05/26, 7:50pm
Apple updated its recently-released iOS 5.1.1 edition today for one specific iPhone model without changing the version number, likely representing only a minor bugfix in the new release. The update, which is distinguished by its build number (9B208 instead of the 9B206 built that was distributed), did not come with any release notes. For those already on the original build of 5.1.1, the update can only be downloaded through iTunes or by direct download.
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05/26, 6:32pm
The seventh graders of Woodlawn Beach Middle School's Advanced Life Science students have published an interactive field guide of Northwest Florida called Creatures, Plants, and More! (free). "I wanted to give them the opportunity to be published so they could use this as part of their academic resume, and to make what they learn have real meaning," said Andrea Santilli, the students' teacher. The students are the first seventh grade students to publish an interactive e-book using iBooks Author.
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05/25, 10:52pm
WordPress developer Automattic has updated its iOS WordPress app to version 3.0 (free), bringing support for push notifications as well as a moderation toolbar for comments activated by swiping over any item. The update is said to "vastly" improve performance, particularly on iPads, and language support for Taiwanese, Hungarian and Polish has been added. The app helps users administer both WordPress.com and their own hosted WP blogs.
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05/25, 9:50pm
Numerous reports claim that the Learning Thermostat from Nest will be available at Apple retail stores shortly. Nest is a company formed around developing and marketing the thermostat by Apple's former senior vice president and original iPod architect Tony Fadell. The thermostat is listed in Apple inventory databases, but MacNN has confirmed no stock is available to purchase at this time.
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05/25, 9:12pm
In a blog post this week, Cisco revealed that the company will no longer be producing the Cius. The enterprise-focused tablet was released last year but never caught on with business consumers, who are increasingly opting for Apple's iPad, and other competitors to a lesser extent, as a mobile computing solution.
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05/25, 8:01pm
Auction house Sotheby's will be selling two bits of history soon -- one strongly related to Apple, the other less so -- both tied to the late Steve Jobs. On June 15, the company will be auctioning a rare working Apple I motherboard, one of only six known to exist in this state, and expected to fetch more than $180,000. Also being auctioned in a separate lot is a rare handwritten memo and typed report from Jobs from his time at Atari.
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05/25, 6:50pm
Applications Airfoil Speakers Touchby Macintosh audio software purveyor Rogue Amoeba, and similar application Airfloat by The Famous Software Company have been removed from the app store by Apple program managers. Both applications developers possibly reverse-engineered some aspect of Apple's Airplay technology, or used the illegally-distributed cracked encryption key, both violations of the Apple developer's agreement. Apple has not commented publicly on the matter, and neither developer has been told why the applications were removed.
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05/25, 3:02pm
Researchers at the MIT Media Lab have created a Minority Report-style glove and iPad input system for three-dimensional virtual object manipulation called T(ether). The system lets the team use motion tracking on gloves to create and alter virtual items with the iPads used as a point-of-view window to see what the users are manipulating. A demonstration video shows the system having multiple users simultaneously affecting the compter-generated world, both with and without the glove.
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05/25, 1:17pm
Apple has started hiring for two new chip engineering jobs in Israel, notes AppleInsider. The company is looking for two "SoC Backend Physical Design Engineers," to be based in the Haifa and Herzliya Pituah regions of the country. People hired for the jobs will be required to handle "physical implementation of a complete SoC [system-on-chip] from net list to tape-out," including aspects like clock and power distribution, and power and noise analysis. The openings join five others in Israel, all involving engineering. Most of these are situated in Herzliya Pituah.
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05/25, 12:37pm
At Apple's online store today save on a variety of refurbished Macs like the refurb. Mac mini with a 2.3GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 2GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive, now $519 after a $80 price cut. Or for $699 is the refurb. Mac mini with a 2.5GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM and a 500GB hard drive.
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05/25, 12:32pm
Today in the MacNN forums one Fresh-Faced Recruit was setting up a small network and ran into some problems with the network when a new computer is added, read more here. Also today one Forum Regular had some questions about webpage icons, join in here.
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05/25, 11:47am
An anticipated untethered jailbreak for iOS 5.1.1 devices has been released by hacker pod2g and the Chronic Dev Team. Called Greenpois0n Absinthe 2.0, the software is notable not only for supporting the latest version of Apple's iOS firmware, but also reportedly almost all A4 and A5 devices, including the iPhone 4S and the third-generation iPad. Traditionally, support for A5 hardware has been difficult due to changes made by Apple that closed an earlier exploit. The one exception to support in Absinthe 2.0 is the revised iPad 2 equipped with a 32nm chipset.
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05/25, 11:15am
Today's deals from DealNN include price breaks on MacBook Airs, power supplies, and more. Apple.com has recently lowered the cost of the refurbished 1.86GHz MacBook Air, sporting a 13.3-inch LED-backlit widescreen display, 2GB of RAM, 128GB of Flash storage, and an Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Currently featured at DealNN, this model has now dropped $300 in price and can be purchased for only $899.
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05/25, 10:19am
UK furniture retailer DFS is offering the Trophy Cuddler Audio Sofa that has built-in speakers and a dock for Apple's iPhone and iPod touch. The sofa has two speakers and a subwoofer, though their power ratings aren't being listed. Other than docking iOS devices, there is also a USB port and 3.5mm auxiliary input for other audio sources.
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05/25, 10:11am
Apple has quietly revealed that it is launching the third-generation iPad in Guam and the Philippines on May 29th. Rather than making an official announcement, Apple has disclosed the news through its Asian iPad page, which has been updated to show the new locations. Other launch details have yet to be published, but Filipinos will have the advantage of ordering from Apple's online store.
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