iOS 5.1.1 released: Do not upgrade if you jailbreak your device

Apple has just released a new version of iOS for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Don’ t update if you jailbreak your device.

Changes are as follows:

This update contains improvements and bug fixes, including:

• Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut
• Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks
• Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List
• Fixes an issue where ‘Unable to purchase’ alert could be displayed after successful purchase

Couldn’t get a ticket to Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference? Try the Indie Developer Labs event

Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference sold out before some people even knew the tickets were up for sale. One guy even offered to change his name if he could get a ticket. I love Apple but I would not go that far. However I would consider going to an alternative.  Indie Developer Labs is that alternative. The organizers said “Indie Developer Labs is an open area where developers are provided with space to work, free Wi-Fi, and an open environment to connect with other developers. Our mission is to help foster the collaborative spirit of the Apple developer community. It is a place to help the developer community have a place to collaborate during WWDC.”

The organizers are Kyle Kinkade, Craig Fox and Nate True. They are will also have a  hackathon event. That may draw developers from Jailbreak community. Cydia has always been their home so this may be a way for them to showcase their new apps like Apple showcase a new version of iOS.  The Indie Developer Labs event will take place from June 12th to June 15th in San Francisco. Whats more it will be in Moscone Center which is very close to where WWDC is held.

Hackstore: Is it Cydia for the Mac?

When you hear the Hackstore; the first thing that comes to mind i s well…Hacks. That however is not the case with this off the grid store.  HackStore is one  a centralized place  for third-party developers of  OS X applications to showcase applications that Apple will not approve. This of it as  Cydia but for software. Cydia is the alternative to app store on your jailbroken iDevice. Apple may not approve of jailbreaking or the Cydia store but that has not stopped them from blatantly stealing ideas from its developers. The most recent example is Wifi Sync for the iPhone. It was such a good idea that Apple incorporated it into iOS 5. They even kept the same logo that the developer came up with.

The point is that alternative app stores are where developers can get their apps out into the world. Its a way around the wall garden that Apple has setup. Also known as Apple’s approval process. The developers of Hackstore say that piracy will not be tolerated in their app store. Although just like Cydia, there are a lot of “crack” repos. If you want to give the  Hackstore a try. You can Download it for the Mac OS X.

Google Drive set to take on Dropbox for your easy backup needs

 

The rumors are true.  Google Drive is ready to come out and play with the cloud store age world.  So far it is not as integrated at Apple’s iCloud but that is only a matter of time. Google says you can create, share, collaborate, and keep all of your stuff. They do mean all of it. You can save anything from videos, photos, Google Docs, PDFs and even executable files.  You can upload and access all of your files from any device including iOS. It is yet to be seen if this little beauty will have enough of what it takes to go up against the current Cloud Favorite DropBox.  Drive gives you 5GB of storage for free from the start and it is well integrated with your Google account already. That in its self maybe a pro and a con. I personal think Google knows to much about me already. Do I want to give them my files as well? If 5GB is not enough for you, you can choose to upgrade to 25GB for $2.49/month, 100GB for $4.99/month or even 1TB for $49.99/month.  The bonus of that is your Gmail account storage will get a bump to 25GB. You can request to be notified when Google Drive goes live by going over to drive.google.com/start.

What can you do with Google Drive? Ask no more:

• Create and collaborate. Google Docs is built right into Google Drive, so you can work with others in real time on documents, spreadsheets and presentations. Once you choose to share content with others, you can add and reply to comments on anything (PDF, image, video file, etc.) and receive notifications when other people comment on shared items.
• Store everything safely and access it anywhere (especially while on the go). All your stuff is just… there. You can access your stuff from anywhere—on the web, in your home, at the office, while running errands and from all of your devices. You can install Drive on your Mac or PC and can download the Drive app to your Android phone or tablet. We’re also working hard on a Drive app for your iOS devices. And regardless of platform, blind users can access Drive with a screen reader.
• Search everything. Search by keyword and filter by file type, owner and more. Drive can even recognize text in scanned documents using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. Let’s say you upload a scanned image of an old newspaper clipping. You can search for a word from the text of the actual article. We also use image recognition so that if you drag and drop photos from your Grand Canyon trip into Drive, you can later search for [grand canyon] and photos of its gorges should pop up. This technology is still in its early stages, and we expect it to get better over time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

RIM throws up the white flag; acknowledges iOS in the enterprise space.

Today Research In Motion has pretty much said if we can’t beat them, lets profit of them. They have launched a new enterprise mobile device management tool called BlackBerry MobileFusion.  With this tool IT managers can manage BlackBerry smartphones and  the little used BlackBerry PlayBook. The software will also be able to manage tablets and smartphones running Android and iOS. So a IT manager will be able to do the following to your iDevice should you have it on the company network.

• Activate and configure devices and profiles over the air
• Enable access to enterprise Mail, Calendar and PIM
• Administer users and groups, natively and directory based
• Establish corporate IT Policies and Security
• Manage lost devices – Password Reset, Device Lock, Device Wipe
• Deploy internally-developed apps
• Define (and enforce) public applications as mandatory or optional
• Provides Rooting & Jailbreak Detection
• Prevent apps from accessing corporate mail accounts

Blackberry says “IT managers need to accommodate individually purchased units that come into the enterprise, whether by a sales rep deciding to expense the latest handset, a doctor bringing in their personal phone for hospital work, or a field worker getting whatever’s available on special as a replacement unit.”

BlackBerry Mobile Fusion server software is  a free download and  Client Access Licenses are included free for 60 days at the moment as well too. This will give IT managers a chance to try it out before a full roll out.

How to install Apps that require you to have 5.1 without updating your iOS to 5.1

Apps that require iOS 5.1 tend to be Apple’s way of fighting the Jailbreak community. It’s not like the iPad 2 or iPhone 4S are not compatible with the new updated apps. If only there was a way around this limitation. Glad you asked. There is a way around it and it is pretty simple. The work around works for  iPhoto, iMovie and so far all apps that have asked me to update to 5.1 Please note this method only works on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4 and iPad 2.

The steps to install 5.1 apps on your 5.0.1 device is as follows:

1. Close AppStore if you have it opened. Don’t forget to check the multitask bar as well for it.
2. Start up iFile (It’s a jailbreak app in Cydia)
3. Once in iFile go to /System/Library/CoreServices
4. Click SystemVersion.plist file
5. Click Property List Viewer
6. Click ProductVersion
7. Change 5.0.1 to 5.1
8. Click back and and then click Done
9. Respring your iOS device
10. Go to App Store and install your desired app.
11. After it is successfully installed put ProductVersion back to iOS 5.0.1
12. Click Cydia
13. Search for iPhoto501Fix and install it
14. Respring your device
15. Enjoy

iPad 3 or iPad HD: Here is what to expect

 

Apple + press conference in San Francisco tomorrow. This means only one thing. Apple will have an announcement that will change the landscape of the world once more.  As always supply chains have leaked all kinds of info. As a result we have a pretty clear picture of what the iPad 3 will look like. We will find out tomorrow.  Here is what we can expect.

•  Retina display that should have  (2,048 x 1,536)
• 4G LTE connectivity
• Quad-core thanks to the Apple A6.
•  Thicker case thanks to the bigger battery and LTE chip
• Same battery life
• 8-megapixel camera just like the iPhone 4S.
• iOS 5.1
• Same prices at $499, $599 and $699, and cellular connectivity available for each at a $130 premium.

Will we be right? Tune in at 1PM

RIM Blackberry 10: iPhone iOS clone?

 

Research in Motion has already confirmed that BlackBerry 10 smartphones won’t be shipping until late this year. This will not help them if they are trying to get into the good graces of Smartphone buyers.  CrackBerry showed a preview of what’s to come. They will have home screen widgets. They also have  iOS-styled folders and integrated video calling.

The new BlackBerry 10 widgets look like they were cut and paste from Windows and Android. The new folder icon shows you a preview of the applications inside and a dedicated video chat button. The BlackBerry 10 OS looks like it is years ahead of  RIM’s current OS but will it be enough to get people to buy a Blackberry? I think the answer to that is no. It is way too late in the game right now. They would have to do something that is a game changer. BGR reported that the BlackBerry London will be the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone to market. It  is scheduled for a late September release but realistically it’s looking more like  October.

Apple iPad just keeps eating Blackberrys

 

Apple’s iPad pretty much owns the tablet mar­ket. It’s competitors really can not compare. Sorry competitors I have more bad news. iPad’s enterprise market share is growing. One wonders does more tablets mean less windows machines?

Good Tech­nol­o­gy a enter­prise mobile ser­vices ven­dor reports that Apple’s iPad account­ed for 96% of tablets acti­vat­ed at the com­pa­nies that use the com­pa­ny’s ser­vices. The iPhone accounted for 53% of new phone activations. That is a very big percentage. It comes out to be about 71% of  mobile enter­prise devices  iOS. That does not sound very good for Blackberry, Android  and Windows device.

Tweet from Siri

It is looking very good for the world of Siri. I can not wait to see what comes out next for it.