Author Archives: Chris

Apple Testing Banners On iCloud.com

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Chris



Apple is apparently testing a new banner notification system for iCloud.com and seems to have revealed part of the test on the iCloud website, according to a new report from MacRumors. According to the image that they captured (displayed above), a test message is sometimes appearing at the top of the page on iCloud.com for some users. The message shows the text ‘Default Title for English’ indicating that it’s something that has perhaps slipped out during testing and is not yet fully implemented.

It is also worth noting that the icon that is next to the message suggests that this could be a notification system for system messages, perhaps for iCloud status updates. However, the company may be looking to implement banner notifications for all of the services that are offered by iCloud, such as Mail, Calendar or shared iWork documents.
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Twitter Releases Update For iOS App (Updated)

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Chris


Twitter has today released an update to their official iPhone and iPod touch iOS app which brings a number of new features, improvements and fixes to the client. The app has a new design, as well as better search functionality, including the extremely useful ‘Username autocomplete’ function when searching for a user. The software also has additional language support and push notifications for retweets, favorites and new followers. The changelog for the updated app is below: Continue reading →

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Apple Seeds Mountain Lion Preview 3

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Chris


Apple has today released the third preview of the next iteration of OS X to Developers. The preview of Mountain Lion is version 10.8 of OS X and has been seeded to registered members of Apple’s Mac Developer Program (Via MacRumors). The preview fixes a number of bugs that were reported in the online Developer support platform, but Apple also lists a number of known issues with the latest preview, including minor bugs with FileVault, Mail, iTunes and Back To My Mac.

The release follows on from Developer Preview 2 of Mountain Lion which was released just over a month ago.  There has been no word from on Apple on exactly how many Developer previews will be released before the company seeds the GM build or Gold Master version of the OS to Developers. The GM build is the one that will be released to the public and Apple will allow some time for Developer testing. However, the latest build shows progress as Mountain Lion moves closer to release.
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Facebook Releases An Update For iPad App

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Chris



As was expected, Facebook has released an update to the Facebook iPad app, bringing with it Retina Display compatibility for the new iPad. The update follows on from news that emerged a couple of days ago that advertisement banners for the updated app were already appearing on the iOS App Store prior to the release of the update. The update also has a number of fixes for bugs and a couple of new features listed below.

  • You can go offline in chat
  • The right profile picture appears for everyone
  • Your list of friends always includes all your friends
  • In sets of photos, your name is displayed correctly
  • Photos of people who like Facebook Pages load correctly
  • Your friend-request notification only lights up if you have a request
  • You can change your language to Czech, Danish, Greek, Indonesian, Malaysian, Norwegian (Bokmal), Portuguese (Portugal) or Thai
  • If you’ve got a new Retina iPad, you’ll see a crisp, high resolution interface

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Rumor: New Facebook iPad App On The Way?

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Chris



Facebook could be working on a new enhanced version of their iPad app according to a small promotional advertisement on the iOS App Store. Spotted by one of their sharp eyed readers, MacRumors points towards the advertisement which appeared in the promotional blocks in the New and Noteworthy section of the App Store (pictured above). The block has the text ‘Facebook: Enhanced for the new iPad’.

Whether or not this points towards a major revamp of the app or simply one that refers to a Retina Display enabled version of the app remains to be seen. What is desperately needed, however, is a version of the app that allows users to take advantage of the full functionality of Facebook without having to endure the multiple bugs that are currently plaguing the Facebook app, which is a strange thing to be put out from the second most popular site on the internet.
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Apple Addresses Privacy Issues With New Agreement

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Chris


Following from the revelation that iOS apps could easy gain access to contact lists and other personal data, the Office of the Attorney General for California has announced that Apple has signed up to new privacy policies and requirements for apps that they sell to access personal data (via MacRumors). The agreement, made by other companies such as Amazon, Google, Hewlett Packard, RIM and Microsoft, means that the policies of apps that collect private data can be seen more transparently prior to a user downloading an app from the App Store.

“The Act requires operators of commercial web sites and online services, including mobile apps, who collect personally identifiable information about Californians to conspicuously post a privacy policy. This agreement will allow consumers the opportunity to review an app’s privacy policy before they download the app rather than after, and will offer consumers a consistent location for an app’s privacy policy on the application-download screen”

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SpiderArm iPad 2 Case

Posted on February 17, 2012 by Chris


If you thought that there are already some weird iPad 2 cases and stands floating around, then think again. A new mounting case from SpiderArm brings some pretty funky mounting karma to the iPad 2, with 360 degree adjustability and interchangeability. The system apparently help to reduce neck strain and muscle fatigue. From the press release:

“The system includes two base units; a two-way SurfaceMount™ that is padded to protect furniture and can be secured to a table or desk, and a three-way VersaMount™ for securing onto a wall, under a cabinet or near your work station. Much like spiders themselves who can survive in all types of habitats, the SpiderArm system can be used in nearly any environment and the multiple mounts provided in the system means you can move your iPad from room to room.”

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Rumor: iPad 3 With IGZO Display In April

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Chris


A new report points towards the Sharp IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) high resolution display as being a contender for the next generation iPad 3, according to DisplaySearch analyst, Charles Annis. In an interview with CNET, the analyst indicated that the high resolution Sharp IGZO displays are already in mass production and that Apple could potentially include them in the iPad 3. The analyst also iterated suspicions that the Apple could be targeting sometime in April as the release date for the next generation iPad 3.

Annis suggests that the IGZO displays would hold excellent potential for the iPad 3 because they manufacturers to get a greater brightness with a thinner display, or an equivalent brightness as existing displays but with reduced LEDs in the backlight. This would in turn result in a reduced cost and reduced power requirements for those LEDs, potentially increasing the battery life.
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Apple Releases 10.7.3 Update For Mac OS X Lion

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Chris


Apple has released an update for Mac OS X in the form of a 10.7.3 update for the general public. The update, generally weighing in at around 1GB or thereabouts, is available through Software Update for all users who are running Lion 10.7.2 and can be downloaded now. The release notes for the updates have been posted by Apple, detailing the improvements and fixes that the 10.7.3 update brings to Lion and can be seen here.

The update includes additional language support for Catalan, Croatian, Greek, Hebrew, Romanian, Slovak, Thai, and Ukrainian languages. In addition, fixes are included for smart card login, Windows file sharing, markup documents in Word, graphics performance, Wi-Fi connectivity as well as updates to Safari and RAW image support. A number of Directory Service changes were made as well and are detailed in the release notes.
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Rumor: New Camera Enabled iPod Nano Launching Soon

Posted on February 1, 2012 by Chris


A new iPod nano with a rear camera is apparently going to be launched by Apple in the next two months, according to a new rumor from two sites. The rumor stems from an initial post by Apple.pro who claim that they have some new pictures of an iPod nano which appears to be very similar to the existing model but with a 1.3 megapixel camera on the rear side of the device.

The photos are strikingly similar to pictures that appeared in May of 2011 that show a green iPod nano with a camera. However, another site, MIC Gadget is now suggesting that the new pictures are of an older prototype device that is at least 2 months old. The site goes on to say that the prototype had some problems with the camera which resulted in blurring and overexposed photos.
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