Tag: iPhone

WWDC 2012: Apple Announces Keynote, Schedule, App

Apple has released the schedule for the upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference, including this year’s Apple keynote. As we reported last month, WWDC 2012 is scheduled for June 11-15 at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Apple’s keynote will take place on Monday June 11th at 10 AM Pacific Time (1 PM Eastern). It will be Tim Cook’s first WWDC keynote since becoming CEO last year.

The schedule is available at Apple’s WWDC 2012 page. Apple has also released this year’s official WWDC app, a universal iOS app which is available in the App Store. Unfortunately, only attendees are able to view the full schedule, which means that if you’re not one of the lucky few who scored a ticket before they sold out, the app won’t do you much good. Both the app and the website require you to sign in with your Apple Developer ID before showing you anything. Otherwise all you can see of the app is this:

Interestingly, however, those who are able to get into the app have noticed something interesting about its design. The traditional grayish-blue bar that sits at the top of many iPhone apps has gotten a makeover. It seems that the interface is now silver at the top and bottom, just like most iPad apps, and iPhoto on the iPhone. Here’s this year’s WWDC app side-by-side with last year’s, courtesy of Cult of Mac:

The fact that Apple’s two newest iOS apps – iPhoto and now the WWDC 2012 app – are sporting a new look suggests that maybe the change will be system-wide beginning with iOS 6. By an amazing coincidence, Apple is widely expected to unveil iOS 6 as part of the aforementioned keynote.

If Apple is planning to change the color scheme of iPhone apps in iOS 6, it represents a change from the way iOS has looked since the original iPhone in 2007. Of course, this wouldn’t be the first time Apple has departed from a design feature that’s been around since the beginning. According to recent reports, the next iPhone will have a screen that’s almost 4 inches on the diagonal, a departure from the 3.5-inch display that’s been on every iPhone since 2007.

While Apple almost certainly won’t be unveiling the new iPhone itself during the keynote, iOS 6 is probably on the menu, along with Mountain Lion, and possibly updates to the MacBook Pro, iMac and MacBook Air.

May 29, 2012
iPhone Downloads Fall 5% As Competition Increases

According to the Fiksu App Store Competitive Index, app downloads from America’s top 200 free iPhone app providers, have declined almost 5% from March through April.

They also report that the average cost for securing a loyal customer is on the rise, mostly due to increased competition in the app marketplace. The cost went from just $1.30 in March, to $1.46 in April. That’s a more than 12% increase.

While iPhone downloads went from 4.45 million in March down to 4.23 million in April, they claim that the changes could also be due to a lack of significant events in the United States that would otherwise spur on a need for discovery and the subsequent download of apps.

Micah Adler, CEO of Fiksu comments on the trends in iPhone and other app downloads:

“April’s continued downward trajectory of app downloads was expected, as no major events sparked discovery during the month,”

“Additionally, app marketers continued to scale back their use of robotic install tactics in response to Apple’s policy on third-party marketing services.”

“However, we observed more aggressive advertising spending as marketers moved out of the first quarter lull and began to seek new opportunities to compete for rank especially in the dynamic social networking and games categories, which experienced volatility during the month,”

We will have to keep an eye on the Fiksu Index and watch what iPhone apps do for the remainder of 2012. I suspect the popularity of Android devices will be cutting into some of their business. Fiksu claims the popularity of social networking too offers increased competition, due to the availability of mobile advertising on those platforms.

May 29, 2012
iPhone 5 Rumor: More Images Surface

Just a little while ago we brought you news of what appears to be the first images of external components for the new iPhone. The images came from a Chinese parts supplier and purport to show the new iPhone’s rear panel. The panel appeared to be made of metal and to follow the same basic form factor as the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but thinner and with room for a larger display.

Now new photos have surfaced that appear to offer additional confirmation of what the next iPhone will look like. Like the earlier image, these photos were sent to 9to5Mac. They match the previous image, and offer some more interesting details about the new iPhone. Check them out below:

The first thing to note is that the new iPhone is getting what amounts to a unibody frame. The antenna looks to be integrated with the rear panel. Additionally, the camera lens and LED flash have been moved a bit farther apart, presumably to make room for what looks like the noise-canceling microphone that was introduced with the iPhone 4 and currently resides on top of the iPhone, next to the headphone jack. Also, the rear panel has the two-tone design first predicted earlier this month.

The photos also allow a better look at the apparently upgraded speakers at the bottom of the phone. What’s surprising, though, is the opening all the way to the left of the phone, next to the speakers. It looks like the iPhone’s headphone jack will be moving to the bottom of the device, where the iPod Touch’s headphone jack has always been.

The front glass in the third image shows that the iPhone will be getting a new display that’s taller than the current (and every previous) iPhone, but the same width. The front-facing camera will also be moving, it seems. It looks like it’s centered above the ear speaker, where the light sensor currently sits (where the light sensor is going is not clear.

Assuming these images are genuine, as seems likely, it looks like the new iPhone’s redesign isn’t quite as major as some reports have predicted. Though several of the design elements are a definite improvement over the iPhone 4/4S (e.g., the metal back), the overall form factor is very similar.

That just leaves one real question: whose bright idea was it to move the headphone jack to the bottom? Yuck.

May 29, 2012
iPhone 5 Rumor: Back Panel Image Leaked

A leaked image may confirm some of the rumors we’ve been hearing about the upcoming iPhone. The image shows the rear panel of the new iPhone (probably not the “iPhone 5”).

The image comes from Chinese part supplier iFixyouri, who passed it along to 9to5Mac. Check it out below:

There are a few things this image (assuming it’s genuine, of course) tell us about the new iPhone. First, this is plainly a metal shell. According to iFixyouri, the panel is made of aluminum. No glass, and no liquidmetal. Second, it confirms the smaller dock connector, and it appears that the speakers will be upgrade. Third, it looks like the new iPhone will indeed be thinner and taller, though it’s tough to tell from the photo. That means that the iPhone really will be getting a larger screen. Finally, it looks like the new iPhone will be keeping the same basic form factor as the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Again, it’s hard to tell from the photo, but it appears that the new iPhone will have the same squared-off design as its predecessors, rather than adopting a teardrop design or the curved back panel of the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

And now for the disclaimer: while there’s a decent chance this component is genuine, there’s also a chance it isn’t, or that it’s a component for a prototype iPhone that won’t actually be the version that Apple launches later this year (probably October). As always, we’ll just have to wait and see.

May 29, 2012
iOS 6: New Maps App Shown In Leaked Images

A couple weeks ago we brought you news that Apple was finally preparing to drop Google Maps from iOS in favor of their own in-house 3D maps app. While the app itself would stay largely the same, the backend map data would now be built using technology acquired from the three mapping companies Apple has acquired in the last few years. Rumor has it that the new maps app will involve hyper-realistic 3D maps and be pretty amazing.

Now it looks like those rumors might be true. Photos published by BGR this morning purport to show the new maps app in action. The photos aren’t the best quality, so it’s hard to tell if the new Maps app really is as spectacular as it’s rumored to be. One thing the photos do show, however, is a 3D button. One of the companies acquired by Apple, C3 Technologies, specializes in photorealistic 3D renderings of map data. It looks like Apple might be incorporating those renderings into the new maps app.

Here are the images obtained by BGR. The first is a mockup showing what the app might look like on an iPhone. Below that are the actual images they obtained:

And if you’re interested in a taste of what the 3D maps might look like, here’s a video of C3 Technologies’s photorealistic 3D models in action. This video was created last January, before Apple acquired the company.

Of course, this is all still just a rumor at this point. But there’s a good chance that Apple will unveil iOS 6 at WWDC 2012, which is just around the corner. If they do, we may get to see iOS 6’s new maps in action sooner rather than later.

May 29, 2012
Apple Board Member Uses a Blackberry

In a new CNBC documentary, J.Crew CEO and Apple Board member Mickey Drexler was filmed using a Blackberry instead of an iPhone. In the scandalous clip below, one can see said Blackberry, a Bold 9900 model, at roughly 21 seconds in:

It’s not clear if Drexler was also wearing J.Crew clothing, head to toe. Still, who cares really? Drexler has been a member of Apple’s board since 1999, though appears to prefer his Blackberry device. Not everyone chooses to adopt the iPhone, even though Android and iOS have been steadily making gains in the mobile market, while RIM continues its decline. As of March, Android takes up roughly 51% of the market, iOS sits and 31% and RIM has dwindled to 12%.

Still, not everyone likes the iPhone, even if they maintain a direct business interest with Apple. With Apple’s voice assistant Siri being a problem with many users, which has prompted an iPhone ban in all IBM facilities, some who have grown accustomed to a RIM device don’t want to make the change. I was recently speaking with a relative whose company made the switch from RIM to iOS, and the iPhone drives him insane. It happens.

May 29, 2012
Sneak A Peek Inside An iPhone Factory

The iPhone is considered by many to be a magical device. It would almost seem like they’re made inside some kind of Willy Wonka-esque factory full of happiness and sunshine. We all know that is not the case as the Foxconn factories have been well-documented in the news. There have been reports of worker abuse and inhumane working conditions. This has led to worker suicides on multiple occasions, but the company has made great strides in the last year to clean its act up.

M.I.C. Gadget obtained a video of Foxconn CEO Terry Gou and a Chinese reporter taking a tour through the Zhengzhou branch of Foxconn. It’s a fascinating look at the inside of a factory that many people always thought was some kind of internment camp full of human rights abuses. The video clearly shows what looks like a modern factory with everybody working in relative contentment even if it is extremely mundane.

Unfortunately, the video is in Chinese so don’t expect to really understand what’s going on. Fortunately, The Next Web has translated parts of the video. Apparently, the tour consists of Gou talking about expanding the Foxconn plant in a flyover of a desert area. Then the group hits the plant proper where they show the production of the iPhone 4S and its display. Gou also make the claim that his factory is better than any other factory in other major production countries like Germany and the U.S.

Even though I can’t really understand the video, it’s a fascinating look inside of the most infamous factories in the world. It looks much different than I expected it to, but I guess that’s to be expected. After hearing all of the horror stories, it only makes one think of terrible things when it comes to Foxconn. Check out the video for yourself to see the birthplace of your iPhone.

May 27, 2012
Absinthe 2.0: How to Jailbreak Your iPhone

iPhone, iPad, and iPod users who want to use their devices more freely have always been in a race with Apple to keep ahead of updates. Because of that, the release this week of Absinthe 2.0 was exciting news for the Apple hacker community.

Absinthe 2.0 is the jailbreak for Apple’s latest mobile operating system, iOS 5.1.1. It was released during a presentation by a “dream team” of Apple crackers in Amsterdam. The team is already working to crack Apple’s upcoming iOS 6, scheduled to release along with the new iPhone this fall.

Those who have been jail-breaking their Apple devices for a while will know how to use Absinthe to jailbreak their iPhone or iPad,. However, Apple is still seeing increasing sales, and many new users do not have experience freeing-up their new toys. Luckily, Absinthe is one of the easiest tools to use when jail-breaking an Apple device.

First, users should make a back-up of their phone using iTunes, just in case something goes wrong. This can be done by going into the “Devices” menu in iTunes and right-clicking on the device, which reveals the “Back Up” option.

Next, users should navigate to the “Settings” iTunes menu and find the “Reset” option inside the “General” options. There, an option to “Erase all Content and Settings” should be used to wipe the device clean.

After that, start up Absinthe 2.0 (actually 2.0.1 now – the software has already been updated) and click on “Jailbreak.” The process may take a while, but users should be sure not to disconnect the device from its USB connection to their computer.

Once the process has finished, users can restore their settings, apps, and files by right-clicking the device in iTunes and using the “Restore from Back Up” option.

That’s it. It’s a very simple process that gives Apple users extra freedom and functionality on their devices. Users of jail-broken Apple devices can enjoy extra features and customization, while still utilizing essential iOS elements such as the App Store and voice calls. Keep in mind, though, that Apple believes jail-breaking your device will void your warranty.

(via Green Poison)

May 26, 2012
iOS 5.1.1 Jailbreak: Absinthe 2.0 Gets An Update With Bug Fixes

This morning we brought you news that the long-awaited jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 was ready for download. The public jailbreak tool, Absinthe 2.0, was released to the public this morning.

Now, though, just a few hours later, Absinthe has gotten an update. It seems there were some bugs in the initial release that were preventing some users from jailbreaking their devices. Absinthe 2.0.1, which is available now, should fix those bugs.

In case you missed it this morning, the new jailbreak supports all models of the iPhone from the iPhone 3GS to the iPhone 4S, the third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch, and all models of the iPad except for the newest models of iPad 2 that have gotten an upgraded processor. Support for that iPad 2 model, the iPad 2,4, should be coming in an update sometime over the next few days.

You can download Absinthe 2.0.1 from greenpois0n, though you might have to wait awhile. The site appears to be down at the moment. Considering the high demand for the new jailbreak, that’s not at all surprising. If you’ve already jailbroken your device, you shouldn’t need Absinthe 2.0.1. If you’re still waiting to download Absinthe, then you might want to hold off until tomorrow, in order to give greenpois0n a little breathing room.

May 25, 2012
App Store Gets Free App Of The Week, Editor’s Choice

Apple has taken some extra steps to promote new apps in the iOS and Mac App Stores. If you go to the Featured section of the App Store on your iOS device or your Mac, you’ll see a few apps marked Editors’ Choice, and one marked Free App of the Week.

As you might expect, the apps aren’t the same across the board. The iOS App Store has four Editors’ Choice apps – two each for iPhone and iPad. The iPhone apps are the newly-released Facebook Camera and Extreme Skater. The Editors’ Choice apps for iPad are Sketchbook Ink and Air Mail.In the Mac App Store, the Editors’ Choice apps are CoBook and Deus Ex: Human Revolution. The Free App of the Week appears to be unique to the iOS App Store. This week’s is the ever-addictive Cut the Rope: Experiments.

The addition of an Editors’ Choice category is hardly surprising. Apple has advertised certain apps as Staff Picks for years, and setting some up as Editors’ Choice apps makes good sense. What’s intriguing is the addition of a Free App of the Week. The App Store, after all, is not like your average retail outlet. As you may remember from the great e-book kerfluffle, Apple’s App Store and iBookstore operate on an agency model for pricing, rather than a wholesale model. Apple isn’t the kind of retailer that can discount products on its (figurative) shelves whenever it wants. Developers set the price of App Store apps, not Apple.

That, of course, raises the question of how Apple can be offering a paid App Store app for free. Presumably some sort of a deal was struck, but the details of such a deal are unclear. Requests for comment to Apple and ZeptoLab (the maker of Cut the Rope: Experiments) have not yet been returned.

May 25, 2012
iOS 6 Jailbreak Already In The Works

With this morning’s news that the untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 was finally available, you would think that those responsible for it might be inclined to rest on their laurels for a while. Apparently you’d be wrong.

Several members of the Dev Team sat down with Softpedia at the Hack In The Box conference going on now in Amsterdam to talk about what’s coming next in the world of iOS jailbreaking. The interview consisted of pod2g (who’s given name is apparently Cyril), Joshua Hill (p0sixninja), and Nikias Bassen (pimskeks). They revealed several interesting facts about the jailbreaking process, including the fact that they’re already working to make headway on the jailbreak for iOS 6, which should be releasing later this year alongside the new iPhone.

Apple is expected to unveil iOS 6 at this year’s Worldwide Developer Conference, which is scheduled to start in just two weeks in San Francisco. At the moment, though, Apple hasn’t released anything iOS 6-related at all. No developer betas, no previews, nothing. So how could they already be working on jailbreaking it? According to pod2g, some exploits that the team finds are kept secret. These are meant to allow them to quickly get into the new version of iOS and start digging around for the kind of vulnerabilities they need to jailbreak the device.

Now, that doesn’t mean that the jailbreak of iOS 6 will be available as soon as the firmware goes public. Pod2g also explained that the team waits until the public release to begin working on a new jailbreak so that their work on earlier beta versions isn’t undone by later betas.

While there won’t be a jailbreak for iOS 6 as soon as it launches, it’s good to know that the people working on it are prepared to hit the ground running when the time comes.

May 25, 2012
Sony Releases Music Unlimited App For Iphone

Spotify, Sony is throwing down the musical gauntlet…..kinda. Today Sony released their Music Unlimited service for the iOS. The app will allow you to listen to music on the go ala Spotify. And just like Spotify you have to pay for the right to use it. You actually can’t even get into the app without a subscription. The release of the app is a part of Sony’s turn around effort that included the cutting of 10,000 jobs.

This app is already available on the Android phones and PCs, as well as the company’s tablets, Walkman music players, home stereos and PlayStation 3 game consoles. The Music Unlimited is a paid streaming music service that offers various music channels and the ability to create playlists. It also has a feature that if you are a Registered users can access the service from anywhere in the world, unlike online music offerings such as Spotify and Pandora.

There are 2 plans in the U.S., the basic plan costs US$3.99 and a premium plan is available for US$9.99. Themore expensive plan includes items such as easier access to individual songs and exclusive music channels. There is a catch though. You cannot access any part of the app unless you have a subscription. So go to the Music Unlimited website to sign up.

May 25, 2012
iOS 5.1.1 Jailbreak: Absinthe 2.0 Now Available

As expected, the jailbreak of iOS 5.1.1 has been released this morning, and is now available for download. The public jailbreak tool, Absinthe 2.0, can be downloaded from greenpois0n. You can download Absinthe for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Absinthe currently supports all versions of the iPhone going back to the iPhone 3GS, the third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch, and all versions of the iPad, with the exception of the newest iPad 2 with the upgraded processor. Support for that iPad should be coming soon. That version of the iPad 2 is quite rare, though, so the odds of that being a problem for most jailbreakers are pretty low.

As noted above, you can get Absinthe 2.0 from greenpois0n, where you’ll also find instructions on how to jailbreak your device. Interestingly, this time around the jailbreak requires you to erase the data on your device (back your stuff up first!) before jailbreaking, then restore from the backup.

Yesterday we told you that the release of Absinthe 2.0 might be the Dev Team’s “one more thing” for their keynote at this year’s Hack In The Box conference in Amsterdam. That appears to have been the case. Several members of the team tweeted just a little while ago that the jailbreak was ready. Pod2g appears to have gotten the honor of posting the first tweet:

Follow @pod2g pod2g
@pod2g Absinthe 2.0 is out guys. The end is over. Rush on the download 😉 http://t.co/oaYfUo4d
47 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
Reply · Retweet · Favorite

You should know, too, that erasing your data and then restoring isn’t strictly necessary, though it apparently speeds the process along quite a bit:

Follow @pimskeks Nikias Bassen
@pimskeks For Absinthe 2.0 it’s not really required to erase all content & data, it might just take A LOT longer to complete without showing progress
28 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto
Reply · Retweet · Favorite

Of course, the problem with any new jailbreak is that when iTunes backs up your device’s data, it doesn’t keep any account of the apps and tweaks you’ve installed from Cydia, so jailbreaking your device means starting all over again. Fortunately, there’s an app for that. Or, more accurately, there are several apps for that. The good folks at iJailbreak have put together a list of the best options.

One more thing: greenpois0n appears to be handling things pretty well at the moment, but a big chunk of the U.S. is still asleep at this point. As the day goes on the Dev Team’s servers are bound to get slammed, which could make jailbreaking your device a little harder. So if you have trouble getting Absinthe downloaded, you may have to be a little patient.

May 25, 2012
Yahoo TimeTraveler App Now In The App Store

We’ve all been there: on vacation in a new and exciting city, only there’s much more to do in the city than you’ve got time for. Whether it’s Rome, Paris, New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago, most of the best cities to visit have fare more than you can do in a single day – or a single weekend. On trips like that, you have to make sure to manage your time well. Take too long at the Statue of Liberty and you’ll lose your chance to go up into the Empire State Building. Spend too long trying to find the Trevi Fountain and you’ll never make it to the Colosseum before it closes at dark.

A smartphone can help take some of the stress out of visiting such cities. After all, you’re carrying a map of pretty much every place in the world in your pocket, and there are dozens upon dozens of apps designed to help tourists find what they’re looking for. What most of these apps don’t help you with, though, is time management. They may tell you how long it will take you to get from Chicago’s ~~Sears~~ Willis Tower to the Adler Planetarium, but they don’t tell you much about how long it will take you at the Planetarium.

That’s where the new TimeTraveler app from Yahoo! comes in. Unfortunately, TimeTraveler doesn’t quite do what the name implies: if you were expecting an app that turned your phone into the TARDIS, I’m afraid you’ll have to keep looking. No, what TimeTraveler does is help you plan your trek through a city by showing all the points of interest on a map, then telling you how long it will take you at each place.

When you open up the app you’re presented with a selection of 29 of the most famous cities in the world. We’ll use Boston as an example, since that’s one of my favorite cities to visit:

Once you’ve picked your city, you set a start point, an end point, and the amount of time you have. Let’s say you’ve just finished lunch at Cheers (which is right across the street from Boston Common), and you want to make it to Fenway Park for an evening baseball game. You want to be there in plenty of time to get your beer and your hot dog and get to your seat by the time the game starts, so you give yourself 5 hours:

Once you put in all the details, TimeTraveler plots your route and picks attractions along the way that you can do in the amount of time you’ve allotted. Once it’s done, it shows them to you in a handy list:

If you tap the round icon at the bottom, you’re can check out a map that shows your start point, end point, and the attractions TimeTraveler has picked for you. You can also identify other points of interest along the way, including restaurants and hotels. You can also see pictures that others have taken of attractions in your area.

From the list view, tapping on any of the attractions on your route brings up a card that shows some basic details of the attraction. Details include business hours, location, and some information about why the place you’re going is famous. Of course, business hours are subject to change, and the owners are under no obligation to inform Yahoo! when that happens, so you should always double-check the hours of any place you plan to visit.

Though I have not, like Johnny Cash, been everywhere, man, I’ve done a fair bit of travelling in my time. I’ve often found myself in a new city feeling overwhelmed with the amount of stuff there is to do in the little bit of time I have. As such, I’ve used a lot of different apps for tourists. While they all have their pros and cons, there’s an awful lot of overlap in the kinds of things they do. Truth to tell, most of them don’t do a lot more for me than I can get just by using my iPhone’s built-in Maps app.

TimeTraveler, however, stands out from the crowd in a big way. Though it may not put a flux capacitor in my phone, it comes as close as it possibly can to the next best thing. It’s available today as a free download from the iOS App Store, where it’s currently at the top of the list of featured new apps. For more information, you can check out Yahoo’s TimeTraveler page.

May 24, 2012
Yahoo! Axis May Mean Big Changes For iOS Browsers

Yahoo! has made big news today with the launch of the new Axis browser. Axis is available today as an iOS app, though an Android version is said to be in the works. In an interesting twist, Yahoo! has decided to mostly forego the desktop browser market. Axis’s only desktop presence is an add-on for Google Chrome.

By all accounts, Axis is an excellent browser – something most people seem to be saying with an air of surprise. The reason for that is simple: third party browsers on the iOS platform have, until now, been anywhere from bad to mediocre. While there have been a few decent entries, the iOS browser market overall is decidedly lackluster. Safari isn’t necessarily a great browser, but it’s a far sight better than most of the options in the App Store. Now, though, Axis has changed all that by publishing a slick new browser that’s easy to use, nice to look at, and with a much more intuitive search function than Safari. That creates a very interesting situation for iOS users, one that may have significant implications for the future of the iOS platform.

You see, apart from an overall lack of quality, there’s another thing that’s kept third party browsers from mounting a serious challenge to Mobile Safari. Unlike Android – and Windows, and OS X, for that matter – iOS does not allow the user to change the default browser. Even if you find a browser in the App Store that you love (like Axis, or the rumored Google Chrome for iOS), you can’t make it your default browser. Bookmarks you put on your home page still have to come from Safari. Links you get in an email or find in an app still open in Safari.

The launch of Axis, though, may mean a change to all of that. If Axis grows in popularity – and even if it doesn’t – Apple may wind up having to allow other browsers to play in its sandbox. Otherwise it could wind up facing the same sort of antitrust troubles Microsoft faced in the 1990s when trying to keep people using Internet Explorer instead of some of the other alternatives available at the time.

There are indications, though, that Apple may be okay with this. Ethan Batraski, head of product for Yahoo’s Search Innovation Group, told CNet that Yahoo! had Apple’s “blessing.” What’s more, Apple’s people told Batraski something that’s pretty obvious when you think about it: Apple isn’t too focused on improving mobile Safari. In the days of the first iPhone, Safari was absolutely crucial to the iPhone – there were, after all, no third party apps. If you wanted to do much of anything on the original iPhone other than the basic stuff you could do with Apple’s apps, you needed Safari. Now, though, all that has changed. These days, you can do almost anything you could possibly want or need to do with your iOS device and never touch Safari. And Apple knows this. The last few versions of iOS have included only the most basic improvements to Safari on the iPhone (the iPad version got more goodies with iOS 5, but still not a vast improvement).

With Axis now out there, and Google Chrome possibly on the horizon, it may well be that Apple is ready to start making iOS more open to other browsers. Could we see such change in iOS 6? It’s certainly possible. On the other hand, it’s possible that Apple will stick to its guns and keep iOS locked on Safari, possibly drawing the ire of the government. One hopes, however, that they learned from Microsoft’s mistakes and will be a little more willing to see reason.

A request for comment sent to Apple has not yet been returned.

May 24, 2012
iOS 5.1.1 Jailbreak Coming Tomorrow?

On Monday we brought you news that the long-awaited untethered jailbreak of iOS 5.1.1 was “a matter of days” away. Pod2G tweeted that the public jailbreak tool – dubbed Absinthe 2.0 – was nearly ready for release.

Now it looks like “a matter of days” means tomorrow. Pod2g and the rest of the Dev Team are scheduled to give a keynote tomorrow afternoon at the annual Hack In The Box conference. A tweet from the official HITB Twitter account seems to confirm that they’ll be unveiling the new jailbreak during the keynote. Check out the tweet below:

Follow @HITBSecConf HITBSecConf
@HITBSecConf SPECIAL @chronicdevteam 1-day passes for #HITB2012AMS @ EUR699! Come see @pod2g @p0sixninja @planetbeing @nikias JAILBREAK LIVE (Pls RT)
7 hours ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto
Reply · Retweet · Favorite

Now, the fact that they’re (apparently) showing off Absinthe 2.0 doesn’t necessarily mean that the jailbreak will be publicly available tomorrow, but there’s a pretty good chance it will. So if you (like me) have been eagerly waiting to update your jailbroken device to iOS 5.1.1 – or to jailbreak your new iPad – then tomorrow may be your lucky day.

On a related note, pod2g tweeted yesterday that he had added the iPad 3,3 (the international 3G version) to the list of supported devices for the upcoming jailbreak. The only device that hadn’t been tested was the iPad 2,4, which you may remember has a different processor than earlier versions of the iPad 2. Apparently pod2g expects the jailbreak to work on the upgraded device, but hasn’t actually tested it, and so put out a call for any HITB conference-goers who had one to allow him to test it.

Follow @pod2g pod2g
@pod2g OK just added iPad3,3 support to Absinthe thanks to @flawlessfox. Only remains iPad2,4 now but we need the actual device.
15 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto
Reply · Retweet · Favorite

Follow @pod2g pod2g
@pod2g Any people of #HITB2012AMS has an iPad2,4? Model number: either MC954 or MC989. Please check in Settings / General / About.
15 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto
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Check back regularly over the next couple of days – especially tomorrow – for more news about the new jailbreak.

May 24, 2012
Yahoo Axis: How It Works With iOS

Yahoo revealed its new browser called Axis today. Well, it’s a browser for mobile, at least. On the desktop, it’s more of a browser extension. While it’s noteworthy that Yahoo would even put out a browser, it’s also noteworthy that Yahoo has loaded the browser with a huge emphasis on search, and a different take on search.

While there have been some issues with the launch for the desktop, Yahoo Axis is live and available for the iPad and iPhone. The company put out a couple of videos demonstrating how it works on both devices:

The way it works is that if you have a webpage up, you can enter a web address to navigate, like any other browser. You can slide the page down, however, and reveal the search feature, where you can enter keywords and slide through results horizontally.

It works pretty much the same way on both the iPad and the iPhone, though after trying it on both, I have to say the tablet better lends itself to Axis. You could really say that about any mobile browsing experience though. Browsing is just better on a bigger screen. In fact, Adobe put out a study a couple weeks ago, finding that the share of website visits from tablets grew about 10 times faster than the rate of smartphones within two years of market introduction. About 80% of that traffic came from iPad devices, the company told WebProNews at the time.

One may wonder why Yahoo hasn’t released Axis as a full desktop browser, but it would be hard to enter the market and immediately compete with Chrome, Firefox and IE. Yahoo seems to be going for an area where Chrome isn’t yet widely available. If it can gain traction with iPhone and iPad users (and potentially Android users), perhaps a full desktop browser might stand a better chance.

Yahoo itself does have a huge audience. According to its realtime homepage counter, the Yahoo Homepage already has over 52 million views today (at 6:30AM Pacific). I’m guessing a good chunk of that audience has an iPhone and/or an iPad.

Of course, rumor has it that Chrome will be making its way to iOS.

May 24, 2012
John Malkovich Stars In Two New iPhone 4S Commercials

A little over a month ago, Apple took its advertising in a new direction by doing something they rarely do: using celebrities to sell Apple products. They released two Siri-centric ads for the iPhone 4S, one with Samuel L. Jackson planning a date night, and Zooey Deschanel planning a day in.

For all that the move was unusual for Apple, it also proved to be pretty popular. And as you might expect, the ads each sponsored their own respective parodies. Jackson’s commercial got a parody video that put Siri in perhaps the best-known scene of his career. Deschanel’s commercial got a parody Twitter account that has her asking Siri a string of stupid questions.

Now it looks like Apple’s use of celebrities last month wasn’t a one-shot (or, more accurately, two-shot) deal. Another pair of ads has started airing in the last couple of days. Both feature actor John Malkovich sitting in a cushy armchair drinking tea (presumably) and giving Siri one-word requests for things like weather, a restaurant that serves a certain dish, and his schedule. The first ad ends with Malkovich asking Siri to tell him a joke, while the second ends with him asking the meaning of life. Check them out below:

It’s not entirely clear when the ads started airing, but they were posted on Apple’s YouTube page yesterday.

May 24, 2012
iPhone Rules The Smartphone Market By Wide Margin [STUDY]

In the smartphone wars it’s often very hard to tell who’s winning and who’s losing. Often it depends very much on what metric you use. If you go by total market share, Android is the clear winner. If you go by units sold in the last quarter, it’s the iPhone by a sizable margin.

Millennial Media’s Mobile Mix report adds another angle to the debate by gathering data on impressions from mobile ads. Millennial Media is a mobile advertising platform company that specializes in mobile apps and the mobile web. The data collected from mobile device impressions on their ads provides a pretty good clue as to which devices are the most popular. Their data reveals some interesting trends in the mobile market.

In terms of overall market share, the Mobile Mix data confirms what most similar reports have shown: the Android platform is the top mobile operating system overall. According to the report, Android makes up 49% of the smartphone market, while the iOS has 33%. BlackBerry is in a distant third with 13%.

The fact that Android is the top OS, though, doesn’t mean that an Android phone is the top smartphone. In fact, the iPhone is the top smartphone by a considerable margin. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, however. The Android platform’s 49% market share is divided among a plethora of smartphones, while Apple’s iPhone has the iOS portion of the market all to itself (well, along with the iPod Touch and the iPad, of course).

Where this data gets interesting is when you start trying to figure out who the top smartphone maker is. You may recall a story we did earlier this month wherein we reported that Samsung is the world’s top smartphone vendor. That report was based on data that showed that Samsung shipped just over seven million more smartphones last quarter than Apple (42.2 million for Samsung, 35.1 million for Apple). The Mobile Mix data, though, paints a slightly different picture. While Samsung may have sold more smartphones than Apple overall, Apple still maintains the top spot based on the the report’s data.

Given the fact that Millennial Media is works with mobile app developers, as well as with mobile website developers, you might expect the report to spend a little time dealing with data related to mobile apps. In that, you would not be disappointed. The report ranks the top ten categories of mobile apps across all platforms. Not surprisingly, the top mobile app category is games. In second is music and entertainment, followed by social media.

The report also had some interesting insights into the current tablet market, as well as some predictions about the tablet market in the coming years. The data showed that 20% of Millennial Media’s impressions in the first quarter of 2012 came from “non-phone connected devices,” i.e., tablets. Of those tablets, the iPad held a significant lead over its competitors as the most popular tablet overall. The other tablets in the top five were the Samsung Galaxy Tab, the Amazon Kindle Fire, the Motorola Xoom, and the BlackBerry PlayBook. Of those five tablets, the top three were also on the list of the top 20 overall mobile devices, meaning that each beat out at least a few smartphones in terms of popularity (and it’s likely that the iPad beat out quite a lot of smartphones).

The report also used current sales data from the tablet market to project what that market will look like over the next several years, and the results are pretty interesting. Tablet sales are expected to grow by 54% in 2012, reaching 106 million units sold. Based on that, the Mobile Mix report predicts that by 2016 the tablet market will see almost 100% growth over the next 4 years, reaching 198 million units by 2016.

The Mobile Mix report may not settle the question of which smartphone (or smartphone platform) is best. It may not even answer the question of which is winning the great smartphone arms race. Nevertheless it does provide some important insights into the current state of the market. For more information, you can check out Millennial Media’s research page here.

May 24, 2012
Concept Video Shows The iPhone 5 In Action

By now you’re probably aware of all the rumors zipping around about what Apple’s next iPhone (probably not really the “iPhone 5”) will look like. Several recent reports have apparently confirmed that the new iPhone will be getting a taller display. Other reports have suggested that a smaller dock connector is also in the works, along with 4G LTE connectivity and a better camera.

Of course, if you want to see all those new features in action (assuming they’re actually coming to the new iPhone), you’ll probably have to wait until October. On the other hand, if you want to see a concept video that shows what some of those new features might look like, then today’s your lucky day. The video shows the new iPhone’s 3.95-inch screen, plus a couple other goodies. Check it out below:

Now, the speaker all the way around the outside of the iPhone is probably not going to happen. And replacing the standard dock with a Thunderbolt connector is certainly out – after all, only the most recent models of Mac have Thunderbolt ports, and Apple isn’t likely to limit the iPhone by replacing the dock connector with one. On the other hand, the illuminated home button is pretty neat, and an improved camera is pretty likely. All in all, it’s a pretty cool mock-up. Unfortunately, we’ve got several months yet before we know how close to reality it is (or isn’t).

May 23, 2012
Dell Expects Revenues Under Analyst Projections

Back in February, computer hardware giant Dell projected a revenue growth of 5 to 9 percent for 2012, though now the company reports that it’ll likely miss this estimate.

Dell has just projected that 2nd quarter revenue would sit between $14.7 billion to $15 billion, while Wall Street analysts predicted $15.4 billion, mainly due to a lull in business purchases of tablet devices and smartphones. More specifically, businesses have been switching to iPhones and iPads in droves, replacing traditional notebook PCs. CEO Michael Dell stated during a conference call with investors, “In my own interactions with larger customers, we are seeing a delay and a pause in spending activity.”

Still, Dell points out that it will be selling tablets running Microsoft’s Windows 8 OS come fall, which should work to boost sales. The company reported a Q1 net income of $635 million, compared to $945 million in Q1 2011, at 36 cents and 49 cents per share respectively. Revenue fell 4% during this time period, to $14.4 billion, short of an analyst-projected $14.9 billion.

In related news, a recent report from CNET suggest the first tablets powered by Windows 8 will debut in November.

May 23, 2012