Apple’s upcoming release of iOS 6.1 will include a new feature for Siri: the ability to get movie tickets. The feature, according to developers who are beta testing the new iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch operating system, works via Fandango. To purchase movie tickets, a user simply needs to ask their iOS device to buy tickets for a certain movie.
[Source: 9to5Mac - Click here to read the full story]
Unfazed by the still-lingering effects of Hurricane Sandy, near-record crowds descended upon the flagship Fifth Avenue Apple Store in Manhattan today, snapping up all of the white iPad minis on hand by 11:15 AM EDT and the last of the black models by 12:10 PM.
Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White reported that all three models of the white iPad mini were gone in just over an hour, with the 16 GB and 64 GB white minis selling out in about 30 minutes. For the black models, 16 and 32 GB versions sold out by by 11:40 AM, with the last of the 64 GB iPad minis heading out the door at about 12:10 PM.
[Source: TUAW - Click here to read more]
Now that iOS has provided default support for emoji icons for over a year, the company finally appears to be taking action to remove the seemingly endless number of third-party emoji apps on the App Store.
TechCrunch obtained an email sent by Apple to one particular app store developer, letting the seller know that their previously approved emoji app would be removed from sale. The email cites App Store guidelines that prohibit the sale of apps that "are not very useful."
It's hard to argue with the logic here, and if a feature is already supported by iOS, the need for a third-party app is indeed non-existent. Apple first introduced emoji support in iOS 5 which launched in October 2011.
[Source: TUAW]
Just in case you thought the Lightning to micro-USB connector was Europe-only (to stave off that pesky European Commission), Apple has decided to sell it stateside as well. The tiny choking hazard recently made its way to the company's online store in the US for $19 each (over in Europe, it's £15 / €19), and brick-and-mortar locations will probably get them too -- if they're not in stock already. We're not sure if there's a huge demand for this, but if you're a recent iPod, iPhone, or iPad (Mini or 4th gen) owner with a plethora of existing micro-USB cables, an adapter like this could help lighten your nest of wires.
[Source: Engadget]
In addition to rolling out iOS 6.0.1today, Apple has released a beta build of iOS 6.1 to developers. The update supports legacy devices dating back to the iPhone 3GS and newer products including the iPhone 5 and fourth-generation iPad. A build is not yet available for the iPad mini.
Apple has also introduced a developer preview of Xcode 4.6 to coincide with the iOS 6.1 beta. No major new features have been detailed by Apple in the 6.1 beta changelog, but interested developers can do some digging for themselves by downloading the firmware and Xcode 4.6 from the iOS dev center.
[Source: TUAW]
While Apple's still rewriting its online apology, the printed versions, detailing that Samsung's tablets did not infringe on Cupertino's iPad designs, have finally started to appear. Appearing on page five of The Guardian today, it doesn't look much like the Apple advertising we're used to -- we actually glossed over the admission when we first picked up the paper. Oh, and good luck typing up those links.
[Source: Engadget]
What kind of movement does a theft entail? Apple's in the process of figuring that out, today filing a patent application for a, "acceleration-based theft detection system for portable electronic devices." Apple pickers: you've just been put on watch. According to the patent filing, said device would activate an alarm of some form after determining, "whether a theft condition is present." It'll apparently figure that out based on the accelerometer built into many of Apple's mobile devices -- the same thing that figures out which way you're holding your phone. Beyond just the hardware, said theft protection system would work in concert with software to determine if the movement matches a pre-determined "profile characteristic of theft."
[Source: Engadget - Click here to read more]
The inside of a MacBook Pro certainly isn't for the faint of heart, but if you're willing to pair your recklessness with a side of wild abandon, then you might just have what it takes to upgrade the storage of the Retina-equipped 13-inch model. OWC is more than willing to test your limits with its 480GB Mercury Aura Pro, an SSD module that's now certified for use with Apple's latest laptop. While its $580 price will deter many, the 480GB option compares favorably to the 512GB upgrade from Apple, which rings in at a healthy $800. OWC says that additional capacity sizes will be announced this November, which is reason to remain hopeful if this one has priced you out of the market.
[Source: Engadget]
Huge news out of Apple today, as its senior vice president of iOS software, Scott Forstall, will leave the company next year after putting in some 15 years. Furthermore, John Browett -- head of Apple retail -- is also on his way out. The memo was delivered late today, on a day that is littered with other news that the company may hope will bury the bulk of it -- and, on a day where trading on the New York Stock Exchange is halted due to Hurricane Sandy. It's practically a given that Forstall is taking the brunt of the impact from its decision to forge ahead with an obviously subpar Maps application, all while trumpeting it as one of the pillars of iOS 6 during his keynote speech at WWDC 2012. The introduction of Siri as a beta product is also on Forstall, and we all know what happens to executives who flub something related to iPhone....
[Source: Engadget - Click here to read the full story]
Steve Jobs's yacht is making what looks to be its first public appearance in the Dutch city of Aalsmeer, a bit more than one year after his death. The photographs first appeared on the Apple news site One More Thing and closely resemble the description given by Walter Isaacson in his Steve Jobs biography.After our omelets at the café, we went back to his house and he showed me all of the models and architectural drawings. As expected, the planned yacht was sleek and minimalist. The teak decks were perfectly flat and unblemished by any accoutrements. As at an Apple store, the cabin windows were large panes, almost floor to ceiling, and the main living area was designed to have walls of glass that were forty feet long and ten feet high. He had gotten the chief engineer of the Apple stores to design a special glass that was able to provide structural support. By then the boat was under construction by the Dutch custom yacht builders Feadship, but Jobs was still fiddling with the design. "I know that it’s possible I will die and leave Laurene with a half-built boat," he said. "But I have to keep going on it. If I don’t, it’s an admission that I’m about to die."
One image clearly shows "de vries," one of the two shipyards that make up the Feadship custom yacht building company, while another tells us that the yacht is christened "Venus," the Roman goddess of love and beauty. The ship builders were each gifted an iPod shuffle with the ship's name inscribed on the back, along with a note thanking them for their "hard work and craftsmanship."
[Source: The Verge - Click here to read the full story]
Just like most everyone else on the East Coast of the United States, Apple Stores in five states, D.C. and Canada are making preparations for "Frankenstorm" Hurricane Sandy. ifoAppleStore.com reports that between35 and 50 stores may close in the northeastern US and Canada (if they haven't already), as they are either within the expected landfall zone of Sandy or just outside it.
One of our readers has confirmed that Rhode Island and Boston area stores are shut. Meanwhile, two of Apple's flagship New York City stores have surrounded themselves with sandbags, with the Fifth Avenue store even wrapping Macs and other products in plastic bags as an extra precaution against water damage.
All of this goes to show that if Apple isn't taking chances with this megastorm, neither should you. If you live in the area expected to be affected by Hurricane Sandy, please take every precaution possible. Forewarned is forearmed.
[Source: TUAW]
One of the best things about the iPhone 5 is its camera. If you are a keen photographer and videographer, then this is the phone for you for those moments on the go. It is much faster which means that you now do not have to wait between shots. The speed is a great asset and in situations like photographing children, you can get lots of frames, ensuring that you don't miss that vital expression! It also has an interesting panorama feature. As you take pictures and turn the camera, it stitches the pictures together.