Reverse phone lookup: May 2015

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

U S Carriers and FCC Come to Agreement Over Consumer Unlocking of Mobile Devices

The five major U.S. carriers have come to an agreement with the FCC over a set of voluntary industry principles to make it easier for wireless customers to unlock their devices and switch from carrier to carrier if they wish. The CTIA -- the industry trade group representing AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon in the matter -- says it will recommend the principles be added to the groups "Consumer Code for Wireless Service" and the carriers will commit to implement them within 12 months.

The terms agreed to include [PDF]:

- Disclosure: Each carrier will post on its website its clear, concise, and readily accessible policy on postpaid and prepaid mobile wireless device unlocking.

- Postpaid Unlocking Policy: Carriers, upon request, will unlock mobile wireless devices or provide the necessary information to unlock their devices for their customers and former customers in good standing and individual owners of eligible devices after the fulfillment of the applicable postpaid service contract, device financing plan or payment of an applicable early termination fee.

- Prepaid Unlocking Policy: Carriers, upon request, will unlock prepaid mobile wireless devices no later than one year after initial activation, consistent with reasonable time, payment or usage requirements.

- Notice: Carriers that lock devices will clearly notify customers that their devices are eligible for unlocking at the time when their devices are eligible for unlocking or automatically unlock devices remotely when devices are eligible for unlocking, without additional fee. Carriers reserve the right to charge non-customers/non-former customers a reasonable fee for unlocking requests. Notice to prepaid customers may occur at point of sale, at the time of eligibility, or through a clear and concise statement of the policy on the carriers website.

- Response Time: Within two business days after receiving a request, carriers will unlock eligible mobile wireless devices or initiate a request to the OEM to unlock the eligible device, or provide an explanation of why the device does not qualify for unlocking, or why the carrier reasonably needs additional time to process the request.

- Deployed Personnel Unlocking Policy: Carriers will unlock mobile wireless devices for deployed military personnel who are customers in good standing upon provision of deployment papers.

Carriers reserve the right to decline an unlock request if they have a reasonable basis to believe the request is fraudulent or the device is stolen.

In a statement issued after the agreement was announced, the CTIA noted that "unlocking devices may not necessarily mean full interoperability since devices that work on one provider’s network may not be technologically compatible with another wireless provider’s network" and that unlocking a device may enable some functionality but not necessarily all.

Early this year, the Library of Congress ruled that it was illegal for certain mobile phone owners to unlock their phones unless specifically authorized by their carrier. This past September, the Obama administration filed a petition with the FCC, asking that carriers be required to unlock mobile devices. This voluntary agreement between the FCC and carriers would appear to forestall the need for legal action by either Congress or the FCC.

Data source: via MacRumors (By Jordan Golson)

Facebook enables auto playing News Feed videos in iOS app

Facebook has updated its iOS app with a new "feature" that auto-plays videos in a users News Feed. With the just-released Facebook version 6.8 for iOS, any time a user scrolls through their News Feed and comes upon a video, it will auto-play instead of only playing when the user has tapped on it. The auto-play feature works on both friends videos and video ads.

The new feature is something that could easily annoy many users. However, Facebook was smart enough to mute audio in the auto-playing videos by default. In order to hear the audio the user must still tap on the playing video. It also makes it more likely that people might actually stop and watch that video clip of your dancing dog instead of scrolling right past it.

The auto-playing feature comes at a time when other social networks are seeing a lot of people upload video clips to share with their friends (or the world, in the case of Twitters Vine) and this move by Facebook is in no doubt part of a plan to engage more users with videos on their site. It also opens the door for auto-playing video ads, however.

For those worried about using up their precious cellular data, Facebook was nice enough to add an "Auto-play on WiFi only" setting in the Settings app in iOS. This way, videos in your News Feed wont auto-play while you are on 3G or 4G.

To review and download FaceBook on the App Store click here.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 6.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Free Apps
Category: Social Networking
Updated: Dec 11, 2013
Version: 6.8
Size: 52.7 MB

Data source: via TUAW (By Michael Grothaus)

Snachat Update Brings Two New features Chat and Here Live Video Calls

This week the ephemeral photo sharing service Snapchat saw a major update for its iOS app, which brought a new text messaging feature called “Chat,” and live video chat feature called "Here."

The new Chat feature in the app allows you to swipe right on a friend’s name in your Snapchat inbox to start text messaging, as messages in the chat screen are cleared upon leaving the window. In the conversation, you can start the live vedio chat by tapping and holding on the blue photo button. You can also switch between the front facing and rear facing camera using swipe up/down gesture respectively.

Snapchat’s last update was issued in October 2013 which brought a new "Snapchat Stories" news feed feature, and in late 2013 the company reportedly turned down a $4 billion acquisition offer from Google and a $3 billion offer from Facebook. The app in the past few months was know a security breach last December compromised the user names and phone numbers of more than 4.6 million customers.

To review and download Snapchat on the App Store click here.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad 2 Wi-Fi, iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G, iPad Wi-Fi (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (3rd generation), iPad Wi-Fi (4th generation), iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (4th generation), iPad mini Wi-Fi, iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad Air, iPad Air Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini with Retina display Wi-Fi + Cellular, iPod touch (4th generation), and iPod touch (5th generation)

Free Apps
Category: Photo & Video
Updated: May 01, 2014
Version: 7.0.0
Size: 19.8 MB

Read also:

The 17 Hottest Enterprise Mobile Startups Right Now

Replacing Messages: Three alternative apps for iOS messaging

Apple Releases iOS 7 1 for iPhone iPad and iPod touch with Bug Fixes and Visual Tweaks

After five beta versions to developers, the last coming on February 4. Apple today released iOS 7.1 to the public (build number: 11D167), marking the first major update to iOS 7 since its September release.

According to the release notes, iOS 7.1 includes a number of improvements and bug fixes. among them much-needed improvements to the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system built-in to the iPhone 5s, an update for a home screen crashing issue, and iPhone 4 users will enjoy improved responsiveness and performance.

Apple has launched a new website page that shows off some of the additions to iOS 7.1., with a focus on CarPlay feature, which was first unveiled by Apple last week.

In addition to bug fixes the update includes multiple visual tweaks, such as Messages apps, Reduce Motion, iCloud Keychain, revamped shift and caps locks keys on the keyboard, face Time, and a redesign for several aspects of the Phone dialer and shutdown screen.

There are many minor improvements to enhance the performance of the operating system have also been bundled into the update such as Accessibility included new options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point, new Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s, a new event list view within the Calendar app, new bounce animations in Control Center, and more prominent buttons in the Music app. Full release notes are as follows:

CarPlay
- iOS experience designed for the car
- Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle
- Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps
- Control with Siri and the cars touchscreen, knobs, and buttons

Siri
- Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when youre done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking
- New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese

iTunes Radio
- Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song
- Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing
- Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free

Calendar
- Option to display events in month view
- Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries

Accessibility
- Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs
- Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations
- New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point

Other
- New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s
- iCloud Keychain support in additional countries
- FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device
- Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash
- Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition
- Improved performance for iPhone 4
- Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000
- Continued user interface refinements

iOS 7.1 officially disables the evasi0n iOS 7 jailbreak, patching key kernel exploits.

If the iOS 7.1 is not available over the air, you can update your device manually, via the software update tool in the settings menu on iOS devices. Users on devices upgrading from iOS 7.0.6 are seeing file sizes of approximately 268 MB, while those upgrading from a beta are seeing larger downloads of 1.3-1.4 GB.

Here are the direct download links for iOS 7.1:

iPad:

-iPad Air (Model A1474)
-iPad Air (Model A1475)
-iPad mini (Model A1489)
-iPad mini (Model A1490)
-iPad (4th generation Model A1458)
-iPad (4th generation Model A1459)
-iPad (4th generation Model A1460)
-iPad mini (Model A1432)
-iPad mini (Model A1454)
-iPad mini (Model A1455)
-iPad Wi-Fi 3rd generation
-iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for ATT)
-iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular (model for Verizon)
-iPad 2 Wi-Fi
-iPad 2 Wi-Fi (Rev A)
-iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (GSM)
-iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G (CDMA)

iPhone:

-iPhone 5s (Model A1453, A1533)
-iPhone 5s (Model A1457, A1518, A1528, A1530)
-iPhone 5c (Model A1456, A1532)
-iPhone 5c (Model A1507, A1516, A1526, A1529)
-iPhone 5 (Model A1428)
-iPhone 5 (Model A1429)
-iPhone 4s
-iPhone 4 (GSM)
-iPhone 4 (GSM Rev A)
-iPhone 4 (CDMA)

iPod touch:

-iPod touch (5th generation)

Source: Apple via MacRumors

iOS 7 0 4 Activity Ramping Up at Apple Ahead of Next Minor Software Update

Apple unsurprisingly appears to be ramping up activity on iOS 7.0.4 as the next version of iOS to see a release to the public, with MacRumors seeing increasing numbers of devices running iOS 7.0.4 from Apples networks showing up in web logs.

Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apples networks from devices running iOS 7.0.4

The first signs of iOS 7.0.4 appeared on October 22, the same day iOS 7.0.3 was released to the public. Activity has been ramping up over the past two weeks, but there is no word yet on when the update might be released to the public. Apple has also not seeded registered developers with any builds of iOS 7.0.4, but the company does not always do so for its minor iOS updates.

Visitors to MacRumors.com via Apples networks from devices running iOS 7.1

As we previously noted, iOS 7.1 devices from Apples network began showing up in our logs in late August, and while visits from those devices increased during October, they have declined somewhat during the first week of November. iOS 7.1 would be expected to bring a more substantial number of updates, but it appears that a public launch may yet be some time off with Apple working on a smaller iOS 7.0.4 release.

iOS 8 continues to show very low levels of activity in our logs, with the next major version of Apples iOS software undoubtedly still in the very early stages of development and a public release roughly a year in the future.

Data source: via MacRumors (By Eric Slivka)

Image of Logitech iPhone Game Controller Leaked

An image of what might be Logitechs upcoming MFi (Made for iPhone) controller for the iPhone has been leaked on Twitter by @evleaks, who has been known to provide reliable images in the past.

The enclosure controller wraps around the iPhone, adding buttons and controls on either side of the phone and is similar to an earlier prototype that was leaked back in June. It also fits with teaser images that Logitech released a few weeks ago.

While the controller in the image is an enclosure model, other available models are said to be standalone controllers that will not require an attachment to an iPhone or an iPad to function.

In addition to the Logitech gamepad, GameCase last week released a trailer for its GameCase iPhone controller, which connects via Bluetooth and is battery operated.

News of MFi controllers first surfaced in June, after Apple debuted the controller API at WWDC. Since the release of iOS 7, many games have incorporated Game Controller Support, including several major titles like Walking Dead and Bastion.

Though no game controllers have yet to hit the market, the appearance of controller support in games and continuing hardware leaks suggest that a release could come at any time, possibly during Apples rumored iPad-centric fall event.

Data source: via MacRumors (By Juli Clover)

Increasing Cost of Sapphire Displays May Limit Production of 5 5 Inch iPhone 6

iPhone Air concept.

A new post on Weibo citing supply chain sources (via GforGames) claims Apple will produce only 10 million 5.5-inch iPhone 6 units throughout the product’s life-cycle is due to the increasing cost of sapphire, the high cost of producing the sapphire may hinder Apples ability to include the scratch-resistant material in a large number of its smartphone versions.

The post notes that a sapphire display might cost 1743 yuan, or $280, which is a significant jump over the $44 estimated for the 4-inch Retina display used in the iPhone 5s, Rumors have suggested that Apple might increase the retail price of the next generation iPhone by $100, and this could be one of the reasons.

These latest reports suggest that the sapphire screen costs around 1743 yuan (or $280), which would raise the final cost of the device to about 8000 yuan (or $1285) – at least in China. At the moment, the 16 GB iPhone 5S costs 5288 yuan in China ($850), whereas the beefier 64 GB variant is retailed at the price of 6888 yuan (or $1106)

Earlier report might reinforce this rumor, pointed that supply constraints may force Apple to reserve the sapphire display for premium iPhone models such as the 64GB version of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6.

Apple still buys sapphire from third-party suppliers, but is also starting production of the material in small quantities at its Arizona facility, is expected to produce between 100 and 200 million sapphire displays, enough for an entire line of devices when it reaches full operating capacity. The sapphire production plant is financed by Apple and operated by GT Advanced.

Source: Weibo via GforGames, MacRumors

The craziest things you can plug into your iPhones audio jack

The 3.5mm jack on your iPhone is lovingly referred to as the "headphone jack," because thats what the overwhelming majority of us use it for. But the diminutive port has other uses as well, and there are some pretty crazy things you can do with it. Here are some of the strangest accessories that can be plugged into that otherwise unremarkable hole on your iPhone.

An infrared BBQ thermometer

Infrared thermometers let you measure the temp of an object without ever actually touching it, and this handy version plugs right into your iPhone. Along with its companion app, the thermometer can measure temps up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit, making it perfect as a BBQ companion. The app even comes with a special temp gauge showing you the safe cooking temp for a wide variety of meats.

A laser pointer

There are few things more perplexingly entertaining than playing around with a laser pointer, and with the X-Pointer, you can turn your iPhone into one as well. After plugging the device into the audio jack, the X-Presenter app controls the function of the pointer. If you have a cat, you probably need one of these.

A Geiger counter

Ok, so you probably dont need to measure the radiation in your home or work on a regular basis, but its somewhat comforting to know that if you need one, the iXR2012 Personal Radiation Meter exists. The device plugs into the your iPhone and fits to the back of the device. The companion app uses data from the accessory to display radiation readings in real time. Wow.

A smart thermometer

As we reported last week, the Kinsa thermometer is on its way to measure your temp and diagnose your illness. The device is designed to be appealing to youngsters and take the anxiety out of getting their temperature taken, and its powerful companion app can help adults discover what bugs are going around.

A cat and a Starbucks latte

These tiny plug "charms" dont really do anything, but theres no denying that theyre downright adorable. Their main purpose is to keep your audio jack free of dust and other pocket debris, but whether you prefer a bit of java or a cuddly feline, theyre definitely eye-catching at the same time.

Header image credit: Yutaka Tsutano

Data source: via TUAW (By Mike Wehner)

Runscope Offers New Service To Test Live API Calls For Improving The Quality Of Mobile Apps

Runscope, which develops tools that monitor API traffic, has launched a new automated API and backend service testing tool to improve the quality of mobile apps.

The new Runscope Radar service, launched at the AWS re:Invent conference in Las Vegas, is designed to alleviate the concerns that come with changing backend APIs. It allows app maintainers to verify that their backend services are returning the data their apps expect with the intent of reducing the frequency of app crashes. But testing can be a fragile process that if it goes wrong can cause a poor experience for the customer. Runscope Radar is designed to help customers change their apps’ backend services without breaking it. The intent is to provide ways to improve the service without disrupting the customer experience.

With Radar, a developer starts with a list of requests and sets the parameters to determine if the API is working. The tests are based on real requests made from apps for high-fidelity recreations of real-world situations.

A customer receives notifications based upon the completion or failure of any test. The service integrates with services like CircleCi, GitHub, Heroku, Jenkins and TeamCity to run API tests on commits, builds or deploys.

For example, a developer consuming an API just wants to make sure that it is not affecting the end-user experience. If an API breaks it disrupts the communication.

“Broken services, broken apps,” said John Sheehan, CEO of Runscope, to me at the conference after his presentation. “Even internal services powering your apps need to be always available.”

APIs are now widely used by developers but reliability is still an issue, as there can be any number of issues with the numerous devices and platforms people use.

There are still few ways to manage API reliability. Companies go through a process of checking with API providers to determine if they can be counted on.

Runscope is a company that offers a service that will become more in demand as APIs become ever more common. The process to test APIs is for the most part a manual one that needs to be more automated. This is especially true as more startups emerge that are pure API services offered as mobile apps.

Data source: via TC (By Alex Williams)

Origine souorce: Runscope

Viber 4 0 released for iOS with tons of new features

Popular cross-platform messaging and VoIP app Viber has released version 4.0 today. The updated app sports a host of new features including the ability to send voice messages via "Hold and Talk," the ability to forward any message to a contact or group, the ability to add up to 100 people to group conversations, the addition of more than 1,000 new stickers, a new iOS 7-inspired icon and more. Check out the full release notes below:

Whats New in Version 4.0

• Download over 1,000 new stickers from the Sticker Market

• Significant performance improvements

• Instant Hold and Talk - Send voice messages. Your friend will hear you as you speak!

• Forward any message to a contact or group

• Select conversation backgrounds from our new background gallery

• Add up to 100 participants to group conversations

To review and download Viber on The App Store click here.

Compatibility: Requires iOS 5.0 or later. Compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

Free Apps
Category: Social Networking
Updated: Nov 12, 2013
Version: 4.0
Size: 30.8 MB

Data source: via TUAW (By Michael Grothaus)

Are you sick Get ready for your iPhone to take your temperature and diagnose your illness

My iPhone can tell me where I am in the world, remind me when I need to take my vitamins and bring me face-to-face with relatives all over in an instant, but it cant tell me why I have this nagging cough -- at least not yet. As Fast Company reports, a new iPhone app/accessory combo hopes to change that. Its called Kinsa, and it all starts with a thermometer.

After plugging the thermometer into your iPhone via the headphone port, it will read your temperature in real time and display it on the screen, letting you spot a fever as soon as your temp passes a healthy mark. Once the thermometer accessory has done its job, the Kinsa app takes your hand and helps you make sense of whatever symptoms you may have. The app taps into account what the Kinsa team calls "health weather" -- a database that can reveal if a particular illness is making the rounds in your area.

Kinsa is a powerful tool for adults, but its designed to work better than a traditional thermometer when it comes to kids as well. Playful graphics and bright colors give the app a very relaxing vibe, which isnt exactly the norm when it comes to medical devices. Kinsa isnt quite ready for retail just yet, but you can sign up on the companys website to be notified as soon as you can get your hands on your own.

Data source: via TUAW (By Mike Wehner) [fastcodesign]
Origine source: Kinsahealth

Pebble Smart Watch Adds Do Not Disturb Option Enhanced Notification Control

Photo by @granddiamondwit

Pebble today released an update for its smart watch that enables various features, including a "Do Not Disturb" function that blocks notifications for a specified period of time, and the ability to create multiple alarms.

Also included is improved control over notifications which allow the user to specify which types of messages are displayed, and enhanced iOS connectivity performance along with various bug fixes.

What’s New
Do Not Disturb. Block notifications for a set period of time (from Pebble: Settings » Notifications » Do Not Disturb).

Alarms app update. Create multiple Alarms, toggle Alarms on/off, and edit existing Alarms.
New “Snooze Alarm.” Customizable via the Pebble Alarms app.

Improved Notification Control. Specify what notifications are displayed (Notifications On, Phone Calls Only, or Notifications Off). Notification settings are now accessible more quickly through a dedicated menu (Settings » Notifications).

Improved iOS performance. Notifications are now sent more quickly from your iOS device to Pebble. After exiting Airplane Mode, Pebble will now search for connectable iOS devices immediately, instead of waiting one minute.

The device was also updated earlier this month with full support for iOS 7 notifications along with the addition of a developer SDK and APIs for Javascript, the accelerometer, data logging and persistent storage.

Originally, the Pebble raised more than $10 million on Kickstarter, potentially proving the viability of the smart watch as a product. Apple is also said to be working on its own iWatch and recently invested hundreds of millions of dollars in a new Arizona factory to make sapphire glass, perhaps for such a product.

The Pebble smart watch is available for $150 from getpebble.com and at Best Buy and AT&T retail stores.

Data source: via MacRumors (By Richard Padilla)
Image source: via getpebble

Its the little things What we like and dont like in iOS 7

Now that we’ve been living with iOS 7 for a while, we’ve had a chance to uncover some little things we might not have noticed at first.
Some of those little things are good, others not so much. Here’s our list. What about yours? Let us know in the comments below.

What we like

Wayfinding and leveling with Compass: In iOS 7, Compass received a thorough revamp, gaining a couple of cool new features. One my favorites: Say you’re trying to find your way in a specific direction. Just orient yourself in that direction, and then tap the compass. Now, when you start to stray from the direction you specified, a red bar on screen indicates just how far off course you are. My other favorite: If you swipe to the left on the compass, you bring up the new level, which works when you place the phone flat on a surface or set it on its side.—Dan Moren

The iTunes Store wish list.

Wish List in the iTunes Store: I’ve used the Wish List in iTunes on my Mac for years to keep track of music I want to buy someday. I was never able to access that list from my iPhone—until iOS 7 came along. Now, I can tap the list icon at the top right of the screen in the iTunes Store app to get access to my Wish List. (There’s also a list of tracks I’ve previewed or played in iTunes Radio.) Coincidentally, my Wish List is also more accessible now on my Mac, too, thanks to iTunes 11.1: For example, when I like a track in iTunes Radio, I can add it to the list with one click on a contextual menu.—Dan Miller

Specifying short names in Mail, Messages: The new Short Name feature, which you can find by going toSettings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Contacts, lets you customize how contact names display in Mail and Messages, when real estate is at a premium. If you activate it, you can opt to show first name and last initial, first initial and last name, or first or last name only. Moreover, you can ask iOS to show nicknames to shorten things even more, so you see ‘Dan’ instead of ‘Daniel’, for instance.—Dan Moren

Timestamps in Messages.

Viewing timestamps in Messages: One thing that always bugged me about iOS was that I could never tell when someone had last texted me. My phone would tell me occasionally but not consistently, and I’d end up missing out on activities because I responded ten minutes too late. Being able to swipe to the left while in a text message and seeing when it was sent is a godsend, and easily my favorite new feature. (Of course, maybe I should just check my phone more often.)—Armando Rodriguez

Reminders geofence perimeter: The geofencing capabilities of Reminders are handy when you need a location-based reminder. But if you’ve ever wished for more fine-grained control over when your phone believes you’ve arrived at your Home or Work location, iOS 7 can help. When you select a location, you’ll now see a small map, with a blue circle around the location’s address. By tapping and dragging on the black handle of that circle, you can expand or contract the area in which your reminder will fire. So if you want to remember to call someone when you’re a couple of miles from home, Reminders is your new best friend.—Dan Moren

Shared links in Safari.

Shared links in Safari: Twitter is great, but it isn’t always efficient. Of course, I like to know what the people I’m following are talking about. But sometimes I want to cut to the chase, to check out interesting things they’ve found online, without wading through whole conversations. That’s why I really like the new Shared Links list in iOS 7’s version of Safari: Tap the Bookmarks button at the bottom of the Safari screen, and then open the Shared Links tab (an @ sign), and—assuming you’ve given iOS 7 your Twitter and Facebook credentials—you’ll get a a list of links that your friends have posted on those two social networks.—Dan Miller

Timer on the home screen: You probably know that you can set a timer using Siri—it’s even more efficient than using the timer shortcut in Control Center. But when you want to check on that timer, the easiest thing to do, by far, is simply to wake up your iPhone. You’ll see the current timer, counting down, on the lock screen, right beneath the clock. Even better, when the timer is done, you can silence it from the lock screen, with just a tap.—Dan Moren

More info in Weather: The Weather app now includes sunset and sunrise times, as well as the basic high and low temps. Just side-scroll on the hourly forecast section, and it’ll include the time the sun is coming up or going down—handy whether you’re trying to plan a morning run or you’re a vampire concerned about curfew.—Scholle Sawyer McFarland

Swipe right to go back: In most stock iOS apps, as well as many apps that have been updated to support iOS 7, the familiar Back arrow in the upper-left corner of the screen is gone. You now navigate to the previous view (whatever that was) by swiping to the right from the left edge of the screen. I initially disliked this approach, because it wasn’t obvious and I didn’t know exactly where that gesture would get me. (The arrow would always include the name of the previous screen or section.) But after using iOS 7 for a while, I have to say the swipe-back gesture has grown on me. In fact, I’ve gotten so used to it that when I encounter an app that hasn’t been updated to use the gesture, I find my self swiping right, over and over again, wondering why nothing is happening.—Dan Frakes

What bugs us

Control Center’s tricky target: Although I like the new Control Center, I wish it were easier to summon. Yes, it sounds simple: Just swipe upward from the bottom of the screen. But in my experience, it takes a few swipes before Control Center actually appears. Perhaps I’ll acquire the touch over time, but for now I find it really frustrating (especially, for some reason, on the iPad mini).—Christopher Breen

Folders in the iOS 7 home screen.

Wasted space in home-screen folders: In iOS 6, folders on the home screen could display up to 20 apps at a time on the iPad, and 16 at a time on the iPhone 5 and the most recent iPod touch. In iOS 7, you see only nine apps at a time. Granted, you can now put many more items in a folder and then swipe to navigate among multiple folder screens. But the nine-apps-at-a-time limit—which appears to have been implemented solely for aesthetic reasons, so folders can zoom out and in gracefully—feels like it’s wasting a lot of useful space. Worse, it forces you to perform more taps and swipes to access a given app.—Dan Frakes, Armando Rodriguez

Email groups in Mail: While iOS Mail has improved steadily with each major update to iOS, it still doesn’t support sending to email groups. And the iOS Contacts app still doesn’t let you create such groups. You can, of course, create contact groups in OS X’s Contacts app. But those groups don’t function the same way in iOS as they do in OS X. I can’t, for example, send an email to the ‘Macworld Editors’ group on my iPhone—the group doesn’t even show up. And, while I’m at it: When filing email, Mail no longer remembers your last-used position in the mailbox list; you have to scroll from the top each time. And although it’s great that you can now search all mailboxes from within Mail, iOS 7 has eliminated the option to search only, say, message subjects or senders.—Dan Frakes

Media controls in Control Center
(from the regular home screen).

Less accessible media controls: In iOS 6, you could always bring up the media-control buttons from the lock screen—even if you weren’t currently playing media—by double-pressing the Home button. That made it easy to resume listening to your most recently listened-to track. In iOS 7, if you disable Control Center on the lock screen (which is better for security), you can’t initiate media playback without unlocking your phone and opening whatever music-playing app you usually use; the media controls appear on the lock screen only if you’re already listening to something.—Dan Frakes

That tiny blue new-app indicator: The little blue badge that iOS 7 puts next to new or newly updated apps is really hard to make out, especially if you’re using a lighter-colored background. It isn’t as prominent as the old ‘New’ banner we had in iOS 6, so figuring out if you’ve used an app since you downloaded it is harder.—Armando Rodriguez

Folders versus bookmarks in Safari: In the past, telling the difference between folders and bookmarks in iOS Safari’s bookmarks list was really easy. But now, owing to the “simplification” of iOS 7’s visual language, each of them has a similar blue outline; you have to squinch up your eyes to tell the difference. The problem is particularly annoying on an iPad mini.—Christopher Breen

A less powerful Spotlight: iOS 7 makes Spotlight easier to access, but it also makes the feature less useful. You can now search for files only locally, whereas before you could also use Spotlight to quickly search Google or Wikipedia. I can understand Apple’s wanting us to rely on Siri for quick Web searches, but the virtual assistant is less reliable, and sometimes I don’t feel like dictating everything I’m searching for.—Armando Rodriguez

Data source: via Macworld (By Macworld Staff)

Apples iWatch Said to Arrive in Separate 1 7 and 1 3 Inch Display Sizes for Men and Women

Samsungs Galaxy Gear smart watch

Last month, NPD DisplaySearch analyst David Hsieh offered an overview of Apples display plans for future devices, based on sources in the companys supply chain. Among the products included in Hsiehs analysis was Apples long-rumored "iWatch" smart watch device, with Hsieh only briefly noting that Apple appeared to be looking to source both 1.3-inch and 1.63-inch flexible AMOLED displays with resolutions of 320 x 320 pixels.

According to the Korea Herald (via Unwired View), Hsieh offered a few additional details on Apples plans at a conference today, noting that the company will be using the two sizes to offer watches targeting men with a larger 1.7-inch display and women with a smaller 1.3-inch option.

Apple’s wearable iWatch is expected to come with a 1.7-inch OLED display for men’s watches and a 1.3-inch OLED screen for women, David Hsieh, DisplaySearch’s Vice President of the Greater China Market, said at a conference today in Taiwan, citing Apple sources. [...]

It is yet to be confirmed whether the displays will be flexible but sources said it was a possibility, since Apple will want to upstage Samsung’s Galaxy Gear.

Separate from Hsiehs comments, the report claims that Apple could introduce the iWatch as soon as late this year, but that appears to be extremely unlikely given that it is already mid-November and that recent rumors have pointed to a late 2014 timeframe for launch.

Just days ago, fellow NPD DisplaySearch analyst Paul Gagnon noted that Apple appears to have put its major television product plans on hold for the time being in order to focus on wearables such as the iWatch. Apples ambitious TV plans have reportedly been stymied by difficult negotiations with content providers, with the company feeling that it needs to have the content side in place before being able to offer something more substantial than the current Apple TV box on the hardware side.

Data source: via MacRumors (By Eric Slivka)

Apple Has Stopped Signing iOS 7 1 2 Downgrading No Longer Possible

Apple has stopped to signing iOS 7.1.2. firmware, as of september 26 (via iClarified), that will prevent users - whatever reasons - for downgrading from iOS 8 back to iOS 7.

Apple often shortly after the release of new iOS, it stops siging the prior version, thus this step with iOS 7.1.2 isnt exception, despite it may be undesirable from some users, particularly, that they are facing some issues with iOS 8, or are unhappy with these new changes. Users who are jailbroken must to be aware of this.

We encourage those who are jailbroken on iOS 7.1.2 or lower to be careful when connecting their device to iTunes as it will prompt you to update. If you do update, you will lose your jailbreak.

iOS 8 is not compatible with all iPhones, can only be installed on iPhone 4s and late. iOS 7.1.2 will remain available for iPhone 4 users.

Apple has release iOS 7.1.2 on June 30, is the latest version in iOS 7 path, which was include some bug fixes related with the security and email attachment encryption issue.

Source: iH8Sn0w via iClarified

Read also:

A Comprehensive List of iOS 8 Hidden Features and Changes and how Can Be Accessed

Take a Look of New Features in New Apple Products; iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay, and Apple Watch

User Interface Modifications in iOS 8 Beta 5

Apple has released the fifth beta of iOS 8 to developers, like previous betas, the new update also includes a number of improvements, tweaks, and bug fixes, to make iOS 8 feel faster and more polished.

The first introduced of iOS 8 was on June 2 at the Worldwide Developers Conference. Apple added a range of new features to iOS 8 like the integration with OS X through Continuity, Family Sharing features, and new apps like a Health and a Tips app, as well as nice improvements to some existing apps like Messages, Safari and Photos app.

iOS 8 beta 5 as has been mentioned includes within it several minor interface modifications, the list below shows these changes.

Health: Apples Health app now collects Spirometry data, according to the iOS 8 beta 5 release notes. Spirometry tests measure lung function, tracking the volume and flow of air when inhaling and exhaling. The app has also received several changes in this update, a new option to export Health data, a "Show When Logged" option to display Medical ID on the lock screen, and new Health panel in Privacy settings.

via 9to5Mac

iCloud: iCloud Drive, Backup, and Keychain have new icons in the iCloud section of the Settings app.

SMS Relay: The iPhone will now prompt a popup asks users if can use their phone numbers for SMS Relay on others Apples devices. This fall under the new Continuity features between OS X Yosemite and iOS 8.

Photos: Photos received a new notification "Last Updated" lets users to know when images were last synced to iCloud. Theres also an iCloud Photo Settings option, that empower you to store full resolution photos just in iCloud, while keeping device-optimized versions available on the device to save storage space.

Predictive text: Now there is an option on the keyboard to toggle predictive text on and off. The option redesigned and renamed from QuickType in beta 3 to "Predictive."

WiFi Calling: New WiFi calling indicator for T-Mobile appears at the top of the iPhone screen, when WiFi calling is enabled.

Wallpaper Settings: Now you can get the Brightness toggle from Display & Brightness section of the Settings app instead to Wallpaper section of the Settings app.

Probably less than two months separate us from the public release of iOS 8, but likely well see other bata updates, that bring minor performance boosts and changes.

Source: via MacRumors and others

Read also:

A Comprehensive List of Changes in iOS 8 Beta 4

A List of User Interface Changes in iOS 8 Beta 3

Interesting Features and Changes in Both iOS 8 Beta Updates

Photos App in iOS 8

iOS 8 Features

iOS 8 Brings New Option "Send Last Location" To Find My iPhone or iPad

Rumor iWatch Facing Some Challenges in Manufacturing

Seemingly the wearable device from Apple "iWatch" that was expected to release in 2014 it will be delayed, that for technical issues outside of the will.

The report from Digitimes claims that one of those issues involves surface finish treatments for the body of the device, with both Apples iWatch and Qualcomms Toq "Android smart watch" searching for ways to improve the look of chassis parts made using metal injection molding (MIM) methods.

Several wearable devices such as Apples iWatch and Qualcomms Toq are reportedly seeing less than 50% yield rates due to difficulties applying surface treatments on their metal injection molded (MIM) chassis, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

[...]

MIM-made components used to be used inside products, but as the components are now becoming part of the external design, surface treatments have become an important process for the look of products.

Since clients have high demand over quality, and also need high volumes of supply, most component makers are having difficulties satisfying both of requirements.

In addition to Apple and Qualcomm, Sony, Samsung Electronics, Pebble, Casio, Nike, Adidas, Epson, and LG are also preparing to launch new wearable devices in 2014.

Source: Digitimes
Image source: TC

Improved App Store Search Engine Now Corrects For Users’ “Fat Finger” Mistakes Other Misspellings

A recent change to Apples App Store search engine now leads to improved search results for misspelled queries with small typos, weve learned.
In addition, searchers looking for an app they know by name, but are unsure if it has spaces in the title, are also seeing better results. For example, those looking for the highly ranked “QuizUp” game wouldnt have found it before if they had typed in “Quiz Up” with a space. Now it appears.

Sources familiar with the matter confirm to us that these App Store search engine changes went into effect a few weeks ago.

The improvements could lead to increased app downloads for affected developers, particularly those with hard-to-spell or lengthy titles, as many are only now beginning to realize.

“Thats great news for app publishers and yet another step in Apples efforts to improve app discoverability,” says Craig Palli, Chief Strategy Officer at mobile app marketer Fiksu, who also confirmed these changes following our inquiry.

The improvement is no small matter when it comes to pitting Apples App Store versus competitor Google Play, which has long since offered a spell checking function. For example, earlier this year, App Store SEO firm SearchMan had looked into the differences between the two platforms, and found that a simple misspelling of the word “calendar” (i.e., spelling it “calender”) led to 100 times more results in Google Play. It seems the only iOS apps returned were those who thought to include the misspelling as one of their keywords.

The company had run through a handful of misspellings to further demonstrate this problem (see slide 8 here, and above), which showed how much better Google Play was at correcting for typos and poorly spelled words.

SearchMan CEO Niren Hiro ran these same queries again for the date of November 24th, 2013 and found the results had definitely shifted, though not always for the better. (See chart below).

In the case where a misspelling returned few results, like “newz” which had 9 hits or “camara” which had 862, there was a dramatic improvement. But he spotted something else, too: there appears to be a cap of roughly 2,220 results on the misspelled words right now, which is why you see that misspelled keywords like “shoping” and “pocker” are actually seeing fewer results than before. This is likely the result of the App Store now correcting for the misspelling instead of looking for the exact keyword match.

Though the changes will lead some consumers to apps they may not have otherwise discovered, or at least get them there more quickly if they had made a “fat finger” mistake, they dont really represent a large volume of App Store queries.

In another test, George Lawrence, founder at App Store optimization firm Straply, pulled data for all the misspelled variations of the phrase “angry birds” on the iOS App Store, for example.

The correct spelling drove 98.48% of searches, but no misspelled variation even generated one percent of search volume. “Angery birds” was 0.46% of searches, “angri birds” was 0.37%, “angry blrds” was 0.32% of searches, and so on. There were only five misspelled variations that drove enough search volume to even rank, says Lawrence.

“Misspellings and mistypings are definitely happening in the App Store, but according to our volume estimates, those types of mistakes are still very much in the long tail,” he explains. “Many of the volumes are so low, they round to zero.”

Though misspellings may represent the long tail of App Store searches, correcting for these queries is an important feature for any search engine to offer, whether app search or otherwise. However, its clear that in search, as expected, Google has had the advantage here – its nearly 2014, and only now has Apple made this sort of basic feature live.

Still, the improvements should be positively received by the majority of the iOS developer community, except of course for the App Store equivalent of a domain name squatter, who may have been erroneously benefitting from users typos and mistakes until now.

Data source: via TC (By Sarah Perez)

Zepp Labs shipping Multi Sport Training System to help athletes improve their skills

Whether youre a dedicated amateur athlete or a professional, Zepp Labs has just started shipping something that can help you get to the top of your game. The companys Zepp Sensor and mount kits, along with dedicated apps for baseball, golf and tennis, are designed to let you focus on your swing while staying out of the way.

The sensor is about one inch square in size, about a half-inch in thickness, and weighs only 6.3 grams. It can be attached to the bottom of a baseball bat or tennis racquet, or attaches easily to the back of a golf glove. Containing an ARM processor, 3D motion sensors, and storage for thousands of swings, the Zepp sensor grabs up to 1,000 data points per second, then transfers the data to the athletes iPhone or iPad.

Zepp Baseball (US$149.99) lets players replay and review swings in 360 degrees from any angle, track bat speed, capture the angles of the bat at impact with the ball, and track progress over time. Zepp Golf ($149.99) also provides swing analysis, measures club speed, swing tempo, and the angle of the club shaft at the top of your backswing. If your iPhone is in your pocket while youre swinging the club, it will measure how much your hips rotate. Each swing is given a SwingScore, measuring the quality of the swing. Your golf swing data can be shared or even compared with a PGA coachs swing.

Finally, tennis players will love Zepp Tennis ($149.99), as it tracks the number of forehands, backhands, serves and smashes hit during a tennis match. The power of each stroke is tracked, along with how many topspin, slice and flat shots are hit.

The sensor packs, along with an appropriate mount, will be in Apple Stores starting November 19 and selected Verizon stores beginning November 21. The company will also sell additional mounts for $9.99 each from the zepp.com website. You can purchase the complete Training System today from the Zepp.com website if you are anxious to get started improving your abilities.

Data source: TUAW (By Steven Sande)
Origine source: Zepp

New iPhone concept from Evangelista and Ran Avni under the name of iPhone Air this time unlike the earlier iPhone Air concepts shows iPhone Air in three different sizes:

iPhone Air Mini: 3.5-inch display, A 7 processor, 2GB RAM, 2000 Mah battery, iOS 8, Super IGZO display, three colors: chopper, titanium, slate, and all-new design.

iPhone Air: 4.7-inch, A 8 processor, 3 GB RAM, 2500 Mah battery, and in the rest features like iPhone Air mini.

iPhone Air Pro: 5.5-inch, A 8 processor, 4 GB RAM, 3000 Mah battery, and Improved graphic chip.

Read also: iPhone Air Concept Promo Video

Source: Behance

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Monday, May 25, 2015

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Friday, May 22, 2015

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Monday, May 18, 2015

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Friday, May 15, 2015

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Monday, May 11, 2015

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Friday, May 8, 2015

Thursday, May 7, 2015

New iPhone concept from Evangelista and Ran Avni under the name of iPhone Air this time unlike the earlier iPhone Air concepts shows iPhone Air in three different sizes:

iPhone Air Mini: 3.5-inch display, A 7 processor, 2GB RAM, 2000 Mah battery, iOS 8, Super IGZO display, three colors: chopper, titanium, slate, and all-new design.

iPhone Air: 4.7-inch, A 8 processor, 3 GB RAM, 2500 Mah battery, and in the rest features like iPhone Air mini.

iPhone Air Pro: 5.5-inch, A 8 processor, 4 GB RAM, 3000 Mah battery, and Improved graphic chip.

Read also: iPhone Air Concept Promo Video