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.
Apple has posted a new web page that is dedicated to answering frequently asked questions about the transition from MobileMe to Apple’s new iCloud service, which launches this fall (via TechCrunch). The webpage explains which services are staying with iCloud and which are going (shown in image above). Those are in addition to these new services:
iTunes in the Cloud
Photo Stream
Documents in the Cloud
Automatic downloads and purchase history for apps and books
Backup and restore
The site also says that users will be able to migrate their current .Mac or MobileMe username to the iCloud service. A big question as of late has been over whether or not iCloud will include functionality in the browser; Apple answers:
Yes. Web access to iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendar, and Find My iPhone will be available at icloud.com this fall.
Current MobileMe services such as iDisk, Web Gallery, Mac-based sync services, and iWeb published websites will still be supported, for current MobileMe and .Mac (where applicable) users, until June 30, 2012. New iCloud users, which can sign up for a free Me.com account as a part of iCloud, will not be able to access those features.
If you loved the i3D app which tracks your eye movement through the iPad 2’s front camera to create an illusion of a glasses-free 3D display, here’s another entertainment entry that you’d want to show off to your friends. It attempts to make your tablet’s display “invisible” by employing some back-camera wizardry in conjunction with accelerometer and gyroscope data.
In a nutshell, the program tracks the movement of your iPad and updates the display accordingly in order to keep the background image aligned as if the display were transparent. Plus, you can load up your own image and turn it into an endless Kaleidoscope-like browsable surface. The program also responds to perspective tilt and throws realistic shadows for some added wow. Developer Levity Novelty conveniently calls it Invisibility. You like? It’s a 99 cent download from the App Store. Two more clips right below…
Research firm comScore is out with a new survey that pegs iPad’s share of all tablet traffic in the US at a whopping 97 percent and 89 percent across all markets.The comprehensive research measured digital traffic from all devices across key territories worldwide. Silicon Alley Insider drilled through the numbers, creating an easily digestible chart, seen above, focused on just the tablet traffic.
While iPad numbers seem too high, remember that Apple so far sold 25 million units while competitors are just getting started. For example, Samsung only recently began selling its patent-infringing (so says Apple) Galaxy Tab 10.1 last Friday in the United States and it won’t arrive in the UK before August. Key takeaway: Apple’s tablet traffic is 95 percent or higher in twelve of the thirteen countries. Either the buying public is picking up iPads left and right or iPad users surf the web more often than other tablet owners.
In Japan and UK, for example, the iPad accounted for 100 percent and 99 percent of all tablet traffic, respectively. When the scope is expanded from just tablets to all non-computer devices (mobile phones, tablets, music players, e-readers, gaming devices and other web-enabled devices), iPad’s share drops, says comScore:
NBC joins the Fray with their own free iPad app. Before you get too excited there are no full Episodes though it says “at this time” which leaves a wide open possibility of full episodes in the future. For now, hit up Hulu or Netflix.
Apple has just released version 10.6.8 of Mac OS X Snow Leopard ahead of the July launch of OS X Lion. Mac OS 10.6.8 prepares Macs for the Lion upgrade through the Mac App Store and squashes some bugs. The update also improves IPv6 and VPN support, and also removes more known versions of Malware.
The 10.6.8 update is recommended for all users running Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes general operating system fixes that enhance the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including fixes that:
Enhance the Mac App Store to get your Mac ready to upgrade to Mac OS X Lion
Resolve an issue that may cause Preview to unexpectedly quit
Improve support for IPv6
Improve VPN reliability
Identify and remove known variants of Mac Defender
Fruity Loops, a popular music creation software for Windows PCs, has made an iOS debut. The FL Studio Mobile app lets you create soundtracks on the go, featuring 133 instruments, drum kits and sliced-loop beats. You can also import your mobile projects into the FL Studio Desktop PC version (all instruments map seamlessly), just like GarageBand (but not vice versa). The 166MB download has been launched at special introductory price of $15 in both iPhone and iPad versions. Screenies and a list of rich features right below.
Unofficial widgets for jailbroken iOS 5 devices: SpringPrefs (left) and Music Center (right)
The Apple patent win for the original iPhone interface has generated a lot of buzz, also causing quite a turmoil among industry watchers for fears that the California-based gadget maker would sue rivals that dare implement capacitive multitouch interfaces. That patent, however, also holds interesting clues hidden from plain sight that point to third-party widgets for the iOS 5 Notification Center. RazorianFly explains:
As seen above, Apple specifically mentions “User-Created Widget(s)” as well as something called the“Widget Creator Module”. Apple’s market-blowing patent describes the possible user-creation of such widgets, which could, (theoretically), run on devices such as the iPhone, and iPad.
With patent clues and iOS 5 hooks in place, all Apple needs to do is enable some public APIs to allow for the creation and installation of third-party widgets in the iOS 5 Notification Center…
A new United States Patent & Trademark Office patent application from Apple entitled “Image Capture Device Having Tilt and/or Perspective Correction” has surfaced this morning, detailing how Apple is actively seeking to improve image taking and camera capabilities on mobile devices. According to Apple, future iPhones could automatically compensate for tilt or perspective distortion during image capture or later, by determining a device orientation relative to the object.
The correction could occur on the fly – using dynamic crop lines or a virtual level (a bit akin to the grid lines in the iOS 5 Camera app) – prior to storing the image in the memory and even afterwards, in which case the orientation and distance data would be embedded in the image itself, using custom tags withing the EXIF file. As a result, you’d get perfectly aligned snaps that require little or no post-processing in image editing programs in order to compensate for perspective distortion. And how would the iPhone’s camera figure out whether or not your shots are perfectly aligned with the horizon?
iPhone 5 rumor overload? Then you’ll probably want to skip over this little tidbit.
According toDigitimes, Apple’s next iPhone will have two LED flash bulbs.
Recent market rumors have indicated that Apple’s iPhone 5 is likely to come with a dual-LED flash with Taiwan-based LED packaging firms Everlight Electronics, Edison Opto and Lite-On Technology being pinpointed as potential suppliers. The rumors come amid market reports indicating that Apple reduced its orders for Lumileds high-power LED flash products from Philips recently and switched the orders for LED flashes to Taiwan makers.Edison, which is specialized in the production of high-power LEDs, has begun shipping its LED flash products to branded handset vendors and therefore has a high chance of winning dual-LED flash orders from Apple, the sources noted.
Recent “iPhone 5 cases” have had the flash on the other side of the case but theoretically those flashes could be dual flashes. Or maybe LEDs on both sides?
As AT&T tries to swallow up the American wing of the German telekom, many have wondered whether Apple would allow T-Mobile to carry the iPhone. Apple’s answer so far is a no*, but that hasn’t stopped T-Mobile customers from adopting iPhones. In huge numbers.
In a meeting with T-Mobile spokespeople today ahead of the NYC Pepcom event, I received word that there are actively over a million Apple iPhones currently on T-Mobile’s network. When asked for a breakdown, the spokesman said the majority were pre-iPhone 4 but that a significant amount of people had “taken the scissors” to their T-Mobile SIM cards. T-Mobile doesn’t currently offer a Micro-SIM solution for Apple’s iPhone 4 so people who want to use the iPhone 4 must modify their SIMs into MicroSIMs. Those using iPhone 4s also won’t receive T-Mobile’s 3G or 4G data speeds because of the radio differences between the networks.
When asked to elaborate further on Micro-SIMs, the spokesman told me they are in the works but there was no time frame for release. Why not wait until the deal with AT&T is over to make MicroSIMs? Perhaps we’ll have a little surprise come September.
When asked specifically about the possibility of a T-Mobile USA iPhone, T-Mobile said they have nothing to announce at this time. Expand Expanding Close
Amazon, in March, responded to Apple’s claims of confusion, saying:
Based on their common meaning, the words ‘app store’ together denote a store for apps, such as the app stores operated by Amazon and Apple.
The judge on the case, Phyllis Hamilton, seems to agree, reporting that Apple is yet to provide sufficient evidence for their claim that users are (or will be confused) over Amazon’s usage of the App Store name; a name that Apple has used since 2008 to market their iOS application store and most recently their Mac App Store.
Apple’s difficulty demonstrating real evidence of actual confusion among consumers is a stumbling block for Apple, Hamilton said in court. I’m troubled by the showing that you’ve made so far, but that’s where you’re likely not to prevail at this early juncture.
The case’s judge says she will “probably” deny Apple’s request, but Apple still has the opportunity to throw more evidence into the case.
FOSS Patents reports that the judge overseeing the Samsung vs. Apple case has ruled in Apple’s favor regarding Samsung’s request to examine Apple’s next-generation, high-profile mobile devices: the iPhone 5 and iPad 3. Although this is good news for Apple (and expected news), Apple might still have to wait on obtaining preliminary injunction against Samsung’s ability to sell their devices in question in the United States.
This possibility comes from this key line from the judge on the case:
Samsung is free to argue, for instance, that there is little likelihood of confusion because consumers will not encounter its products side-by-side with the iPhone 4 or iPad 2, but rather with Apple’s next generation iPhone and iPad. Similarly, as to proximity, Samsung is free to argue that because the iPhone 4 and iPhone 2 will soon be outmoded and reduced in price, they are not being sold (or very soon will not be sold) to the same class of purchasers who are likely to buy new Samsung products. By choosing to allege infringement only of its current products, Apple opens itself up to these arguments.
Essentially, Samsung can argue that they should not be banned from selling the devices in question in the United States (like the Nexus and Galaxy devices) as these devices – both tablets and smartphones – are currently up against the iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Samsung could argue that Apple’s next-generation devices will be different in appearance, resolving Apple’s argument that the appearance of their devices has been copied by Samsung. Apple, of course, will not reveal the design and features for unreleased products.
If Apple can present the iPhone 5 to the court and show that the alleged problem of “consumer confusion” is essentially the same as currently (in terms of similarities between the Galaxy handset and the iPhone 4), Apple’s motion for an injunction is no less likely to succeed (though it’s clear that Samsung would try to overstate any possible differences in design).
FOSS Patent’s Florian Mueller closes his report by noting that Apple would have the best chance in accomplishing injunction against Samsung if they only motion for injunction when the iPhone 5 arrives in September– or when Apple wants to show their next-generation smartphone to the court (which will likely never happen prior to the public reveal):
If Apple would rather avoid this kind of impression, it might want to proceed cautiously and wait with a preliminary injunction motion until the iPhone 5 can be shown, or present only a tablet-related motion in the very near term and a smartphone-related one a little later.
The iPad 3 has long been rumored to feature a higher resolution display. Bloomberg says the display will be 1/3 higher in resolution, which sounds odd given application and graphical interface formatting. If Apple does go higher-res for iPad 3, it will likely be the full Retina treatment. – like on the iPhone 4 and fourth generation iPod touch. In the iPad’s case, this display will become 2048 x 1536 from the iPad 1 and iPad 2’s 1024 x 768 screen resolution. Graphics were recently found in an iOS 5-exclusive frameworks API that referenced an iPad with a Retina Display.
Although this was not reported by Bloomberg, the next generation iPhone is expected to pack a new cellular chip that can support both GSM and CDMA networks. In the case of the United States, this new phone can either connect to AT&T or Verizon networks. This functionality comes from the Qualcomm Gobi chip, which we exclusively revealed was packed into the Verizon iPhone 4. The new iPhone will also come preloaded with iOS 5, which features Notification Center, new camera features, Twitter integration, iCloud support, an updated mail application, a location-based reminders application, iMessages, and much more.
According to DailyTech, Apple is gearing up to launch a television set business this fall. The site claims that a former Apple executive spilled the beans on the project, saying “you’ll go into an Apple retail store and be able to walk out with a TV. It’s perfect.” This TV display is said to be powered by Apple’s popular iOS (currently runs on the iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV). The report also says that Apple will not be developing the large screens in-house, but will work with an OEM, like Samsung, to get production rolling.
An actual Apple television set has been rumored for years now with reports from analysts like Gene Munster, and cryptic official job listings from Apple. Apple currently sells a $99 Apple TV, iOS-powered set-top-box. Essentially, this Apple TV display is said to be a large screen with a built-in Apple TV. In addition, Apple has been researching OLED technologies – perhaps that research ties into this rumored TV set. DailyTech has been a reliable source for information within Intel, but has no track record regarding rumors on the subject of TVs.
Boy Geniusis calling a radically new iPhone 5 to be announced in August and released a few weeks later.
We have heard it’s quite possible Apple will break tradition. According to our source, Apple may hold an event in the beginning or middle of August to announce the new iPhone, with availability to follow in the last week of August. We’re not sure if that means the iPod event will be moved up slightly, or if this will be an iPhone-specific event. Thisismynext reported earlier that the upcoming iPhone 5 would feature a new teardrop-shaped case design.
We’ll see. This counters much of what has been said so far and it would seem counterintuitive for Apple to ship an iPhone 5 before iOS 5 is released. There have been reports of Nexus S-like curved glass from Digitimes and ThisIsMyNext however. Expand Expanding Close
A Needham & Co. analyst has nice words for Apple fans, quoting IDC data showing Android losing ground to iOS in the US. Despite Android being the leading smartphone platform in the US with the first quarter market share pegged at a whopping 49.5 percent (versus 29.5 percent for Apple), that was a loss for Google which in the previous quarter controlled 52.4 percent of the US market for smartphones.
Fortune’s Philip Elmer-DeWitt pointed out that this was Android’s “first sequential loss ever in any region of the world”. The author also quoted Charlie Wolf’s Monday note to clients:
In our opinion, this is just the beginning of Android’s share loss in the US. The migration of subscribers to the iPhone on the Verizon network should accelerate this fall when Apple coordinates the launch of iPhone 5 on the GSM and CDMA networks. The iPhone could also launch on the Sprint and T-Mobile networks.
In other words, Wolf writes, the simultaneous AT&T and Verizon launch of the iPhone 5 in September should have substantial effects on iPhone sales compared to past launches which, despite tremendous media blitz, were limited only to people on the AT&T network. And John Paczkowski writes for All Things D that Verizon customers are probably holding off their Android purchases in anticipation of the iPhone 5 launch.
According to a morning report by Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes (via MacRumors) printed circuit board (PCB) suppliers are seeing their orders from Apple dropping in the second quarter. This is usually a telling sign that manufacturing of a current-generation product is winding down ahead of a new product introduction. The cut likely involves iPhone 4 because another report claims iPad shipments are expected grow 70 percent sequentially, hitting eight million units in the second quarter. Digitimes explains:
The Taiwan-based PCB companies, which are shipping products for iPads and iPhones, have seen disappointing orders for these devices in the second quarter, the sources said. Orders thus far for June show no signs of a rebound, the sources indicated.
Sources tell the publication that PCB suppliers have cut quotes for the quarter by 10 percent amid decreasing orders from Apple. Suppliers are expecting to see iPhone orders rebound soon, ahead of a third quarter launch of iPhone 5.
Remember the above video from a Microsoft Phone 7 Mango demo in April? The then-current Apple browser (remember, that was pre-Nitro) didn’t fare so well against Android and Windows Mobile in a browser test that Microsoft set up. It registered a 2 frames per second vs. Microsoft’s Mobile IE score of 26. Apple was originally handicapped because the iPhone has more pixels to render: 640×960 vs. 480×800.
The Nitro update certainly helped out a bit bumping Apple’s score mildly.
However, running that same test on a iOS 5 iPhone 4 with the latest version of Safari is a totally different story….
Steve Jobs’ favorite analytics company, Flurry, has some interesting numbers that put app usage above web usage.
Today, however, a new platform shift is taking place. In 2011, for the first time, smartphone and tablet shipments exceed those of desktop and notebook shipments (source: Mary Meeker, KPCB, see slide 7). This move means a new generation of consumers expects their smartphones and tablets to come with instant broadband connectively so they, too, can connect to the Internet.
Yeah but those devices have web browsers…
Our analysis shows that, for the first time ever, daily time spent in mobile apps surpasses desktop and mobile web consumption. This stat is even more remarkable if you consider that it took less than three years for native mobile apps to achieve this level of usage, driven primarily by the popularity of iOS and Android platforms. Let’s take a look at the numbers.
But what if one of those apps is a web browser like Opera? (via Business Insider.)
The future of medicine is now and it’s all about intelligent accessories for iOS devices. Here’s the iCard ECG, an iPhone gizmo that lets you take your own electrocardiograph readouts. You simply clip the credit-sized, millimeter thick accessory with velcro on the back of your iPhone and then press the handset against your chest. The iPhone Download blog explains:
One cool feature of the iPhoneECG is the personal heart rate trending feature. You can listen to relaxing music through your headphones and see how your heart rate is affected. This device and app are still in the process of being reviewed by the FDA in the United States, so you’ll have to register to be part of the launch.
The resulting PDF file with your ECG readouts can be easily beamed wirelessly to the AliveCor server for physicians to review. Oh, and the iCard ECG comes in red and works with iPad too, which is important if you’re Shaquille O’Neal or something.
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iOS Simulator is a handy tool for developers and especially great for testing out your latest iPhone or iPad app on a computer, without having to sync the application package to your device. What makes the iOS Simulator even better? Running it on a huge touch display, of course. Check out the above clip, showing iOS Simulator running on a 21-inch Dell ST2220T multitouch display that talks to OS X via the Touch-Base driver.
Pictured above: The free TiVo for iPad app, released in January 2011
It’s been known for a while that TiVo is working on new companion apps for iOS devices and they already have a free iPad app which acts as a simple remote control for the Premiere box. The June issue of CEPro magazine sheds more light on the upcoming software, quoting Bard Williams, director of retail and channel marketing for TiVo:
It offers a beautiful, easy-to-use interface; complete control over management and program selection, a multi-touch remote that features gestures-based navigation, and the ability to manage and navigate Season Pass recording, your queue and info about cast, crew, similar shows – without interrupting your TV experience. When you’re not at home, the app still lets you interact with your Premiere for basic management and recording tasks.
The News Corp.-owned New York Poststarted blocking iPad readers who use Safari today. Instead of showing content on the iPad, it gives a link to the NYPost App with the following statement:
Thanks for coming! NYPOST.com editorial content is now only accessible on the iPad through the New York Post App. If you are a current New York Post App subscriber, please visit the App Store and download the latest version to access NYPOST.com through the INDEX. If you are not a current New York Post App user and would like to subscribe, please download from theApp Store. Thank you.
Subscriptions run $6.99 per month, $39.99 for six months or $79.99 for the year, with no option for single-issue digital purchases. News Corp also launched The Daily magazine earlier this year, the first Tablet-only daily magazine.
If the NYPost wasn’t total garbage anyway, I’d be upset. Hopefully the backlash from this move discourages others from copying this game plan.
Interestingly, Skyfire and Opera Mini still work (below).
The New York Times reports that Facebook has been working on an iPad application for approximately the past year and is closing up their testing ahead of a launch in the “coming weeks.” The Facebook for iPad project, which is said to be “carefully designed and optimized for the tablet,” has been overseen by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Yep, the same person who said Apple’s tablet is not a mobile device.
People who have seen the application said it has a slick design that has been tailored for the iPad and its touchscreen interface. Facebook developers and designers have also overhauled the Facebook Chat and Facebook Groups features for the application. And the app will go beyond the features available on the Facebook Web site by allowing users to shoot and upload photos and videos directly from the iPad’s built-in cameras.
The feature set of Facebook for iPad is said to include everything from the Facebook website but will add mobile-optimized features like taking and uploading pics and flicks. The report also says that Facebook for iPad will be free, which seems pretty obvious, and does not offer a release date more specific than “in the coming weeks.” Facebook currently serves their iOS users with their wildly popular iPhone and iPod touch application.
