Beta

Apple releases public iMessage beta for OS X

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 16, 2012

Want to get your hands on the new iMessage beta — the iChat replacement that's coming with OS X Mountain Lion this summer? If so, you can do so now, as Apple has posted a public beta download for all to enjoy.

iMessage was one of the prominent features of iOS 5, and it allows users to chat across multiple devices using the same interface that's used for SMS messages.

The beauty about iMessage is that it's basically just an IM client, which means you incur no SMS fees. Now with this latest update, you can start and/or finish conversations on your desktop or laptop...

Will Apple Open Up Siri for Other iOS Devices?

Cody Lee ∙ January 11, 2012

A few days ago, evidence surfaced in the latest iOS 5.1 developer beta that Apple could be bringing Siri to the iPad in the near future. The idea sparked some controversy, as a lot of folks don't see a use for the digital assistant on a tablet.

But what if there's more to it than that? Cult of Mac has discovered that the Dictation reference everyone is talking about is also evident on the latest iPod touch model. Of course, this could mean nothing. But what if it means everything?

Evidence That Siri May be iPad-Bound Found in iOS 5.1

Cody Lee ∙ January 9, 2012

Surprise Surprise. Not even 12 hours after Apple released the third beta for iOS 5.1, known firmware hacker Sonny Dickinson has already uncovered some interesting information.

Apparently the latest iOS update contains evidence that Apple is working on an iPad-compatible version of Siri, Apple's popular digital assistant. Dickinson uncovered the reference after loading iOS 5.1 beta 3 onto his iPad 2...

iOS 5.1 Beta 3 Brings Back “Enable 3G” Toggle

Cody Lee ∙ January 9, 2012

Earlier this morning, Apple seeded iOS 5.1 beta 3 to developers. At a glance, the update looked like your typical bug fix and maintenance release. But folks have already uncovered a new feature.

It's not exactly new. iOS has long since had the ability to toggle 3G data on and off. However it has been absent in recent software releases, and now it looks like beta 3 has brought it back...

Apple Releases iOS 5.1 Beta 3 to Developers

Cody Lee ∙ January 9, 2012

Finally, after nearly a month of silence, Apple has seeded the 3rd beta of iOS 5.1 to developers. As you may recall, the company pushed out beta 2 all the way back on December 12th of last year.

As several other sites are noting, the update only seems to be available via OTA (over-the-air) for previous iOS 5.1 users, but it should be available from Apple's regular developer portal shortly...

Latest iOS Beta Easter Egg Fools Us All With Fake Apple Product References

Alex Heath ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

You have got to love Apple's sense of humor. The folks in Cupertino have left a nice easter egg in the latest iOS 5.1 beta. 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman went looking inside the 5.1 beta 2's .plist files and came across something that made us chuckle.

Apple knows how the blogosphere works, and the rumor mill typically predicts future product names based off internal references in iOS beta SDKs. It looks like we all just hit the jackpot.

Apple Seeds iOS 5.1 Beta 2 to Developers

Cody Lee ∙ December 12, 2011

Apple has released iOS 5.1 beta 2 to developers. The update comes exactly two weeks after the company seeded the original version of the iOS 5.1 beta.

The new software is expected to feature a number of bug fixes and additions, including a sufficient patch for the long-time running battery bug and a rumored Siri enhancement. We've got the full change log...

Why Apple Released Siri in Beta

Cody Lee ∙ December 6, 2011

Siri has garnered a lot of media attention over the last month. Even hackers with intentions to port the digital assistant to other devices are making headlines. But along with all of the attention comes criticism. There's a lot of folks that feel Siri isn't worth the hype.

Apple has taken quite a bit of heat over releasing Siri, even though it's labelled as "beta." The company is typically known for releasing finely-tuned products that "just work," and Siri doesn't seem to fit that bill. But maybe Apple felt that it had to release Siri...

Developer Shares Apple’s Internal Code Names For Every iOS Version Released So Far

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 4, 2011

If you've ever wondered what Apple called its various releases of iOS when building them internally, then you're in luck. Developer and general internet fiend Steve Troughton-Smith has shared the internal code names Apple gave to all of its iOS version, starting way back at iOS 1.0.

While these names may not have the sugary goodness that Google's Android builds posses, it is still interesting to see the code names out in the wild, while also perhaps getting an answer as to why Apple gave iOS the default login password all jailbreakers have come to rely on...

Apple Seeds iOS 5.1 Beta to Developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 24, 2017

Apple has just seeded the iOS 5.1 beta to developers a little over a month after releasing iOS 5. As most of you are aware, the software was crippled right out of the gate with a number of issues, including poor battery performance and Wi-Fi problems.

Two weeks ago, Apple finally released iOS 5.0.1 to the public after multiple developer betas. The new software was supposed to patch the battery bug, but the company later admitted that it didn't completely resolve the issue. Will iOS 5.1 finally fix these flaws?

Ac1dSn0w: A New Jailbreak Tool is Here

Alex Heath ∙ Updated July 17, 2017

A new jailbreak tool is here, and it's not from the Dev or Chronic Dev Team. The Pwn Dev Team has released Ac1dSn0w, a new tool for jailbreaking iOS 5 on the Mac.

Ac1dSn0w currently offers a tethered jailbreak on iOS 5.0 and 5.0.1 for users running OS X Snow Leopard or Lion. As an alternative to popular jailbreak tools like RedSn0w, PwnageTool and Sn0wBreeze, Ac1dSn0w is available for free right now.

SuperScroller: Page Up and Page Down Using Activator Actions

Jeff Benjamin ∙ November 15, 2011

SuperScroller is a jailbreak tweak from Ryan Petrich that allows you to scroll up or down using an assigned Activator action.

Many viewers are questioning the tweak's usefulness on our YouTube channel, but I could certainly see someone using SuperScroller as their preferred method of page navigation; for instance, when reading.

Check out the video walkthrough inside, and judge for yourselves...