As most of you know, the iOS 6.x jailbreak got official this week. The evad3rs launched their website on Wednesday, unveiling evasi0n, the software that's going to break our devices free from Apple's chains.
Also on the website is a progress bar, which gives an updated look at how close the jailbreak is to completion. And if you looked at it this morning, you would have noticed that it just jumped to 75% complete...
The private social network Path was off to a great start following its iPhone app launch in November 2010. The success was, unfortunately, short-lived as the company soon found itself at the epicenter of intense public scrutiny after it was discovered it had been uploading iOS users' address book to its servers without their explicit permission. Even though Path did apologize and update the app with the necessary changes and user prompts, the startup never really recovered from the eerie privacy scandal.
And as a result, Apple on its end introduced deeper privacy options in iOS 6Â so users can select on a per-app basis which apps can access their contacts, calendars, reminders, photos and more. And now comes word that on Friday The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that Path has agreed to pay a whopping $800,000 fine...
Price drops are the norm in app business. Developers are keen to slash prices of their digital warez, mostly for a limited time, in order to boost revenue. Some apps even go from paid to free permanently in the hope of raking in more revenue through in-app purchases. Just a few recent examples: Evernote has temporarily made the Penultimate handwriting app free and National Geographic's World Atlas for the first time has gone free.
Netbot, the Tweetbot for App.net, is also a free download now. A new survey was published Friday, highlighting the positive effect of price changes on download volumes and revenue of iPad and iPhone apps in the App Store...
Despite the fact that investors have begun to worry about Apple's future, the company is still one of the wealthiest in the world. The iPad-maker added another $13 billion to its cash pile last quarter, bringing the total to $137 billion.
And that number will only continue to grow, because Apple doesn't really spend much money. Maybe a few billion on research and development, and another couple on data centers and other facilities. But not enough to make a dent...
In another round of legal back and forth, a U.S. appeals court on Thursday again rejected Apple's attempt at the Galaxy Nexus sales ban, Reuters reports. The news gathering organization characterized the court's decision as "dashing the iPhone maker's attempt to recover crucial leverage in the global patent wars".
Apple could still appeal the decision to the United States Supreme Court though success is not guaranteed as the high court "has made it more difficult for patent plaintiffs to secure sales injunctions in recent years".
The full trial is scheduled for March 2014. The Galaxy Nexus case is based on patents that were not part of the high-stake Apple v. Samsung trial which culminated when a California jury awarded Apple with $1.05 billion in damages in August 2012...
HBO fans will be happy to hear that the premium TV network is reportedly working with Apple on a content deal that would bring a large chunk of its programming to the Apple TV.
As most of you know, HBO already has an iOS app for viewing content, called HBO GO. But it doesn't support AirPlay, meaning it can't be watched on a TV via the set-top box...
Research firm NPD today issued a report highlighting Apple's lead concerning electronic sell through (EST) of digital movies. Now, EST comprised just sixteen percent of the larger video on demand (VOD) revenue throughout the 2012 calendar year.
At the same time, iTunes dominated the EST market with a 45 percent share. Amazon was #2 with eighteen percent, followed by the $3 Walmart-owned Vudu (fifteen percent), #4 Xbox Video (fourteen percent) and Others taking up the remaining eight percent of the market.
Movies on Blu-ray and DVD discs? These accounted for a still respectable 61 percent of home video spending on movies, excluding Netflix and other movie-streaming subscriptions. However, that figure is notably down from 64 percent in 2011, despite average prices of Blu-ray movies falling seven percent to $19.97 per unit. Steve Jobs was right, Blu-ray indeed is "a bag of hurt"...
Once the iOS 6 jailbreak is released, there are a few tweaks that you absolutely must download. Thankfully, Cydia will be better equipped to handle the barrage of users so that you will be able to download all of your favorite apps and tweaks with little issue.
While we wait, why not consider a few of my must-have jailbreak tweaks for iOS 6? Post jailbreak, we'll follow up with more recommended apps and tweaks, but we think this list would be enough to wet your appetite...
This is kind of interesting. Maya-Systems, which describes itself as a knowledge management technology provider, announced today that a transaction took place between it and Apple in the third quarter of last year. It seems the Cupertino company acquired 18 patents from them "relating to innovative axis-based user interface technology."
Winocm tweeted today that he was working on a method for downgrading from iOS 6 to 5.1.1 that will work on all devices. This is noteworthy as downgrades on most A5+ devices were either difficult, in the case of the iPad 2, or not possible in Redsn0w once Apple stopped signing the iOS 5 firmware.
Winocm is known for his work in PS3 firmware hacking and contributes tweaks such as CameraConnector to Cydia under the name 'rms'. Winocm seems to be working on a lot of projects: A day before the downgrade tweet, Winocm posted a video of linux booting up on an iPhone 4Â to YouTube (pictured above)...
Evasi0n, the much anticipated jailbreak tool for iOS 6 compatible devices, will be available in the very near future. With that in mind, many jailbreak developers are updating their tweaks and apps, and even establishing brand new creations to prepare for the new jailbreak.
One such developer is SBCoders, the same team behind such hits as Aero and Dash. SBCoders' latest creation, the yet to be released Pages+, continues the tradition of solid jailbreak tweaks. Pages+ allows you to customize each page on the iPhone's Home screen. You can accomplish this by means of custom wallpaper packs, or by its built in page tinting system.
The most exciting thing about Pages+, however, is that it plays nice with Aaron Ash's Barrel. Barrel, of course, is the jailbreak app that allows you to implement various page transitions on your iPhone. When you mix both creations together, you're guaranteed to get some wild results.
Apple will reportedly discontinue the Mac Pro in Europe beginning March 1. The unexpected decision isn't a result of low demand for Apple's pro desktop, as conventional wisdom would have you believe. The real reason is simple, really: Apple's aging top-of-the-line desktop just doesn't meet a new European product regulation standards effective March 1.
The current Mac Pro line will continue to be available in other markets that don't have the new European product certification standards in place. Apple has emailed its resellers across Europe informing them they can place Mac Pro orders up until February 18 for shipment before March 1, 2013...