WhatsApp, the popular cross-platform messaging service, is going to be bringing its subscription model to iOS this year, according to CEO Jan Koum. Koum recently spoke with a Dutch news outlet about the company's near-term plans.
Currently, iOS users can download WhatsApp for a one-time fee of $0.99. In the new model though, which it already uses on other platforms like Android and Windows Phone, the app will be free, with users having to pay an annual fee...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNtTfFDena4#!
Conspiracy theorists had a field day with yesterday's confirmation that Kevin Lynch, Adobe's Chief Technology Officer, will soon be taking an executive role at Apple, joining the iPhone maker as its VP of Technology and reporting directly to Apple's SVP of Technologies Bob Mansfield. Lynch joined Adobe after the Photoshop maker snapped up Macromedia in 2005. Macromedia originally developed Flash technology and Lynch has been instrumental in its continuing development at Adobe.
By the virtue of his job, Lynch had to cross swords with Apple as the Cupertino firm refused to support Flash for the iPhone. Watchful fans have dug up this cringe worthy homage to MythBusters, a parody video from 2009 where Lynch attempts to get Flash working on the iPhone by pretending to blow up Apple's handset. He also ran over it with a steam roller and destroyed it in a blender. First day on the job should be fun, indeed! Jump pat the fold for more goodies...
The iPad mini is an elegant device with its chamfered edges and anodized coating. I really hate using cases that cover up the design, which brings me to sleeves. The best thing about a slipcase is the ability to enjoy the beauty and feel of the iPad mini without covering it up in a terrible, bulky case. The people at ColcaSac, whose iPhone case I previously covered, have developed a new line of cases for the iPad mini...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtJBQHLdcM4
As Apple released its $329 iPad mini last year to compete with the growing crop of inexpensive seven-inchers, sales overtook that of the full-size model faster than Apple had envisioned. And because of it, the existing Android tablet vendors competing on the low to mid-end have been undoubtedly feeling lots of heat.
Amazon, which first legitimized the category with launch of the $199 Kindle Fire in September 2011, is reportedly about to up the ante with a $99 Kindle Fire version, a potentially disruptive move which will boost sales and popularize smaller, inexpensive tablets, but also put pressure on Apple and other tablet vendors to slash prices of their warez.
UPDATE: Amazon shoots down the rumor, says a $99 Kindle Fire is "not happening"...
Welcome to episode 2 of Let's Talk Jailbreak. In this episode, Jeff and I sit down and talk about the reasons why we and other people jailbreak, battery life, some of our favorite jailbreak tweaks, and we also review this week's tweaks that were released in Cydia.
This new episode takes into account some of the feedback you guys gave us last week. Most noticeably, I worked on improving the sound quality on my end. Turns out my mic settings were all jacked up, but after some serious tweaking and sound recording tests, I think I finally hit the sweet spot. It's not perfect yet, but it's better. We're working on making it perfect, so hang tight...
It was fun while it lasted, but it appears that Apple has finally put an end to evasi0n. Earlier today, the company released iOS 6.1.3 to the masses, and as expected, it contains patches for multiple exploits used in the popular iOS 6.x jailbreak.
MuscleNerd confirmed our fears on Twitter just a few moments ago, pointing out that Apple has credited the evad3rs with the discovery of 4 of the 6 security flaws that were patched in today's update. So jailbreakers should stay far away...
Apple has just issued iOS 6.1.3 (build 10B329), an incremental update to its mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPads and iPods. This particular update brings fixes to the widely reported Lock screen vulnerability, first discovered a month ago, which lets people with access to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to easily bypass your passcode and get to your personal information on the device.
Today's firmware also contains Maps improvements for Japan. If you're jailbroken, you'll want to stay away from this update until we collect more information...
Every once in a while, a good jailbreak app or tweak sneaks past our radar. We feel we do a pretty good job of covering most new notable Cydia packages, but every now and then, one slips through the cracks. And that's exactly what's happened with BatteryDoctorPro.
For those who aren't familiar with it, BatteryDoctorPro is a jailbreak app that monitors your iPhone or iPod touch usage to essentially lengthen your battery life. But it also has Notification Center settings toggles, a multitasking bar and several other handy features...
In addition to this morning's release of iOS 6.1.3, Apple has also seeded a new version of its Apple TV software. The update brings the firmware to version 5.2.1, and it includes a number of bug fixes as well as support for the new Hulu Plus app.
Unfortunately, as with iOS 6.1.3, the bug fixes are actually patches for the exploits used in the latest evasi0n jailbreak. So if your Apple TV is jailbroken, or you would like it to be in the future, you'll want to be sure to stay away from this update...
Popular open-source media player XBMC has been updated today, bringing the app to version 12.1. The update improves the experience across all of Apple's platforms, including the Mac, iOS and Apple TV.
For most users, the iOS update will be the most welcomed change, as it brings about support for the iPhone 5's larger 4-inch display. And Apple TV2 users will be similarly pleased with further support for iOS 6...
We've heard a lot of talk in recent months that Apple is working on a wristwatch-like device. And it could be ready to launch as soon as this year. We've also seen some alleged leaked screenshot images that suggest Samsung is working on a similar product.
Tonight, Bloomberg is out with a new report that adds significant weight to both rumors, claiming that not only are both companies preparing wearable devices that perform similar functions as smartphones, but they're both racing to get them to market...
Apple Tuesday was granted a patent for technology enabling integrating augmented reality, the power of the Internet and smart device communications. A key component to the company's take on augmented reality is a system that recognizes live real-world objects, then builds 3D representations useful for mapping and annotating shared data. The patent, filed in 2010, is entitled "Synchronized, interactive augmented reality displays for multifunction devices."
In one potential use, an iDevice camera photographs a circuit board. A layer placed over the image then identifies the components and permits a team to exchange annotations, including text, web links and even images. But this only scratches the surface of how Apple envisions the future of mobile augmented reality...