Month: February 2012

Apple working on “adaptive streaming” for audio

Oliver Haslam ∙ February 28, 2012

Apple is currently working on a new file format for its iCloud service, according to reports.

Writing for The Guardian, Charles Arthur cites sources with "inside knowledge" and claims that Apple is set to bring a new format to the music world which will allow for adaptive streaming of music from iCloud, with the quality being altered depending on the playback method.

Apple's iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match both rely on music being stored on servers owned by the technology company. Being able to alter the music quality as it is being distributed could potentially save in bandwidth costs for the end user...

What AT&T customers on unlimited data plans can do to fight throttling

Cody Lee ∙ February 28, 2012

Last year AT&T, along with several other carriers, decided to drop its unlimited data plan in favor of other options. And although it has allowed users to maintain their previously-owned unlimited plans, it isn't exactly winning customer service points.

A few months ago, the operator started throttling its subscribers after using only two gigabytes of their unlimited data. And if you happen to fall into that category, for once, there is something you can do about it...

Saurik explains why Cydia must reload packages every time it’s opened

Cody Lee ∙ February 28, 2012

Have you ever wondered why Cydia has to perform the 'loading packages' step every time you open it up? Well reddit user indochris609 did, and decided to take his question to the reddit jailbreak forum.

Dozens of users responded to the query, including Cydia's creator, Saurik. And as usual, the hacker/developer's explanation of the topic at hand is both interesting and informative...

The banned Siri “Rock God” Commercial

Sébastien Page ∙ February 28, 2012

[tube]31do3YdgeB4[/tube]

Watch out, the last 5 seconds are not safe for work.

Swedish company claims to have a swipe patent that is used by Apple

Oliver Haslam ∙ February 28, 2012

While Apple seems all too keen on taking to the courts in order to protect its patents, it appears that it may be in the back foot in a new battle that has yet to even begin.

A Swedish firm claims to be in possession of a patent which relates to horizontal swiping and gliding, with Apple's slide-to-unlock gesture being one such example.

The firm, called Neonode, claims to have received the relevant patent during January of this year, and its head of IP, Yossi Shain, says that companies such as Sony and Barnes & Noble are already licensees...

‘SpeakEvents’ makes boring push notifications come alive with voice

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 27, 2012

SpeakEvents is a jailbreak tweak that audibly speaks the contents of new messages, tweets, emails, etc.

I like to look at it as the opposite of Siri; actually it's the perfect complement to Siri, because instead of you talking to the iPhone, it's talking to you.

I know this sounds like a potential recipe for disaster, but SpeakEvents has the ability to go into quiet mode during designated times, and you can make it work on a per-app basis.

Check out further video coverage of SpeakEvents straight ahead...

‘Notificator’ allows you to customize iOS system events with banners and sounds

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 27, 2012

Wouldn't it be neat to receive a banner notification once that huge app finishes downloading? What about a less intrusive banner notification when your device is running low on battery life?

Notificator is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that can do that and more. In total there are eight system events that can be customized with both banners and sound to keep you abreast of what's happening on your device.

Take a look at our full video preview inside...

How to enable fast Notification Center background blurring

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 27, 2012

Looking for an instantaneous method for blurring the background after invoking Notification Center?

If so, then perhaps Ryan Petrich's longwinded FastBlurredNotificationCenter will suit your needs.

This is a free jailbreak tweak available on Petrich's beta repo, which causes an instant blur effect for Notification Center.

Inside we have a brief video of it in action, along with the link you need to score a free copy for yourself...

Sprint commits to buying 24 million iPhones from Apple

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Sprint is the most recent carrier to have gained Apple's iPhone on its network, after paying big bucks. According to its 10-K filing with the SEC released this morning, Sprint has committed to buying almost $15.5B worth of iPhones from Apple, The Next Web points out.

Asymco figured that each iPhone is sold for roughly $630 ARPU from Apple to Sprint. This means, Sprint has committed to buying almost 24 million iPhones...

Proview amends its iPad lawsuit, now accusing Apple of fraud

Cody Lee ∙ February 27, 2012

By now, most of you have heard about the Proview vs. Apple lawsuit. The Chinese monitor-maker, who is currently in steep financial trouble, is suing Apple over the use of its iPad trademark in China.

Even though some judges have already ruled in Proview's favor, Apple is denying the allegations. The company claims that it purchased the rights to the iPad name years ago, and has emails to prove it. Now hear what Proview has to say...

Rumor: more evidence that the iPad 3 will employ A5X processor

Jake Smith ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Most publications are agreeing on most of the specs for the upcoming iPad 3. The consensus seems to be that the iPad 3 will feature a Retina display, larger battery, upgraded cameras, iOS 5.1 w/ Siri support, and LTE. However, the main question lingering is if the iPad 3 will feature the rumored upgraded dual-core A5X processor or quad-core A6 processor.

AllThingsD has published a report on the latest out of analyst Steve Mullane. Mullane says he's been hearing from supply chains that the iPad 3 will feature the dual-core A5X processor...

AT&T plans to allow developers to pay for users’ data

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

In an interesting move, AT&T plans to allow developers to pay for users' data, when users are using the developer's app, reports the WSJ. AT&T's network and technology head John Donovan told the WSJ in an interview at MWC 2012 that the service will be similar to a toll-free 1-800 number.

The move will surely be interesting, letting a user use an app without any data being charged to them whatsoever. Donovan says AT&T hopes to roll out the new service within the next year...