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PSA: iOS 6 expected to arrive at 1PM Eastern, get your downloads ready
Apple tends to release new iOS upgrades like clockwork, which gives us a good indicator of when it should push iOS 6 to early adopters: 1PM Eastern, or 10AM Pacific and 5PM GMT. At that point, you can likely get your turn-by-turn and Passbook fixes through at least iTunes. The real question is whether the upgrade will be available directly from an iPad, iPhone or iPod touch -- we've seen delta updates arrive over the air for iOS 5, after all, but not major OS revisions. There's only a few hours before we find out. September 19, 2012 1:00 PM EDT
Twitter revamps its iPad app for expanded content, adds header photos and image streams
Twitter's iPad app is sometimes the neglected stepchild of its mobile app family: newer features usually come to the Android and iPhone versions first and are handed down to the iPad later, if they come at all. The company is making amends for that in style with a major update to the iPad version as of today. Whether you like them or not, expanded tweets are now baked in and will optionally show some photos, videos and web links within the timeline rather than disrupting the entire experience. The Connect, Discover and Me sections we've seen elsewhere also come to the tablet-tuned app, albeit at the expense of more quickly finding direct messages and lists. You'll soon notice a much more visual spin on people's profiles, regardless of whether or not Apple's slate factors into the daily routine. Both the Twitter site as well as the official Android and iOS apps now show a header photo behind the bio to provide a little more color than avatars and background pictures can manage. If you're on one of the mobile platforms, you'll also see a photo stream in the profile that will help relive memories without hunting down individual tweets. The phone and tablet makeovers require an update to shine, so hit the relevant source link if you're ready for a prettier (if not always more functional) social experience.
Verizon sends invitations to closed trial of FiOS TV app for iOS with live streaming
Want to know the definition of frustration? Try being teased with a FiOS TV app that supports live streaming, only to be denied when the app shows up. The end to that (admittedly mild) form of torture may be in sight. Engadget has learned through a tip that Verizon is sending invitations among a limited group to test a new FiOS TV iOS app with the usual schedule browsing, DVR control... oh, and live TV. Flex View On Demand videos and local media should be on tap as well, although it's not clear whether or not any of the options will require an active link to Verizon's fiber or cellular networks to watch. The trial leaves some time to go before we're tuning in through a bedside iPhone 5; even so, it suggests the gap between hope and reality is about to close. [Thanks, Anonymous]
iPhone 5: the rumor roundup
We're on the cusp of Apple's sixth iPhone launch, and there's very different expectations than there were last year. The 2011 rumor cycle left more than a few people burned: the later-than-usual October launch and repeated claims of a heavily-remade design led some to a disappointment when the iPhone 4S arrived, even though the final product had a slew of camera, speed and voice command upgrades. This year, the rumors have been grounded well before there was an event date in our hands. There have been fewer instances of wild rumors. Instead, it's been based more around pragmatism, using either tangible leaks or sources that have a solid track record. Think of the perennial leaks from the Wall Street Journal or the increasingly well-established sourcing from iMore and The Loop. Whether you're conspiracy-minded or not, it's been hard to ignore the sheer number of claims that have tamped down expectations rather than inflated them. It's as though there's a collective fear we'll see a repeat of the 2011 hysteria and deal with fans (or detractors) complaining about missing features that were never promised in the first place. Where last summer was full of uncertainty, this year there's a mounting consensus as to what we'll see, how we'll get it, and when. Tracking everything that's been mentioned may be a handful, however. With that in mind, we'll dive in and gauge what's likely to emerge from behind Apple's curtain on September 12th -- as well as what we can rule out from the get-go.
Synology launches DiskStation DS413j NAS server for your own private cloud
If you like your data local, but crave remote access, you've now got options like Synology's new DiskStation DS413j -- a network-attached storage (NAS) server for your own private cloud. The feature-packed box has four drive bays for a total of 16TB storage, and you can mix and match HDDs of different sizes without losing the comfort of RAID. Along with what you'd expect from NAS, its media server will stream content to your console or TV via DLNA or UPnP and push tunes to your stereo, with iOS and Android apps for couch DJing. The server will sync your files across computers if you wish, and give you access to all that data on the move via the internet or mobile apps. And, if you need more files, you can download directly using your favorite protocols -- it'll even automate them if you trust RSS feeds to make recommendations. All this can be yours for around $380, depending on the retailer, but don't forget to budget for drives to fill those empty bays. %Gallery-164329%
Apple denies giving FBI any iOS device UDIDs, raises questions over AntiSec claims
Hacking group AntiSec (connected to Anonymous and LulzSec) made some bold claims Tuesday that it had obtained the unique device identifiers (UDIDs) of 12 million iOS devices from an FBI laptop, setting more than a few people on edge. The FBI has already denied that anything was stolen, but Apple has gone one step further to argue that it had no involvement. Spokeswoman Natalie Kerris tells AllThingsD that Apple hasn't given UDIDs to the FBI "or any organization" -- suggesting that either AntiSec or the FBI isn't telling the whole story of what data emerged and where. Even if there are real UDIDs floating around, Kerris adds that they don't necessarily pose much danger. She notes that programming hooks in iOS 6 will provide an alternative to UDID for device-specific data, and that apps will eventually be forbidden from using the older identifiers altogether. While the truth in the situation is hard to pin down, the technical reality doesn't leave much risk that our iPads and iPhones will be compromised. At least, not after this month.
ComScore: Android tops 52 percent of US smartphone share, iPhone cracks the 33 percent mark
Both Apple and Google have reasons to break out the champagne in the wake of ComScore's latest market share figures. Android is still sitting prettier than ever and just reached a new high of 52.2 percent for US smartphone share as of this past July, no doubt in part through at least a few Galaxy S III sales. Not that Apple is worrying about its US stake just yet, as the iPhone just passed the one-third mark to hit 33.4 percent -- it gained share faster than Android in the space of the preceding three months. We don't have much good news elsewhere, though, as the BlackBerry lost its hold on two-digit market share at the same time as Windows and Symbian continued to cede ground. As for the overall cellphone space? The familiar pecking order of Samsung, LG, Apple, Motorola and HTC remains intact, although only Apple and HTC gained any traction with their respective 16.3 percent and 6.4 percent slices of the pie. LG has dropped quickly enough that it's now within Apple's crosshairs at 18.4 percent. As significant as the shifts can be, we're most interested in what happens two months down the line, when ComScore can report September share: a certain phone's launch is likely to skew the numbers, regardless of what HTC and Motorola bring to the table. Just be advised that US market share isn't everything.
Shocker: smartphone users like bigger screens, market share may respond accordingly
There's been a trend towards big smartphones. Sometimes, really big. Even so, concerns have persisted that the cart is driving the horse -- that customers are buying big phones because that's what's available, not because they have a preference. Kantar Worldpanel ComTech might not put that issue to bed once and for all, but its latest study suggests that there's at least some appeal to all that extra glass. Among Android phones sold in the past three months across eight countries, 29 percent of them had a screen larger than 4.5 inches. Their owners were unsurprisingly more active as well, using the internet and watching videos more often than those whose phones have more modest displays. Market share might be following suit. Throughout the countries Kantar is tracking, Android still has roughly half or more of the market, ranging from 46.8 percent in Brazil to a staggering 86.8 percent of Spain. In Europe alone, it was up by just over a fifth from a year ago. We know iOS is taking a beating outside of the US as a result. Before anyone calls the trend irreversible, however, remember that we're on the edge of an unpredictable period: we know some mobile fans have been holding out for a new iPhone, and all the apparent rumors have Apple choosing a bigger screen that might satisfy some outstanding gripes with screen sizes. We're also anticipating at least a few Windows Phone wildcards that could shake up the status quo and make this a three-horse race.
NBC rebrands Olympics app as NBC Sports Live Extra, promises streams for a wider athletic universe
NBC's Olympics Live Extra may have lost its original raison d'être after the flame was extinguished in London, but that doesn't mean it's time to purge the app from your phone's home screen. An update for Android and iOS users alike is giving the title new life as NBC Sports Live Extra, and the name makes it quite obvious that you'll have a lot more to watch than just biathlons and fencing. NBC expects to offer live streaming for the European PGA, LPGA, MLS, NHL, Notre Dame, PGA, Ryder Cup and other events or leagues culled from the channel formerly known as Versus. Highlights, social sharing and other side features will carry over as well. You don't have to do a thing beyond check for a new version to make the switch to the already updated apps, but you will have to subscribe to conventional TV to use them properly: NBC is requiring TV Everywhere authentication for access to most of what's on offer from NBC Sports Network and the Golf Channel.
Garmin, Navigon GPS apps now consider mass transit, remember where we parked
Third-party navigation apps still tend to fall apart when the keys are out of the ignition -- try to cut back on car use and you're often kicked over to another app with its own set of rules. Both Garmin's StreetPilot Onboard app and its Navigon equivalent are getting a much more holistic experience through respective upgrades due this fall. Android and iOS users alike can soon buy an Urban Guidance pack that factors buses, subways and other forms of public transportation into their on-foot routes. The playing field is leveling off for drivers willing to stretch their legs, too: iPhone owners with Navigon's app get the same last-mile walking directions and parking finder as their Android counterparts. StreetPilot iPhone app users are left out of this last addition, but they'll see compensation in the form of an optional Panorama View 3D mode and the Google Street View they're about to lose from Maps in iOS 6. The updated titles will still cost $30 for Navigon-only regional packs, $50 for editions with US-wide maps and $60 for all of North America, although you'll need to spend $5 more ($3 during the first two weeks) for Urban Guidance and $10 for the Panorama View 3D pack.
Flipboard adds dedicated video channels, decides reading isn't everything
Flipboard supports video, but it's always been focused on modernizing the reading experience. Until today, that is. The app is taking advantage of YouTube channels to give readers -- sorry, viewers -- a steady stream of video pattered along common themes. Basic feeds for concepts like cooking, music and news sit side-by-side with more esoteric sections for 'influencers,' fashion and (our favorite) science. Is it the end of reading? We don't think so, but it does mean we won't have to hop to another app to get our moving picture fix, which we're sure is as much Flipboard's dream come true as it is ours.
Netatmo Urban Weather Station tells iOS users when it's safe to brave the great outdoors (video)
We haven't seen weather stations garner the same level of clever mobile integration as other pieces of household gear -- like, say, thermostats. Netatmo wants its newly available Urban Weather Station to inject a similar dose of life into a category that some of us still associate with the thermometer by the window. The aluminum tube design certainly gives a fresh look to the WiFi-linked indoor and outdoor sensors, but the real trick is the matching iOS (and eventually Android) app. It's for more than just gauging the wisdom of biking to work: the free app tracks historical trends and shares them with fellow users in a network that Netatmo hopes will provide a better understanding of wider-scale and longer-term trends. The sensors go beyond just obvious air quality, humidity, pressure and temperature conditions as well, flagging noise levels and warning if the CO2 levels are high enough to warrant airing out the house. The $179 price for the Urban Weather Station isn't trivial, but neither is knowing just how well you can cope with your environment.
Rovio takes Angry Birds Space for a spin with NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover, teases Red Planet for fall (video)
It was almost as inevitable as gravity, really. Rovio has teamed up with NASA to offer a special, Curiosity-themed episode inside Angry Birds Space. The trek has the avians scouring 20 levels of the Martian landscape with a few bonuses thrown in for good measure. Just like your favorite childhood breakfast cereal, there's even a token healthy ingredient -- in this case, a chance for gamers to learn about Curiosity's exploration whenever they're not busy smashing pigs. Android and iOS users can dip into the new chapter right after they update, but that's not even the full extent of Rovio's plans. If the environs of Gale Crater are too limiting, you'll be glad to hear that the game developer is teasing a full-scale Red Planet variant for the fall.
TechBASIC 2.3 links iOS to world of sensors through Bluetooth, no pesky computers in the way (video)
If a Bluetooth sensor doesn't already have iOS support, pairing it up will often involve a patient wait for an official app or some not-quite-official tweaking, at best -- Apple won't allow just any old unauthenticated device through the gates. Byte Works' TechBASIC 2.3 update takes those barriers down. The mobile app lets those of us with a new iPad or iPhone 4S create programs that talk to, and read from, a wide range of Bluetooth LE devices without having to write any Objective C code on a Mac. Only a TI key fob has a fully ready example program, but large swaths of devices will communicate with help from intrepid programmers -- whether they're heart rate monitors, home theater gear or seemingly anything in between. Existing TechBASIC owners can add the Bluetooth LE support through a free update; it's a relatively pricey $15 to buy the app if you're new to Byte Works' world, although it may be worthwhile to give any unused sensors a new reason for being.
Post-acquisition Motorola files fresh ITC complaint against Apple
We hope you didn't think that Motorola would fight a purely defensive patent war against Apple after Google's acquisition closed. Just days before a final ruling on its initial complaints, the RAZR maker has filed another dispute with the International Trade Commission that accuses Apple of violating patents through some iOS devices and Macs. Exact details of the dispute are under wraps for now; Motorola, as you'd imagine, only contends that it has no choice after Apple's "unwillingness to work out a license." While Apple hasn't said anything about the subject, we already know how much it disagrees with Motorola's previous licensing strategy -- it's unlikely Apple will just roll over, no matter what's at stake.
iPhone reportedly vulnerable to text message spoofing flaw
If you're an iPhone owner, you may want to use good judgment before responding to any out-of-the-blue text messages in the near future. French jailbreak developer and security researcher pod2g finds that every iPhone firmware revision, even iOS 6 beta 4, is susceptible to a flaw that theoretically lets a ne'er-do-well spoof the reply address of outbound SMS messages. As Apple is using the reply-to address of a message's User Data Header to identify the origin rather than the raw source, receiving iPhone owners risk being fooled by a phishing attack (or just a dishonest acquaintance) that poses as a contact or a company. A proof of concept messaging tool is coming to the iPhone soon, but pod2g is pushing for an official solution before the next iOS version is out the door. We've asked Apple for commentary and will get back if there's an update. In the meantime, we wouldn't panic -- if the trickery hasn't been a significant issue since 2007, there isn't likely to be a sudden outbreak today.
Google+ update lets iOS open links in Chrome, Android join Hangouts on Air
If you've been dutifully checking your mobile app updates (you do check, right?), you may have noticed a Google+ upgrade slip through largely unannounced. That revision might be bigger than you think -- although its exact value depends entirely on the platform you're running. If you're an iOS user, you now have the choice to open web links in Chrome for iOS instead of Safari; it's not the same as changing the default browser, but it will keep Google fans firmly ensconced in their preferred ecosystem while they're using Apple devices. On the Android side, it's now possible to watch live Hangouts On Air sessions if friends aren't ready and waiting for a chat. Both versions now let teens join any kind of Hangout, and there's a raft of tweaks on either side of the fence. If you've been waiting for either of the two major features to jump in, the app downloads are waiting at the source links.
Google Earth adds detailed 3D imagery for Denver and Seattle, might not render the local Starbucks
Google only launched detailed 3D maps in Google Earth for a handful of cities, but it's branching out to provide that extra dimension to a wider swath of the public. Today, it's Denver and Seattle: Android and iOS app users can immediately see the dense, textured 3D City View in their respective western cities. The updates probably won't let Seattle residents spot their hometown coffee brand without going into Street View, but it will let them thread the eye of the Space Needle while their friends in Denver spin past the State Capitol. We can't help but think that Google also enjoys offering some Microsoft staffers a little taste of what they're missing.
iPad estimated to be cornering nearly 73% of Chinese tablet market
We're used to seeing tablet market share illustrated on the world stage. China, however, has usually been untouched. Analysys International has taken a crack at decoding the market and has bucked a few expectations in the process: according to its estimates, the iPad's lead is even larger in China than it is worldwide. About 72.7 percent of all tablets sold in the country during the second quarter were Apple-flavored, while homegrown hero Lenovo was a distant second at 8.4 percent. Everyone else had to contend with less than four percent and reflected the more diverse Chinese technology sphere -- relative heavyweights like Acer, ASUS and Samsung had to hob-nob with brands that have little recognition elsewhere, such as Eben and Teclast. The researchers credit Apple's lead, a 7.8-point gain, to a combination of the new iPad and a price-cut iPad 2. We'd add that Analysys' figures might not tell the whole story, though: China is well-known for its thriving shanzhai market, where legions of KIRFs and very small (usually Android-based) brands likely slip under an analyst group's radar. That said, it's still an illustration of how Apple's influence in tablets is a distinct reversal of its much smaller smartphone share, even in a nation that's a hotbed of Android activity.
Apple lands patent for NFC-ready shopping app, could make impulse spending an iPhone tap away
Apple has been filing more than its fair share of NFC-related patents, but it was just granted what could be one of its more important wins at the USPTO. The design for an "on-the-go shopping list" app would help buyers find and pull the trigger on deals through every tool an iPhone has at its disposal, whether it's taking a snapshot of goods with the camera, punching in the UPC code by hand or tapping an item for an NFC-based "touch scan." We'll admit that we're a bit disappointed at how NFC is used, however. As with an earlier filing, the very short range wireless is kept largely to price comparisons and adding products to a list for a purchase from a store clerk later on, rather than closing the deal outright as we've seen with Google Wallet. The original 2008 filing date will also have seen a lot of water flowing under the bridge; there's no guarantee that any enthusiasm for NFC from the iPhone 3G era will have transferred to the present day. Accordingly, we would be careful about drawing any connections between iOS 6's Passbook and Apple's ideas from four years ago -- even if Apple has regularly been a never-say-never sort of company.
