Year: 2012

iOS 6 brings brand new privacy settings you can’t miss

You might remember the privacy fiasco that started earlier this year when it was discovered that Path was uploading your whole address book to its servers. Of course, Path wasn't the only app to do that, but it was the first to get the backlash that followed, forcing Apple to slightly change what the company requires app developer to do with your data and how they notify you.

Because privacy is such a hot topic these days, Apple has gone the extra mile in the beta release of iOS 6, giving "privacy" its very own tab inside the Settings app...

Apple taps TomTom as new iOS 6 Maps provider

While we knew that Apple was looking to knock off Google as the Maps provider for iOS, we weren't exactly sure how it was going to do it. Was it building an in-house database? Using OpenStreetMaps?

Well as it turns out, neither of those answers were correct. According to the Acknowledgement page from inside the new iOS 6 Maps application, Apple is using mapping services from TomTom...

New in iOS 6: relocated Bluetooth Toggle

Ok, so it isn't the NCSettings or SBSettings-like feature we were hoping for. But Apple did make the Bluetooth toggle more accessible in iOS 6.

As you can see in the screenshot above, the Bluetooth option has been relocated in the Settings app. Now it takes a few less taps to access...

Mail app gets VIP inbox and more in iOS 6

Those hoping that the default Mail app would get a major overhaul in iOS 6 will likely be disappointed. Despite a few new features, Mail is nearly identical to its predecessor.

But the few additions that did make the cut seem like they're going to have quite an impact. The first is a new VIP inbox feature, which allows you to customize Mail notifications...

iOS 6 brings iCloud tabs, full-screen browsing and more to Safari

While it isn't necessarily the complete rebuild we were hoping for, Apple announced today that mobile Safari is going to be getting some improvements and a few new features with iOS 6.

The headlining new addition is iCloud Tabs, which will sync all of your open tabs from the desktop Safari app with iOS. Don't use desktop Safari? Don't worry, there's more...

iTunes 10.6.3 is out, get downloading

Apple has just released a new iTunes version 10.6.3 that features support for iOS 6 beta. It looks like a maintenance release aimed at only supporting the new capabilities provided by iOS 6.

It's a bit surprising that Apple decided to make iTunes 10.6.3 available to everyone as iOS 6 is in beta and normally one needs a paid developer account to download and install iOS betas...

WWDC 2012 keynote video now available

Apple has just published a dedicated WWDC keynote stream page to its website, it's available right here.

Apple will hopefully release the full presentation as a high-definition downloadable podcast via their dedicated Apple Keynotes section in iTunes...

iOS 6 features remodeled iTunes, iBooks and App Stores

Apple didn't have time to go into each and every new addition in iOS 6 in great detail today, so a lot of cool stuff flew under the radar. New content stores, for instance, would fall into that category.

As previously rumored, the latest iOS update features completely remodeled iTunes, iBooks and App Stores. A change, that Apple says, will give users a "new kind of shopping experience..."

Apple’s new iPad ‘Smart Case’ available for purchase

If you're smart, then you won't use a Smart Cover alone to protect your new iPad. Instead, many people have opted for a polyurethane back cover to go along with their Smart Cover purchase. That's because Smart Covers, despite their name, don't protect the back of your device, making it susceptible to scratched ans dings.

Well it appears that Apple has heard the cries, as they're now providing a new Smart Case, which is basically Apple's own iteration of the solution mentioned above. Even better is the fact that the new Smart Case is now available for purchase on Apple's online Store...

iOS 6 lets you tweet and update Facebook from Notification Center

Taking a cue from the jailbreak community, Apple has added the ability to update your social networking accounts from directly within iOS 6's Notification Center.

Using two new buttons in NC, users will be able to post new status updates to Facebook, and new tweets to Twitter, all without ever leaving the drop-down menu...

Poll: is iOS 6 everything you hoped for?

Though it's too early to tell if it's any good until we get our hands on it, iOS 6 was definitely the star of the show at Apple's WWDC keynote that just got wrapped up. While we're still digesting the announcements ourselves, iOS 6 definitely seems to be another worthwhile upgrade.

Granted, it's an evolution of the world's most popular mobile operating system rather than a revolution, but no one said it would be in the first place.

We also noticed that Apple really stick it to Google with the new Maps app which comes fully loaded with all the features one would expect from a mapping app.

So what about you, did you like the announcements? Please take a few second of your time to cast a vote in our poll, should be fun...

Apple’s dedicated iOS 6 page goes live

iOS 6 has a ton of new features, and like always, Apple has created a new page highlighting the upgrade's most compelling bullet points.

We've covered all of the major features here on iDB, but it's always nice to see how Apple themselves present the update.

Inside you'll find highlights for new features like updated maps, Facebook integration, new Siri features, Passbook, Shared Photo Streams, and much, much, more.