iOS

Noticed missing Twitter mentions on your iPhone? You’re not alone

Oliver Haslam ∙ April 3, 2012

Twitter integration with iOS has led to huge sign-up numbers for the social network. Add those new users to the throngs of iPhone owners that were already big Twitter users, and it's safe to say that there are plenty of Twitter accounts plugged into iPhones.

We're also willing to bet that a fair chunk of those are using the official Twitter app, and it appears that some of those may be experiencing an odd bug, and one that is rather annoying – users are reporting that they are unable to see their own @replies in the Connect tab of the iOS Twitter app. We've seen this first hand, and it is indeed rather odd.

No amount of refreshing, rebooting or force-closing fixes it. Thankfully though, there is one fix that works, and it's really rather simple...

RIM posts BlackBerry Mobile Fusion server with enterprise support for iOS devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2012

The ailing BlackBerry maker Research In Motion today released the BlackBerry Mobile Fusion enterprise server software, first announced last November.

Among the features is built-in support for tablets and smartphones running Apple's iOS and Google's Android software.

This is the first time RIM comprehensively supported iOS mobile devices in a major corporate enterprise server software.

Tweetbot developer confirms Apple is now rejecting apps over use of UDIDs

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 15, 2024

A report on Monday alleged Apple began rejecting third-party iOS apps that make use of Unique Device Identifiers (UDIDs). Today, developer Paul Haddad confirms that a new build of his Tweetbot app failed to pass Apple's requirements due to its use of UDIDs. Haddad received an email from the company that cites section 17.1 of the App Store Review Guidelines.

It states “apps cannot transmit data about a user without obtaining the user’s prior permission and providing the user with access to information about how and where the data will be used”.

With this app rejection, I think we can safely conclude that developers are now wise to drop UDIDs from their apps. Better late than never, if you ask me...

iOS earns Google four times the revenue of Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

Though Google does not profit directly by giving away Android software to phone vendors, they do take 30 percent cut on app sales, just like Apple. This is peanuts compared to Google's indirect, mobile advertising-based revenues. Understandably, of course, as Google's ad-based business model benefits from people using their many services on the go, such as maps and search.

The more people use Google on their handsets, the higher advertising revenues the company pulls. At Android's scale, it's easy to think that Google gets more revenue from Android phones and tablets than Apple's iPhones, iPads and iPod touches.

According to a newspaper article today, based on court documents, Android’s total revenue from the launch of handsets at the end of 2008 through to the end of 2011 was $543 million. Still, Google made four times as much revenue during the same period on iOS devices.

Tim Cook views Android litigation as “a necessary evil”, not a thermonuclear option

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 11, 2017

Remember how Steve Jobs told his biographer Walter Isaacson that he is willing to wage a "thermonuclear war" on Android because it's "a stolen product"? Having already spent an estimated 100+ million dollars on war on Android, Apple certainly means business. Sadly, the larger contest between Apple and Google is nowhere near resolution.

According to a fascinating cover story by Bloomberg, Apple is in it for the long run. The company is well-aware that many people have yet to choose a smartphone, a decision which usually entails loyalty to that phone's operating system. Yup, it's all about the same ol' lock-in.

Windows Phone considered legitimate iPhone contender, but has no apps

Cody Lee ∙ March 28, 2012

Earlier today we reported that AT&T is preparing to launch the Nokia Lumia 900 — a Windows Phone handset that the carrier believes could outsell the iPhone when it debuts next month. And according to a new survey, that may not be as crazy as it sounds.

PC World recently conducted a large-scale survey for its annual Readers' Choice Awards. The poll collects consumer feedback on wireless carriers, mobile operating systems, and smartphones. And some of the results may surprise you...

Roughly 80% of iOS users are running on iOS 5 or later

Cody Lee ∙ March 27, 2012

Indie developer David Smith recently published some interesting statistics to his personal blog regarding the adoption rate of iOS versions 5.0 and later. Apple released iOS 5 last October, and has since seeded two incremental updates.

Smith pulled the data from the user base of his popular iOS app, Audiobooks. The app sees about 100 thousand downloads on a weekly basis, so admittedly, its users provide a nice little test market. Now, on to the numbers...

“Busted” iOS battery algorithm behind shorter iPad run time affects all iOS devices?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 26, 2017

As we told you last week, unplugging your brand spanking new iPad as soon as the battery gauge hits the 100 percent mark entails missing out as much as ten percent of additional run time, or about 1.2 hours. This has been attributed to the iOS battery algorithm, which kinda brings back old memories of a bug in reporting cellular signal levels on the iPhone 4, later fixed with a software update.

According to new findings, this is actually a system-wide behavior in Apple's mobile operating system - thus affecting older iPads, as well as your iPhone and iPod touch. In fact, all iOS devices are affected by what's been called "busted" battery algorithm, it's just more pronounced on the new iPad due to its 70 percent more capacious battery.

What exactly is going on here, you ask...

Apple to add Baidu as default iOS search engine option in China

Cody Lee ∙ March 26, 2012

If Apple's multiple mapping firm acquisitions and recent iPhoto makeover haven't convinced you that the company is trying to distance itself from Google as much as possible, maybe this will.

Sina Tech is reporting that it has learned that Apple is looking to add Baidu, China's market-leading internet search company, as a default search engine option in iOS. So long Google...

Apple begins rejecting apps that access UDIDs

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated April 15, 2024

Apple is beginning to reject app submissions which access a device's UDID, according to a report by Mashable.

You just can't beat a good privacy scare, and the one surrounding the use of UDIDs, or Unique Device Identifiers is the current biggie. Used by developers and advertising companies, UDIDs allow tracking of individual devices which has the privacy conscious up in arms.

With Apple now reportedly rejecting apps that use UDIDs, developers, ad. agencies and anyone else who may legitimately use UDIDs will need to re-write their apps to remove the feature...

Steve Jobs said no to the new Apple TV UI design five years ago

Jake Smith ∙ March 24, 2012

A former Apple TV engineer took to Twitter last night discussing the latest UI that has been implemented on the Apple TV. For those unfamiliar, the new Apple TV UI was announced at the March 7th media event, along with the new 1080p Apple TV. The new UI isn't much of a change, but brings larger buttons to the home page. Some love it, many hate it.

Michael Margolis, who formerly served as an Apple TV UI designer, said on his Twitter last night that Steve Jobs said no to the latest UI changes five years ago, however Apple's senior executives recently approved the new UI...

US Government would’ve paid Comex $250,000 for exclusive use of JailbreakMe

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 23, 2012

Jailbreak community owes a lot to adept hackers who find and exploit weaknesses in the design of iOS mobile operating system, thus allowing Apple's mobile gadgets to run unsanctioned software. It's more often than not a neverending cat-and-mouse game between Apple and hackers that at the end benefits jailbreakers the most.

Say you're an expert hacker who just figured an exploit in one of Apple's products. You could report your findings directly to Apple and help them plug those holes with a software update.

But did you know you could also hand over this valuable information to an exploit broker who will sell it to a government agency and net you a decent profit, minus the broker's commission? A U.S. government agency, to be precise...