Apple has released iOS 6.1.1 for iPhone 4S devices, presumably fixing the 3G issues that carriers warned their customers about with the iOS 6.1 update. The update, which is specific to the iPhone 4S, comes with a build number of 10B145. It weighs in at a relatively paltry 23MB.
A beta of iOS 6.1.1 was released in the middle of last week carrying a build number of 10B311 -- it's likely the upgrade released today was an urgent bug fix and the prior iOS 6.1.1 beta sent to developers will become iOS 6.1.2.
About iOS 6.1.1 Software Update
This update fixes an issue that could impact cellular performance and reliability for iPhone 4S.
With Apple's interest in a smart watch gaining renewed attention, there has been a considerable amount of speculation about what the company might try to do with such a device. Some of the speculation has pointed out that a watch could provide a good alternative to traditional passcodes by using watch proximity to grant a user access to systems and apps.
Apple is apparently looking at other alternatives for traditional password security as well, as highlighted in a patent application published late last week and spotted by Patently Apple.
The patent application describes a system that would display one or more photos stored on a device and ask the owner to identify them. The document mentions voice entry as one method of identification, using the example of a photo from the owner's Contacts database.
For example, after displaying an image that depicts a face of the user's sister Jane, the user may speak aloud, "Jane" … Alternatively, step 120 might also include displaying … a set of names. Then, as part of step 130, the user selects one of the displayed names that the user believes identifies the object.
The patent application suggests that the user would be able to choose the number of photos required to access the device, in the same way they already choose between simple and complex passcodes on an iPhone or iPad.
Apple previously filed for a patent on an approach similar to Android's Face Unlock feature, where the phone unlocks when it recognizes the face of the owner through the front-facing camera, though it was discovered soon after it debuted that the system could be easily fooled by using a photo of the owner displayed on another handset. Additional innovations such as a "Liveness Check" requiring that the user blink for Face Unlock to function have, however, been developed to increase security.
In a report outlining the well-examined "frenemies" relationship between Apple and Samsung, Reuters notes that Apple CEO Tim Cook was opposed to suing Samsung for allegedly copying iOS, iPhone and iPad patents in the creation of its own line of tablets and smartphones. Cook's thoughts illustrate the differences between him and predecessor Steve Jobs, who said he was willing to wage "thermonuclear war" on companies that "stole" from Apple.
Tim Cook, Jobs' successor as Apple chief executive, was opposed to suing Samsung in the first place, according to people with knowledge of the matter, largely because of that company's critical role as a supplier of components for the iPhone and the iPad. Apple bought some $8 billion worth of parts from Samsung last year, analysts estimate. [...]
Cook, worried about the critical supplier relationship, was opposed to suing Samsung. But Jobs had run out of patience, suspecting that Samsung was counting on the supplier relationship to shield it from retribution.
Cook's operational expertise no doubt influenced his perspective in worrying about impacts on the supply chain side of the equation, but he was overruled by Jobs. Since the dispute with Samsung broke out into the legal arena, Apple has been working to reduce its reliance on Samsung, but the two remain closely linked.
During Apple's Q2 2012 conference call, Cook said he has always "hated litigation", noting that he would prefer to settle rather than battle it out in the courts, although he emphasized that Apple does not want to become the "developer for the world". Apple has settled with other companies that it has had patent issues with, including HTC, but last November Samsung publicly said that it was not interested in settling with Apple.
As noted by The Next Web, Apple has updated its investor page to announce that it will offer a live audio stream of a presentation by CEO Tim Cook tomorrow at the Goldman Sachs Technology and Internet Conference. Cook has spoken at the annual event several times in the past, including last year in his first visit as Apple's CEO.
Cook is unlikely to make any product announcements during the session, but he should offer some insight into Apple and its business. As a result, Apple is providing a live stream of the session to provide public disclosure of any statements he might make that could influence trading in the company's stock.
The session begins at 10:15 AM Eastern / 7:15 AM Pacific tomorrow.
Apple is one of three high-profile companies being required to explain to an Australian government inquiry why its product pricing in Australia is significantly higher than in the United States, reports Kotaku Australia. The issue is not a new one for Australian officials, but legislators are stepping up their investigations into prices being paid by Australians.
The action comes after Apple, Microsoft and Adobe had all refused to send representatives to public hearings held by the IT Pricing Inquiry. The government has now issued summonses to all three companies, requiring them to attend and Parliament member Ed Husic warning that legal consequences will follow if they fail to comply.
These firms should have cooperated and been prepared to be more open and transparent about their pricing approaches. [...]
Adobe, Apple and Microsoft are just a few firms that have continually defied the public’s call for answers and refused to appear before the IT Pricing Inquiry.
Apple's pricing does vary significantly by country, although comparisons often do not take into account taxes that are included in the base price in many countries but not in the United States. Different products also vary in their pricing comparisons across countries.
For example, the base 27-inch iMac is priced at $1799 in the United States, A$1999 (US$2054) in Australia and £1499 (US$2352) in the United Kingdom. But when subtracting included taxes from the international pricing, the iMac comes in at A$1817 (US$1867) in Australia and £1249 (US$1960) in the UK, for price premiums of 3.8% and 8.9% respectively.
For the 16 GB Wi-Fi iPad, the difference is even smaller once taxes have been accounted for, with the device priced at $499 in the United States, A$490 (US$503.38) in Australia and £332.50 (US$521.66) in the UK for price premiums of 0.9% in Australia and 4.5% in the UK.
iTunes Music Store pricing shows a much greater disparity for Australian customers, with tracks that sell for $1.29 in the United States being priced at $1.99 before tax in Australia.
Apple has traditionally priced its products somewhat higher internationally even when accounting for taxes, due in part to increased cost of business in many countries relative to the United States and as a buffer against fluctuating currencies. Customers and government officials in many of these countries feel, however, that pricing is still too high, particularly for digital content such as downloadable music and software that does not incur many of the overhead costs associated with physical goods.
The Australian Financial Review reports that Apple had testified in private on the matter, but had refused to do so at the public hearings. It cited IBRS analyst James Turner as commenting that this was part of Apple's long-established approach to secrecy:
It’s a carry-over from the cult of personality that Steve Jobs built up around himself. People can call it arrogant, but that’s only because Apple’s way is different and they keep getting away with it. I also think that the refusal to engage will be what ultimately undermines Apple.
Last week, a forum user at Chinese site sjbbs.zol.com.cnposted several photos (via The Times of India) of what was alleged to be the iPhone 5S in production. Despite the fact that the device is clearly an iPhone 5 clone, the photos have been widely circulating today.
The photos show a device with an outward appearance very similar to the iPhone 5, but the internals show essentially no resemblance to an Apple-designed device. Examples of just a few of the inconsistencies include:
- A battery capacity of just 1130 mAh compared to 1440 mAh for the iPhone 5 - An apparent SD card slot - Loose red and black wires connecting components - A green PCB for the connector bearing no resemblance to Apple's Lightning connector
Apple has been reported to be moving forward on an iPhone 5S model that will unsurprisingly appear very similar to the iPhone 5, although the iPhone 5S is said to feature upgrades to the rear camera. Other improvements such as upgraded internals are also certain to make their way into the new model. Reports have suggested that the device could launch as soon as June or July of this year.
Steve Hemmerstoffer of French site Nowhereelse.fr tweeted a photo three days ago showing some of the obviously fake characteristics of the device:
Nick Bilton reports for The New York Times that Apple is "experimenting" with smart watches made of curved glass, "according to people familiar with the company's explorations". The article notes that Corning -- the company behind the iPhone's Gorilla Glass -- has developed a bendable glass called Willow Glass that could potentially be used in a wristwatch type device that curves with the wearer's wrist.
Smart watches have been a topic of conversation in recent weeks, with the Pebble watch shipping last month, and a number of rumors regarding Apple working on a smart watch for possible launch later in 2013.
In its headquarters in Cupertino, Calif., Apple is experimenting with wristwatch-like devices made of curved glass, according to people familiar with the company’s explorations, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because they are not allowed to publicly discuss unreleased products. Such a watch would operate Apple’s iOS platform, two people said, and stand apart from competitors based on the company’s understanding of how such glass can curve around the human body.
In court filings between Apple and Samsung, we learned that Apple wanted to use curved glass designs in the original iPhone but the technology available at the time wasn't sufficiently advanced. With the recent advances at Corning however, it appears that Apple's curved glass ambitions could soon be coming to fruition.
Apple CEO Tim Cook is a Nike board member and spoke about his Nike FuelBand at the D10 Conference last year, but demurred about Apple's plans. He did say that wearable devices were "an interesting area", though "the book hasn't been written on that yet."
Epic Games' Infinity Blade: Dungeons was first announced in March of 2012, as a demo game on the third generation iPad. The game was designed by Epic but handed over to Impossible Studios, a new division housing ex-employees of Big Huge Games.
Hints of trouble first appeared in October of last year, when the game was delayed until 2013. As of today, Infinity Blade: Dungeons has been put on hold indefinitely, as Epic Games has decided to shut down Impossible Studios. Epic Games founder Tim Sweeney announced the news this afternoon:
We're closing Impossible Studios.
When former members of Big Huge Games approached Epic last year, we saw the opportunity to help a great group of people while putting them to work on a project that needed a team. It was a bold initiative and the Impossible folks made a gallant effort, but ultimately it wasn't working out for Epic.
This means that Infinity Blade: Dungeons is now on hold as we figure out the future of the project.
Epic Games is planning to give each Impossible Studios employee three months of severance pay and is offering the option to form a new company with the Impossible Studios name.
DrawQuest, a new iPad app from 4chan founder Chris Poole (also known as moot), aims to combine art creation with social interaction via daily drawing challenges.
Building on his experience with Canvas, an HTML 5 application designed to allow users to share and remix media, Poole designed the app to help people express themselves through art.
DrawQuest is about relearning to express yourself creatively and sticking with it. Everything about DrawQuest — from our simple drawing tools to the ability to star and play back drawings — was designed to foster a community of budding creators.
DrawQuest is billed as a free drawing community designed exclusively for the iPad. The app, which requires users to sign up, presents a drawing challenge each day. With included tools, users are asked to complete quests, which include enhancing a base image.
A new image template is added daily, and after finishing a challenge, users can view the work of other artists, watching playback, sharing an image on social networks, and starring favorites. Drawings are entirely public - there's no option for private sharing.
In an interview with The Verge, Poole reveals that his inspiration for DrawQuest came from Canvas users who were too intimidated to use the image creation tools. With prompts, Poole believes he can inspire creativity with constraints.
"One of the scariest things you can place in front of an adult is a blank sheet of paper and a pencil," Poole says. "It's like you’re pointing a gun at them. 'Sorry, I don’t draw, I don't write, I don't origami,' they’ll say."
The iOS 6.x jailbreak dubbed evasi0n has been installed on seven million iDevices since its Monday morning release, Cydia administrator Jay Freeman told Forbes.
That makes evasi0n the most quickly adopted jailbreak software of all time, drawing in far more users than previous jailbreaks, like iOS 5.1.1's Redsn0w, the last available jailbreak before evasi0n.
As of Thursday night, Freeman's alternative app store had received visits from 5.15 million iPhones, 1.35 million iPads, and 400,000 iPod touches that were jailbroken with evasi0n, the first jailbreaking software for the iPhone 5 and iOS 6.1.
Though he doesn't have exact figures for previous jailbreaks, Freeman says that evasi0n has brought Cydia "insanely more new traffic" than the release of the jailbreak tool called Absinthe that worked on some versions of iOS 5.
Forbes points out that even one of the more popular jailbreaks of 2011, Jailbreakme3 from Comex, only drew 1.4 million downloads during its first nine days online. Freeman attributes this to the amount of time that it took to crack iOS 6 - 136 days - compared to the 98 days that it took to unlock the iPhone 4S.
That's what made this such a landmark jailbreak. It had been so long and we were all so hungry for it.
As mentioned in a previous article by Forbes, evasi0n, which is the first untethered jailbreak for the iPhone 5 and for devices running iOS 6.x, takes advantage of five distinct bugs in the iOS 6 code.
Evasi0n was updated to version 1.1 yesterday, fixing a bug that caused the weather app to crash. The jailbreak is available for OS X, Windows, and Linux on the evasi0n website.
Vodafone UK today began sending out text messages to iPhone 4S owners on its network instructing them not to upgrade to iOS 6.1 due to issues with 3G performance. iOS 6.1 was released to the public on January 28.
If you've not already downloaded iOS 6.1 for your iPhone 4s, please hold off for the next version while Apple fixes 3G performance issues. Thanks
The carrier has yet to offer additional information on the issue, but Apple's iOS 6.1.1 update has just entered developer testing earlier this week. Vodafone's message suggests that this update will address the 3G problem, but neither Apple nor Vodafone has explicitly confirmed that this is the case.
Update: Vodafone has now posted a notice on its support forums addressing the issue.
Some customers may occasionally experience difficulty in connecting to the network to make or receive calls or texts or to connect to the Internet. Apple is working on a solution to their software issue. These connection problems are intermittent.
While Apple’s investigations continue, we would recommend that anyone who has not yet installed iOS 6.1 on their iPhone 4s should delay doing so until Apple has confirmed that their problem has been fixed.
Former Apple employee and human interface developer Bruce Tognazzini published a blog post earlier this week listing his thoughts on the iWatch, a potential Apple product that made headlines late in 2012.
The Pebble Smartwatch
Tognazzini's post encompasses a wide range of ideas on the design and functionality of the iWatch. He believes that an Apple-branded smart watch would have few standalone operations, instead being used to extend the usefulness of existing Apple devices by enhancing apps and other functions.
One of his more compelling ideas includes the elimination of passcodes. With a passcode, he speculates, the smart watch, which would incorporate a sleek, button-free design, could be used to unlock iPhones and Macs via proximity.
The watch can and should, for most of us, eliminate passcodes altogether on iPhones, and Macs and, if Apple's smart, PCs: As long as my watch is in range, let me in! That, to me, would be the single-most compelling feature a smartwatch could offer: If the watch did nothing but release me from having to enter my passcode/password 10 to 20 times a day, I would buy it.
As with passcodes, the watch could be used in conjunction with Find My iPhone, sounding an alert when a user moves out of range of the device.
Along with facilitating phone calls and incorporating sensors, Tognazzini believes that an Apple iWatch might also include NFC capabilities for making payments and temperature controls, similar to the Nest.
The NFC chip belongs in the iWatch, not in the iPhone! That way we'll know exactly where it is at all times, strapped to the end of an appendage expressly designed to be waved around at things. How handy! Reach. Touch. Done.
Meanwhile, our iPhone, handling any necessary communication, will stay hidden safely away, and, if someone does manage to get ahold of our watch, it will require reauthorization, having been removed from our arm. Net value to the thief: Zilch. Net loss to us: A whole lot less than an iPhone, with word on the street quickly making it clear there's no point in stealing an iWatch.
Of course, not every merchant will accept NFC right away, so the watch, linked to Passport, will also display QR codes, etc.
An iWatch could even potentially serve as a fix for Apple Maps, utilizing pressure data from watches to build an altitude map of the world, which would improve the functionality of Apple's 3D mapping.
Using pressure data from millions of watches, Apple could build a precision altitude map of the world. This map would indicate true altitudes everywhere that iWatch wearers travel. The granularity would be several orders of magnitude greater than ever before attempted for a wide-area map at a cost several orders of magnitude less than Flyover.
Tognazzini believes that via apps and design, Apple would revolutionize the smart watch industry, with its curved glass designs created by Jony Ive, Siri integration, and wireless charging.
Though Tognazzini admits to having no insider information, he points out that his ideas come from a "solid understanding of Apple, its products, the problem, and the opportunity."
His full rundown on the potential Apple iWatch is worth a read, and it can be found on his blog, AskTog.
Information workers in the enterprise sector would like a Microsoft tablet but an Apple phone, according to Forrester Research's annual Mobile Workforce Adoption Trends survey of 10,000 enterprise staff (via AppleInsider).
For tablets, preferences were 32% Microsoft Surface, 26% iPad and 12% Android tablet. For phones, the figures were 33% iPhone, 22% Android and just 10% Windows Phone.
Notably, 79% of respondents said that they don't currently use a tablet for work purposes, with only 17% saying that they're not interested in using one, suggesting that there remains a substantial market opportunity should companies be willing to support tablets.
The Surface tablet has so far received a generally lukewarm reception, with many taking the view that trying to be both a tablet and a laptop left it compromised in both roles, so Microsoft will undoubtedly be encouraged by this evidence that it may yet succeed in the enterprise sector.
Apple has hired a senior researcher in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology from LG, reports OLED-Info (via BrightWire), potentially signaling renewed interest in the technology.
Apple has hired a new executive into its Display group - Dr. Jueng Jil Lee, a former research fellow at LG Display, who apparently was involved with printing technology research. Dr. Lee's previous employee (before LGD) was Cambridge Display Technology, the P-OLED pioneer (now owned by Sumitomo).
OLED has a number of advantages over LCD screens, including brighter colors with deeper blacks, wider viewing angles, faster response times and greater power efficiency. The technology is also being used to develop flexible screens, something that Apple has shown interest in, although it is unknown if the company has any concrete plans to bring a product featuring such technology to market.
Apple has been rumored to be looking at OLED technology for many years, but cost issues and other limitations have so far kept the company tied to LCD technology for its products.
As noted by Ars Technica, Adobe late yesterday issued a security bulletin announcing that it was releasing updates to Flash Player in order to address a pair of security vulnerabilities targeting Mac and Windows users.
Adobe is also aware of reports that CVE-2013-0634 is being exploited in the wild in attacks delivered via malicious Flash (SWF) content hosted on websites that target Flash Player in Firefox or Safari on the Macintosh platform, as well as attacks designed to trick Windows users into opening a Microsoft Word document delivered as an email attachment which contains malicious Flash (SWF) content.
Users can manually download the new 11.5.502.149 version of Flash Player from Adobe's site, or those who have specified that Adobe may update Flash Player automatically may simply allow it to do so.
In response to the issue, Apple has updated its Xprotect anti-malware system to enforce new minimum version requirements blocking all previous versions of Flash Player. Apple has used the system several times over the past month to block vulnerable versions of Java.
Apple has also posted a new support document addressing the issue and explaining to users how to update Flash Player when they discover that the plug-in has been blocked.
3.5" iPhone, 3.5" iPhone 4, 4" iPhone 5, and (mockup) 5" iPhone by iMore
Brightwire translates a report from the Chinese media which claims that Apple will be launching both an iPhone 5S and a 5" iPhone 6 this year:
- A source told Chinese mobile phone information site Laoyaoba.com that he has seen the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 at Apple's suppliers. Both models may be released in 2013, according to the website's microblog on Thursday evening. - The source noted that the iPhone 5S resembles the iPhone 5, and the five-inch iPhone 6 is lighter and thinner.
This rumor adds to a chorus of reports that Apple is seriously considering a larger form-factor iPhone in the near future. While early reports had suggested that such a model wouldn't see the light of day in 2013, later reports continue to point to a 4.8"-5.0" device coming soon from Apple.
All these rumors have generated a significant amount of speculation on how such a larger model might make sense in Apple's iPhone lineup, especially when comparing it to Samsung's current offerings.
Due to Apple's use of Chinese manufacturers and the need to prototype their designs, it's possible that all of these sightings could be true, yet Apple may still not launch such a device in 2013. If Apple does begin ramping up production for 2013, we expect we'll see parts of this larger device to also begin to leak out of China.
A Mac client for EA's digital distribution platform Origin was launched today, as first noted by AppleInsider. Origin for Mac was originally announced in August 2011 and went into alpha testing in late January.
Origin is quite similar to Valve's Steam and allows users to download games and demos, chat with friends and continue saved games from most computers.
The store currently lists 48 Mac games available for download, including games like Batman: Arkham City Game of the Year Edition, LEGO Batman, Harry Potter and Star Wars, Tropico 3: Gold Edition and The Sims 3 and its plethora of expansion packs. The new SimCity is supposed to launch a little after the March release of the PC version of the game.
EA Origin Vice President of Production Mike Blank told AppleInsider that EA brought Origin to Mac because of two reasons: growing Mac marketshare and a vocal community of Mac gamers.
"We're seeing increased activity from our Mac gamers," he said. "In the past, we've brought games slower to market for Mac than for PC partly because the audience hasn't been at the same level. The growth of iOS and Mac devices, though, means we're starting to see gamers demand to play their games on devices that are becoming more prominent. I think, across the board, developers have focused on the PC platform, but I think you're going to start seeing some changes there. [Origin] is the first step in a strategy you're going to start seeing coming out of EA."
Origin client for Mac is available as a download for free at EA's Origin website. It requires OS X 10.6.8 or higher and an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor.
This week Apple is highlighting apps that fall into the Mac Utility category, such as login-saving app 1Password and popular calendar app Fantastical. Here's a full list of this week's sale apps along with pricing information:
In a report outlining the well-examined "frenemies" relationship between Apple and Samsung, 
The iOS 6.x jailbreak dubbed evasi0n has been installed on seven million iDevices since its 
3.5" iPhone, 3.5" iPhone 4, 4" iPhone 5, and (mockup) 5" iPhone by 
