APPLE iPhone and iPod

Apple Modifies App Developer License – Allows Third Party Development & Analytics Tools

Administrator — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 19:49:25 +0000

The latest change should particularly affect developers who make use of third party compilers on their apps. You may recall that Apple had banned the use of such third party compiler tools earlier this year
. The CS5 platform introduced a Flash-to-iPhone compiler that made it possible for app developers to bring Flash to the iPhone .
Apple 's announcement will also lift the restrictions that were imposed on third party analytics data collection systems earlier this year. Apple had imposed this ban in June after a mobile analytics firm had made use of the collected data to reveal Cupertino's work on a tablet computer. Flurry, the analytics company in question, had revealed that
. The ban was also seen as a way for Apple to shut off AdMob – a mobile ad network acquired by Google – from its iOS platform.
Apple has also revealed that the company will be making its App Store Review Guidelines public in order to improve transparency of the app review process. While these changes are definitely in the positive direction, analysts believe the changes are a way for Apple to counter accusations from the Federal Trade Commission over the company's anti-competitive measures.
Nevertheless, we look forward to
built with these new guidelines in place. You can check out a copy of the newly published guidelines
. Do let us know what you think of this latest announcement.

New iPod Touch Teardown Reveals 0.7 Megapixel Camera, 256MB RAM And More

Administrator — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 02:52:45 +0000

As many of you may have wondered, Steve Jobs did not reveal the finer details about the iPod Touch's rear facing camera during the
. It is now learned that the rear-facing camera only renders images of 960×720 resolution. This translates to 0.7 megapixels, which is in stark contrast to the
.
postulates that the camera resolution could have been compromised in order to retain the extremely thin profile of the new iPod Touch.
The hardware profile of the new iPod Touch is pretty similar to the iPad. Though the new model runs on an
,
. Consequently, this also implies that the new iPod Touch will carry a 256MB RAM, and not a 512MB RAM like the iPhone 4. It is believed that Apple compromised on the RAM specifications in order to cut costs and retain the affordability of the iPod Touch.
A comparison of battery sizes between iPhone 4 and the new iPod Touch reveals that the battery on the latter is not only smaller, but also carries less power than the battery on iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 battery provides 5.25 Watt-Hours of energy whereas the battery on iPod Touch only offers 3.44 Watt-hours. The difference should however be insignificant considering that the iPod Touch does not come with 3G connectivity and hence may effectively consume lesser power.
Rumors earlier this week pointed out to the presence of a vibration motor on the new iPod Touch. This speculation was further heightened by a reference to vibration on the iPod Touch FaceTime page that read,
“If somebody wants to start a video call with you, you'll receive an invitation — along with a vibrating alert — on your iPod touch asking you to join. Simply tap Accept, and the video call begins.”
has however clarified that the new iPod Touch does not contain a vibration motor and that earlier reports wrongly identified a microphone for a motor. Interestingly, Apple too has removed the reference to the vibrating alert on its FaceTime page that now reads:
“If somebody wants to start a video call with you, you'll receive an invitation on your iPod touch asking you to join. Simply tap Accept, and the video call begins.”
What do you make of these observations? Do you think features like low camera resolution and 256MB RAM capacities are deal breakers? Tell us what you think in the comments.

New Exploit Discovered That Could Jailbreak iOS 4.1

Administrator — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 13:58:57 +0000

iPhone 4G iBSS 4.0.1: iv=91f94e5d726a2d2f2c7ffad58d4f3b77 key=d05c3c40db40e738926f811b8b1314038d26096c410246 1698a49098c47a3fe6
and later confirmed that it also worked on iOS 4.1:
Works on 4.1 (!) iBSS iv=c2c5416472e5a0d6f0a25a123d5a2b1c key=1fbc7dcafaec21a150a51eb0eb99367550e24a077b128831b28c065e61f894a0
congrats to @pod2g for the latest exploit and also @p0sixninja who have been trying for months.
Crazy timing that @pod2g got latest exploit just as 4.1 went public (lots of work left…keep away from 4.1 for now!)
. A bootrom exploit is a low level exploit that can’t be fixed by Apple with a software update like it did with
to patch the security hole used by JailbreakMe.
Apple can prevent jailbreaking by releasing devices with a new bootrom that patches the exploit, but Apple won’t be able to stop users from jailbreaking devices with the older bootrom.
However, as iPhone Dev team has pointed out don’t expect tools to jailbreak iOS 4.1 using this exploit anytime soon
.
We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve any further updates. So stay tuned here at
.
Thanks Naveed for the tip!

TinyUmbrella Updated Ahead Of iOS 4.1 Release; Includes Baseband Protection For iPhone 4

Administrator — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:47:54 +0000

The ‘baseband’ is the generic nickname given to the internal components of the iPhone that handle the phone calls and Internet access. This ‘baseband’ is a tiny and unique independent computer system that runs inside your iPhone , it is separate to the main system that handles the applications (such as email and google maps) and it talks to the main part of the phone over an internal communications network.
Think of it like a cable modem or other peripheral that is attached to your home PC that needs occasional updates. When a software update is released and presented to you within iTunes the baseband is sometimes updated (to fix bugs or add new features).
that has been seeded to developers of iOS Developer Program, iOS 4.1 also includes a baseband update. So users who want to
as there is no software method available currently that can unlock the new baseband included in iOS 4.1, which is where TinyUmbrella can be very useful.
Baseband Protection – Updating to 4.1 using TinyUmbrella will protect your baseband from update. THIS ONLY APPLIES TO IPHONE 4!!!!! If you have a 3G or 3GS and you update to 4.1 your baseband will likely be updated.
SHSH Retrieval from Cydia – If you don't have your SHSH locally, TinyUmbrella will request them from Cydia on-demand; allowing the restore to continue
Automatically point hosts to Cydia – Once you close TinyUmbrella, it points your hosts file to Cydia (for further baseband protection and update/restores without TinyUmbrella)
iPod Touch 4G 4.1 support
then Cydia will automatically store the SHSH blobs (ECID SHSH) when you launch it so you don’t need to use TinyUmbrella to take a backup.
Meanwhile,
when it is released.
We’ll let you know as soon as we’ve any further updates. So stay tuned here at
.

Nike Releases New GPS-Based iPhone App For Runners

Administrator — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:04:52 +0000

The new Nike+ GPS application is targeted at the runners who can use the application to track their route, running speed, calories burned and also compare it with their previous routines. The application is presently available only in English and can be purchased from the App Store for a price of $1.99.
.
” options. These are visually tracked and the maps will tell the user the path taken along with interesting details such as the distance covered, calories burned as well as the speed at different points during the run.
feature that will give users a chance to beat their personal best in terms of distance covered, duration of the workout or their running speed.
Users can also listen to on-demand motivational messages from pro atheletes and celebrities during their run.
The Nike+ GPS iPhone app is integrated with the NikePlus website where users may save each of their run to their profile. Additionally, they can also share this with friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter apart from inviting their friends to join the challenge.
. You can download the app from the App Store by
. As always, do not forget to tell us how you find this iPhone application.

iPhone 4 Antenna Survey Highlights Lack Of Verizon iPhone Is A Bigger Problem

Administrator — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:04:09 +0000

Gene Munster and team interviewed 258 cell phone users in downtown Minneapolis for their survey. Here are some of the results from the survey:
: 177 respondents, or 69%, indicated that they were aware of iPhone 4 quality issues. Of those who are aware of the antenna issues, 20% indicated that they impacted their purchase decision.
: For every one respondent that acknowledged the antenna issue about three complained about the iPhone not being on Verizon. In other words, the lack of an iPhone on Verizon is holding sales back by about three times more than the antenna issue.
: “In order to quantify a worst-case scenario, we estimate that 40% of all iPhone sales are domestic (was 38% in the June quarter). We are modeling for Apple to sell 11m iPhones in the Sept. quarter, implying about 4.4m domestic sales. If Apple lost 20% of those sales, or 880k units, it would reduce our EPS estimate in the quarter by $0.11, from $3.72 to $3.61.
Finally, Munster concludes:
“The antenna issue is removing upside potential for iPhone units, but Verizon is actually the most significant factor limiting demand.”
In another survey of over 1000 consumers conducted by market research firm, Morpace, the researchers found that
would consider to migrate to Verizon if such an option was made available.
There are many rumors and speculations, which indicate that Apple will offer a
in January 2011 on Verizon’s network.
? Are you waiting for another carrier to offer iPhone to upgrade your current iPhone model or plan to stick with AT&T? Let us know in the comments.

Apple Getting Ready For The Official Launch Of Game Center; Confirms It Is Not Compatible With iPhone 3G

Administrator — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:20:01 +0000

Game Center, which was first unveiled in April will make its debut in iOS 4.1, which mean it will not be supported on the original iPhone , iPhone 2G as well as the first generation
(as iOS 4 or later is not available for these devices).
In addition to this, we have also learned that
users will not be able to access Game Center on their handset even though the model supports iOS 4.1.
Several developers who were testing the service have seen their accounts deleted, indicating that Apple is getting ready for the official launch of Game Centre with the release of iOS 4.1, which is expected to be
.
Are you excited about the launch of the social gaming network for the iPhone ? Let us know in the comments below.

Apple To Discontinue Free Case Program On All iPhone 4s Sold After September 30

Administrator — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 04:28:50 +0000

that let customers apply for their free iPhone 4 bumper case.
At that time, Steve Jobs had also mentioned that Apple would re-evaluate the situation in September.
Apple has now decided to discontinue the program as it believes that iPhone 4 antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than it originally thought. However, Apple plans to still give free cases to users who can demonstrate the problem.
We now know that the iPhone 4 antenna attenuation issue is even smaller than we originally thought. A small percentage of iPhone 4 users need a case, and we want to continue providing them a Bumper case for free. For everyone else, we are discontinuing the free case program on all iPhone 4s sold after September 30, 2010. We are also returning to our normal returns policy for all iPhone 4s sold after September 30. Users experiencing antenna issues should call AppleCare to request a free Bumper case.
What do you think about Apple ’s decision to discontinue the iPhone 4 case program? Does the antenna issue affect you? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.

Apple Scraps Custom Ringtone Editor In iTunes 10; But Hack To Make Free Ringtones Still Works

Administrator — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 03:31:45 +0000

. The latest iTunes 10 version however continues to offer the ringtone syncing feature to users.
It is not clear why Apple decided to scrap the feature that offered users a legitimate channel to purchase ringtones. It is worth noting that the older versions of iTunes still support this ringtone-editor functionality and will hence continue to support the creation of custom tones.
also points out that the Apple website has retained support documents that elaborate on the procedure to create custom ringtones using iTunes. These documents however carry no mention of the fact that the feature is not available on iTunes 10.
Nevertheless, if you are looking to create custom ringtones for your iPhone , there are alternate
that still work. Last month we had written about a simple hack that would let you make free custom iPhone ringtones using iTunes. The hack was first discovered over three years back and involves a simple process of converting DRM-free m4a files of 30 second duration into m4r files that is the recognized ringtone format.
If you have already downloaded the latest version of iTunes, you can check out our step-by-step guide to
. Do let us know how it works in the comments below.
,

iOS 4.1 Brings AVRCP Bluetooth Controls To The iPhone

Administrator — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 07:06:24 +0000

But there is one useful feature that Apple did not mention at the special event.
AVRCP (Audio/Video Remote Control Profile) is the protocol standard that allows a Bluetooth accessory to control media playback via buttons on the accessory itself.
) allowed us to listen to high quality audio over Bluetooth and also gave us the ability to play and pause the music via the Bluetooth accessory, without support for AVRCP Bluetooth controls one had to use the iPod app to skip tracks forward or back and control the volume.
iOS 4.1 finally brings AVRCP Bluetooth controls to the iPhone , which has been requested by many users.
If you use Bluetooth accessory such as a headset with your iPhone or pair it with your car stereo then you're definitely going to dig this feature.
Have you been waiting for this feature? Let us know in the comments.