Category: I-phone

Despite early rumors to the contrary, TUAW is reading reports from around the Internet that the new iPhone 4S will use 512MB of RAM memory, not the full 1GB many had hoped for. In terms of specs, this falls right in line with the iPad 2’s 512MB of LPDDR2 RAM, per that device’s iFixit tear-down.

Reports of the 512MB RAM first surfaced from the developers of Infinity Blade on a Eurogamer.net interview with Chair Entertainment creative director Donald Mustard. Now, AppVV states the same (translated) in a thread linked to by MacRumors.

So what does this mean to you? As a rule, the more memory you have onboard, the greater room any application has to work with for memory-intensive assets like graphics, audio, and video. Apps can run more smoothly, and you run into fewer memory-related crashes.

The iPad 2 has been no slouch in performance, however. Its 512MB has provided superb interaction, and while more memory is often better, it’s unlikely the 4S will suffer from not delivering a full GB of RAM.

We will all know for sure soon after iFixit gets its geeky little hands on a unit for a full tear-down, presumably within a few days of this Friday’s ship date.

iPhone 4S rumored to offer 512MB RAM instead of 1GB originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iOS-based payment system, Square, is blowing up lately, just like we figured it would way back when. The company already handles up to US$2 billion in payments per year, according to the AP, and is used by 750,000 merchants. That “per year” is a little weird to say, especially considering the company has only been around for a little over a year. In short, Square’s experiencing phenomenal growth, and merchants everywhere are already depending on the company to see through billions of dollars in revenue. That’s pretty unprecedented, even in this crazy fast-moving world of iOS apps.

And that’s not all. Square is also lowering the barrier of entry to the program, allowing even new merchants to have their money deposited in the bank as quickly as possible. Previously, merchants had a limit of $1000 that could be processed per day, but those limits are apparently now gone for all merchants, so everyone who sends a payment through Square will get it as soon as the company can send it out.

That means we’ll see even more money going through the system. I’ve already used Square a few times with various merchants I’ve dealt with — early on, those were the folks at Macworld who were more than ready to depend on an iPhone-based processing system, but since then, I’ve seen it running everywhere from a local theater to a flea market merchant processing credit card payments. Square’s growth is really impressive, and if all the indications are true, it’s only beginning.

Square already processing $2 billion in payments originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dear Aunt TUAW,

What the heck is going on with eyeTV why after 3-4 years of promises do they still not support dual tuners, or channel sorting? i’ve tried to reach out to elgato in various different digital ways, but to no avail, does TUAW have any contacts they could touch on to figure this out?

Alternatively, is there any mac software that will do what EyeTV does, and give me support for my dual Terratec H7 Tuners?

Your loving nephew,

Ole

Dear Ole,

Auntie contacted Nick Freeman over at Elgato, to see if he could lend a hand with your question. He looked into this and here’s what he had to say.

He writes, “We’re sorry to hear that your two TerraTec H7 devices aren’t working simultaneously with EyeTV, on one Mac.

Let me tell you a bit more about how EyeTV can (and can’t) work with multiple devices.

EyeTV is able to work with many TV tuners, from a wide variety of manufacturers.

We’ve been able to get most of those devices to work well when used with EyeTV alone, and even in some combinations. For example, EyeTV software works fine when using two Elgato satellite products on the same Mac, at the same time.

We’re happy to support many TerraTec products, but we can only officially support them for individual use. We can’t certify using more than one of them on the same Mac at the same time. You have found one of the few combinations that simply doesn’t work (two TerraTec H7 units on the same Mac), but since that hardware is from a 3rd party, we’re not able to modify it to potentially add multiple unit support.

We’re constantly trying to improve EyeTV, and while we’ll try to support more products in the future, we may not be able to resolve this issue with two TerraTec H7 units. We apologize that we’re not able to offer the extra feature you desire.“

Auntie hopes that, at least, gives you some insight as to what is going on.

Hugs,

Auntie T.

Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me dual tune originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The iPhone 4S hasn’t even launched yet, but it’s already the fastest-selling Apple product in history, at least if you go by the preorders. That doesn’t mean customers have abandoned Apple’s older phones, though. Analyst T. Michael Walkley of Canaccord Genuity did some digging, and after checking around the US carriers he found that sales of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS haven’t slowed down even in the face of the new iPhone 4S’s debut (hat tip to AppleInsider for their coverage of his analysis). In years past Apple has seen sales slumps in the quarter preceding the launch of new iPhone models, but even though the iPhone 4S launched later in the year than its predecessors, iPhone sales remained robust.

Walkley and other analysts have repeatedly found that old iPhones continually outsell new Android phones. Though it’s well over two years old now, the iPhone 3GS continues to be second only to the iPhone 4 in US sales. Even though it’s no longer a phone I’d recommend to new users, the 3GS is likely to remain popular given that it’s now available for free with a two-year contract.

iPhone 4 and 3GS still selling strong originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Click image for full-resolution download

iPhone-toting photographers like myself are drooling at the thought of the 8-Megapixel camera and five-element f/2.4 lens built into the iPhone 4S. We’ve seen photos from Apple already, but now the devious minds at AppVV.com (who apparently have their hands on an iPhone 4S) have taken a photo with the iPhone 4S camera to show us just how good the resolution is.

The image has dimensions of 3264 x 2448 pixels, larger (of course) than the iPhone 4’s photo size of 2592 x 1936 pixels. While iPhone 4 photos quite often appear grainy at full resolution, the iPhone 4S image seen here is remarkably sharp.

I can’t wait to start seeing some of the photographs that will be taken with the new camera later this week.

iPhone 4S 8-Megapixel photo looks incredible originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While iOS 5 includes a new feature that allows for initial setup of an AirPort device from an iPad or iPhone, any future tweaking of settings still has to be done from a Mac or PC. However, Twitter user Sonny Dickson found references to an AirPort Utility app in iOS 5’s Settings app. Without going into too much NDA-licious detail, I’ll just say that I’ve independently confirmed what he’s found, although the relevant link currently goes nowhere and does nothing.

iOS 5 will go live to the public on October 12, and it’s highly probable this AirPort Utility app will as well. Its release will address one of the last remaining feature gaps that has prevented “normal” users from going PC-free with iOS devices. Once the app comes out, we’ll take a look at it and report on what we find.

[via MacStories]

AirPort Utility app for iOS about to debut originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Engadget got a sneak preview of Myriad’s Alien Dalvik 2.0 running on an iPad. Alien Dalvik is a small bit of custom code that allows almost any non-Android device to run unaltered Android apps. Version 2.0 of the software allows Android apps to run on iOS.

Interestingly, Alien Dalvik 2.0 runs in the cloud, which means all the processing is going on on remote servers and not on the iOS device itself. What happens is that when Dalvik 2.0 is launched on the iPad, the iPad connects to the servers, which then send an H.264 video feed of Android back to the iPad on which users can interact with apps.

For my taste it’s too complicated of a system and the fact that it is cloud based means that an Internet connection is always required. In addition, I’ve never met an Android app I wanted that didn’t already have an equivalent on the App Store. Still, if you are dreaming of a dual-OS tablet, Alien Dalvik 2.0 might just be your thing. You’ll just have to wait a while, since it won’t be ready for the masses until the first half of 2012.

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Video of Myriad’s Alien Dalvik 2.0 on an iPad originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bloomberg reports that official details of Steve Jobs’s death have been released. Jobs died at home at approximately 3 P.M. local time on October 5. The official cause of death: respiratory arrest brought about by his pancreatic tumor. Most of us assumed that was the case, but this is one time we all wish we’d been wrong.

Apple was reportedly aware of Steve’s condition and notified local police days in advance. The empty “reserved” seat during Apple’s latest event and presenters’ somewhat somber demeanors seem to show that executives were aware of Steve’s decline. The fact that they were able to put on the presentation anyway, and that it’s only in hindsight that we realize what they must have all been going through, strikes me as evidence that Apple is in very capable hands indeed.

Steve Jobs’s occupation on his death certificate was listed as “entrepreneur.” That doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Official cause of death for Steve Jobs released originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Andy Lees, President of Microsoft’s Windows Phone division, believes the time is now for Windows Phone 7 to gain some ground on its competiton. Lees see Android as chaotic with too many choices, and the Apple iPhone 4S as a missed opportunity because it offers only a minor improvement in hardware and software.

The latest Mango version of Windows Phone, Lees points out, has a hardware standard that limits fragmentation and a fresh, new UI that sets it apart from Android and iOS. Lees is optimistic about Windows Phone and analysts are, too. Though Windows Phone now trails most mobile platforms with only 2% market share, Gartner research group predicts Windows Phone will expand and eventually grab 20% market share by 2015.

Microsoft exec says Windows phone is cure for iPhone monotony originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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In what is the most high-profile Apple Store robbery to date, a gang of thugs carried out a smash-and-grab raid on London’s Covent Garden Apple Store. The store, which opened fourteen months ago, is Apple’s second flagship store. It was built in a remodeled 19th century building and features a glass roof over a courtyard that was originally designed for delivery of merchandise by horses.

The Guardian reports that shortly before 1 AM a gang of seven masked thieves rode up to the Apple Store on mopeds and motorcycles and smashed one of the store’s windows. They then proceeded to grab Apple devices including iPads, and then jumped back on their vehicles and sped away.

Shortly after the burglary, police in the London neighborhood of Islington (about a 10 minute ride away from Covent Garden at that time of night) spotted one of the vehicles used in the raid and two men were arrested at the scene. Scotland Yard said that some stolen Apple devices were recovered from their possession.

The police are asking anyone else who might have information about the burglary to contact the Metropolitan Police Service.

[image credit: Rob Shoesmith]

London’s Covent Garden Apple Store hit by burglars originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve seen quite a bit of squabbling over the subscription and in-app purchase for content rules on the App Store in the past, but generally, things have tended to go Apple’s way. Most companies, especially those who really depend on the iOS audience for buying their content, are eventually willing to put up with Apple’s 30% cut of any content prices sold through an App Store app. But that’s not the case with Audible, sellers of fine audiobooks for your iPhone and iPod touch — the company has pulled the option to buy content directly through the app in the iOS version’s latest update.

iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users can still shop through the mobile store via Safari — there’s even a link inside the app that will open up the online store in your device’s browser. So essentially, Audible’s just working around Apple’s restrictions here.

Which make Apple’s restrictions look a little silly, but the goal of course is to get that cut off of all content bought in the App Store. It’s a shame Audible’s customers have to deal with that extra inconvenience, though.

Audible removing in-app purchases according to Apple’s rules originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TechCrunch and a few other sites are posting that the Facebook iPad app has finally arrived on the App Store. I don’t quite see it on the store yet, but the news has apparently dropped according to a schedule run by Facebook itself, so the app should follow soon. The app looks … about like you’d expect a Facebook iPad app to look, with a sidebar available in landscape mode, and a dropdown menu to browse the various sections in portrait mode.

One of the biggest features of the new app is integration with other apps — apparently the app can send you directly to other apps on your iPad when you browse to them from a friend’s status or news post. For example, if you read about a Words with Friends move on a friend’s status, you can click a link on that post, and be sent right out to the iPad version of Words with Friends (or, if you don’t have it installed, you’ll get sent to the App Store app to download it). That will help developers a lot with connecting users up on their various platforms.

At any rate, as soon as it shows up in the App Store, we’ll give the app a full runthrough and let you know what we think. As soon as we see a link, we’ll update this post with it.

Update: Here’s a link! Enjoy.

Facebook for iPad out now originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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I won’t lament on how it took ages for Facebook to come to the iPad, but with the program’s release earlier today, users finally get an interface tailored especially to the iPad.

If you’re up to speed on the ongoing changes to Facebook’s web interface, then the iPad app will look familiar. As with the website, you’re presented with a split screen with Facebook chat on the right and statuses on the left. Top stories appear first with recent stories beneath. However, tapping the blue box in the upper-left corner doesn’t allow you to toggle a particular top story off your feed like the Facebook website does. And, it’s pretty buggy for an app that’s been in development for awhile. Casually scrolling through my news feed caused the app to crash several times.

Along the top, you can update your status, add a photo or check in. Above that are the familiar icons for checking friend requests, messages and notifications. The notifications appear in the chat sidebar.

Swipe from left to right and you’ll see the normal rail that’s runs down the left side of Facebook’s page, showing favorites, groups, pages, apps and more. However, you don’t see the new list feature, which I really like. Modeled on Google+‘s circles, the lists allow you to filter your news feed to only show certain people. I’m disappointed that this feature isn’t on the iPad and hope a future update implements it.

Only the apps that are compatible with the iPad are shown here, so if you’re hoping to answer your Cityville notifications from the iPad, it’s not available. You don’t even see those notifications on your news feed. If you try to access an app that requires Flash, you’ll get an error message stating that the application has not configured its mobile URL or it could not be verified.

Although Mashable reported that games are available in full-screen mode, when I tried out Words With Friends, it kicked me to the App Store to download the app. Same as with Lexulous, another word game. If you already have these apps installed, then the Facebook app will switch you to that particular game’s app.

Browsing a photo album takes advantage of the iPad’s bigger screen and easy navigation. It incorporates some, but not all, of the Photos app’s gestures. You can’t use multitouch to enter an album, but you can pinch a photo to exit it. You can add photos to Facebook using the iPad’s camera or media already loaded on it. It supports HD video and AirPlay for streaming out to a compatible device.

Facebook for iPad doesn’t break any new ground, but it does provide a proper interface for the social network that should have been on the device from day one. The free download is available now.

Daily iPad App: Facebook originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This is about to get interesting. T-Mobile dropped a press release last night saying that the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 will soon be available on its network. The problem is T-Mobile seems to be jumping the gun, as a court hearing on Apple’s motion for a US-based injunction against the device is just three days away.

If Apple is granted the injunction, T-Mobile will have multiple spots of egg on its face. One for telling customers the device will be available “in time for the holidays,” and another for hedging its bets that Apple will lose the case, which is sure to not sit well with the boys in Cupertino. It’s also not likely to help the company get the iPhone, as its CEO wants.

T-Mobile hasn’t announced an exact ship date or pricing. However, it has set up a web page where interested users can request notification of when the device becomes available.

T-Mobile unveils Galaxy Tab 10.1 in U.S. despite Apple lawsuit originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You may be familiar with the well-respected TestFlight beta distribution service. Now, HockeyApp has arrived on the scene to give TestFlight a little competition. TUAW sat down with its developer to discover what the service might mean to you.

Like TestFlight, HockeyApp offers a core beta over-the-air distribution service. This includes managing testers, invitations, and beta recruitment. But the service goes beyond that. HockeyApp also adds advanced crash tracking to the mix.

As a developer, the first part of fixing any problem is discovering what that problem is. HockeyApp helps you collect, manage, and understand crash reports so you can better improve your apps.

HockeyApp includes an open-source framework that you embed into your applications. It allows your apps to collect crash reports — both during the beta period and after App Store deployment.

HockeyApp automatically symbolicates the crash reports and it groups similar crashes together, giving you a higher level overview of problem areas within your apps.

Symbolication enables you to associate program symbols with crash reports collected by the HockeyApp framework and by App Store. Instead of the hexadecimal addresses normally supplied by the crash report, symbolication translates information from the app’s .dSYM files to meaningful labels.

Integrating the framework allows you to know exactly in which classes and methods, and at which line number your apps crashed. The website provides a complete reporting solution. That’s where you can view statistics and analyze your crashes.

Plans start at $25 a month, supporting up to 5 developers and 25 apps at a time. Premium plans grow from there for more heavy-duty development operations. If you’re a small independent developer (up to 2 developers, up to 5 apps), you can take advantage of HockeyApp’s limited time $10/month Indie Plan.

Remember this: iTunes Connect collects just a fraction of your app’s crashes. HockeyApp’s developer promises his service will help you localize where your crashes are happening, so you can improve your app’s reliability. Better reliability means better App Store ratings, and better ratings mean better overall sales.

Want to learn more? Visit the HockeyApp feature overview page.

DevJuice: HockeyApp improves crash reports, beta testing originally appeared on TUAW – The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 10 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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