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Judge rules lawsuit claiming Apple broke FaceTime can proceed
Apple was hit with a lawsuit earlier this year that claims the company purposefully broke FaceTime on iOS 6 in order to push people to upgrade to iOS 7. And as of late last week, Apple failed to get the suit dismissed as District Judge Lucy Koh ruled that iPhone 4 and 4S users can pursue claims against Apple.
Apple accused of intentionally breaking FaceTime on iOS 6
We don't normally cover individual lawsuits against corporations because, hey, they make a lot of money, and everyone wants a slice. But the circumstances around this one are sufficiently controversial that we've made an exception. A woman from California has filed a claim against Apple saying that the company intentionally broke FaceTime on iOS 6 to force users to upgrade to iOS 7.
The FBI wants to crack another iPhone after Minnesota stabbings
The FBI and Apple might be headed for another fight over the case of a locked phone. Last night, FBI special agent Rich Thorton confirmed that the agency is trying to crack an iPhone belonging to Dahir Adan, a 20-year-old Somali immigrant who stabbed 10 people in a Minnesota mall last month. Per Wired, Thorton said the bureau was already sifting through some "780 gigabytes of data from multiple computers and other electronic devices," but unlocking Adan's phone could shed valuable light on why he did what he did and help figure out who (if anyone) helped him on his path.
Apple VP says FBI's order makes everyone less secure
To support their legal battle in Congress over San Bernardino shooter Syed Rizwan Farook's iPhone, Apple and the FBI are also waging a war of public opinion. So far, the FBI is winning, with over half the US population, 51 percent, saying that Apple should unlock the device, and only 38 percent saying it shouldn't. Last month, FBI director James Comey penned an editorial to convince the public that Apple must help the agency, and now, Apple VP Craig Federighi has fired back in the Washington Post. In an op-ed piece, he argues that the FBI is endangering everyone's data by "turn[ing] back the clock to a less-secure time."
Apple urges judge to make up mind about unlocking phones for Feds
Today, Apple tried to prod New York Magistrate Judge James Orenstein into settling a months-old debate about unlocking an iPhone at the heart of a criminal investigation. A letter submitted by one of the company's attorneys maintains these sorts of unlocking requests aren't going to to stop anytime soon, and that both Apple and the Department of Justice agree the judge should make a ruling. And really, that's about the only thing those two players agree about.
Apple is being sued over another data-gobbling bug
Apple is fending off another lawsuit regarding its phones helping themselves to cellular data even when supposedly running on WiFi. As you may recall, a California couple took Apple to court in October over iOS 9's WiFi Assist, which would clandestinely switch the phone from WiFi to LTE and eat through the user's data allotment. Now, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP has filed a class-action lawsuit against Apple for a similar, earlier, data-sucking bug.
YouTube app will stop working on older smart TVs and iOS devices
If you own a smart TV or an iOS device that's getting a bit long in the tooth, you may need to do some upgrading this week if you want to continue using the YouTube app. Due to certain changes in the app's API, it'll no longer work on a number of models released in 2012 or earlier, including second-generation Apple TVs, Panasonic TVs, Sony TVs and Blu-ray players, as well as devices running Google TV versions 1 or 2. You'll know you're affected if a video showing the notice above plays upon firing up the app, though most models released in 2013 or later are safe.
Viber's first major redesign makes it look right at home on the iPhone
Internet calling and messaging service Viber does a solid job of constantly bringing new features to its apps, regardless of the platform. Now, some seven months after iOS 7 was released, Viber is finally changing the looks of its iPhone app to match that flat, minimalist appearance of Apple's OS. Aside from overhauling the UI, the Viber application now also lets you create a list of numbers you'd like to block and send longer video messages to people. The company's CEO, Talmon Marco, tells us this update isn't just about iOS 7, however. "This is the first time we are introducing a new look and feel for Viber. Our goal was to create a simple and friendly interface but at the same time establish a solid foundation for future updates," Marco stated. In other words, don't be surprised when you see some of these design cues make their way to other Viber apps, like those on Windows Phone 8 and Android. Furthermore, Viber has also released an app for BlackBerry 10, complete with all the voice and messaging features that have made it popular on other devices. By doing this, Viber is now well covered within BlackBerry's ecosystem, since it already offers an application on older BB handsets. "Our BlackBerry 10 app is a beautiful twist on our design delivering the most up to date experience for our users," said Marco about the new app.
Here's a neat new physics feature in iOS 7.1 control center
Here's a neat new physics feature we've just discovered in the control panel for iOS 7.1. The sliders for the volume and brightness controls have been given their own physics. When you quickly swipe the slider, the volume or brightness will continue to keep sliding depending on how fast you move your finger. Here's a video demonstration for your viewing pleasure.
Dear Apple, please let us delete whole albums from our iPhones again
I listen to a lot of music on my iPhone -- probably too much music, if the hearing loss in my right ear is any indication. For years it was a delight. The sound quality was great and I didn't have to carry an iPod everywhere. Being forced to deal with iTunes if you don't enjoy syncing records was a pain, but at least we would easily quickly clear up space on the device by manually deleting whole albums. Then came iOS 7, and suddenly the world had lost this bit of light. Why did Apple take away the ability to manually delete whole albums from the device? iOS 7 is supposed to be the future; so why is the future worse than the past for music fans? Perhaps the developers of iOS 7 only listen to jazz records where it's common to only have a few long tracks on a whole record. Deleting a copy of Miles Davis' Sketches of Spain song by song only takes eight swipes. But say you've got an audiobook of Game of Thrones on your device containing hundreds of tracks or a Springsteen live album you'd like to delete to make room for a video. You have three options. First, you can wait until you get home, turn on iTunes, scroll through the abysmal "sync" windows, uncheck everything you need to delete, re-sync your device, and then go back to where ever you wanted to shoot your video. Second, you can delete all of the music/audio files on your device in Settings. Or third, you can slowly, manually delete tracks one by one until you've made enough space. Or Apple could give us a fourth option, the return of an incredibly basic feature. Sometimes things need to be deleted on the fly. What does a traveler without a laptop do? It's not as if they can borrow a stranger's computer to manage their files without losing information. An iPhone is supposed to help make your life easier, it shouldn't require you to have a computer to properly use it. So please Apple, embrace music listeners with their own digital collections and give us back the freedom we once enjoyed on your wonderful device. Let us delete whole albums again. I'll stand out in front of your offices with a boom box over my head proclaiming my love. Just don't make me go home or delete my whole music collection to free up space on my phone.
Plex adds free Chromecast support for all, media shuffling and camera uploads to iOS
If paying for beta access to new features isn't your bag, the folks at Plex have some good news for you. The media outfit's announced that not only is beaming your content to Google's HDMI dongle free now (if you've purchased the app), but iOS fans can join the music and photo party too. But wait, there's more: the update also lets web users and iDevice owners shuffle, reorder, remove and add content to a media queue with some pretty neat filtering options. There isn't an ETA for availability on other platforms, however. Plex Pass subscribers have a new toy too: iOS camera uploads. The feature is pretty self-explanatory (photos are background-uploaded from your device to the Plex servers), but, if you don't have an Apple TV, it's likely one of the easier ways to put your pictures on the living room flat-screen. Can you hear that? It's the sound of the Chromecast-app floodgates creaking open -- on Apple's mobile OS, even.
Apple is reportedly launching iOS in the Car next week with Ferrari, Mercedes and Volvo
Apple's iOS in the Car has been a long time in coming -- we first heard about the automotive interface last June, and it still isn't ready despite the presence of relevant code in recent iOS 7 builds. The wait may soon be over, though, as the Financial Times hears that Apple will unveil formal car integration deals with Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo next week. There aren't more forthcoming details, although the rumored announcement implies that the automakers could name compatible models and possibly show the technology in action. We wouldn't refer to iOS in the Car as Apple's "first in-car operating system," like the FT does -- it's still dependent on an iPad or iPhone to work. Even so, any potential launch next week would represent a big step forward for 1 Infinite Loop's in-car efforts, which haven't advanced much since iPod Out. [Image credit: Steve Troughton-Smith, YouTube]
Apple is getting serious about enterprise solutions for iOS
After years of meager services, iOS 7 marked Apple's return to providing serious mobile enterprise solutions for businesses. Utilizing a wide range of options and mobile device management (MDM) services, iOS 7 can help, whether your office provides company phones or employees use their own. The MDM service allows IT departments to control settings, app installations and policies for a device remotely. Workers who bring their own devices can self-enroll in the MDM program by accepting the MDM installation profile already on their phone. Under MDM, IT can enroll devices in enterprise services (include Microsoft's), update settings, monitor compliance with corporate policies, and remotely wipe or lock lost devices. One of the major issues that comes with employees utilizing their own iOS devices is the security and privacy of both parties. Businesses can protect communications via managed apps with specific VPNs. Confidential messages are sent utilizing these IT-approved apps and authenticated using a secured VPN client to securely connect to Cisco IPSec, L2TP, and PPTP VPN. Employees worried about their personal security can rest easy. Personal and corporate data are stored separately from one another, with IT departments only gaining access to specifically managed apps. This lets you keep your personal privacy on Facebook even while working within an enterprise setting. Apple is offering volume purchasing for businesses, allowing for the apps and books to be purchased and pushed to every device using the MDM service. IT departments can even develop their own custom apps specifically for their employee's needs. The company created a special page highlighting how various organizations from PespiCo to the Mayo Clinic have implemented MDM and iOS' new enterprise options into their own day to day operations. You can view these video profiles directly at Apple's site.
Your iPhone can now help you find your way around MLB ballparks
iPhone owners should have an easier time getting around the ballpark this season. Following a trial run last year, Major League Baseball is now deploying Bluetooth-based iBeacons at its stadiums. If you use the MLB At the Ballpark app, your iOS 7-equipped device will receive notifications as you visit different points at a given venue. MLB isn't yet saying just what those notices will involve, although the pilot project helped fans find their seats, score discounts and queue up videos. Only Los Angeles' Dodger Stadium and San Diego's Petco Park have the iBeacons so far. However, the league promises that more than 20 parks will have iBeacons when the season starts -- odds are that your home team will be ready on opening day. [Image credit: Brendan C, Flickr]
Make Evernote your own with its latest iOS update
Just look at those three totally different -- well, kinda different -- versions of Evernote for iOS above. That's Evernote illustrating just how distinct you can make the latest version of its popular productivity app, from color themes to sections to where it syncs. Oh, and if it weren't already apparent, the latest update brings an even more distinctly iOS 7 look to Evernote; that's an intentional evolution, as today's update is emblematic of changes that users requested "ever since we launched our iOS 7 redesign," the team says. Not convinced it's worth your precious MBs? Head below for a video tour of all the changes.
An early look at iOS in the Car (video)
Apple's iOS in the Car, which we first met last summer at WWDC, may soon make an official debut. In fact, the dash-friendly interface has been hiding right under our noses in the public version of iOS 7.0.3. Developer Steven Troughton-Smith managed to capture an early version of the interface in action by emulating a vehicle display on his desktop -- he posted a video walkthrough of the pre-release software today. The current iteration appears to include a full-screen map, with simple touch controls and indicators framing the top and bottom. There's even a software home button, which can be used to switch between apps and return to the (currently nonexistent) home screen. Based on today's demo, you'll be able to enter a destination directly into the vehicle by speaking a search term, or by searching on a connected iPhone or iPad. Current functionality appears to be limited to basic location entry and map readouts, but it's definitely a work in progress -- another dev, Denis Stas, managed to get his hands on a screenshot from the iOS 7.1 beta, which offers a more iOS 7-like look and feel. We have yet to hear from vehicle manufacturers about confirmed partnerships with Apple, so there's no word on when iOS in the Car will actually hit the road, though judging by the tremendous interest in iOS integration in general, several agreements are already in the works.
VLC gets one-touch playback controls and a fresh new interface on iOS 7
VLC for iOS just got a much-needed coat of fresh paint. The media player's version 2.2 update has introduced an iOS 7-native interface with its own set of multi-touch playback gestures: you can tap with two fingers to pause a video, and swipes control the brightness, playback position and volume. This is more than just a skin-deep upgrade, though. VLC is now more cloud-savvy with support for Dropbox streaming, HTTP Live Streaming and downloads from Google Drive. The new app handles both lock screen privacy and TV show organization more elegantly than its predecessor, and it plays clips encoded in the more advanced HEVC (H.265) and VP9 formats. All told, there are plenty of reasons for video lovers to swing by the App Store for the upgrade.
Box redesigns its iOS app for simplicity, speed and real-time search (video)
Box is finally countering Dropbox's revamped iOS app with a redesign of its own. Its updated cloud storage software centers around a fresh, iOS 7-native interface that's both simpler and faster at drawing content. The app takes advantage of that newfound speed, too -- it now previews over 100 file types with accurate rendering, and grid views make it easier to find photos and presentations. Box has also slipped in real-time searching, a comments sidebar and the option to copy, delete or move multiple files at once. Even if these features don't justify an upgrade by themselves, the company is sweetening the pot by offering 50GB of free, lifetime space to anyone who downloads the new app within the first 30 days. If you're at all interested, we'd suggest hurrying to the App Store.
Yahoo Sports for iOS adds Loops for capturing clutch catches, epic fails
Fancy making your own social media commentary during the big game? Yahoo Sports for iOS now lets you capture those monster dunks in animated GIF form. The company has officially labeled the creations Loops, and users can add their own commentary as captions on top of the moving picture. As you might expect, files can then be shared via Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and e-mail. Not to be left out, the app was revamped for iOS 7 with speedier performance in its sneakers. For a look at some samples, click over to the source link and take a peek.
Cydia update courts iOS 7 jailbreakers with a new interface (video)
The availability of an iOS 7 jailbreak may have caught the Cydia team off-guard, but not for long. Jay Freeman and fellow developers have just updated their unofficial app platform to match Apple's minimalist look. It's more than just a cosmetic upgrade, too, as it includes iOS 7's swipe-based navigation and appears to run faster. Individual app writers will still have to update their code for everything to run smoothly, but jailbreak users who've just been waiting for an OS-native Cydia will want to check for the update today. [Image credit: iOS Hacker]
