iOS Devices

The developers behind Camera +, taptaptap, recently announced their premier camera application netted over $500,000 in sales during its two first months on sale, and today it’s gone from the App Store. Over the last few days, there has been some buzz over Apple rejecting an update to the app. This update included the ability to take photographs using the iPhone’s volume keys (OK that is kinda cool). 

After being rejected, taptaptap stealthily revealed that the rejected function can be enabled via a simple Mobile Safari URL. Many thought the app wouldn’t last long after this was revealed and tonight, it’s gone.  

Moral of this story: no matter how prolific of a developer you are, you shouldn’t go behind Apple’s back and mess with Jobs’ lovely App Store review team. Taptaptap is yet to issue a statement, and who knows, maybe Apple didn’t pull it after all. 

More… We thought it would be interesting to share Apple’s official policy on “easter eggs,” like the one hidden in Camera+, so we dug it up:

I think a new low may have just been hit, knockoff iPhone 4s are now being sold by knockoff Apple.coms. They even go as far to compare the knockoff to the legit. That is all. 

Apple has informed their paid iOS developers that they now have the ability to create the necessary metadata for Game Center leaderboards and achievements. This allows game developers, wishing to take part in Game Center, to create player rewards/achievements and leaderboards for all Game Center users to see. 

This seems like a big step in the process of setting up Apple’s interactive gaming network, and we feel that Game Center’s public release is imminent. It’s probably safe to say that we’ll get a bunch of Game Center details at Apple’s upcoming September keynote. Do we want iPad Game Center compatibility? Heck yeah!

Game Center metadata screenshots are after the break!

Apple today updated its iOS devices to close the nasty PDF security hole that can be exploited by a malformed file or website.  But Apple didn’t issue an update for all of its products.  The original iPhone or iPod touch were left at 3.1.3.  I’m not sure they’ll se an update either.  Maybe it is a lower priority and it will come out in upcoming weeks?

Or, are those folks with original iOS devices stuck?  Is three years too long to expect security updates?   Ironically, the only way for them to secure themselves at this point is to Jailbreak.

device
current version
date found
iPhone (iPhone1,1)
3.1.3 (7E18)
04/08/2010 21:05:48
iPhone 3G (iPhone1,2)
4.0.2 (8A400)
08/11/2010 14:58:02
iPhone 3GS (iPhone2,1)
4.0.2 (8A400)
08/11/2010 14:58:02
iPod Touch (2G) (iPod2,1)
4.0 (8A293)
06/21/2010 13:03:04
iPod Touch (3G) (iPod3,1)
4.0.2 (8A400)
08/11/2010 14:58:02
iPad (iPad1,1)
3.2.2 (7B500)
08/11/2010 14:58:03
iPhone 4 (iPhone3,1)
4.0.2 (8A400)
08/11/2010 14:58:03
last updated: 08/11/2010 19:45:02 EDT

AllthingsD is reporting that Apple’s Fall iEvent will be happening toward the middle of the month this year rather than the beginning of September like year’s past.

According to several sources and as has been widely expected, Apple will once again be holding its annual special event, possibly closer to mid-September this time.

Having a glance at the calendar, it appears that Tuesday, September 14th would appear to be a pretty good time for an event, though Apple has been known to do them on Wednesdays as well.

So what will we see?  iTunes in the Cloud?  Micro-Nanos?  No More iPod Classic and Shuffle?  iTV?  iPod touch with Retina and cameras?  What else?

Engadget’s got another Apple…er iTV scoop on their hands.  According to their source, Apple is changing the name of the AppleTV to iTV and, with it, will forgo the use of 1080P video.  Perhaps Apple’s A4 ARM Chip isn’t yet powerful enough to handle 1080P reliably (even though the specs on ARM Cortex A8 Processors will tell us otherwise).  They reiterate it will be a small, $99 box with specs similar to other iOS devices and cloud storage.

On the iTV name, Apple originally codenamed the AppleTV iTV but balked at the anme at the time because of trademark issues.  They could have worked those out in the same way they worked out the iOS and iPhone trademarks with Cisco.

In exchange for 1080P, the iTV will get Apps from the iOS App Store (it is ‘iTV’ after all) and will run a variant of iOS.  There was no word on the $.99 rentals or TV shows however.

So how does the lack of 1080P sit with you? GoogleTV, which will be based on higher powered Intel Chips and run Android with marketplace apps, will run 1080P.

As we mentioned earlier, today is iOS security update day.  Get your iOS 4.0.2 updates (3.2.2 for iPad) by plugging in your devices, or direct links, below:

(Obviously, if you want to stay jailbroken (Hotspot/3G Facetime/Frash), don’t accept this update!)

Yet more hints suggest Apple is preparing to unleash a new generation of music player, with iPod shuffles and iPod nanos available at huge discounts through a major UK high street retailer.

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There have been rumblings of an 11.6 inch MacBook Air launching soon, so a photoshopping Apple fan put together a comparison of the current 13.3 inch model and the unicorn 11.6 inch model: 

It looks pretty sweet and we hope Apple’s next MacBook Air is something like it. We like the glass trackpad and hope Apple could throw in that black bezel with the glass overlay, a super high-res display, and maybe more than 1 USB port. Could they also make it like 500 bucks?

As we reported earlier, Apple has introduced the iTunes App Store Volume Purchase Program, a scheme which lets educational institutions make bulk purchases of apps for distribution among learners and teachers.

Under the scheme, developers will be able to offer educational groups special discounts for app purchases made in quantities of 20 or more.

As the scheme notes explain:

Volume Vouchers can be purchased at the Apple Store for Education in dominations of $100, $500, $1000, $5000, $10,000. These vouchers can be bought on behalf of the education institution by an Authorized Purchaser, and they may use purchase orders. The Authorized Purchaser is often a purchasing agent at the institution. You should receive your Volume Vouchers in the mail within 3 to 5 business days.*
   
Redeem Volume Vouchers
Institutions can designate one or more