Since December 16, Apple fans still rocking an iPhone or iPod touch on iOS 3.1.3 have been unable to download iOS applications directly from the App Store. Instead, iOS device owners stuck running iOS 3.1.3 must purchase and download applications in iTunes and sync them across to their iPhone or iPod touch.
Facebook has just pushed out version 4.1 of its popular iPhone app. The update includes the ability to view the new profile Timeline, Subscribers, Subscriptions, pop-over notifications, and add people to friend lists. The app feels more responsive, and photos seem to load significantly faster. Facebook launched Timeline globally a few days ago, but initially it could only be accessed from m.facebook.com and Facebook for Android. The update will give plenty of exposure to Timeline, as Facebook for iPhone has 99.5 million monthly active users and 57.6 million daily active users.
Back in July, we covered an iPhone app called Trimit that allows users to take large chunks of text that they write or import through a link, and shrink it down to fit a social network update. To cut a long story short, the startup secured $250,000 in funding from Hong Kong Billionaire Li Ka Shing, pivoted and relaunched this week asSummly.It's not always easy to read the tiny text displayed on our iOS devices. But did you know that the iOS operating system features a handy "Speak Selection" feature that will read selected text out loud?
Once activated, the feature allows you to select a piece of text within any app, then have it read out loud. Here's how to enable and use it!
First, open up the Settings app on your device, then tap the General tab. Now choose Accessibility towards the bottom of the page.
Tap on the Speak Selection tab, and then toggle the Speak Selection feature on. If you wish to, you can alter the speed at which the feature reads text out to you. Simply move the slider to the left to slow it down, or to the right to speed it up. As you alter the speed, the feature will talk to you so that you can determine which speed is best for you.
Once activated, you can use the feature within any app. Simply select a piece of text and a new 'Speak' button will pop up above it. Tap this button and your device will read the selected text out to you. This is handy if you want things read to your while you're driving, jogging, or just unable to read the tiny text.
It is a well known fact that one can create a playlist from the iTunes itself, where the user needs create it on the iTunes and then later on can add the same in the iDevice. But at a certain of time it is possible that a user may not handy with his desktop or laptop as a result of which he may be not able to access iTunes, in such a situation how to create new playlist right from iPhone ? Well, here is a simple solution to the above mentioned problem.
The foremost task that you need to do is access the iPod zone from your iPad or iPhone, in case of iPod just go to music section.
Can the playlist be edited?
Well, of course the playlist can be edited; users can replace songs by going to the edit option on the top right hand corner of the screen. Users also have the option to add or even delete songs from the existing playlist.
Can this procedure be applicable in iPad or iPod Touch?
Yes, the same procedure is also applicable in case of iPad or iPod touch where the users have the liberty to create a new playlist in iPad or create new playlist in iPod Touch by repeating the same steps mentioned above. Edit of such playlist is also possible.
Is your iMessage not syncing? Don't worry. Quite a lot of people face this problem – especially those who have come to see that Apple gets things set-up automatically most of the time.
If you have got a new iPhone, iPad or an iPod Touch, chances are you will try out the iMessages right out of the box. And chances are, you won't be able tosync the iMessages between the idevices. Here's how to enable iMessaging syncing between iOS devices through simple steps outlined in this post.
First off, this works on the iPhone's iMessages app. Here's the fix you should try:
Macgasm reports that this problem of iMessage not syncing could most probably be something related to Apple's method of using the iPhone phone number instead of your email address used for Apple ID.
The idea behind using the phone numbers for iMessaging looks plain and simple, though. It's obviously a message – only difference being it's free and sent via data network and to another iMessage-running smartphone. So, quite obviousy, phone numbers get involved. However, why this affects syncing is something that skips our purview here.
The tip has however worked for quite a lot of people and has enabled syncing of iMessages between multiple devices.
The Caller ID for iMessage is the one that controls the syncing between different devices. Once you have the Caller ID email set and marked, the iMessage syncing begins to work perfectly.
Generally people don't consider how much data they have used once they start browsing internet from iPhone. But later when they check their data usage they start regretting that they have used excess data and they will have to pay for it. If you also face this problem while browsing through your iPhone or iPad or any iOS devices and you want to avoid it in future then the solution is here. There are many ways of being aware of your data and restricting your data usage. Some of the most preferred and useful ways to take control of 3G data usage on iPhone are mentioned below.
Turning off 3G Cellular data off
By turning off cellular data you lose access over 2G and 3G which means that you can't browse web anymore without enabling it. You can turn off the 3G cellular data by following some simple steps. You just need to go to Settings and click on the option "General". Then proceed by clicking on "Network" and now just tap the switch to toggle it off.
Use DataMan Pro
You can use DataMan Pro to take control of 3G data on iOS devices because this application keeps an eye on data moving in or out. You can make allowance targets of the data in this application and after reaching that target, DataMan Pro will not allow you to browse till mentioned data until you change it in the settings. You just need is to open this application and set up the targets as per your calculation. Though this is the best benefit of using this application, yet there are many other benefits out of which the best benefit is that you can know how much data you have used.
iCloud for documents and data
To take control of 3G data on iPad you can simply turn off the option "Use Cellular" in iCloud. You will not be able to browse web anymore by toggling it off until you change settings in iCloud again.
An Apple patent details a way to make sure your voice isn't lost among the noises of every day life when you make a call. Image: Patently Apple
Apple has been known to focus its music video and most of hte other features around the iTunes app. But there is a snag to it. Though the syncing is quite effortlessly carried out, it's quite difficult to transfer files from iPhone to PC or Mac or to transfer files from iPad to PC or Mac.
Working your way to My Computer or Finder did seem simple previously when the violation of copyright wasn't taken that seriously. However, since the fruit company copied the DRM scrap in its digital content, extracting files has become far more difficult.
Stealing of copyrights has enabled complete browsing of devices as well as data transfer with the help of the third party apps. DiskAid is one such app that enables you to transfer files from your iPhone or iPad or even transfer files from iPod Touch to PC or Mac without much effort.
The updated version of DiskAid boasts of features that make your iDevice management extremely easy while its free version enables the transfering of as many files as you'd like to from your iOS to OS X or windows. Moreover, it even lets you go through Apple's mobile operating system.
Like any other paid version, the DiskAid also offers much more. It enables transfering of text messages, call logs, contact lists, music and videos and providing backup for the same. DiskAid is different from the iTunes as it helps you to select what you want to keep and what you want to remove. So you're the boss here!
Again due to copyright stealing, iDevices can't be used for mass storage. But, DiskAid changes that too. By helping you to be in control by dragging and dropping the files that you like, it helps to get rid of the somewhat tedious USB dongle system.
It is available a click away on the DigiDNA website, the full version being a mere $24.90 which is worth spending for an all-round iPhone, iPad and iPod touch file transfer utility.
Electronic Arts seems to be getting into the spirit of Christmas with their special daily deals of iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad apps. Through January 2, 2012, EA will be offering a number of gaming apps for discounted prices, and even some for free. It's a month long program that will showcase EA's most popular titles from its expansive iTunes App Store library. Today's deals include gaming titles such as Dead Space, Mirror's Edge, Flight's Control, Scrabble and TETRIS for iPhone and the iPad.
Android's surge in popularity has triggered an accompanying surge in malware aimed at the mobile OS, says a new study today from Fortinet.
Analyzing the malware landscape this year, the security vendor tracked a 90 percent jump in Android malware families in 2011 compared with 2010. That figure doesn't account for infection rates or severity, only the rise in malware seeking to infect Android devices.
In comparison, malware directed toward Apple's iOS rose by only 25 percent over last year.
Fortinet pointed to two reasons for the larger bull's eye painted on Android's back.
Google's OS has shown a dramatic increase in market share over the past year, surpassing iOS, Nokia's Symbian, RIM's BlackBerry, and other mobile platforms. A recent Gartner reportpegged Android's share of the global smartphone market at 52.5 percent, followed by Symbian with 16.9 percent and iOS with 15 percent. As the leading smartphone OS, Android has naturally become a bigger target for cybercriminals.
Apple has posted two new job listings for Siri UI engineers. The positions mainly focus on improving Siri's on-screen conversation view, but there also some hints in the job description that suggest Apple is looking to do more with its voice assistant's API.
App Switcher today arrived in the App Store. The $.99 utility makes it easier to quickly launch your top tasks via the app, as well as access them directly from the iOS 5.0 Notification Center.
Created by Pepper Stuff, App Switcher isn't flashy, but it should make your life a little bit easier. And setting it up is quick and pain free. First you'll need to make some adjustments to your iPhone's Settings app. These step-by-step instructions are available here and also within the app.
Now, the real fun begins.
Quick Launch is the location to put important tasks, such as frequently called, emailed, and/or SMS/iMessage contacts and URLs. To do so, click the "+" icon at the top right of the app screen and then select the necessary action. From there, assign the contact.
For example, I need to create a Quick Launch for texting my brother, Chris. To do so, I'll select "+" and then SMS/iMessage. Now, whenever I need to contact him, I'll go into the App Switcher app and select "Text Chris Wolfe."
There is no limit to the number of Quick Launches available.
Notification Center
If you want to spice up your iPhone's slide-to-unlock bar, download SliderEnhancer from the Cydia Store. This free twee, once installed, allows users to customize the text displayed on their jailbroken iPhone's slide-to-unlock bar when the handset has been locked.
As you can see in the above image, users can choose what their iPhone displays on the slide-to-unlock bar. The options are: battery percentage, clock, Wi-Fi network name, IP, free RAM, custom label and text. Simply switching the toggle button over to "ON" will activate any of the new labels: the next time you lock your iPhone, it'll be there.
Facebook Messenger today received a modest update. The mobile messaging service now includes faster message scrolling and a quicker startup, among other improvements.
First launched for iOS in August, Facebook Messenger lets users send messages instantly to other friends also using Messenger.
Among its features, Facebook Messenger includes:
- Chat with friends who are on Facebook
- Get free push notifications for incoming messages
- Add location and photos to messages
- Reach friends via text message if they don't have Messenger yet
- Access sent and received messages on both Messenger and Facebook
- Create group conversations for making plans on the go
- Add more friends to group conversations at any time
- Control alert and location settings for each conversation
The Version 1.5.2. update also includes a fix for the app's "blue screen" startup crash, Retina display photos for friend chooser, and bug fixes.
The free Facebook Messenger is available now for the iPhone/iPod touch in the App Store.
Research firm ChangeWave todayreleased the results of an early November survey of over 200 iPhone 4S owners, finding that 96% of them registered as either "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied", up from 93% for the iPhone 4 following its launch last year. 
Apple has released Safari 5.1.2 to users this afternoon, available by direct download or by hitting up Software Update. The update is relatively minor, but brings along bug fixes that address issues of stability, extensive memory usage, fixing webpages that were flashing white, and now allows PDFs to be displayed within web content. Go ahead and download!
HTC Sensation
HTC Sensation XL features a 1.5GHz processor, a whopping 4.7 inch display with 800X480p resolution, and Android 2.3. While Sensation XL specifications seem great, display resolution and RAM are slight disappointments. 1GB RAM has become the standard for quite some time for high-end Android devices, but Sensation XL is struck with 768MB, and in terms of display resolution 720p displays are in, HTC could have at-least put a qHD screen.
Remarks: I don’t know why HTC always launched low memory phones. Nowadays, all users want to load lots of apps, games to make full use of their smartphones and phones with low memory really disappoints. HTC should start providing minimum 8GB internal memory.
Will not recommend this mobile only because of low memory. It’s like that you have enough power but don’t have the oil to start it.
When someone you haven't seen in a while asks you "What's up?" or "How are you?", you probably give them a high-level summary of the major life events from the months since you last spoke. When you speak to someone you see frequently, you probably respond to the same questions with close-up, specific descriptions of your activities over past few days. Humans are aware of when and what we last communicated with someone, and we dynamically alter what information we provide to avoid repetition.
While most of the discussion aboutFacebook's latest changes has centered around the real-time Ticker, the switch to a news feed that displays different content depending on when you last visited will also profoundly change how we use the social network. Eventually, I think the "return visit-aware" concept will also change how we consume content across the web.
Before the switch, Facebook was struggling with repetitive content and a user base that engages with the site in very different ways. Frequent visitors — those returning multiple times a day — would often see the same stories first on the default Top News feed. Some wouldn't go to the trouble, while others didn't even realize they could switch to the Most Recent tab to see what had just been published. This led them to feel that Facebook was stale and caused them to quickly navigate away.
Meanwhile, those who visited once or twice a week would only see the the most Liked, commented on, and clicked stories of the last few hours or day, leading them to miss highly relevant stories that happened a few days ago. This made it seem like nothing really interesting was happening on Facebook and that there was no reason to stop by more frequently. These interactions didn't mimic the tradition of human communication. With the single-tabbed return visit-aware news feed, Facebook has solved all these problems by aligning its interface with natural human habits.
The Top News and Most Recent tabs have been combined into a single one, shifting the initial burden of choice from the user to Facebook. This works because a human typically doesn't ask someone "Tell me what's happened to you in the last [78 hours or 35 minutes]?" The respondent simply knows when they last spoke and tailors their transmission appropriately.
When you vist, the news feed surfaces the most relevant stories from between then and your last visit. If it's been a week since your last visit, it shows only the biggest stories from that timespan, making sure you don't miss anything important. This mimics how friends who've been out of touch for months communicate when reunited.
If you visited a few hours ago, it will show you the most relevant stories from those hours, but also a "25 more recent stories" link at the top. Similarly, if you've spent a day apart from someone, you might tell them the most significant news of the day, but also about your current mood.
If you've visited the Facebook home page multiple times that day, it shows you the latest updates so there's something fresh to see. Similarly, after working together all day and discussing bigger news, but then taking a lunch break apart, two coworkers might discuss in person who they had lunch with. Otherwise, this information might seem inconsequential like the minutiae the news feed shows if you constantly check it. But since all other information has already been discussed, the very recent becomes relevant.
By marking and unmarking stories as "highlighted" using the blue corners in the interface, you can teach Facebook's EdgeRank news feed ordering algorithm your preferences. This mirrors how you can interrupt a friend's boring story and ask about something else, or ask follow up questions about a topic such that they bring up that topic more in the future.
The end result is a news feed that usually shows interesting content. This inspires longer session times; more return visits; and more Likes, comments, and shares on news feed stories that trigger notifications or create content that pulls in other users.
Sites and services around the web are seeking these same benefits, and therefore I believe they'll look to develop their own versions of consumption-sensitive content streams. Right now, most news sites try to approximate this by featuring the most important content of the last day or so, and rearranging and demoting top stories as they grow older. Techmemeis probably the best example of this, but still they all essentially operate on the premise that you visit every 12 to 18 hours. Vist less frequently than that, and a must-read piece of news may have slipped down and off the home page.
Last week I reviewed an iOS app called the Riversip Tech Reader. It tackles the problem by letting users toggle between viewing the latest news, top news of the day, or the biggest stories of the week. This is probably the easiest solution and it doesn't depend on tracking a user's previous actions. It also works for streams which don't require click-throughs to expand individual pieces of content. However, it does place the burden of choice on the user. Twitter or some Twitter app could try this, surfacing the stories with the most retweets from a given time period.
An approach for when users must take an action such as clicking through to consume content is to remove, demote, or set aside content a user has already viewed. Imagine if the CNN home page replaced tiles or headlines of any story you've already read with something you haven't. This could possibly be done through cookies or another tracking scheme, but it would presumably be more accurate if a user was logged in.
Sites services, and apps with login functionality or another way to tie actions to identity should be considering how they can make their content displays truly sensitive to when a user last visited without explicit input. Using its login and other social plugins, Facebook may even seek to power this shift of other sites. In either case, the content relevancy arms race is on. The same way newspapers look hopelessly static next to Techmeme will be the way the sites of today will look next to the personalized, return visit-aware sites of tomorrow.
True Crypt is the best option to encrypt your data or hid your personal data with security…
Main Features:
More information about the features of TrueCrypt may be found in the documentation.
Jailbreak Free Icon Shortcut of your favourite settings:
The Jailbreak-Free (and cost-free) SBSettings alternative!
Instructions:
- This method will install icons automatically in one click and does not leave blank Safari pages open when the toggles are used like the old manual method. This may take a while to install so be patient.
- Simply click on a .mobilconfig file in the link that you wish to install
- When it prompts for a password, enter your normal lock-password - This is simply an iPhone security feature.
NOTE: Not all toggles are compatible wih iPad due to the different menu structure. Newly and improved version of the iPad coming soon.
Click Here from your iPhone/iPad to create icon pack of your own choice
Jailbreak Free Icon Shortcut of your favourite settings:
The Jailbreak-Free (and cost-free) SBSettings alternative!
Instructions:
- This method will install icons automatically in one click and does not leave blank Safari pages open when the toggles are used like the old manual method. This may take a while to install so be patient.
- Simply click on a .mobilconfig file in the link that you wish to install
- When it prompts for a password, enter your normal lock-password - This is simply an iPhone security feature.
NOTE: Not all toggles are compatible wih iPad due to the different menu structure. Newly and improved version of the iPad coming soon.
Click Here from your iPhone/iPad to create icon pack of your own choice
Webware2 Smartphones buying guide 2011
Budget Smartphone: MOTOROLA DEFY
This Android-based smartphone has a neat, uncluttered design, a 3.7in LCD panel with a sharp resolution of 480 x 854 pixels and a decent battery life. With its responsive touchscreen and decent internal specs, the Motorola Defy is an easy to use phone with a modest price.
The Motorola DEFY, as the name suggests, is not afraid to be dropped, scratched (Gorilla Glass), used in a sand storm, or submersed in water up to 3 feet (1 meter). It is powered by Android 2.2, it has a 3.7" touch display, 5MP camera, Wi-Fi, A-GPS, microSDHC card slot and speakerphone.
Mid Range: Samsung Google Nexus S
Nexus S is the next generation of Nexus devices co-developed by Google and Samsung.Nexus S comes pre-installed with the latest Google apps and has features like true multi-tasking, Wi-Fi hotspot, Internet Calling, Near-Field Communication (NFC) support, and full web browsing.With this device, users will be the first to receive software upgrades and new Google mobile apps as soon as they become available.
Key specs:
1 GHz Hummingbird processor paired with 16GB of internal memory makes Nexus S one of the fastest phones on the market.
The rear-facing 5 megapixel camera is capable of taking stunning pictures and videos that you can share with friends and family.
The Contour Display uses a thin-profile glass panel, making Nexus S uniquely slim and trim. It's subtle but you'll notice.
Take Nexus S outside, there's 75% less glare than on other smartphone displays. Your videos, pictures and games look their best and the sun
Size: 4.88” x 2.48” x 0.43” | 800x480 | 4” Display | 5.0 mega-pixel Camera + VGA front Camera
Premium Range: Apple iPhone 4S | Galaxy Nexus
Apple iPhone 4S: The iPhone 4S is a gradual step over the iPhone 4 improving the internals, but keeping the look and feel. At the same time, though, it brings a reworked iOS 5 and introduces Siri, a personal voice assistant allowing you to vocally communicate with the iPhone. It comes with a 3.5" screen with a resolution of 640 x 960 pixels, but on the inside there's a twice more powerful dual-core A5 processor. It also improves connectivity a notch, bringing 14.4Mbps HSPA download speeds. The back is where an 8-megapixel camera resides and it's capable of recording 1080p videos.
Key specs: A5 Dual Core | 1GB Memory | Storage: 16GB/32GB/64GB | 3.5”, 640x490 | 8MP Camera | 1080p, 0.3MP front camera |
Samsung Galaxy Nexus: The Samsung GALAXY Nexus is the first phone to run Android Ice Cream Sandwich - the version that is meant to put an end to fragmentation. The handset uses the concept of button-less front and thin bezel to fit a 4.65" HD Super AMOLED display in a phone the size of handsets with smaller screens. It is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4460 processor, and capable of shooting HD 1080p video.
Key specs: 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4460, 1GB RAM, 4.65-inch HD Super AMOLED display, 5MP rear / 1.3MP front cameras with 1080p HD video capture.
The hot ticket in the world of 3D is theNintendo 3DS, but is anyone actually using it with the 3D turned on? That's a big question.
3D was brought back into the theaters for a few gimmicky movies and a new digital technology that allowed one projector to project the two images necessary for 3D. It re-triggered a 3D fad that has come and gone and come and gone over the years.
Key to the idea that it's again receding is the simple fact that nobody is bothering to buy 3D TVs for their home. The few who do have the 3D TV seldom watch anything in 3D. It's too much of a hassle and still seen as a gimmick. A fun gimmick perhaps, but a gimmick nonetheless.
Smartphones at Work (source: iPass)
A new study contains more evidence the iPhone is taking hold at work, even displacing the stolid business-centric BlackBerry as the smartphone of choice. Of enterprise workers carrying a smartphone, 45 percent said the handset is an iPhone versus 32 percent for the BlackBerry.
According to the Mobile Workforce Report (pdf) from researcher iPass, the percent of enterprise employees packing iPhones rose from 31.1 percent in 2010, while BlackBerry users in the workforce fell from 35 percent. The decline in BlackBerry users was largely due to the RIM device not being able to keep up with the growth of smartphones in the workplace, the report explained.
That slowdown was evident in answers to what smartphone business employees intend to buy in 2012. While 18 percent of enterprise workers plan to get an iPhone, just 2.3 percent said they would buy a BlackBerry.
Android in the enterprise came in a close third, just behind the BlackBerry, registering 21 percent of the business market, overtaking Symbian and doubling its market share from 2010. More than 11 percent of enterprise workers said they plan to buy an Android smartphone next year, with 3.6 percent picking a Windows Phone.
Get ready to fire up iTunes and plug in that iOS device, because Apple's just released iOS 5.0.1. The release notes are identical to the two beta releases, which include fixing bugs relating to battery life and document syncing, while also re-enabling app switching gestures that developers previously had access to on the original iPad. And for those down under, voice recognition has apparently been improved when dictating with an Aussie accent. Those not interested in the 790MB download from iTunes, can look for a 44.6MB delta -- including only the changes -- from their device Settings. You'll find photographic evidence of the latter after the break.
If you've already upgraded your iDevice to iOS 5.0.1 and now wish to jailbreak, we've got a solution, which uses redsn0w 0.9.9b8. But, according to the folks at JailBreak Nation, if you're still waiting for an untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.0, you may wish to stay away from iOS 5.0.1 all together, at least for now.
For those that still wish to jailbreak iOS 5.0.1, follow these steps:
