Archive for 2010

Apple dropped support for AirPrint in iOS 4.2 on the iPod touch 2G. When Apple just released AirPrint on September 15th, the second-generation iPod touch was listed as a compatible device for the service, but only two days later the company dropped support and modified the press release to note support for only the third- and fourth-generation iPod touch.

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Developer Steven Troughton-Smith found out that iOS applications can installed on the new Apple TV. You only need to slightly modify the applications to identify them as Apple TV-compatible. Of course, Steven’s discovery is an important step in developers' quest to run applications on the device, but the applications are not yet usable, as the Apple TV doesn’t have any application launcher that would be required for an app to function.

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Apple claims that it is impossible to track a particular iPhone in real time, as its transactions are anonymous and thoroughly randomized. However, Bucknell University network admin Eric Smith suggests that third-party application developers and advertisers may link your device to your name (and even your location) whenever they transmit data. Smith studied 57 top applications in the iTunes App Store to see what they sent out, and discovered that some fired off the iPhone's UDID and personal details in plaintext, including those for Amazon, Chase Bank, Target and Sam's Club, though a few were secured with SSL. Though UDIDs are routinely used by apps to store personal data, what Smith fears is that a database could be set up linking these UDIDs to GPS coordinates or GeoIP, giving nefarious individuals or organizations knowledge of where you are.

iOS pretty well handling with various file types, but with compressed files you may run into problems. Fortunately, with the help of a file browsing app you'll be able to view compressed files. You may download on your iOS device ZIP and RAR files with the help of the file browsing app USB Disk.

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Apple updated its MobileMe Gallery application for the iOS platform. The application was realized in January this year.  Current update brings iPad computability and full support for the higher-resolution Retina displays of the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch. In June Apple already added the ability for the iPhone 4 to download higher-resolution photos, but this update extends Retina display optimization to the entire application. The update also brings support for multi-tasking and the ability for iPhone and iPad users to view friends' galleries without the need for a MobileMe subscription.

Apple’s CEO was personally responsible for the recent canceling of a $10 million iAd campaign. Steve Jobs wasn’t satisfied with the direction Adidas was taking with its advertising concept. After third rejection of the campaign concept, Adidas pulled out of $10 million iAd deal.

The reason behind the cancellation was Steve Jobs being a “control freak”. Apple, unlike other mobile advertising providers, controls the entire advertising process with its iAd program. While Apple has insisted this has more to do with the quality of the end product, it has definitely caused some problems for advertisers.

DigiTimes claims that Apple has recently received samples of new touch panels that would be used in a new touch-capable iMac. These touch panels are typically produced by placing touch sensors over the panel, and then a cover glass over the sensors. Such method does not require any extraordinary costs and manpower efforts, but affects display brightness. The new iMac is rumored to have a good vertical and horizontal viewing angle, and its projected capacitive touch panel will decrease dimensions of future iMac and reduce thickness and weight.

First rumors of a touchscreen iMac appeared in January, with claims of a 22-inch model set to debut sometime during 2010. A second rumor surfaced in June claiming that Apple would be holding a special event to introduce a touch-enabled iMac running both Mac OS X and iOS within the following two months. But both of them failed to take place.

Today the new Apple TV has been jailbroken by hacker MuscleNerd from DevTeam. He used the SHAtter exploit. This means that hackers were able to gain full access to the device. Here is MuscleNerd's comment on twitter:

AppleTV 2G SHAttered and jailbroken (not quite sure how to run apps yet!)

MuscleNerd and the rest of the Dev-Team will probably create a public release of some utility soon. Here is a youtube video showing off the jailbroken device:

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CNet specialists will show and explain us how to create custom ringtones in iTunes 10. Watch the video:

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CNet reviewd the new Apple TV 2-nd generation. Here's what they think of it:

The good: Costs $99; rent movies and TV shows from the iTunes Store; 99-cent HD TV show rentals on some Fox and ABC shows; supports Netflix streaming; incredibly small design; outstanding user interface; can be controlled by iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch; streams music and videos from PCs and Macs running iTunes; promising future AirPlay functionality should be available in November.

The bad: Very limited selection of TV shows, especially compared with Amazon Video On Demand; confusion between what's available on Apple TV iTunes Store and PC-based iTunes store; doesn't support the full suite of media apps (Pandora, etc.) available on the iPhone and iPad; can't connect to older, pre-HDMI TVs.

The bottom line: The Apple TV's new low $99 price makes it an easy impulse buy for Apple fans looking to bring Netflix into the living room, but you may want to wait until more content--or Apple's forthcoming AirPlay update--becomes available.

Watch the video below:

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Twitter user with nickname StealthBravo recently confirmed that the new Apple TV can be restored in iTunes as well as any iOS device, easing the way for jailbreakers to bring new functionality to the set-top box. This means that the hackers soon be able to offer us tools, as they currently do for other iOS devices, to save SHSH blobs, jailbreak the Apple TV, and install 3rd party software.

Moreover, Apple TV offers a Micro-USB port for connectivity, but the port also offers a means for users to physically connect the device to computers to employ the techniques required for jailbreak of operating system.

Recently Apple has updated Games section for the iPhone version of the App Store. This updated games section now has its own games pane, which consists of 4 parts: New, What’s Hot, Categories (way to get into all the gaming categories) and Genius.

Yesterday Apple released a new version of Mac OS X 10.6.5 to developers. This Build with number 10H548 comes only two weeks after Build 10H542, which was seeded on September 14th. Apple asked developer to focus on such areas as: iCal, Mail, USB Devices, QuickTime, Time Machine and 3D Graphics

We’ve gotten some evidences proving that Apple originally planned to include HDR support for the iPhone 3GS, but dropped it. Just look at this picture, found in the iOS SDK:

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The experts at iFixit torn down the new Apple TV. Here some interesting info they managed to find out inside the new Apple’s set-top box:

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