Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Sprint Confirms Unlimited Data Plans For iPhone 4S

Since both Verizon and AT&T dropped unlimited data plans when too many iPhone users got interested in them, we’ve all been holding our breaths hoping that Sprint wouldn’t kill the last remaining unlimited data plan on the smartphone market. href="http://allthingsd.com/20111005/exclusive-sprint-confirms-it-will-offer-unlimited-pricing-for-iphone/">AllThingsD has just confirmed that Sprint will in fact offer their unlimited data plan for the iPhone 4S.

“We will be offering the benefit of our unlimited plans that start at just $69.99,” spokeswoman Michelle Leff Mermelstein is quoted as saying. The $70 per month plan gets you unlimited data and 450 minutes per month, and if you bump that up to $99 per month, you get unlimited of both.

Is that enough to make any of our readers jump ship from AT&T or Verizon to Sprint? Will any of you be transitioning with the new iPhone?

Steve Jobs has died

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-05-at-7.45.26-PM.png">class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24105" title="Screen Shot 2011-10-05 at 7.45.26 PM" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-05-at-7.45.26-PM.png" alt="" width="621" height="445" />/> Apple has issued a release to the press confirming that Steve Jobs has passed away.

We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

Let’s Talk iPhone 4S: What we didn’t get

iPhone 4S White

The Let’s Talk iPhone event is now over and we officially have the iPhone 4S, Siri, iOS 5, iCloud, and several other cool new features to be excited about.

But what about what we didn’t get?

What about all those iPhone 5 cases we saw mysteriously pop up over the past several months? While Apple announced a good amount of hardware improvements to the iPhone 4S, the update still left a lot of people underwhelmed. In some ways, this is understandable given Apple had more time than ever between launches to come out with a new device.

A lot of people were still holding out for a new design. Apple also seems to be attempting to deter cries of antenna-gate this time around with a newly designed antenna system with a technology known as “intelligence switching”.

Likewise, there was no LTE radio for faster internet speeds, not even real HSPA+ at 21mbps or 42mbps. The proper LTE chips that Apple would need to keep battery life and thinness won’t be ready until 2012, but why no HSPA+ at this point?

Many people also wanted an alternative to the glass back of iPhone 4. Aluminum, like the iPad, was a frequent rumor. So whether you love the all glass front and back design or not, you’re stuck with it for at least one more year.

While I didn’t mind the general design staying the same I really was holding out hope for a larger screen. With a flooded market of Android phones boasting screens of 4″ or more, I really would have liked to see the new iPhone step up to compete with that. While the screen on the iPhone 4 and 4S are gorgeous, they really are on the smaller side when you look at the competition. I’m expecting at least 4″ next year.

We also heard rumors of Apple implementing NFC into the next generation iPhone. Yet there was no mention of NFC and as far as we know, the iPhone 4S won’t be supporting it. Given this would be a pretty cool feature, I don’t really think it was a deal breaker for a lot of folks just yet.

iOS 5 announcement was clearly Apple’s flagship announcement this year. Features like iCloud, iTunes Match, OTA backups, and others will come to the older devices, but Siri will be iPhone 4S exclusive.

That, Cards, and Find my Friends were the only new software announced alongside iPhone 4S, however. While we can’t expect another 200 new features, was Cards really the best use of Apple’s time? Sure they can use it to sell some prints but what about an Airport Utility app? A Files app that does for documents what Photos does for images? An improvement for the Maps app, perhaps? What about FaceTime over 3G? Panoramic photos?

Add to the list no Steve Jobs appearance, no “One more thing…” and there’s lots to gripe about. Don’t get me wrong, Apple certainly brought a lot to the table yesterday, but they left a lot off as well. Were there any killer features you really wanted that you didn’t get?

Is the iPhone 4S Really That Disappointing?

So Tim Cook didn’t unveil the iPhone 5 on Tuesday, it still doesn’t mean the iPhone 4S is a complete letdown. Besides not delivering on the new design invented by us tech bloggers, the iPhone 4S did deliver the dual-core A5 processor and fast 8-megapixel HD video camera we heard so much about.

Is a “teardrop” design with less talk time really that exciting? Because having all my documents, contacts, data and entertainment easily available on all my devices via iCloud sounds great to me. While I personally don’t want to talk to my iPhone, Apple’s new voice command assistant href="http://www.iphonealley.com/news/siri-and-ios-5-make-apples-1987-vision-of-the-future-a-reality">Siri also seemed to impress a lot of people who attended the event.

Apple even delivered on the rumored low-cost iPhone by making the iPhone 3GS free, and introducing the 8GB iPhone 4. The iPhone is now available from $99 for 8GB to $399 for 64GB, and its on three U.S. carriers.

I’ve seen a lot of different opinions on Twitter, and various message boards and blogs. Some people are acting like Tim Cook just announced the iPhone 4 in a different color. If Apple fans are looking to buy a new device every few months, maybe they should switch to Android.

I do admit, the “Let’s Talk iPhone” event did seem a little disappointing, but that’s our fault for building up the hype. If you look back, all the signs were there, especially as the announcement grew closer.

You can also think about it this way; at least we have many more months of iPhone 5 rumors to look forward to.

iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4

Processor/> iPhone 4S – Dual-core A5 chip/> iPhone 4 – A4 chip

Carriers/> same

Weight/> iPhone 4S – 4.9 ounces/> iPhone 4 – 4.8 ounces

Camera/> iPhone 4S – 8MP (Face detection)/> iPhone 4 – 5MP

Video Recording/> iPhone 4S – HD video recording (1080p 30 fps, Video stabilization)/> iPhone 4 – HD video recording (720 30 fps)

Display/> same

Battery Life (3G)

iPhone 4S – 8 hours/> iPhone 4 – 7 hours

Steve Jobs, Founder and Visionary of Apple, Has Passed Away

This is a sad day. Former CEO and the co-founder of Apple, Steve Jobs, has passed away at age 56.

In August, Steve stepped down from his CEO position at Apple. “I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.”

Steve has had a history of health and liver issues.

Confirming the loss, Apple has posted the following message:

/>

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could build, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

It is undoubtedly true that Steve Jobs has completely revolutionized a multitude of industries, changing the world in the process. If it was not for Steve Jobs, then we would not have modern technology. He has influenced more than just technology during his 35 years in the industry. His visions and achievements have affected almost every single person in existence today and will continue to do so. Steve’s passing is an extremely sad and significant loss.

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs. Your legacy will carry on forever.

iPhone 4S and iOS 5: State of the jailbreak

If you’re a jailbreaker you’re probably wondering what the iPhone 4S and iOS 5 GM mean for you. And if you plan on upgrading, will you be able to jailbreak? As with any new software or hardware release, we can’t be too sure of what this means for jailbreak but here is what we do know:

After iOS 4 dropped we saw an untethered jailbreak but we waited quite a while for another untethered solution on iPhone 4 under iOS 4.2.1. As with any new software and hardware, we’ll really have to wait for the jailbreak community to get their hands on the new stuff before we know anything for sure.

What I can say is if you rely on an unlock, you’ll probably want to wait to upgrade until a software unlock is released. You can always turn to options like Gevey if those tools are updated. But those are somewhat illegal and, ya know, frowned upon.

Steve Jobs: 1955 – 2011

Steve Jobs: 1955 - 2011

Apple is reporting that Steve Jobs has passed away today.

CUPERTINO, Calif., Oct 05, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — We are deeply saddened to announce that Steve Jobs passed away today.

Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably better because of Steve.

His greatest love was for his wife, Laurene, and his family. Our hearts go out to them and to all who were touched by his extraordinary gifts.

Apple has posted a page containing the following message:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

We have no words, other than to express our deepest gratitude for everything he gave us, and our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and colleagues.

Sprint Confirms Unlimited Data for iPhone Users

Following the announcement that the iphone 4S would be a “world phone”, in that it will support AT&T, Verizon Wireless and most recently added, Sprint, the last of the carriers has announced that it will be offering unlimited data plans for its iPhone customers.

As onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/twitter.com/#!/RogerWCheng/status/121679783322071041');" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/#!/RogerWCheng/status/121679783322071041">CNET reports:

‘”We will be offering the benefit of our unlimited plans that start at just $69.99,” said spokeswoman Michelle Leff Mermelstein. Sprint’s $69.99 plan includes unlimited data and 450 voice minutes as well as unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling. Unlimited calling and data costs $99 a month.’

Sprint will be the only carrier to offer this unlimited plan for a considerably cheap price. AT&T used to offer an unlimited data plan, but switched to 2GB and 4GB alternatives.

It’s obvious that Sprint is attempting to compare closer to its superior competitors, AT&T and Verizon, by offering this exclusive unlimited plan – they’ll be trying to acquire as many early iPhone 4S early adopters as possible.

The iPhone 4S is scheduled to launch this 14th, with preorder starting at exactly 12:01 AM PST on Friday, the 7th.

Apple Will Give You $200 For Your iPhone 4

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Aa74_10CEAArk_E-520x369.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24080" title="Aa74_10CEAArk_E-520x369" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Aa74_10CEAArk_E-520x369.jpg" alt="" width="520" height="369" />

Thinking about trading in your iPhone 4 for a shiny, new, and externally identical iPhone 4S? Then it’s time to start shopping around to see who’ll give you a decent price towards your next bit of hardware. You really can’t get more legit than taking your phone back to Apple, who through href="http://www.apple.com/recycling/">their Apple Recycling Program are offering up to $200 for an iPhone 4, depending on condition.

Unfortunately, to get that much, it has to be white, 16GB version in perfect condition, even having a black one drops the price by $20.

If you are interested in trading in, Apple’s far from the only game in town. href="http://www.amazon.com/Trade-In/b?ie=UTF8&node=2242532011">Amazon does it, href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/gamestop-confirms-they-want-your-ios-devices/2011/09/13/">Gamestop does it (badly), and our very own Marianne Schultz did a detailed write-up of some of the ways to do it last year. I’d also recommend checking out our href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/forum/forums/marketplace/">Marketplace forum, where you can buy and sell all sorts of things.

[via href="http://thenextweb.com/apple/2011/10/04/apple-will-now-give-you-up-to-200-for-your-old-iphone-4/">TNW]

Current iPhone Owners: Your Options to Get the Best Out of Upgrading

I understand that maybe Apple was a bit bold in still hanging on to the same overall, external design of the iPhone 4 and by really not adding much to be desired, but there are still some who consider the 4S a worthy upgrade. Regardless of you owing a 3GS or 4, below are your options to go about in order to potentially upgrade to the iPhone 4S.id="more-22276">

With the announcement of the iPhone 4S yesterday, I’m aware that Apple disappointed a large number of their followers. Having it been over a year since the last iPhone announcement, people were eager to get their hands on a totally revamped phone – other than Siri and a few hardware additions/improvemenets, there’s really no absolutely compelling reason to buy the phone unless you have a desire to get all of the latest tech from Apple. I, personally, don’t mind that Apple hasn’t changed anything externally, because I like the current iPhone and many others are alongside me as well – those of you wanting to upgrade, here are a few options/tips for you:

If you own an iPhone 3GS or an iPhone 4, and are considering the upgrade when the iPhone is available for preorder and purchase on the 7th and 14th, respectively, then you may want to check you eligibility to upgrade. Yeah, you know when you bought your phone? You mindlessly signed on to a 2-year contract with your carrier. For US customers of AT&T and Verizon (Sprint support coming soon), you can use onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone');" target="_blank" href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone">this handy tool setup by Apple to see what it’ll cost you, if any, to upgrade.

There are multiple ways to get money back for your iPhone. The two that we would recommend, would be Gazelle or better yet Apple themselves.

onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/store.apple.com/go/reuse_and_recycle');" target="_blank" href="http://store.apple.com/go/reuse_and_recycle">Apple: Apple’s reuse and recycle program allows owners to send their used iPhones, Macs, iPads and some other things (iPod excluded sadly) and receive an Apple giftcard for the value that your device is worth. Depending on the quality of the device, you’ll get a larger amount. If you’re looking to upgrade, the giftcard you receive from Apple can be used towards a 4S. All you have to do is go to the page (linked above), select your device/model and answer a few questions regarding the device. Upon completing and submitting the questions, you’ll receive a quote from PowerOn, whom Apple have paired up with to offer you the program – shipping is paid for already. The most that you can receive from an iPhone 3GS 32 GB in black was $140, from my experience and $200 for a 32 GB black iPhone 4. Not bad in my honest opinion.

onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.gazelle.com/');" target="_blank" href="http://www.gazelle.com/">Gazelle: Gazelle lets you pick our product from their large database, answer a few questions and will give you a quote. Prices for perfect iPhones were less than that of Apple’s offers, though.

And if you’re looking to sell your iPhone on eBay or some other site of the same breed, you can get a decent return amount for it. To maximize the outcome of you selling your device, I would recommend that you capitilize on the fact that your phone has issues related to its hardware and setup a Genius Bar appointment today – thus, you can receive a refurbished/new phone to sell rather than the one you’ve been using for the past year(s). This can also apply to iPod Touch owners wanting to upgrade to the iPhone. You can check the status of your 1-year Apple warranty onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do');" target="_blank" href="https://selfsolve.apple.com/agreementWarrantyDynamic.do">here and can set up a Genius Bar appointment onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/');" target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/retail/geniusbar/">here.

If you have an iPhone 3GS or are looking to bite into the iPhone market but aren’t too enticed by the 4S, then it’s rumored that Apple will start to offer their iPhone 4s for cheaper prices than they’re currently priced. It was already given that the 8GB would be sold after the release of the 4S, but Apple is looking to clear their inventory of other sizes. So go into an Apple store or an other Apple retailer one of these days, and you may be lucky enough to find a discounted iPhone 4 for an irrestibly good price.

Apple Posts Full Size Photos Taken With iPhone 4S

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-05-at-11.19.07-AM.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24083" title="Screen Shot 2011-10-05 at 11.19.07 AM" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-05-at-11.19.07-AM.jpg" alt="" width="602" height="576" />

One of the big new features of the iPhone 4S is an overhauled camera, with more lens elements, a wider aperture, 8MP backlit sensor, image stabilization and more. So do you want to see how the images actually look? href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/features/#zoomerlay-gallery1">Apple’s uploaded a stack of unedited images to their website, so you can peer into the depths of the photos.

If you’re up for pixel-peeping, you can get a feel for what sort of images this thing will take. Unsurprisingly given the sensor size, up close and personal the shot looks a bit blotchy, but that’s what you get for staring at something at 100%. There’s also some color fringing and blown highlights.

That said, the depth of field is great on some of the shots, and the color is bright and pops like nobody’s business.

In case anybody but me cares, it’s a 35mm equivalent lens on that thing, which is a kinda nice focal length.

[via href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/11/10/04/apple_showcases_iphone_4s_camera_with_high_resolution_sample_photos.html">AppleInsider]

Infinity Blade Update Brings Sequel Preview, New Content Pack

class="alignnone" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-04-at-3.20.38-PM.jpg" alt="" width="577" height="335" />

The ever awesome href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/infinity-blade/id387428400?mt=8">Infinity Blade has just updated to version 1.4, this time bringing content pack #4 with new enemies, new items, and some previews of upcoming spinoffs. Here’s the official description:

NEW! CONTENT PACK #4/> ChAIR loves you, so we are giving you EVEN MORE awesome content – for free!/> - New magic rings, swords, shields, and helmets! Collect and Master them all!/> - New Enemy: The fierce and deadly RookBane!/> - Sneak peek at Infinity Blade 2, and Infinity Blade: Awakening, the new iBook by #1 New York Times selling author Brandon Sanderson!/> Infinity Blade is now better than ever!

Wait, there’s an Infinity Blade book? I had no idea, that’s kinda cool.

Analysts Already Talking Nonsense About Next iPhone

style="text-align: left;">href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/picard-facepalm.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24093" title="picard-facepalm" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/picard-facepalm.jpg" alt="" width="553" height="364" />Okay, so we didn’t get the iPhone 5 yesterday. The screen’s not bigger, the body’s not flatter, it’s just an iPhone 4 with new internals. We’re bummed, you’re bummed, we get it. But rather than take this as a moment to cut back on the baseless rumors and constant rehashing of the same information, everything has kicked back up into full speed, asking when we’re going to see the “iPhone 5″.

style="text-align: left;">For instance, href="http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20111005PR200.html">this Digitimes articles with the headline “Apple iPhone 4S announced, ’5′ likely to arrive in late 2012 or 2013.” In other words, “oh yeah, there will be a new iPhone. Ummm…next year? The year after? I dunno.”

style="text-align: left;">Their information, unsurprisingly, comes from an analyst group, the research firm href="http://www.ihs.com/">IHS who have such wonderful statements as this to make: ”this confirms the IHS outlook issued in July that the new iPhone introduced by Apple in 2011 likely would not include the next-generation 4G technology known as LTE.”

style="text-align: left;">No one thought that the iPhone 4S/5 was going to have LTE, and the fact that it has speeds that the competition calls 4G is icing on the cake, and unexpected.

style="text-align: left;">They expect a thinner, LTE iPhone to land late 2012/early 2013, which just means some point in the future.

style="text-align: left;">And people wonder why I think industry analysts are charlatans.

style="text-align: center;">

What Can Siri Understand?

style="text-align: center;">href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/siri_hero.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24097" title="siri_hero" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/siri_hero.jpg" alt="" width="414" height="475" />

So Siri is either the greatest thing since sliced bread, or else a feature you’ll use once and then forget about for all time. One way or another, its success will hinge on Siri’s ability to not only understand the href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FFRoYhTJQQ">infinite variation of English-speaking accents, but also pick apart the spoken word and its variations.

To get a feel for what you can say to Siri, TUAW has href="http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/05/iphone-4s-what-can-you-say-to-siri/">compiled a list of phrases Siri will understand which we’ve embedded after the break. It’s a pretty substantial breakdown, and reveals a uniquely robust recognition engine. We’ll be interested to see how it performs in the real world.

id="more-24096">

Address Book

Querying Contacts

Finding Contacts

Relationships

Calendars

Adding Events

Changing events

Asking about events

Alarms

Setting Alarms

Checking the Clock

Using a Timer

Email

Sending Messages

Checking Messages

Responding to Messages

Friends

Checking Up on Friends

Maps

Directions

Local Businesses

Messages

Sending Texts

Reading Texts

Replying to Texts

Music

Playback

Notes

Creating and finding notes

Phone

Phone calls

Reminders

Requesting reminders

Stocks

Checking Stocks

Tired

Tired of iPhone hype and backlash

Usually I get the one word editorials around here, but this time it’s my podcast co-host, Seth Clifford who’s grown tired of miss-set expectations, of media hype and backlash, and for the reality distortion field that no longer comes from Apple, but is all too often directed at Apple.

On the heels of what many are describing as the cataclysmically disappointing iPhone 4S announcement yesterday, the internet is rife with tales of Apple’s inevitable post-Steve descent into oblivion. Why, the mere suggestion that Tim Cook has bungled his first big show is enough to send bloggers the web over into paroxysms of glee, breathlessly recounting every misstep, every missed opportunity, and every underwhelming demonstration onstage at that emotionally vacant press event.

But today, after the smoke’s cleared, I’m just tired. I’m tired of the outlandish expectations the media creates. I’m tired of contrarian backlash, built on incorrect assumptions about how an extremely successful company needs to operate to continue on the path to further success. There simply isn’t any way to even view Apple announcements through any lens of reality anymore, and it’s tiring.

Now go read the rest of it.

Source: Seth Clifford

Samsung moves to block iPhone 4S sales in France and Italy

Apple announces iPhone 4S

Just a day after Apple announced the iPhone 4S, Samsung has filed two separate motions for preliminary injunctions to block sales of the iPhone 4S in Paris, France and Milan, Italy.

Apple has continued to flagrantly violate our intellectual property rights and free ride on our technology. We believe it is now necessary to take legal action to protect our innovation.

This move is an expected one, however, as Samsung has been holding their finger on the lawsuit button just waiting for the announcement.

What makes this one so interesting is that Samsung’s patents are FRAND, which means they’re licensed under fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms. That means Apple should simply be able to pay the same bill any other manufacturer has paid for their use. It’s also different from the design infringement and non-FRAND patents Apple is already suing Samsung over.

Source: Samsung

Update your 2010 iPod nano with new watch faces now!

Update your 2010 iPod nano with new watch faces now!

If you bought a new iPod nano in 2010, don’t worry, Apple has already pushed out an update to bring you all the new features, including big icons and 12 new watch faces — today! That’s right, just plug into iTunes, hit update, and you’ll be ready to rock everything from a classic timepiece to Mickey Mouse and… wait for it… ANIMAL!

What’s really super sweet is that the watch faces know what color nano you have an match themselves accordingly. So if you have a golden nano, they’ll be colored differently than if you have a silver one, for example.

It’s great that Apple pays such attention to detail. Now hurry up and update your nano and let me know which watch face you choose to rock!

Redsn0w updated to support iOS 5 GM Jailbreak

It hasn’t even been a full day since Apple seeded iOS 5 GM to developers, but the iPhone Dev-Team has already updated Redsn0w to fully support the gold-master release.

redsn0w has been updated to 0.9.9b3 to auto-detect iOS5 GM firmware. Remember: it’s still tethered for all devices except for iPhone 3GS with old bootrom. If you don’t use redsn0w to “Just boot” at power up, all jailbreak apps (and even some native ones like MobileSafari) will fail to launch.

If you already jailbroke the GM by pointing an older redsn0w at the beta7 IPSW, there’s no need to re-run the full jailbreak step again…just use this newer one to make the tethered boot easier

The following devices are supported under Redsn0w 0.9.9b3a.

It’s important to note that this does not support unlocking your iPhone, and those requiring an unlock should stay away from iOS 5 completely until an unlock is available. Additionally, this is still a tethered jailbreak (unless you’re on an older bootrom) which means you’ll have to plug it into your computer each time a reboot is needed.

We’ll have a full how-to up shortly to help you through the steps of jailbreaking under iOS 5 GM.

Source: iPhone Dev-Team

Daily Deal: Incipio EDGE Case for AT&T iPhone 4 for only $14.95

Daily Deal: Incipio EDGE Case for AT&T iPhone 4 only $14.95For today only, the TiPb Store has the  Incipio EDGE Case for AT&T iPhone 4 for only $14.95. That’s rigid polycarbonate that provides excellent dent, scratch, and impact protection — Get them before they’re gone!

Shop Incipio EDGE Case for AT&T iPhone 4 now!

iPhone 4S first hands-on reviews

iPhone 4S first hands-on reviews

Following Apple’s Let’s Talk iPhone event, several members of the media were able to do brief initial hands-on reviews of the new iPhone 4S. Here’s what they had to say:

Overall, the power of the iPhone 4S is impressive. Being able to use apps like Siri will be fun, but we’ll have to wait to see what coverage and call quality are like. – Jim Dalrymple of The Loop

Apple’s new smartphone has a dual-core A5 CPU, an 8-megapixel still camera, a 1080p video camera, and of course, iOS 5. What does all this mean to the average user? We will have to get it into PC Labs before we issue a judgment, but in the short time I spent with the iPhone 4S, it seems like an improved version of an already very solid smartphone. – Dan Costa of PC Mag

Much in the same way that the 3GS improved the overall experience of the 3G, the 4S does likewise compared to the existing 4. The dual-core A5 chip is a laudatory improvement, and whisking about pages, loading the camera application and launching — well, just about everything — just feels zippier. As it should. The other major change, the antennas, weren’t readily different at a glance, but as Mr. Cook stated, you’d have to be iFixit to notice (and we’re sure they will). – Darren Murph of Engadget

In the hand it may feel like the same device, but in practice the “S” in 4S could easily stand for “Speed.” Now with the dual-core 1GHz Apple A5 inside, with what is claimed to be 2x the performance and 7x the graphics speed of the iPhone 4, it’s all round a faster phone. Navigating between apps has never been slow, but there’s literally no lag to be found. Webpages rendered instantly, while pinch-zooming was silky smooth. – Vincent Nguyen of SlashGear

The story with the iPhone 4S is obviously all about the software, and while you might be bummed about not seeing a major external hardware revision, you should know that Apple has introduced some serious new features into the language of the iPhone. – Joshua Topolsky of This is my next/The Verge

In aggregate, the casing is the same, the new A5 processor is fast, the camera is great, and Siri is very impressive.

iPhone 4S will be the first phone to feature Bluetooth 4.0

One of the iPhone 4S features which was briefly mentioned during yesterdays Let’s Talk iPhone event was Bluetooth 4.0. Bluetooth 4.0 is a hybrid of current Bluetooth standards and Bluetooth Low Energy. It has many features that improve upon the current Bluetooth 3.0 standard which is widely used in current mobile phones. Apple has already introduced Bluetooth 4.0 into its latest MacBook Air and Mac mini lines.

Bluetooth 4.0 can offer a huge improvement in battery life as it consumes far less power than other Bluetooth versions when in Low Power mode. In fact, it is claimed that a Bluetooth 4.0 device can run for years on a standard coin-cell battery, it is that power efficient. Other features are low cost, multi-vendor interoperability, and enhanced range.

Low Power Mode is geared towards accessories with low power requirements such as in the health care markets; for thermometers, heart rate monitors blood pressure monitors etc.  It could be that you will see a ton of accessories coming to the iPhone 4S to take advantage of this new technology. Of course for most, you will not notice any difference, your current Bluetooth accessories will continue to work in exactly the same way!

Source: Bluetooth SIG

Sprint may drop unlimited data plans

Sprint has indicated that it will most probably drop its unlimited data plans if it takes on the iPhone later next month. According to the latest rumours, Apple is almost certainly going to announce Sprint as an iPhone partner in October, shortly before the launch of the iPhone 5. Thus, the potential adoption of the iPhone is the reason Sprint will be dropping its unlimited data plans. This is probably the “curse of the iPhone”; now that the most popular smart phone joins its product line-up, it’s being forced to drop one of its most popular services.

Sprint seems to understand the dynamic behind unlimited data plans. In a statement, the company sought to explain that the company does indeed understand the consequences of dropping its popular unlimited data plans. Without unlimited data plans, service providers get tons of calls with customer complaints or inquiries regarding their service plans. Sprint has made it clear that the choice to drop the unlimited data plans is simply because of the surge in demand for data services, following the increasing market share of smart phones, which put a lot of stress on data services.

Sprint has a point when it claims that no service provider was actually designed to offer unlimited data plans. The smart-phone revolution has changed the entire business dynamic of service providers. The iPhone, in particular puts a lot of strain on data networks because iPhone users are more likely to use their phones to surf the web. Now virtually every smart phone has a ton of apps that allow users to stay eternally connected to their favourite social networking sites, all of which puts strain on data networks. On the plus side, the impending release of the iPhone on Sprint’s networks is certainly going to expose the iPhone to a wider audience.

Samsung plans legal action against the iPhone

Samsung is back with a vengeance; more specifically, a legal vengeance. According to sources familiar with the situation, Samsung is planning to disrupt the sale of the iPhone 5 or at the very least, put a dent on the glitz and the glamour that usually surrounds the Apple’s most important event of the year. The tech titans have already been fighting each other in courtrooms around the world, with Apple accusing Samsung of infringing many of its patents. Samsung has struck back with accusations of its own. While the battle may seem personal, it is more like a battle within a war between Apple and Android.

 

So far, Apple has won some important battles in Europe and other places. Most recently, a German court upheld a ban that prevented Samsung from selling the Galaxy Tab. This does not just mean that Samsung is losing access to some of the most lucrative markets in the world, but its brand is suffering irreparable damage in the face of Apple’s PR onslaught. This also does more damage to the Android brand in general (even though the main focus here is the hardware). Embolden by its attack on Samsung, Apple even started attacking other major Android producers like HTC. However, the dynamics of the legal battlefield seem to be changing.

 The most important change in the past few months has been the acquisition of Motorola Mobility by Google, which in turn has allowed many of its partners, including HTC to purchase various patents to help defend themselves against Apple’s legal attacks. Most recently, HTC managed to sue Apple with some of the patents that it acquired via Google. This seems to have had a strong effect on Apple, considering the fact that it almost seems ready to accept a truce. However, the recent plans by Samsung to prevent the launch of the iPhone 5 could have some serious consequences of its own.

 No one is serious enough to believe that Samsung has enough clout to do any real damage in the US any time soon. However, it does have tremendous influence back at home in South Korea and it could do a lot of damage to Apple’s brand in Asia and Europe. Other Android makers will also be keen to take aim at Apple and spoil its moment, since so much of the iPhone depends on the culture as much as it does on the performance. 

Siri and iOS 5 Make Apple’s 1987 Vision of the Future a Reality

The future, the new era of technology, is officially upon us. Twenty-three years ago, as the idea of personal computing was gaining momentum, Apple envisioned a device that was at that time almost completely based on science fiction. It was one of the few concept videos that really struck a chord worldwide as a stunning look into where technology could (seemingly quite impossibly) head.

From the collective minds at Apple, the dream computing device was conceived. Complete with a deeply-personal assistant, a touchscreen, and face-to-face video communication, it was a contrasting far cry to even supercomputers of that time. You would be the center of computing, making the experience entirely natural and replete with usefulness.

When the first iPhone was introduced, that was the first time groundwork was truly set to begin a transition into this new generation. Then the onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/www.ipadngravy.com');" target="_blank" title="iPad" href="http://www.ipadngravy.com">iPad’s form factor expanded upon what the iPhone had brought, adding to potential functionality as well as its ability to replace a standard PC. Last year FaceTime came along, making video communication effortless. That brings us to today, when the final part of a shared vision was brought to fruition.

Siri, a new feature exclusively in iPhone 4S, lets users speak naturally to find information they need as well as to perform other tasks such as setting a calendar appointment. While many phones have voice control, Siri goes far behind simple commands. It is contextual so it can understand many of the things you could say, not forcing you to conform to it. Siri is your own assistant, missing only the simulated butler look. Many of the things you could do in iOS 5′s built-in apps by hand can be accomplished quicker with just your voice, very similar to the highlight of Apple’s 1987 video.

Another big standout of the video has been fully-integrated into iOS 5, Reminders. Reminders is simply that, utilizing time and location to give you a heads up when requested. It becomes much more powerful and intriguing when combined with Siri, truly adding to the assistance factor.

Perhaps the most staggering thing about the 1987 concept is that Apple predicted the date when it would be brought to life. As onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/waxy.org/2011/10/apples_1987_knowledge_navigator_only_one_month_late/');" target="_blank" href="http://waxy.org/2011/10/apples_1987_knowledge_navigator_only_one_month_late/">Waxy.org points out, the professor is requesting a five-year old article that was written in 2006. Thus 2011 was the year depicted.

Not many unbelievable concept videos go further than initial mockups. It is quite the achievement for Apple to work so precisely towards a specific vision. If 1987′s impossible is sold by the tens of millions now, then where will we be in 2035?

Take a look at Apple’s 1987 vision of the future below, then compare to where we are now. Artificial intelligence is not quite up to that level, but devices and interfaces are much sleeker today.

width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/HGYFEI6uLy0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen>

Epic Games Announces Infinity Blade 2

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-04-at-3.20.38-PM.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24036" title="Screen Shot 2011-10-04 at 3.20.38 PM" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-04-at-3.20.38-PM.jpg" alt="" width="577" height="335" />

Last year, Epic Games announced Infinity Blade (then Project: Sword) and at today’s iPhone even, they announced the followup Infinity Blade 2. It’ll take advantage of the iPhone 4S’ href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/apple-announces-iphone-4sbreaking/2011/10/04/">incredible new A5 processor, and the game looks graphically stunning. They even put Koi in the ponds.

Man, I hope I can port my character from the original to this!

It’ll land December 1st, and is sure to be a runaway hit.

Introducing Siri For the iPhone 4S

style="text-align: center;">href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-04-at-3.21.35-PM.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24039" title="Screen Shot 2011-10-04 at 3.21.35 PM" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Screen-Shot-2011-10-04-at-3.21.35-PM.jpg" alt="" width="605" height="396" />

While there was plenty cool to geek over for href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/apple-announces-iphone-4sbreaking/2011/10/04/">the iPhone 4S, the real news was Siri, the much rumored voice control system. It all boils down to vocabulary, and if you have to use specific words to make the system happy. According to Phil Shiller, Siri will be smart enough to know what you’re trying to say (as someone with a bizarre accent, I plan to challenge that).

The system which rumors were calling Assistant is able to parse “do I need an umbrella” “what is the weather” and “what is the hourly forecast” into their separate but still linked meanings.

As with all services of this sort, it’ll really boil down to real world use. These things can be tweaked for stage, but when I groggily ask it to set an alarm while I’m jetlagged and mumbling, will it be able to understand?

Siri also interfaces with Yelp for reviews of restaurants and other locations.

Siri can also read you the notifications from your notification feed — this thing will be a boon for accessibility users.

It interfaces with Bluetooth headsets, so you can have it read to you, ask it if you have an appointment opening, then tell it to schedule one and text back a confirmation.

Seriously, this stuff looks really cool.

It appears to interface with maps, so hopefully it’ll be able to give turn-by-turn directions, too.

It can even search Wikipedia and Wolfram Alpha.

There’s now a microphone next to the space bar, and you can dictate to Siri.

The one big downfall is that this is all done server side, so you need a data connection, and who knows how much of your monthly allowance this’ll devour.

Siri has to learn your voice, but it will work out of the box — it’ll just improve as time goes on. It’ll work for US, UK and AU English, German and French.

As far as we know, it’s iPhone 4S only, sorry iPhone 4 users!

The Apple iPhone 4S Site Is Now Live [ux2]

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hero.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24022" title="hero" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/hero.jpg" alt="" width="579" height="602" />The iPhone href="http://www.apple.com/iphone/">4S website is now live, so it’s time to hit it with a fine-toothed comb. You know something really interesting? Look at that image above: the volume and lock buttons are on the same side, despite that being the only physical change predicted for an iPhone 4S. That means at least your old iPhone 4 cases will work (I hope).

The href="http://www.apple.com/ipod/">iPod site is still down as of press time, but that should change presently with info on the new iPod Touch and iPod Nano.

UPDATE: Their servers are getting hammered. Availability is spotty.

UPDATE 2: The store is up! href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_iphone/family/iphone?mco=MTAyNTQzMjI">iPhone 4S, new href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_touch?mco=MTM3NTEyNzQ">iPod Touch, new href="http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_nano?mco=MTM3NTEyNzg">iPod Nano

Apple posts three new videos to YouTube covering iPhone 4S, Siri and iCloud

Apple has posted three of the videos it used in yesterdays “Let’s Talk iPhone” event to YouTube. The three videos are “Introducing iPhone 4S” which covers the features and benefits of the iPhone 4S, “Introducing Siri on iPhone 4S” which demos the Siri voice assistant features and finally “Introducing iCloud”. The three videos are embedded below for your viewing pleasure.

Source: YouTube

 

iPhone 4S: Press Release Edition

In case you like looking through all the press releases, here they are for the iPhone 4S, iCloud, iPod changes and more, all embedded after the jump. Enjoy.

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CUPERTINO, California—October 4, 2011—Apple® today announced great new features and more affordable pricing for both iPod touch® and iPod nano®. iPod touch will be available in new black and white models starting at just $199, including Apple’s new iOS 5 and iCloud® services. The new iPod nano is available today starting at just $129 and features a redesigned user interface, 16 new digital clock faces and improved built-in fitness features.

“iPod has revolutionized the way we listen to music and with over 320 million sold is the world’s most popular music player,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “iPod touch, now available in both black and white, is the best selling iPod ever, and with iOS 5 and iCloud it is better than ever.”

The new iPod touch includes iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 200 new features including iMessage™, Game Center, Notifications and Wi-Fi Syncing to iTunes®. iMessage brings the functionality of iPhone® messaging to your iPod touch, so you can easily send text messages, photos, videos and contact information to an individual or group on other iOS 5 devices. It also allows you to easily maintain one conversation across all your iOS devices—for free—with notifications, read receipts and typing indication.* Game Center enhancements include the ability to add photos to your profile, purchase new games from within the Game Center app, and even easier ways to find friends and new games.

iPod touch also works with iCloud, Apple’s breakthrough set of free cloud services, including iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to your devices. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.

iPod nano now features larger icons for even easier navigation of its intuitive Multi-Touch™ user interface, and you can choose from 16 new digital clock faces, ranging from classic analog looks to your favorite Disney characters including Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. iPod nano now tracks your runs and walks right out of the box with no accessory required, making it even easier to get your fitness program up and running. iPod nano can track the time, pace and distance of your run, the calories you burn, and the number of steps you walk. iPod nano encourages you with motivational real-time voice feedback during your run, available in seven languages, while listening to your favorite music or FM radio station. You can also easily upload workouts to the Nike+ website to set goals, track your progress and challenge friends. The ultra portable iPod nano is available in seven colors including silver, graphite, blue, green, orange, pink and (PRODUCT) RED.

With the App Store™ on iPod touch, users have access to the world’s largest and best collection of over 500,000 apps, including over 100,000 game and entertainment titles. Customers also have the iTunes Store® at their fingertips, giving them instant access to the world’s largest catalog of over 20 million songs, 85,000 TV shows and 14,000 movies to purchase and download directly to their iPod touch.

iPod is the world’s most popular family of music players. Apple’s holiday lineup includes iPod shuffle® for just $49; iPod nano with Multi-Touch starting at just $129; iPod touch available in black or white, including iOS 5 and iCloud, starting at just $199; and iPod classic® in a 160GB model for $249.

Pricing & Availability/> iPod nano is available today for a suggested price of $129 (US) for the 8GB model and $149 (US) for the 16GB model. Both models are available in silver, graphite, blue, green, orange and pink through the Apple Store® (href="http://www.apple.com/">www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 8GB and 16GB iPod nano (PRODUCT) RED is available through the Apple Store (href="http://www.apple.com/">www.apple.com) and Apple’s retail stores. iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS® X v10.5.8 or later and iTunes 10 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 10 or later.

iPod touch with iOS 5 and iCloud will be available October 12 in black and white for a suggested price of $199 (US) for the 8GB model, $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model through the Apple Store (href="http://www.apple.com/">www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. iPod touch requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later and iTunes 10 or later; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 10.5 or later. iOS 5 will also be available as a free software update for iPod touch (third and fourth generations) customers allowing them to experience the amazing new features including iMessage, Game Center, Notifications and Wi-Fi Syncing to iTunes.

*iMessage requires Wi-Fi.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

 

CUPERTINO, California―October 4, 2011―Apple® today announced that iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services, including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that work seamlessly with your iPhone®, iPad®, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices, will be available on October 12. iCloud stores your music, photos, apps, contacts, calendars, documents and more, keeping them up to date across all your devices. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.

“iCloud is the easiest way to manage your content, because iCloud does it all for you and goes far beyond anything available today,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “You don’t have to think about syncing your devices, because it happens automatically, and it is free.”

iTunes in the Cloud lets you automatically download new music purchases to all your devices, so you can buy a song on your iPad and find it waiting for you on your iPhone―no syncing required. iTunes in the Cloud also lets you download your previously purchased iTunes content, including music and TV shows to your devices at no additional cost.* Since iCloud stores your previously purchased iTunes history, you can see what you’ve bought no matter which device you bought it on, and since you already own the content, you can play it on your devices or simply tap the iCloud icon to download it to store and play later.

In addition, iTunes Match℠ scans the songs in your music library, including music not purchased on iTunes, and matches them to the more than 20 million songs available on the iTunes Store®, offering them in high-quality, DRM-free 256 kbps AAC encoding. Any unmatched songs are uploaded to iCloud so you can play songs, albums or playlists from your music library on your devices.

iCloud’s innovative Photo Stream service lets you take a photo on one device and have it automatically appear on your other devices. A photo you take on your iPhone is sent to iCloud and automatically pushed to your iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC. You can even view your Photo Stream album on your Apple TV®. iCloud also automatically pushes a copy of the photos you’ve imported from your digital camera over Wi-Fi or Ethernet, so you can view them on your other devices. iCloud manages your Photo Stream efficiently, showing your last 1000 photos so you don’t run out of storage space.

iCloud’s Documents in the Cloud keeps your documents up to date across all your devices, automatically, so you don’t have to. For example, if you create a document using Pages® on your iPad, that document is automatically sent to iCloud. When you use Pages on another iOS device, you can open the same document with your latest changes and pick up editing or reading right where you left off. Apple’s iWork® apps for iOS, Pages, Numbers® and Keynote® will take advantage of iCloud storage, and Apple is also offering developers the APIs they need to enable their apps to work seamlessly with Documents in the Cloud.

iCloud lets you see your App Store™ and iBookstore℠ purchase history and download those apps and books to any of your devices at any time. Purchased apps and books can be automatically downloaded to your devices, not just the device they were purchased on. Simply tap the iCloud icon and download your purchased apps and books to any of your iOS devices at no additional cost.

iCloud Backup automatically and securely backs up your most important information to iCloud daily over Wi-Fi whenever your iOS device is connected to a power source. Once you plug it in, everything is backed up quickly and efficiently. iCloud already stores your purchased music, TV shows, apps, books and Photo Stream; iCloud Backup takes care of everything else, backing up your photos and video in the Camera Roll, device settings, app data, home screen and app organization, messages and ringtones. iCloud Backup can even help you set up a new iOS device or restore the information on one you already own.**

iCloud works seamlessly with your Contacts, Calendar and Mail, so you can share calendars with friends and family, and your ad-free Mail account is hosted at me.com. Your inboxes and folders are kept up to date across your iOS devices and computers, and with icloud.com you have easy web access to your Mail, Contacts, Calendar, Find My iPhone and iWork documents.

The Find My iPhone app can help you if one of your devices is missing. Just use the free Find My iPhone app on another device, or sign in at icloud.com from a computer to see your missing iPhone, iPad or iPod touch on a map, display a message, and remotely lock or wipe your missing device. Find My iPhone now lets you locate a missing Mac running OS X Lion.

Find My Friends is a new app available as a free download from the App Store that lets you easily share your location with people who are important to you. Friends and family appear on a map so you can quickly see where they are. Find My Friends also lets you temporarily share your location with a group of friends, whether it’s for a couple of hours for a dinner or a couple of days on a camping trip; when the time is up, the sharing ends. With Find My Friends, you get a notification every time you get a new friend request and if you give them permission, they can see your location. With a simple tap you can hide your location. Parental controls help you manage how your child uses Find My Friends.

iCloud will be available concurrently with iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 200 new features including Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption; iMessage™, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS 5 users; and Newsstand, a new way to purchase and organize your newspaper and magazine subscriptions.

Pricing & Availability/> iCloud will be available on October 12 as a free download to iPhone, iPad or iPod touch users running iOS 5 or a Mac running OS X Lion with a valid Apple ID. iCloud includes 5GB of free cloud storage for Mail, Document Storage and Backup. Purchased music, TV shows, apps, books and Photo Stream do not count against the storage limit. iTunes Match will be available starting in the US later this month for $24.99 a year. Using iCloud with a PC requires Windows Vista or Windows 7; Outlook 2010 or 2007 is recommended for accessing contacts and calendars. Additional iCloud storage upgrades are available to purchase starting at $20 a year for 10GB, $40 a year for 20GB and $100 a year for 50GB.

iOS 5 will be available as a free software update for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad 2, iPad and iPod touch (third and fourth generation) customers, allowing them to experience the amazing new features.

*iCloud is available worldwide. iTunes in the Cloud varies by country. iTunes Match and TV shows are US-only. iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match may be used on up to 10 devices with the same Apple ID.

**Backup of purchased music is not available in all countries. Backup of purchased TV shows is US only. A purchased item may be unavailable to be restored if it is no longer in the iTunes Store, App Store or iBookstore.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

 

CUPERTINO, California—October 4, 2011—Apple® today announced iPhone® 4S, the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple’s dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri™, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. With the launch of iPhone 4S also comes the launch of iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features; and iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that work with your iPhone, iPad®, iPod touch®, Mac® or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices.

“iPhone 4S plus iOS 5 plus iCloud is a breakthrough combination that makes the iPhone 4S the best iPhone ever,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “While our competitors try to imitate iPhone with a checklist of features, only iPhone can deliver these breakthrough innovations that work seamlessly together.”

iPhone 4S comes with iOS 5, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, which includes over 200 new features including Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption and iMessage™, a new messaging service that lets you easily send text messages, photos and videos between all iOS 5 users. iOS 5 will also be available as a free software update for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS customers allowing them to experience these amazing new features.*

iPhone 4S also introduces Siri, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Siri understands context allowing you to speak naturally when you ask it questions, for example, if you ask “Will I need an umbrella this weekend?” it understands you are looking for a weather forecast. Siri is also smart about using the personal information you allow it to access, for example, if you tell Siri “Remind me to call Mom when I get home” it can find “Mom” in your address book, or ask Siri “What’s the traffic like around here?” and it can figure out where “here” is based on your current location. Siri helps you make calls, send text messages or email, schedule meetings and reminders, make notes, search the Internet, find local businesses, get directions and more. You can also get answers, find facts and even perform complex calculations just by asking.

iCloud is a breakthrough set of free cloud services, including iTunes® in the Cloud, Photo Stream and Documents in the Cloud, that work seamlessly with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.

iPhone 4S includes an all new camera with the most advanced optics of any phone. The 8 megapixel sensor has 60 percent more pixels so you can take amazing high quality photos with more detail than ever. iPhone 4S includes a new custom lens, a larger f/2.4 aperture and an advanced hybrid IR filter that produce sharper, brighter and more accurate images. The Apple-designed image signal processor in the A5 dual-core chip is built for performance, and coupled with the features built into iOS 5, makes the camera one of the fastest on any phone. With iPhone 4S, the Camera app launches much faster and the shot to shot capability is twice as fast, so you’ll never miss another shot.

New features in the Camera and Photos apps give you instant access to the camera right from the lock screen, and you can also use the volume-up button to quickly snap a photo. Optional grid lines help line up your shot and a simple tap locks focus and exposure on one subject; and the new Photos app lets you crop, rotate, enhance and remove red-eye, and organize your photos into albums right on your device to share them on the go. New iOS 5 features include built-in Twitter integration and iMessage, so you can instantly share your photos via Twitter directly from the Photos app and send photos via iMessage to individuals or groups. And with iCloud’s innovative new Photo Stream service, a photo you take on your iPhone is sent to iCloud and automatically pushed to your iPad, iPod touch, Mac or PC. You can even view your Photo Stream album on your Apple TV®.

iPhone 4S can also now record video in full 1080p HD resolution and with the new video image stabilization feature, you can take richer, smoother videos. Other iPhone 4S video camera improvements include increased sensitivity, sharpness and an increased ability to capture video in low light conditions. With the new iMessage service in iOS 5, you can now instantly share videos with family and friends.

iPhone 4S has the same beautifully thin glass and stainless steel design that millions of customers around the world love, while being completely redesigned on the inside. Apple’s dual-core A5 chip delivers up to twice the processing power and up to seven times faster graphics than iPhone 4, all while maintaining incredible battery life—now up to 8 hours of 3G talk time.

Improving on the innovative stainless steel external, dual-antenna design of iPhone 4, iPhone 4S is the first phone to intelligently switch between two antennas to send and receive. iPhone 4S now supports twice the download speed with HSDPA of up to 14.4 Mbps and iPhone 4S is a world phone, so both CDMA and GSM customers can now roam internationally on GSM networks.**

Pricing & Availability/> iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the new 64GB model.*** iPhone 4S will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple’s retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK on Friday, October 14 and customers can pre-order their iPhone 4S beginning Friday, October 7. iPhone 4 will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 3GS will be available for free with a two year contract. Siri will be available in beta on iPhone 4S in English (localized for US, UK and Australia), French and German. iOS 5 software will be available on October 12 as a free software update via iTunes 10.5 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch customers.

iPhone 4S will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries by the end of October including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

*Some features may not be available on all products.

**Carrier roaming policies apply. HSDPA availability and network speeds are dependent on carrier networks.

***Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.

iOS 5 Goes GM, Starts Accepting Apps

href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/apple-ios-5-gm_01.jpg">class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-24051" title="apple-ios-5-gm_01" src="http://www.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/apple-ios-5-gm_01.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="360" />iOS 5 is launching October 12th, and the Gold Master of the href="http://www.bgr.com/2011/10/04/apple-releases-ios-5-gm-for-developers-heres-the-change-log">OS has just been seeded to developers. Not only that, but the App Store is now accepting submissions of href="http://www.tuaw.com/2011/10/04/app-store-begins-accepting-ios-5-submissions/">iOS 5 compatible apps.

In just over a week, we’ll all be downloading the official version, but for now all of those that have dev accounts need to get out there and get the final version of the beta so that they can lord it over us for a brief week more.

 

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