05/25, 10:52pm
New moderation toolbar, speed for iPad
WordPress developer Automattic has updated its iOS WordPress app to version 3.0 (free), bringing support for push notifications as well as a moderation toolbar for comments activated by swiping over any item. The update is said to "vastly" improve performance, particularly on iPads, and language support for Taiwanese, Hungarian and Polish has been added. The app helps users administer both WordPress.com and their own hosted WP blogs.
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05/25, 10:19am
iOS speaker dock doubles as a place to rest your derriere
UK furniture retailer DFS is offering the Trophy Cuddler Audio Sofa that has built-in speakers and a dock for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. The sofa has two speakers and a subwoofer, though their power ratings aren't being listed. Other than docking iOS devices, there is also a USB port and 3.5mm auxiliary input for other audio sources.
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05/24, 6:46pm
Samsung, Apple largest single manufacturers
Research firm IDC has published its latest smartphone market-share report, finding Android and iOS to be responsible for eight out of 10 smartphones shipped in the first quarter of 2012. Android captured 59 percent of all sales, while iOS took 23 percent of the 152 million smartphones shipped in the first quarter. Linux phones maintained the same small share held for four quarters. Symbian and Blackberry shipments continued to drop precipitously.
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05/24, 7:41am
iOS app and browser extension offers image-based search
Update: Axis was temporarily pulled by Yahoo due to a security vulnerability, but has already been updated.
Yahoo has released Axis, which it is calling a 'visual search' application. It has been released as a full mobile browser for iOS and as a cross-platform desktop browser extension that uses page snapshots in live search results instead of text. The iOS app, while having the same tabbed browsing and bookmarking found in Safari, has a user interface focussing on image-heavy search, with cross-device synching possible between iPhone, iPad and the desktop browser extension.
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05/22, 9:31pm
Easy install feature coming to Facebook app portal
Facebook's forthcoming App Center portal will feature a "Send to Mobile" option, allowing users to purchase apps on a desktop or tablet and have a notification delivered to their phones. The feature duplicates capabilities already found in Google and Apple's app stores, but uses Facebook's notification system. The Send to Mobile option is expected to be ready in time for the App Center's launch later this year.
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05/15, 8:29pm
Baidu Cloud to sit atop all mobile platforms
Fresh off the announcement of its new mobile phone, Chinese search company Baidu has told TechCrunch that it has big plans the Baidu Cloud Smart Terminal system that runs its new phone. Baidu wants to see Baidu Cloud make an appearance on all major mobile operating systems, including Windows Phone and iOS.
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05/15, 12:07pm
Macquarie sees new browser wars imminent
Google is likely to launch a version of its Chrome browser for Apple's iOS line of devices in the coming months, according to analysts at Macquarie Capital. Macquarie sees the iOS Chrome launch as the opening salvo in a new round of Browser Wars, the likes of which the Internet hasn't seen since the late 1990s.
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05/14, 11:36am
Reverses upgrades to iOS 5.1.1
The unofficial iPhone Dev Team has released a new version of redsn0w, its jailbreaking utility for iOS devices. The v0.9.11b4 update lets users restore old IPSW files to A5-based Apple devices, including the iPhone 4S, third-generation iPad, and iPad 2; previously, only devices prior to the iPad 2 could be downgraded, thanks to the limera1n exploit. The update means that A5 devices can now be downgraded from iOS 5.1.1 or 5.1 to 5.0.1.
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05/11, 3:28pm
App Store reviewers greenlight revised Dropbox-ready apps
The beta version of iCloud.com is now displaying Reminders and Notes apps, users observe. At the moment, the regular iCloud.com site is limited to Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone, and iWork. 9to5Mac notes that the beta code contains hidden strings asking a person to "first sign in to iCloud with the iOS 6 Beta," which may hint that iOS 6 and an updated iCloud.com will premiere simultaneously, possibly at WWDC in June.
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05/11, 9:56am
3D mode, new Street View-like tech among features
iOS 6 will make a long-rumored move and drop Google Maps entirely in a new Maps app, claim sources for 9to5Mac. While the app itself has long been Apple's own creation, it has always relied on data and technology from Google. The updated Maps is said to be fairly similar to the one based on Google, but "cleaner, faster, and [a] more reliable experience." In place of the old backend, Apple will rely on technology acquired in buyouts of Placebase, C3 Technologies, and Poly9.
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05/10, 7:32pm
Roughly corresponds to iOS 5.1.1
Following the release of iOS 5.1.1 for most iOS devices, Apple has updated its custom firmware for the second- and third-generation Apple TV to v5.0.1 (build 9B206F). Because the version of iOS running on Apple TV is customized and offers a different UI, the company numbers it slightly differently, but the new release roughly corresponds to firmware on other devices.
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05/10, 6:00pm
Tool could be available within weeks
[Updated: video added] Chronic Dev Team hacker Pod2G, who reported last week of being able to get an untethered jailbreak running on an iPhone 4, has updated his progress with further news. He has gotten the jailbreak exploit to work on most other iOS devices capable of running iOS 5.1, regardless of processor type. The breakthrough, which may not apply to the latest iOS 5.1.1 update, could mean a public tool for untethered jailbreaks will arrive soon.
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05/09, 6:56pm
Google+ gets stylish redesign
Today, Google released an update for its Google+ iOS app (free, App Store). The update amounts to a considerable makeover for the social networking app, bringing crisper fonts, larger profile pics, and a revamped home screen.
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05/07, 5:44pm
Hints at potential solution in development
In response to a "bug report" filed by a developer, Apple has for the first time acknowledged that the lack of multi-user support in iOS for the iPad is a "known issue" which is "currently being investigated by engineering," AppleInsider reports. While developers have often used bug reports to ask for or promote system features, the developer who submitted it says normally Apple doesn't reply to such requests.
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05/07, 5:37pm
New iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 4S still unsupported
Third-party jailbreaking utility redsn0w has been updated for iOS 5.1.1, which was released by Apple just earlier today. Currently the hack works only in tethered mode, meaning that a device has to be connected to computer anytime it's restarted. It's also restricted to devices based on A4 processors, excluding the third-generation iPad, the iPad 2, and the iPhone 4S.
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05/07, 3:13pm
Survey shows Apple number manufacturer, Android near 50 percent
A majority of US mobile subscribers are now choosing smartphones over other kinds of handsets, according to new numbers out from Nielsen. Smartphones currently make up 50.4 percent of handsets, up from 47.8 percent in December 2011. Nielsen's report also looked at the most popular operating systems among smartphones, finding that Android was by far the favorite at 48.5 percent of smartphones sold in March. iOS came in second with 32 percent, while RIM's BlackBerry OS was in third with 11.6 percent.
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05/07, 3:07pm
Release resolves iPad bug when switching between 2G and 3G networks
(Updated with security fixes) Apple has released a minor maintenance update for iOS devices. Versions 5.1.1 is said to improve reliability when using the HDR photography option from the lock-screen shortcut, while an iPad-specific tweak is designed to enable the device to properly switch between 2G and 3G networks.
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05/05, 9:52pm
Apple entices transitions to iCloud
Apple's effort to complete its sunsetting of MobileMe continued today, with the company quietly announcing an extension of its offer to MobileMe users of 20GB of free storage on iCloud. MobileMe subscribers switching to iCloud will receive 20GB of free storage until September 30, 2012.
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05/04, 2:08am
Exploit is not ready for public release yet
Following up on a report from earlier this week, iOS hacker pod2g announced on Twitter late yesterday that he had succeeded in getting his iPhone 4 running under iOS 5.1 with an untethered jailbreak. While no tool for other users has yet been announced, the breakthrough means that those wanting to run the latest version of iOS and unofficial apps should be able to do so in the near future. There is no word yet on whether the exploit is limited to A5 devices like the iPhone 4 or not.
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05/02, 11:13pm
Aimed at educational market, legacy display tech
Apple and iOS device accessory maker Kanex launched a VGA output solution for the AppleTV and any other HDMI device today -- the Kanex ATV Pro. The device is tailored towards adapting the HDMI output of the AppleTV (or other HDMI device) to a more standard VGA plus audio prevalent in educational institutions' projectors.
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05/02, 11:00pm
Reverses course, now says message was 'in error'
Update: Electronic Arts has now issued a statement saying that "Rock Band for iOS will remain live -- the in-app message users received yesterday were sent in error. We apologize for the confusion this caused," and added that it will share additional information "as soon as possible." EA had in fact put up a notice on its website that it was suspending support of Rock Band as of May 31st, and users received a message that the game would no longer be playable (see picture, below). The company has offered no explanation for how both errors occurred, but now says the game will remain playable, at least in single-player mode.
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05/02, 1:26pm
Pebble watch to ship with native RunKeeper app
The RunKeeper app has become the first official partner for the Kickstarter record-setting Pebble watch. The companion device will communicate with iOS and Android phones over Bluetooth to deliver information on its tiny screen. RunKeeper is a fitness app, and the new deal will let users track their run data without pulling out their handsets.
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05/01, 8:00pm
Minor updates fix bugs, improve stability
Earlier today, Apple has pushed out a minor update to several of its own iOS apps, ranging from the occasion-oriented Cards (which enables users to send real-world letterpress greeting cards to loved ones) to its range of iLife applications for iOS along with a small improvement to iTunes U, the education-oriented store that features courses and presentations from universities and other institutions. All of the upgrades improve stability and correct small issues.
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05/01, 3:25pm
Research firm claims 91 percent of mobile game revenue as in-game sales
American gamers spend five times more on iOS games compared to those on Android, according to game-focused research firm Newzoo. The claim is said to be based on a comparison of revenue and download data from the top 200 grossing games, along with survey results from a group of 17,000 gamers.
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04/26, 2:15pm
Fake port thought to use SMS scamming
Eccentric pop icon Bjork once expressed little doubt, and even encouragement, that pirates would adapt her iOS app Biophilia for distribution on Android. That has happened, but likely not in the way she anticipated. Symantec has identified a malware scam based on a fake port of Biophilia, one that opens up unsuspecting users to premium SMS scamming.
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04/26, 9:50am
Range extends from Smart Covers to iTunes rentals
Apple has won the rights to 25 new US patents, covering numerous different products, Patently Apple observes. Some of these include a second patent on the iTunes Store and its rental system, and a fifth patent on Time Machine, featuring an interface capable of showing earlier versions of files. The former dates back to 2008, while the latter was originally submitted in 2007.
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04/25, 7:45pm
UDID helpful for tracking ad effectiveness
Advertisers who are affected by Apple's ban from using the Unique Device Identifier (UDID) information on individual iOS devices will lose as much as 24 percent of their ad revenue, according to claims from mobile ad server MoPub, reports MacWorld UK. The use of UDID information is a widespread tool for measuring the performance of advertising and developing pricing models for paying app publishers.
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04/25, 12:05pm
Deezer comes to three new countries
French music streaming service Deezer on Wednesday spread its service Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The service has more than 20 million users worldwide and offers about 15 million tracks from 2,000 music labels, including majors Universal, Warner, Sony, and EMI. It's browser-based, though mobile listening options exist through Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps.
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04/23, 10:25am
Fitbit Aria Wi-Fi scale ships in black or white
Fitbit has added to its range of connected, health-oriented gadgets such as the Ultra Tracker with the Aria Wi-Fi smart scale. The scale can track the weight, Body Mass Index, and body fat percentage of up to eight users. It automatically uploads this data to an online database users can access through a free account through a website as well as an iOS or Android app.
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04/05, 6:40pm
Apps said to leave login data unencrypted
An app developer claims to have uncovered a significant security vulnerability in Facebook's native apps for Android and iOS devices. The apps for both platforms are said to leave user login details unprotected, enabling attackers to gain access to Facebook accounts or any other apps that allow Facebook login.
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04/03, 10:50pm
Pioneer adds two Elite AV receivers, AirPlay/DLNA
Pioneer has taken the covers off to new additions to its Elite range of AV receivers. Both the Elite VSX-42 and the Elite VSX-60 sport AirPlay support for lossless iTunes and iOS streaming, as well as support for DLNA (1.5) and Bluetooth audio streaming with an optional Bluetooth adapter. They also come with vTuner Internet radio, which is extended in the VSX-60 to include support for Pandora and Sirius XM.
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03/27, 8:50am
Topics from the forums
Yesterday in the MacNN forums dedicated MacNNer ClaraT started a thread asking if there was any downside to updating to iOS 5.1 on an iPhone 4S, click here to read more. Today the conversation continues in the thread titled "two sleeping questions" where members discuss the sleep function in OS X Lion.
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03/26, 11:00am
Apple seen custom-tailoring products for region
Apple is planning to integrate Baidu web search into iOS, according to sources for Sina Technology. Baidu is an extremely popular search engine in China, but iOS currently defaults to Google, with Bing and Yahoo as secondary options. Sina suggests that Baidu support will begin in April, at least in the Chinese market. If true, the change should require an iOS firmware update.
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03/23, 5:55pm
Updates finally downloadable without USB cable
Apple may be experiencing an unusually high adoption rate for iOS 5.1, according to data collected by app developer David Smith. After tracking iOS version statistics for downloads of his app Audiobooks, Smith noticed that more than half of the devices that were eligible for the iOS 5.1 over-the-air update had made the jump within five days.
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03/22, 12:20pm
OS prepped for fifth-generation iPhone
Strings in the iOS 5.1 firmware make reference to 4G phone calling, and using FaceTime over 4G, notes Cydia developer Krishna Sagar. One message in the code reads, "Enabling 4G will end your phone call. Are you sure you want to enable 4G?" Others refer to enabling and disabling 4G on FaceTime calls, as well as regular voice ones.
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03/22, 11:25am
Dutch government issues official warning
A researcher with MajorSecurity, David Vieira-Kurz, has discovered a serious security vulnerability in the iOS 5.1 version of Safari. The problem lies with the way iOS handles the JavaScript window.open() method, used to open a new browser window. A malicious coder could use this to spoof URLs, tricking people into visiting copycat websites that might contain other threats or ask for credit card information.
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03/20, 7:15pm
Wish lists, remote management, more
TiVo have updated its eponymous remote-management app for iOS to provide a new look for browsing, making it easier for users to discover and learn about new TV shows or movies. New categories have been added, such as "4 Star Movies This Week" and "2012 Academy Award Winners." The update also let users make more changes to Series4 and Series3 DVRs remotely, and adds the ability to create a wishlist along with other improvements.
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03/20, 5:45am
Developers peg iOS at 1, Android 2, WP7 3
Following news that Battleheart developer Mika Mobile is dropping support for the Android platform, a new survey of developer interest in mobile platforms shows that this could be a sign of a growing trend facing the Android platform. In explaining its reasons for dropping Android support, Mika Mobile said that the fragmentation of the platform meant that it had been forced to spend countless hours ‘modifying shaders and texture formats to work on different GPUs…’ among other complaints. Appcelerator found that even though the Android platform is expanding, developer interest is waning, a result of the massive array of devices and hardware configurations requiring support.
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03/19, 10:25am
Acer dates cloud service for limited April debut
Hardware maker Acer will bring out its AcerCloud online storage service this April, DigiTimes claimed. This launch will be restricted to mainland China and North America only, however, with other countries going live in the fourth quarter of the year. It will come to PCs as well as Android and Windows Phone mobile operating systems, with iOS support coming in the near future, the company hinted.
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03/15, 2:50pm
Contact book issue results in rare dressing down
The co-founder of Path, Dave Morin, was recently called over to Apple headquarters to be "grilled" by CEO Tim Cook and some other company executives, according to Bloomberg. The news agency cites "people familiar with the meeting" as sources. The ultimate outcome of the event is unmentioned in the new report.
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03/07, 6:10pm
Find My Friends, iBooks, iTunes U, more updated
In addition to the announced Apple TV and iOS apps that were mentioned and showcased at today's new iPad unveiling, Apple has also updated numerous other iOS apps, mostly to add support for the new Retina Display on the iPad but also in some cases adding support for iTunes Match, bug fixes or new minor features. Among those updated that were not previously announced are Find My Friends, Find My iPhone, iTunes U, iBooks and Remote.
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03/07, 5:20pm
Execs talk new iPad, Apple TV, more
[Update: Video is now available on iTunes] Apple has posted an official video stream of today's iPad press event. The focus of the event was a third-generation iPad, but Apple also introduced several other products, including a new Apple TV and the first iPad version of iPhoto. iOS 5.1 is mentioned only briefly.
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03/07, 2:45pm
Upgraded tablet simply 'the new iPad'
As a part of its third-generation iPad event, Apple announced that iOS 5.1 will be released later today. Few features have been revealed, but the focus is on a Japanese version of Siri for the iPhone 4S. Previously Siri was restricted to English-, French-, and German-speaking users.
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03/06, 3:25pm
Could be launch firmware for new iPad
A Gold Master of iOS 5.1 has just emerged from three weeks of quality assurance testing, a Chronic Wire report claims. The testing is said to have included internal work at Apple, as well as efforts by "various carriers/partners." Rumored features include Japanese support in Siri, better camera access at the lock screen, and "at least" two new features that have yet to be leaked to the public.
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03/05, 10:30pm
Senator believes they can fix problems themselves
New York Democratic Senator Charles Schumer has reported that both Apple and Google have agreed to meet with him to discuss potential security risks posed by developer access to user data, and that his intention is to encourage the companies to "find a way on their own" to prevent iOS and Android apps from accessing private information without the users' knowledge. He told The New York Times that both companies were "open to the idea."
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03/03, 2:30am
Apple crosses 25 billion app milestone
(Updated with identity of downloader) Apple has crossed the 25 billion milestone. A few days ago the company posted a countdown to the 25 billionth download along with a competition for the worth $10,000 to spend on iTunes. The company has not yet announced who downloaded the 25 billionth app, or the app that was downloaded to bring up the remarkable figure.
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03/02, 1:30pm
iOS 6 unlikely to debut until summer or fall
iPads with 2048x1536 displays and/or unreleased versions of iOS are appearing in server logs, Ars Technica remarks. In February the website saw 346 visits from a device with a 2048x1536 screen, which is believed to be the iPad 3 based on numerous reports and the rarity of such a resolution. Tracking iPads in use from Apple's corporate IP block in Cupertino, meanwhile, Ars says it has encountered devices running not only iOS 5.0, 5.0.1, or the developer-only 5.1, but even an unannounced iOS 6.
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03/01, 4:00pm
Tech could be applied to Find My Friends
A newly-published Apple patent application suggests the ability to adjust the precision of shared location data, notes AppleInsider. Titled Variable Precision Location Sharing, the filing suggests options to reduce precision to the neighborhood or even city level, instead of simply offering total accuracy or completely disabling tracking. The concept appears to be aimed at iOS apps like Find My Friends.
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02/28, 6:20pm
Severity of threat still uncertain
An iOS vulnerability may be allowing some apps to access a person's entire photo/video library, say developers in touch with the New York Times. The flaw emerges only once a person authorizes an app to use location information, but at that point photo/video access opens up without any extra prompting. The location pop-up does say it will allow "access to location information in photos and videos," but makes no mention of sharing the media itself.
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02/28, 4:50pm
Phones previously a safe haven
Twitter is now allowing promoted tweets to appear in the feeds of iOS and Android apps, according to an announcement. While promoted tweets are nothing new, these have so far only been displayed via the twitter.com web client. Advertisers will initially be limited to displaying tweets to people who already follow them on Twitter, but in coming months that restriction will disappear. For now, iPads will remain without the extra ads.
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