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

BranchOut might over take LinkedIn one day

In two years I have gotten a new job, sold my car, moved into a new place, started a very successful blog (SaintelDaily), traveled out the country(Mexico counts), brought two iPads (damn you Apple) and broke up with my long time girlfriend  (Cry me a River comes to mind). That is nothing compared to BranchOut in two years the Facebook dependent company has gained 25 million registered users.  The company works just like LinkedIn but with the same dependency that Zynga has on Facebook.  BranchOut is now considered one of  LinkedIn’s biggest competitors. CEO Rick Marini says BranchOut’s relationship with LinkedIn is; “At this point, it’s Coke and Pepsi.”

BranchOut allows users to see which of their Facebook friends (or friends of friends) work at specific companies. Unlike LinkedIn, it doesn’t require users to build a professional network one person at a time. Rather, they simply connect to their pre-existing Facebook graphs. The interface works a lot like LinkedIn from there: users can fill in their work histories, send messages to their connections, collect endorsements and request introductions to friends of friends.

BranchOut has about 3 million job listing. They work recruiters via a product called RecruiterConnect that works like LinkedIn Recruiter. LinkedIn blocked BranchOut from accessing its API. That has not stopped the  startup from gaining another $25 million in funding, bringing its total venture capital backing to $49 million.

BranchOut is more popular than  Instagram and Twitter on Facebook. They have 13 million monthly unique visitors. Half of new members of the company are from overseas.  They owe that to StepStone and Totaljobs.com which are big overseas.

Can Next Issue Media’s all you can read Digital Magazine Subscriptions work and will Apple’s Newstand be effected

Do you a tablet? Do you like magazines? Do you hate the Apple Newstand? Well Next Issue Media was hoping you would say yes to all the above.  Tablets are everywhere. As we all know Apple’s iPad has a virtual monopoly on the tablet market and as such on the magazine market. That also helps them sell everything. You can find pretty much any magazine you want to buy in Apple‘s Newsstand app. The problem is  you still have to  download each magazine’s reader app. Some of those apps are nothing but a glorified PDF reader.  Magazine publishers want some of the action that the Newstand now enjoys. Conde Nast, Hearst, Time Inc., Meredith and News Corp. have teamed together to form Next Issue Media.

Next Issue Media’s CEO Morgan Guenther said “On the consumer experience side, at least from our perspective, there’s been very little innovation. At the moment, one of the chief unmet needs is simplicity.”   The new tablet only newsstand lets users pick between different magazines for one low subscription price.  The prices are as follows; $14.99 covers weekly & monthly titles. You also can pay just $9.99 for only monthly titles. I love this idea and can’t wait to try it. Unfortunately,  right now the app is only on Android tablets running Honeycomb or higher but an  iOS app will out in a few weeks.

The only thing that people might not like is that users have to go to Next Issue Media’s website to manage their subscription purchases. You will not be able to do from within the app. That is very smart on the part of  Next Issue Media. This way they do not have to pay Apple 30% that everyone else has too. This is a very smart idea.

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

Toshiba Excite10 LE vs. iPad 3: The winner is….

Toshiba’s new Android tablet to be called the Excite 10 LE will be available on March 6th.  The price for the “thinnest 10 tablet” is only for $529. It will also be out a whole day before Apple’s iPad 3 unveiling. I saw the Excite at CES it is very impressive. It has a 10.1-inch HD Gorilla Glass screen.  (Sidebar: Dear Apple please add Gorilla Glass to all  your products) There is also a dual-core processor running at 1.2GHz. It should be interesting to see if the iPad 3 will have the rumored quadcore processor. The Excite 10 LE comes with 16GB of storage but also has a microSD slot for extending that space. As for the cameras, there is a  2-megapixel in front and a 5-megapixel in the back.  The Excite 10 LE  will come with Honeycomb. Toshiba promised an upgrade to  Ice Cream Sandwich later this spring. Will this be enough to take on the iPad 3? on paper maybe. In the real world that is a no.

PRESS RELEASE:

Toshiba Brings World’s Thinnest 10-Inch Tablet to U.S. Market

World’s Thinnest and Lightest 10-inch Tablet, Excite 10 LE, Available for Purchase on March 6, Starting at $529.99

IRVINE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Toshiba’s Digital Products Division (DPD), a division of Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., today announced that the Excite™ 10 LE tablet will be available for purchase from select U.S. retailers on March 6. Previously introduced as the Excite X10, the Excite 10 LE is the world’s thinnest and lightest 10-inch tablet measuring just 0.3 inches (7.7mm) thin and weighing just 1.18 pounds (535g).

“We have engineered this tablet with premium materials and components, given it elegant yet durable styling and more connectivity options than any other tablet in its class, while fitting everything into an astonishingly thin and light design.”

The Excite 10 LE tablet, powered by Android™, carries a starting price of $529.99 MSRP2 for the 16GB model and $599.99 MSRP for the 32GB model.
“Excite 10 LE embodies what a luxury tablet should be,” said Carl Pinto, vice president of product development, Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc., Digital Products Division. “We have engineered this tablet with premium materials and components, given it elegant yet durable styling and more connectivity options than any other tablet in its class, while fitting everything into an astonishingly thin and light design.”

A More Premium Design with All the Essentials

The thin and light Excite 10 LE features a vivid high-resolution 10.1-inch diagonal AutoBrite™ display3, delivering optimum browsing, reading and entertainment. Designed for durability and style, the device also features a high-quality magnesium alloy surface and scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass display with an anti-smudge coating for greater resiliency.
The tablet also comes with an array of connectivity interfaces and ports on board, including micro-USB and HDMI® ports, a micro-SD slot to share content and files with other devices, plus Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity. Stereo speakers with exclusive sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS® Labs deliver superior audio capabilities. Front and back HD cameras provide convenient photo capture, plus 1080p video recording and video chatting.

Smart Multicore Performance with Long Battery Life
Powered by the 1.2GHz Texas Instruments OMAP™ 4430 multicore mobile processor4 and dual-channel memory, the Excite 10 LE offers smooth web browsing and multitasking plus the performance for high definition video and entertainment. Extremely power efficient, the Excite 10 LE delivers up to 8 hours of battery life.

Powered by Android

The Excite 10 LE tablet features Android 3.2, Honeycomb, and will be upgraded to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich later this Spring. Also included is a full suite of familiar Google™ Mobile Service applications, including the Android Market™, YouTube™, Gmail™, Google Maps™, Music, Videos. Additionally, the tablet comes pre-loaded with a mix of Toshiba software and third-party applications including TOSHIBA App Place, TOSHIBA Book Place, TOSHIBA Media Player, TOSHIBA File Manager as well Netflix™ and Zinio™.

Docking and Accessories

Toshiba will also offer a suite of tablet accessories for the Excite 10 LE, including a docking station, multiple cases and more.

Specifications

• Android 3.2, Honeycomb (upgradeable to Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich)
• 10.1-inch diagonal LED Backlit widescreen Corning Gorilla Glass display with IPS technology and 10-finger multi-touch support
• 1280 x 800 resolution, 16:10 aspect ratio
• Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 multicore processor; 1.2GHz with 1GB LPDDR2 RAM
• 16GB and 32GB configurations6
• 2 megapixel front-facing camera
• 5 megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash
• Micro USB, Micro HDMI ports
• Micro SD card slot
• Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n) and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Gyroscope, Accelerometer, GPS, eCompass and Ambient Light Sensor
• Stereo speakers with sound enhancements by Toshiba and SRS Labs
• Built-in 25 watt-hour rechargeable lithium ion battery
• 10.1″ (W) x 6.9″ (D) x 0.3″ (H)
• 1.18 pounds (535g)

iPad 3 already on the way to stores?

WeiPhone seems to think that Foxconn is sending iPad 3′s to the U.S. Funny thing is that the iPad 3 has not even been announced to the world yet. The rumors are  flying all over the place but when is a rumor about an Apple product not.

The translation of the document says: “Our company started undertake a load of top-secured cargo. The owner has extreme requirements for the security. In order to prevent the cargo from being dragged on the airport ramp for too long, as well as shortening the time the cargo stay on the airport ramp, we hereby require XXXX to schedule all the XXX cargo planes from Feb. 26 to Mar. 9. to XXX slot.”

If the document is to be believed then shipments should hit  stores by March 9th.  The wonderful blog site 9 to 5 Mac  said that Apple would take pre-orders of the iPad 3 this year and the entire iPad 2 line would be discontinued. If the rumors are true, iPad 3 will have Retina display, a Quad Core processor, a real cameras, same battery life and 4G.

iPad 3: Seems to be real and coming real soon

There are  images of the iPad 3′s new case design. These are always are early clues to how the new designs will look. Although they are not perfect; they are close enough to get an idea of what is to come.  Apple’s next  tablet should be released just next month. The iPad 3 should have Retina Display, an 8-megapixel camera,  4G LTE and a larger battery but the same battery life.  Word is that Apple will unveil the iPad 3 at a press conference on March 7th.

Cut the cord with the iPad; sort of: It’s more like an extension

There are now apps that will let you watch most of the TV that is important to you while on the go. The TNT and TBS Apps are just a just the latest in a long line of media entertainment extenders. Over the weekend  NBC had released a new version of their iPad app that allows users to watch full episodes of their favorite shows on the iPad. Watch by ESPN has been out for a while and ABC was the first to do it when the iPad came out. Lost was still on the air.  The only catch is that you are still married to a cable company because you have to log in with your credentials to use these apps to their full capabilities. That is the part that needs to be addressed. Someone needs to do what Netflix has done for movies but for TV channels.  No, Hulu is not there yet.

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.