MacRumors

When Apple introduced the Siri voice assistant, the company made it clear that the feature was exclusive to the iPhone 4S alone.

There was some speculation that Siri required the iPhone 4S's faster processor, but recent hack have shown Siri to run quite well on the iPhone 4. Meanwhile, one rumor even claimed that Apple been internally testing Siri on the iPhone 4, raising some hopes for an eventual release.

Unfortunately, Michael Steeber posts an Apple reply to a bug report which states quite clearly that Apple isn't planning on supporting Siri on older devices:

Engineering has provided the following feedback regarding this issue: Siri only works on iPhone 4S and we currently have no plans to support older devices.

Apple generally keeps quiet about their plans, so this is probably as much as we'll hear for an official position on the possibility of official Siri support on the iPhone 4 or iPad 2.

Last week, Apple confirmed that some iOS 5 users are experiencing battery life issues on their devices due to some bugs in the operating system, issues that Apple is working to address with iOS 5.0.1 currently in developer testing.

9to5Mac reports that Apple has now expanded its testing to include some of those users who have reported problems with their devices, reaching out to them through Apple's invitation-only customer seeding program.

Apple invites you to participate in a software seeding project. We have selected you, based on a referral from AppleCare for participation in our program, to assist us in testing an upcoming iOS 5 Software Update. Please follow the directions below to complete the invitation process.

Apple is also apparently notifying its retail store support staff of the battery issues, instructing them to encourage customers to hang on for "a few weeks" until the software update is ready for release. Under the notice, support staff should not offer replacement handsets for battery life issues at this time unless potential hardware defects are found.

A small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices. If you are helping one of those customers, follow standard procedure to rule out any hardware issues with the device. If no hardware issues are found, let the customer know that Apple has found a few bugs in iOS 5 affecting battery life and Apple will release a software update to address those in a few weeks.

In addition to the battery life issues, iOS 5.0.1 is also including several other fixes and enhancements, including multitasking gestures for the original iPad, bug fixes for Documents in the Cloud, improved voice recognition for Australian users, and security enhancements.

Apple today posted a new support document outlining procedures users should follow if they experience strain relief problems with their "T" style MagSafe power cables on various notebook products. Long-standing issues with fraying on those cables resulted in Apple redesigning the MagSafe several years to adopt an "L" style connector that puts less strain on the cable.

While Apple has for several years offered a replacement program to users whose MagSafe adapters (as well as pre-MagSafe "barrel" style adapters) have exhibited signs of strain relief problems, the company has updated its support materials to reflect that a settlement has been reached in a court case over the design of the connectors.

According to the terms of the settlement, Apple will offer full or partial refunds to customers who purchased replacement adapters and will also continue to cover the cost of replacement adapters for users who have future problems with the issue. Apple will offer users who purchased a replacement adapter within one year of purchase of the original computer a $79 cash payment, with users who replaced their adapters in the second year receiving $50 and those who replaced in the third year $35.

The settlement will provide a cash payment if you are the original owner (by purchase or gift) of certain Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro computer models (“Subject Computer”) or separately purchased an Apple 60W or 85W MagSafe MPM-1 (“T”) Power Adapter (“Adapter”), your Adapter showed signs of Strain Relief Damage, and you purchased a Replacement Adapter within the first three years following the initial purchase of the Subject Computer or Adapter. If the court approves the settlement, you may be entitled to a cash payment in the following amounts depending on whether you purchased your Replacement Adapter during the first, second or third year following the initial retail purchase of the Subject Computer or Adapter: (a) first year, the actual amount you paid (excluding taxes and shipping/handling fees) up to a maximum of $79; (b) second year $50; (c) third year $35. There is a limit of three refunds per Subject Computer. You may also be able to obtain a Replacement Adapter at no charge from Apple if your Adapter shows signs of Strain Relief Damage now or in the future.

The settlement program is open to all purchasers of machines with T-style MagSafe power connectors who provide a valid claim form and proof of purchase for the replacement adapter. Users have until March 21, 2012 or three years from the date of original purchase, whichever is later, to file a claim for a previously-purchased replacement adapter. Apple will cover current and future replacements free of charge through December 31, 2012.

Late last month, we noted that Apple had begun notifying Australian resellers of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 of the injunction prohibiting the sale of the device in that country. While the injunction applies only to Samsung, Apple's notice of infringement would make it easy for the company to target the retailers with separate suits.

But The Sydney Morning Herald reports that at least one retailer is prepared to stand up to what it believes is a bluff on Apple's part, taking steps to engage in a cat and mouse game with the company.

At least one, dMavo, said it had created a separate entity in Europe to place it outside the jurisdiction of Australian courts, with the tablets delivered to customers from Asia.

"We have a new entity established and a separate server - just to deal with the tablet orders - that is undergoing testing as of last Saturday," dMavo managing director Wojtek Czarnocki said.

"Was Apple just bluffing or do they really want to play the cat and mouse game? We're up for it."

Czarnocki notes that the changes imposed very little cost for his company while opening the door for a flood of sales with the injunction against Samsung itself hampering supplies from other channels. dMavo has indeed been experiencing server troubles over the past few days, as interest in the company's offerings and the publicity surrounding its stand against Apple has tested its capacity.

One patent attorney consulted by The Sydney Morning Herald suggests, however, that dMavo may have opened itself up to significantly more risk with the moves demonstrating its open defiance of the injunction. If dMavo's Galaxy Tab revenue is shown to funnel back to Australia in any way or have other connections to Australian companies, the company could be found liable for infringement.

[Patent specialist Mark] Summerfield said Apple might now be compelled to take action to avoid appearing weak. He said Australian judges would not look kindly on dMavo's attempts to bypass the injunction and "are almost obliged to find some way to punish it to ensure that the courts retain their authority".

For its part, dMavo is banking on a November 25th court date for Samsung's appeal of the injunction, hoping that Samsung can win its case and have the injunction lifted before Apple can come after dMavo.

Influential ratings and reviews magazine Consumer Reports, which famously refused to recommend both the GSM and CDMA iPhone 4 models due to antenna issues, has now determined to its satisfaction that the iPhone 4S does not suffer from the same issue. The determination means that Consumer Reports is now willing to list the iPhone 4S as a "recommended" device.

Apple’s newest smart phone performed very well in our tests, and while it closely resembles the iPhone 4 in appearance, it doesn’t suffer the reception problem we found in its predecessor in special tests in our labs.

In special reception tests of the iPhone 4S that duplicated those we did on the iPhone 4, the newer phone did not display the same reception flaw, which involves a loss of signal strength when you touch a spot on the phone’s lower left side while you’re in an area with a weak signal.

Early reports from users had indeed suggested that the iPhone 4S did not possess the antenna issue that some users had complained about in the iPhone 4, but Consumer Reports clearly undertook its own testing of the device for its assessment. Consumer Reports also indicates that the 8 GB iPhone 4, introduced alongside the iPhone 4S as a lower-cost device, does continue to suffer from the antenna problem.

While Consumer Reports is now able to recommend the iPhone 4S, it does not list the device at the top of its smartphone rankings, placing it below several Android phones with larger displays and support for faster cellular networks. That was not the case last year, when the magazine ranked the iPhone 4 first among smartphones despite the antenna problem that led it to withhold a "recommended" rating.

In line with our report from the previous weekend, Apple has updated its Apple Store application for iOS [App Store] with new support for self-checkout at the company's retail stores.

What’s New in Version 2.0

- Personal Pickup: Buy in the app and choose to pick up your order at any Apple Retail Store. Most in-stock orders are available for pickup within an hour. (U.S. only)

- EasyPay: Purchase select accessories in store quickly by scanning the barcode and completing your transaction right in the app. (U.S. only, requires iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S)

- Track your stuff: View the status of current and previous orders from the order status section in the More tab.

- Additional international support (Canada, China).

As detailed last week, the app now allows customers visiting any Apple retail store to use their iPhone's camera to scan the barcodes of shelf-stocked accessory items and purchase them using their Apple ID/iTunes Store accounts. The process bypasses the need to track down a member of the sales staff to process the transaction via their EasyPay mobile payment processing systems.

As part of the retail store enhancements, Apple is also rolling out in-store pickup for online purchases in the United States, allowing users to have their online orders shipped directly to a retail store for pickup rather than having to arrange to receive delivery at their home or office. For items stocked in-store, users will be able to purchase items and have them available for pickup within minutes. For custom orders and other items not normally carried in-store, products will take several days to be shipped to the store, at which point the customer will be notified that their order is available for pickup.

The in-store pickup program launched in late October at Apple's three San Francisco stores, and quickly expanded to include all 51 California stores as well as the company's four New York City stores. With today's enhancements, the program has now been rolled out to all U.S. stores.

Security researcher Charlie Miller revealed earlier today that he had found an exploit in Apple's iOS software that allows an App to run arbitrary code. Apple generally approves all code that is submitted to the AppStore and forbids the execution of un-approved code, but Miller discovered a way to bypass this restriction. Forbes writes:

Miller became suspicious of a possible flaw in the code signing of Apple’s mobile devices with the release of iOS 4.3 early last year.
...
The researcher soon dug up a bug that allowed him to expand that code-running exception to any application he’d like.

Beyond discovering the bug, Miller went a step further and actually had an App submitted to the App Store which took advantage of this bug. The App was approved and was able to perform as expected:

Using his method–and Miller has already planted a sleeper app in Apple’s App Store to demonstrate the trick–an app can phone home to a remote computer that downloads new unapproved commands onto the device and executes them at will, including stealing the user’s photos, reading contacts, making the phone vibrate or play sounds, or otherwise repurposing normal iOS app functions for malicious ends.

Shortly after the news broke, Apple revoked Miller's developer account, citing a breach of the developer agreement.

“This letter serves as notice of termination of the iOS Developer Program License Agreement…between you and Apple,” the email read. “Effective immediately.”

Miller plans to present his findings at the SysCan conference in Taiwan next week.

iOS developer @conradev revealed on Twitter that he had been able to enable a hidden "Panorama" mode in iOS 5. The setting can reportedly be enabled by setting 'EnableFirebreak' to YES in com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist. iOS developer @chpwn has already submitted an app to Cydia to enabled the panorama mode for Jailbroken iPhones.

Clearly Apple had been testing the Panorama mode as a possible feature for iOS 5, but for whatever reason it didn't make the cut into the final release. The user interface shows that a user can capture individual photos from left to right and the software will stitch it together.

Apple did introduce a number of other new features to iOS 5's camera app, including grid lines, pinch to zoom gestures, volume button shutter and editing features.

Much has been made of the apparently tense relationship between Apple and Facebook, sparked in large part by the spat over Facebook integration in Apple's Ping social networking service last year. According to one report, the companies have also faced over such topics as Apple's desire for systemwide Facebook integration in iOS 4 and Facebook's plans for tablet platforms.

But in a new interview with Charlie Rose set to air on PBS tonight, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg reveals (transcript from AllThingsD) how he was mentored by Steve Jobs, who advised Zuckerberg about building high-quality teams and maintaining a sharp focus on Facebook's products.

Mark Zuckerberg: Oh, I don’t know. I mean, he — he’s amazing. He was amazing. I mean, he — I had a lot of questions for him on –

Charlie Rose: Like what?

Mark Zuckerberg: How to build a team around you, right, that’s focused on building as high quality and good things as you are. How to keep an organization focused, right, when I think the tendency for larger companies is to try to fray and go into all these different areas. Yeah, I mean a lot just on the aesthetics and kind of mission orientation of companies. I mean, Apple is a company that is so focused on just building products that — for their customers and their users. And — and that’s like — it’s such a deep part of their mission is build these beautiful products for their users. And I think we connected a lot on this level of, okay, Facebook has this mission that’s really more than just trying to build a company, right, that has a market cap or a value. It’s like we’re trying to do this thing in the world. And I don’t know, a lot of it I just think we connected on that level.

Apple is of course famous for its laser-like focus on a relatively small number of products, offering greater clarity to customers and users while also ensuring that the company's employees do not become spread too thin or stray too far from the overall objectives.

In the wake of Steve Jobs' passing, the extent to which he served as a mentor to other high-profile industry personalities has become more clear, as evidenced by an on again-off again relationship with Google executives Larry Page and Sergey Brin and a connection with Salesforce.com founder Marc Benioff that ultimately resulted in Benioff giving Jobs and Apple the "App Store" trademark and URL free of charge out of gratitude.

Jobs' advice to Zuckerberg parallels some of the advice he gave to Page, shared in Walter Isaacon's biography of Jobs, in which he told Page to figure out what five things Google wanted to focus on "when it grows up". Seeing Google straying dangerously toward a bloated array of apps and services, Jobs warned Page about the possibility of turning into the next Microsoft, with an assortment of peripheral products dragging the company away from its core areas of focus and expertise.

According to a pair of research notes issued today, demand for Apple's new iPhone 4S remains very strong as the company continues an aggressive international rollout schedule, with Apple's own retail stores typically running out of available units on a daily basis and pre-orders for the device in Hong Kong having sold out in only ten minutes.

Barron's details the first note, which comes from Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore. According to Whitmore's survey of 30 Apple retail stores, 85-90% of them are running out of iPhone 4S stock on a daily basis and encouraging customers to continue utilizing the reservation system that went into effect following the launch weekend.

Our retail checks reveal Apple is experiencing daily stock outs at ~85-90% of the ~30 retail stores we called. Apple employees are directing customers to make an online appointment (first come first serve) for next day pick up at nearby Apple retail stores as stocks appear to be refreshed daily at most locations.

Meanwhile, Apple on Friday began taking pre-orders for the iPhone 4S in fifteen new countries, including the very strong Hong Kong market where the company just recently opened its first retail store. According to Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White, Apple sold through its initial stock of iPhone 4S units in Hong Kong in only ten minutes.

Our checks indicate that pre-orders in Hong Kong were sold out within ten minutes after becoming available. In our view, this is a very positive sign for iPhone 4S demand in Greater China as Hong Kong represents the first entry of the new smartphone in the rapidly growing region and we expect the 4S to reach Mainland China in December. We believe this rapid sell out will rest concerns surrounding the uptake of the iPhone 4S in the Greater China region that were driven by the limited language capability of Siri, which did not launch in Mandarin or Cantonese.

As White notes, Hong Kong will be the first country within Apple's "Greater China" market to offer the iPhone 4S, and it will undoubtedly be a popular source for Chinese customers looking to have early access to the device.

Late Friday, FOSS Patents reported that Motorola Mobility had won an injunction against Apple in Germany, a decision that could potentially prevent Apple from selling any of its mobile devices in the country. Curiously, the injunction was issued as a default judgment, with Apple apparently deciding not to defend itself for unknown reasons.

The strange circumstances have led to some dispute over whether the injunction will have any impact on Apple's operations in Germany, with The Verge's Nilay Patel arguing that the victory is a "totally symbolic" one for Motorola given that it affects only Apple Inc. and not its Apple Germany subsidiary that actually sells the devices in that country.

Motorola Mobility filed lawsuits against both organizations, and while Apple Germany is vigorously fighting its case, Apple's lawyers let the Apple Inc., lawsuit slide, resulting in this default judgement and injunction. But since Apple Inc., doesn't actually sell anything in Germany, it's a totally symbolic victory for Motorola — there aren't any products to ban.

Apple itself also took an apparently unconcerned attitude toward the ruling, noting that it fails to impact the company's sales "at this time".

This is a procedural issue that has nothing to do with the merits of the case. This does not affect our ability to sell products or do business in Germany at this time.

Florian Mueller at FOSS Patents vehemently disagrees with Patel's interpretation, noting that there is danger to Apple if courts rule that the parent Apple Inc. company is judged to be an entity selling products in Germany. As one example, Mueller points to the fact that Apple's German website is registered to Apple Inc. and not Apple Germany, meaning that enforcement of the injunction could lead to Apple having to shut down its German website operations. Another example suggests that the injunction could simply prevent Apple Inc. from delivering shipments to Apple Germany, thereby cutting off sales further up the distribution chain without a direct judgment against Apple Germany.

Mueller argues that any restrictions on Apple Inc.'s ability to business in Germany will have an effect on the company's business there, even with actual sales being funneled through the Apple Germany subsidiary. Consequently, he believes that Apple will begin to feel an impact "within weeks" unless Apple wins a suspension of the injunction. In a follow-up post, Mueller notes that a number of German lawyers have indicated that Apple is likely to win such a suspension as the trials continue to play out, but that Apple will need to move quickly to appeal the verdict in order to minimize any impact from it.

All of the lawyers I talked to had consistent positions. In particular, all of them agree with me that the default judgment against Apple Inc. of Cupertino would have very near-term business impact unless Apple wins a suspension. They all agree that in one way or another, Apple's German business also depends on Apple Inc. being unrestricted to do business in Germany. And they all concur that Apple is more likely than not to win a temporary suspension (for the period until a substantive decision following a second hearing by the same court). "More likely than not" is a conservative consensus position. An unnamed one of them told me he can't imagine any other outcome.

As for why Apple allowed the default judgment to be made in Motorola's favor, Mueller puts forward an array of theories, from Apple's lawyers simply missing the court date for some reason to strategic plans to either draw out the case or to preserve the ability to introduce certain new evidence. With so many other cases and investigations relating to Apple's intellectual property disputes, it can be difficult to determine how a move in one case could affect other events, similarly hampering the ability to understand Apple's rationale.