Apple has released iOS 6.1.3, which contains a fix for the passcode bypass bug as well as improvements to Maps in Japan. This is the third minor update since the release of iOS 6.1 in late January.
The update is available over the air and through iTunes. Go to Settings > General > Software Update, or connect your device to your computer through USB.
[Source: iMore]
Users of Android's recent editions have been exposed to Google Now, the "before you know you need it" search tool.
Google Now tries to look ahead at your schedule and physical location to let you quickly access the most relevant results -- traffic for your commute, flight schedules for your trips, local restaurant recommendations and the like. G-Now uses a card metaphor to pop the necessary info right onto your device screen with minimal intervention.
While Siri can handle quite a few of those search chores on iOS, she's not exactly the anticipatory type. SRI's recent Tempo calendar app gives you some of the same halo of savvy around your schedule, but you have to get cleared first (Tempo still has a waiting list several thousand users long).Google's own Field Trip app delivers location-based tidbits (local art, attractions, restaurants and more) as you move around, but it's not integrated into the main search tool.
There may be changes afoot. Engadget unearthed a promotional animated clip that seems to preview a version of Google Now for iOS; the original video appeared on YouTube and has since been removed. In style, content and narration the clip is entirely in line with Google's original promo for the Android launch of Google Now, which lends quite a bit of weight on the authentic side of the scale.
[Source: TUAW - Click here to read the full story]
Mozilla launched Firefox Home for iOS back in July 2010, but it wasn’t a full featured browser experience that Mozilla was particularly proud of, especially because it was limited to only providing access to Firefox desktop history, bookmarks and open tabs. Mozilla recently commented on that release, which was yanked in September, and said that because Apple is so limiting on its app store controls it won’t launch a full fledged browser for the platform.
Still, somehow Google has managed to keep a relatively decent experience on its Chrome for iOS browser, so we’re not entirely sure why Mozilla is limited where Google is not. To clarify a bit, Mozilla’s vice president of product Jay Sullivan told CNET that it’s about an inability to add the JavaScript and rendering enhancements that it wants to provide. Meanwhile,.Firefox offers a full browser on Android because Google allows the company much more control over the experience, but it faces steep competition from Chrome and Dolphin among other third-party browsers.
Perhaps the real story is that Mozilla doesn’t think it can compete effectively enough against Safari and Chrome on iOS. Still, it’s not the first company to complain about Apple’s limiting approval policy.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]
TechCrunch reports that Philips has created an official developer program for its Wi-Fi connected Hue home lighting system, which includes an SDK for iOS and APIs to allow hardware and software developers to integrate Hue into their products.
Hue, which is exclusive to iOS, allows users to control LED lightbulbs via the iPhone and an accompanying bridge that uses the ZigBee communication protocol.
"We're now at a point where there are already about 10 applications that have been shared and built from the unofficial developer community for new applications around Hue," explained George Yianni, Hue System Architect in an interview. "Now what we want to do as Philips is we actually want to help and grow and encourage this community, and give them tools and proper documentation. Also, we want to give them commitment that this is the API and we’re going to support it and it won’t change overnight."
Though Hue-integr additional ated third party apps such as last week’s Ambify have been released, these solutions do not use official APIs. According to Yianni, the unavailability of official APIs is the main reason that the Hue has yet to be integrated into apps and connected home devices.
The new Hue tools are freely available for all developers interested in creating a product or an app that connects to the system
Philips plans to add additional functionality to the Hue in the future, focusing on geofencing, scheduling, and other sensor capabilities. The company is also working on expanding the Hue line with new lightbulb types.
[Source: MacRumors]
PayPal has announced that it's bringing a new iOS SDK and some new API tools to SXSW next week. As you might expect, the API will allow apps to use PayPal's tools to integrate payment information directly rather than having to go through a separate authorization page. As you can see on the official website, devs will be able to simply use a few method calls to set up PayPal payments, and get proof back that payment has taken place.
The API also includes credit card scanning software from Card.io, which PayPal acquired last year. And finally, PayPal's also released some code to work with other platforms and languages, including some Javascript buttons, as well as APIs for REST, OAuth and JSON.
So developers will have a lot of new tools to work with PayPal's payment system. It's unclear, however, what Apple thinks of this development -- it seems to me that paying through PayPal from an iOS app gets around Apple's requirement of taking a cut from everything sold on the App Store. But that's something that Apple and PayPal will need to work out. If you're a developer who wants to dive in to what's available here, you can download the PayPal iOS SDK for free right now.
Update: PayPal president David Marcus just contacted me via Twitter to say that this SDK is meant for service transactions, not digital sales, so it doesn't fall under Apple's rules. In other words, the tools here are to be used for selling things outside the iPhone with Apple's device, not selling iPhone content or other items directly.
[Source: TUAW]
Version 3.1 of iBooks is out today and while it might not bring much in the way of new features for Western users, it's a pretty big deal for book lovers located in Japan. That's because the latest update introduces paid content on the order of hundred of thousands of books -- encompassing novels, manga and more -- something that the country's iBookstore has been without up until this point. Before now, iOS users in Japan have needed to be content with public domain e-books.
In addition to the paid content rollout, the 3.1 update also introduces some improvements when reading Asian language books.
[Source: TUAW]
The Wall Street Journal has posted an article covering the meteoric rise of the App Store, from its inception just a few years ago to its current state of almost $25 billion in annual sales. But while the App Store is growing like crazy, it's also presenting more problems for developers as well: Finding a significant crowd of customers is getting tougher and tougher, and just making a name for yourself in such a huge market isn't always easy.
And it doesn't help that customers are flying through apps extremely quickly. Mobile analytics firm Flurry tells the WSJ that while users do now spend about two hours a day on apps, the apps they use don't stick around for very long. About 63% of the apps in use today weren't used daily a year ago, and most customers focus on about eight apps at a time, according to the research. That makes sense: In such a huge market, with so many apps to try, why focus on just a few?
But it also means that the app market is going to have to mature. The WSJ cites ESPN for shuttering one of its apps while focusing on the more popular Scorecenter utility, and they also mention Shazam, an app that has found all sorts of functionality (and more revenue streams) as it has matured in the App Store. Apple's App Store marketplace has gone from zero to billions in just the past few years, and no one's got an exact road map for where it's headed next.
[Source: TUAW]
YouTube for iOS received a small upgrade this week that essentially turns a user’s device into a controller. Basically, users can now pick which video to watch from within the YouTube appand it’ll start playing through either a Smart TV, Xbox or PS3.
It’s almost like AirPlay; to see how it works, YouTube has a page setup that you can interact with. When you start playing a YouTube video on your device, a small TV icon will appear. Tap on that, and it’ll beam to your TV and resume playing there. From your device you can do things like play or pause, rewind or fast-forward, choose a different video and toggle between your phone and TV.
Additionally, other users can join in with their iOS device to create a playlist of Kid President videos to watch.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]
We have been seeing a major push in smartphones lately, especially smartphones with a large screen. Large screen smartphones are nearly as big as a small tablets now. At the moment, there is a massive trend for companies to make and push out phablets (phablet = a screen size of 5 inches or more). We have been seeing a lot of these new devices being released at MCW 2013. Below, I have listed some of my favourite devices, that really do stand out.
Mobile phones or phablets are all well and good but if your in an area with poor or no signal and are looking for a better solution then a set of Mototrbo radios would be advised.
Will a large screen smartphone eventually overtake a tablet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Apple’s iOS 6.1.3 beta 2 is rolling out, and it reportedly fixes that awful security lock screen bug. According to 9to5Mac, the beta might also squash recent jailbreaks, though this has yet to be verified. Apple has been kicking out incremental updates over the last few weeks at a pretty high clip. Let’s hope that when iOS 6.1.3 is rolled out, something new doesn’t break along with it.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]
Netflix has been steadily improving its iOS app since it debuted back in 2010. The latest version hit the app store yesterday and includes a few tweaks that improve the overall experience of the app.
Netflix 3.0 includes a new iPad-only feature that'll display the title of the TV episode or movie that you are watching when you tap on the screen. Users will also notice that Netflix revamped the layout for the play/pause/back buttons, making them easier to use. Lastly, Netflix brought back the zoom icon so you can easily jump to fullscreen mode.
You can grab the Netflix app from the iOS App Store for free. It requires a monthly Netflix subscription, which starts at US$7.99 per month.
[Source: TUAW]
Apple on Tuesday released iOS 6.1.2, which the company says fixes that maddening Exchange calendar bug. It was only last week when Apple verbally acknowledged a fix was incoming, so it’s nice to see the issue has been squashed rather quickly. The previous bug increased network activity and, in some instances, lead to decreased battery life. Some users even said their Exchange Servers blocked iOS altogether because of the increased network activity. The 12.8 MB update is available now, so just go to your Software Update tab under General in Settings.
[Source: TechnoBuffalo]