Showing posts with label iPhone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label iPhone. Show all posts
Apple CEO Tim Cook Apologizes for Apple Maps, Suggests You Download Bing
Its a kinder, gentler Apple under Tim Cook, an Apple which is in fact able to apologize to their users for messing up big time.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has apologized for “falling short of their commitment” to “deliver the best experience possible to our customers” but promised things will get better, and in the mean time recommended users use alternate applications, mentioning specifically Bing Maps and Nokia web maps, amongst others.
Bing Maps is considered by many to be even better on iOS than Windows Phone, and has already been recommended by many as a free alternate to the mess that Apple Maps has been.
Now he only needs apologize for scuff-gate and purple-haze gate not to mention just for stretching out the iPhone 4S.
Here's the Full Letter:
To our customers,
At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.
We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.
There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.
While we're improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.
Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.
Tim Cook
Apple's CEO
Apple's iPhone that Never Was
The first iPhone was actually dreamed up in 1983. Forget that silly old touchscreen, this iPhone was a landline with full, all-white handset and a built-in screen controlled with a stylus.
The phone was designed for Apple by Hartmut Esslinger, an influential designer who helped make the Apple IIc computer (Apple’s first “portable” computer) and later founded Frogdesign. The 1983 iPhone certainly fits in with Esslinger’s other designs for Apple. It also foreshadows the touchscreens of both the iPhone and iPad.Images of the 1983 iPhone have been circling the web for a while but there has been renewed interest in Apple’s early designs and history thanks to a peak inside Stanford University’s massive trove of Apple documents. The archives are a close-guarded secret but Stanford is starting to grant access to select journalists and organizations. The archives were donated in 1997 after Steve Jobs rejoined the company and document much of the design and personnel changes that took place in the 1980s.
The 1983 iPhone is just one of many prototypes buried in Apple’s past. There’s even a device that looks eerily similar to an iPad. Despite the phone’s age, it actually looks like a cool concept that could easily be updated into a modern consumer product by replacing simple stylus screen with an iPad-like interface.
Stay tuned for more, but in the mean time, take a look at some pics of the iPhone that never was.
- iPhone that never was || Via Mashable
A Single Text Can Destroy Windows Phone’s Messaging App
News & Articles Microsoft’s range of Windows Phone devices suffer from a denial-of-service attack that allows attackers to disable the messaging functionality on a device.
The flaw works simply by sending an SMS to a Windows Phone user. Windows Phone 7.5 devices will reboot and the messaging hub will not open despite repeat attempts. Attack tests have been done on a range of Windows Phone devices, including HTC’s TITAN and Samsung’s Focus Flash. Some devices were running the 7740 version of Windows Phone 7.5, others were on Mango RTM build 7720. The attack is not device specific and appears to be an issue with the way the Windows Phone messaging hub handles messages. The bug is also triggered if a user sends a Facebook chat message or Windows Live Messenger message to a recipient.
The flaw appears to affect other aspects of the Windows Phone operating system too. If a user has pinned a friend as a live tile on their device and the friend posts a particular message on Facebook then the live tile will update and causes the device to lock up. Thankfully there’s a workaround for the live tile issue, at initial boot up you have a small amount of time to get past the lock screen and into the home screen to remove the pinned live tile before it flips over and locks the device.
Both Apple and Google have suffered from SMS bugs with their iOS and Android devices. Security researcher Charlie Miller discovered a flaw in the iOS 3.0 software that allowed attackers complete control over an iPhone at the time. Android-based phones also suffered in the SMS attack, but attackers could only knock a phone offline rather than gain full access. The attack described in this article does not appear to be security related. It appears, from our limited testing, that the bug is related to the way Windows Phone handles messages.
See the Video below by a Win Rumors reader:
The vid, narrated by a WinRumors reader who discovered the flaw, shows how one message will force a Mango device to reset, at which point the messaging app will no longer launch. The messaging app, being arguably the greatest and certainly one of the most used features on the phone, is not something you want deactivated. WinRumors says they're working with Microsoft to get the bug reported and patched. Phew.
- A Single Text Can Destroy Windows Phone’s Messaging App || Via Win Rumors
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Microsoft Opens iOS Window for Xbox Live Fans
News & Article Microsoft has brought an Xbox Live app to iOS devices. The app allows players to communicate on the Xbox Live network and manage their profiles. "The iPad and iPhone platform is significantly larger than the Windows [Phone] platform, and this is really about going after the largest installed base to reach more users," said Collins Stewart's Kevin Buttigieg.
Xbox gamers can access their Xbox Live accounts from their iPhones and iPads now that Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) launched the My Xbox Live app for iOS.
Access to Xbox Live has been available on Microsoft's Windows Phone platform since it launched more than a year ago, but this is the first time Microsoft is offering the app on a competing system, although third-party apps have allowed at least partial capability before.
After downloading the free app, users can edit their 3D avatars, chat and send messages to other Live users, update and edit features such as the user profile or friends list, and receive videos, tips and news about Xbox games.
The app is formatted for both the iPhone and the iPad.
Offering Choices
While the app doesn't offer all the access that a Windows phone does -- My Xbox Live is an app, whereas the Xbox hub on the Windows 7 is an integrated part of the phone -- it still shows Microsoft's willingness and desire to spread the product to as many venues as possible.
"Microsoft has always been about giving consumers choices. They didn't want to do what Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) did with their phone and say 'Here's your one phone and boom, you're done.' Here, they figured that gamers might use the Live feature on the phone and go home and want a bigger experience on a console or PC, and that's where Microsoft is going to try to play into as many points in the consumer experience, on different platforms," Robert Breza, analyst at RBC Capital Markets told MacNewsWorld.For Microsoft to get into those different platforms, it requires collaborating with even the toughest of competitors.
"Obviously the iPad and iPhone platform is significantly larger than the Windows [Phone] platform, and this is really about going after the largest installed base to reach more users," Kevin Buttigieg, analyst at Collins Stewart, told MacNewsWorld.
Even if that large base isn't using the Windows 7 phone or a different Microsoft device to access those games, the company is still displaying some influence.
"Microsoft's long-term, clearly stated goal is to dominate every element of your life, from phone to TV to PC, and really make a seamless experience across those. From a gamer's experience, this creates a seamless experience since they're not always going to be sitting in front of a TV, so Microsoft is reaching for that seamlessness, even if it's on another system," said Breza.
Microsoft didn't respond to requests for more comments in time for publication.
Riding the Xbox Train
"Xbox Live has been a tremendous success for Microsoft, and it's been financially designed to expand across that installed base, both on their phone as well as a number of others of internally generated technologies. In the future, I'd expect those individual components to become more tightly integrated with one another rather than other platforms," said Buttigieg.
It may not be the direction Microsoft expected it would head when it launched Xbox in 2001, but it's become an important part of the company's financial success. When fiscal first quarter earnings were reported in October, the entertainment division had seen a 9 percent growth since the previous year and took in US$1.96 billion, mostly revenue from the Xbox 360.
"The market has evolved in ways they probably didn't anticipate at the time, but certainly Xbox has become a successful console and they're using it for a launching pad for additional services," said Buttigieg.
Track-and-Recover App Prey Can Now Find Your Lost or Stolen iOS Device
Softwares If you've lost your iPhone or had it stolen, free app Prey will find your phone, set off an alarm, and even take a picture of the thief.
Prey is our favorite app for tracking and recovering lost (or stolen) laptops and Android devices, but now they've finally released an app for iOS, so you can track those too. It works a bit differently than the Android version, due to the limited permissions of the iPhone, but its implementation is quite clever. For example, since it can't take a picture from the front-facing camera on demand, it sends a notification to the device saying "slide the lock to set up your new PIN number". The thief will think, "jackpot!", slide the slider, and get his picture taken. If you mark your phone as stolen, Prey will even give the app a new boot screen to make it look like a game instead of an anti-theft program.It does have a few small issues, though. First of all, you'll notice that the GPS icon stays in your location bar all the time when you have Prey on your device—even if you've closed it. This is apparently a bug and should not destroy your battery life, as it would seem. The real problem, however, is that in an effort to save battery life, Prey only checks back with your computer when it changes location and detects a new cell tower. That's great for battery life, but if you don't report your phone stolen right away, and the thief leaves it somewhere, it'll never actually register as "missing". Unfortunately, these are limitations of the iPhone that the Prey team is trying to work with, so it's a solid effort on their part, and as long as you report your device missing quickly enough, you probably won't have too many problems.
Prey is a free download for iOS devices.
Prey | via Prey Blog
The Appcelerator Mobile Developer Report revealed.
Summary
Appcelerator and IDC surveyed 2,160 Appcelerator Titanium developers from November 2-3, 2011 on perceptions surrounding mobile OS trends and priorities. Findings reveal that Amazon’s new Kindle Fire edged Samsung Galaxy Tab as the leading Android Tablet in North America, on par with interest for the iPad prior to its launch in April 2010, and second only to the Galaxy Tab globally with developers. Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 also decisively moved ahead of RIM’s BlackBerry OS to become the clear number three mobile OS behind iOS and Android. Appcelerator and IDC also continued their research into how companies are making the move from the web to mobile. This quarter, the report dives deep into understanding the priorities companies are making with their mobile strategy and how mobile is fundamentally transforming customer relationships.
The Rise of Amazon, Microsoft, and Samsung … and An Improved Outlook for Nokia
As the mobile industry advances, contenders are finding success by securing new footholds and partnerships to compete against Apple’s dominance. Amazon announced the Kindle Fire, a smaller, cheaper Android-based tablet that leverages its large content library while Microsoft’s Window’s Phone 7 is building strong European developer enthusiasm thanks to its Nokia partnership. Developers and businesses gave high marks to these strong moves, which contrast sharply against BlackBerry OS, BlackBerry’s QNX-based PlayBook, and webOS, all of which collapsed in interest with developers this past quarter. Below are the topline findings from this quarter’s report:
- Amazon’s new Kindle Fire ignites developer interest. When surveyed among 15 Android tablets, the lowcost, content-rich eReader was second only to the Samsung Galaxy Tab globally in developer interest. A regional breakdown shows Amazon edging Samsung in North America for the top slot. At 49% very interested in North America, the Kindle Fire is just 4 points less than interest in the iPad (53%) prior to its launch in April 2010.
- Appcelerator and IDC found in January 2011 that among developers price was the single most important factor for Android tablets to compete successfully against the iPad. Fast forward to November 2011 and developers cite price again as the leading reason for interest in the Kindle Fire. Rounding out the top 5 tablets, respondents eye Amazon’s rich content ecosystem, Appstore, target demographic, and eCommerce integration as the key reasons for interest in the new eReader.
- When considering Kindle Fire’s potential drawbacks, fragmentation and lack of features like camera and geo-location were the two top concerns cited by developers. Assuming Amazon sells well this holiday season, Android developers will need to consider yet another set of different capabilities. The difference this time? Google will be less able to exert control over Amazon’s divergent Android path.
- Windows Phone 7 separated from the pack to become the clear number three mobile platform this quarter. The OS climbed 8 points to 38% of respondents saying they are ‘very interested’ in the platform, the highest ever for Microsoft.
- Microsoft is enjoying symbiotic success with Nokia. When asked why developers are more interested in Windows Phone 7 now than a year ago, a plurality (48%) said it was the Microsoft/Nokia partnership. Nokia also received high marks from its new Lumia Windows Phone 7 smartphone announcement last month, with 28% of developers saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for the device. This is more than double the interest in Nokia’s own Symbian and MeeGo OSes since Appcelerator began reporting mobile platform interest in January 2010.
- This quarter saw a sharp fall-off in developers reporting that they are ‘very interested’ in RIM offerings with BlackBerry OS phones dropping 7 points to 21% and PlayBook QNX-based tablets dropping 6 points to 13%. Put another way, there’s now more interest in Nokia’s new Lumia Windows Phone lineup than RIM’s smartphones.
- HTML5 continues to keep developer interest. Sixty-six percent of developers are very interested in building HTML5 mobile websites, the same as last quarter.
- Connected TV app development interest continues to slide. A year ago, 44% of developers were very interested in developing for Google TV. Even with a second version announced last month, only 20% expressed the same enthusiasm for Google TV this round. However Apple TV saw a smaller decline from 40% a year ago to 27% today.
- iOS continues to reign at number one in developer interest levels with 91% of respondents saying they are ‘very interested’ in developing for the iPhone, followed by the iPad at 88%. Apple continued to hold onto its number one position in part due to iOS 5, which was cited as the most significant announcement this past quarter.
- Android phones fell nearly 4 points to 83% while tablets fell nearly 6 points to 68%. While the drop was likely due in part to interest in iOS 5, developers nevertheless saw Samsung’s rise to the number one smartphone manufacturer as the second most significant development of the past quarter after iOS 5.
A Deeper Look at Mobile Priorities Across the Mobile Relationship Lifecycle
Over the past couple quarters, Appcelerator and IDC have been analyzing how businesses are making the move from the web to mobile. Earlier this year, we discussed how companies were maturing through several phases of adoption. This quarter, we asked developers and businesses to rank 23 mobile objectives for their most recent application. We then clustered this analysis into what we call the ‘mobile relationship lifecycle’ to define objectives in 4 areas: reach, engagement, loyalty, and monetization.
Reach: Businesses view deploying to multiple devices with native applications and mobile websites as the number one priority. Making the transition more efficient by leveraging a company’s resources also ranked high.Engagement: Building applications that are easy-to-use with a native user interface was the next most important objective, followed by application performance. Both are seen as key to driving engagement with users and echo the general sentiment that application utility is critical. These core concerns trumped even media, location and social features in priority.
Loyalty: Application notifications and using analytics to measure application feature usage ranked in the middle of the pack for most respondents.
Monetization: Advertising still trumps in-application purchasing as a preferred monetization model. When it comes to mobile commerce, the top priority is making payments easy.
The Appcelerator Mobile Developer Report revealed.|| via Appcelerator
Facebook for iPhone Updates, Improves Group Sharing and Tagging
iOS: Yesterday Facebook updated its iPhone app, and completely overhauled the design for user profiles and group walls, made it easier to share status updates and photos from your iOS device with select groups, and made it easier to tag friends and locations right from the mobile app.
Additionally, Facebook updated the iOS app so your privacy settings (you know, the ones they added last month) on the web carry over to your phone. This means that if you have Facebook set to only share with a certain group by default on the web, the same will be true on your iPhone. The update also makes it easier to select filters in your news feed and share external links.
Unfortunately, there's still no iPad version of the app, and while we all know they have one, Facebook has removed it from the update, and even if you had it enabled you can't log in with it.
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