case for iPhone

Other features include One2One mode that allows you to use two SM100 EarModules as a Walkie-talkie. While this is a nifty Star Trek like feature, I’m just not sure how useful it is since the range of Bluetooth isn’t all that great. The switch between PhoneMode and Environmental mode is a nice touch. You can set specific sound volumes for each mode. VoiceCapture is suppose to do a better job at picking up your voice and make it much more clearer for the person on the other end, but that doesn’t always work out too well. The second to best feature is the wind protection. I tested the headset with my windows down driving on the highway at 65MPH with Chris on the other end. The result? While Chris was able to tell I was in my car with the windows down and the wind blowing by, he was able to clearly make my voice. Now that’s really damn impressive.

Click over to watch the video review.

The spec shows 8 hours of talk time and 70 hours of standby time; this sort of true if you use the headset without any of the environmental settings.

Overall, I rank the SM100 EarModule’s form factor and quality scores an above average ranking of 3 ¾ out 5. The sound quality is good but it’s just not equivalent to the nX6000. It’s more comfortable to wear for longer durations than most Bluetooth headsets on the market.

My recommendation: The SM100 EarModule is a good buy when you factor in the noise cancellation, wind guard and the environmental modes (doubling as a hearing aide). The retail price is $129, but our store is selling it for $99.95.