Chronic Dev Team scores iOS hacking hit
The Chronic-Dev Team has announced that around 1.1 million users have already jailbroken their iOS device using the latest version of the Greenpois0n Absinthe 2.0 hack. The number of users choosing to install the hack is considerable, given that it was launched for iOS 5.1.1 just last Friday with 211,401 new iPad users among them. The remaining users include a mix of devices running Apple’s A4 and A5 processors, with the only device yet to receive the exploit being the latest iPad 2 using the 32nm version of the A5 chip.
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Timing appears coincidental to Absinthe release
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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Rare working computer one of six known to exist
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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Intent of Israeli expansion still unclear
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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Most A4, A5 devices supported
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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Pace of international expansion slows
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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Apple tipped to include Baidu search in iOS for China
A report from China’s Sina Tech has tipped that Apple will integrate Baidu as a search engine in iOS for the Chinese iPhone. Baidu is the leading search engine in China with a massive 83.6 percent share of the market. The pairing is seen as mutually beneficial with Baidu gaining exposure on the smartphone platform with the most active on China’s mobile web, while its inclusion will be an additional selling point for the iPhone in China.
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Lashinsky notes style, policy changes at Apple
Apple CEO Tim Cook is on the cover of this week's Fortune Magazine with a story by Inside Apple author Adam Lashinsky profiling the intensely private CEO and noting some of the changes -- some subtle, some not -- introduced by Cook early in his tenure as head of the world's most valuable company. Lashinsky's story posits that in some ways, Apple is becoming a more "traditional" company under Cook.
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Apple files for optical stylus patent
In a surprise, an Apple patent application for an optical stylus has turned up on the USPTO website. Steve Jobs had derided the stylus as an input method for the iPhone and the iPad once famously saying that ‘If you need a stylus, you’ve already failed.’ However, Jobs was well known for throwing the opposition a curve ball from time to time speaking out against an idea, only to have been developing a concept behind the scenes. One example was when he said that consumers liked having a separate iPod while also carrying their phone, only to reveal the ultimate convergence device in the iPhone a couple of years later.
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iOS app and browser extension offers image-based search
Update: Axis was temporarily pulled by Yahoo due to a security vulnerability, but has already been updated. Yahoo has released Axis , which it is calling a 'visual search' application. It has been released as a full mobile browser for iOS and as a cross-platform desktop browser extension that uses page snapshots in live search results instead of text. The iOS app, while having the same tabbed browsing and bookmarking found in Safari, has a user interface focussing on image-heavy search, with cross-device synching possible between iPhone, iPad and the desktop browser extension.
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New ad reveals the meaning of life
Apple has released two new televisions commercials featuring the iPhone 4S, its Siri voice capability and a celebrity in need of company. Like the first two ads in the series , a famous actor (in this case thespian and director John Malkovich) is inside a white house alone, making conversation with Siri. Unlike the previous commercials, Malkovich never leaves his chair, and gets two distinct ads -- one of which reveals the meaning of life.
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iPhone interface gets speed, interface overhauls
Google has released a major update of its Search app for iOS, v2.0.0. The iPhone side of the title has been overhauled, gaining "major" speed improvements and a redesigned interface. This includes auto fullscreen, which hides controls when scrolling down, and reveals them again when scrolling up. A special fullscreen mode is used during image search.
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July trial may be virtually guaranteed
Apple and Samsung have failed to reach any kind of settlement after court-ordered talks on Monday and Tuesday, according to the Korea Times . A Samsung official tells the publication that the companies could find "no clear agreement" on their patent dispute. The talks were extremely high-level, involving Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung.
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Technology considered corporate security threat
Siri, the voice command system on the iPhone 4S, is being blocked on IBM\'s internal networks, the company\'s CIO has revealed. Jeanette Horan mentioned the fact in an interview with MIT\'s Technology Review this week. The core issue involves the way Siri translates speech; rather than performing the task on a phone, it uploads recordings to Apple servers, where the speech is deciphered before results are sent back. Accompanying this is user data, such as the names of people in Contacts, since the information is needed to interpret some requests.
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Claims may be difficult to mesh with rumored iPhone sizes
Images have leaked of what is allegedly a part for the next-generation iPod touch, according to a MacRumors source. In particular, the images show a front panel produced by an unidentified supplier. Noticeably it has room for a much larger display, which the supplier claims should measure 4.1 inches.
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Video player gets 're-engineered'
Video service Hulu has released a major update of Hulu Plus for iOS , v2.5. Most of the focus of the update is on iPad support, since it adds compatibility with the third-generation iPad's Retina display, and also enhances the native interface. Hulu has moreover improved AirPlay mirroring and HDMI output, which should also work when an iPad is in operating in split view mode. Users must have at least an iPad 2 or an iPhone 4S.
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HP leads in actual notebook share
Apple led the market in mobile PC shipments during the March quarter, at least when including the iPad, according to preliminary NPD data. The company shipped 17.2 million iPads and MacBooks, representing a 118 percent jump year-over-year, and 22.5 percent marketshare during Q1. About 80 percent of those units were iPads though, whereas the other top sellers succeeded on the basis of notebook shipments.
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Sixth-gen iPhone prototypes testing 3.95-inch display
More details have emerged about the new 4-inch display that Apple is rumored to be testing for the next iPhone with 9to5 Mac claiming its sources have confirmed that Apple is currently testing an iPhone with a 3.95-inch display. The new display is also expected to retain a Retina Display level of pixel density, maintain the same width as the current display (1.94-inches), but be stretched to 16:9 ratio at 3.45-inches tall. If accurate, this would permit a 16:9 movie to play in its native aspect ratio using the full display sans the black bars while even potentially retaining the same overall phone size.
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Evizone keeps confidential correspondence confidential
At a time when businesses are exchanging more and more information online, with a corresponding risk of data theft from cyber hackers, Internet security is more critical than it has ever been. Evizone has developed a unique approach enabling the secure exchange of files, view-only copy protected messages and documents so that businesses can be confident that their vital corporate information remains only in the hands of its intended audience. MacNN recently had the opportunity to put some questions to Evizone CEO Andrew Coutts about what sets Evizone apart from the crowd and why businesses that value corporate security should consider it instead of email and other file sharing services.
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Kickstarter runs through June 7
High-quality covers for the iPad are a prevalent accessory. Once relegated to boutique status, they can now be had for a variety of prices ranging from $40 to over $100. The official Apple case for the iPad 2 and current-generation iPad sits at the low end of the range financially. When a new product shows up that's competitively priced with Apple's offering, it's worth a look. An already fully-funded Kickstarter project by Washington DC metro-area Salman Sajid is still underway , and MacNN got an early look at the product that carries both any generation of iPad as well as an Apple Bluetooth keyboard.
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Dreyfuss, Obama, Clinton, children, others
A group of notable public figures, including two US presidents and a class of schoolkids -- along with the reunited \"Mac and PC\" team of Justin Long and John Hodgman -- paid tribute to Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs at the Webby Awards held yesterday in New York City. As part of the ceremony, a video tribute was run featuring \"five words\" (and sometimes more) from various celebrities and politicians who in turn paid tribute to Jobs, who died in October.
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Judgment undermines worth of Kodak patent portfolio
The US International Trade Commission has ruled that a patent involved in Kodak\'s lawsuit against Apple and Research in Motion is invalid, according to AppleInsider . In particular an administrative law judge has quashed the 6,292,218 patent, Method for Live View Display and Digital Camera Using Same , on the basis of claim 15 in the document. Kodak will reportedly appeal the decision to the full commission, a necessary step if it intends to continue suing Apple and RIM for infringing the patent.
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Apple, Samsung CEOs to meet today in court-ordered talks
Samsung is still hoping to settle in its global legal disputes with Apple, Reuters reports. The head of the company\'s mobile division, J.K. Shin, spoke to journalists at a Seoul airport yesterday shortly before flying to the US. \"There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple but we still have several negotiation options including cross-licensing,\" he said. Shin is joining Samsung CEO Choi Gee-sung to meet Apple CEO Tim Cook today for court-ordered settlement talks .
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Huai’an plant to host 35,800 workers
Asian manufacturer Foxconn is preparing to spend $210 million on a new Huai\'an production line for Apple, according to China Daily . The plant has been announced by local officials, and is expected to consume 40,000 square meters (over 430,556 square feet), and employ 35,800 people. Predicted output is valued at 6 to 7 billion yuan, or somewhere between $949 million and $1.1 billion, with an import/export value of $55.8 million.
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Leap Motion unveils motion control for Macs and PCs
Leap Motion has taken the covers off its new motion-tracking device for computer interaction. As the video (embedded below) demonstrates, the device maker shows off how the device could potentially replace a mouse and keyboard in a number of computing and gaming contexts. The size of a small flash drive, the Leap is said to be able to allow users to control a computer in three dimensions, tracking natural hand and finger movements down to 1/100th of a millimeter.
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Apple sends sandboxing reminder to Mac devs
Apple sent an email reminder to developers working on apps for the Mac App Store letting them know that new programs will have to be compatible with the platform's forthcoming "sandboxing" constraints in order to be offered in the Mac App Store. Developers are expected to implement sandboxing within their apps by June 1, though existing programs can be updated after that date. Apple has previously extended the deadline for app sandboxing, first November 2011 to March 2012, and later to June 2012 .
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MacNN goes hands-on with the Fling Joystick for iPad
The Fling Joystick for iPad is one of the more interesting accessories available for the iPad and other tablets. With the graphics capabilities of tablets approaching console quality, the biggest hurdle facing in-depth gaming on capacitive touchscreen devices is the lack of physical controls. Similar comments were of course leveled at the iPhone when it first launched back in 2007 without a physical keyboard, but those concerns soon evaporated. However, the volume selling games on both iPhone and iPad tend to be the casual games that rely on simple touch gestures. Yet, there are a number of first person shooters that use virtual single dual stick controls that look appealing, but aren't quite as popular.
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Oklahoma, Puerto Rico latest additions
Continuing with a string of recent arrivals on US regional carriers, the iPhone has arrived to two news that cover northwest Oklahoma and Puerto Rico, respectively. Open Mobile , the Puerto Rico carrier, may be the first exclusively no-contract carrier in the US to offer iPhones. Oklahoma-based Pioneer Cellular is carrying only the iPhone 4S, while Open Mobile has both the 4 and 4S at various capacities.
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Would continue global R&D expansion
Apple is one of several parties in talks with Russia\'s Skolkovo technology park about possible research and development facilities there, according to local publication Izvestia . Other interested companies are said to include Google and Facebook; agreements are reportedly already in place for firms such as Microsoft, IBM, General Electric, and Cisco. Skolkovo\'s organizers are said to be aiming at making the park a Russian equivalent of Silicon Valley.
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Move to iCloud accompanied by headaches, says plaintiff
A new class action lawsuit has been filed against Apple in California, accusing the company of "unfair, unlawful, deceptive, and misleading practices" in promoting iCloud, according to AppleInsider . The case -- filed on behalf of Danyelle Comer in the US District Court for the Northern District of California -- specifically targets Apple for failing to properly transition paid Mobile Me subscribers over to iCloud. "Throughout the migration, Apple failed to adequately ensure that features Mobile Me users were paying for would be accessible, including access to their e-mail accounts for which customers pay additional fees," complaint documents read. "As a result, numerous Mobile Me users suffered damage from the inability to access their individual accounts."
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