iOS

Apple is Looking for iOS Maps Application Developer

Are you the best navigation software developer you know? Do you love “innovative features” and “sophisticated user interfaces?" Then you may be what Apple is looking for.

The folks at Cupertino have a new job posting for a talented iOS Maps Application Developer. Does this mean that we'll see a revamped Maps app in the future?

Apple Releases iOS 4.3.3 (4.2.8 for Verizon iPhone)

Well, that was a wee bit quicker than we expected, but Apple has released iOS 4.3.3 to the public.

Although the update was initially said to be released sometime in the next few weeks (it was about a week ago when they stated this), it looks like Apple has finished testing and has opted to release iOS 4.3.3 ahead of schedule.

Why the rush to release such an minor update? It's just a sneaking suspicion, but it might have something to do with the bad press that Apple's been receiving as of late due to a certain location tracking bug...

Twitter Buys Tweetdeck for $40-$50 Million

Twitter has acquired the popular Tweetdeck platform for a rumored buyout of $40-$50 million. This move is surprising considered that Tweetdeck very recently updated its iPhone app with a whole new design and set of features.

Tweetdeck has been a staple, cross-platform Twitter client for years. Twitter's buyout seems to be a reaction to UberMedia's original proposal to buy Tweetdeck.

What does this mean for the Twitter/Tweetdeck apps? That's the question on everyone's mind.

ipswDownloader Now Called openIPSW, the Ultimate Download Tool for iOS Firmware

Remember when you told about the iOS firmware downloader called ipswDownloader? The lightweight download utility was originally only available on Mac OS X, and then it was ported into a Windows program.

The Windows version of ipswDownloader has received a significant update and is now called "openIPSW." If you missed it before, openIPSW allows you to download any version of iOS with ease. The new update now shows you jailbreak information relating to each iOS version.

Speed Intensifier Speeds Up Your iPhone

Tired of waiting for Apple to release the next iPhone to experience faster speeds? Luckily, there's an app for that. Well, at least there is if you are using a jailbroken device.

Speed Intensifier is a 2-part tweak that can speed up your iPhone's performance by shortening or completely removing iOS animations. These transitional animations typically happen when you open a folder or window, and can really slow you down as you bounce between apps...

Apple Working on Fitness Center App for iPhone

Apple is taking fitness to a whole new level. The folks over at Patently Apple have come across a new patent Apple filed back in October of 2009.

The patent for a Fitness Center app that Apple seems to have been working on for a while now was published today by the U.S Patent & Trademark Office. The Fitness Center app includes various capabilities such as social networking features, giving users the ability to find a workout buddy. The app also seems to include Nike integration, illustrating a list with "The Nike Club Training Club Class."

duaLink: Sync and Charge Two iDevices with One Cable

Have you ever had an instance when you needed to sync two iOS devices at once? What about charging? Wouldn't it be nice to have a two-pronged sync cable for your iDevices?

The duaLink aims to solve your multi-device syncing needs. By incorporating a tiny USB hub into the cable itself, the duaLink allows for simultaneous charging/syncing of two iDevices.

Apple Now Collecting Traffic Data, Future Maps Makeover?

Ok ok, we get it. The secret location file that came to light last week is a glitch, and is being fixed. This article isn't about the potential dangers that are involved with this location information, but the possibilities it brings for future iOS features.

Apple posted a Q&A article this morning to set the record straight about the controversial tracking file. One of the questions was, "What other location data is Apple collecting on the iPhone besides crowd-sourced Wi-Fi hotspot and cell tower data?"

iOS 4.3.3 Coming in the Next Few Weeks?

It appears that iOS 4.3.3 could be dropping in the next few weeks. In Apple's recent response to the iPhone's location-tracking database, the company mentions that an update to iOS is coming, "sometime in the next few weeks."

Due to a bug in the iPhone's location database, Apple plans pushing an incremental update to iOS very soon. There's no word on an official release date, but we should be seeing iOS 4.3.3 before the end of next month.

GarageBand Running on the iPhone 4

Thanks to a new hack for running iPad apps on the iPhone, someone has been able to successfully run GarageBand on the iPhone 4. GarageBand is a relatively new addition to iOS that was introduced alongside the iPad 2.

Although the App Store's GarageBand is specifically designed for the iPad, it can also be hacked to run on a jailbroken iPhone.

The app seems to function pretty well once ported. The guy says he used OpenSSH to change the app's underlying metadata so that it would run on the iPhone.

There are some obvious scaling and interface issues, but this is still a cool experiment to check out. You can do this yourself through the magic of OpenSSH on a jailbroken iDevice, you just need the right information.

Apple will probably make GarageBand a universal app in the future. It's going to be really interesting to see how the iWork suite (Pages, Numbers, Keynote) work on the iPhone through this method.

What do you think of GarageBand running on the iPhone 4? Pretty cool, huh?

[9to5Mac]

Steve Jobs and Android Co-Founder Thoughts on Location-Tracking

Continuing with the whole iOS location-tracking fiasco, the folks over at All Things D have posted a video from last year of Apple CEO Steve Jobs and Google Android co-founder and former CEO, Andy Rubin, discussing their thoughts regarding privacy and location tracking on smartphones.

The video footage includes snippets from last years D8 conference and December 2010's Dive Into Mobile conference. Both Jobs and Rubin assured smartphone owners that privacy was valued on both platforms...

ipswDownloader Now Available for Windows, Download iOS Firmware with Ease

A couple days ago we told you about a nifty little tool for the Mac called ipswDownloader. The app allows you to manually download just about any iOS firmware version for your iDevice.

The only negative thing about ipswDownloader was that it was only available on the Mac. Luckily, someone has ported ipswDownloader for Windows! Now Windows users can download firmware with these easy tool...