iPhone - page 248

Apple has reversed its decision to change the way iOS devices handle connections with Virtual Private Networks (VPN), now that its patent lawsuit with VirnetX has concluded. Earlier this month, Apple said it plans to kill the “Always” feature for iOS devices with VPN On Demand configured, by rolling out a software update that would kill the feature on shipped devices.

Apple proposed that users would just have to use the “Establish if needed” option until an alternative solution was provided via software update, but it looks like Apple may have reached an agreement with VirnetX to keep the “Always” feature on shipped iPhones and iPads for now.

Apple posted the following update to an article on its support site to announce the reverse in decisions:

If you’ve been hunting for a truly unique way to customize your iPhone 5 then look no further because with this exclusive promotion you’ll be able to fully customize a case with all of your special photos. Whether you want photos of family, friends, adventures, long nights, hikes, trips, beach days, and other good times, you can put all of these wonderful memories on a sleek case for one of our most favorite devices on this planet. And you can do it for only $39 for a limited time thanks to Cult of Mac Deals!

It even gets better. You’ll even receive a screen protector – a $20 value – for your mobile device with this purchase.

Android may have the edge over iOS at the moment, but by 2015, there’s a chance Apple’s platform will have stolen the crown. And it’s all thanks to customer loyalty.

According to new research from Yankee Group, iPhone owners are more loyal to their devices and therefore less likely to stray to competing platforms. There’s a large percentage of Android users, however, who have plans to switch when it’s time to upgrade their smartphone.

It’s been a while since we’ve had a contest here at Cult of Mac, so let’s start the week off with a little bit of fun. We’re looking for a few talented (or not-so talented) readers to voluntarily decapitate themselves and replace their head with an iPad. It’s gruesome and beautiful at the same time, plus we’re giving away five free copies of FX Photo Studio Pro to best entries.

To win the contest all you have to do is take a self-portrait, and then overlay it onto an iPad in another portrait. You can go traditional and use your own face, or use a friends’ or celebrity’s face. Hell, you can draw a face and then overlay it on the iPad, we don’t care. Surprise or delight us and you’ll probably win.

Here’s how to enter the contest:

The official IMDb app for iOS had been given a number of new features today, including a new light theme on the iPad, and the ability to look up worldwide movie release dates, actor heights, “crazy credits,” and more. The update also makes some visual tweaks, and offers bug fixes that should improve stability.

You don’t want to see my desk. Trust me – it’s pretty bad. In fact, you mightn’t even be able to see it, hidden as it is under a stack of junk and gadgets.

Actually, I’m kidding. I’m a neat-freak, which is why I have my eye on the Station, a bamboo desk tidy for your iPhone and all your other crap.

SpeakingPhoto is a new social photography app that lets you connect in real-time with anyone you like, using photos and recorded audio to share your special moments. Competing with Vine, Snapchat, and Digisocial, SpeakingPhoto aims to be a nicer place to be; instead of the party-atmosphere of the latter two apps, this one wants to let you record and archive the “memories, notes, and stories behind milestone moments in your personal and professional lives.”

Pretty heady stuff for a photo sharing app, right?

Public Wi-Fi is becoming more commonplace these days, with smaller cities (like the one I live in) even adding it for the convenience of commuters and the like. But when you’re on public Wi-Fi — like at coffee shops, airports, hotels, or conferences — anybody can see what you’re doing online. If you visit sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Amazon.com, and thousands of others, your privacy may be at risk.

In short…your privacy is gone on public Wi-Fi.

This Cult of Mac Deals offer aims to help you combat those who might try to compromise your devices while surfing public Wi-Fi with Cloak. Cloak is the antidote to hackers and hacker tools like Firesheep. With just one click…you’re safe. And thanks to this deal, you can have that safety for only $59.99.

Assisted Touch is an accessibility feature for iOS, usable on any iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, that recreates the hardware buttons and other gestures that someone with a motor disability might need to use. It also lets other folks use the Home, volume, screen lock, wake/sleep, and multitasking bar without using any of the hardware buttons themselves.

This can be pretty handy if you have the device in a case or holder of some type where accessing the buttons is tricky or impossible, like a home-made picture frame, for example.

Here’s how to activate this useful feature.

Tim Cook suggested during Apple’s earnings call earlier this week that the Cupertino company wouldn’t be announcing any new products until later this year. So it’s no surprise to see that analysts from Citigroup are now reporting that the iPhone 5S will be available in early September, alongside a new low-cost iPhone for emerging markets.

It’s almost been five weeks since OMGPOP CEO Dan Porter teased the release of Draw Something 2, and had Ryan Seacrest advertise the title on Twitter. But it’s finally time to dust off your sketching fingers, because the sequel to one of 2012’s most popular social games is now available to download on iPhone.

One of my bikes has a bottle dynamo that presses on the tire and powers the front lamp. The Siva Cycle Atom is a modern-day equivalent, only it won’t rub away your tire or slow you down, and it’ll charge your gadgets instead of just running your lights.

I’m a big fan of waterproof speakers. Not just for in-shower podcast listening, so I can get all excited about CultCast host Erfon Elijah’s sweet vocal tones as I froth myself into a soapy lather. No, I also like to listen to Erfon in the kitchen as I cook, perhaps kneading a soft and supple bread dough by hand, or washing the dirty dishes with my rough hands plunged into the hot suds…

Anyway. Splash-proof speakers. Muji makes one .

The countdown for WWDC 2013 has begun. Tickets don’t go on sale until tomorrow morning, but if you’re already wanting to get into the WWDC spirit, here are two great wallpapers for iPhone and Mac, courtesy of Christian Dalonzo.

iPhone 5

iPhone 4S

Mac

Thunderbolt Display

Source: Dribble

Via: Twitter

Another accessibility option like VoiceOver and Zoom, originally created for those with visual impairments, is Speak Selection. There are times when you may not want to turn the entire VoiceOver system on, having Siri read every button and icon on the screen, but would prefer to just have your iOS device speak text you’ve highlighted on the screen.

As an added bonus for those with print or learning disabilities, you can have your iPhone or iPad highlight the words as it speaks them for true bi-modal output (seeing and hearing the words at the same time).

Here’s how to make this happen.

WWDC 2013 was just announced. Finally, Apple’s going to end this year’s drought, and show off some new stuff after going the entire first four months of the year without a single keynote or product announcement.

But now that WWDC is in our sights, what are people most excited about? There are tons of hardware rumors about the iPad, iPhone and even the iWatch but we doubt we’ll see either of those three. We’ve also heard that iOS 7 is going to have some huge changes, and we should see some of the next version of OS X. What are you guys most excited to see at WWDC 2013? Software or hardware?

Click here to go to the Cult of Mac Forums and tell us what you’re looking forward to the most at WWDC 2013.

There are a number of tweaks for jailbroken iOS devices that add alternative security measures to your lock screen, but Piano Passcode is possibly one of the craziest. Rather than typing a code or drawing a pattern, you have to play it a tune on a set of virtual keys.

The iTunes Store celebrates its tenth anniversary this month, and Apple is marking the occasion with a new promotion called “A Decade of iTunes.” iTunes users can enjoy a timeline that recognizes key moments throughout the store’s history, as well as a look back at ten year’s worth of chart-topping tracks and albums.

Sprint has this morning reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2013, and they show yet another loss for America’s third-largest carrier. The company announced a $643 million net loss on $8.79 billion revenue, though it did manage to generate a positive operating revenue of $29 million.

Sprint sold 5 million smartphones during the period, 1.5 million of which were iPhones.

Apple has updated its Apple Store app for the iPhone to introduce push notifications for delivery updates. So when you order an item from the Apple Store, you’ll receive updates on its delivery status without having to check manually. The Cupertino company will even let you know when your iPhone is ready for an upgrade.

Today Apple announced its financial earnings for the last fiscal quarter, reporting the first year-over-year loss in profit the company has seen in ten years. The tone of Apple’s call with investors was quite different than past quarters. Tim Cook and co. seemed very much on the defensive, as Wall Street has been hammering AAPL for the past several months.

There were still several interesting tidbits from the call that we’ve rounded up. Tim Cook spoke vaguely about exciting new products in the fall and throughout 2014. Comments were made about the possibility of a larger iPhone, iMac supply constraints, and, of course, plenty of numbers.

Another accessibility option built right into iOS is Zoom. Like VoiceOver, it was originally created to help those with a visual impairment access their iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. Zoom is made for those who need things magnified on the screen, and it can be pretty darn helpful for those of us who may not have a specific visual disability. If your iPhone is zoomed in on lock screen and you’re unsure how to fix it, there are simple ways to adjust this setting.

Some apps zoom in within the app itself, like Maps, Safari, or Google Earth. That doesn’t help if you need the buttons and iOS controls magnified, or the text in apps like Mail, right?

Here’s how to set things up with Zoom.

If extreme outdoorsman Bear Grylls has an iPhone 5, he no doubt needs to protect it from all sorts of dangers, like rain, dirt, mud, and when things get really tough, his own micturitions.

That’s exactly the kind of over-the-top protection Seidio’s Obex case promises—total refuge from water, dust, sand, and grime. Add to that submersion protection in up to three feet of water and an anti-reflective glass camera cover that maintains image quality, and you’ve got the perfect case for taking iPhone photos on the beach.

The Genius Bar is a little sparse, and the flooring never would have been approved by Steve Jobs, but if you find yourself in Kabul with a deep thirst for the latest Apple gadgetry, the unofficial Apple Store of Afghanistan is the place to go.

While Apple has been busy dominating the retail world with its highly profitably shops, poor Afghanistan has been left without an official Apple Store to call its own, so someone decided to open one up.

Apple will announce its second quarter financial results at 5 p.m. EST today, and this could be one of the company’s most interesting earnings calls for some time. Wall Street has been less than optimistic about the Cupertino company’s recent performance, and some believe that Apple will post its first quarter of negative growth income for over a decade.

But some analysts are a little more positive. According to averages put together by Yahoo! Finance, Apple is likely to announce revenue between $41 billion and $43 billion for the second quarter, with margins between 37.5% and 38.5%.