Running a beta release of iOS on an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch comes with a very specific set of possible problems, ranging from poor battery life, to potential software conflicts, to things just plain not working.
One possible issue that we've not really considered before is the chance of an iPhone actually settings itself on fire. And that's apparently what's happened to one iOS developer's handset.
Or, his charging cord, at least....
Apple is no stranger to the courtroom these days; with patents, copyright claims, and counterclaims becoming as closely related to the Cupertino outfit as its iconic iPods.
Ironically, though, it seems that those very same iPods have landed Apple in trouble this time around, with the company being forced to stump up $8 million to a company that claims the iPod infringes on its patents...
When Apple first announced the magical and revolutionary iPad back in early 2010, Steve Jobs made a point of saying that the new device was a category on its own - filling a gap between the smartphone and laptop computer.
This niche made ReadWriteWeb wonder if iPad usage is actually any different to that of traditional computers, such as, laptops and desktop machines. Do users tend to use iPads at different times of day, or does usage change over the weekend?
The results, gleaned by studying a week's worth of Bitly click data, make an interesting read, and it turns out that yes, we do use our tablet devices differently....
Apple is known for registering patents for everything they think of, just in case it becomes useful, or indeed feasible, at a later date.
A new patent to come out of Cupertuno suggests the company is working on a new way of sharing files between devices, similar to the way HP's new TouchPad and accompanying smartphones do.
The HP way involves touching the two devices together in order to initiate the connection and subsequent transfer of files and data. If that sounds familiar, it's because the whole process is very similar to contact sharing app, Bump.
What Apple's patent suggests, is a more metaphorical way of establishing the connection...
Way back before Apple deemed Verizon customers worthy of the iPhone, pundits and users alike suggested that bringing Apple's much-loved handset to another US carrier could see an explosion in sales. The rationale was that many Verizon customers did indeed want an iPhone, but were not willing to suffer AT&T in order to get one.
Since its release earlier this year, Apple has seen its Verizon handsets shift in huge quantities, and according to a new study, iPhones bought for Verizon's network now account for 32% of all US iPhone 4 handsets....
Apple's iAd mobile advertising platform is currently struggling to gain traction, with cut price deals now available, according to reports.
Launched back in April 2010, iAd was dubbed 'mobile ads with emotion' by Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs, just before he slapped a minimum ad buy-in price of $1 million on the service.
Now though, it seems Apple has lowered its targets for iAd considerably, with the original $1 million price a distant memory...
This Fall could see the release of a new, high-spec iPad model aimed squarely at the professional market, if claims by This is my next are correct.
In a post on the placeholder site for the former Engadget crew, Joshua Topolsky explains that the team's sources claim this Fall will bring a new entry into the iPad family, with the new device receiving the 'iPad HD' designation.
But what's so interesting about this new entry into a fast-growing tablet market? Well, the clue is in the name...
After a long wait, Comex released JailbreakMe 3.0. And now a huge number of iOS devices have already utilised the hack.
The jailbreaking method, which simply requires a user visit a website and press a button, is aimed at jaibreaking iOS devices running version 4.3.3, as well as being the first jailbreak available for Apple's iPad 2.
With experts warning that the same method Comex uses could also be used in a malicious context, it was only a matter of time until Apple looked to plug the PDF exploit that the jailbreak relies on....
A curious glance around any train station, bus stop, or airport will show you just how popular Apple's iPad and iPhone mobile devices are, and the sales figures back up the assumption that Apple just can't make enough of its magical devices.
What might not be so obvious, is that the iPad is one of the most advertised devices in Europe, with the smartphone being the 6th in a list of devices when it comes to ad impressions...
Remember when Apple announced the iPad way back in early 2010, and everyone said that typing on the tablet's 9.7" screen would be near-impossible?
Well, it turns out that over a year later, not only is it very possible, but one Georgian boy can even knock out the full English alphabet in just over 5 seconds.
5.26 seconds, to be exact...
iSteve - The Book of Jobs is due to be the first official, authorised account of the life thus far of Apple CEO and co-founder, Steve Jobs. And despite the book not being available on shelves until early next year, it's already seen its first revision.
The book, penned by the man behind biographies of Einstein and Kissinger, was originally going to be called iSteve - a tribute to the way Apple took the humble letter and made it iconic though the iPod, iPad and iPhone. However, according to the author's family, iSteve is just too.....cute...
Apple's influence on internet usage worldwide continues to grow, with reports that the company's iPad now accounts for 1% of the planet's web browsing usage.
The figure is even more impressive when narrowed down to just browsing inside the United States, with fully 2.1% being the magic number.
According to the latest NetMarketShare report, mobile browsing in general has now topped 5%, or 8.2% in the United States...