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Siri, when will you run your first television ad?
...after the break. [Thanks everyone who sent this in]
Apple announces iOS 5 Tech Talk World Tour 2011
iOS developers around the world received a note from Apple today announcing iOS 5 Tech Talk World Tour 2011. This event, to be held in nine cities around the globe starting in November, is designed to give iOS developers access to Apple's experts in various aspects of iOS 5. The iOS 5 Tech Talk World Tour 2011 will be held in New York, Seattle, Austin, Berlin, London, Rome, Beijing, Seoul, and Sao Paolo. Starting at 9 AM, the one-day event begins with a kickoff keynote, a session on iPhone and iPad UI design, and the first half of a session on adopting iCloud storage. After lunch, the iCloud fun continues in one room while other sessions start in two other rooms. The three conference tracks are roughly divided into general iOS app development, video and gaming, and books and Newsstand. After it's all done for the day, Apple is thoughtfully providing a wine and cheese get-together. A full schedule can be viewed at the link above. The iOS 5 Tech Talk World Tour 2011 is free to registered iOS developers. You can only register in one city and the participation is limited to the size of the venue, so register as soon as possible to insure that you'll be attending.
Remember The Milk adds Siri support
Remember the Milk is an online task management system that lets you create and sync tasks with your mobile devices. If you have the iPhone 4 or earlier, Remember The Milk users can install an iOS app that'll sync their tasks for them. But if you have an iPhone 4S, you can use Siri to add tasks your RTM account. Apple has not released an official API so the developers at Remember The Milk have created a clever work around. They use CalDav to push your reminders to RTM. If you have the latest iPhone, you can point your browser to RTM's website and follow a few simple steps to setup this feature on your iPhone 4S. Once you have CalDav in place, iPhone 4S users can use Siri to create a reminder and it will be sent automatically to your RTM account. Check out the video below to see this work around in action.
Is C-Spire getting the iPhone 4S? Its website says so (Update: confirmed)
Whoa, stop the presses -- we're not sure if this is officially in the pipeline or if it's just a matter of wishful thinking, but Sprint may not be the smallest carrier in the US to offer an iPhone 4S for much longer. That's right: regional carrier C-Spire (formerly known as Cellular South) has the iconic device splattered front and center on its home page, stating that it's coming soon. We're not certain if the iPhone 4 will be offered as well, and no specific availability or pricing is given yet, but you can sign up to be notified as soon as more 411 is ready. The possibility of one of the little guys getting the iPhone is an exciting prospect, since it may lead the charge for more regional service providers to get Apple'd up. We love rooting for the underdog, after all. Update: And just like that, it's official, folks! C-Spire just reached out to us to confirm that iPhone pre-registration begins today, with the device launch in "the coming weeks." Needless to say, if you're a C-Spire customer, your holiday wish list may have just grown. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Report: iOS 5 installed on 1 in 3 compatible devices
Well, that was quick: Analytics firm Localytics says that iOS 5 is already installed on one of every three eligible devices, meaning that just a week or so after release, it's already set up and running on a big chunk of the ecosystem. Even taking the iPhone 4S out of the equation (which of course comes with iOS 5 installed), the number's still up to 31%, which is a pretty solid install base put together so quickly. As you can see from the chart above, the iPad 2 actually has the highest rate of install, according to the data Localytics is looking at. Makes sense that both the iPad 2 and the iPhone 4 would be up there, as those are likely Apple's most devoted users, dedicated to keeping the latest and greatest Apple products running. But I think in general this information shows that Apple has done a great job of letting its customers know just how important and useful the upgrade to iOS 5 can be. Most devs will still want to support older versions of the operating system, obviously, but widespread support like this make it easy for most devs to support options like iCloud and iOS 5's other new features. [via TechCrunch]
Twitter CEO calls Apple a "corporate mentor"
Speaking onstage at the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco Monday evening, Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said that Apple was a corporate mentor to the company. "Those guys [at Apple] are an amazing partner for us. When they think about products and enhancing products they think about editing them. [At Twitter] we're going to offer simplicity in a world of complexity... they're a corporate mentor to us." The comments were spurred when Costolo was asked about how the iOS 5 Twitter integration was working out for the company so far. That integration could well be the most important move Twitter has made in the last year. On October 12th, the day iOS 5 was released, Costolo said that Twitter saw new user signups from iOS devices more than triple. "The iOS integration is going to be absolutely huge for us," Costolo said. "It's going to be even better than we thought it would be." [via Gigaom]
Mint.com iPad app "will be out very shortly"
A while ago I wrote about four websites that need iPad apps: Facebook, Mint, LinkedIn, and Google Docs. Facebook stepped up to the plate, and now an official Mint.com rep has confirmed publicly what two Mint employees had told me in private a while ago: the Mint.com iPad app is coming soon. In a tweet posted October 11th, Mint mobile designer Jaanus Kase said "the @mint iPad app is nearly done and will be out very shortly." He followed that up three days later with a posting on Mint's satisfaction forums which states that the next Mint app will be universal (both for iPhone and iPad) and that it will require iOS 5, which is one of the reasons the company could not release it before now. Also, for those of you with iPhone 3G units, the new Mint app will not work since the maximum iOS on that device is 4.2.1. However, Kase states that Mint will continue to support its current iOS app for those running iOS 4. LinkedIn and Google Docs? The spotlight's on you now. Hat tip to reader Tim B.
Camera showdown: iPhone 4S vs. iPhone 4, Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and Amaze 4G (video)
Siri's sweet and all, but for many of us that new eight megapixel sensor and f/2.4 aperture lens are what really makes Apple's iPhone 4S an appealing upgrade. We spent the weekend shooting around New York City with the iPhone 4S, along with some other top smartphones -- the iPhone 4, Samsung Galaxy S II, Nokia N8 and HTC's Amaze 4G -- in order to determine just which phone's camera reigns supreme. And in order to capture video and stills with consistent framing among all five devices, we secured each smartphone to that homemade quintuple cameraphone mount that you see above -- it may be an early prototype, but it got the job done. Jump past the break to see the results, and check out our comprehensive iPhone 4S sample gallery below.%Gallery-136711%
iPhone 4S hits four million in sales after first weekend
How did you spend your weekend? If you're Apple, the answer is simple, really: selling a whole lot of iPhones. Cupertino this morning announced that iPhone 4S sales have reached four million -- quite an impressive number compared to what its predecessor was capable of, a fact no doubt helped by the addition of some carriers, like Verizon and Sprint here in the States. The handset is currently available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK, with plenty more countries coming by the end of the year. Press info can be found after the jump. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Apple sells four million iPhone 4S handsets in three days
Apple's launch of the iPhone 4S, iCloud and iOS 5 has been wildly successful. The Cupertino company announced today that it has sold over four million iPhone 4S handsets in the first three days of sales. Says executive Phil Schiller, "[The] iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend -- the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days." That's not too shabby for a device that launched in only seven countries and was considered a "missed opportunity" by many. Apple also confirmed there are more than 25 million customers running iOS 5 on their devices and over 20 million who have signed up for iCloud. Show full PR text iPhone 4S First Weekend Sales Top Four Million CUPERTINO, California-October 17, 2011- Apple® today announced it has sold over four million of its new iPhone® 4S, just three days after its launch on October 14. In addition, more than 25 million customers are already using iOS 5, the world's most advanced mobile operating system, in the first five days of its release, and more than 20 million customers have signed up for iCloud®, a breakthrough set of free cloud services that automatically and wirelessly store your content in iCloud and push it to all your devices. iPhone 4S is available today in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on October 28 and more than 70 countries by the end of the year. "iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend-the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "iPhone 4S is a hit with customers around the world, and together with iOS 5 and iCloud, is the best iPhone ever." iPhone 4S is the most amazing iPhone yet, packed with incredible new features including Apple's dual-core A5 chip for blazing fast performance and stunning graphics; an all new camera with advanced optics; full 1080p HD resolution video recording; and Siri™, an intelligent assistant that helps you get things done just by asking. Pricing & Availability iPhone 4S comes in either black or white and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model, $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the new 64GB model.* iPhone 4S is available from the Apple Online Store, Apple's retail stores and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, and select Best Buy, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4 is available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 3GS is available for free with a two year contract. iPhone 4S will be available on October 28 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. *Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately. Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Switched On: As Siri gets serious
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Nearly 15 years passed between Apple's first foray into handheld electronics -- the Newton MessagePad -- and the far more successful iPhone. But while phones have replaced PDAs for all intents and purposes, few if any have tried to be what Newton really aspired to -- an intelligent assistant that would seamlessly blend into your life. That has changed with Siri, the standout feature of iOS 5 on the iPhone 4S, which could aptly be described as a "personal digital assistant" if there weren't so much baggage tied to that term. Siri is far more than parlor entertainment or a simple leapfrogging the voice control support in Android and Windows Phone. At the other end of the potential spectrum, Siri may not be a new platform in itself (although at this point Apple has somewhat sandboxed the experience). In any case, though, Siri certainly paves the way for voice as an important component for a rich multi-input digital experience. It steps toward the life-management set of functionality that the bow-tied agent immortalized in Apple's 1987 Knowledge Navigator video could achieve.
Siri gets lost internationally, promises to do better next year
The iPhone 4S' Siri integration may be a potential game changer, but she's not quite the world traveler some of us would like her to be. In fact, it seems she's as lost outside of US borders as any unprepared tourist. Looking for a pub in London? Better find a traditional map. Need to know the time of day in Canada? Siri admits she has no idea, go buy a watch. Business search (via Yelp), directions, and traffic data search all appear to be US-only features for now, and Wolfram Alpha only works in English-speaking countries. The automated assistant's international failings aren't too big of a surprise, however -- Apple's own Siri page outs the service as a beta, noting that some features may vary by area. Stuck with sub-par international support? Sit tight, it's coming: Apple's Siri FAQ states that additional language support (including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian and Spanish), maps and local search content are set to go international in 2012. Update: Wolfram Alpha works outside the US in English speaking countries, thanks to everyone in the comments for the clarification.
You got your iPhone 4S. Now what?
I don't. Have one, that is. I'm still waiting. In the meantime, here's some Q&A from today's in-box. Q: Just got my iPhone 4S, finally got hooked up to AT&T and I tried to fire up Siri. The old Voice Control app shows up. What gives? Have you heard of this with anyone else? A: You need to enable Siri in Settings. Q: What you can say to Siri? A: A *lot*. For example, you can try out "How much wood could a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood", "Siri, tell me a story", "Open the Pod Bay Doors, HAL", etc. See our round-up of Siri examples. Q: For those of us mere mortals who have waited till Friday the 14th to get our new iPhones delivered, one of the first things to be done is to get apps & data transferred from current iPod or iPhone to the new iPhone. I have just sync'ed my device so the backup in iTunes is up to date. Now, what is the procedure to 'restore' everything to the new iPhone? A: iTunes will ask you about it automatically. You don't have to do anything special. Just get past activation, and iTunes will prompt you. Q: The 4S is out of range for me. I bought the second generation iPod touch when it came out a few years ago but seeing as it is not compatible with iOS 5, I was thinking of getting the new one although isn't it just the same as last years model, so I'm wondering if I should by it? A: Yup. Same as last year's model. Consider buying a refurb unit instead if money is an issue.
iPhone 4S welcomed by AT&T activation delays, iCloud stumbles out of the gate
If you've unboxed a shiny new iPhone 4S from AT&T today, you've most likely had an experience similar to many others who made the same purchase: frustration. It seems that the surge in activity from the release of Apple's new handset has reduced activation traffic on Ma Bell's network to a crawl. This isn't the first time the carrier has had issues on launch day -- but back then, it didn't have any competition. Now that Verizon and Sprint have joined the iPhone party, the pressure's on and AT&T's not looking good compared to the other carriers who don't appear to be having issues. As if that weren't enough for the folks in Cupertino, iCloud had a rocky debut this week as well -- from absent verification emails to an inability to backup data. Apple has documented all five of the new service's foibles via the coverage link below, but it appears everything's been peachy since early this morning. So, have you been waiting for your new iPhone to be more than a shiny new paperweight? Leave a comment, and let us know. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
iPhone 4S review
This isn't the iPhone 5. No matter how badly you wanted something slim, sleek and wedge-shaped, this isn't it. If you went ahead and got your hopes up ahead of Apple's "Let's Talk iPhone" event, hopefully you've gotten over the pangs of discontent by now, because this device pictured front and center is the iPhone 4S. It's a new spin on an old phone that will shock none, but give it half a chance, and it will still impress.The iPhone 4S comes with a faster processor, a better camera, a smarter virtual assistant and twice the storage of its predecessor -- if you don't mind paying for it. Like the iPhone 3GS did before to the 3G, the 4S bumps the iPhone 4 down to second-class status, leaving those Apple fans who must have the best aspiring to own its decidedly familiar exterior. Apple says this is the most amazing iPhone ever. Is it? Yes, of course it is, but read on to see whether it's really worth an upgrade.%Gallery-136542%
Siri limited outside the US; international improvements coming in 2012
Siri, the intelligent voice recognition software in iOS 5, is the biggest feature of the new iPhone 4s, which launched today. However, it's slowly becoming apparent that users outside the US are finding limitations on what Siri will do. MacStories has done a good job of rounding up some of the limitations of Siri's advertised features outside of the US: Business lookup (with Yelp integration) is not available outside the US. Map directions and traffic data is not available outside the US. Besides US, UK, and Australian accents, Siri may have some trouble with "very specific" English accents. Wolfram Alpha integration is only available to English-speaking countries at the moment. This is nowhere an exhaustive list as I'm sure we will see more reports of Siri's limitations flow in from other countries the 4s launched in today (the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, UK, France, and Germany). To be fair though, Apple has labeled Siri as "beta" software from the beginning and is sure to add features for other countries as time goes on. Matter of fact, Apple has already noted on Siri's FAQ that "Maps and local search support will be available in additional countries in 2012" and "In 2012, Siri will support additional languages, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Italian, and Spanish." [Image credit to MacStories]
Engadget Podcast 260 - 10.14.2011
Things are happening in the air around us: our tabazine is beaming its way to iPads around the globe, iThings are being shuffled to and from various parts of the stratosphere, and there was a frightening dearth of airborne activity in the BlackBerry-based community. Tangible inventions have also made their usual marks on the week in tech news: newly-minted iOS 5 guru Dante Cesa joins Tim and Brian this to bring it all down to earth and straight to your ears in this, the 260th episode of the Engadget Podcast.Hosts: Tim Stevens, Brian HeaterGuest: Dante CesaProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: I Can't Go For That00:01:30 - Engadget Distro is ready for download!00:03:45 - Photoshop contest: send us your best / most terrifying Frankengadget00:05:00 - iOS 5 review00:13:30 - iCloud opens to the masses, iOS 5 lurks near00:23:45 - BlackBerry services offline for some in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Again. (update: RIM confirms India, South America, too)00:25:13 - BlackBerry outage spreads to US and Canada, continues in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, South America (update: RIM confirms)00:26:00 - Mike Lazaridis apologizes for BlackBerry outage: 'We've let many of you down' (video) (Update: full services restored)00:38:40 - Motorola Atrix 2 hands-on at CTIA E&A 2011 (video)00:41:18 - Archos 80 G9 review00:46:11 - T-Mobile Samsung Galaxy S II review00:52:15 - HTC Sensation XE with Beats Audio review00:56:51 - ASUS Zenbook UX21 and UX31 headed to the US October 12, starting at $99900:59:02 - Samsung crashes iPhone 4S block party, lures Aussies with $2 Galaxy S IIs00:59:29 - Dennis Ritchie, pioneer of C programming language and Unix, reported dead at age 7001:00:12 - Listener questionsHear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)Contact the podcastSend your questions to @tim_stevens.Leave us a voicemail: (423) 438-3005 (GADGET-3005)E-mail us: podcast at engadget dot comTwitter: @bheater, @timstevens
That hide-the-Newsstand trick? It works
Yes, it works. You can hide Newsstand and it works exactly like those hundreds of posts and tips and videos say it does. We don't know exactly who figured this out -- coverage of the trick is pretty widespread at this point and there aren't exact credits -- but kudos to who did. It wasn't us. (Update: Appears to be from here, and originally discovered by @AnataTenshi Well done.) Basically, there's a tiny bug in iOS 5 that allows you to stick Newsstand into a folder if you catch it just as you're making another folder. It's a little tricky and takes about 5-10 tries on average to get it right. Line up three apps: app 1, Newsstand, app 2. Drag app 1 onto app 2 to create a new folder and then as soon as iOS is getting ready to folder 'em, drag Newsstand into the same group. About 80% of the time, this fails. You get a folder with both apps and Newsstand left out in the cold. When you do, just drag both items back out and start again. But about 20% of the time, Newsstand goes into the folder, and it is for all purposes hidden. So yay. Be aware that the Newsstand item will not be seen in the group icon (see the picture on this post) so if you ever intend to use it, you may have to hunt around in folders to find it. And one more thing: The other tip? About spoofing the lock screen by going through the Camera roll? Doesn't work. Thanks to everyone who tipped us about this Update: Some commenters are warning that you should not attempt to run Newsstand from a folder.
Sprint explains iPhone 4S unlocking policy: phones will be unlocked, then locked, then unlocked again
Yeah, that makes just as much sense to us as it does to you. Following yesterday's PR debacle, the final word from Sprint appears to be as follows: "Sprint's policy is to have the iPhone 4S SIM locked to our network domestically and internationally. At launch, the International SIM will be unlocked. We do expect a SIM lock to be pushed to the devices shortly after launch. We will then allow existing customers in good standing to unlock the SIM for international use if needed in the future." So, if we're reading that correctly, the iPhone you purchase and activate will be unlocked. Then, a SIM lock will be "pushed" to your device. But, if you've been a good, policy-abiding customer, your iPhone can then be unlocked manually by Sprint. Who knows what'll happen if you buy your phone and flee to a non-extradition country before Sprint comes knocking at the door, shackles in hand. Will you be left to live in peace with your newly-acquired international Micro SIM? Will you need to plead your case before a tribunal of mobile carrier overlords? Only time will tell, we suppose, or perhaps further clarification from Sprint. Jump past the break for the complete announcement.
iOS 5 features: Newsstand
My nomination for the most underwhelming feature in iOS 5 goes to Newsstand. Touted by Apple as a one-stop shop for getting newspaper and magazine subscriptions in iOS, it has a lackluster selection, and its organization approach is baffling a lot of people. Newsstand is a homescreen folder much like any other folder you can create in iOS. However, it's got some magical properties; you can't add apps to it, nor can you delete it. It's the bucket where Apple slots periodicals apps that live in the Newsstand section of the App Store. You're not browsing a separate store when you're in Newsstand. For proof, click on one of the bottom buttons and you can navigate to other parts of the App Store. If you ask me, Newsstand is pointless and irrelevant. It would have been better for Apple to take a cue from Amazon and made Newsstand a 'shopping section' in iBooks, which would add value to that app. Having the newspaper and magazine subscriptions handled through iBooks would get added eyeballs into the app, which has always felt like the black sheep of iOS store followings to me; it would also help iBooks stake its claim as the 'reading hub' of the iPhone or iPad, versus the Kindle or Nook apps. However, as my colleague Michael Grothaus points out, magazine publishers definitely want a say over how their products look and act on the iPad. They'd lose most of that control if they went with an EPUB format for Newsstand items (iBooks' native format), and if you had magazine applications mixed into iBooks alongside true ebooks in EPUB and PDF format it could be somewhat confusing for users. ("Why did that ebook launch a separate app? What happened to my library shelves?!?") Your mileage with Newsstand may vary. The offerings are slim at this point, with the most interesting one to me being the New York Times. There's Good Housekeeping, the New Yorker, Harper's Bazaar UK and a few smaller magazines. E-publishing integrator PixelMags tells us that there's a slew of titles on the way from its clients, including Crain Communications' AutoWeek, Dennis Publishing's UK titles (PC Pro, iGizmo, The Week), 29 titles from Imagine Media, Factory Media's extreme sports magazines, and Grind Media's Bike and Powder. Once there's a better offering of newspapers and magazines, I might use it more. But for now, it's being moved to the last page of apps I have on the iPhone and I'll save space on the front for something else. Oh, yes, there's the other annoyance; you can't legitimately move Newsstand into an app folder, since it already is a folder! Dave Caolo let us know about a trick for that; make a folder with two normal apps, then just as the folder is animating together drag the Newsstand icon into it. This is actually a bug, and may make it impossible for you to open Newsstand later on.
