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Some iPhone 4S users are reporting their screen has a yellowish tint. The tinting problem supposedly affects the whole display and gives everything a washed out appearance when compared to the iPhone 4. This is apparently different from the yellow tinting problem of the iPhone 4 which appeared as yellow blotches on the screen. The iPhone 4’s problem was caused by glue used in the manufacturing process and went away once the glue dried.

Customers on Apple support forums are actively discussing the current issue, which appears to affect the black models more than the white; though some white models still have it. Many suggest this is the result of using more than one screen manufacturer. One of the manufacturers may be producing a lower quality display.

This is not the first time an Apple product has been plagued with display issues. Late 2009 iMac models reportedly suffered from yellow screen tint and flickering issues. Earlier this year, iPad 2 supply was supposedly constrained due to a light bleed issue caused by their LG-manufactured displays.

iPhone 4S users complain of yellowish display tint originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Yes, the iPhone 4S is pretty darned good for a smartphone camera, but people are getting a bit too misty-eyed over the quality.

We’ve been flooded with well-meaning comparison images, some pitting the iPhone against some high-end still and video cameras from companies like Nikon and Canon.

Today, the makers of the great little Camera+ app sent us some shots comparing the original iPhone, the 3G, the 3GS the 4, and even the lust-worthy Canon EOS 5D Mark II, which sells for a paltry US$3000+.

The tests show two of the old iPhone cameras out of focus, which isn’t exactly fair. No, those cameras didn’t have tap-to-focus, but it was possible to get some pretty fair macro images. I’ve done it. Also, at the small size the images have been presented, it’s not a surprise that the iPhone 4S looks pretty good against the big Canon. The differences start to show up and full resolution, and when the more expensive camera images are not heavily compressed.

Same with some of the video comparisons I’ve seen. The iPhone 4S is shown against a semi-pro camera, but in a very small video window. Try viewing the output of both cameras on a 50″ monitor and then we’ll talk about it.

If you really want to compare still cameras, try low light imaging, and blow the frames up so we can see the resolution and the noise.

I don’t expect the iPhone 4S camera to surpass, or even closely approach the results of a high quality DSLR, and neither should you. I do think the 4S camera is the best one Apple has offered, and likely the equal of the best of the Android cameras. Earlier this year I got some very nice photos in Monument Valley with the iPhone 4, so I know that Apple is crafting some nice cameras. I also think the 4S can give a really good account of itself against some of the low cost point and shoot cameras, and that’s a pretty compelling argument for the iPhone 4S. It’s also the view of the Camera+ folks.

If your expectations are not inflated, you’ll love the camera Apple has lovingly produced. The images are sharp and the color fidelity looks excellent. On an already great phone, this camera is something of a bonus. Just don’t expect miracles.

Just how good is the iPhone 4S camera? originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Here’s an app that lets you browse through the popular link board Reddit. You probably don’t want to see everything there is on Reddit — just like Digg in its day and other message boards like 4chan, some of the discussion over there can get pretty wacky. But Reddit is definitely a great community of people, and if you ever want to take the temperature on what the ‘net is thinking about the news of the day, browsing through Reddit’s links can be very informative.

There is an official Reddit app called iReddit, and it works pretty well. But Alien Blue is really the better option. I like the layout better, and it has excellent features like inline comments, Instapaper and Read It Later support, and the ability to actually post and edit your own comments on the service. The app itself is free to check out, but you can spend US$1.99 for an excellent pro upgrade that opens up a “Canvas” view for pictures and a host of other streamlined options for reading, sharing, and browsing Reddit.

There’s also an iPad version available for a straight $3.99 price. You may balk at that, especially if you’re happy with the free official app (or willing to read the site through an RSS reader). But for regular readers and commenters on Reddit, odds are that Alien Blue is worth the extra few bucks.

Daily iPhone App: Alien Blue originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When last we checked in with the BuddyTV Guide app (in July), the capable recommendations and program search in the app were plenty useful. The main drawback, unfortunately, was that you could not use it to control your TV and set-top box unless you had a Google TV-powered setup or a TiVo Series 3. Other cable or satellite providers’ tuners didn’t have an API that BuddyTV could use to change channels or set DVR timers.

Good news, then, for subscribers on AT&T’s U-verse television services; you can now control your receiver with BuddyTV. Anything you could do with your physical remote should be possible with the virtual remote living in your iPhone, and since there’s no IR blaster involved you can theoretically change the channels from anywhere you happen to be (much to the delight, no doubt, of your roommate/spouse/kids/pets).

I’d expect to see more BuddyTV integrations with other IP-enabled TV service providers soon, since you can already control Dish Network and DirecTV receivers with their own apps, and likewise for major cable providers. BuddyTV is free on the App Store.

There’s a little video demo below; enjoy.

BuddyTV app gains control over AT&T U-verse TV boxes originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I love this idea. The DrawTop is a sticker that goes on top of your laptop and basically turns it into a whiteboard surface. The one, ahem, drawback that I can see is you might pretty easily wipe off any designs you happen to have on it just by sliding your laptop into the usual protective case or holder, so the company’s suggestion to use it as a makeshift notebook or reminder board probably won’t work all that well.

Nevertheless, I can still see some good uses for this, like putting information on the back of your laptop at a conference or convention, or using it as a quick and portable collaborative sketch surface. The DrawTop itself is $10 for one or $14 for two, and it even comes with markers and stick-on accessories. Sure, you’ll be covering up that Apple logo, but that’s a small price to pay for a more useful laptop surface, no?

[via Make]

Put a whiteboard on your laptop with DrawTop originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The store is down. It’s Tuesday night, and no one really expects anything more than, say, maintenance. Right? Think it’s something else? Let us know in the comments.

Thanks, everyone who tipped us

Update: The store is back up, with no obvious changes. If you see something we missed, let us know in the comments.

The Apple Store is Down (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, that was quick: Analytics firm Localytics says that iOS 5 is already installed on one of every three eligible devices, meaning that just a week or so after release, it’s already set up and running on a big chunk of the ecosystem. Even taking the iPhone 4S out of the equation (which of course comes with iOS 5 installed), the number’s still up to 31%, which is a pretty solid install base put together so quickly.

As you can see from the chart above, the iPad 2 actually has the highest rate of install, according to the data Localytics is looking at. Makes sense that both the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4 would be up there, as those are likely Apple’s most devoted users, dedicated to keeping the latest and greatest Apple products running.

But I think in general this information shows that Apple has done a great job of letting its customers know just how important and useful the upgrade to iOS 5 can be. Most devs will still want to support older versions of the operating system, obviously, but widespread support like this make it easy for most devs to support options like iCloud and iOS 5’s other new features.

[via TechCrunch]

Report: iOS 5 installed on 1 in 3 compatible devices originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Last week, Apple update the Apple TV to version 4.4, adding the long-awaited AirPlay mirroring features. Now it has rolled out an incremental version (4.4.1) that adds some minor bug fixes and tweaks. This 4.4.1 version was initially released today, October 18, and then pulled after reports of bricked Apple TV units surfaced. The problem with this update was fixed and Apple has made it publicly available again.

This 4.4.1 version may be small, but it builds on the 4.4 firmware update which added several new features to the Apple TV. With 4.4, you can use AirPlay mirroring with your iPad 2 and iPhone 4S and view PhotoStream content that’s stored in iCloud. Apple TV owners can also watch movie trailers as well as new content from the NHL and Wall Street Journal Live.

Some AppleTV owners had trouble updating to the 4.4 version without doing a full restore or tethering to iTunes. The 4.4.1 version should clear up those issues.

Apple releases Apple TV update 4.4.1 originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Along with the iPad, Mac sales were one of the highlights of Apple’s quarterly earnings report. In the quarter that just ended, Apple sold 4.89 million Macs, a 26 percent increase over the year-ago quarter.

Apple CEO Tim Cook was pleased about the Mac performance, but in response to an analyst question he did confirm that some customers are buying the iPad instead of the Mac. It’s inexpensive and easy to use, two features that appeal to the average consumer.

But Apple’s computers are not as hard-hit by iPad cannibalization as the PC market. Cook suggested today, as he has in the past, that a far larger number of people are choosing to buy an iPad instead of a Windows PC (versus those choosing the iPad over a Mac notebook).

Cook sees this as a growing trend and he said today he believes that the tablet market will someday eclipse the PC market. Considering that Apple currently has 3/4ths of all tablet sales, that’s good news for the company’s prospects.

Apple posts record Mac quarter despite some iPad cannibalization originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dell CEO Michael Dell spoke at the Web 2.0 Summit, and he discussed his infamous quote regarding Apple. Back in 1997, Dell famously said that if he were put in charge of Apple, “I’d shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders.” Nowadays, given all of Apple’s success, it’s easy to laugh at Dell’s thinking. But Dell today says the quote “was misconstrued.” In fact, he says, he was asked the same question a few times, and when he finally answered, it was from his point of view not as a potential Apple CEO, but as the head of Dell, which is where he says he belongs.

“The meaning of my answer was that I’m the CEO of Dell, I don’t think about being the CEO of any other company, I’m not a CEO for hire, so if you asked me what I’d do for any other company, it’s not really something I think about,” he says today. Dell in fact says he has great respect for both Steve Jobs and Apple. “Obviously Steve will be missed and was a friend.”

Well, OK then. That makes Mr. Dell sound pretty reasonable, actually. Of course, even if he was CEO of Dell and Apple, he’d still have been smart to keep the company going (and no matter what he says, Apple fans will probably always use his quote as an example of why you should never vote against this company), but sure, thinking of himself as head of Dell always, he’d have good reason to go ahead and shut the company from Cupertino down.

Dell speaks out on infamous Apple quote originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I could have probably told you this without doing all of the research, but Loopt asked around anyway, and found out that Siri was the iPhone 4S’ most exciting new feature for consumers. Sure, that camera is really impressive, and that processor will come in handy when running new games and apps. But 45% of those polled say Siri is the killer app for the new iPhone. And that makes sense — not only is Siri flashy and new (and available only on the iPhone 4S, for now), but it’s pretty much the marquee feature for the device according to Apple’s marketing.

And since that feature was only available on the iPhone 4S, then who, do you think, were the most frequent buyers of that new device? Turns out, according to Loopt’s fairly informal data, that it was actually iPhone 4 owners. Personally, I usually go for a “leapfrog” system of hardware upgrades (and since I already have an iPhone 4, that leaves me out of this round), but that’s probably not the case with most iPhone 4S buyers — some people just need to have the latest and greatest, so according to this data, most day-one iPhone 4S buyers were standing in line with their iPhone 4s already.

Interesting. This information is all based on “Loopt Qs,” which are apparently social questionnaires put on by the mobile social network, so it seems like these answers are self-selected and probably not really representative of anyone but the folks who use Loopt. But nevertheless, the insight that Siri is driving iPhone 4S adoption seems legit enough.

Siri is the iPhone 4S’ most enticing feature originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CNET UK’s Drew Stearne created the video below, a dynamic animation that shows the history of the iPhone. It shows quite clearly how the iPhone came about not as something fully formed from the void but as a consolidation and refinement of existing technologies, many of which have been around for decades. Stearne created the video as a tribute to Steve Jobs.

The video is embedded below. Note that parts of it are very information-dense, so you might have to freeze-frame some parts of it if you want to grasp all the little factoids that fly past in less than four minutes. Aside from that, it’s a great video that perfectly encapsulates the iPhone’s long history — a history that began not in 2007, but long before many of us were even born.

CNET UK Presents: History of the iPhone, dedicated to the memory of Steve Jobs from Drew Stearne on Vimeo.

An animated history of the iPhone originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone revenues and unit sales for Apple’s last quarter dropped significantly compared to the previous quarter. Revenues from iPhone sales declined by 18 percent, while unit sales dropped 16 percent — a sell-through decline of 2.4 million units over the previous quarter. During the recent quarterly earnings call, CEO Tim Cook and other Apple executives confirmed the main cause of the decline: rumors.

Apple believes the explosion of iPhone rumors during the latter half of the last quarter materially contributed to the decline in iPhone sales over the quarter. Coupled with pent-up demand for a new model of iPhone after Apple unexpectedly didn’t refresh the line at WWDC, this amounted to a US$2.3 billion reduction in revenue from iPhone sales over the quarter.

This is the first time that I can recall Apple publicly admitting the impact rumors have had on its bottom line, and that impact appears to have been substantial. Even Gizmodo’s early outing of the iPhone 4’s design failed to make much (if any) dent in iPhone sales in the quarter preceding the iPhone 4’s launch in 2010, but endless speculation about a supposed iPhone 5 launch apparently drove customers to hold off on iPhone purchases in anticipation of a new model.

The good news for Apple is that record-breaking sales of the iPhone 4S may have already offset its lost revenue from last quarter. With four million handsets sold in just the first three days after its launch, sales of the iPhone 4S are likely to drive Apple’s holiday quarter iPhone sales beyond anything seen thus far.

Whether the situation will repeat in 2012 is anyone’s guess. The rumor mill is unlikely to stop churning, but hopefully next year it won’t cost Apple so much in lost sales in the process.

iPhone sales dip last quarter largely due to rumors originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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