Month: February 2012

Issue with iPhone 4S and China Mobile SIM Cards Confirmed

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 9, 2016

Apple has confirmed that some people are experiencing compatibility issues when marrying a China Mobile SIM card and the new iPhone 4S. China Mobile itself has also confirmed that a potential issue has reared its ugly head.

The list of symptoms is varied but all follow a similar theme, with connectivity issues the main problem. Reports of users being unable to activate their handsets are rife, with others claiming to be unable to connect to the network completely.

Apple has reportedly already discovered the cause of the problem, and is hard at work on a fix...

iPhone Developers Now Required to Submit Retina App Screenshots

Cody Lee ∙ February 7, 2012

As noted by MacRumors, Apple has notified its iOS developers that future app updates and submissions are now required to include screenshots that meet Retina resolution specifications.

The requirement applies to both iPhone and iPod touch developers, and it looks like Apple won't be approving apps that don't qualify...

Path Uploads Your Entire Address Book to Its Servers

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Blogger Arun Thampi accidentally discovered that Path uploads your entire address book to its servers. Path CEO quickly explained why the company chose to take this path (pun intended):

We actually think this is an important conversation and take this very seriously. We upload the address book to our servers in order to help the user find and connect to their friends and family on Path quickly and effeciently as well as to notify them when friends and family join Path. Nothing more.

We believe that this type of friend finding & matching is important to the industry and that it is important that users clearly understand it, so we proactively rolled out an opt-in for this on our Android client a few weeks ago and are rolling out the opt-in for this in 2.0.6 of our iOS Client, pending App Store approval.

The app that everybody loved a few months ago is now the app that everybody loves to hate. I'm sure it won't last long though. Path will fix "the glitch" and get praised by everyone for how quickly they came through. But that's only assuming MG Siegler or Gruber don't put them on the gallows first.

Change Your iPhone’s Keyboard Layout From Qwerty to Dvorak

Cody Lee ∙ February 7, 2012

The Dvorak keyboard layout was patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak (thanks Wikipedia). Proponents of the layout believe that it requires less finger motion than the traditional QWERTY style, allowing you to type faster with fewer errors.

If you happen to be a fan of the Dvorak layout, or would just like to see what it looks like, a new jailbreak tweak has just surfaced in Cydia that will install the keyboard on your iOS 5 device...

Simplexity: A Simple Yet Complex Method for Viewing the App Switcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 7, 2012

Looking for yet another alternative to the stock App Switcher? I know, there's no shortage of alternate app switchers, but there's always room for one more, right?

Well, on second thought, maybe not. Simplexity is a recently released jailbreak tweak on Cydia that wholeheartedly lives up to its name. While it's simple in some aspects, it can make what should otherwise be a no-brainer function overly complex...

Do You Want to Win One of These Custom Made Cleaning Clothes for Your iDevice?

Sébastien Page ∙ February 7, 2012

We're big fans of the Mobile Cloth here at iDB. I remember the very first time I used one of their microfiber clothes to clean my iPhone screen. I didn't expect much at all but I was blown away by the results.

In a matter of seconds the Mobile Cloth removes fingerprints and smudges, but it also removes up to 98% of germs, without the need of any chemical...

How to Check Where Jailbreak Tweaks Are Installed

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 7, 2012

Have you ever wondered what files a specific jailbreak tweak places on your device? Have you ever wondered where the files are stored?

If so, you could always fire up iFile or use an FTP utility to go digging around in your file system. Or, you could just head to Cydia and utilize a provision that's available for every package you have installed on your device...

How to Use Activator Actions Via Terminal

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 7, 2012

Let's just chalk TerminalActivator into the "I do it just because I can" category.

TerminalActivator, as its name might suggest, allows you to execute Activator actions via a terminal emulator.

It works well, but the developer is obviously targeting a very small audience. Full video demonstration inside...

Alter Your App Switching Animations With ‘Jepit’

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 7, 2012

Jepit is a jailbreak tweak that attempts to add new app switching animations to your iDevice.

Along with animations, Jepit also includes the ability to change the speed of said animations.

Sadly, its lack of polish hinders what could otherwise be an eye catching tweak. Take a look as we go one-on-one with Jepit inside...

Developers Caught Manipulating App Store Rankings

Cody Lee ∙ February 7, 2012

An interesting thread sprouted up in TouchArcade's forums over the weekend entitled the "Biggest FRAUD in the Top 25 Free Ranking." The thread spotlights a recently discovered problem with some app developers using seedy marketing services to move their apps up in the App Store rankings.

Walterkaman, who started the thread, said, "I came across this ad network which guaranteed to get my app into the Top 25 in the App Store for $5000." The service uses bot farms to automatically download their clients' apps to drive up their rankings. And not only does this work, but it works well...

Rumor: Apple TV Set Already in the Hands of Canadian ISPs

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 10, 2017

So this is pretty interesting. The Globe and Mail, Canada's largest newspaper, is reporting this evening that Apple is actively looking for Canadian launch partners for its rumored television set.

The report claims that the Cupertino company has recently approached both Rogers and Bell, two major Canadian carriers, about the product, and that the two operators already have the TV in their possession...

How Apple Could Provide Content for its Rumored TV Set

Cody Lee ∙ February 6, 2012

One of the biggest mysteries regarding Apple's rumored TV set, other than whether it really exists or not, is how Apple plans to push content to the device. A major advantage of the television is expected to be its easy-to-use interface, and there's only so much Apple could do with your everyday cable or dish connection.

In a note to investors this morning, Jeffries analyst Peter Misek laid out four ways that Apple could get around the need for a third party set top box and remote control...