Apple today seeded build 12F33 of OS X 10.8.5 to developers, marking the eighth beta iteration of 10.8.5. The release comes exactly one week after the previous OS X 10.8.5 beta, build 12F30.
As with previous betas, the update contains no known issues and can be downloaded via Apple’s Developer page or through the software update tool of the Mac App Store.
Apple’s OS X 10.8.5 beta is being tested alongside the next version of the operating system, OS X Mavericks. Apple has thus far seeded five developer previews of Mavericks and plans to offer the new operating system to the public in the fall.
Apple has seeded the fifth Developer Preview of OS X Mavericks to developers, approximately two weeks after the release of the fourth developer preview. The release comes as Apple continues to work on restoring full functionality to its Developer Center after bringing software downloads back online last week.
As noted by MacRumors forum members, the fifth Developer Preview of Mavericks includes both a new beta version of iPhoto (9.4.6) along with the iBooks app for Mac that was first unveiled at WWDC.
OS X Mavericks, which is expected to be released this fall, includes multiple new features like a tabbed Finder, full screen dual monitor capabilities, Safari improvements, and a new Maps app. Developers can receive the update via the Software Update tool in the Mac App Store.
Apple has also simultaneously seeded a new version of OS X 10.8.5 to developers.
Instagram today announced a significant update that allows users to import video from the camera roll. Previously, Instagram Video restricted uploads to videos captured within the app, but now users will be able to use the standard iPhone Camera app along with other third party apps to record video that can then be uploaded to the site. The feature will also allow users to upload video taken at any time rather than simply within the moment.
Starting today you can upload videos from your phone’s media library and share those moments to Instagram regardless of when they were captured. Once you select the video clip you’d like to import, you can trim it down to the exact part you like best. We’ve also made it so that you can choose how you square-crop your clip so you can keep the action front and center.
Instagram's 4.1 update also includes a new automatic straightening tool, which uses an algorithm to automatically straighten photos taken within the app when the Straighten icon is tapped. The tool also includes a slider that allows users to rotate and adjust all photos, including those imported from the photo library.
Instagram for the iPhone is a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Update: Instagram version 4.1 is now available for download.
A clear photo comparing the iPhone 5 camera module to what may be the camera module for the iPhone 5S surfaced today, showing a distinct design change that may hint at a separate flash component in Apple's next iPhone.
Shared by Nowhereelse.fr [Google translation], the photo of the alleged iPhone 5S camera part does not include a flash component attached via ribbon as the iPhone 5 does, which may be because the iPhone 5S is expected to come equipped with a more powerful dual-LED flash.
The camera module in the photo appears to be the same as one that was published last week and tied to the iPhone 5C, but rumors have suggested that the iPhone 5C will share multiple parts with the iPhone 5, making it more likely that the new component design is intended for Apple's iPhone 5S.
Photos of iPhone 5S components have depicted a pill-shaped dual-LED flash to replace the current circular flash on the iPhone 5. A dual-LED flash would improve the performance of the iPhone's flash, creating better lit, less harsh flash photos in low light conditions.
While the camera module does not reveal information about the camera's specs, the iPhone 5S is expected to come with a 12-megapixel rear camera with a larger aperture for improved low light photography. It is also rumored to feature a new slow motion photography mode to complement its current panoramic capabilities.
Apple's iOS is losing ground to Android when it comes to smartphone operating system market share, according to a new report from research firm IDC. Apple's share of worldwide smartphone shipments dropped to 13.2% during the second quarter of 2013, while Android climbed to 79.3%.
During the same quarter last year, Apple held 16.6% of the market, while Android held 69.1%. Despite its slight loss of share, iOS remains the number two operating system, with Android and iOS combined making up 92.5% of shipments.
"The iOS decline in the second quarter aligns with the cyclicality of iPhone," says Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC's Mobile Phone team. "Without a new product launch since the debut of the iPhone 5 nearly a year ago, Apple's market share was vulnerable to product launches from the competition. But with a new iPhone and revamped iOS coming out later this year, Apple is well-positioned to re-capture market share."
Worldwide Smartphone Shipments in 2Q13 in Millions of Units (Source: IDC)
Windows Phone continues to gain market share as well, coming in at 3.7% during the second quarter of 2013, up 77.6% from its 3.1% share during Q2 2012.
Other operating systems are consistently losing ground to the top three operating systems with BlackBerry OS representing 2.9% of shipments, Linux at 0.8%, and Symbian at 0.2%.
Last week, IDC released its estimates on worldwide mobile phone sales, showing slowing growth for Apple's iPhone. Apple shipped 31.2 million iPhones during the second quarter of 2013, representing 13.1% of the market. Samsung shipped 72.4 million, for a market share of 30.4%.
Those numbers may shift in the coming quarters as Apple gears up to launch its next generation iPhone and a new low-cost iPhone, possibly as early as September.
Apple has posted a notice on its System Status page that some iTunes Store users "may be unable to make purchases". The company has not provided any further details, nor an estimate for when it will be repaired.
No other Apple services are currently affected, however.
Update: Apple is now reporting that the outages have extended to the App Store, Mac App Store, and iBookstore, as well as iTunes Match, iTunes in the Cloud, and iCloud Backup. The company has yet to list a percentage of users affected by the issues, but based on reports it appears to be fairly substantial.
Update 2: Apple is now reporting that all services are back online as of 10:54 AM Pacific Time.
Update 3 - 11:31AM PDT: Though previously affected services are back on line, Apple is now reporting that some users may be unable to use FaceTime.
Update 4: Apple is now reporting that all services are back online as of 4:00PM PDT.
Apple is preparing to launch several enhancements to its AppleCare services including 24/7 access to chat support services, reports 9to5Mac . The company is reportedly planning to launch the expanded chat services on August 12, although that target date may not yet be firm.
Alongside the expanded chat services, Apple will also be launching a redesigned AppleCare support website, featuring large, easy-to-click buttons similar to those that have appeared in other areas of the company's site.
The interface has been retooled with large, easy-to-understand controls that are more in line with the colorful icons in iOS. The new design makes it simpler for users to drill-down and provide Apple with information about the issue.
Apple is in the middle of a significant revamp of its AppleCare services, making plans to shift to per-user subscription offerings rather than specific device coverage. The company is also making a move to perform more repairs rather than replacements on iPhones at its retail store Genius Bars, as seen with the new iPhone 5 display replacement program.
According to a new report from market research company NPD DisplaySearch as related by CNET, Samsung has supplied more 9.7-inch panels for the fourth-generation iPad in recent months than any other Apple supplier, including longtime partners LG and Sharp.
Apple, in fact, has been boosting purchases of displays from Samsung since January, according to the market analyst. Apple got about 2.3 million units from Samsung in the first quarter. That figure jumped about 80 percent quarter-to-quarter to more than 4.1 million units in the second quarter, according to DisplaySearch.
The report also claims that Samsung, LG, and Japan Display will also begin supplying 7.9-inch panels for the next-generation iPad mini, although it declines to state whether the displays will be of Retina resolution or not. A Wall Street Journal story last week stated that the next-generation iPad mini is indeed likely to feature a high-resolution display from Samsung, with screens also being supplied from LG and Sharp. The next-generation iPad mini is expected to launch sometime in the fall.
Apple has been reported to be seeking to reduce its reliance on Samsung as a component supplier due to continuing tensions between the two companies as they have increasingly become top competitors in the mobile device market. But it has been reported for several months now that Apple is returning to Samsung as a display supplier due to its technological advantages and production capacity.
Oculus VR, the company behind the highly anticipated virtual reality gaming headset Oculus Rift, has announced that legendary game programmer John Carmack is joining the team as Chief Technology Officer. Carmack co-founded id Software, where he has led development of a number of popular gaming franchises, including Wolfenstein 3D, Doom, and Quake. He will remain with id Software, although Oculus will be his primary focus for the time being.
John put together a short note for the Oculus community:
“I have fond memories of the development work that led to a lot of great things in modern gaming – the intensity of the first person experience, LAN and internet play, game mods, and so on. Duct taping a strap and hot gluing sensors onto Palmer’s early prototype Rift and writing the code to drive it ranks right up there. Now is a special time. I believe that VR will have a huge impact in the coming years, but everyone working today is a pioneer. The paradigms that everyone will take for granted in the future are being figured out today; probably by people reading this message. It’s certainly not there yet. There is a lot more work to do, and there are problems we don’t even know about that will need to be solved, but I am eager to work on them. It’s going to be awesome!”
Oculus Rift raised nearly $2.5 million in a Kickstarter campaign ending last September, with the company delivering thousands of prototype headsets to developers to help them build games for the system. A consumer launch for the headset is rumored for next year, although the company has refrained from committing to a specific timeline.
While some have suspected that console gaming might be an area of interest for Oculus, the company indicates that beyond PC gaming it is also focusing on mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad, with the rapid pace of innovation in mobile serving as a distinct draw compared to the much longer development cycles on console platforms.
Vodafone, the world’s second largest mobile carrier, has announced that it will begin a 4G network rollout in the United Kingdom on August 29. The company has said that service will begin in London and will expand to twelve more cities within the UK by the end of the year, and is claiming that it will have 98% indoor coverage across the UK within the next few years.
Price plans will begin at £26 a month without a mobile device for unlimited calls, texts, and 2GB of data, or £34 for a plan that includes a 4G ready device, unlimited calls and texts, and 500MB of data, and existing customers with a 4G ready device can upgrade for an additional £5.
Vodafone is also offering customers the chance to trade in devices for discounts toward 4G ready devices, with sign ups beginning on the 12th of this month both in store or online. Notably, Apple's iPhone 5 will not be compatible with Vodafone's 4G LTE service due to differences in frequency support, although many expect the issue to be resolved with the launch of the iPhone 5S as soon as next month.
The company is also offering unlimited data for the first three months of service when a customer signs up with a new plan, as well as a promotional deal for Spotify Premium or Sky Sports Mobile TV for six months depending on the tariff.
Vodafone's announcement news comes after O2 announced last week that it would become the second British carrier to offer 4G service, and also joins carrier EE, which launched its 4G network last October. Currently, EE’s 4G network is the only one of the three British carriers to be compatible with the iPhone 5’s 4G LTE bands.
A customer satisfaction survey of streaming video services by analytics firm ForeSee has placed Apple’s iTunes Store in first place with a score of 80, ahead of other popular video services such as HBO GO and Netflix, which both finished with a score of 79. The survey also revealed tendencies about individual usage, such as how often users make visits to premium video services and the number of minutes users spend on streaming services per visit.
iTunes is the de facto experience when consumers are using Apple’s iOS platform. The iTunes app comes pre-installed on iPhones and iPads. It is a significant market advantage that users do not have to elect to download the app. Also, it provides guidance to other content and media apps since the iTunes app’s user experience has become the standard for how other apps look, feel, and behave. Millions of consumers then actively choose to engage with iTunes to download content.
Last year, ForeSee ranked Apple second in mobile shopping satisfaction behind Amazon. Apple originally started selling videos on the iTunes Store in October 2005, and expanded movie content to 42 new countries in December of last year, bringing the total number of countries with access to purchased and rental iTunes Store movie content to over 100.
Boston-based company Boundless Learning has launched an app for iOS devices that enables users to look for alternative electronic versions of curriculum assigned textbooks. The app includes features such as offline browsing and cross-platform integration with desktop computers, as well as other features such as in line search and in app purchases that offer interactive study material to accompany content within the app.
Boundless is better than your assigned textbook. Use Boundless as an alternative to those expensive, heavy books you’re assigned to get all the info you need for class. Before you go to the bookstore, check Boundless to see if we’ve got an online version of your textbook that will save you money, help you study better, and let you use your mobile devices to learn more.
Currently, Boundless offers books and study materials for over 20 different subjects, with the company stating that more will be added in the future. Boundless originally began as a startup and gained attention for raising $8 million in Series A funding. However, the company was also sued for alleged copyright infringement by other textbook publishers such as Pearson Education and Worth Publishing Group.
Popular messaging app WhatsApp Messenger is being updated with one-tap voice messaging, allowing users who have difficult-to-type languages to communicate with each other across various platforms.
WhatsApp has been working on the feature for about six months, wanting to make voice messaging simpler and easier to use than other apps with the functionality, CEO Jan Koum toldAllThingsD in an interview.
With the updated WhatsApp, a user pushes to record a message rather than type one. When she lets go, the message sends. If she decides not to send, she swipes to the left and the recording is deleted. All that is built into a single tap.
Other perks of the new voice messaging feature include no length limit on recorded messages and volume controls that automatically adjust based on ambient influences. For example, when listening to a voice message, the volume will fluctuate based on how close a device is to the user's ear. In addition, a blue microphone illustration notifies the sender when a voice message has been heard.
Koum says the new voice messaging feature is beneficial to users who speak complicated languages, like Russian with its 33-letter alphabet, because those languages are more difficult to type on a small touchscreen. Instead, those users can opt for more simple voice messages to communicate with each other.
WhatsApp Messenger was just updated in mid-July, turning the $0.99 app into a free app with a $1-a-year subscription. WhatsApp Messenger for iPhone is available in the App Store for free, although the update with voice messaging has yet to go live. [Direct Link]
Following a video from earlier this week that appeared to show a partially assembled device, Sonny Dickson shares new alleged high resolution photos of the low-cost iPhone, potentially named the iPhone 5C. A prominent poster on Chinese microblogging site Sina Weibo, C Technology, also claims (via phoneArena) the low-cost iPhone in China will be priced at 3000 yuan off contract, which is equivalent to $490 and in line with current pricing on the iPhone 4.
The photos show the shell from various angles, including views from the back and side of the device, as well as the shell's interior which includes a set of metal linings and screw holes. The images also appear to be consistent with previous alleged sightings of the device, with notable features such as an 8-megapixel camera, Lightning connector, speakers and flash for the phone.
The part appears to be nearly identical to previously seen in high-quality photos and a video last month, with pin holes instead of full cut-outs for a number of physical features like power/volume buttons and the SIM card slot.
Like other sightings of the device, the phone in these photos does not appear to have the required legal information and certifications on its lower body, making it unclear as to whether this is a final version or a prototype, although such information is generally printed on the devices at different stages of production.
According to the most recent report, Apple is expected to launch the low-cost iPhone in early September, alongside the upcoming the iPhone 5S.
Apple Retail Stores are offering discounts (via 9to5Mac) on select iOS compatible third-party accessories through August. Current discounts through August 31st include $50 off of the Jawbone Big Jambox Bluetooth speaker and 10% off of select Beats by Dre headphones and speakers, but do not include the recently updated Beats by Dre Studio headphones.
Starting August 11th, the store will also be offering 10% off of the Bose QuietComfort 3 and QuietComfort 15 headphones. The sale will last through September 14th.
Last month, Apple launched a "Back to School" promotion offering qualified educational purchasers iTunes Store/App Store/iBookStore gift cards of up to $100 with the purchase of a new Mac, iPad, or iPhone. The program is currently valid through September 6th.
Twitter today updated its iOS app to version 5.9, adding an improved login verification feature that works with Twitter’s two-factor authentication procedure (which debuted earlier this year), replacing the phone number portion with in-app alerts.
With login verification enabled in the Settings menu, Twitter users will get a push notification on their phones alerting them of any login attempts, which can then be approved. Login verification includes international support and provides details on location and browser for anyone who accesses a Twitter account with the setting turned on. The app also provides backup codes in case a phone is lost.
In addition to new security features, the update brings user photo galleries, new options for photo viewing photo searches, and improvements to lists.
Now you can protect your account with login verification. This is a new form of two-factor authentication that allows you can turn on and manage directly from your app.
Also in this release: - View anyone's photos in a beautiful gallery when you visit their profile and tap ‘View more photos’ - Photo search results can also be viewed in a gallery - Enjoy several improvements to lists: create new lists and edit your existing lists; manage titles and descriptions; add or remove members - Other bug fixes and improvements
Twitter for iOS is a free app that can be downloaded from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Apple today released the fifth beta of iOS 7, which brings a number of improvements, changes, and bug fixes to the operating system, including newly redesigned Settings icons and a Control Center option that allows the feature to be disabled within apps.
iOS 7 beta 5 also offers a slew of minor interface tweaks and improvements that continue to make iOS 7 feel both faster and more polished. Our forum members have noted multiple enhancements that have been bundled into the release:
Settings - The icons in the Settings menu have seen a complete design, going from standard blue icons to a variety of square icons in various colors.
Control Center - Control Center’s settings now allow the function to be turned off while in apps, preventing Control Center from being accessed from the bottom of the screen while playing games or otherwise using apps.
Power Off - The slider bar that displays when the iPhone is being powered off has been slightly altered.
Twitter - The Twitter icon has been redesigned. Rather than a white bird on a blue background, it now depicts a blue bird on a white background.
Notifications - Banner notifications can now be pulled down to access additional information.
Phone - The icons that are displayed while a user is in a call have been slightly altered with the addition of circles around the icons. They also appear to be larger.
Accessibility Options - There are now On/Off toggle options under the Accessibility menu.
Boot Screen - When installing iOS 7 beta 5, many iPhone 5 users noted that the color of the boot screen matched their devices, with a white screen used for white phones and a black screen used for black phones. This differentiation appears to be limited to the iPhone 5 at this point in time as iPad owners and older iPhone users have not noticed the change.
Messages - In iOS 7 beta 4, Apple changed Messages to default to displaying the first name and last initial of a contact in a conversation. With beta 5, only the first name is displayed by default, though other options can be selected in the Mail settings menu (which is linked to Messages). To access the feature, go to Settings / Mail Contacts and Calendars / Short Name (under Contacts).
Additional features in iOS 7 beta 5 will be added here as they are discovered. Apple is likely to continue pushing regular updates for iOS 7, bringing minor performance boosts and changes ahead of the operating system’s public release, which is expected to come in the fall.
Apple has just released the fifth beta version of iOS 7 to developers for testing purposes. The update is available as an over-the-air update to existing beta testers and it can also be downloaded via Apple's Developer Center.
The new beta arrives as build 11A4449a, and comes just over a week after the previous beta 4. Apple has also released a new version of its Apple TV beta, version 4, which can be downloaded here by registered members of Apple's paid developer program:
The company has also released a the fifth version of Xcode 5, build 5A11365y, which can be downloaded from Apple's Developer Center.
iOS 7 is scheduled for release in the fall of this year, with updates to Apple’s iPhone and iPad lineups expected around the same time. If past history is any indication, iOS 7 should be made available to the public just a few days before the launch of the next-generation iPhone.
Direct iOS 7 beta 5 links for paid members of Apple's iOS developer program:
Apple today seeded build 12F33 of OS X 10.8.5 to developers, marking the eighth beta iteration of 10.8.5. The release comes exactly one week after the previous OS X 10.8.5 beta, build 12F30.
Vodafone, the world’s second largest mobile carrier, has 
Popular messaging app 
Twitter today 
