Apple has released an expected iOS update that addresses a number of issues related to the iPhone location tracking controversy. iOS 4.3.3 is available via iTunes for the GSM iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, all iPads, and the fourth-generation iPod touch. (Another update, iOS 4.2.8, is available for CDMA iPhone users.)

According to the release notes, iOS 4.3.3 reduces the size of the location database cache, stops backing the cache up to iTunes when you connect your device to a computer, and deletes the cache entirely when you turn Location Services off. There are no other notes attached to the update, though it's possible (as always) that Apple may have slipped some other bug fixes into it as well. (We hear there are bug fixes for the iPod touch, but we're not sure what those fixes are yet.)

Apple came under fire late last month when two researchers made it especially easy for regular people to see what their 3G-enabled iPhones and iPads had collected about their whereabouts. Though the existence of the location cache has never been a secret, experts agreed that the release of iOS 4 last year made it easier than ever for shady individuals to see where you've been, either by jailbreaking your iPhone or simply accessing the file from your iOS backup in iTunes. The iPhone and iPad kept logs of user locations even when Location Services were turned off in the iOS settings, and there was no apparent way to get rid of the log on the phone or the computer.

Apple finally addressed the issue a week later by answering a number of questions about the cache. The company reiterated that it's not tracking users and doesn't transmit the data back to Apple—the company said it uses the cell tower and WiFi hotspot information to help determine your location when using GPS, among other things. Still, Apple said iOS's ability to keep tracking users—even after Location Services was turned off—was a bug, and that a software update would be released soon to fix it.

The company never gave a specific timeframe for when the update would be available, so today's release is somewhat of a pleasant surprise. It's important to remember, however, that the location cache still resides on your iPhone or iPad even though it's no longer backed up to the computer. So if you don't want jealous spouses or crazed stalkers to jailbreak your phone and find out where you've been, you'll want to keep Location Services turned off for good.