News about iOS4:
Apple to add Email-Based FaceTime Support?
It’s probably the worst kept secret in Apple land, but quite a few people in the know think that we are about to get a new iPod touch & eventually an iPad with FaceTime. This is all because of the iOS4.1 beta, which has seen a new option to call a contacts FaceTime through … [visit site to read more]
Skype updated for iOS 4, background VoIP is a go
Well, it’s about time. Touted back in March as one of the pillar apps to benefit from the new multitasking API, Skype has finally been updated to iOS 4 compatibility. We’re seeing crisper, more retina display-friendly graphics and, more importantly, background VoIP (not for iPhone 3G, naturally). A notification window will pop up when you’re called or messaged, and you can use other apps while on the line chatting to international friends at reduced rates. Even on the lock screen, if you receive a call, sliding to unlock will take you immediately into the call. Video chat still isn’t here — a darn shame given the lack of other options now — but now you’ve got even more of a reason to rack up those rollover minutes on AT&T’s voice plan. Download away!
iPad Users to be Charged for iOS 4 Upgrade?
iPad may be a blockbuster hit for Apple, but it looks like it is getting treated like an ugly step sister. Not only do iPad owners have to wait for some time to get iOS4 update, but apparently they will also have … [visit site to read more]
MOG arrives on iPhone, Android with 7.8 million songs but no multitasking mode
The name may sound like something out of a Final Fantasy game, but we hear it stands for Music On the Go, and today MO is doing the name proud by bringing a wide swath of streaming music to Android and iPhone. $10 a month gives you access to 7.8 million songs, and during a completely unscientific impromptu testing session, that number actually included a reasonable amount of most everything we’d want. Of course, you don’t get to keep any of the 320Kbps MP3 files, merely store local copies on your phone for as long as you pony up, and even on Android (where we take task switching for granted) the merest jump to web browser stops those tracks cold. (MOG says it’s working on it, at least for the iOS 4 version.) We were also disappointed to find out the MOG Radio feature is nothing like we were told — rather than a Pandora you can tune to specific artists, the feature just seems to filter your existing queue. Playback options were also lacking in this early version (like volume and jog sliders) but at least MOG’s got a slick, robust discovery mode, and with this many songs to choose from that’s a very good thing. Both versions should be live immediately with three-day, no commitment trials, and there’s a press release after the break if you still need more info. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple to charge upgrade fee for iPads moving to iOS 4?
As if waiting around until fall to get iOS 4 weren’t enough of a downer for iPad owners, the latest rumor we’re hearing is that they’ll have to pay a fee in order to do so. That’s right, for the privilege of waiting patiently to get some semblance of multitasking on your slate device, you’ll have to pony up the cash — or so the story goes. Stuff has it on strong authority from app developers in the know that Apple will be asking for a (relatively small) tithe from those wishing to update their iPads when the leaves start turning amber. We’d advise keeping the pitchforks stowed for now — at least until there’s some solid corroboration for this — but then it’s not like Apple hasn’t done this before. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple responds to congressional inquiry, details location data collection in 13-page letter
When Apple’s latest privacy policy revealed the company could track any iPhone’s location in real time, it threw some for a loop… including a pair of gentlemen from the US House of Representatives, who asked what Cupertino was up to. In a thirteen page letter dated July 12, Apple’s legal counsel explains the whole matter away, while giving us a fascinating look into how the company collects — and justifies collecting — all that GPS data. Legally the defense is simple, as Apple claims users grant express permission via pop-up messages for ever single location-based service and app, and if you don’t care to be tracked, you can simply shut down location services globally or (in iOS 4) on a per-app basis in the phone’s settings panel.
Apple affirms: no software fix for iPhone 4 antenna issue
In case it wasn’t obvious enough from Apple‘s agitated response to our question during today’s iPhone 4 Q&A session in Cupertino, there’s no software fix in the pipeline for the antenna issues that are plaguing users today. A prior report in the New York Times seemed fairly confident that the troubles could (and would) be solved in the near term by a simple software update, but the company’s own Scott Forstall called said report “patently false.” So, there you have it — the only thing that’ll be fixed via software is how big your smallest bar of signal is. Beyond that, you’ll need to grab some Duct tape, a free case or a white glove if you’re looking to avoid attenuation entirely. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple’s July 16th Press Conference Now Available to Watch
So, you didn’t get a chance to make it over to the press conference that Apple held today? That’s a real shame. Then, hopefully you managed to watch our Liveblog of the event, or you’ve already read our summary of all things announcement related. And once you get all caught up in the text format, you’ll probably want to watch Steve Jobs on stage, talking about all that, right? Right. Now you can.
Apple: Antenna Problem is Real, Offers Free Cases
Time to stop the speculation. Over the course of the last 22 days, we’ve heard from every angle of the Internet that the iPhone 4 is plagued with reception issues. And, throughout those days, we’ve heard all sorts of reasons: it’s the antenna, it’s the software, it’s the way you’re holding it. Maybe it’s even your face. Or, it’s a combination of all of those things, jumbled into one big issue that no one could figure out why the new iPhone was suffering from. Well, we can finally say that we’ve got an answer, and it’s straight from Steve Jobs himself. The antenna is the best antenna they’ve ever created, but it does have a flaw — just like every other smartphone on the planet.
Apple: iPhone 4 drops ‘less than one additional call per 100 than the 3GS’
It’s fairly obvious that the howls around the web for Apple to address this antenna issue has gotten underneath the skin of one Steve Jobs, and in a fashion that’s very much unlike Apple (or AT&T, for that matter), the aforesaid CEO has actually handed out a bit of hard data surrounding dropped calls on the iPhone 4. According to Jobs, AT&T won’t reveal the exact amount of call drops for competitive reasons, but they did manage to push out a meaningful delta. As of today, they’ve noticed that the “iPhone 4 drops less than one additional call per 100 than the 3GS.” In other words, the iPhone 4 has actually been dropping more calls than the 3GS in the three weeks that the former has been on the market. Of course, Steve’s also playing up the fact that just a fraction of a percent of all buyers have bothered to call in about their bout with dropped calls (and why would you, knowing there’s no cure?), but it’s still interesting to finally get some cold, hard facts on this disaster. Even if it’s but a snippet. Read the rest of this entry »
iPhone signal tweaks compared; iOS 4.0.1 quietly fixes Exchange support too
We love a good colored diagram here at SlashGear, and so this comparison chart showing just how Apple has changed iPhone signal strength bar mapping in their latest iOS 4.0.1 update is tickling us nicely. The handiwork of AnandTech reader Mike Escoffery, it shows the considerable margin by which Apple emphasized a “full bars” signal. Meanwhile, while there was no mention of it in the iTunes release notes, iOS 4.0.1 also addresses Exchange ActiveSync problems.
iOS 4.0.1 released to fix iPhone 4, 3GS and 3G signal meter
Apple’s promised iOS4 update has been pushed out for the iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G. iOS 4.0.1 apparently “improves the formula to determine how many bars of signal strength to display,” after Apple discovered they had been using the wrong calculations. Previewed earlier today in the iOS4.1 developer beta, the update is expected to make the iPhone’s signal meter more accurate, but not address the hardware issue experienced by iPhone 4 owners where holding the smartphone in a certain way can significantly impair antenna performance.
iOS4.1 Beta fattens signal bars but iPhone 4 antenna issue remains
Apple has pushed out their latest iOS beta to its developer community, iOS4.1, and the question everybody is asking is whether it includes the promised patch to “fix” the signal issue. Unfortunately, while the modem firmware has been updated (going from 01.59.00 to 02.07.01) and the signal bars are larger than before, early feedback in the MacRumors forum suggests that there’s no actual difference in performance – if you touch the antenna during a call, that can be enough to kill your connection.
iOS 4.1 seeded to developers (updated)
The first update to iOS 4.0 is jumping all the way up a full tenth of a point to 4.1, and it’s now available for those of you signed up for Apple’s iPhone Developers Program. It looks like there are major changes to Game Center (which has yet to launch) in this build, but otherwise, we’re not sure what’s up just yet — and no, as far as we can tell, there’s no iPad support here. Stay tuned!
Apple acquire Poly9 3D mapping experts
Apple has quietly acquired a Canadian mapping company, Poly9, in a move that some are suggesting marks the next step in the Cupertino firms plans to replace Google Maps in products like the iPhone and iPad. Poly9’s official site has been taken down and there’s no official announcement from Apple or the company; their most notable product is a “cross-browser, cross-platform 3D globe” that can be manipulated without any installation and with minimal data downloads.
FaceTime video call works beautifully on airplane’s in-flight WiFi (video)
Yeah, seriously. While Aircell’s Gogo in-flight WiFi service has been blocking VoIP calling services (Skype being the most obvious example) from day one, it’s apparently not throwing the same brick wall in the face of Apple’s new standard. Our good pals over at TUAW managed to record a (relatively) solid two minute FaceTime conversation with an iPhone 4 owner, and only after you realize that said owner is a few thousand feet above the Earth’s surface does this all become a lot more interesting. We know for a fact that certain iPhone 4 owners have had difficulty with FaceTime conversations when using highly firewalled access points (like those found in hotels and corporate offices), but it seems as if seat 16A is cleared for transmission. For now, anyway. Head on past the break to peek the FaceTime ad that Apple forgot to make. Read the rest of this entry »
iPhone 4 Inevitable Hardware Recall Coming, PR Experts Say
Back and forth. Back and forth. That’s what this antenna issue has become, with Apple sitting in the middle, watching the results as they make their way from one end of the spectrum to the other. Back and forth. And it’s only getting brighter in the media’s eye (if that’s even possible), and when that starts happening, we can surely expect it to be making waves amongst the populace. Even amongst those who might call themselves Apple fans. With a new report from Consumer Reports hot on the heels of the issue, we now get word from so-called PR experts that a hardware recall for the new iPhone is inevitable.
iPhone 4 Has Officially Been Unlocked
If you’re an international customer (not in the United States), then you won’t have to do much to get your hands on an unlocked iPhone 4. They come like that across the pond. So, as is usual ’round these parts, devs had to crack down on their social lives to get the new iPhone, running iOS4, unlocked. It involved rewriting the entire ultrasn0w software, which meant previous versions couldn’t be used, thanks to the new baseband that Apple installed in the iPhone 4. But, PlanetBeing and MuscleNerd of the iPhone Dev Team have managed to get an iPhone 4, running iOS4, unlocked.
BMW to support iOS 4 iPod out
With the iPhone and the iPod being some of the most popular devices on the market when it comes to music and smartphones many cars are now starting to offer accessories specifically for connecting them in the car. Ford’s Sync system supports the iPhone and iPod via USB and Bluetooth streaming for instance.
Fring adds 2-way 3G video calls to iPhone 4 [Video]
The iPhone 4 may have re-popularised the idea of mobile video calls, with its WiFi-only FaceTime system, but its taken Fring to bring true 3G video calling to the smartphone (and make it cross-platform compatible too). The company’s newest release – available for Android, Series 60 and iOS – now supports video calls over 3G networks, as well as the usual VoIP and text chat.
Apple to patch iPhone 4 Jailbreak hole in new iOS 4.0.1 update?
According to multiple sources at Apple retail, the company has decided to hold off on releasing their next iOS4 firmware update so as to use it to patch the hole used in the promised jailbreak hack. Two employees from an Apple Store in Lakeside, UK, have apparently confirmed to Redmond Pie that the iOS 4.0.1 (or 4.1) update will be toward the end of Apple’s tipped “next few weeks” release window.
iOS 4 adds direct access to iTunes library, iPhone DJ apps about to get crazy
Although there’s been no shortage of iPhone DJ apps in the past few years, they’ve remained fairly niche, since Apple didn’t allow devs official access to the iPod music library — mobile DJs needed to upload a second separate music library per app, and that’s no fun at all. Looks like that’s about to change, though: one of the 1500 new APIs in iOS 4 provides direct access to the iPod library, meaning music apps of all kinds can play your tracks in any wacky way they want — including, yes, scratching them. The first app to support the new API in the store is Flare Scratch, which is a relatively simple scratch app — we just gave it a shot and yes, it does indeed load tracks from the iPod library and let you scratch ‘em. There’s a bit of a wait when loading up a new track, though, so it’s not totally fluid to use in anything but a hey-this-is-fun context, but we’re betting we’ll see more serious DJ apps hit with smoother transitions soon enough — and we can’t wait to see what devs do once iOS 4 hits the iPad and they’ve got more room to work with. Video after the break. Read the rest of this entry »
Android 2.2 (Froyo) versus iOS 4: the browser showdown (video)
A little while back Google boldly claimed that Froyo would have the world’s fastest mobile browser, but the lack of final software back then meant we’d had to tie up our itchy hands until now. And boy, it sure looks like it was worth the wait — Ars Technica’s JavaScript benchmarks show that not only is Froyo’s browser almost three times faster than its Éclair counterpart, but it also beats iOS 4′s Safari by at least two-folds. That said, numbers alone don’t always reflect real-life performance — especially with Froyo supporting iPhone’s much-missed Flash — so we went ahead and conducted our own browser speed test. Read on for our videos and results after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
iPhone 4 jailbreak and unlock coming soon
An all-devices jailbreak that will liberate the iPhone 4 from its Apple lock and permit the installation of unofficial third-party software – among other things – has been promised as imminent by one of the iPhone Dev Team, who has confirmed that the group’s next release will address the fourth-generation smartphone. MuscleNerd revealed that the next jailbreak app will work in a similar way to Spirit, addressing all devices, all bootroms and the latest official Apple firmware, with a “painless install”.
