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The world’s most advanced mobile operating system

iOS is Apple’s mobile operating system that runs on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Historically, Apple releases a new iOS version once a year, the current version is iOS 13.

In 2007, Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone and iPhone OS. During the event, Jobs referred to the operating system as OS X because it shared a similar Unix core compared to the Mac. When Apple launched the iPhone SDK a year later, they officially changed the name to iPhone OS.

In the summer of 2008, Apple added the App Store to iPhone OS with version 2.0, and this set the stage for the “app economy” that we still enjoy to this day.

Version 3.0 was released in 2009, and it included copy/paste, MMS support, Spotlight, mobile tethering, and push notifications for 3rd party apps.

In version 4, Apple finally renamed iPhone OS to iOS (with the iPad sharing the same software). The major features were multitasking and FaceTime.

iOS 5.0 introduced Notification Center, iMessage, Siri, and iCloud.

iOS 6.0 removes Google Maps in favor of Apple Maps and added the Passbook app (now known as Wallet).

Version 7.0 brought a dramatic redesign of iOS with a new font, flatter icons, a and new Photos app. The redesign was led by Jony Ive.

Version iOS 8.0, Apple finally allowed third-party keyboards and the ability to share files from different apps.

Version 9.0 included Apple Maps, an overhauled Notes app, and multitasking for iPad.

Version 10.0 included an SDK for Siri, Maps, and iMessages.

Version 11.0 included a new iPad Dock, Customizable Control center, drag and drop on iPad, and the Files app with third-party integration.

Version 12.0 added Screen Time features for managing your time on devices, the Shortcuts app, ARKit 2.0, and Memoji.

iOS 13 added Dark Mode, swipe-style typing, a redesigned share sheet, made app downloads 50% smaller, 2x faster app launch speed, Memoji Stickers and Memoji Makeup, HomeKit-enabled routers and HomeKit Secure Video, a new “Sign in with Apple” option for logging into third-party services, all-new Apple Maps, and much more.

Compatible Devices with iOS 13

  • iPhone 11
  • iPhone 11 Pro
  • iPhone 11 Pro Max
  • iPhone XS
  • iPhone XS Max
  • iPhone XR
  • iPhone X
  • iPhone 8
  • iPhone 8 Plus
  • iPhone 7
  • iPhone 7 Plus
  • iPhone 6s
  • iPhone 6s Plus
  • iPhone SE
  • iPod touch (7th generation)

Apple’s fix for FaceTime woes in iOS 6? Upgrade to iOS 7

Apple has released a new support document explaining some of the issues that iOS 6 users have experienced lately when trying to make FaceTime calls. Along with an explanation, there’s finally a fix in sight that’s also detailed on the support page. What’s the fix? Update to iOS 7.

First spotted by MacRumors, the support document informs users of a pretty obvious solution to the problem. If you’re using a device that supports iOS 7, you’ll need to update to the latest version of iOS 7. If the device in question isn’t compatible with iOS 7, update to iOS 6.1.6 to resolve the FaceTime bug.


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Hulu Plus for iOS updated with remote control support for Xbox One and PS4

The folks at Hulu have expanded their recent Chromecast efforts and thanks to a new update the company’s iOS app now moonlights as a remote control for the Xbox One, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 game consoles. Users can pause, stop fast-forward and rewind content directly from their mobile device. This will definitely come in handy, because it takes the strain off your controller’s battery, which should be reserved strictly for gaming.


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Apple tops J.D. Power’s 2014 survey in smartphone satisfaction across all U.S. carriers

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J.D. Power, which previously awarded the iPhone highest in consumer satisfaction for smartphones eight years in a row, today released a report that puts Apple on top for customer satisfaction by carrier. While measure four key metrics— performance, physical design, features, and ease of operation— across the four major carriers, J.D. Power found Apple and the iPhone’s overall score ranked #1 for Sprint, Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile. However, in most cases, it’s only beating Samsung by a small margin.

The report also shared some stats on overall satisfaction for carriers and the most requested features for new devices from consumers:
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Cook says new products ‘closer than it’s ever been’, ponders mobile payments

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In Cook’s latest interview with The Wall Street Journal, the Apple CEO largely reiterates his comments about the company’s values and the product creation process but also expanded on his opinion of mobile payments.

Cook said that their strong results should qualm some of the recent anti-Apple chatter. However, he added that it will likely take the addition of some new products to change people’s minds…
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Opera’s Coast browser adds iPhone support, adds iCloud syncing of bookmark tiles

Opera first launched Coast back in September 2013, on the iPad. Although it didn’t make a huge impression on the App Store first time around, Opera is probably hoping its new version will be more popular.

The app has been fully reworked for the iPhone size. There are hardly any buttons onscreen; the app relies almost exclusively on gesture-based navigation.


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Tim Cook: 60+% of iPhone 4s and 5c buyers are ‘Android Switchers’

The success of Apple’s low end phones, the 3.5-inch iPhone 4s and the colorful plastic 5c, has been questioned since the current lineup was launched last year. But in today’s earnings call,  Tim Cook might have just explained why Apple keeps the lower end devices in its stable: They bring in the lower-end Android crowd. Specifically Cook said 62% of iPhone 4s, which is usually free (or cheaper) with a plan in the US buyers and 60% of iPhone 5c buyers were switching from Android.

Cook previously compared Android to Europe in its fragmentation and had some harsh words for some of the low end Android tablets in enterprise saying Apple would never produce or label products of that low quality. 
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Tim Cook addresses iPad sales slowdown, says Microsoft should have released Office sooner

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On Apple’s earnings call, Tim Cook directly addresses concerns surrounding iPad. Notably, he calls out Office as helping iPad sales somewhat but ‘frankly’ admits that Microsoft should have released Office for iPad sooner. He says that in the time that Microsoft waited, other companies including Apple have released very-competitive productivity alternates to Office, likely referencing iWork.


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Apple to increase share buybacks to $90 billion, announces seven-to-one stock split, increase dividend to $3.29 per share

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As part of Apple’s earnings releases, Apple has announced an extension to its buyback plans. The company will now buyback an additional $30 billion of Apple stock, totalling $90 billion, significantly accelerating its original plans.

Apple® today announced that its Board of Directors has authorized another significant increase to the Company’s program to return capital to shareholders. The Company expects to utilize a total of over $130 billion of cash under the expanded program by the end of calendar 2015.

The board has also announced a seven-for-one stock split beginning June 2nd 2014. Apple last split its stock in 2005, nine years ago. Apple will also increase the dividend by about 8 percent to $3.29 per common share. This will begin on May 15th. Apple plans to increase its dividend every year. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Cook said that the buyback will “show you how much confidence we have in the future of the company”.


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iOS 7.1 code indicates Apple working on Siri for Apple TV

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Code found within the iOS 7.1 SDK suggests that Siri is headed to the Apple TV in future. Pierre Blazquez first found the reference on Friday. 9to5Mac has since confirmed that the code does exist in both iOS 7.1 and iOS 7.1.1’s files. The reference does not exist in 7.0.6.

The file is a supporting property-list resource for Assistant (Apple’s internal name for Siri), containing information about the feature. The UIDeviceFamily array declares what platforms are compatible with the feature.

As shown by Apple’s documentation, ‘1’ and ‘2’ represent the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad families. The ‘3’ represents the Apple TV family.


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NYOP Mac software bundle: Few bucks gets RapidWeaver, Tuneup, Snapheal Pro, Crossover, PDF Converter and much more

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StackSocial and 9to5Toys Specials are offering another Name Your Own Price Mac Bundle with 10 Mac apps regularly priced at $655. This bundle has some incredibly solid apps, and currently less than $5 will unlock all of the apps. In addition, 10% of your purchase will go to a charity of your choice including Child’s Play, World Wildlife Foundation, or Creative Commons. Also, if you are on the leaderboard at any time, you are entered to win a MacBook Air. The price will go up as more people buy so it is best to get in early.

Some of the notable apps in the bundle are photo editing software Snapheal Pro (Reg. $40), simple website builder RapidWeaver 5 (Reg. $79), Windows software utility CrossOver 13 For MaciTunes organizer TuneUp and screen capture software Voila ($30). You can see a full list of the apps in the bundle below, as well as more Mac deals on 9to5Toys Specials and in our daily app deal round-ups.


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Apple releases Heartbleed bug fix for 2013 AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule

Apple has released a bug fix patch for its 2013 AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, fixing the OpenSSL ‘Heartbleed’ vulnerability. The update does not apply to the AirPort Express.

Firmware update 7.7.3 is recommended for all AirPort Extreme and AirPort Time Capsule base stations with 802.11ac. It provides security improvements related to SSL/TLS. Other AirPort base stations do not require this firmware update.

Amusingly, when Heartbleed made headlines earlier this month, Apple said that no key software or services were affected. They conveniently forgot to mention that their latest router hardware was susceptible to the flaw.

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Logitech announces an even thinner Ultrathin keyboard cover for iPad, three new case designs

Logitech is introducing three new products for iPad users including a new lineup of protective cases and an updated version of its Ultrathin keyboard cover for iPad Air and iPad mini.

The new Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover (pictured above) introduces a thinner and lighter design at 6.4 mm thick and two-thirds of the weight of the iPad itself. It comes with a magnetic clip in the same “high-grade aluminum construction and matching finish” that securely attaches the case to your iPad and allows for multiple viewing angles. It’s arriving for $99.99 for iPad Air and $89.99 for iPad mini in the U.S. and EU next month.

Also announced today are the three protective cases pictured above including the Big Bang for iPad Air & iPad mini ($99/$79), the flexible Hinge for iPad Air and mini that allows for 15 to 65-degree viewing angels ($59/$49), and the Logitech Turnaround for iPad Air and mini ($59/$49), a case that lets you rotate your iPad between landscape and portrait mode.

The Big Bang case is shipping in May, and the other two cases are available now on Logitech’s site.  Some of the cases come in various color options and all can be preordered or purchased from Logitech today.

Apple releases iOS 7.1.1 update with Touch ID, keyboard improvements, bug fixes

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Following our report earlier this month that Apple was preparing to deliver a bug fix in an upcoming iOS 7.1.1 update, today the update is going live as an over-the-air update for iOS users. Apple’s release notes say the update includes “improvements, bug fixes and security updates” including enhancements to Touch ID fingerprint recognition and fixes for keyboard responsiveness and Bluetooth keyboards used with VoiceOver:

This update contains improvements, bug fixes and security updates, including:

  • Further improvements to Touch ID fingerprint recognition
  • Fixes a bug that could impact keyboard responsiveness
  • Fixes an issue when using Bluetooth keyboards with VoiceOver enabled
  • For information on the security content of this update, please visit this website:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222


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Chinese iOS malware stealing Apple IDs and passwords from jailbroken devices

Security researcher Stefan Esser (via ArsTechnica) has discovered that an issue reported on Reddit as causing crashes on jailbroken iPhones and iPads is actually a piece of malware designed to capture Apple IDs and passwords from infected devices.

This malware appears to have Chinese origin and comes as a library called Unflod.dylib that hooks into all running processes of jailbroken iDevices and listens to outgoing SSL connections. From these connections it tries to steal the device’s Apple-ID and corresponding password and sends them in plaintext to servers with IP addresses in control of US hosting companies for apparently Chinese customers.

Early indications are that the source of the malware is likely to have been from a tweak downloaded from somewhere outside of Cydia. Esser has identified that the code only runs on 32-bit devices, meaning that the iPhone 5s, iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display are safe, while other devices are vulnerable.

The blog post says that the malware is easy to check for, but may not be easy to remove. Using SSH/Terminal, check the path /Library/MobileSubstrate/DynamicLibraries/ for the presence of either Unflod.dylib or framework.dylib.

Currently the jailbreak community believes that deleting the Unflod.dylib/framework.dylib binary and changing the apple-id’s password afterwards is enough to recover from this attack. However it is still unknown how the dynamic library ends up on the device in the first place and therefore it is also unknown if it comes with additional malware gifts.

We therefore believe that the only safe way of removal is a full restore, which means the removal and loss of the jailbreak.

Cydia developer Jay Freeman, aka Saurik, pointed out on Reddit that adding random download URLs to Cydia is as risky as opening attachments received in spam emails.

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Taiwanese media claims 5.5inch iPhone 6 to be very thin, special battery components causing delays

Via GforGames, the Commercial Times is reporting that the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 (the larger brother of the expected ~4.7 inch model) is currently facing delays due to yield issues with special battery components.

According to the report, Apple wants the 5.5 inch device to be incredibly thin requiring battery cells that are only 2mm in depth. Normal battery components are usually closer to 3mm.


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Apple teases Samsung in new environmental print ad: ‘There are some things we want every company to copy’

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As part of its recent environmental campaign, Apple has taken out some tongue-in-cheek full-page print advertising in newspapers around the world today. The ad reads ‘There are some things we want every company to copy’. The ad was first spotted by David McClelland on Twitter. (Hi-res version below:)


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iPhone SMS notifications coming to Google Glass this week

An iMessage sent to Glass

Google announced today that it’s about to bring SMS for iPhone and a new Calendar Glassware to Google Glass users following an update to KitKat and the introduction of new features earlier this month. First up, iPhone users will now be able to receive text messages on Glass but, as Google points out, they “won’t be able to reply from Glass due to some limitations with iOS.

SMS for iPhone – iOS fans, by popular demand you can now get texts from your friends on Glass. Get started by going to your iPhone’s Bluetooth settings and turning on “Show Notifications” for your paired Glass. When you receive a new text message, it will appear as a notification on Glass. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to reply from Glass due to some limitations with iOS. (Android fans, don’t feel left out – you’ve got SMS on Glass already.)

The support for SMS is a feature that Glass users have long had access to when paired to an Android device. You’ll begin receiving notifications as long as the “Show Notifications” option for your paired Glass is selected from Bluetooth settings. 

Review: Cogito Pop smartwatch for iOS (video)

When you put the word “smart” in front of anything, most people tend to think that it’s going to be some kind of advanced product. Most smartwatches on the market have a display and offer a simplified (or detailed) look at information from your smartphone along with access to third-party apps and services.

CONNECTEDEVICE is the company that’s trying to put the “watch” back in smartwatch. What if your smartwatch was created with the primary purpose of showing the time? Well, that’s exactly what the Cogito Pop does. It offers style and functionality, but don’t expect anything fancy here. The Cogito Pop puts notifications on the back burner, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.


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Apple enticing games publishers with promotion deals in return for exclusivity

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The Wall Street Journal has published a report saying that both Apple and Google are actively pursuing exclusivity deals with game developers. Whispers of these type of arrangements surfaced last year, with reports highlighting a partnership between Apple and EA for Plants vs Zombies 2.

The Journal confirms that Apple’s exclusivity deals do not include monetary payments. In return, the companies offer “premium placement” (such as featured spots on the home page) for launching first on their platform.

In regard to the Plants vs Zombies’ deal, the report says EA gave Apple agreed about two months of exclusivity.


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Analyst forecasts suggest iPad sales have peaked, expect YOY decline this quarter despite 13% holiday growth

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As highlighted by Fortune, analysts’ consensus on iPad sales for last quarter suggest that iPad sales will actually decline year-over-year by about 0.7%. Although the expected decline is small, this would represent a big shift in iPad momentum, especially since Apple saw a strong increase in sales for the holiday quarter, going from 22.9M units in the previous year to 26M this year.

If iPad sales have fallen, it wouldn’t be because of different market conditions to last year. Apple introduced the iPad Air at the end of 2014 around a year from the introduction of the iPad 4 at the end of 2012. Last year, Apple dropped the price of the iPad Mini a modest $30 while also introducing the highly anticipated retina iPad Mini. In 2012, it introduced the iPad mini. The product cycles are similar, so the decline isn’t due to any artificial inflation of sales last year.


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iPhone 6 renders based on recent case leaks show off rumored edge-to-edge screen

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Nowhereelse.fr has commissioned designer Martin Hajek to mockup the iPhone 6, using the most recent leaks about the upcoming device.

The renders, shown above, use the supposed iPhone cases pictured on Wednesday and leaked schematics from late March to envisage the look of the future iPhone. Naturally, the most striking change is the display, stretching almost edge-to-edge.


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RadioShack dropping 16 GB iPhone 5s to $99 Friday, free if you trade in an iPhone 4s

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RadioShack is planning a new iPhone promotion starting tomorrow that will let new or upgrading users get an iPhone 5s at a significant discount. The 16 GB model of Apple’s latest smartphone will be available for $99, down from the usual price of $199 for all customers on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon.

Customers who bring in a “eligible” iPhone 4s (which usually just means “in pretty good shape”), will also get a $100 credit towards their iPhone 5s purchase, which knocks the price down to a very manageable $0.


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MLB At Bat mobile apps adding Chromecast support today for Premium subscribers

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Google announced today on its Chrome blog that Major League Baseball is adding support for its $35 Chromecast streaming stick through the MLB At Bat app for Android and iOS. That means that users with the app and an MLB.TV Premium subscription will be able to stream live and on-demand video content from the app (or from a browser tab in Chrome through MLB’s site) to a Chromecast connected TV. You’ll also be able to use the phone or tablet you’re streaming from as a second-screen experience to “check scores, stats and news” while watching the game on the bigger screen:
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Square Enix brings Hitman to iOS w/ new turn-based strategy game

Today Square Enix Montreal released a mobile version of the popular Hitman franchise responsible for a handful of critically acclaimed releases on consoles and PCs over the last decade. The iOS spin-off called Hitman Go sees players taking control of the franchise’s main character, hitman Agent 47, but the gameplay is a completely new twist on what we’ve seen from Hitman games in the past.

In the mobile game, you’ll still have to sneak your way through environments using disguises, distractions, and find secret areas and hiding spots to get to your target and complete a hit, but this time you’ll be doing so with turned-based puzzle/strategy gameplay on your iPhone or iPad.  

With Hitman GO, you’ll experience:

• Challenging puzzles that put your assassination skills to the test
• Beautiful scale model-style visuals
• Environments with secret passageways and off-limit areas
• Agent 47’s tools of the trade: Distractions, disguises, hiding spots, sniper rifles and even the iconic Silverballers
• Different enemy types with unique and deadly behaviours
• Different ways of completing each level, silently or forcefully

Hitman Go is available for $4.99 on the App Store now.

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