iOS - page 66

Update: A Department of Defense spokesperson emailed us today to set the record straight. Here’s what he had to say:

The department is aware of recent reporting that asserts it is ‘dropping’ BlackBerry. This reporting is in error. The department recently released its mobility strategy and supporting implementation plan, which clarifies we are moving towards a mobile management capability that supports a variety of devices, to include BlackBerry. As clarified in the recent release of our Commercial Mobile Device Implementation Plan, we are working towards establishing a multi-vendor environment in support of the DoD mobility strategy.

The Commercial Mobile Device Implementation Plan updates the June 2012 Mobile Strategy with specific objectives and puts the strategy into action. A key objective of the plan is to establish a department-wide mobile enterprise solution that permits the use of the latest commercial technology such as smart phones and tablets, and the development of an enterprise mobile device management capability and application store to support approximately 100,000 multivendor devices by February 2014. DoD currently has more than 600,000 Commercial Mobile Devices in operational and pilot use, including 470,000 Blackberries, 41,000 Apple Operating Systems and 8,700 Android Systems.

The original article continues below.

According to a new report at the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s new management team dynamic, which includes design maven Jonathan Ive at the helm of both the hardware and software teams behind iOS, is seeing a new era of collaboration. ONe source familiar with the matter went so far as to call the exchange of ideas between Ive and human interface lead Greg Christie, known for his bluntness, as “pleasant and cordial.”

Sounds like things are changing over there at Apple, which is a good thing for proponents of Ive’s preference for a less skeumorphic design ethos. Having Ive watching the software along with the hardware may bring a flatter, more modern look to iOS 7, sure to be coming soon.

The fact that we’re mentioning this game really hinges on one fact: It’s being released by Firaxis and 2K Games, two names behind some of the greatest games ever made: Sid Meier’s Pirates, XCOM: Enemy Unknown and of course, the Civilization series (and for a little bit here, let’s just forget that 2K is also responsible for the somewhat poorly received Borderlands Legends).

Dropbox’s recent acquisition, Mailbox, has already updated, bringing a new shake to undo function, some user interface enhancements, and the requisite “bug fixes and performance optimizations.”

Mailbox garnered internet-wide attention for its approach to email, with a light, fast, mobile-friendly interface. Cult of Mac’s own John Brownlee called it the best email app he’s ever used. Messages are archived or trashed with a swipe, and entire email exchanges are presented in a threaded, conversational style. You can even snooze your emails to check them out later, an essential component to an on-the-go email client, right? Mailbox also lets you get push notifications for new messages.

It’s only for GMail accounts at this point, with other email platforms coming soon. To reserver your spot, simply download the app from the app store, and check your spot in line at https://mailboxapp.com/reservations, and then read this to figure out how long you’re gonna have to wait.

What’s New in Version 1.1.0
– Shake to undo!
– UI enhancements
– Bug fixes and performance optimizations

Source: App Store
Via: App Shopper

After a slew of complaints from users, Apple has just updated the Podcasts app for iOS. Gone away are the skeuomorphic UI elements that were prominent during the app’s original release. Instead, Apple has trimmed the UI down to its more essential elements.

Podcasts 1.2 is available in the App Store for free right now. The update includes some new features, such as On-The-Go playlists, Custom Stations, iCloud synchronization and more.

Here are the full notes:

Apple is set to deal Samsung yet another blow by snubbing its displays for all future iOS devices. According to a new report from the Korea Economic Daily, the Cupertino company will purchase panels from Sharp, LG Display, Japan Display, and AU Optronics instead.

I only really use Facebook for its messaging features; the last time I actually updated my status was February 2012. But the company is testing an annoying new feature which could persuade users like me to turn their back on it altogether. It wants to send you a push notification on your iOS devices that bugs you to post a new status update if you haven’t done so in a while.

Last week, Google accidentally posted a video to its YouTube channel which announced Google Now is coming to iOS. The company quickly pulled it shortly after it went up, and it wasn’t clear whether the app would actually come to fruition, or whether it was a project Google had started and then killed.

Now the company’s chairman, Eric Schmidt, has confirmed Google Now is on its way to the App Store — but only if Apple approves it.

BenQ has launched a new portable projector which will work alongside your iOS devices. Called the GP10, the device will take the movies and TV shows you have stored on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and project them into a 40-inch high-definition image fit for any home cinema. It has a ton of cool features, too.

A couple of days ago I showed you two handy jailbreak tweaks for Notification Center. “Compose” and “Kamera” give quick access to Mail, Messages, and the iPhone’s cameras. Along with tweaks like NCSettings, there’s a lot you can do enhance Notification Center on a jailbroken iOS device.

A Cydia tweak called “Tap to Widgets” is one of the most useful Notification Center tools I’ve seen for jailbreakers.

iOS 6.1 had not one, but two security exploits that allowed an attacker to bypass an iPhone’s lockscreen to gain access to a users’ data. Apple finally patched up those two holes yesterday with the iOS 6.1.3 update, yet the new version of iOS contains another passcode security flaw.

Using the iPhone’s Control feature, attackers can still bypass your lockscreen. The good news is that the new lockscreen exploit only works on iPhone 4 units right now.

Depending on how well it works for you, the Apple Store app’s EasyPay system is either a dream of a convenience or a total nightmare that ends up getting you arrested. And now a similar experience is rolling out to over 200 Walmarts nationwide.

If you ever tried to explain Instapaper (or any other read-later app) to a “straight” (non-nerd) friend or family member, you’ll know why Apple added a reading list to Safari. Even without the terrible experience of adding a javascript bookmarklet to Mobile Safari, Instapaper requires way too many steps: save page; remember to open Instapaper before the internet goes off to load that saved page; remember to read.

Safari, on the other hand, just saves the page inside Safari. That’s it.

And so Amazon is now simplifying Instapaper’s Send to Kindle feature, allowing you to send a web page to your Kindle with one click.

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office has today approved Apple’s application for a registered trademark for “iAd,” 21 months after the Cupertino company first applied for it.

Square Enix has been working hard to port its classic Final Fantasy titles over to iOS, and the next in the series, Final Fantasy V, is expected to hit the App Store by the end of the month. Like previous Final Fantasy ports, the game will bring updated visuals, and new controls optimized for touch-based devices.

Ron Gilbert is the weirdo behind some of the best and funniest games of tjhe last thirty years. Maniac Mansion. Secret of Monkey Island. Heck, just last year he designed The Cave, a game about evil psychic twins, a hillbilly and a time traveler going spelunking. It’s available for Mac if you haven’t given it a try.

Gilbert’s next game, however, is coming to iOS, and the title is so deliciously weird and unwieldy you just can’t help but get excited. Are you ready? It’s called Scurvy Scallywags in The Voyage To Discover The Ultimate Sea Shanty: A Musical Match-3 Pirate RPG. Let’s see him fit that under the app icon.

Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch is leaving the company to become Vice President of Technology at Apple, but Tim Cook may have to keep a close eye on him around the iPhones. Back in 2009, Lynch smashed up a whole bunch of them in a bid to get them to run Flash Player. See his destructive side for yourself in the video below.

It’s taken well over a year, but the Jawbone UP finally has an official companion app in Google Play. The device has only been compatible with iOS devices since it launched in November 2011, but now you can track your sleep and physical activity on Android-powered smartphones, too.

Furthermore, starting today, UP will be available in Apple stores across Europe.

Call Bliss is an app with its own, industrial-strength take on the iPhone’s newish Do Not Disturb feature. It takes Apple’s basic concept — blocking calls with the flick of a switch, or only letting through calls from selected contacts — and infuses it with management features and more powerful options. And now the app adds two more tricks.

Warren East, who has spent the last 12 years as CEO of ARM, has announced that he will retire on July 1. During his time in charge, East has overseen ARM’s processor design powerhouse through some of its most explosive growth, thanks to lucrative deals with companies like Apple, AMD, and Qualcomm.

Apple is expected to unveil its first smartwatch sometime this year, and there’s one company who will be right on its tail, competing for sales. As you may have already guessed, that company is Samsung.

Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of  the Korean company’s mobile business, confirmed the move during an interview with Bloomberg.

If you jailbreak your iPhone or iPad, you are most likely to be an American male under the age of 30, you’re using either an iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 running iOS 6.1 and your phone probably crashes around once or twice a week.

Or so says, at least, the following infographic, cataloguing the responses of 400 redditors, trying to put together a picture of the typical jailbreaker. The responses are illuminating, but definitely put the geoscape of jailbreaking in very clear perspective. Check it out.

WhatsApp, the hugely popular cross-platform messaging service, is bringing its paid subscription model to iOS. The company hasn’t yet confirmed when the move take place, but it will “definitely” happen during 2013. When that time comes, you’ll need to pay $0.99 a year to use the service.

Loren Brichter is a legend amongst iOS developers. The 28 year old developer is the creator of Tweetie, which eventually became the official Twitter app. He’s the guy behind fan favorite word game Letterpress. He’s the creator of ‘Pull To Refresh’, cell swipe and slide-out panels that have become synonymous features in mobile app development. Yet few people who aren’t app and design junkies even know who he is.

There are many, many ways to keep a journal using your various iDevices, or paper, or even — if you’re desperate — your Android phone. (Kidding — a sharpie turns the back of any Android handset into the perfect paper-emulation device.) But they tend to be either high on effort — manually writing up everything yourself — or somewhat proprietary, keeping all your info inside an app or service.

But thanks to the ever-amazing internet automating service IFTTT (If This Then That), and some new channels, it’s now possible to roll your own plain-journal, pulling from various sources automatically. And it even includes pictures, which is quite a trick for plain text.