At long last, the iPhone 5. We just got our hands on Apple's latest smartphone following its unveiling in San Francisco, and suffice it to say, it's a beautiful thing. Some might say we've been waiting for this moment since October 4th of last year, but another crowd may say that the real next-gen iPhone has been on the burner for much longer. Indeed, this is the first iPhone since June of 2010 to showcase an entirely new design, but it's obvious that Apple's not going to deviate far when it comes to aesthetics.

Apple followers will aptly recall Steve Jobs' quote in July of 2010 -- you know, that one about "no one" wanting a big phone, with current CEO Tim Cook seated just feet from Steve as the phrase was uttered. Now, however, Apple's inching ever closer to that very realm, with an elongated 4-inch display that enables new apps to take advantage of more pixels (1,136 x 640), while legacy apps can still operate within a familiar space. The phone itself doesn't feel too much different than the iPhone 4 and 4S; yes, it's a bit taller, but by keeping the width the same, you'll utilize a very familiar grasp to hold it.

In typical Apple fashion, even the finest details have been worked over tirelessly. The metal feels downright elegant to the touch, and the same line we've said time and time again applies here: there's no doubting the premium fit and finish when you clutch one of these things. Yeah, the headphone port's now on the bottom, but avid iPod touch users shouldn't have too much trouble adjusting.




The rest of the leaks, by and large, were proven correct. High-speed LTE is being included in an iPhone for the first time, and the new Dock Connector is indeed smaller. Arguably, that's the change that'll cause the most headaches for longtime iDevice users -- if you've purchased an automobile, a speaker dock, or any of the other zillion iReady products in the past half-decade, you'll need to pony up for an adapter to make things work properly.

Apple's made this one lighter than before, and while the outgoing flagship never really felt heavy, this one feels impressively light. After all, it's both taller and lighter. The display -- which meets sRGB color specification -- now has an integrated touch layer, and Apple's not holding back when it calls it the "world's most advanced display." Sure enough, it looks beautiful. Of course, displays across the industry have been becoming increasingly sexy to look at, and Apple's newest most certainly pops when you ogle it. Is it better than the 4S? For sure, but it doesn't make the 4S' panel look dated by any means. The anti-glare measures implemented are highly appreciated, too.

The new A6 chip, in typical Apple style, hasn't revealed itself in terms of raw tech specs. But at a glance, it's definitely quicker than the chip in the 4S. Much like the speed increases between the iPhone 4 and 4S (and before that, the iPhone 3G vs. iPhone 3GS), they won't take you by storm right away. But, use it for half an hour and you'll have a hard time going back to a slower chip. The transitions are smoother, switching between apps is a bit quicker and everything just generally feels incrementally faster.

We'll be grabbing video and putting some of the new iOS 6-specific additions to the test, but for now, feel free to cast judgment on the design after peeking the gallery above.


iPhone 5 Full Apple keynote September 2012


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Apparently, the iOS hacking community is not working for the weekend, judging by the two days it took to crack Apple's latest beta wide open. Available as of this morning, the Sn0wbreeze 2.8 Beta 6 unlock tool can now give those of you with developer credentials jailbreak access to iOS 5 beta 6. From the looks of this release, the hack works on most iOS devices with the sole exception of the iPad 2. Already itching to get that custom firmware on your Ive-designed iSlabs? Then hit the source link below, and let us know how things turn out.

http://www.smashiphone.net/jailbreak-ios-5-beta-6-using-sn0wbreeze-2-8-beta-6

Bethesda's allowing iPhone and iPad users to pick up the game free for seven days after fans met its challenge to 'like' the Rage Facebook page 100,000 times.

id's Jaspm Kim, producer on the full-fat Rage due for release in October, told us last monththat mobile development is a "growing" aspect of his company.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/316159/rage-ios-free-for-a-week/

MobileMe's impending demise just got one step closer, folks. Apple's updated iCloud.com to now sport an official login page with what we're assuming is Cupertino's rendition of a CNC-machined aluminum unibody badge. It looks like those of you rocking iOS 5 or OS X 10.7.2 and who've also created an iCloud account are probably already busy frolicking through email, editing contacts and slinging calendar events all from the comfort of your browser. Those services already existed under its predecessor, but it looks as if Cupertino has spruced 'em up with fresh paint jobs. A screenshot from MacRumors also shows the addition of an iWork section, which we'd surmise means the previously siloed iWork beta now has a new place to call home. We couldn't get past the migration step with our trusty MobileMe account (disappointing proof is after the break), but you're more than welcome to tap the more coverage link and have a go yourself.

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A native Skype app for the iPad has finally appeared, opening up your Apple slate for voice and video chatting with others on Macs, PCs or even TVs. It's not listed as an update to the existing iOS app, but as a separate Skype for iPad download that's only shown up in certain countries so far -- at first we couldn't find it on the US iTunes but it finally appeared after some searching. Just like Skype for iPhone, everything works over both WiFi and 3G, but one key difference is the ability to instant message during video calls. Check after the break for the full release notes and the demo video that leaked in June.

Update: So, we've just taken the app for a quick spin via a 3G to WiFi call and it's laid out very nicely -- maintaining the familiarity of its desktop client. Getting a video chat started was quick with acceptably clean audio and mostly consistent video streaming (aside from an occasional freeze-frame). Whether you're in landscape or portrait mode there's access to recent conversations, and you can even start conversations within your current chat; we'd say that the former works out better for getting around, although it does make it hard to stay in frame. Overall it feels like a souped-up version of the iPhone release, and impressions aside, the gallery down below should give you a better look at what to expect.

Update 2: Just as suddenly as it appeared, it has now been yanked from iTunes stores everywhere. A Tweet from the official account says it went live "prematurely" -- your guess is as good as ours as to when it will return.

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Apple today approved the Google+ app for the iPhone, and posted it to the App Store.

As of noon ET, only an iPhone version of Google+ was available. It's unclear whether Google has created an iPad-specific app.

Google+, the social network that launched earlier this month but still remains in field trials, already boasts 10 million users, Google CEO Larry Page said last week during the company's quarterly earnings call with Wall Street analysts.

The app may not be available to everyone immediately, said Vic Gundotra, who heads Google's social division.

"iPhone, meet Google+," said Gundotra as he announced the new software on his Google+ account. "This app should be rolling out over the next few hours."

Computerworld was able to download and install the Google+ app for the iPhone from this App Store page. As of 2 p.m. ET, however, the app was still not available via an App Store search.

Two weeks ago, a Google employee said that the company had submitted Google+ to the App Store. "The Google+ iPhone app has been submitted to the App Store (no not today, sometime prior to today) and is awaiting approval," said Erica Joy on July 4.

According to that timeline, Google's app took twice as long as the vast bulk of submitted apps to win Apple's approval.

Apple rarely talks about the approval process for its iOS download store, but at the Worldwide Developer Conference in June 2010, CEO Steve Jobs said, "Ninety-five percent of all the apps we get submitted are approved within seven days."

The App Store description of Google+ said that the app runs on the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and requires iOS 3.1 or later.
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JR Raphael:
Hey, Apple: Where's the Google Plus iPhone app already?

However, iPhone apps can run on the iPad in an emulation mode that simply doubles the size of the former's display on the tablet's screen.

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We already got a chance to try out OnLive on the HTC Flyer early but now the company has made its plans official at E3, announcing a Player app will bring internet-streamed gaming to the iPad and Android tablets this autumn. Just as we saw, the apps allow for tablets to be used as the screen and touch / motion controller, touch / motion controller for games on an HDTV, or screen for games being played with the new universal wireless gamepad. The fun isn't limited to just tablets though, the app will work the same way on smaller Android and iOS mobile devices.



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Apple threw quite the wireless party by introducing PC Free and iCloud at yesterday's WWDC keynote, but it seems that the engineers in Cupertino may have even more tricks up their sleeve. Judging by a recently filed patent application, the company's hoping to add charging to its list of cord-cutting services. Specifically, the patent describes building a NFMR (near-field magnetic resolution) power supply directly into your iMac so it can charge your iPhone, iPad, or even peripherals -- such as a keyboard or mouse, when equipped with a special antenna -- without the assistance of your ol' trusty charging cords or batteries. Sporting a somewhat mature iMac that's operating sans NFMR? Pop a special USB dongle in that bad boy and presto, you're good to go. The patent points out that the range is limited to one meter, though there may be ways to install repeaters in peripherals to extend that distance further. Of course, patents won't guarantee we'll be grabbing the scissors to cut our cords anytime soon, but at least we won't have to rely on these things for the rest of eternity.

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iOS Jailbreaker MuscleNerd has done it. He has managed to jailbreak the iOS 5 in less than 24 hours of its official unveiling. MuscleNerd of iPhone Dev Team posted some images of the Jailbreak from his official twitter account saying that he has successfully jailbroken Apple’s iOS 5 software using Limera1n.

According to him the jailbreak is tethered for now but there is nothing to worry about because this version of the jailbreak will never reach the iUsers. Anyhow according to the initial testing by MuscleNerd, the Cydia seems to be working all good on his jailbroken 4th generation iPod touch, he installed SSHing utility app called iSSH successfully on the device.

The Apple iOS 5 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch was announced yesterday at the WWDC conference, which brings over 200 new features. Key features of this update includes – a new notifications system called ‘Notification Center’, Twitter integration, Newsstand, Safari Reader, tabbed browsing for iPad, Camera updates, built-in dictionary, PC-free (no cables required), OTA software updates and much more. According to the MuscleNerd the exploit used to jailbreak the iOS 5 beta will work on the final release version, and iUsers can be happy to know that the iOS 5 will be jailbroken immediately as it release this fall.

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iOS 5 won't be ready for the masses until this Fall, but lucky developers -- and eager tech bloggers -- are able to get in on the action right now. We just got done downloading the 730MB BETA, and have decided to turn our iPhone 4 and iPad 2 into guinea pigs for all the newness. Apple says that there are over 200 new features baked into the updated OS, and we've run through the biggies from Notification Center to Twitter to that oh-so-convenient split keyboard for you -- all you need to do is click after the break.

Many of the new features in iOS 5 are things we've been sitting, waiting, and wishing for since the iPhone first launched. Complete with a more robust notification scheme and a brand new messaging protocol, Apple has filled in many of the gaps that have left it behind other OSs like Android and webOS.


When you first power up the device, you're greeted with an option to select your WiFi network -- a necessary step for all the cloud-related goodies and WiFi sync features that are now present in the OS. Once you're online, you enter your Apple ID, or can sign up for one directly on the device you're using -- which is great for those of us living in a post PC era. After that you get prompted on whether or not you'd like to use iCloud -- which you obviously do -- followed by an option to use the free Find My iPhone service. Finally, after deciding whether or not you'd like to share your usage stats with Apple or not (take a guess at what we chose), you're up and running to "start using the most advanced iOS ever" -- Apple's words, not ours. Now that the hard stuff is out of the way, let's get on to what you've most been waiting for: the new stuff.

Notification Center


We've lamented about iOS's seemingly archaic popup notification scheme since we received our first text message ever on an iPhone -- and then scratched our heads even more when we got our first push notification on an iPad. Apple has taken the Android approach in iOS 5, and has made a home for all notifications in a drawer that is toggled by a swipe down from the top of the screen. When you get a notification, it pops in from the top with a different color so it's not missed, and if not addressed it disappears with a rotating-cube transition. It's quite nice, and looks remarkably like the MobileNotifier jailbreak app -- which is probably not a coincidence given that developer's most recent employer. We should also mention that weather and stock updates are now nested in the notifications tray for quick access, and it updates by location automatically.

Notifications also live on the homescreen, though it looks as if they only appear when a new notification has appeared after the device has been locked. Meaning, if you get an email and don't read it while you're doing something else, notifications don't show up on the homescreen. However, if you get one while the device is locked, all notifications appear and you're given the option to swipe directly to any one of your choosing. We hope this becomes an option before this OS goes gold, but for now, it's simply so much better than what we had before, so we don't want to get too picky (especially in a BETA).

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It’s quite ironic really when you think about it. Not content with the umpteen different Android handsets available these days, it seems some people want to run Google’s finest on their iPhones too.

In a forum post on ModMyI, Joshua Tucker has published an interview with the guy behind the project to get Android running on the iPhone 3GS and A4-based hardware such as iPhone 4 and iPad.

Nick Pack, product leader of the iDroid Project tells Tucker how the reverse engineering required to get the Android OS running on Apple’s smartphones is a long, drawn out process that is impossible to put a timescale on.

NICK: Work on the A4 port started late last year, but progress was slow due to there being a lack of skilled developers on the team to work on it. In the recent few weeks, the port has accelerated drastically. The 3GS port was started a couple of months back but lessons learned from the A4 port helped to bring it inline quickly. Due to the nature of the project, it is completly impossible to estimate just how long these things take. This is mainly due to the sheer volume of reverse engineering that has to be done, but we are working with largely undocumented and uncommon hardware so it comes with the territory.

With development currently in the region of 60% complete it’s safe to say Android fans won’t be running their favorite operating system on their iPhone 4 or 3GS just yet, but rest assured the work is being done.

The iDroid Project successfully ported Android to the iPhone 3G, iPhone 2G and 1st-gen iPod touch in 2010, though since then interest in the idea of Android on an iDevice seems to have waned.

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LookTel Money Reader instantly recognizes US currency and speaks the denomination, enabling people with visual impairments or blindness to quickly and easily identify and count bills. Simply point your iPhone's camera at any US bill and the application will tell you the denomination in real-time. It supports $1, $2, $5, $10, $20, $50, and $100 bills.

Featuring LookTel's patented and proprietary object recognition technology, LookTel Money Reader makes it as easy to recognize bills as possible. There's no need to hold the iPhone still or capture a photo and wait for a result – recognition happens continuously and in real-time. Additionally, the app does not require any internet connection, which means it can read money quickly at any location, anytime.

LookTel Money Reader is a helpful mobile assistant that’s simple and easy to use. While shopping, use the application to verify money while checking out or to ensure you are getting the right amount of change back. It can also be used to quickly and easily sort money with total independence from virtually anywhere.

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This is a very useful application. I remember using iRShell on my PSP 1000 which have a ir learning mechanism and turned it into any universal ir remote control. This Santa Clara-based startup is to help you take control over your entertainment system using your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or soon(may be) Android device. The company has just launched its first product — the Peel fruit — that retails online and in the Apple store for $99.

The plucky startup Peel, which recently launched an iPhone app to help you find things to watch on TV, is making a big step forward today by launching hardware that will turn its app into a powerful universal remote control.

Now not only will you be able to make sense of what’s on TV with Peel’s app, you’ll also be able to tune directly to a program from within the app.

But even with the addition of new hardware, Peel is still focused on TV discovery with its app. After downloading it from the iTunes Store, you simply need to provide the app with information on how you access TV. The app then begins to personalize your experience by having you order your favorite genres and sports, and it lets you delete items you’ll never watch.

Peel’s “Top Picks” section offers recommendations to you based on your preferences, and the app’s recommendation engine is updated as you ‘favorite’, share and hide shows. The company says that Peel is smart enough to determine what you like to watch at specific times of the day. The app also lets you see what TV shows, movies and sports are on the air, and it lets you search programming as well.

Peel’s universal remote control hardware consists of two parts: the Peel Cable that plugs into your router, and the Peel fruit, a citrusy looking device that sits within view of your entertainment system. Since hunting and pecking for buttons on a touchscreen isn’t ideal for TV watching, the company developed gesture methods for controlling aspects of your entertainment system like volume.

Peel says that the hardware can control thousands of models of TVs, DVD and Blu-ray players, cable and satellite boxes and more. It’s also compatible with web streaming devices like Roku’s set-top box, Apple TV and Google TV. The company hasn’t settled on a price for its universal remote hardware yet, so it’s letting would-be customers name their own price for device on its website.

The combination of a killer TV discovery engine with universal remote control capabilities makes Peel an app to keep an eye on. Google is currently trying its hand at TV discovery on Google TV, but it’s nowhere near as smart or attractive as Peel’s solution. I wouldn’t be surprised if Google ends up snapping up the company, as both its app discovery and remote technology would be a boon to Google TV.

Peel is based in Santa Clara, Calif., and has entered into first round funding with Redpoint Ventures. Harrison Metal has also invested in the company.

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The Seagate TV Remote app allows you to control your GoFlex TV/FreeAgent Theater+ HD media player from anywhere in the home with an iPhone or iPod Touch via Wi-Fi. Since the app uses your Wi-Fi network, there is no need to point the iOS device at the HD media player or worry about being too far away to control the HD media.

What's New in Version 1.4

Based on users' feedback, added a message box to advise users about the limitation of the [abc] button to avoid confusion.

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Adam Dachis — Camera Mic Snaps Pictures in iOS by Tapping the MicrophoneApple doesn't like apps repurposing buttons, so Camera Mic went ahead and did something creative: it turned your microphone into a button. All you need to do is run your finger across your iPhone's mic or headset mic to snap a picture.

It works very well, but the obvious downside is triggering a photo when you don't mean to. Loud noises can set off the shutter, but that only occurs when those noises are in close proximity to the mic. While the default settings are right where you want them, you can adjust the mic sensitivity in the app if you're having trouble.

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There's a new update out for Skype on iOS devices today that which expands the new videocalling compatibility to "a wider selection of Skype clients and devices" by adding the h.264 compatibility necessary to chat with any Skype for TV clients.

That's available on certain LG, Panasonic and Samsung HDTVs right now, while Sony and Vizio have both announced it will be in some of their new HDTVs coming out later this year. The ability to call mobile devices seems to give a big edge to Skype over other living room videochat setups from Cisco, Logitech or Microsoft's Kinect, but even with a compatible (& pricey)camera in hand, good luck finding someone out enjoying the world who wants to chat while you're chilling on the couch.

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This week BBC iPlayer app will be coming to Android and iPad.

As Erik Huggers announced at Mobile World Congress last year, apps are a big part of our plans to make BBC Online more easily accessible on mobile devices. The BBC News app has been a success for us since launching last year and BBC iPlayer will be next off the production line. These apps are coming at a time when we're really beginning to see massive growth of people using BBC iPlayer on mobile devices. Over Christmas, growth in mobile use of BBC iPlayer outpaced PC growth by more than 2-to-1, and BBC iPlayer growth on tablets outpaced PCs by more than 20-to-1. We're just applying the finishing touches to the apps as we speak, and all things being well we plan to have Android and iPad apps in stores by the end of the week.

Having stuck our toe in the water last year with the iPad (initially, we quickly repurposed our big screen version), this new native app is a significant improvement on the existing experience and it's great to be on the Android platform too. Our intention is to be on as many devices and platforms as possible.

Here are the key features on Android and iPad:

* Watch live TV and listen to radio (not previously widely available on mobile devices)
* Access the BBC's full catalogue of catch-up programmes; seven-days' TV and radio on demand as well as series stacking (as you get on the web)
* A simple and intuitive design with high picture quality and personalised favourites (making the most of the touch-screen UI, and a popular feature on the website)

So this is about getting the basics right, simple apps that makes best use of the portable touch-screen experience. We'll be looking to build in more features throughout the year.

For iPad it's straightforward, but for technical reasons we can't bring the app to every single Android device. To download and use the app you'll need a device that uses Android version 2.2 and has Adobe Flash 10.1 Player installed. Our Flash streams need a powerful mobile phone processor and a Wi-Fi connection to ensure a smooth viewing experience, which means that only newer, more powerful Android 2.2 devices connected via Wi-Fi can support the Flash 10.1 streaming experience.

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Google released a Google Translate Web app for iPhone users back in 2008, but now the Apple crowd has a native Google Translate iPhone app. Available in the App Store now, the free Google Translate app includes speak-to-translate for 15 languages, a full screen mode, and the ability to listen to translations in 23 languages.

The iPhone app doesn't have Android's on-the-fly "conversation mode," but it does allow you to quickly zoom up the text size of your translation, so you can easily show it to the person you're trying to communicate with. The ability to play back your translations using the voice synthesizers Google first introduced in the desktop version of Google Translate is also cool. Sure, Google Translate for iPhone is a long time coming, but it's a nice step up from the Web app.

Source: Download Squad