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Apple and AT&T settle class action for unlimited data claim of original iPad
Another day, another lawsuit finally drawing to a close. This time, a judge has approved a settlement for a class-action lawsuit filed against Apple and AT&T, based on the unlimited data claims of the original iPad that were later withdrawn by AT&T. So, if you bought a 3G iPad before June 7th, 2010, you'll get a $40 payout from Apple, even if you stand among AT&T's grandfathered customers. Meanwhile, if you purchased the original 3G iPad but didn't get a mobile plan, you're also eligible for a $20 / month discount for up to a year under the carrier's current $50 offering. The toddler-aged class action was born out of affected customers' frustration over the change and the belief that they overpaid for their devices as a result. Unfortunately, the ruling won't be finalized until February 2014, so don't expect to hear from Apple about the payout -- or plan a modest $40 dinner for two -- until then.
IDC: Android tablets will overtake iPad by 2015, despite everything
They're not center-stage right now, but Android tablets are still predicted to overtake the iPad within the next three years, according to IDC. The forecasters noted that Apple's worldwide share of the tablet market is shrinking with each new lower-priced Android competitor. Even as iPad sales continued to grow in 2011, surging 50 percent between Q3 and Q4, its market share fell during the same period, from 61.5 to 54.7 percent. That gives the iOS slate a weaker lead going into 2012 than suggested by earlier figures. Of course, the iPad remains an individual starlet in front of a troupe of Google dancers, so Apple's position as the upper-most vendor isn't under threat. In fact, IDC predicts it will remain the market leader in terms of revenue beyond 2016, which ought to put some fire in Amazon's belly.
iOS 5.1 gets tethered jailbreak for non-A5 iPads, iPhones and iPods
We've got good news for anyone intrigued by the new (largely incremental) features of Apple's latest mobile OS update. MuscleNerd, famed iOS meddler, has confirmed that iOS 5.1 can be jailbroken to the original iPad, iPhone 4 and 3rd and 4th generation iPod Touch devices. Unfortunately, it's still a tethered jailbreak which means you'll need to "just boot" the device using redsn0w whenever it powers down. However, we're sure those iOS hackers are already working on that minor niggle. Get the full instructions and those ever-important warnings over at Think iOS, which also links to the required iOS 5.1 files. [Thanks all]
Untethered jailbreak now available for pre-A5 iPhones, iPads and Touches
It's just a few weeks since pod2g revealed his untethered jailbreak for iOS 5 and -- boom -- all of a sudden it's up for the DL. The exploit has been incorporated into redsn0w 0.9.10, the Pwnage Tool and Chronic Devteam's Cydia package, and it works on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (including the CDMA version), iPad 1, iPod Touch 3G and iPod Touch 4G, so long as they've been updated to iOS 5.0.1. Meanwhile, pod2g is reportedly now looking for a way to snap the shackles on A5-based devices too, but hopefully only after he's taken some rest -- a burned-out jailbreaker is no good to anybody. Full instructions are at the source link. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Motorola wins injunction against Apple Sales International in German patent dispute (update: Apple appeals)
After issuing a default judgment against Apple last month, Germany's Mannheim Regional Court has now granted a "preliminarily enforceable" injunction against Ireland-based Apple Sales International, on the grounds that its products may violate some of Motorola Mobility's patents. At issue is Motorola's European Patent 1010336 (B1), which covers a "method for performing a countdown function during a mobile-originated transfer for a packet radio system." According to Foss Patents, the court's injunction encompasses the iPhone (3G, 3GS and 4), iPad 3G and iPad2 3G. The ruling also states that Apple can avoid the injunction if it removes the patent-infringing elements from its devices, though it's more likely that Cupertino will appeal to the Karlsruhe Higher Regional Court, in the hopes of obtaining a stay. We've already reached out to Apple for comment, and will update this post as soon as we get more information. Update: And as expected, Apple intends to appeal the ruling which, if enforced, would only apply to future shipments. So grab that existing stock while you can.
Samsung files French patent complaint against Apple
Samsung and Apple continue to fight a heated legal battle overseas. In the latest skirmish, Samsung filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple in France. The complaint claims Apple violates three UMTS patents held by the Korean company. UMTS is a 3G technology used on GSM-based cellular networks. Samsung targets Apple's 3G-capable mobile devices including the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and the 3G-capable iPad models. The complaint was filed in Paris District Court and the first hearing is scheduled for December.
T-Mobile hawks Micro SIMs for 'free', hopes your iPhone likes EDGE data
Been wanting to stick it to Ma Bell, but have found yourself shackled by those pesky micro SIMs and your inexplicable fear of all things pointy? If you're wielding an unlocked device with a diminutive slot, T-Mobile's giving away the pint-sized cards gratis -- provided you're also willing to sign your precious life away on contract. It's a shameless play for Cupertino's sweetheart, sure, and this isn't the first time we've seen the carrier try to ship us some teensy SIMs. Making the plunge? Enjoy your rebellious ways while they last -- we hear Little Magenta's assimilation by the borg isn't too far off.
AT&T iPad hacker pleads guilty to stealing data
Daniel Spitler is facing up to 10 years in prison for his role in the theft of personal information from iPad 3G users on AT&T. Spitler was one of the men responsible for writing the iPad 3G Account Slurper that parsed the SIM card numbers of AT&T iPad 3G owners and used them to retrieve email addresses from the carrier's website. The men, Daniel Spitler and Andrew Auernheimer, were part of the hacker group that ended up grabbing over 100,000 records. Spitler pleaded guilty to the two felony charges and, as part of his plea agreement, could see his potential sentence reduced from a maximum of 10 years to as little as 12- to 18-months.
Hacker pleads guilty to AT&T iPad breach
Nearly six months after his arrest, one hacker pleaded guilty to charges that he exposed the email addresses of over 100,000 AT&T iPad 3G users. It's been a year since Daniel Spitler and his compatriot, Andrew Auernheimer, coaxed Ma-Bell servers into delivering the goods, with a brute force script they lovingly named the iPad 3G Account Slurper. The hacker's plea agreement suggests a 12 to 18-month sentence, which is a lot more lenient than the 10-year maximum we hear he could face. Spitler's collaborator is apparently still in plea negotiations with the prosecutor. Both men initially claimed they were just trying to draw attention to a security hole, but maybe next time they'll think twice before embarking on such altruistic endeavors.
Traveling in circles: the Navigon way
Our beloved leader Victor has an entire comedy routine worked out about GPS apps. In his "Maps powered by Match.com" schtick, he jokes "I took a detour, ... and 10 years later we were married." In real life, iPhone nav apps can be just as funny as his stand-up. Take yesterday. I was driving my daughter to an appointment across town, when Navigon started directing us in circles. Now, we are not strangers to Navigon oddities. I can't tell you the number of times that the app has had us turn off a perfectly straight road, and maneuver right, then left, then left, then right back to the same road we started on. It's a Navigon thing.
AT&T slashes prices of first-gen 3G iPads
Pricey iPad 2s may be showing up in online auctions, but for those of you who just want to get an iPad for web surfing or downloading apps, original iPad Wi-Fi+3G models just had their prices slashed at AT&T. Original iPad Wi-Fi+3G models sold through AT&T have now dropped to US$429 for the 16 GB model and only $529 for the 64 GB model (the 32 GB 3G model is sold out). For those of you keeping track, the 16 GB iPad Wi-Fi+3G through AT&T is now only $30 more than the 16 GB iPad Wi-Fi model through Apple (same goes for the other iPad 3G models). Apple discounted all iPad models by $100 a few weeks ago to move out older inventory ahead of the iPad 2 launch. If the iPad 2's redesigned body and cameras aren't important to you, a total of $200-$300 off the original iPad Wi-Fi+3G's asking price is a heck of a deal. [via The Loop]
Softbank makes 16GB iPad WiFi + 3G free with two-year contract
An iPad for zilch on contract? Yessir... but only if you pack up and move to the Land of the Rising Sun. Softbank Mobile has just announced a new pricing plan that makes Apple's 16GB iPad WiFi + 3G model totally free with a two-year data agreement in Japan, and for those who recall it being "free" before, this situation is a bit different. You see, there's no built-in monthly surcharge for this one; rather than paying off your iPad over 24 months, you're actually getting it for nothing as long as you're kosher with forking out ¥4,725 ($56) per month for that 3G goodness. The deal starts on December 3rd, and we've got a strange, strange feeling that it'll do quite well if marketed correctly. And by "correctly," we mean "at all." [Thanks, Ken]
Orange UK prices 3G iPad at £199 on two-year contract, taking pre-orders today
Want an iPad but can't countenance the associated outlay of cash up front? Orange is making that pill easier to swallow today with the revelation of its contract-tied pricing for Apple's tablet in the UK. Pre-orders are about to start today for obtaining the 3G-connected iPad at prices of £199 ($312) for the 16GB version, £249 ($391) for its 32GB sibling, or £349 ($626) for the one equipped with 64GB of storage. This is all subject to you signing up for a two-year plan costing £27 ($42) a month that'll give you 1GB of anytime data, 1GB of off-peak data (judged by Orange to be between midnight and 4pm), and 3GB of BT Openzone WiFi access for each twelfth of the year. The expectation is that Orange's new best bud, T-Mobile, will be offering similar pricing shortly, leaving us to wonder what Vodafone and O2 might be cooking up. The day of the subsidized tablet might be with us sooner than we thought. [Thanks, Jon] P.S. - We've just spotted that Three, the UK's 3G-only network, is also planning to sell the iPad "in the coming months." Pricing and data allowances, however, have yet to be revealed.
iOS 4.2 review (for iPad)
If you're an iPad owner, you've probably been on pins and needles lately. That's because back in September, Apple announced that a full-scale update to the tablet's OS would be coming in the form of iOS 4.2, bringing a slew of new features to the device. Included in that laundry list is proper iOS 4-style multitasking, folders, major mail improvements, Game Center integration, and Safari enhancements (like find-in-page text searches). Besides those features, the company has been touting two other big changes that could cause a major shift in the way you use your iPad -- namely, AirPrint and AirPlay. Both additions leverage your WiFi network, certain connected printers, and the new Apple TV in an attempt to make the company's slate less like a distraction and more like the center of your digital life. When the update was originally announced, we took you on a walkthrough of the early developer beta. Though 4.2 will roll out to the iPhone and iPod touch, we wanted to focus on the iPad version, as it represents a major change for the platform. We've had a chance to spend time with the final version of the OS (which is actually 4.2.1 now), and put it through its paces. We've updated our original guide and given the finished product a critical once over, so read on for our full review! %Gallery-107971%
Orange and T-Mobile set to offer 3G iPad on contract in UK, £200 price rumored
Orange has just dropped a rather enigmatic note in our inbox letting us know that it plans to offer Apple's 3G iPad on "one of [its] great new plans" in the UK, resulting in what the company promises will be "more affordable prices." Current rumors making the rounds place that expenditure at the £200 ($320) mark, should you be willing to commit to a two-year data plan to go with your 10-inch tablet. It's also expected that Orange's new dance partner, T-Mobile, will be making a similar announcement soon, complete with a matching price. We'll keep digging until we know for sure. Full PR after the break. Update: Sure enough, T-Mobile is now also listing the iPad as "coming soon." Thanks, Dilwar!
Samsung cuts Galaxy Tab prices in the UK, still more than AT&T
We've already shared some opinions on why Samsung's Galaxy Tab pricing makes sense stateside -- granted, that was before AT&T announced it would be charging $50 more than every other US carrier. After initially showing up for pre-order in the UK on Carphone Warehouse for £530 ($850) and for a Queen's ransom of £799 ($1280) on Amazon though, we're glad to find The Inquirer reporting that Tab prices on both Amazon and Dixons have dropped to £469 ($738) for a 16GB model with free delivery. Carphone Warehouse has also cut prices down to £489.99 ($784) for the 32GB version. Sure, that may still sound steep to us Yankees, but keep in mind it's now a good bit less than the basic 16GB 3G iPad which currently sells for £529 ($850). Whether these prices will slide even closer to Stateside levels is still obviously anyone's guess, but at this point we're sure those of you in the UK won't have an issue paying less for your tab.
SwirlySMS brings free SMS app to iPad 3G
Released today, "SwirlySMS free for iPad 3G" offers a free SMS solution that allows you to send and receive messages from your iPad 3G. This is a jailbreak-only solution. Available from the Cydia store, the new app uses your iPad's SIM to introduce native texting without having to hack your way into command-line solutions. The application should work with any supported SIM that offers SMS features. You will be charged for SMS text messages according to the plan associated with your SIM card. I do not believe it's possible to add SMS packages to the native plan, so if the app works at all, you'll likely be charged $0.25/text at the standard US AT&T a la carte rate. The app has been tested primarily in Sweden on the Telia network, but its developers have been doing SMS apps for three years now -- so it's a good bet that things should work out of the box with standard AT&T SIMs for United States users. Given that the app is free, if you have any problems, I'm sure the devs will offer a full money-back guarantee. After thoroughly testing the software with your equipment, you can upgrade to a no-ad version for five bucks, or a full-featured MMS/SMS app (SwirlyMMS) for twelve. %Gallery-105095%
How To: Use iPhone 4 data plan with iPad 3G
I love my iPad 3G, almost unnecessarily so. I use it as my primary computer for a multitude of tasks. The only thing that I dislike about my iPad is that I have to pay AT&T even more money to use their data network, even though I'm already paying for it with my new iPhone 4. We have covered in the past how to manage your 3G data with your iPad using the Apple/AT&T-sanctioned methods built in to the device itself. Today, we want to show you how you can swap Micro-SIMs to make use of your iPhone's unlimited data plan with your iPad. Note: This is not an officially sanctioned technique and you do this at your own risk! If AT&T comes down on your SIM-swapping antics with the force of a truckload of anvils... you are on your own, brother. That said, let's proceed.
Unlimited data option disappears from iPads, AT&T tells grandfathered customers not to worry
Even though AT&T's $30 unlimited data plan technically went the way of the dodo back on June 7, the company had assured 3G iPad owners that they'd be entitled to one last hurrah -- buy an iPad prior to the 7th and you'd be allowed to grandfather into the old plan, even if you didn't receive your purchase by the deadline. Problem is, the unlimited plan option finally disappeared off AT&T-connected iPads for the first time today, leaving some of these eligible folks who haven't yet signed up for 3G data in the lurch. Not to worry, though: AT&T says that everyone who's eligible "will be able to select the unlimited plan" and that "details will follow." In other words, we don't know how this is going to work yet, but at least the carrier's aware of the issue. Stay tuned.
AT&T sends apology email to customers affected by iPad 3G security breach
Good news if you're one of the 114,000 iPad 3G owners whose email address was uncovered by hackers spoofing the AT&T ICC database the other day -- AT&T is very, very sorry, and it's written you a nice email to make it all better. Ma Bell says the "hackers deliberately went to great efforts with a random program," which is pretty funny -- we can only imagine the damage insincere hackers making a half-hearted effort with a non-random program could have done. In any event, AT&T says the hole's been patched, that it's working with law enforcement to figure out who's liable, and promises that it takes your privacy seriously. Yes, it's all very nice -- although we're sure affected customers would much rather hear that they're being comped a free month of service. Full email after the break. [Thanks, Brad]