iOS 6.1

No iOS VPN changes on already shipped devices

On April 5, Apple acknowledged via a support document that it “will be changing the behavior of VPN On Demand for iOS devices using iOS 6.1 and later” due to a lawsuit by patent holding firm VirnetX file against Apple in November 2011. VPN technology, which stands for Virtual Private Networking, extends corporate networks securely across public networks like the Internet, allowing users to access a private network as if they were directly connected to it.

Apple originally planned to remove the 'Always' configuration option for VPN On Demand with the 'Establish if needed' option. The revised document specifically mentions Apple will not be changing the VPN behavior on "devices that have already been shipped"...

Upcoming firmware update to force VPN behavior changes over VirnetX patent loss

VirnetX, a patent holding firm with an impressive intellectual property portfolio, in November 2011 sued Apple over a breach of a collection of its network patents, originally seeking north of $900 million in damages. A year later, in November 2012, a federal jury in a Texas court ordered the iPhone maker to pay $368.2 million in damages.

The two parties later worked out a royalty agreement that should be decided upon on April 12, but as a result of the damages awarded to VirnetX, Apple today has acknowledged via a support document that it "will be changing the behavior of VPN On Demand for iOS devices using iOS 6.1 and later"...

Another iOS 6.1 trick to bypass the Lock screen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKOj0GMf810#at=49

So what's up with Apple and the iPhone's Lock screen? I mean, the various Lock screen vulnerabilities have persisted in iOS since the first passcode flaw was discovered in iOS 2.0 - and that was way back in July of 2008. And now, in addition to a simple passcode bypass trick a YouTube user detailed on Valentine's Day, another method of circumventing the Lock screen passcode has been discovered and highlighted in a video above...

XBMC for Apple TV now compatible with iOS 6.1 (5.2)

Shortly after the release of the iOS 6.x jailbreak tool evasi0n, FireCore rolled out a new version of its Seas0nPass utility to support the latest firmware. Folks with a second-gen ATV on iOS 6.1 (5.2) can now enjoy an untethered jailbreak.

Up until now, though, most people (including myself) have been reluctant to upgrade to the new software because many Apple TV apps still don't support it. But you'll be happy to hear that XBMC has just taken its name off of that list...

Apple says fix for iOS 6.1 Exchange bug is on the way

Last week, we reported that a number of users were complaining of poor device performance and battery life after updating to iOS 6.1. Apple fixed part of the problem, releasing an update for 4S users who were experiencing 3G connectivity issues.

But for many, a nasty Exchange bug still remains, causing iOS 6.1 devices to continuously loop when syncing a recurring calendar meeting invitation, thus crippling battery life and performance. The good news, though, is that a fix is on the way...

Chitika: iOS 6 now accounts for 83% of all North American iOS traffic

With Apple releasing iOS 6.1.1 earlier this week—just two weeks after releasing iOS 6.1—ad network Chitika wanted to take a look and see where iOS version distribution and adoption was at in terms of overall percentage of iOS traffic.

To determine this, the firm's analytical arm Chitika Insights took a sample of ad impressions from millions of US and Canadian iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users during a 24 hour period. And they found that over 80% are on iOS 6...

Microsoft details band-aid fixes for iOS 6.1 Exchange bug

Apple yesterday fixed 3G and reliability issues with the iOS 6.1.1 firmware update for iPhone 4S users, but a bug with Microsoft's Exchange email service persists. First noticed in the iOS 6.1 software update, it kills your battery and AOL thought it was sever enough to temporarily disable the ability to manage meetings on company-issued devices. Theories abound that an Exchange server glitch is causing poor device performance and battery life and Microsoft just issued a support document providing workarounds for the bug...

Apple said to be rushing iOS 6.1.1 to address 3G and enterprise issues

Over the past week or so, several users have come forward complaining about issues with iOS 6.1. Vodafone has actually told its iPhone 4S owners not to update to the software due to the problems, and AOL Corporate has had to turn off some Exchange services.

Well it looks like Apple is working to get these bugs fixed as soon as possible. A new report out this morning claims that carriers have already completed testing of iOS 6.1.1, and the 23MB firmware will be available in the near future as an over-the-air update...

Sn0wbreeze 2.9.9 is out with a handful of bug fixes

iH8sn0w has posted a minor update to his popular jailbreak utility sn0wbreeze this weekend, bringing the software to version 2.9.9. The update comes just a few days after 2.9.8 was released, and features a handful of bug fixes.

The Windows-only app includes the new untethered evasi0n jailbreak, which the evad3rs debuted last week, and is capable of hacking all pre-A5 devices on iOS 6.1 (including the Apple TV 2). Full 2.9.9 change log after the fold...

Poll: 3G, battery and overheating issues on iOS 6.1?

Like any software release, the January 28 iOS 6.1 firmware update did fix some known bugs, but also has introduced a new set of issues. Specifically, the update is said to contain a bug that affects your iPhone's battery life and 3G performance.

The battery inefficiencies could be related to an Exchange bug, clever people at AOL have learnt). Quick searches on the Apple Support Communities forum for iOS 6.1 battery and iOS 6.1 3G clearly prove these issues are more widespread than originally thought. While some people are seeing their iPhone 5 battery life dropping after updating to iOS 6.1, others are bitching about overheating issues.

To make matters worse, Vodafone advised its UK customers against upgrading to iOS 6.1 until Apple fixes 3G hiccups, which include the occasional difficulty in connecting to the network to make or receive calls or texts or connecting to the mobile Internet.

What are you seeing?

iOS 6.1 battery problems may be related to Exchange bug

Yesterday, we reported that Vodafone UK has been sending out text messages to its iPhone 4S subscribers, warning them not to upgrade to iOS 6.1. The update is said to contain a bug that affects the handset's 3G performance, and subsequently its battery life.

But the issue appears to be more widespread than that. We've received a number of comments from readers, that aren't in the UK and don't have a 4S, that are seeing similar battery life problems. And it's been discovered that Exchange might just be the culprit...

Vodafone UK warns iPhone 4S owners not to upgrade to iOS 6.1 due to 3G bug

Vodafone UK subscribers with an iPhone 4S who haven't upgraded to iOS 6.1 may want to hold off on doing so. The carrier is currently sending out text messages to customers stating that there's a bug in the new firmware.

According to the warning, the issue has to due with 3G performance. Apparently 4S users on Vodafone UK have been experiencing problems with both cell service and battery life since updating to the latest version of iOS...