Alex Heath

Patent Troll Won’t Stay In Its Cave, Lodsys Continues to Sue iOS Develepors

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

In case you haven't heard, a patent troll by the name of "Lodsys" threatened to sue App Store developers for allegedly infringing on the Lodsys patent of in-app upgrades. Apple responded by saying that Lodsys had no right to prosecute based on this patent that Apple licensed years ago.

iOS develepors were very relived that Apple stood up against Lodsys, and the assumption was that the patent troll would back off when faced with the looming, Cupertino giant. It appears that Lodsys won't take no for an answer. The patent troll has filed lawsuits against seven App Store developers...

Twitter Integration Coming to iOS 5

Alex Heath ∙ May 31, 2011

With WWDC and iOS 5 right around the corner, it appears that Apple will be focusing more on social integration. We've heard rumors of a 'MediaStream' service from Apple that would allow you to view and share photos with your friends, and now it appears that Twitter will be integrated in iOS 5.

Instead of opening your favorite Twitter client to upload and share a photo, you could send a photo to Twitter directly from the iPhone's Camera app...

Everything You Need to Know About the Mysterious iCloud

Alex Heath ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

Apple issued a very unusual press release earlier today that outlined what would be announced at the World Wide Developer's Conference next Monday, June 6th. Steve Jobs will be speaking and talking about Mac OS X Lion, iOS 5, and the newly-confirmed 'iCloud' service.

Apple's press release was unusual because it was oddly descriptive. Even though nothing was actually said about iCloud, Apple still bothered to state that iCloud, an unreleased product, would be part of the WWDC lineup.

When has Apple ever stated the name of an unreleased product in a press release? Why would the company do so?

iWork for iPhone Now Available

Alex Heath ∙ Updated May 26, 2017

Following the announcement that Steve Jobs will unveil iOS 5 and iCloud at WWDC next week, Apple has announced that its productivity suite, iWork, is now available for the iPhone. Keynote, Pages and Numbers were made available on the iPad last year, and Apple has now released iPhone versions in the App Store.

The existing iPad apps can now be updated with universal support for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Pages will allow you to create and edit documents on the fly. Keynote will create stunning presentations straight from the iPhone, and Numbers will make and edit spreadsheets on the go.

Screenshots and press release after the break!

Wait Until After WWDC to Renew Your MobileMe Subscription

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

If you've been contemplating the $99/year renewal of your MobileMe account, you should probably hold off for a little while longer. Unless you're totally reliant on MobileMe and your account is about to expire, wait until after WWDC next week.

Apple is planning on doing something big with its cloud services, and MobileMe will most definitely be a piece of the puzzle. The MobileMe features that you use now (email services, calendar sync, etc.) will most likely be free services from Apple very soon...

Rumor: iPhone 4S This Summer With A5 Chip, 8MP Camera, GSM/CDMA Support, Integrated SIM

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

With WWDC right around the corner, the last, pre-summer iPhone rumors are coming in fast and strong. The latest one seems a little far fetched, but it does make some interesting claims about hardware announcements we'll see from Apple this year.

Instead of an iPhone release this fall, Macotakara claims that the 'iPhone 4S' will be released this summer, and that the iPhone 5 will be released in spring of 2012. The iPhone 4S will supposedly be a minor upgrade from the iPhone 4 (like the 3G/3GS), while the iPhone 5 will be a complete revamp. Sound crazy to you?

MobileNotifier Beta5 Released: SMS Quick Reply, Enhanced Dashboard, Bug Fixes

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

In a surprising move, Peter Hajas has released his last version of the popular iOS notifications jailbreak replacement, MobileNotifier. We covered another blog post of Peter's yesterday, in which he declared that he was leaving as the head of the development team for MobileNotifier.

Right after we reviewed Beta4, MobileNotifier Beta5 "Ecstatic Eggo" has now been released in Cydia. And Peter is calling Beta5 the most "revolutionary release since the project's inception."

Samsung Demands to See Apple’s Next iPhone and iPad

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Samsung has filed a motion to Apple requesting to see the iPhone 5 and iPad 3. According to This is My Next, Samsung's lawyers want to get their hands on the iPhone 4S/5 and iPad 3 to see if Apple's future products are similar to Samsung's future devices, like the Droid Charge and Galaxy Tab 10.1.

Apple and Samsung have already been at each other's throats in the courtroom over claims of playing 'copycat' in product design. Apple sued Samsung for copying the "look and feel" of the iPhone and iPad, and now Samsung says that “fundamental fairness” requires Apple to turn over its upcoming devices for product comparison...

Maps+ is Google Maps on Steroids for the iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ Updated April 2, 2017

Maps+ is a new app, by IZE, that offers a more robust Google Maps experience than the native Maps app on the iPhone. With Maps+, you have more control and customization over your Maps experience on iOS.

The app goes beyond what the stock Maps app has to offer with features like a powerful location tracking tool and social media integration. More details after the break!

Will the iPhone Nano Look Like This?

Alex Heath ∙ May 28, 2011

Talk of a cheaper, perhaps contract-free 'iPhone Nano' has been circulating for several months now. With WWDC on the near horizon, and an iPhone announcement expected this fall, there's plenty of speculation surrounding Apple's next gen iPhone.

Will Apple release the typical, evolutionary upgrade to the current iPhone 4? Or will things get changed up with two new iPhone models released at once?

4 Ways to Improve Your iPhone’s Battery Life

Alex Heath ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

Are you suffering from poor battery life on your iPhone? Will your trusty smartphone no longer get you through the day on a single charge? How about even half a day?

Your iPhone's battery could failing, but there are still ways to help maximize your battery life while you still can. We've collected four tips to help you squeeze the most juice out of your iPhone's battery...

Could the Developer of MobileNotifier Be Working with Apple on Push Notifications?

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

MobileNotifier and Peter Hajas got a lot of attention on iDB yesterday. I reviewed MobileNotifier, a popular jailbreak replacement for notifications in iOS, and then we speculated that MobileNotifier's developer, Peter Hajas, could have recently been hired by Apple and taken out of the jailbreak community to work on push notifications in an upcoming version of iOS.

This theory was propelled by a tip we received from who we assume to be an Apple employee at Cupertino. Our tipster told us that working on notification replacements for iOS, like MobileNotifier, was "bad timing for jailbreak developers" and that Apple was about to "take the jailbreak community by surprise."

Directly following that tip, Peter Hajas announced on his blog that he was "taking a break" from developing for MobileNotifier to pursue "other opportunities." Sound suspicious to you too?