Tag: Apple

By October 19, 2013 Read More →

Apple: We have no intention of reading your iMessages

imessage securityApple is once again having to play the defensive game amid allegations that the company could all too easily intercept users iMessages sent through iOS or OS X.

This is a claim from security experts stating that as Apple hold all the encryption keys for the end-to-end service it would be a trivial process to be able to change these keys in order to read content or pass it to third parties such as government agencies that make a request.

Whilst the security experts, Quarkslab, do point out that Apple are not currently doing this at the moment they could do so if they wanted to.

These claims have caused a great deal of noise and concern amongst users a privacy groups, so much so that Apple have had to break the usual radio silence and respond.

“iMessage is not architected to allow Apple to read messages,” Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told AllThingsD. “The research discussed theoretical vulnerabilities that would require Apple to re-engineer the iMessage system to exploit it, and Apple has no plans or intentions to do so.”

This is not the first time that Apple have been on the back foot where iMessage security is concerned. Earlier this year the company was also forced to defend itself against allegations of its involvement in handing over data to the NSA.

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By October 16, 2013 Read More →

Apple Leather Case for iPhone 5 & 5S

iphone 5s case leatherJust a quick review of a case that I picked up at the weekend for my new iPhone 5S that I’ve been using since launch day without a case.

I previously had an iPhone 5 and I used that with a shell case from launch day until I got the new S model.

I was quite shocked at the condition that the iPhone was in. It appeared that small pieces of grit had somehow managed to get between the case and the phone and has scratched the finish off the edge of the phone.

I decided that I wouldn’t be using this case with my new 5S but I tried it on there for an hour or so and it felt a little loose on the new phone. I decided that I would use the phone without a case and see how I got on. I quickly found that I don’t like the way the iPhone 5/5S feels without anything on. It is too slippery and too thin for my liking and I was constantly scared that I was going to drop it whilst removing it from my pocket.

Whilst walking past an Apple store I thought I’d take a look at the different cases that they had available and the Apple case really caught my eye for the simplicity and quality. It seemed a little expensive at £35.00 but I thought that if I can buy one case and stand a good chance that it would look after the finish of my phone in everyday use it was worth a go.

This is what your £35 gets you.

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I chose the black but it is also available in brown, beige, yellow, blue and a special (Product) Red version where some of the profits go to a Charity set up by Bono of U2.

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The back of the case has a nice embossed Apple logo and the leather feels very nice. There is a warning on the back of the packaging that the case is made of natural leather and that the finish will change with use.

There is a nice large cut out for the camera and flash but all of the buttons are covered and have little bumps so that you can feel where they are. No need to try to reach through the case to press them with a fingernail here. Unfortunately apple chose not to replicate the ring/vibrate switch as part of the case and it might be a struggle for those with larger fingers to operate. As a plus it will not get knocked accidentally.

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The case is lined with a nice, soft suede/micro-fibre material which should help to prevent scratches like I experienced before.

Inserting the phone is easy, just push it in.

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The case fits the phone perfectly. If it had been any other way I would have been shocked.

The case offers a small lip to provide some protection to the screen if laid on a surface face down.

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The headphone and Lightning connector ports are nicely exposed for the majority of things that you’d want to use them for but strangely the lighting connector will not work with one of Apple’s own accessories that I use every day. I have still not updated my bedside dock to one with native Lightning and so, I have been using the 30 Pin to Lighting adapter. As you will see this will not work with this case.

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The mic and speaker ports in the case line up perfectly with those on the phone and no difference in call quality or speaker volume can be noticed.

Apple iPhone 5s leather case Verdict.

Over all I am extremely impressed with the case but it does have a couple of downsides but for me these are not enough to make me want to return it and search for something else.

Pros

  • Quality looks and finish
  • Perfect fit

Cons

  • Not all Lightning accessories will be compatible
  • Ring/Vibrate a little difficult to access.
  • £35 is quite a lot to spend on a case.
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By October 15, 2013 Read More →

Apple confirms iPad press event 22nd October

apple ipad 5 eventThis afternoon Apple announced a press event to be held on the 22nd October in San Francisco. Press invitations have already been sent out to the event in which we’re expecting to see the new iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 unveiled but the tag line in the invitation “We still have a lot to cover” possibly suggests that there may be more in the line up for the day.

Certainly the smart money is pointing to the two new iPad models both of which are expected to have the Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint sensor introduced in the iPhone 5S as well as a version of the 64-bit A7 chip.

The hope from us is that the iPad mini 2 will have a retina display but there have been many rumours about this over the past few weeks that seem to equally say yay and nay, all will be revealed next week.

Other possible attractions at the event are OS X Mavericks that went GM earlier this month and the Mac Pro which has been teasing us for several months.

We’ll be coving the event from 6PM BST on the 22nd October.

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By October 12, 2013 Read More →

iPhone 5s unboxing video

iPhone-5s-space-graySeveral weeks ago Apple launched the latest iPhones, the iPhone 5c and the iPhone 5s. As always, the launched has been met with a very mixed response, from those loving the new phones to those seeing them as a pointless incremental and even a disappointing update.

We’ve spoken about the issues with iOS 7 a few times already and the expected iOS 7.0.3 has yet to surface as expected.

I’ve finally managed to get my hands on the iPhone 5s, my mistake was in ordering a gold 64GB version initially which is, apparently, the model seeing the highest demand. As a consequence my gold phone still isn’t here.

I realise that there are lots of iPhone unboxing videos out there but sticking with the tradition of the site and unboxing everything that comes through the door, this is ours:

By October 11, 2013 Read More →

Apple readying iPad 5 & iPad mini 2 launch

Apple-iPad-5Apple are set to hold their new iPad event on October 22nd, according to various sources on the interwebs. Later than the October 17th date that had previously been touted, the event date now looks to be more definite.

It’s likely that the event will see various announcements, certainly we anticipate the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2, but then there’s the matter of OS X Mavericks that went Gold just recently too.

Furthermore, Apple have been teasing us with images and video of their new Mac Pro, so could we see this new beast released at the same time? Certainly the hopes are that each of these new products will be available pre-Christmas.

As we near the launch date several new high-quality images of the iPad 5 have surfaced. These clearly show the reduced bezel size on the new iPad which is now similar to the iPad mini in that respect. Furthermore, it seems increasingly likely that both the iPad 5 and the iPad mini 2 will have the fingerprint unlock technology from the iPhone 5s and a suggestion that the iPad 5 will have an A7X chip, slightly different from the A7 chip existing in the iPhone 5s.

 

Via: Slashgear

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By October 8, 2013 Read More →

9 iOS 7 Features You Probably Aren’t Aware Of

iOS 7 featuresFew system updates have attracted as much attention as Apple’s latest iOS 7 update for its mobile devices. With flourescent colors and a flat design, the update’s drummed up some controversy with Apple enthusiasts.

But whether you love the new look or not — beyond the cosmetic changes, it’s packed with some useful hidden features. Here are nine iOS 7 features you probably haven’t figured out on your own.

Use Siri As Your Secretary

Siri now has the keys to your call log and email. Here are just a few questions you can ask the now more helpful Siri:

  • Do I have any voicemails?” – Siri tells you which numbers have left you a voicemail
  • Did anyone call me?” – Siri pulls up your missed and most recent calls
  • Do I have any emails?” – Siri shows any unread email in your inbox
  • Read me my most recent email” – Siri will read the most recent unread email in your inbox

Teach Siri How to Pronounce Your Friends’ Names

Siri may be quick, but she’s not a very skilled linguist. Another neat Siri feature allows you to tell her how to pronounce your contacts’ names. Just say “that’s not how you pronounce” and she’ll give you a chance to teach her the correct pronunciation.

Change Font to Bold

As part of the update, there’s now a thinner font used throughout the system. While it looks good, some find it difficult to read. You’re able to change the fond to bold by going to Settings > General > Accessibility and then selecting Bold Text.

See Time Stamps on Any Text Message

One of the strangest features of text messages on iPhones is the lack of consistency with time stamps. Sometimes you’d see what time a message was sent, but other times you wouldn’t. This was addressed in iOS 7, and now you can view time stamps on any message by touching the message bubble and swiping to the left.

Block Texts and Calls from Any Number

Cut off contact with an annoying ex, telemarketer, or even a family member by blocking their number. Open the person’s contact info, then scroll to the bottom and select “Block this Caller.” Anyone you block won’t be able to message, call, or Facetime you. However, you can still call or text someone you’ve blocked.

Put Unlimited Apps in Your Folders

If you keep your apps neatly organized in folders, you’ll be happy to know you’re no longer restricted on how many apps you can place in a single folder. Now, there’s no limit on how many apps can go in the same folder.

Add Filters to Your Photos

You can add Instagram-like filters to your photos directly in the Camera app. With only 8 filters and not much variation, this feature is somewhat limited but convenient. Just open a photo, select Edit, and tap the Filters icon in bottom middle of the screen.

Swipe Downward to Access Spotlight Search

Spotlight Search was formerly found by left-swiping from the home screen. It’s now accessed by downward swiping from the middle of the screen. The downside is you can no longer search the Web — you’ll need to open Safari for that.

View Apple Maps in Night Mode

This user-friendly feature keeps you from going blind when using your Apple Maps navigation in the dark, like when you’re driving at night. There’s no way to turn this feature on or off — your phone will automatically adjust the screen brightness based on the time. In addition to Night Mode, Apple’s added some other nifty features to Apple Maps, with more on the way.

Disable or Enable Automatic App Updates

Before iOS 7, you had to open the App Store and  select which apps to update. Now you can set all apps to automatically update by going to Settings > iTunes and App Store, then turn on Updates in the Automatic Downloads section. Since app updates drain data, you’ll only want to enable this feature if you have an unlimited data plan or if you can easily use a WiFi connection, like from your FiOS Internet service.

Now that you’ve gotten used to the bold new look and major features of the iOS 7 update, try out the above features to dig deeper into what your iPhone and iPad can now do.

Have you found any hidden features in the iOS 7 that we didn’t cover here? Share your tips in the comments below.

By October 4, 2013 Read More →

OS X Mavericks release imminent

OS X Mavericks releaseApple announced the latest version of their desktop operating system, OS X Mavericks, back in June of this year and since then developers have been able to get their hands on regular beta updates to the new OS at regular intervals.

There’s no clear release date but Apple have just released the gold master version of which means that OS X Mavericks release is imminent. We suspect that it’ll go on general release around the 15th of this month, probably to coincide with the anticipated iPad event.

OS X Mavericks brings more than 200 new features along with it. Most notably iBooks for Mac, Maps for Mac, tabbed Finder, iCloud Keychain, Tags and a whole lot more. Typically a gold master release from Apple precedes the final public release by around 2 weeks and the GM means that OS X Mavericks has reached the final build and is ready to go to customers.

By October 2, 2013 Read More →

Apple will fix iOS 7 iMessage issues

fix ios 7As I mentioned the other day, there have been several issues reported with Apple’s latest iOS 7 releases, particularly with battery life and iMessage.

Fortunately, Apple have now acknowledged the iMessage issues and are now working on a futher update, presumably 7.0.3, slated for next week, that will resolve this problem

The most frequent complaint is that messages appear to be sent, but later appear with a big red exclamation point indicating they did not go through.

The simplest and most often-suggested work-around by users is to restart the device. Another option to fix iOS 7 iMessage issues to to disable iMessage, reset the Network Settings, and then turn iMessage back on.  (To reset the settings, go to Settings → General Reset → Reset Network Settings.)  The later work around is more annoying, though, and seems to require frequent repetition.

“We are aware of an issue that affects a fraction of a percent of our iMessage users, and we will have a fix available in an upcoming software update,” Apple said in a statement. “In the meantime, we encourage any users having problems to reference our troubleshooting documents or contact AppleCare to help resolve their issue. We apologize for any inconvenience this causes impacted users.”

Since then, some users have complained about excessive battery use, typed letters that don’t appear on the screen, and Apple’s Siri voice-recognition service not recognizing requests. Apple released an iOS fix last week  to tackle some security problems with iOS 7.0.2.

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By October 1, 2013 Read More →

iOS 7 issues

iOS 7 issuesIt has been several weeks since iOS 7 was finally released for iPhone, iPad and iPod devices but that launch hasn’t been without it’s problems and many new users have a complaint or two about the update.

Ignoring the fact that some users just don’t like the new visual styling or are finding it a little more difficult to use a locate things since the update, and ignoring too the fact that some users are complaining that the new parallax and zooming effects of the OS are making them sea sick… I’m talking about two specific problems that are being heavily reported; Battery Life and iMessage issues.

So taking the first, I support a number of users across a couple of business accounts and it seems that they all decided to update to iOS 7 the day it became available. The response to the update seems to have polarised opinion with some loving and some really hating the changes.  After just a few days the complaints began rolling in to me, “My Battery isn’t lasting the day” or “I’m having to charge my phone a lot more often”.

Initially I took the complaints with a pinch of salt, wondering if it could be caused, in part, by the users playing with the new features of iOS 7 and therefor using their phones a bit more. Turns out though that they were not alone and reports of poor battery life post-update started to fill Twitter, Facebook and online forums.

There’s no real answer to this at the moment aside from being sure to turn of WiFi and Bluetooth when you don’t need them it’s a case of waiting for a further update from Apple to, hopefully, address this.

The second of the iOS 7 issues is with messages. Some users are reporting that they are unable to send messages while others seem unable to receive. My own experience of this is with my iPhone 5 sending several messages to one person and seeing the notification at the top state ‘sending 3 of 3…’ to then see a message failed warning followed by replies to those messages from the recipient.

The messaging issue seems to be affecting some carriers more than others, Vodafone from what I can see being one of the most affected while my Everything Everywhere colleagues seem to be oblivious to such issues.

Apple have already released an update to iOS 7.0.2 but this primarily addresses a security issue rather than solving the issues above. iOS 7.0.3 is due out next week so the hope is that we’ll see some improvement with messaging and battery life in that update.

What are your experiences? Please share with us below!

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By September 30, 2013 Read More →

iPad 5 leaked images and video

iPad 5 leakedWe’re expecting an Apple event sometime in October where we’ll get to see the new iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2. However, if you are as impatient as we are you’ll be pleased to know that images and hands on videos of the anticipated next-gen iPads have already leaked out.

The iPad 5 leaked images and video appear to show just the aluminium back panels of the new iPads but do also reveal that the iPad 5 will be smaller, thinner and lighter than the iPad 4 and seems to be a slightly different form fact too. The iPad Mini 2 appears to be pretty much the same size and shape as the existing mini so expect all the changes to be on the inside!

Both the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2 are expected to feature the same fingerprint scanner as featured on the new iPhone 5s as well as updated cameras but neither appears to reveal a built-in flash.

The hope from us us that we’ll see a retina display on the iPad Mini 2 as well as improved battery life and CPU performance on both models. I suspect that both will have the new A7 chip in there too.

So check out the video from SW-BOX.COM below and see if that give you an appetite for some new Apple tablet goodness!

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