Earlier this morning, 9to5Mac reported that the next major release of iOS, expected to debut at WWDC next month, will include a completely redesigned Maps application. The report explained that this would be one of iOS 6's major new features.
While the site certainly has some credibility in the world of Apple rumors, it's always nice to get some corroboration from other sources. And we've just received that, from AllThingsD's Apple guru John Packzkowski...
If a new rumor is to be believed, iOS 6 - the next major release of Apple's iOS operating system powering the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad - will forgo Google Maps in favor of Apple's in-house mapping service based on incredible 3D maps. The headline new feature will still be called Maps.
However, this is where all similarities reportedly end. The iPhone maker is rumored to innovate Google-backed maps in iOS with an awesome 3D technology based on a declassified missile targeting technology. This in-house solution is said to offer "a much cleaner, faster and more reliable experience". More importantly, Apple's own mapping service will reduce their dependency on Google.
Moving from a Google Maps backend to an Apple backend is also important given that the two companies have been at odds ever since the search Goliath decided to challenge the iPhone with its Android platform...
Pod2g has just put up quite the interesting poll on his personal blog. The infamous hacker, who is responsible for a majority of the recent exploits found in iOS, is asking folks to vote on the following question: "Shall we hold off the jailbreak for iOS 6?"
The question comes just a few days after we heard that hackers were finally making some progress on the iOS 5.1 jailbreak. Of course, if it's released before iOS 6 comes out, the exploits will almost certainly be patched up in the new software...
9to5Mac is reporting tonight that it has learned some details regarding the next major iteration of Apple's media management software, iTunes 11. Apparently Apple has been working on it for months now, and has recently seeded an internal beta.
According to the report, the iTunes update will feature a host of new additions including support for iOS 6...
This definitely looks like it's going to be a big year of iOS hardware. By all accounts, Apple is set to unveil its new iPad next week with a Retina display and LTE 4G technology. And we expect an even bigger makeover for the company's handset line later this year.
But what about software? Last year Apple added more than 200 new features to its mobile operating system with iOS 5. So what does it have in store for the next iteration? Well whatever it is, it looks like the company is hard at work on it...
Apple has filed an interesting patent with the US Patent & Trademark Office that details a revolutionary type of interface. The filing also contains a new social networking application for iOS. While we tend to stay away from boring patent filings on iDB, this particular one caught our eye with it's unusual details.
A new way of managing data like webpages, music, and photos, has been outlined in an interface that Apple calls "Persistent Overlay." The interface takes several elements from Notification Center and the multitasking bar, builds upon them, and expands them as a means to manage data on a systemwide level. We may have just got our first glimpse at iOS 6...