iOS Devices

We haven’t received any official numbers on Apple’s launch of the iPad Air last Friday, but today T-Mobile is offering a little bit of insight into how its first iPad launch went. T-Mobile tells AllThingsD that it sold more tablets on iPad Air launch day last Friday than it managed to during the entire last quarter.

The boost in tablet sales on iPad Air launch day could have been helped along by the carrier’s new offer of 200MB of free data with all tablets, including iPads. There was a bit of confusion around the deal and whether or not customers required a paid plan to access the data, but T-Mobile has since clarified that the offer is available to all customers:
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Just in time for those new iPad Airs and soon-to-ship Retina iPad minis, Twelve South has introduced an all-in-one travel case for stowing your tablet along with tons of compartments for organizing your headphones, cables, and other accessories.

Keeping with the theme of the popular BookBook lineup, the Travel Journal takes the appearance of a vintage novel, both a tasteful stylistic statement and a clever security benefit. Twelve South says the dimensions are similar to that of Walter Issacson’s Steve Jobs biography and accommodates all previous models of full-sized iPads as well.

If you don’t have an iPad or just prefer to carry other accessories like for your MacBook, the BookBook Travel Journal looks great for holding your MagSafe power adapter, Magic Mouse, or other laptop accessories as well.

I’ve used Twelve South’s BookBook case back in my iPhone 4 days and found the material and build quality to be top notch. These leather cases are quite durable and tend to look better with age. Availability details and more photos below.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyX8FfSKg04

Knock uses a combination of an iPhone app (currently offered at an introductory price of $3.99)  and a Mac app (available for free at Knock’s website) to enable unlocking of your Mac, wirelessly, by just knocking the back of your iPhone.

It’s a surreal experience. After a couple of minutes of initial setup, you lock your Mac and rap the back of your paired iPhone twice. Your Mac unlocks. The app doesn’t even have to be forefront on your phone, although it does have to be ‘open’ in the multitasking tray. In fact, your phone doesn’t even have to be unlocked. When it senses the Mac is near, a notification appears on the lock screen instructing you to knock. There are some nice UI touches too. For instance, echoes of the ‘sound wave’ appear on OS X’s lock screen in real time as you knock. It’s a subtle visual indicator that the system is actually working.

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Low-energy Bluetooth is really starting to take-off in a big way, with seemingly every other product on the main crowdsourced-funding sites using it. One product that actually exists, though, is the Elgato Smart Key – which appears good value at just $40.

If you can’t remember where you last saw your keys, the Elgato Smart Key iPhone app will tell you the GPS location of where the two devices were last in contact. Through the app you’ll also be able to make the Smart Key play a sound to help you find your keys when they are down the back of the sofa. Not only that, but attach them to your keys and your iPhone will alert you when you walk off and leave them somewhere. Leave one in the glove compartment of your car, and the app will show you were you parked a if you need reminding … 
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Research firm IHS, which previously dismantled the iPhone 5s and 5c to calculate component costs, has now done the same with the iPad Air.

It concludes that while the technology in the iPad Air is significantly more advanced than in the iPad 3 (for some reason the company skipped the iPad 4), the total production cost is actually lower, reports AllThingsD.

The firm says Apple’s iPad Air […] costs between $274 and $361 to build depending on model. The […] total component cost of the base model, at $274, is still $42 cheaper than the entry-level third-generation iPad …

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As one of the last of Apple’s own iOS apps to get updated for iOS 7, Apple has just updated its Remote app for iPhone and iPad with a redesign to match its new operating system.

Version 4.0 of Remote adds a completely revamped UI that matches Apple’s other updated iOS apps and UI elements standard in iOS 7. The update also adds support for iTunes 11.

Remote is designed to be in perfect sync with the new iTunes. It is simpler, easier, and gives you new ways to browse your library and see upcoming songs with Up Next. With just a few taps on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch, you can add new songs to hear them next from iTunes on a Mac or PC, or an Apple TV. Choose playlists, songs, and albums as if you were in front of your computer or Apple TV. Or play them from iCloud with iTunes Match on Apple TV. Change a song, pick a playlist, or browse your entire library from anywhere in your home. Control your Apple TV with the flick of your finger or use the keyboard to quickly tap out a title instead of clicking letters on the Apple TV screen.

Other Apple iOS apps yet to get the iOS 7 update treatment include iTunes U, iBooks, and Find my Friends. Update: Apple has added 64-bit support to AirPort Utility.

Remote remains a free Universal download with iPhone and iPad compatibility. Screenshots of the redesigned app below:

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Tracking data from Fiksu suggests that iPad Air adoption may be outpacing both the iPad 4 and the iPad Mini by around four to one. The numbers are as yet very small, but three days in, iPad Air usage hit 0.8 percent of active devices versus less than 0.2 percent for the iPad 4 by the same time …

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Ting, the Tucows-owend Sprint mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that launched last year offering customers no contract wireless service with usage-based billing, has just started quietly supporting iPhones. Up until now, the carrier has expressed difficulties with getting access to sell the iPhone directly, which requires minimum purchase requirements from Apple and other stipulations, and it has not offered customers the ability to activate unlocked iPhones with one of its no-contract wireless plans.
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Henri Lamiraux, Apple’s top Vice President of Engineering for the iOS iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operating system has left the company, according to a source and corroborated by his LinkedIn profile.

Lamiraux confirmed his departure to me via email. He says that he retired from Apple a “couple of weeks” ago, following the release of iOS 7.0.3. Lamiraux decided a “little while ago” that iOS 7 would be his last release…

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As it has been known to do for recent Apple product launches, Walmart announced last week that it would be offering a $20 discount on Apple’s new entry-level 16GB iPad Air starting as soon as the device launches tomorrow on November 1. Now, on launch day of the device in the US, we’ve confirmed that both Apple and Best Buy will be price matching the $479 deal in at least its retail stores. Staples has also decided to join in the day-one iPad Air discount and is currently listing the $479 price point on its website. 
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Boost Mobile, a prepaid subsidiary of Sprint, today announced pricing for its upcoming iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c launch next week. While the carrier previously announced that the device would arrive on Nov. 8, today it confirmed pricing for the two new iPhones will start at $100 off the usual retail price. Much like what’s on offer from another Sprint subsidiary, Virgin.

Available for $100 off on every model, Boost Mobile will offer the iPhone 5s for $549/$649/$749 for the 16/32/64GB models, while the 16GB iPhone 5c will also be a $100 off at $449 and $549 price tags for the 32GB.

Boost Mobile also noted that it will be making the iPhone 4S available for $299.99. 
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iFixit has done its usual trick of hopping over to Australia to get its hands on an iPad Air in the first time-zone to open its doors for business to bring us a look at the innards of the new device. The device is now on sale in the U.S. too, with supplies expected to be good.

No surprise that the company found little prospect of success for DIY repair, reporting that even opening the casing was a challenge: when you pack that much technology into so small a space, there’s going to be a lot of glue involved.

Some details of what the company found and more photos below the fold … 
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Update: See bottom of the piece for JD Power’s partial explanation

“Samsung Ranks Highest in Owner Satisfaction with Tablet Devices” was the headline on JD Power’s latest U.S. Tablet Satisfaction Survey, with the above table showing that Samsung taking the lead from Apple by two points.

Yet when you look at the ratings that make up the individual scores, as Fortune did, that isn’t what they show at all. The six scoring categories are Overall Satisfaction, Performance, Ease of Use, Physical Design, Tablet Features and Cost. Samsung beats Apple in exactly one of those categories: cost … 
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The Apple Online Store has just come back online after about two hours of downtime in preparation for the iPad Air launch in the United States. All four major carriers are also offering the fifth-generation iPad on their own stores.

The iPad Air is the newest version of Apple’s iconic tablet. The latest model features the same 64-bit A7 processor found in the new iPhone 5s, improved cameras, and a new form factor that’s thinner and lighter than the previous generation. It ships with Apple’s new iOS 7 software. Pricing starts at  $499 for the Wi-Fi model with 16 GB of storage and goes up to $929 for the 128 GB LTE-equipped model.

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When Apple introduced Touch ID on the new iPhone 5s, the company provided some basic information about the kinds of security used to protect users’ fingerprints and data. A new discovery by iMore reveals that Apple has even more security in place than they discussed with the public.

According to iMore, each individual Touch ID sensor is paired with its corresponding A7 processor. To confirm the pairing theory, iMore switched the Touch ID sensors from two brand new iPhones and attempted to setup each device. Each phone failed to recognize the sensors and returned an error until the sensors were swapped back to their original phones.

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While Apple Stores across the United States are expected to have significant supplies of the iPad Air, some Apple Stores have been told to allocate a smaller number of devices for purchases handled in the early morning.

For example, depending on the store and market size, a few dozen to several dozen units of each model in every color and internet-connectivity option will be allocated for purchases before 12 noon.

Once the store-specific sales number for morning purchases is hit, some stores will not offer those models until later in the day or via Personal Pickup…

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Earlier this week, Apple confirmed that some iPhone 5s units are affected by battery-life issues due to a manufacturing glitch. Apple said that customers with affected units would be contacted to receive a replacement device. Now, sources have shared some details into how exactly that process will work. Besides what is listed in the quote from Apple’s PR department, Apple has told AppleCare representatives that the issue can cause “shortened battery life, longer charge times, or a battery that will no longer charge…”

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