Tag Archives: iOS 5

iOS 7′s game controller support could be a real game-changer

Of all of the features of iOS 7 that have been talked about since Monday's WWDC 2013 keynote, probably none has more potential impact than the item circled in blue on the image above -- MFi game controller support in the iOS 7 SDK. Jeff Blagdon at The Verge took a closer look at what this means for Apple fans, and possibly for the gaming world as a whole.

MFi means "Made For iPhone/iPod/iPad," and refers to officially licensed add-ons that meet specifications set forth by Apple. The company is now adding support for controllers to the SDK, making it easy for third-party game controller manufacturers to create hardware that Apple can "bless." Developers benefit, since they know that their games will work with any of the approved game controllers.

But Blagdon brings up a much bigger point in his post. Since Apple added AirPlay mirroring to iOS devices with iOS 5, anyone with a US$99 Apple TV can easily blast mobile gameplay to their HDTV. Blagdon says "with API-level support for third-party game controllers, who is going to stop Apple from waltzing into the home console market?"

Apple already controls the handheld gaming market, and Blagdon notes that the new 16 GB iPod touch and Apple TV cost just US$328 -- less than the $399 Sony PS4 announced yesterday or the $499 Microsoft Xbox One. Apple could easily begin to make the dedicated home gaming console obsolete.

iOS 7's game controller support could be a real game-changer originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple receives iPhone unlock requests from law enforcement

The encryption on your iPhone is apparently secure enough that law enforcement agencies are waiting in line to have Apple "crack" the lock and provide data to be used as evidence.

According to a report by CNET, Apple has the ability to decrypt seized iPhones and has created a waiting list to handle requests. At one point last summer, the wait was over seven weeks long and one ATF agent reported that it took his request at least four months to be processed. The ATF had tried to decrypt the iPhone 4S of a Kentucky man accused of distributing crack cocaine and became so frustrated that it contacted Apple for assistance. That's where the wait started...

For those who are concerned about how secure their personal information is on an iOS device, the fact that the devices can't be cracked by federal agents is good news. No one is sure exactly how Apple can decrypt the information for police, whether there's a backdoor that only Apple knows about, has custom hardware for decryption or just has better-trained cryptologists.

The CNET article notes that Elcomsoft sells an iOS Forensic Toolkit, which claims to crack a four-digit iOS 4 or iOS 5 passcode in less than 40 minutes. It's when someone uses a PIN or password with more characters that the decryption time takes a much longer time. The post cites Simson Garfinkel from the US Naval Postgraduate School, who estimates that cracking a 10-digit PIN could take as long as 25 years using common brute-force methods.

The bottom line? For normal law-abiding citizens, a longer passphrase or PIN can keep your iOS data protected. For criminals, however, Apple knows how to free your data for law enforcement and will do so.

[via TechCrunch]

Apple receives iPhone unlock requests from law enforcement originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 10 May 2013 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple rejecting iOS apps for “cookie tracking”

Apple is moving developers towards adopting the company's own iOS 6 tracking technology and not their homegrown methods. One of these alternative techniques is cookie tracking and, according to a report in TechCrunch, Apple may be rejecting apps that use this method.

To understand how we got to the point where Apple is rejecting apps that use tracking cookies, we need to take a step back to iOS 5 and earlier. In previous versions of iOS, developers used a device's UDID to track users. The UDID is a 40-character unique identifier assigned to each iOS device that developers used to track game progress, check subscription status and monitor ads. Apple phased out UDID tracking in iOS 5 and added support in iOS 6 for its own tracking methods, advertisingID and identifierForVendor.

Some apps are circumventing these approved APIs by using tracking cookies that work on mobile devices almost like they do on the desktop. Craig Palli, VP of Business Development at mobile app marketing firm Fiksu, explained to TechCrunch that, "Within local storage, an app developer can drop a token -- an ID, if you will -- and then retrieve it later. In this regard, it works like a cookie, so the industry frequently uses it and talks about it like it's a cookie."

Palli claims the number of apps being rejected for using this tracking method has increased over the past few weeks. He hypothesizes that Apple is gently nudging developers towards its own tracking technology. You can read more about this form of tracking and Apple's app rejection in the TechCrunch article.

Apple rejecting iOS apps for "cookie tracking" originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 26 Feb 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple reportedly to remove emoji apps from App Store

Now that iOS has provided default support for emoji icons for over a year, the company finally appears to be taking action to remove the seemingly endless number of third-party emoji apps on the App Store.

TechCrunch obtained an email sent by Apple to one particular app store developer, letting the seller know that their previously approved emoji app would be removed from sale. The email cites App Store guidelines that prohibit the sale of apps that "are not very useful."

It's hard to argue with the logic here, and if a feature is already supported by iOS, the need for a third-party app is indeed non-existent. Apple first introduced emoji support in iOS 5 which launched in October 2011.

Apple reportedly to remove emoji apps from App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 02 Nov 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS’s Notification Center cares more about my contacts’ birthdays than I do

I love Notification Center, but there's one thing that's bugged me about it since its introduction in iOS 5 and that thing is even worse in iOS 6: Notification Center always shows your contacts' birthdays no matter what.

In iOS 5 this wasn't too annoying, because most people probably didn't have a birthday listed for every contact in their address book (just the important ones -- like close friends and family). However, with the introduction of Facebook integration in iOS 6 (if you've enabled it), if a Facebook friend has their birthday listed, it's now in their contact card in iOS 6 Contacts. And if it's in their contact card, it will always show up in your Notification Center.

Now, I'm assuming this is just a bug that Apple has yet to kill (then again, it's been around since iOS 5, so maybe it's a "feature") but Apple needs to kill it quick. Why? Because, like other "features" of Facebook integration in iOS 6, this one too gives you plenty of information you don't need and displays it front and center in your Notification Center.

Take for example the screenshot above. On that day, Notification Center showed me that three of my contacts had birthdays. Because a birthday is an all-day event, they are shown before other timed events in my Calendar. This is just more clutter that pushes relevant information (like meetings) off screen.

Now keep in mind that I'm the kind of guy who only connects with people on Facebook who I know in real life. I've got fewer than 200 Facebook friends. That's still 200 extra all-day events that are going to show up in Notification Center that I don't want to see. Given that many people (especially younger users) have 500 to 1,000 Facebook friends, they could potentially be seeing two to three birthdays every day -- again, this would obscure more relevant information.

To be clear, this isn't just a Facebook birthdays problem. Notification Center had this problem before Facebook integration. The Facebook integration just makes it that much worse. But simply disabling Facebook integration will not stop all birthdays from showing up in Notification Center.

Though you can hide birthday calendars from the Calendars app in iOS by selecting the "Calendars" button and then deselecting the Facebook birthday calendar and the "Other" birthday calendar, this doesn't actually stop those birthdays from showing up in Notification Center (though it should). That's why I'm assuming this is still a bug that needs to be squashed. But let's squash it already. It's been a year.

iOS's Notification Center cares more about my contacts' birthdays than I do originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 08 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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45 Percent of iPad Users Already Running iOS 6


iOS 6 was released on September 19, just days before the release of Apple’s newest iPhone. Apple has always done exceptionally well rolling out updates to its operating system, but iOS 6 was an unprecedented success in terms of adoption rates.

Just 48 hours after release, iOS 6 was on 25 percent of total Apple devices. It took five days before iOS 5 was on 21 percent of phones and tablets, so adoption rates have ramped up significantly.

Chitika Insights, the company that ran the adoption rate study, took a look at millions of mobile ad impressions from its ad network from September 18 to October 1 in order to determine which devices were being updated the fastest.

The result? 60 percent of iPhone owners have updated their devices, while 45 percent of iPad owners have updated their tablets. Just 39 percent of iPod users have updated to iOS 6, due to the fact that many older iPod touches can’t be updated past iOS 4.

Currently, 45 percent of iPad owners have iOS 6, while 39 percent are still running iOS 5.1. A small percentage are using other operating systems, like iOS 5.

So how does Apple compare to other carriers? Well, Google’s data shows that only 22 percent of its users are running the newest versions of Android, an unimpressive number compared to Apple’s 45 percent adoption rate over 11 days.

Have you updated your devices to iOS 6? Why or why not?

» Related posts: New iPad Already Accounts for 5-Percent of Web Traffic iOS 5 Already Running on 1 in 3 iDevices iPad Accounts for 97-Percent of All Tablet Traffic

Some Parties Complaining About Errors in iOS 6 Maps App


A location in iOS 6 (Apple Maps) on the left and iOS 5 (Google Maps) on the right.

Those of us who have upgraded from iOS 5 to iOS 6 have noticed a big change in the Maps app, which no longer pulls data from Google Maps. Apple’s new Maps application uses data from OpenStreet, which is not as detailed as Google Maps in most areas.

This discrepancy has left many users unhappy with Apple Maps, and even worse, some people are reporting glaring errors in the system.

For example, the Airfield Park in Dublin is a place where patrons will find gardens, a cafe, and a city farm, but Apple has it erroneously marked as an airport. Google Maps had it labeled correctly.

This has prompted Ireland’s Minister for Justice to contact Apple about the issue. He’s concerned that the error could be dangerously misleading for a pilot unfamiliar with the area.

In Scotland, there is missing data, as there are in many other parts of the world. Areas like the Highlands of Inverness, Thurso, Tain, and Nairn are all in black and white, though full-color satellite data was used by Google Maps. Other spots are obscured by clouds or rendered with low-resolution textures.

There are missing towns, missing locations, wrongly labeled areas, and locations that have been placed in the wrong spots. The switch has also removed transit travel, traffic information, and street view from millions of users.

Apple moved away from Google Maps as part of an ever growing feud between the two regarding the Android operating system, but that may have been a huge mistake for Apple. Many maps are far less detailed, like this one which shows a college campus map before and after.

Those of you who have used the Maps application have likely noticed a difference. At this point, it is far inferior to the Google Maps application, even in major metropolitan areas. While Apple Maps will likely improve over time, its debut has been nothing but disappointing. To see even more map errors, check out this tumblr site, which has an aggregation of photos.

If Apple’s Maps are inaccurate or missing data in your area, you can help to improve them. Launch Maps, hit Report a Problem, choose the issue, and send if off to Apple. You can use this functionality to fix locations, to report problems with images, or to fix street and search labels.

[via Macnn, BBC, iMore]

» Related posts: Google Unveils 3D Maps for Android and… iOS! Google Working on New Maps App for iOS Google Maps Screenshots Carefully Left Out of iPad Promo Material, Sign that Apple Plans to Launch its Mapping Service Soon?

iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 5 – Why It’s Worth Waiting to Upgrade


Yesterday I gave you the reasons why I plan on upgrading to the iPhone 5, but my own reasons (and my enthusiasm for shiny new Apple products) might not be the right reasons for other people to consider an upgrade.

Today I’ll explore the reasons why it might be worthwhile to stick with the iPhone 4S and wait for the next iPhone before investing cash in a new device, because upgrading is definitely not the right decision for everyone.

Even though I’m planning to upgrade to the iPhone 5, I’d like to point out that the Sept. 12 event was a disappointment. I don’t blame anyone who watched that event or read news of it afterward and decided not to order a new iPhone – it entirely was unimpressive.

Maybe it’s just me, but it feels like Apple has lost the magic that Steve Jobs brought to announcements. When the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4 came out, it was like Christmas morning, a birthday, and New Years Eve all rolled into one.

The events themselves were exciting, and so were the products. The iPhone 4 marked a huge upgrade from the iPhone 3GS, including a major redesign, and so did the iPad 2.

In comparison, the iPhone 5, though it is an upgrade to the iPhone 4S in every way, is a boring phone. It looks markedly similar to the iPhone 4S and it didn’t include any features to draw us consumers in, to make us sit up and say “Wow, look at that iPhone 5. I have to have it.”

At the same time that I make this complaint, I can’t voice specific features the new iPhone should have had or what it should have looked like to be more noteworthy. I don’t know, but that’s why I’m not Jony Ive making the big bucks at Apple.

The iPhone 5’s slogan, “The biggest thing to happen to the iPhone since the iPhone” can only be taken literally. In terms of impact, it has little.

If you upgrade to have the newest cool device, to be the kid with the best toys, you may want to skip this one, because I’m not sure it’s the best new toy out there anymore.

If Apple really wanted to impress, perhaps the company could have included little touches like inductive charging, biometric passcodes, or some other breathtaking feature. Even an invisible improvement like a capacity increase would have made it more desirable. Apple seems to be taking few risks these days. I understand that there’s not a lot of innovation that can be made in cell phones at the moment (much like laptops – we’re in a refining period) but it’s the small things that count.

On a more practical note, for those of you who already have an iPhone 4S, don’t need the extra performance improvements for games or other tasks, and weren’t impressed with the new iPhone, there’s little reason to upgrade.

It’s bigger, it’s clunkier, and it’s less portable. Your thumb may still fit across a 4-inch diagonal screen, but I guarantee it’s going to make some aspects of the phone less usable.

Apple and app developers are not going to phase out the 4S. Your phone will comfortably run all apps in the coming year before the next iPhone upgrade, which can be proven with the iPhone 4. I don’t think I’ve seen a single game that can’t run on that phone. Logically, the iPhone 4S has lasting power. The iPhone 5 may have double the processing power in theory, but you’re only going to notice a slight difference with system intensive apps.

For me, LTE was one of the major selling points of the iPhone 5, but unfortunately, LTE isn’t available in all areas. AT&T has limited LTE availability, focused mainly on the west coast. Verizon’s coverage is better, but still not all encompassing, and Sprint’s LTE is just embarrassing.

If you live in one of the areas that doesn’t have LTE yet or if you have Sprint, I’d save that precious upgrade. LTE coverage is going to take some time to rollout, and by the time U.S. carriers get their act together, we’ll be nearing the release date for the seventh generation iPhone. Even in areas with LTE, that speed increase may not be worth the extra cost to some of you.

Upgrading to the iPhone 5 from an iPhone 4S is pricy, because no iPhone 4S users are available for an upgrade at this point in time. That means buying off contract, terminating contracts, or paying early upgrade fees. All of these options are significantly more expensive than buying a phone with a two year contract.

Those of you who don’t need the power or the features of the iPhone 5 for a specific reason should stick to the iPhone 4S. It’s still a great phone, it will last through the year, and when it comes time for the iPhone 5S release, all those suckers stuck in a contract with the iPhone 5 will be so jealous.

After all, if you wait now, you can get the hot new phone next year. If you’re thinking about upgrading from the 4S to the 5, remember, there’s always something better around the corner. Is the step up from 4S to 5 it really worth the cost?

Plus, if you didn’t already preorder in the hour window between when the iPhone 5 went on sale and when Apple’s stock ran out, those shipping times have jumped up to two weeks. That’s practically next year already!

» Related posts: iPhone 4s vs. iPhone 5: To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade, That is the Question iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 5: Why You Should Wait for the Next Upgrade iPad 2 vs. the New iPad: Here is Why You Should Wait to Upgrade

iPhone 4s vs. iPhone 5: To Upgrade or Not to Upgrade, That is the Question


Apple’s much anticipated iPhone 5 was released today, leaving many questioning whether an upgrade is a worthwhile endeavor, based on both cost and hardware. My answer? A resounding yes.

If you have an iPhone 4 or an older model, the choice is truly a no brainer. The iPhone 4 and the iPhone 3GS have become increasingly antiquated over the past year, as apps have grown more robust to take advantage of the hardware in the iPhone 4S and the new iPad.

If you’re upgrading from the much newer iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5 could be a serious monetary investment. iPhone 4S purchasers are not eligible for an upgrade yet due to the timing of the two releases, so is it worth it to shell out the extra cash to get Apple’s newest model?

In short, yes, even with an iPhone 4S, it’s worth it, and I’ll tell you why.

First of all, the iPhone 5 is a significant upgrade to the iPhone 4S. While we don’t have exact specifications yet, the iPhone 5 has a brand new processor. The CPU and GPU are twice as fast, delivering double the performance.

This means apps will be lightning quick, and it also means that iPhone 5 owners will be able to run sophisticated apps and system intensive games, like Real Racing 3, which we saw earlier today. If you regularly game on the iPhone, upgrading is a must if you want to stay current with content.

Even if you don’t game, if you use the iPhone as a consumption device, reading news, listening to streaming music, or watching videos, you’re going to have a greatly improved experience with the iPhone 5. The difference between 3G and 4G LTE (in areas where it is available) is honestly enormous based on our previous speed tests. My 4G MiFi serves as a replacement for Wi-Fi, while my iPhone’s sluggish connection lags way behind.

Living in an area with 4G LTE and having one of the LTE carriers almost makes the upgrade a necessity. To compare, it’s like using dialup when you have a cable connection available. In addition, the new iPhone will also support 5 Ghz Wi-Fi with an 802.11n connection, so in general, everything you do on the phone will be speedier.

Let’s talk size. The iPhone 5 comes equipped with a 4-inch screen, which is half an inch bigger than the iPhone 4S. More screen real estate is never a bad thing, even at the expense of some extra volume. A larger screen equates to a better gaming and reading experience, and the 16:9 aspect ratio will improve video watching. Apple’s managed to retain its Retina display with 326-PPI and a screen resolution of 1136

Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy lots of iPad 1 apps now?

Dear Aunt TUAW,

As an iPad 1 owner, would now be the best time to make sure I load up on apps -- as the iPad 1 won't be supported in iOS 6?

I assume that my purchases will be in the cloud for a bit but what happens when a new version is released? Will I still be able to download the version that runs on my iPad, or am I out of luck?

Your loving nephew,

Blake

Dear Blake,

Every time Auntie passes by her neglected iPad 1, it looks at her with sad eyes. It knows its days in the sun are limited.

Should you buy iPad 1 apps now? Yes. Heck yes. Heck yes with a big bag of liniment and Werthers on top. Your tablet isn't eligible for iOS 6, so if you plan to accessorize -- do it now. Buy all the iOS 5.x apps you can foresee using, and get ready for the mass upgrade.

iOS users are great adopters. Heck, if memory serves Auntie right, more people were illegally using iOS 6 beta releases than had installed the latest legal version of Android. (Auntie loves this statistic, so please correct her gently if it is fabricated.)

Back-supporting old iOS firmware versions can be a huge chore for iOS developers. The cost-benefit fallout for a few outlier users paints a bleak picture. So expect more and more of your favorite apps to move into "only supports iOS 6 and later" territory. (And expect your app upgrade bubbles to gain larger and larger numbers over time -- Auntie wishes Apple would add a "don't bug me for upgrades after iOS " option.)

Will you be able to re-download the iPad 1 version after developers release new ones? No. Will you be out of luck? Yes. Can you back up the existing versions of the applications? Yes, they're living in your [home]/Music/iTunes/Mobile Applications folder; you can copy the essential ones elsewhere in case you upgrade one by accident.

Buy now, upgrade now, or just make the move to new hardware. If you can swing it, Auntie recommends hardware. There are some terrific deals on refurbished iPad 2s out there, and the new iPad, which Auntie calls the 3 (so there), is just spiffy.

Hugs,

Auntie T.

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Continue reading Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy lots of iPad 1 apps now?

Dear Aunt TUAW: Should I buy lots of iPad 1 apps now? originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Sun, 22 Jul 2012 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS by the numbers

Scott Forstall has just revealed some pretty significant stats for iOS 5 and Apple's mobile operating system platform in general. Check 'em out:

365 million iOS devices have been sold (through March 2012) since the first iPhone went on sale in June 2007. 80% of iOS devices are running iOS 5. That's compared to only 7% of Android devices running Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Android's OS -- which was released at the same time as iOS 5. There are 140 million iMessage users. One billion iMessages are sent per day and over 150 billion iMessages have been sent so far. Since adding Twitter support to iOS 5, Twitter usage on iOS devices have grown three-fold. 10 billion tweets have been sent from iOS 5 and 47% of photo's posted to Twitter come from iOS 5 devices. Game Center has 130 million active accounts. Five billion scores are recorded each week. Sixty-seven of the top 100 games have Game Center integration.

iOS by the numbers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Project Magenta Trying to Create Open-Source iOS Clone


While little is known about Project Magenta, 9to5Mac has reported some useful information about the Linux-based, open-sourced mobile operating system that looks, smells and feels like Apple’s iOS.

According to 9to5Mac, the software system is made up of a number of “kernel” and “userland” components based on the implementation of Darwin/BSD. It is purportedly “fully binary compatible with iPhone OS 5.0 (as in, it uses the same binary format).”

The iOS clone runs on ARM 7 and, if it works properly, will recreate iOS for any generic mobile phone. From Project Magenta’s website:

The final goal is probably recreating the iPhone OS 1.0 stack. I think this is a pretty feasible goal, considering the fact that there are so many open source libs that can be used to replace the proprietary libs used by Apple. Just as an example:
* CoreGraphics -> Cairo
-> FreeType
-> libpng/jpg
* Celestial -> Various open source media decoding libs.
* UIKit -> Chamelleon

Project Magenta is not built to incorporate Apple’s App Store app, but to simply run iOS 5.0 on any device for free.

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Misbehaving iMessage and a potential fix

If you repeatedly have a problem receiving iMessages on your iPhone, then you should try this fix from Brian X. Chen of the New York Times. In a recent Gadgetwise column, Chen explains how he missed appointments because his iMessages were often delayed. He complained on Twitter and was counseled to uninstall Messages Beta for the Mac. Apple hasn't said anything about a potential problem with iMessages for iOS and Messages beta for the Mac, but it's an easy thing to try if you're having trouble with iOS Messaging service.

Misbehaving iMessage and a potential fix originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 15 May 2012 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Study: 87% of iPhone 4S owners use Siri monthly

Parks Associates surveyed 482 iPhone 4S owners and found that 87 percent of respondents use voice assistant Siri at least once a month. Most people (55 percent) are satisfied with the service and use it to make phone calls and send text messages. About a third of users, however, are not using all of Siri's features like playing music, sending email and scheduling appointments.

If you fit the above profile and you're not sure what else you can do with Siri, check out this lengthy primer to the service by our own Erica Sadun.

[Via The Wall Street Journal]

Study: 87% of iPhone 4S owners use Siri monthly originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iOS 5.1 May Roll in “Ready Camera Button” on Lock Screen


iPhone Camera Button

Okay, with a show of hands, how many of you have virtually stopped using your regular point and shoot cameras now that you have an iPhone? Sure, there are a few limitations (that did improve significantly with iOS and the iPhone 4S) but all in all the pictures are pretty decent and the convenience can’t be beat… especially if you are like me and never have your phone more than arm’s reach away.

This said, accessing the camera when your iPhone screen is locked can be a very frustrating (and time consuming) process, requiring a double-tap on the home button that I can never seem to get quite right the first time somehow. It may sound silly to complain about a few extra seconds of fussing around to access this feature, but when you only have a moment to capture your photograph, every second counts.

It seems that Apple may be taking notice of our complaints and the iOS 5.1 update may be addressing this concern. According to Brazil’s Blog do iPhone, the update will see the lock screen with a persistent camera button that would only require an upward swipe to activate the camera much like the horizontal ‘swipe to unlock’ functionality we are already used to.

This change makes things a little more like the Android interface which most people think it superior. Apple did beat Google to the punch when it comes to having added the camera access to the phone lock screen, but in a clumsy fashion that isn’t in line with Apple’s usual obsessive need for elegance (especially in their user interfaces).

This is the first we have heard about this (possible) addition to the iOS 5.1 update, but this would normally be seen as something very minor. Fortunately for iPhone users, this will be one of those little changes that makes a huge difference.

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NOAA Ditches BlackBerry, Replaces with iPhones and iPads


The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has decided to get with the times and ditch those antiquated BlackBerry phones in favor of shiny new iPhones and iPads.

NOAA is the agency that leads research of weather, oceans, and fisheries, and it employs 13,000 full time employees plus 7,000 contractors, who are currrently equipped with approximately 3,000 Blackberrys.

NOAA Chief Information Officer Joseph Klimavicz sent out a memo stating that BlackBerry devices will be supported until May 12th, but after that, all workers would be supplied with iPhones and iPads instead.

The organization will be using the iPhone 4 and the iPad 2, both equipped with iOS 5 and higher. The reason behind the switch? It’s cheaper to use iPhones that are securely integrated into the NOAA information systems than it is to pay for the current Blackberry server that it uses.

“Times are changing and technology is changing and we have to look at our technologies and see how we can do things more efficiently,” Klimavicz said.

This is just one of a long string of government agencies that have started adopting the iPhone and the iPad instead of the traditional BlackBerry phones and laptops, demonstrating just how far out of favor poor RIM has fallen.

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Android to Topple iOS as Developer Platform of Choice


OvumOvum Research has released their annual developer survey with very surprising results: it appears Android may be aligning to overtake Apple as the platform of choice for developers during the next 12 months.

The report also suggested that almost all developers showed a preference to support both the iOS and Android platforms.

Also unexpected is the report result that shows the growing interest developers have in Microsoft-based Windows mobile devices. This may be due in part to the hype and momentum being generated for the upcoming release of Windows 8 but will mean very little if nothing comes to market or if the products are underwhelming after the launch.

One of the most important distinctions identified in the report is that Apple does not appear to be losing ground so much as Android is gaining it. If I were to guess I would say this is because developers are choosing more often to co-create their apps on multiple platforms in an effort to hedge their bets and support (at least) the two largest competitors in that game.

The overall good news is that development seems to be straying from proprietary platforms (such as Java, Flash, and WAP) anyway, in favor of HTML 5-based creations. This means that the lines between each type of device are somewhat blurred and software can be considered cross-platform in many ways and ported much easier and faster.

But as the report points out, the platform is still independent of the delivery options and those distribution channels remain vendor-specific (such as Apple’s App Store and the Android Marketplace).

One of the items not addressed in the report is the profit developers are making from each platform. On one hand it does matter whether developers are creating apps for a particular platform because the appeal of a device is found substantially from the types of apps and support you can expect to have for it; while developers may enjoy the ease of publishing apps to Android I believe (as a developer myself) that the profit potential may still remain more significant when working with iOS.

Ovum is a respected market research firm that strive to provide their clients with “independent and objective analysis that enables them to make better business and technology decisions.” Ensuring they are communicating more than just an uneducated opinion, Ovum performs rigorous and fact-based research that includes over 400,000 interviews each year with “business and technology, telecoms and sourcing decision-makers.”

Whited00r Brings iOS5 to Those Old Apple Devices


Whited00r

Whitedoor’s latest software update now gives older iPhones and iPad owners a way to upgrade their favorite gadget to iOS 5.  Whited00r is a company dedicated to modding and hacking, but not in a malicious sense. Quite the contrary, this organization provides firmware support for older iOS devices including the iPhone 2G-3G and iPod Touch 1G-2G while making it clear that their software is free and that they do not support piracy.

With the recently released version 5.1 of their firmware, users can begin to use their older iOS devices productively with all of the features offered in iOS 5 (plus a few more).

For those of you running devices that are not quite hot-off-the-shelves and no longer supported by Apple (at least not exactly), you may want to consider taking advantage of the firmware updates Whited00r has to offer.

Without this update, users of the iPhone 2G and 3G as well as those with a first or second generation iPod Touch did not have the benefit of features such as organizing apps into folders, using the Reminders app, connecting to iCloud or viewing subscription content with Newsstand (and that’s not all).

In addition to the host of iOS 5 features the upgrade makes available, Whited00r also includes a built-in jailbreak for those power users interested in diving a little deeper into iOS. A carrier unlock feature has also been added which is great for those of you wanting to switch your service or pass your device along to somebody outside of your existing plan.

While I can say honestly that I haven’t tried this out myself, I like the idea… whether you are just trying to make an older gadget more useful for your kids to play around with or you want to get that little bit of extra life from your old and cherished device, this seems like a really viable option.

As always, exercise caution and educate yourself a little before performing a firmware upgrade so that you understand what it might mean if something goes wrong.

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whited00r gives older iPhones iOS5 features

Apple devices age well, so well that there are still people using the original iPhone and the iPhone 3G. When we think of those phones, we think "classic hardware with older software," but it doesn't have to be that way. For Apple fans with these now classic handsets, there's whited00r, a version of iOS that mimics some of the features of iOS 5. It's been around as a release candidate and finally made it to a stable release.

Whited00r is based on iOS 3.1.3 and has mods that let you experience folders, multi-tasking, iCloud-like functionality via Dropbox, reminders and more. Whited00r doesn't include notifications or iCloud, but there are third-party work arounds. It also doesn't support the App Store, but you can install Cydia or access the App Store using a Safari bookmark. Yes, it's not iOS 5, but it's the closest you will get on your older handsets.

You can find download and installation instructions on whited00r's website. The process is very straightforward, especially if you already know how to install an ipsw file using iTunes.

whited00r gives older iPhones iOS5 features originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iTunes U graduates into separate iOS app

Announced today at Apple's education event, iTunes U -- a long-standing feature of the iTunes Store -- is now a separate application (universal) for iOS devices running iOS 5.

Since 2006, iTunes U has been a way to electronically distribute class lectures. Both Berkeley and Stanford have released courses on iTunes U, as have many other schools. Now, the iTunes U app offers lectures from a wide variety of high-powered schools, plus more.

Apple demonstrated a course overview, required credits, a syllabus, and office hours this morning. We also saw a place for posts from teachers so there's an easy way to update the class, and a spot where students can take notes. Tapping on an assignment automagically takes a student straight to the specific materials in iBooks, and there's even a task list for students to cross off items as they are completed.

iTunes U is a free application for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, available now.

iTunes U graduates into separate iOS app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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