Roughly 80% of iOS users are running on iOS 5 or later

by Cody on Mar 27, 2012

Indie developer David Smith recently published some interesting statistics to his personal blog regarding the adoption rate of iOS versions 5.0 and later. Apple released iOS 5 last October, and has since seeded two incremental updates.

Smith pulled the data from the user base of his popular iOS app, Audiobooks. The app sees about 100 thousand downloads on a weekly basis, so admittedly, its users provide a nice little test market. Now, on to the numbers… Read More

 

“Busted” iOS battery algorithm behind shorter iPad run time affects all iOS devices?

by Christian Zibreg on Mar 26, 2012

As we told you last week, unplugging your brand spanking new iPad as soon as the battery gauge hits the 100 percent mark entails missing out as much as ten percent of additional run time, or about 1.2 hours. This has been attributed to the iOS battery algorithm, which kinda brings back old memories of a bug in reporting cellular signal levels on the iPhone 4, later fixed with a software update.

According to new findings, this is actually a system-wide behavior in Apple’s mobile operating system – thus affecting older iPads, as well as your iPhone and iPod touch. In fact, all iOS devices are affected by what’s been called “busted” battery algorithm, it’s just more pronounced on the new iPad due to its 70 percent more capacious battery.

What exactly is going on here, you ask… Read More

 

Apple to add Baidu as default iOS search engine option in China

by Cody on Mar 26, 2012

If Apple’s multiple mapping firm acquisitions and recent iPhoto makeover haven’t convinced you that the company is trying to distance itself from Google as much as possible, maybe this will.

Sina Tech is reporting that it has learned that Apple is looking to add Baidu, China’s market-leading internet search company, as a default search engine option in iOS. So long Google… Read More

 

Apple begins rejecting apps that access UDIDs

by Oliver Haslam on Mar 25, 2012

Apple is beginning to reject app submissions which access a device’s UDID, according to a report by Mashable.

You just can’t beat a good privacy scare, and the one surrounding the use of UDIDs, or Unique Device Identifiers is the current biggie. Used by developers and advertising companies, UDIDs allow tracking of individual devices which has the privacy conscious up in arms.

With Apple now reportedly rejecting apps that use UDIDs, developers, ad. agencies and anyone else who may legitimately use UDIDs will need to re-write their apps to remove the feature… Read More

 

Steve Jobs said no to the new Apple TV UI design five years ago

by Jake Smith on Mar 24, 2012

A former Apple TV engineer took to Twitter last night discussing the latest UI that has been implemented on the Apple TV. For those unfamiliar, the new Apple TV UI was announced at the March 7th media event, along with the new 1080p Apple TV. The new UI isn’t much of a change, but brings larger buttons to the home page. Some love it, many hate it.

Michael Margolis, who formerly served as an Apple TV UI designer, said on his Twitter last night that Steve Jobs said no to the latest UI changes five years ago, however Apple’s senior executives recently approved the new UI… Read More

 

US Government would’ve paid Comex $250,000 for exclusive use of JailbreakMe

by Christian Zibreg on Mar 23, 2012

Jailbreak community owes a lot to adept hackers who find and exploit weaknesses in the design of iOS mobile operating system, thus allowing Apple’s mobile gadgets to run unsanctioned software. It’s more often than not a neverending cat-and-mouse game between Apple and hackers that at the end benefits jailbreakers the most.

Say you’re an expert hacker who just figured an exploit in one of Apple’s products. You could report your findings directly to Apple and help them plug those holes with a software update.

But did you know you could also hand over this valuable information to an exploit broker who will sell it to a government agency and net you a decent profit, minus the broker’s commission? A U.S. government agency, to be precise… Read More

 

Safari exploit that allows URL spoofing discovered in iOS 5.1

by Cody on Mar 22, 2012

Although iOS is considered to be one of the safest mobile operating systems on the market, it’s not perfect. This is something that those of us in the jailbreak community know all too well.

With that in mind, it’s not terribly surprising that another security bug has recently been discovered in Apple’s software. Reports are surfacing today that an exploit has been found inside mobile Safari… Read More

 

RIM looking to write “exciting” enterprise apps for iOS devices, recruitment ad suggests [updated]

by Christian Zibreg on Mar 22, 2012

If you’re a veteran iOS developer capable of “architecting, designing, developing and testing complex applications for iPhone and iPad”, you could be a fit for Research In Motion. The BlackBerry maker has been advertising an interesting job vacancy on LinkedIn since two days ago.

You should also exhibit “a solid work ethic” (just solid? they are not that demanding after all) and must be able to show own apps on the App Store at your job interview. So, what exactly is the beleaguered BlackBerry maker up to? Read More

 

Don’t stop charging your iPad when it says 100%

by Christian Zibreg on Mar 22, 2012

With all the hoopla around the new iPad getting a little bit toastier than its predecessor, Dr. Raymond Soneira is in high demand these days. Yesterday, he explained how the demanding Retina display and brightness levels affect the iPad’s run time. Today, he’s back at it, warning the device keeps charging even when it claims to have been filled.

Is this an iOS software flaw akin to a “bug” in cellular signal levels on the iPhone 4 (later fixed with a software update)? Hard to tell. All we know is it keeps charging for as much as an hour after the battery gauge hits the 100 percent mark. This, too, might explain why some people experience shorter run times with the new iPad versus its predecessor… Read More

 

Rumor: next iPhone to feature 4.6-inch display

by Jake Smith on Mar 21, 2012

Now that the rumors for the third-generation iPad are over, rumors regarding Apple’s next iPhone are kicking in full swing. Reporting on a rumor that’s been floating around for quite awhile, Maeil Business Newspaper (via Reuters) says that Apple’s next iPhone will feature a 4.6-inch display.

The upgraded screen size has been rumored to be featured in the iPhone for quite awhile. Many Android devices include a larger 4-inch screen, including Samsung’s popular Galaxy S II. The 4.6-inch display would be Retina quality and manufactured by Samsung and LG… Read More