Spotify 0.6.1 update brings images and biographies to artist view

Less than one month after its awesome 0.6.0 update, which brought along a brand new app interface, Spotify has been updated again. Version 0.6.1 adds a brand new biography feature to the artists view. Now you can see a photo of your favorite band, along with a link to a written biography.

This brings the iPhone version of Spotify closer in line with the desktop version, which has had images and biographies since its inception. The 0.6.1 update also brings a new bug fix. Check inside for more details.

Eric Schmidt on Google Now for iOS: the ball is now in Apple’s court

An alleged promo video thought to show off an unreleased build of Google Now for the iPhone and iPad has piqued our interest, as you could imagine. It was pulled from YouTube soon after, posing questions about the state of the official Google Now software for Apple's mobile platform.

Speaking at the Google Big Tent Summit in India, Google's Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt hints Google Now has been submitted to Apple for approval. He suggested the ball is now in Apple's court. If approved, Google Now features are likely to be added to the Internet giant's native Search iOS app.

Update: Apple confirmed to CNET that Google never submitted Google Now to the App Store in the first place... 

How to enable face detection while recording video

Face detection is a feature that allows the iPhone's iSight camera to focus on the most prominent face in the frame, balancing the camera's exposure across up to 10 faces. It's a feature that works well with the iPhone's still camera, and it also works for shooting video.

The only problem with video, is that the face detection only works prior to the actual filming. That means that you can detect faces before tapping the shutter button while in video mode, but not afterwards. FaceDetectionDuringVideo is a tweak that eliminates that restriction. In other words, it allows you to detect faces in the middle of shooting a video.

How to add a stopwatch to the iPhone’s Lock screen

Isn't it annoying when your iPhone goes to the Lock screen while using its built-in stopwatch? Perhaps that's never happened to you before, because you simply don't use the stopwatch. But if it has happened, you'll be ecstatic to learn about a brand new jailbreak tweak that solves this issue.

Stoppur — a jailbreak tweak that allows you to place a stopwatch right on the Lock screen — is available on Cydia's BigBoss repo for $0.99. Is it worth it for stopwatch users? Take a look inside for more insight.

Final Fantasy V reportedly landing on iOS later this month

Good news Final Fantasy fans, a new report is out this afternoon claiming that the highly anticipated iOS port of the popular RPG's fifth episode will be happening in the not-so-distant future.

Famitsu is reporting that Final Fantasy V is set to hit iOS and Android devices in Japan by the end of the month, with launches in the United States and elsewhere expected shortly after...

Saurik: 18M devices running iOS 6 visited Cydia during evasi0n’s 6 week run

Yesterday, we bid farewell to one of the most infamous jailbreaks of all time: evasi0n. Born on February 4, it lasted nearly 6 weeks before Apple finally disabled it by way of the iOS 6.1.3 software update it issued yesterday.

It certainly served its purpose though. According to Jay Freeman, aka Saurik, Cydia saw more than 18 million unique iPhones, iPads and iPod touches, running iOS 6 (or later), visit during the jailbreak's 6-week long run...

US Department of Defense said to be ordering 650,000 iOS devices

The United States Department of Defense has a pending purchase order for more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report. 'Well-placed sources' say the government plans to purchase in upwards of 650,000 iPhones, iPads and iPod touches as part of an ongoing effort to update and mobilize its technologies...

iOS 6.1.3 reportedly introduces another Lock screen vulnerability

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCGJTuTZf8M

Apple yesterday let iOS 6.1.3 out of the gate, fixing the widely reported Lock screen vulnerability. As you're probably aware, the glitch was first detailed a month ago and lets people with access to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch easily bypass your passcode and mess with your private data on the device. But as is often the case, new software releases fix old bugs and introduce new ones to be squashed in the future.

A report Wednesday claims an all-new Lock screen vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 6.1.3, one making it easy to - you guessed right - bypass one's passcode and gain access to an unsuspecting user's contacts and photos kept on the device. Luckily, this one can be avoided easily by disabling the Voice Dial feature...

iOS 7 concept visualizes all-new UI for Lock screen, notifications and more

Apple's World Wide Developer Conference is coming up in a few months, and with new leadership in place, a lot of folks are hoping to see some major changes in iOS 7. Many critics feel like the platform is long overdue for a makeover.

And this prospect has led to the creation of several impressive mockups and renderings of what some hope to see from Apple in the future. Today's concept is no different, as it visualizes some beautiful, all-new UI components for iOS...

Thuraya’s new sleeve transforms your iPhone into a satellite phone

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTEDgc2vu44#!

The United Arab Emirates-headquartered Thuraya has been in the mobile satellite services business literally as long as I can recall seeing their ads on MTV as a teenager. Thuraya operates in 140+ countries across Europe, the Middle East, North, Central and East Africa, Asia and Australia, covering two-thirds of the globe. Last summer, the company also started providing roaming services in the United States through its partnership with T-Mobile USA.

Because Thuraya has been selling pricey satellite phones and access to its global communications network for ages, their very first iPhone accessory launch is totally unexpected, but welcomed. The aptly named SatSleeve enables global satellite coverage for your iPhone by tapping an accompanying app to talk to the sleeve and route your text messages and phone calls through Thuraya’s network of satellites. Wait, there's more to this special case than meets the eye...

Galaxy S4 is pricier to build than iPhone 5

Ah, the cost of competition. Samsung's recently unveiled Galaxy S4 may raise the bar for Apple, but it comes at a price. The new smartphone isn't expected to launch until April, however we already know how much it cost the South Korean company to build its latest device: $244.

According to IHS Suppli, parts and manufacturing for a 16GB S4 not only cost more than the current Galaxy S3, but also seventeen percent higher than an iPhone 5 with sixteen gigabytes of storage. Seems Samsung is encountering the same financial challenges as Apple when it comes to ensuring your handset remains technologically in step with competitors...

Apple won’t use Samsung screens for iPad 5 and iPad mini 2

In another hint of Apple distancing itself from Samsung by procuring crucial gadget components from alternative suppliers, we hear the Cupertino firm may have already dropped Samsung entirely as the maker of next-gen panels for a fifth-generation iPad and a second-generation iPad mini.

Both devices are rumored to arrive later this year, allegedly sporting the high-resolution Retina display technology and sharing a light aluminum chassis with thinner appearance and chamfered edges...