MacRumors

Sprintfeed reports that Sprint will be SIM locking their iPhone 4S SIMs starting on November 11th.

Starting tomorrow, all iPhone 4S devices will have the SIM locked. The locking occurs during the activation process and is invisible to the customer (no extra action is needed by customer or rep).

The status of the Sprint iPhone 4S SIM slot has been the subject of some confusion. One early report claimed that the Sprint iPhone 4S SIM slot would be ship unlocked. While true at launch, Sprint then clarified that they would be locking the SIM shortly after launch.

Indeed, the Sprint iPhone 4S will ship with its micro-SIM slot unlocked. However, Sprint now says that it will be locking that slot “shortly after launch” via an update pushed to those devices. After the slot has been locked, Sprint says that it will allow customers in good standing to unlock the SIM for international use in the future.

Curiously, the new memo notes that "this SIM lock update will not impact any current iPhone 4S customers (activated prior to 11/11/11)." Taken at face value, that suggests that those who purchased and activated an iPhone 4S prior to 11/11/11 will be able to keep their unlocked SIM slot.

An unlocked SIM slot allows customers to use different SIM cards from other networks in their iPhones. This is most frequently used when traveling abroad where local SIM cards can be purchased to avoid international roaming fees. Meanwhile, Apple has stated they will be officially selling unlocked iPhone 4Ss sometime in November.

Apple has released MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.5. The update fixes an issue where the machine would shut off unexpectedly under heavy processor load, even when plugged in.

This update resolves an issue where a MacBook Pro being used with a power adapter may unexpectedly shut down under heavy workload if the battery charge level is near empty.

Your computer's power cord must be connected and plugged into a working power source, or your battery must be at least 25% charged.

When your computer restarts a gray screen will appear with a status bar to indicate the progress of the update.

Your computer's fans will run at full speed during the update but will return to normal speed once the update completes.

Do not disturb or shut off the power on your computer during this update.

MacBook Pro SMC Firmware Update 1.5 can be downloaded from Apple's support website.

The update applies to owners of MacBook Pro models 8,1, 8,2, and 8,3. These include both MacBook Pro (Early 2011) and MacBook Pro (Late 2011).

Apple has matched $1.3 million in employee donations for a total of $2.6 million donated to charity via a program CEO Tim Cook instituted earlier this year. Via the program, Apple offered to match U.S. full-time employees' contributions to 501(c)(3) charitable organizations, up to $10,000 per employee per year.

The $1.3 million matched so far is being used by Apple to internally promote the program and solicit more donations. An image touting the success of the program links employees to a page that provides an overview of the matching program.

The total was first reported by AppleInsider.

This video was produced by the staff of an Apple Retail Store as an entertaining way to teach Apple's customer service strategy. That strategy, based on one from the Ritz Carlton hotel -- widely acknowledged as the gold standard in customer service -- allows Apple Retail Store employees to assist customers without pressuring them to buy.

As Apple products generally sell themselves, the theory is that employees merely need to present the proper solutions to the customer based on their needs. Uncovering those needs is key to completing the sale and creating satisfied customers or "promoters" in Apple Store parlance.

The Apple Steps of Service, as taught during Core Training, which every new hire at Apple goes through:

A - Approach the customer with a "warm welcome"
P - Position, Permission, Probe -- Tell the customer what you want to do, ask permission, and then ask them questions to determine their needs.
P - Present the appropriate product solution that fits their needs.
L - Listen to their concerns.
E - End with a fond farewell and an invitation to return.

There are also the three A's -- three steps used with the "L" above to help alleviate customer concerns.

A - Acknowledge that their concerns are valid.
A - Align with the customer, agreeing that you would feel the same were you in their shoes.
A - Assure the customer that you will be able to solve their problem to their satisfaction.

The video, which was well-received by employees at an all-hands store meeting, was posted by former Apple employee Kyle Sisson as part of his editing portfolio. It is a brief look into the back of house, where much of the video was filmed, an unusual occurrence at the intensely private Apple Store.

Update: The video has been removed.

Apple has just released iOS 5.0.1 to the public, bringing fixes for battery life issues introduced with iOS 5. The release also brings several other enhancements including multitasking gestures for the original iPad.

This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:

- Fixes bugs affecting battery life
- Adds Multitasking Gestures for original iPad
- Resolves bugs with Documents in the Cloud
- Improves voice recognition for Australian users using dictation

The build number on the public release is 9A405, an increment of one build over the beta 2 build seeded to developers last Friday.

iOS 5.0.1 is available for iPhone (4S, 4, and 3GS), iPod touch (third- and fourth-generation), and all iPad models. The update is available for download via iTunes, but is not yet showing up as an over-the-air update for direct download to iOS devices.

Update: Several European users are now reporting that iOS 5.0.1 is available as a 44.6 MB over-the-air update on their devices, but it still does not appear to be showing up on devices in the United States.

Update 2: Direct links for downloads:

- iPhone: 4S, 4 GSM, 4 CDMA, 3GS
- iPad: 2 Wi-Fi, 2 GSM, 2 CDMA, Original
- iPod touch: 4th Generation, 3rd Generation

Update 3: The over-the-air update of iOS 5.0.1 now appears to be making its way to the United States, but it may still take some time to roll out to all users. Users are reporting over-the-air download sizes of 40-55 MB depending on device.

Update 4: CNET notes that iOS 5.0.1 addresses the security vulnerability disclosed by prominent security researcher Charlie Miller earlier this week. Miller demonstrated the vulnerability by slipping an app into Apple's App Store, a move which resulted in Apple banning him from the iOS developer program.

Patently Apple reports on a newly-published patent application from Apple describing the integration of a speaker into the clip of the iPod nano or shuffle. Apple's proposed design includes a recessed portion within the device's clip that would house a piezoelectric speaker.

As part of the invention's description, Apple outlines how a small domed or dimpled cover over the speaker could be designed to produce specific acoustic effects, allowing for sufficient movement of air to create the required sound quality for the device.

In some embodiments, the cavity size may be shaped to create a particular frequency response or to otherwise influence the sound produced by the acoustical element. In some embodiments, the interior surface of the cavity may be modified to increase the size of the cavity, to control the frequency response of the cavity, modify the amount of air displaceable by movement of the diaphragm of the acoustical element, and/or to direct sound waves within the cavity and/or out of the cavity. The shape of the surface may be configured to resonate at a certain desired frequency or frequency range that is desired based on its shape. For example, one or more indentations in the surface may be provided to increase the size of the cavity and/or control the frequency response of the cavity. Generally, the larger the size of the cavity, the lower the frequency that may be resonant within the cavity. In some embodiments, holes may be provided in the surface to adjust the frequency response.

Adding a speaker to the iPod's clip would of course mean that it would need to be electrically connected to the main portion of the device, and Apple also describes how thin, flexible wires or microstrips could be routed alongside or through the hinge block that serves as the mounting point for the clip.

Apple does not propose any specific uses for the external audio features enabled by the addition of a speaker clip, and the extremely thin nature of the speaker housing would limit the sound quality achievable through the system. At a minimum, the speaker could provide clicks and beeps as feedback for user input on the device, although more complex audio could also be generated.

Curiously, the exploded view diagram included in the patent application also shows a fairly large hole in the iPod clip, as seen at the bottom left of the diagram. While Apple does not specify the intended function of that hole, it does line up nicely with previously-leaked front and back photos potentially showing a rear-facing camera hole for the iPod nano's main body. That design has, however, yet to see a public debut.

The patent application, simply entitled "Speaker Clip", was filed in May of 2010 with the lead designer listed as Ben Filson, a longtime Apple design engineer who left the company last year to join Tony Fadell's Nest Labs project. The patent application also lists as inventors Eugene Whang and Matt Rohrbach, two key members of Apple's industrial design team.

NBC Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams has nominated Apple cofounder Steve Jobs for Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" award. Williams said in his speech nominating Jobs:

One guy, who changed our world, and I said to Seth Meyers as we walked across Sixth Avenue, "Just look with me on this one block walk at how he changed the world around us. Look at how he changed the world." Not only did he change the world, but he gave us that spirit again that something was possible that you could look at a piece of plastic or glass and move your finger-- that's outlandish. You could make things bigger or smaller like that. "Oh the places you'll go" and oh the way you will change forever the music and television industries. So may he rest in peace, Steve Jobs, and the spirit he represents, are my nominee for Person of the Year.

If selected, Jobs would be the first person to receive the award posthumously. Steve Jobs was a mentor to Mark Zuckerberg, 2010's Person of the Year.

Time's Person of the Year is awarded to "a person, couple, group, idea, place, or machine that "for better or for worse, ...has done the most to influence the events of the year.'"

Past technology-related awards have gone to American Scientists in 1960, the Apollo 8 Astronauts in 1968, "You" in 2006, representing the individual content creator on the Internet, and "The Computer" in 1982.

The award will be presented in December.

Mobile analytics firm Flurry today reports on the continuing shift in portable gaming from dedicated devices to smartphones and other multipurpose devices. According to results compiled by Flurry from NPD market research and Flurry's own mobile app data, Apple's iOS and Google's Android mobile operating systems will account for 58% of portable gaming revenue in the United States for 2011, an almost exact flip-flop from 2010 when dedicated device leaders Nintendo and Sony held 57% of the market.

The most striking trend is that iOS and Android games have tripled their market share from roughly 20% in 2009 to nearly 60% in just two years. Simultaneously, Nintendo, the once dominant player, has been crushed down to owning about one-third of market in 2011, from having controlled more than two-thirds in 2009. Combined, iOS and Android game revenue delivered $500 million, $800 million and $1.9 billion over 2009, 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Flurry's data for 2011 is based on estimates for the final two months of the year, but suggests that the rapid growth in gaming on smartphone platforms is showing no signs of slowing. The market dynamics of free or low-cost games sometimes supplemented by in-app purchases and played on multi-function devices versus dedicated gaming devices with relatively high-cost game titles are clearly playing out in favor of iOS and Android. The result has been a surging gaming market increasingly attracting casual gamers willing to spend a few dollars to play on their phones, while established players have seen not only their shares but also their revenue declining each year.

Nintendo has been resisting increasing pressure to bring its games to the iPhone and other platforms, sticking by its long-standing tradition of making its games exclusive to its own hardware. Flurry suggests that the rapidly-shifting landscape of portable gaming may soon bring Nintendo face-to-face with a "Nokia-like" decision whether to jump over to smartphone platforms or watch its business erode away.

Apple's new Siri personal assistant feature on the iPhone 4S includes a "raise to speak" feature that allows Siri to be activated whenever an active iPhone is raised to the user's ear. The device is able to sense the raising action using a proximity sensor capable of detecting how close the user's face is to the screen. The iPhone has always incorporated proximity sensors in order to turn off the device's display during phone calls to prevent accidental input, but Siri's raise to speak feature requires that the device be ready to sense proximity to the user's face at all times.

Teardown firm iFixit has gone back to its original teardown of the iPhone 4S to highlight the sensor involved and show how it emits infrared light at all times to support Siri's raise to speak function.

During our iPhone 4S teardown, iFixit buddy Markus noted that the new iPhone had a rather unusual-looking black component next to the ambient light sensor. We didn’t make much of a fuss about it since we were knee-deep in disassembly pictures, but the little black box certainly piqued our curiosity.

Now that the teardown is wrapped up, we’ve re-opened the mystery and made a neat discovery about the 4S: that black component is an infrared LED, and the little bugger almost always wants to know if you’re nearby.

In a video, iFixit demonstrates how the iPhone 4's proximity sensor is only activated while on a phone call, while the sensor on the iPhone 4S is active whenever the device's display is on.