Gmail for iPhone

Now in the context of the grand picture, some people would feel torn between a variety of brands, and in the case of Apple Vs Google, it seems like most people still prefer a host of Gmail services while still heavily using their iPhones. Gmail, is simple, elegant and very secure by industry standards. Thus, it has been a noticeable exception from the iOS eco-system. Now, however, there are rumours that this might finally change. In fact, sources claim than an official Gmail app, complete with “push notifications,” has already been prepared, developed and sent to Apple for review. Assuming Apple approves of the app, it will then be featured in the iTunes store.

 

Prior to the emergence of an official Gmail app, the only way to check the Gmail inbox was via third-party apps and the mobile browser. Despite the ease of checking emails, there were no push notifications available with these notifications, which mean that when you get an email, you will not be notified automatically, but rather, you would have to check your inbox manually. The new app offers push notifications and a whole lot more as well. Including the ability to start messages and label them accordingly.

 Apart from the standard features, there is also a strong possibility that the app will feature a number of user interface improvements and even Google + integrations. Some of these features were indeed showcased in a leaked video earlier this year but it is yet to be seen if these features will be displayed in the final version. Apple has already approved Google +, hence integration with Google’s social networking site may make sense if you want to gain access to a wider pool of contacts when sending and receiving emails. On a broader note, Apple’s change of heart towards the official Gmail app seems to have been triggered with the release of the new iOS 5, which features an amazing new notification system.

Sprint CEO claims that the iPhone is actually helping the network

As rumours and complaints start flooding in regarding Sprint’s service, following the debut of the Apple iPhone 4S on its network, it has made numerous attempts to dispel all the negative publicity. Now, CEO Dan Hesse himself has come forward to try to address the issue.

 

In a statement, Hesse first defended the quality of Sprint’s network and went on to say that reports of the iPhone 4S over-taxing the network is untrue, but rather the opposite is true. He claimed that since the iPhone 4S uses 50% less data than the latest generation of Android phones. Hence, the stress put on the system is significantly reduced. He added that this development will allow Sprint to offer unlimited data plans for much longer than it originally hoped to do so.

 

As of now the company claims that reports of poor service have reduced significantly and attributed the temporary fall in the quality of service to the unusually large volume of iPhone activations on the same day. This is somewhat of a fare argument, especially if you keep in mind that even Apple’s servers had to shut down after getting overwhelmed following the release of the iOS 5.

 Despite the benefits and the fact that the iPhone 4S has attracted record amounts of customers onto the Sprint network, the reality is that Sprint is not set to see a profit from the phone until 2015. Considering the fact that data speeds are beginning to return to normal over, the damage to Sprint’s reputation seems to have been minimized. Hence, the company can continue to reap the benefits of the iPhone, both in terms of revenue and publicity, without having to worry about any negative long-term impact like that which ruined AT&T’s reputation early on (and still continues to do so). In the meantime, the unlimited data plans are sure to help.

How To Access The iPhone Field Test App

Apple has hidden a field test app in iOS, which will allow you to quickly check the quality of your cellular signal by simply dialing a special code on your iPhone. For all those who wish to launch the hidden Field Test App to check out their cellular signal quality, wait no further.

Punch in this code - *3001#12345#* followed by pressing Call on your iPhone, which will launch the field test app. The signal bars on your iPhone will be replaced by a number. The number will be a negative number, and the higher the negative number, the worse your signal is. For example, -100 is worse than -50.  If you tap on the displayed number, the display toggles between the number and the normal signal bars.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fieldtest1.jpg" class="lightbox" >class="size-medium wp-image-25090 alignnone" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/fieldtest1-200x300.jpg" alt="" width="200" height="300" />

There are other sections of the Field Test App that display additional technical information, but the main feature is the signal test. To quit the app, simply press the Home button.

Source: href="http://www.cultofmac.com/128306/access-the-hidden-field-test-app-for-iphone-ios-tips">Cult of Mac

Apple Has No Plans To Support Siri On Older Devices

Siri is currently in beta and of course it’s only available on the iPhone 4S. There have been a number of efforts of hackers to href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/siri-hacked-working-on-jailbroken-iphone-4/2011/10/30/">bring Siri to previous generation iPhones in lieu of an officially supported release. One iOS developer reached out to Apple suggesting that a paid upgrade to iOS 5 be made available to pre-iPhone 4S customers, with the intent to legally allow for Siri on older models. Apple responded with a short response and the hopes for Siri on older devices have been dashed.

Engineering has provided the following feedback regarding this issue:/> Siri only works on iPhone 4S and we currently have no plans to support older devices.

Not entirely surprising. Siri is a main selling point for the iPhone 4S and the extra horsepower helps make for a smooth experience, save for href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/siri-outages-affecting-iphone-4s-owners/2011/11/03/">outages. As for href="http://www.everythingicafe.com/siri-hacked-working-on-jailbroken-iphone-4/2011/10/30/">hacking Siri to work on the iPhone 4, a public release is no where in sight. While developers have it working, it requires files from the iPhone 4S, files that cannot be redistributed.

Source: href="http://michaelsteeber.tumblr.com/post/12533318779/apple-we-have-no-plans-to-bring-siri-to-older-devices">Michael Steeber

 

How to enable iOS 5 panorama mode on your iPhone without Jailbreaking

Turns out there’s a way to enable that as-yet unsurfaced iOS 5 panorama mode in the Camera app without having to Jailbreak — though you do have to be comfortable opening up iPhone backup files, editing plists, and restoring the modified backup. It’s not difficult mind you, just a little be of time and effort.

If you’re itching to get your tinker on, hit the link below for all the details.

Source: Funky Space Monkey via 9to5Mac

LinkDots for iPhone and iPad

LinkDots is a new puzzle game that is similar to the classic Dots game. The goal is to drop your dots on the grid in a manner that will result in more connections. Two adjacent dots will give 1 connection, 3 dots placed as a triangle will give 3 connections, and 4 dots placed as a square will give 6 connections.

I’ve played several rounds of LinkDots on the iPhone and I’m really enjoying it! I love puzzle games, especially when they are relatively challenging like LinkDots. It took a few games before I was able to win a match against one opponent, and the game only gets more challenging against more opponents. You must strike the perfect balance between playing offensively and defensively.

Connect Dots has never been so fun … Your mind will never rest on such an addictive deployment of shapes and strategies, while blocking your opponent’s efforts to win.

LinkDots is available on the iPhone and iPad for $0.99 each.

[iPhone App Store link] [iPad App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

Apple Readies iOS 5.0.1 for Public Release

Pretty much since the day of the launch of the iPhone 4S this past October 14th, users reported that they were having problems with the battery life of the device. Rather than posing as an improvement to last year’s iteration of the iPhone, the 4S could barely make it through a regular work day without requiring a charge. Apple recently confirmed the rumors to be true, and shortly after released a beta iOS to developers which claimed to fix the problems.

I can back the claims that other users were making, as I received my 4S along with the rest of the general public on the 14th and have since been experiencing serious battery problems. I can barely last through a few games, some music and browsing without passing the 20% mark. Thankfully, Apple has confirmed that they’re working on a patch to fix the problems, so it’s obviously not a hardware problem with the handset.

It’s not news that the bug-squashing patch was in the works, but is news that it’s coming soon. Posted originally by onclick="javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview('/outgoing/9to5mac.com/2011/11/08/apple-seeding-ios-5-0-1-to-end-users-to-test-battery-life-improvements-internal-retail-store-memo-on-battery-issues/');" target="_blank" href="http://9to5mac.com/2011/11/08/apple-seeding-ios-5-0-1-to-end-users-to-test-battery-life-improvements-internal-retail-store-memo-on-battery-issues/">9to5Mac, Apple has informed Apple employees how they should react to any customers who complain about the battery issues. Basically, Apple Store employees have been informed that they should let customers know of the patch coming in a few weeks and not replace any 4S handsets solely because of battery complains. Look at the memo below:

href="http://www.iphonealley.com/blog/apple-readies-ios-5-0-1-for-public-release/attachment/memo-2" rel="attachment wp-att-22475">src="http://www.iphonealley.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/memo1-e1320800614899.png" alt="" title="memo" width="640" height="455" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-22475" />

The iOS 5.0.1 patch was released to a select group of customers today on top of the patch that was released last Friday. Keep a look out for the patch which should arrive soon – I simply can’t wait to see how much better my battery life will be after I’ve downloaded 5.0.1.

Falling off the grid: iOS vs. Android 4 vs. Windows 8 Metro

Marc Edwards of Bjango has put together a nerd-ily in-depth look at how different screen sizes — original vs. Retina display on iOS, new vs. old Android displays, and Windows 8 Metro standards — challenge designers who strive for pixel perfection in their work.

As you can see, scaling to any size other than exactly double is detrimental to the accuracy of how your original design is represented on screen. The asset scales of 140% and 180% required for Windows 8 Metro hit their target less than 25% of the time. Android’s 150% scale lands on a neat pixel boundary half the time.

I’ve discussed the tradeoffs before when rumors claimed Apple was going to release an “HD” but not 2x Retina display iPad 2. Marc takes it far further however, with charts, spreadsheets, and examples of what exactly all these different screen sizes do to the integrity of the design.

At the end of the day, would someone moving up from a feature phone to an Android or Windows 8 phone notice or care about blurry pixel grids? Many probably won’t. I still think Apple does, however, which is why we’ll either get the same size screen on an iPad 3, or a Retina display, and nothing in between.

Hit the link below for Marc’s full rundown, and stay tuned for the next episode of the Iterate podcast where he goes over his findings.

Source: Bjango

Daily Tip: How to use AE/AF Lock on the iPhone’s camera in iOS 5

Wondering how to us iOS 5‘s new AE/AF lock to stop your iPhone’s auto-focus from wrecking your perfectly set up shot? Fret no more! With iOS 5, locking exposure and focus couldn’t be easier, and after applying the lock, you can even recompose your shot without the camera kicking in the auto-focus.

Here’s how!

The times I find this feature most helpful is when taking photos of my daughter or dogs, because anytime they move, the camera wants to refocus – even if it’s just a head turn. I’ve lost a countless number of shots because of this. Now I just trigger the AE/AF lock and snap away!

Let us know how this tip worked out for you, and if you have any questions, ask them in the comments below!

Daily Tips range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you’d like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it’s especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we’ll even give ya a reward…)

Google says Android started before iPhone, again fails to say Android changed significantly after iPhone

Former Apple board member and current Google Executive Chairman, Eric Schmidt, has denied that Android is a “stolen product”, charges levied by the late Steve Jobs in his biography.

“I’ve decided not to comment on what’s been written on a book after his death. Steve is a fantastic human being and someone who I miss very dearly. As a general comment, I think most people would agree that Google is a great innovator and I would also point out that the Android effort started before the iPhone effort,” Schmidt said.

Apple announced the original iPhone in January 2007, saying it had taken 2.5 years of work. That places iPhone development (or iPad/iPhone development as it started off as Safari Pad) somewhere around July 2004. Schmidt joined Apple’s board in late August, 2006.

Android was founded in 2003 by Andy Rubin, formerly of Danger (who made Sidekick, which was subsequently bought by Microsoft, and abandoned as the Kin) Google purchased Android in 2005 and showed it off for the first time in November, 2007.

The huge however in all this — and something everyone but Eric Schmidt and Google seems to remember, and point out whenever they fail to remember it — Android was originally designed to look like and compete with BlackBerry and Windows Mobile Standard. It was a front-facing QWERTY device with none of the full screen, multitouch, app-centric trappings… until iPhone came around.

Just like Apple and iPhone built on what came before with Palm and Treo, Google and Android built on what Apple brought to market. Google was smart enough to buy Android in 2005 and skate to where that mobile puck was absolutely going to be by 2010.

Whether Schmidt — who reportedly recused himself from Apple board discussions about the iPhone and was deliberately kept in the dark about the iPad — engaged in questionable ethics to get that positioning, that fast, and whether or not Google and their ODM partners violated any Apple intellectual property to implement it is a question for the courts and the bank accounts to decide.

Jobs was obvious livid at his perceived betrayal by Google, no doubt informed by his relationship with Microsoft over GUI interfaces on computers in the 1990s, and his desire to go “thermonuclear” highlights those feelings. While Schmidt and Google aren’t (yet) involved in direct litigation with Apple, their ODM partners are, so he’s presenting the facts as best suits their, and perhaps one days his, case. Apple is doing likewise.

But it remains that, absent iPhone, all our Droid and Galaxy and Nexus loving friends would be typing — not tapping — their their little thumbs off on tiny tictac keyboards to this day. Much like, without Google, all us iOS users would be searching Alta Vista and complaining about it over Yahoo! mail…

Source: Reuters

Apple Store App Now Offers Easy Pay Self-Checkout

Apple updated their Apple Store application (href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id375380948?mt=8">App Store link) this morning to version 2.0, with new options available that enable self-checkout for an assortment of accessories and products at your local Apple Store, along with ordering for pickup.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/easypay.png" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-25068" title="easypay" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/easypay.png" alt="" width="330" height="478" />

The update requires iOS 4.2 or higher. EasyPay and Personal Pickup requires either an iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S.

Having frequented the Apple Store on many occasion, this is a welcome addition, allowing customers to bypass the masses when purchasing an accessory that doesn’t require interaction with a Apple Store employee. When can we have an app that will do something about the crowds?

Winners Of Our Zombieville USA 2 Giveaway

Last night, we announced the winners of our Zombieville USA 2 Giveaway. Congratulations to @NFLion, AJ Martinez and Josh Kim. They were randomly selected to receive a copy of the definitive zombie shooter, currently occupying the number one position among games in the App Store.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/screen5.jpg" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-25072" title="screen5" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/screen5.jpg" alt="Zombieville USA 2" width="480" height="320" />

 

Stay tuned for more giveaways from everythingiCafe, your source for everything iPhone and iPad.

Consumer Reports Recommends iPhone 4S, Continues To Milk Antennagate

Consumer Reports today issued a recommendation for the iPhone 4S, advising consumers that Apple’s new smartphone does not “suffer the reception problem” of its predecessor. Those of you will recall the infamous death grip, whereby holding an iPhone in a proverbial wireless headlock, it would lose signal and at times drop calls as a result. This issue while real, was found to be common among a number of other prominent smartphones. By outfitting the iPhone 4 with either a bumper or case, the problem was easily defused.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/apple-iphone-4s-tweet.png" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-24635" title="apple-iphone-4s-tweet" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/apple-iphone-4s-tweet.png" alt="Apple iPhone 4S review" width="506" height="630" />

Consumer Reports continues to reiterate their omission of the iPhone 4 from their recommended list. For those who still consider Consumer Reports as the go-to outlet for phone recommendations, they list the LG Thrill as a phone that “topped the iPhone 4S” in their tests. Smitten with 4G LTE and 4.3″ screens, they list the Droid Bionic and Samsung Galaxy S II as phones that were rated higher than the iPhone 4S.

Remember the lines for the LG Thrill? Exactly.

Source: href="http://news.consumerreports.org/electronics/2011/11/consumer-reports-recommends-the-iphone-4s.html">Consumer Reports

Hidden Panorama Feature in iOS 5

An iOS developer href="http://twitter.com/#!/conradev/status/133718168664416256">@conradev has uncovered the hidden panorama mode within iOS 5. Directions for enabling this option are pretty straightforward. By setting ‘EnableFirebreak’ to YES in com.apple.mobileslidesho.plist, panorama becomes an available option.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/panorama2-500x750.png" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-25083" title="panorama2-500x750" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/panorama2-500x750.png" alt="iOS Panorama" width="350" height="525" />

This is likely not ready for primetime, so temper your expectations if you find your way to enabling panorama mode. There is an app submitted to Cydia that will make it easier for jailbroken phones to enable the feature.

Those of you looking for alternatives to modifying your iPhone, there are a number of apps in the App Store that allow for taking panoramic photos. One of which is the very well reviewed 360 Panorama (href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/360-panorama/id377342622?mt=8">App Store link) and as perfect timing would have it, the app is on sale today for just $0.99.

href="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Screen-Shot-2011-11-08-at-11.52.14-AM.png" class="lightbox" >class="alignnone size-full wp-image-25085" title="Screen Shot 2011-11-08 at 11.52.14 AM" src="http://cdn.everythingicafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Screen-Shot-2011-11-08-at-11.52.14-AM.png" alt="360 Panorama" width="312" height="473" />

Source: href="http://twitter.com/#!/conradev/status/133718168664416256">@conradev via href="http://www.macrumors.com/2011/11/07/hidden-ios-5-panorama-mode-revealed/">MacRumors

TiPb celebrity iPhone and iPad sightings for November 8, 2011

Hello everyone and welcome to TiPb’s weekly celebrity iPhone and iPad sightings roundup! Time to take a little break from your daily routine and relax with a little gossip from the world of the rich and famous. What do all of these celebrities have in common? They all were spotted with an iPhone or iPad, of course. Check out a ton of pictures after the break, and if you spot a celebrity rocking an iPhone or iPad, drop us a note at news@tipb.com so we can include them in the next roundup, next week!

Please note: Some pictures may from time-to-time be NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so use discretion when viewing.

Singer Christina Milian was spotted with her iPad.

 

Austin Russell, better known as Chumlee on Pawn Stars, tweeted a self-portrait with his iPhone recently.

 

Singer Debbie Gibson keeps her iPhone safe in a pink bumper.

 

Ex-wife of Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren, carries her iPhone in her back pocket.

 

I know, I know, I’m sorry… it’s Justin Bieber again with his iPhone. At least you can make fun of his ridiculous hair and glasses.

 

As discussed recently on Girls Gone Gadgets, Megan Fox has some funky thumbs. The rest of her is ok, I guess. Thanks to the brother for the tip!

Selena Gomez makes her way down some stairs with her pretty pink iPhone. I still don’t know what she sees in the Bieber.

 

I’m pretty sure the real Pocahontas didn’t have an iPhone, but Sophie Turner doesn’t look too concerned with historical accuracy.

 

Jim and Robert California stare at Robert’s iPhone during last week’s episode of The Office.

 

Katey Segal’s character Gemma has been using an iPhone on Sons of Anarchy the last couple of episodes.

Speaking of Sons of Anarchy, creator/writer/actor Kurt Sutter (also Katey Segal’s husband, which I didn’t know) is seen in a recent video on his YouTube account using an iPhone. Thanks to @evb624 for the SOA tips!

Poll: Which email services are you using on your iPhone?

So which email services are you using on your iPhone? Apple gives away iCloud‘s me.com addresses for free now, geeks love their Gmail (though not the app!), Yahoo! mail is still going strong, even if Yahoo! isn’t, and Microsoft recently said 2 million iOS 5 users were using Hotmail, and growing at the rate of 100k a day now that it’s easier to setup (go figure!). Then there’s corporate Exchange, your ISP’s email, home-spun servers, and all sorts of other stuff.

Do you have just one main account? Do you have separate accounts, and/or use separate services for work and for personal use? Do you have multiple accounts for a bunch of different stuff? Do you forward most or all of them to the same place? Do you even setup all your email accounts on your iPhone or do you leave some off? Would you recommend what you’re using to a friend, or something else?

How are you handling email on your iPhone? Vote in the poll up top and then give me the details in the comments below!

iOS security exploit exposed, already released in an Apple approved app [video]

An iOS security exploit has been unveiled by security researcher Charlie Miller. The hack allows an app to download and execute unsigned code from a remote unknown server. What’s even more astonishing, to prove the exact details of this hack, Charlie Miller developed and submitted an app containing the exploit to Apple. The app was approved and available in the App Store; it has since been removed. Charlie Miller has also now been removed from the iOS developer program.

Miller became suspicious of a possible flaw in the code signing of Apple’s mobile devices with the release of iOS 4.3 early last year. To increase the speed of the phone’s browser, Miller noticed, Apple allowed javascript code from the Web to run on a much deeper level in the device’s memory than it had in previous versions of the operating system. In fact, he realized, the browser’s speed increase had forced Apple to create an exception for the browser to run unapproved code in a region of the device’s memory, which until then had been impossible. (Apple uses other security restrictions to prevent untrusted websites from using that exception to take control of the phone.) The researcher soon dug up a bug that allowed him to expand that code-running exception to any application he’d like. “Apple runs all these checks to make sure only the browser can use the exception,” he says. “But in this one weird little corner case, it’s possible. And then you don’t have to worry about code-signing any more at all.”

Miller plans on demonstrating the exploit at the SysCan conference in Taiwan next week. In the mean time, take a look at the video below which shows the exploit in action. Using the app he can take a copy of a users address book, direct them to a YouTube video or steal photos from the device running the app.

We are sure Apple will be releasing a fix very soon to plug this exploit, now that it is out in the open!

Source: Forbes via Daring Fireball