MacRumors

Alongside today's update to iOS 6.1.3, Apple also updated the Apple TV to version 5.2.1. The 5.2.1 software contains a number of bug fixes and has also brought a redesigned Hulu app to the device.

The security fixes, which can all be credited to the evad3rs, prevent users from executing unsigned code, determining the address of structures in the kernel, and executing arbitrary code in the kernel.

As for Hulu, the app has been entirely redesigned with improved discovery tools and some simple UI enhancements.

Right away, you'll notice we've added content categories across the top navigation bar to make it easy to for you to jump to your chosen section – whether it is TV, Kids, Latino, Search, or something else. Inside each category, you'll discover what's new in our content library so it's easy to discover new shows and keep up with the shows you already love. You can also jump into your favorite shows right away with the “Shows You Watch” tray. We built this to make sure you never miss a new episode or lose your place in a series.

Users are now able to hold down the "Select" button to access the Subtitles and Audio menu for captioning, and pressing play on a TV show will play the latest episode. This new functionality is reliant on the Apple TV 5.1.2 update.

The latest Apple TV update is currently available for eligible devices and can be downloaded immediately on Apple TV.

Update 1:11 PM: Apple has updated its Apple TV software updates support page with mention of several other changes included in the 5.2.1 software.

- iTunes in the Cloud: Adds support for Music in the Cloud in Japan and Israel.
- Stability and performance: Includes improvements for software update, subtitles, and general performance.

Apple today released iOS 6.1.3 to the public, delivering several minor enhancements including a fix for a passcode security bug.

This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:

- Fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the passcode and access the Phone app
- Improvements to Maps in Japan

Apple last week quietly delivered some server-side improvements to Maps for Japanese users, but it appears that iOS 6.1.3 also builds in some updates for these users.

iOS 6.1.3 began life as iOS 6.1.1 in early February, but was re-labeled as iOS 6.1.3 as Apple rushed out a pair of emergency bug fixes.

iOS 6.1.3, which arrives as Build 10B329, also reportedly addresses at least one of the security holes used by the evasi0n jailbreak tool, so users interested in jailbreaking their devices will undoubtedly want to hold off on upgrading until more information surfaces.

Steve Wozniak's former home has hit the market for $4.5 million. The 7,500 square foot 6 bed/6.5 bath house sits on 1.19 acres at the base of the Los Gatos mountains. It was originally built by Woz in 1986, but is no longer owned by him.

From the listing agent at Sotheby's:

This exquisite approx 7,500 sqft, 6-bedroom/6.5-bath home on 1.19 acres is nestled in the Los Gatos Mountains and combines post-modern style with majestic natural views. It is a natural abode for light and warmth. Recently re-designed and renovated, this home was originally built by Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple Computer, Inc. and retains several of his most unique design elements.

Outside there is a koi pond, a pool with a waterfall, and a wraparound terrace. The home, at 300 Santa Rosa Drive in Los Gatos, CA, is roughly a half hour drive from Apple's headquarters at 1 Infinite Loop.

Following multiple fines in Italy over what regulators have called inadequate disclosure of consumer warranty rights, Apple is facing continued scrutiny in the broader European Union, with Dow Jones Business News reporting that Apple is now facing lawsuits from consumer associations in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, and Portugal.

Apple was taken to task today in a speech by EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding, who had previously encouraged member countries to follow Italy's lead in examining Apple's practices.

"This case and the responses I received since I sent my letter have highlighted rather clearly just why the Commission cannot sit on the side-lines on enforcement issues," she said. "The approaches to enforcement in these types of cases turn out to be very diversified and inconsistent at a national level. In at least 21 EU Member States Apple is not informing consumers correctly about the legal warranty rights they have. This is simply not good enough."

Concerns over Apple's actions relate to its promotion of AppleCare as an extended warranty program on top of the standard one-year warranty Apple offers on its products. EU consumer laws require two years of protection, and the company has been accused of not sharing that information with customers while trying to sell them AppleCare coverage.

Apple does, however, note on its website that there are a number of differences between the protection required by EU consumer laws and Apple's own standard and AppleCare warranty packages, differences that it no doubt believes still make AppleCare a worthwhile purchase for many customers.

Apple's continued difficulties in Europe come just as the company has quietly adjusted its practices in Australia to comply with consumer protection laws in that country requiring coverage for a "reasonable" time from the date of purchase.

Bloomberg reports that Samsung has confirmed last month's rumors that it is working on a smart watch. With rumors of Apple working on its own "iWatch" project for launch as soon as later this year, it appears that the two rivals will be be going head-to-head yet again as the battle over mobile devices widens.

“We’ve been preparing the watch product for so long,” Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of Samsung’s mobile business, said during an interview in Seoul. “We are working very hard to get ready for it. We are preparing products for the future, and the watch is definitely one of them.”

Lee had no comment on what features the watch may have, how much it would cost and when it would go on sale.

The report notes that Samsung may be able to offer a pricing advantage over Apple given that it controls its own chip and display production, undoubtedly two of the highest-cost components of a smart watch.

Apple has been reported to have 100 product designers working on its smart watch project, toying with curved glass and considering such features as biosensors and mapping functionality. The watch will also reportedly run a "full" version of iOS, making for easier integration and developer access. Battery life is said to be a challenge for Apple, however, with current prototypes lasting only about two days between charges, roughly half of Apple's goal.

(Photo: Samsung S9110 watchphone)

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster today issued a new research report sharing data from research firm NPD covering Apple's U.S. Mac sales for the January-February timeframe, revealing that Apple's sales are currently up 14% year-over-year. The performance is down somewhat from the 31% growth seen for January alone, but remains very solid as Apple's iMac shortages appear to have eased.

We have analyzed domestic NPD retail data for the months of January and February which suggests Mac sales were up 14% y/y through the first two months of the March quarter. As we have previously discussed, we believe the Y/Y improvement is driven by Apple beginning to improve supply of iMacs as the company noted the product was constrained in the December quarter. CEO Tim Cook noted that iMac sales were down 700k units y/y in December (we note iMac sales are likely far less impacted by iPad, thus the vast majority of the y/y unit decline in December was likely supply).

Despite the strong performance, Munster is maintaining his estimate of an overall 5% decline in worldwide Mac sales for the quarter, even though Apple's worldwide numbers have frequently outperformed the U.S. data gathered by NPD.

On the downside, NPD's data shows a return to Munster's expectations for the iPod, with the two-month timeframe seeing sales down 16% year-over-year compared to Munster's projections for a 17% decline. iPod sales had been up 3% in January.

While strong Mac sales are a good sign for Apple, the increasing dominance of the iPhone and iPad in the company's product portfolio means that strong Mac sales have less of an impact on Apple's overall financial performance. In the most recent quarter, Macs accounted for just 10% of Apple's revenue, compared to 20% for the iPad and a dominant 56% for the iPhone.

Will Ferrell's Funny or Die website has made a 60-75 minute movie very loosely based on the life of Steve Jobs, reports The New York Times. The film is by far the longest project for the website, which is famous for its short video clips.

Justin Long will portray Jobs, an interesting casting choice given his role as 'Mac' in the Mac vs. PC ad campaign that Apple ran for a number of years.

"In true Internet fashion, it’s not based on very thorough research — essentially a cursory look at the Steve Jobs Wikipedia page," said Ryan Perez, who wrote and directed "iSteve." "It’s very silly. But it looks at his whole life."

Making fun of Mr. Jobs, the Apple co-founder who died in 2011 and who is considered a deity by many people (at least in the tech world), is a risky proposition, even if done gently. But Allison Hord, who produced "iSteve," said the tone was such that "even the harshest fanboy critics will be able to laugh with us."

The script for 'iSteve' was written in three days and the movie was filmed in five. The writer and director joked to The Times that "we might not be the best, but we will be the first."

There are two other movies about Steve's life -- perhaps more faithful to the source material -- coming out soon. 'Jobs', starring Ashton Kutcher, and another film based on Walter Isaacson's biography of Jobs that is being written by Aaron Sorkin.

Australian law requires that sellers of products offer warranties for "a reasonable period from date of delivery until the failure becomes apparent". This has been interpreted as two-years for computers. Apple's standard warranty on all products runs for one-year, while AppleCare extends coverage to three years on Macs.

The Sydney Morning Herald writes of the warranty requirements, including that Apple Retail Store employees and authorized resellers have been notified of a change in how Apple handles warranty claims in the country.

On Friday, Apple's Australian retail store staff and authorised Apple resellers were notified about a change to Apple's internal policy on how it handled standard warranty claims.

Until now, many Apple consumers have reported on forums that store staff have only ever discussed with them a standard 12-month manufacturer warranty when selling, fixing or replacing Apple goods.

Apple has now changed this from 12 months to 24, which appears to bring it in line with Australian Consumer Law.

The consumer protection law, which Apple details in a page on its website, requires purchasers to contact the seller of a product for a warranty claim rather than the manufacturer. This means that if a Mac is purchased from a non-Apple retailer, that retailer is responsible for satisfying the requirements of the Australian law. It also means that Apple is responsible for warranty claims on third-party products purchased at Apple Retail Stores.

Apple notes that consumers can receive warranty coverage under the Australian consumer law, Apple's standard one-year warranty, or AppleCare, whichever is applicable.

The company had previously gotten in trouble over its AppleCare practices in Italy -- that country has a similar consumer protection law and Apple was fined more than a million dollars because it did not sufficiently notify customers about the standard warranties available to them under Italian law.

FastCompany has released a detailed comparison of Apple's MapKit and Google Maps SDK after interviewing the developers behind two popular geocentric apps.

Lee Armstrong (Plane Finder) and Bryce McKinley (Tube Tamer), who are experienced with both mapping platforms, criticized Apple for focusing on flashy features over base functionality, but lauded the company for MapKit's performance, low cost, and overlay features.

Both developers noted that Google had superior location finding services, satellite imagery, and 3D support, pointing out that Apple's satellite imagery was often blurry, dark, and lacking in contrast.

The other issue is the way roads are drawn in the 'Hybrid' view. The Google SDK and, in fact, the Apple Maps app draw semi-transparent roads so that the street layout is marked, but you can still see the images underneath. In MapKit, the roads are drawn opaque, which means it's often pretty difficult to see much of the imagery.

Google maps shown at left; MapKit at Center; Apple’s Maps app at right.

The two did not shy away from pointing out the flaws with the Google Maps SDK, which include a limited Places API quota, slower performance, and the inability to add gradient polylines and chart overlays.

"Subjectively, the current version of the [Google] SDK does not perform as well as MapKit," McKinlay says. "GMSMapView's frame rate is capped at 30fps, which is lower than typical for iOS and results in a slight but noticeable 'jitter' effect when panning and zooming the map.

"We can't do some of our more advanced features in Plane Finder like gradient polylines, chart overlays, or smooth moving planes with animations," Armstrong says. "We have some complex tiled overlays in Plane Finder: These are aviation charts that actual pilots use. With the Google Maps SDK these tiled overlays are just not possible right now."

Tiled overlays, which are not possible with Google Maps.

McKinlay and Armstrong both agreed that that each mapping solution has both benefits and downsides. Apple has guaranteed longevity, fewer bugs, and its MapKit is easier for beginners to pick up and use, but Google's maps are more complete, have better satellite imagery, and superior search capabilities.

Because of its ease of use and the included features, McKinlay has stuck with MapKit for Tube Tamer, but plans to switch over to Google Maps SDK when it has fewer limitations. Armstrong uses a dual mapping system, integrating both Google and Apple Maps into his Plane Finder app.

Both suggest that Apple's MapKit is the superior choice for beginning developers. The full in-depth comparison of Google Maps SDK and Apple's MapKit, which can be found here, is well worth reading.

Andrew Auernheimer, one of the hackers behind the release of email addresses of 114,000 iPad users back in 2010, has been sentenced to 41 months in prison following his conviction on one count of identity fraud and one count of 'conspiracy to access a computer without authorization'.

In November, Auernheimer was found guilty on one count of identity fraud and one count of conspiracy to access a computer without authorization. Following his release from prison, Auernheimer will be subject to three years of supervised release. Auernheimer and co-defendant Daniel Spitler were also ordered to pay $73,000 in restitution to AT&T. The pre-sentencing report prepared by prosecutors recommended four years in federal prison.

There is quite a bit of consternation among tech commentators about the appropriateness of a sentence of more than three years in prison for accessing AT&T servers without actually entering a password or directly compromising a system.

Instead, Auernheimer and his partner Daniel Spitler (who pled guilty and received a 12-18 month sentence) wrote a script to guess the identifying numbers of the iPad's SIM card and faked out AT&T's website until it returned the email address connected to said SIM cards. The email addresses of thousands of high-profile iPad users were leaked, including private addresses of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, then White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, and ABC News journalist Diane Sawyer.

It appears that Auernheimer's antagonistic attitude and lack of contrition contributed to the lengthy sentence, including running a Reddit Ask Me Anything thread the night before his sentencing where he said he wanted to get elected to Congress because Congressional Immunity would allow him to release hacks on the floor of Congress with no repercussions.

Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.