iOS devices refer to any of Apple’s hardware that runs the iOS mobile operating system which include iPhones, iPads, and iPods. Historically, Apple releases a new iOS version once a year, the current version is iOS 10. Here is the complete list of iOS 10 compatible devices.
UPDATE [Wednesday, December 21, 2011 at 7:46am ET]: The article has been updated with a paragraph added to the bottom with a statement from HTC CEO Peter Chou saying his company is “testing” new devices meant to avoid the sales ban.
The International Trade Commission just ruled in favor of Apple in the Apple vs. HTC patent lawsuit regarding mobile devices [PDF document]. HTC was found guilty of violating Apple patent 5946647 that is described by Google Patent Search:
A system and method causes a computer to detect and perform actions on structures identified in computer data. The system provides an analyzer server, an application program interface, a user interface and an action processor. The analyzer server receives from an application running concurrently data having recognizable structures, uses a pattern analysis unit, such as a parser or fast string search function, to detect structures in the data, and links relevant actions to the detected structures. The application program interface communicates with the application running concurrently, and transmits relevant information to the user interface. Thus, the user interface can present and enable selection of the detected structures, and upon selection of a detected structure, present the linked candidate actions. Upon selection of an action, the action processor performs the action on the detected structure.
HTC has violated products. The ruling involved the phone’s software, and it is subject to an import ban on April 19, 2012. The ITC said HTC could continue to ship replacement devices for currently shipped products. Obviously, a ban on certain HTC products is a major blow to the company, and because this is software-based, other Android device manufactures should not be too pleased. You can read the ITC’s full ruling through the The Verge.
Reuters shared bad news from a Pegatron plant in Shanghai, China: there was an explosion and 61 workers were hurt. Twenty-three of the 61 hurt are said were hospitalized, and the fire caused “some” damage to the plant’s machinery. Reuters said the explosion occurred at Apple plant, and the report sourced a claim from China’s Yi Cai Daily that said the plant would be producing iPad 2 back-panels.
The interesting part is that Pegatron said this plant is not operational, and it will produce parts for a product that is rumored to be refreshed in 3 to 4 months. While Pegatron said it could “make adjustments to the facility to minimize the impact on operations and revenue,” China’s Yi Cai Daily is claiming that if the surrounding safety concerns are not dealt with properly, Apple’s supply chain may see negative affects next quarter.
UPDATE [Tuesday, December 20, 2011 at 2:06pm ET]: It appears the app had originally slipped past Apple’s censors after all as the company just yanked the program out of the App Store.
A new iOS application called Quickpick hit the App Store (no jailbreak!), and it fills a void that many feel Apple left in their implementation of the iOS 5 Notification Center.
For those unfamiliar, Notification Center is a place on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch where a user can view their device notifications along with weather and stocks widgets (iPhone and iPod touch only). Many hoped Apple would add a universal launching feature within the Notification Center, but the company did not do so. Until the time comes (if it ever does), Quickpick fills the void.
Quickpick uses the iOS web-based shortcuts feature to initiate phone calls, text messages, website launching, emailing, and more from the Notification Center.
For example, I have set up a calling shortcut, emailing shortcut, web address shortcut, and a shortcut to open YouTube. Since the application uses native iOS URL scheming, the possibilities are endless. Here are some giant databases (1, 2) of URL schemes you can use, and there are cool examples:
fb://profile – Open Facebook app to the user’s profile
twitter://post?message – Open Twitter.app to send a tweet
fb://friends – Open Facebook app to the friends list
fb://notifications – Open Facebook app to the notifications list
fb://feed – Open Facebook app to the News Feed
itms-apps:// – Open the App Store
maps:// – Open the Maps app
sms:// – Open the compose window of the Messages app
music:// – Go to the currently playing song in the Music app
youtube:// – Open the YouTube app
itms-books:// – Open the iBooks app
The aforementioned calling, texting, website launching, and emailing examples do not require a special URL; the app sets those up automatically.
Facebook recently went public with an awesome new feature called Timelime, a brand-new interface for profiles. That feature launched for the mobile web view of Facebook for iPhone but until today has not been available in Facebook’s native application on the App Store.
Today’s Facebook app update for Mobile Timeline is iPhone and iPod touch exclusive, but Facebook is promising Timeline support on the iPad “soon.” Some other new features work across the iOS ecosystem, though, including Friends Lists, better photo management, and subscriptions support. All the details after the break:
iOS 5.1 has a little gem for wallpaper fanatics like me: Apple will include four new wallpapers in the iPad version of iOS 5.1 (likely the release launching alongside the iPad 3 next year). The new wallpapers are water crashing onto a sand beach, grass blades, and two ocean wallpapers. These are reminiscent of some of the OS X Lion wallpapers, but scaled to the iPad’s screen size.
Apple has yet to include these new wallpapers for the iPhone, but we’ve shrunk them down to iPhone and iPod touch Retina size. Something interesting to note: Apple shipped an all-new wallpaper set with the iPhone 4. The iPhone 4 was the first iPhone to include a new screen resolution, so Apple needed to make new wallpapers of the Retina size. Apple could be doing the same with the iPad, but we’ll have to wait and see. To clarify, these downloads aren’t for a Retina iPad.
The iPhone 4S is one of the first devices to support Bluetooth 4.0. Today, the first accessory to take advantage of the new technology is a new Kickstarter project called Find My Car Smart.
Find My Car Smart uses a Bluetooth 4.0 powered dongle to transmit the location of a car that can then be picked up by an iOS app, letting a user find a car in a busy parking lot on a map. Due to it being a Kickstarter project, it will need to get enough backers to see the light of day. It’s pretty cool, nonetheless. So, if you’re interested make sure you pledge.
Microsoft is also getting in the Bluetooth accessory game with the release of a new tablet keyboard. The Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 5000 is portable and it will hook up with an iPad, Android tablet or any other device that supports Bluetooth.
Samsung dropped its lawsuit in Germany seeking to ban the sale of Apple’s iPhone 4S.
The South Korea-based company had focused its complaint against a patent covering 3G communications tech. According to patent expert Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents, Samsung recently discovered a Qualcomm licensing agreement protects the technology.
“Other news from Mannheim: Samsung has formally given up attacking the iPhone 4S with 3G patents. Recognizes Apple is licensed thru Qualcomm,” tweeted Mueller on Dec. 16.
Samsung recently lost a preliminary bid to ban iPhone 4S sales in France; although, the case can progress as a patent trial:
Digitimes has published an interesting report this evening, saying Apple will begin the production of a 7.85-inch iPad in Q2 2012. Apple will reportedly begin selling the smaller iPads prior to Q4 2012, but will also sell another iPad in Q1 2012 — presumably the iPad 3.
Apple is likely to launch a 7.85-inch iPad prior to the fourth quarter of 2012 in addition to a new iPad scheduled to be released at the end of the first quarter, according to sources in the supply chain.
In order to compete with Amazon’s Kindle Fire — which has been selling very well — Digitimes says their sources say Apple has been persuaded to manufacture the 7.85-inch tablet to compete.
However, in order to cope with increasing market competition including the 7-inch Kindle Fire from Amazon and the launch of large-size smartphones from handset vendors, Apple has been persuaded into the development of 7.85-inch iPads, the sources indicated.
LG Display and AU Optronics will reportedly be the manufacturers for the 7.85-inch panels, and will hit the supply streams in Q2 2012.
As the rumored early 2012 iPad 3 release draws closer, Cydia Blogdiscovered a part for the iPad 3 on TVC Mall’s website. What you see above is apparently a replacement part for the microphone on the iPad 3, and shows some pretty major changes compared to the iPad 2’s microphone — namely the shape. The apparent dock connector and ribbon cable for the iPad 3 also leaked this summer. Cydia Blog reports:
The new part, when compared with iPad 2, shows a different arrangement in internal circuitry, hinting a major re-design. The tail end of the part makes a “U-turn”, whereas the iPad 2′s Microphone Mic Flex Cable makes almost 90-degree turn both ways. Except for few details, the leaked part so far doesn’t offer a tantalizing tease.
The iPad 3 is rumored to launch early 2012 — maybe February — with a rumored higher res display and thicker form-factor. Other specs are rumored to be a dual-mode wireless chip for both CDMA and GSM, Apple’s A6 processor, and more RAM. Citi’s analyst Richard Gardner says he’s heard from sources that a February launch is coming, but some have pointed to mid-summer. The updated mic form-factor above could point to pretty major internal changes. It should be worth noting, however, that manufacturer replacement parts aren’t always in the final version. (via MacRumors)
Digitimes tonight reports that next generation iPads are expected to be available in the next 3-4 months as manufacturers in the supply chain have started delivering parts and components for the new tablets to OEM contractors while reducing those prepared for iPad 2. The report follows a Citi Analyst last week who said that “several sources” have confirmed the next-gen iPad will launch in February saying, “there do not appear to be any significant technical hurdles remaining”.
Current production of iPad 2 will reportedly remain high at 14-15 million units in Q4 2011 but tail to 4-5 million units in the first quarter of 2012 as anticipation for the next iPad grows and inventory is cleared out.
Meanwhile, Foxconn Electronics will begin to produce the next-generation iPads in January and to ramp up the production volume starting February, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report, which quoted Kevin Chang, an analyst of Citigroup Global Markets, as indicating.
Production of the new iPads is expected to reach 9.5-9.8 million units in the first quarter of 2012, estimated sources in the supply chain. Sales of iPad products totaled 25.06 million in the first three quarters of 2011 and are likely to reach 40 million units for all of 2011, the sources estimated.
Seems to be Beatles day at Apple. Earlier, we noted the iBookstore offering an enhanced iBook version of The Beatles Yellow Submarine (also worth noting: in the credits at the top it says ‘For Steve’).
A few minutes ago, the above ad appeared in Apple’s YouTube feed.
Today, Twitter announced an all new online version of Twitter, and to complement this new site, the popular micro blogging service launched a re-designed iPhone application. The new application features an all new user-interface and it looks awesome. The new app has four tabs across the bottom: Home, Connect, Discover, and Me, detailed below the fold.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qqDy5BmYKE] Expand Expanding Close
Last year StyleTap launched their Palm OS emulator platform for iPhone, but for obvious reasons it wasn’t made available through the App Store and instead limited to jailbroken devices. To circumvent Apple’s App Store guidelines, over the past year StyleTap has developed and now launched the ‘StyleTap iOS Wrapper SDK‘, allowing Palm OS devs to wrap their apps in an iPhone app that’s ready to submit to Apple. Here’s how it works:
StyleTap Platform for iPhone® cannot currently be purchased through the Apple App Store because it provides capabilities (e.g.the ability to download other Palm applications) that are restricted by Apple. The StyleTap iOS Wrapper SDK allows you as a Palm application developer to create an iPhone (iOS) application that “wraps” a Palm application inside StyleTap Platform for iPhone in a way that removes all of the restricted capabilities. You can then submit the resulting iPhone application to be included in the Apple App Store.
StyleTap will provide devs with the StyleTap Platform designed for non-jailbroken iPhones through a template Xcode project that also includes instructions on configuring apps for submission to Apple. After devs throw their .prc and .pdb Palm application and license info into the StyleTap Platform setup, they will then have to build an iOS app. Of course devs will still have to be part of Apple’s Developer Program and StyleTap isn’t guaranteeing Apple will accept submitted apps. Also noteworthy is the fact that this enables organizations to deploy Palm apps to non-jailbroken iOS devices, and those apps don’t require submission to Apple. Expand Expanding Close
While TV shows have been available through iTunes in Canada, the Apple TV has not been a source of TV show downloading. Now, Apple appears to have sent an over-the-air update to Apple TV boxes in Canada, and TV show downloading is now available. Episode downloads cost between free and $2.49 a pop and are actually full downloads, not rentals. Apple recently traded single TV show episode rentals for a TV show downloads service. Episodes you purchase will be streamed with no limit from the iCloud storage locker. More photos after the break. Thanks, iH8Sn0w!
Update: We’re also starting to receive multiple tips from Australia and UK as well. Expand Expanding Close
According to Macotakara, the next generation iPad will be thicker and therefore won’t be compatible with all current iPad 2 cases. That however won’t affect Apple’s Smart Covers which only cover the front. They believe that the front screen will be the same as the other iPads, with the same types of corners and bezel as well.
We don’t know what that image is up there but Macotakara seems to imply it is a case for the new iPad. Update: The case is for the original iPad 3G according to its seller. Expand Expanding Close
Apple has pushed out a fairly major update to its iBooks application for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The 1.5 update includes a new nighttime reading theme for a better digital reading experience in the dark. In addition, the new iBooks update adds a full-screen option – does wonders on the iPad – to focus on content and remove the tool bar, page numbers, and other distractions. The updated iBooks application also packs new “beautiful covers” for classic titles, popup footnote support, and an improved annotation system. On top of all of this, the free update includes performance and stability enhancements. (Thanks @chronic) Apple’s release notes:
iBooks 1.5 adds the following new features as well as some stability and performance improvements:
• Nighttime reading theme makes reading books in the dark easier on the eyes.
• Full-screen layout lets you focus on the words without distraction.
• iBooks now features an improved selection of fonts, including Athelas, Charter, Iowan, and Seravek.
• Beautiful new classic covers for public domain books.
• Support for pop-up footnotes, included in select iBookstore titles.
• A redesigned annotation palette makes it easier to choose a color for your highlighted text.
Apple also updated their Cards app to version 1.0.1, bringing with it improvements to the checkout process and verification of postal addresses, as well as enhancements to text entry.
The “30 Rock” actor was asked to get off a New York City-bound flight for playing “Words with Friends” while the plane idled at a gate Tuesday, said Baldwin’s spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik.
“He loves `Words with Friends’ so much that he was willing to leave a plane for it,” said Hiltzik, who added that Baldwin boarded another American Airlines flight to New York.
“We’re never going to say never about the iPhone. The iPhone for us would need to be at the cutting edge of where we’re going, and then there might be an opportunity to consider it.” U.S. Cellular revealed last month that it had the opportunity to sell the current, non-LTE iteration of the iPhone but decided against it because it was not the right economic fit for the regional carrier.
In context, US Cellular is in a drive to migrate its 26-state customer base to LTE. Previously, it was revealed that the terms of the agreement for the iPhone were reportedly “unacceptable”.
The Chicago, Illinois-headquartered company is the nation’s sixth-largest wireless carrier, serving about 6.1 million customers in half the country’s states. Competitor C-spire, another regional carrier, was able to get the iPhone and is currently selling it. Expand Expanding Close
You may remember TJ Maxx’s $399 iPad sale late in 2010, and now you can prepare for that to happen again. The Verge has word from a tipster that TJ Maxx will be selling the iPad 2 16GB for $399 in its stores tomorrow. Supplies will reportedly be low (around 15 per store), so get there early. TJ Maxx is yet to confirm this sale, so you should call your store in the morning if you’re interested. This sale is most likely unauthorized by Apple with Steve Jobs telling a 9to5Mac reader last year that TJ Maxx isn’t an official Apple reseller.
Update: The sale is confirmed to be going on today. Call your local TJ Maxx to see if they have them in stock, because we’re hearing there’s only about 25 per store. Our original tip from last night:
If you call the TJ MAXX in Lakewood ,NY they confirmed to me they are selling it for 399 tommorrow and have 25 in stock!!!
The bad news is that yes, Carrier IQ is running on iPhones right now, as we speak. Carrier IQ, you’ll recall is the rootkit that Carriers put on many of their phones to monitor customer usage. As a security researcher found out, Carrier IQ monitors keystrokes and sends that back to its own servers. On Apple’s devices, it appears to have been cut off from such activities. Developer chpwn breaks it down:
Carrier IQ, the now infamous “rootkit” or “keylogger”, is not just for Android, Symbian,BlackBerry, and even webOS. In fact, up through and including iOS 5, Apple has included a copy of Carrier IQ on the iPhone. However, it does appears to be disabled along with diagnostics enabled on iOS 5; older versions may send back information in more cases. Because of that, if you want to disable Carrier IQ on your iOS 5 device, turning off “Diagnostics and Usage” in Settings appears to be enough.
So it appears that on iOS it stores less information, and it doesn’t seem to be sending anything as long as ‘Diagnostics and Usage’ (iOS 5) is turned off – which is the default (you are asked to enable it during the iOS5 setup). On older versions of iOS, especially v3, it appears to be sending data without a toggle.
Verizon representatives have said that they do not run Carrier IQ on their devices which include iPhones, iPads, and Android, Blackberry and other devices. Other carriers have yet to make a statement on the matter but Carrier IQ brags on its homepage that it tracks information on 141 million devices (and counting) which is about half of the US population.
On iPhones where Carrier IQ is activated, it appears to send the following information back to the servers: Expand Expanding Close
A petition has been floating around this afternoon railing Apple for being ‘anti-choice’ extremist, because Siri won’t serve up Siri results for Abortion providers, instead leading users to “anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers”(CPCs). Groups like NARAL want Apple to take action:
News reports have documented that, in some instances, Siri responded to a question concerning where to find abortion providers by directing an individual to anti-choice organizations known as “crisis pregnancy centers”(CPCs). Anti-choice groups created CPCs to look like comprehensive health clinics, but many do not provide women with accurate pregnancy-related information. This issue is especially important to us at NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation, as our state affiliates in California, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Texas, and Virginia have produced reports that document these deceptive practices. Many of these centers are not up front about their anti-abortion, anti-contraception agenda when advertising online or in other channels. For instance, many CPCs do not disclose their bias to women who walk through their doors or call their toll-free lines seeking information. Ultimately, many of these centers can be harmful and do nothing to help women locate the services they requested from Siri.
The petition is issued straight to CEO Tim Cook with almost 20,000 backers. But is Apple really at fault here? Just like when Google’s search algorithm pulls up manipulated results (like Santorum), Apple and its location partners like Yelp are pulling up manipulated results. Still, Apple plans on fixing this issue.
The NY Timesasked Apple about the matter and got a response from PR Rep Natalie Kerris. She basically said that this isn’t intentional and that Siri is a beta product that will see changes in the coming weeks.
“Our customers want to use Siri to find out all types of information, and while it can find a lot, it doesn’t always find what you want,” said Natalie Kerris, a spokeswoman for Apple, in a phone interview late Wednesday. “These are not intentional omissions meant to offend anyone. It simply means that as we bring Siri from beta to a final product, we find places where we can do better, and we will in the coming weeks.” Expand Expanding Close
Yesterday was iOS 5.1 day, and we broke the news on everything relating to the beta release. End users won’t find any new features in the operating system, but the release was gold for those interested in the future of iOS hardware. Here’s our roundup of the new devices found in iOS 5.1:
Located deep inside the iOS 5.1 file system is a reference to an iPhone 5,1. As explained yesterday, a 5,1 identifier is significant as it means this next-generation iPhone will pack in a new processor. The A6 in all likelihood.
-Located in the file system is a reference to a third iPad 3 model, perhaps a carrier variation, known as iPad 3,3. Even more interesting is an iPad 2,4 reference: an updated iPad 2 that is either a carrier variation, a GSM+CDMA dual-mode device, a Sprint iPad 2, or something completely new.
There is hardly anything noticeable save for iTunes Match streaming over 3G and extremely minor keyboard enhancement in the iOS Mail application. Apple is also more open about geo-fencing (such as in Reminders.app) in the location services preferences (Thanks Jonathan). If you find anything else please let us know at tips@9to5mac.com.
Curious to see how Windows Phone feels, but don’t have a device around to do so? Us neither. But Microsoft has just released a new HTML 5 website that allows iPhone and Android users to get a taste of the Windows Phone 7 (Mango 7.5) operating system. The trial requires no downloads or registration, and you can try it out by just going to the webpage http://aka.ms/wpdemo on your mobile device.
While it doesn’t use any of the data on your phone like your contacts, the demo does give you a pretty comprehensive look at all of Windows Phone’s features. Microsoft uses a blue dot to guide you around the operating system, and obviously some features like voice recognition just don’t work in the browser. Drat, that’s something we really wanted to try.
Will this draw users over to the Windows Phone platform? Probably not, but it’s always cool to see what the competition is up to.
When Apple ships new hardware elements in a product, they typically have good reason. With the future of wireless input devices flashing forward, Apple has realized that the next-generation of Bluetooth – Bluetooth Smart (4.0) – will be the ticket to Apple being a part of this integrated wireless future. Apple demonstrated this with the release of this Bluetooth 4.0-powered phone – the new iPhone 4S – and also with the addition of bluetooth 4.0 in the latest versions of the popular MacBook Air and Mac mini computers.
More evidence for a next-generation Apple TV:
The next-generation Apple TV, the one we first revealed as Apple TV 3,1 with the J33 codename, will include Bluetooth 4.0 technology. Before even getting into the advantages of Bluetooth 4.0, it is worth noting that our code-based finding in iOS 5.1 beta 1 of a next-generation Apple TV with Bluetooth 4.0 is further evidence that an Apple TV refresh will soon be upon us.
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