Apple Planning to Add Bluetooth Support for AirPlay, and Expand iOS Accessory Capabilities
Japanese blog Macotakara (via AppleInsider) reports that Apple held a MFI Conference conference in Shenzen, China this past week. "MFI" is Apple's Made for iPod / iPhone / iPad certification program for accessory manufacturers.
During the talk, Apple reportedly revealed that they were going to provide a new certification chip for their MFI program to encourage more iOS-compatible accessories. The new chip will allow access to iOS devices over AirPlay, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. While Macotakara does not specify how this differs from the current program, the current program seems to be limited to physical dock accessories and specific AirPlay vendors.
In fact, TouchArcade recently touched on this fact in a recent article on iOS gaming accessories. TouchArcade noted that the reason why all the current gaming accessories such as the ThinkGeek iCade relies on Bluetooth keyboard emulation is due to the restrictions Apple has placed over bluetooth connections. It seems that this restriction will be loosened with the new certification chip, though details are sparse at the moment. TouchArcade suggests this could open the way to low-latency analog control sticks for iOS gaming.
Apple was also promoting the use of the new version of Low Energy Bluetooth 4.0 which was added in the iPhone 4S, noting that it could be used to support new applications in health care and gaming markets. We profiled the possibilities for Bluetooth Low Energy back in July.
Finally, Apple reportedly revealed that they would be adding support for AirPlay over Bluetooth.
Apple seems to have a plan to expand AirPlay wireless devices market to be 7 times larger by promoting iPod Accessory Protocol (IAP) via Bluetooth implemented in iOS 5. AirPlay wireless devices has only 2% of MFI program licensed yet.
AirPlay is the name of Apple's streaming protocol that allows iOS 5 users to stream video and audio from their iOS devices to AirPlay compatible devices. AirPlay presently only works over Wi-Fi for iOS devices. We'd guess the support of Bluetooth for AirPlay is referring primarily to audio streaming (not video) to 3rd party speakers/receivers due to Bluetooth bandwidth limitations.
Wherever I wander, wherever I roam, LTE probably won't work
Hopes of a cross-network LTE standard were dashed months ago, when Verizon confirmed its 4G band won't overlap with AT&T's. What we didn't realize, though, was just how globally fragmented this technology is likely to become. A report by Wireless Intelligence predicts there'll be 200 LTE networks around the world by 2015, running on as many as 38 different frequency combinations. Moreover, the most common 700-900MHz spectrum range could account for just 16 percent of these networks. This stands to make carrier locking and band incompatibility on handsets even bigger hassles than they are today. And that's what's botherin' me.
(I saw this coming a long time ago)
Indonesian government threatens to ban BlackBerry services if it can't spy on users
It's not the first time that RIM's security measures have caused a bit of an inferiority complex, but the Indonesian government now is threatening to ban BIS and BBM services within the nation if it doesn't get its way. Partially, it seems that Indonesian officials are upset that Research in Motion will be building its new data centers in Singapore, rather than in the homeland. Additionally, as is, the government is unable to monitor these communications, which it sees as a security risk. As you likely know, all data is currently processed in RIM's Canadian facilities. Heru Sutadi, a member of the Indonesian Telecommunication Regulation Body, had the following to say: "With the condition as it is now, we warn that the country's users to be cautious about using BlackBerry because the data exchanged is not safe or cannot be guaranteed of its safety." Sounds creepy, right? We always feel safer when knowing the government is monitoring our messages, too.
E2EK1EL
iPhone 4 Gets Untethered Jailbreak on iOS 5.0.1
Pod2g has announced that he's successfully performed an untethered jailbreak on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5.0.1.
Got an untethered iPhone 4 running iOS 5.0.1. Feel free to update.
Of course, if you want to SIM unlock, don't update using Apple's original FW nor update OTA.
This is great news! We strongly recommend that everyone use TinyUmbrella to save their iOS 5.0.1 SHSH Blobs.
You can find instructions on how to do that here: Windows, Mac
Brennen
quote:
Originally posted by E2EK1EL
Pod2g has announced that he's successfully performed an untethered jailbreak on an iPhone 4 running iOS 5.0.1.
Got an untethered iPhone 4 running iOS 5.0.1. Feel free to update.
Of course, if you want to SIM unlock, don't update using Apple's original FW nor update OTA.
This is great news! We strongly recommend that everyone use TinyUmbrella to save their iOS 5.0.1 SHSH Blobs.
You can find instructions on how to do that here: Windows, Mac
Im still on 4.3.3 cause I want to keep my untethered jailbreak. Should I update to stock for now till this JB comes out?
E2EK1EL
This is the window, I wouldn't miss it at all and you never know ... Apple might deploy iOS 5.1 and add a tempting feature to lure everyone.
Tempting feature = panoramic photo
E2EK1EL
Samsung claims record 300 million mobile sales this year
For the first time in the South Korea-based electronics giant’s storied history, annual sales of Samsung’s cell phones have topped 300 million units, the company confirmed to Reuters. Samsung’s mobile phone sales in 2010 totalled about 280 million units. According to a recent report from market research and analysis firm Strategy Analytics, Samsung sold 88 million mobile phones into distribution channels during the third quarter this year alone, and smartphone sales have played a huge role for the company. On the back of its wildly successful Galaxy S and Galaxy S II lines, Samsung’s smartphone business has exploded in 2011. Samsung reported smartphone shipments totaling 27.9 million units last quarter, making it the No.1 smartphone vendor in the world by shipment volume._”We look forward to extending this success going into 2012,” Samsung President and head of the company’s mobile business JK Shin said in a statement on Sunday
(Remember, Samsung has 134 diff devices in this product cycle.)
Don't want to shell out the cash for an iPhone 4S? Lease one on O2
If you can lease a vehicle, why not a smartphone? That's O2's line of thinking, anyways, as the UK carrier has begun piloting a rental scheme -- called O2 Lease -- with the iPhone 4S in the driver's seat. For a 12-month lease period and £55 per month, you'll be able to rent the 16GB version and get 750 minutes, unlimited messaging, 500MB of data and insurance. Want a 32GB model? That'll be an extra £10 per month. Since it's a rental, you'll be required to give the phone back after your year is up, but at that point you're free to grab a new device -- a great idea for anyone embarrassed to still be holding onto a primitive year-old phone. As O2 puts it: "this is the first tariff model available to all O2 customers that reflects the lifestyle of the smartphone industry." If the pilot's successful, the company will consider expanding its selection to more devices; since not everyone wishing to lease a smartphone wants an iPhone, we'd say the more handsets the merrier.
E2EK1EL
Close call, iOS 5.1 B2 is out.
malek
quote:
Originally posted by E2EK1EL
Tempting feature = panoramic photo
Have you tried Photosynth?
E2EK1EL
quote:
Originally posted by malek
Have you tried Photosynth?
Loooong time ago, I posted that app's info when it came out.
It's ok, but very buggy and sketchy.
Apple will make that function run proper.
E2EK1EL
Apple Obscures Future Device Hints in iOS 5.1 Beta 2 with Fake References
One popular hobby of those interested in discovering hints of Apple's future iOS devices has been the examination of various configuration files in each beta and public version of iOS for new entries referring to future iOS devices.
While the references provide essentially no information on the new devices themselves, as they simply appear in the form of "iPhone4,1" for what ultimately became the iPhone 4S as one example, they are carefully watched as hints of what devices Apple is likely to be testing with the software and perhaps how many variations of an upcoming device there might be.
With today's release of iOS 5.1 beta 2, Apple has now taken steps to obscure that information, planting numerous fake references within configuration files typically examined for such evidence.
One file in particular, USBDeviceConfiguration.plist, had formerly listed about two dozen different device variants. As discovered by Mark Gurman, that list has now ballooned to well over 100 such entries as Apple has seeded it with dozens of new fake references to such future products as "iPad10,1", "iPhone11,3", "iPod11,1", and "AppleTV8,3".
The change is likely to make it more difficult to detect new additions, as the new entries will serve as placeholders until Apple quietly begins using the software on its latest devices under development.
Little bug in Windows Phone 7: An SMS message can crash the phone and break the messaging hub, more
According to Winrumors, you can take out a Windows Phone 7 device (they say various Windows Phone 7s on any carrier) with a single, solitary SMS message with a [redacted at request of Winrumors]. Worse (or better?) yet, it doesn’t have to be a text, it can be a Facebook message or Windows Live chat.
The flaw works simply by sending an SMS to a Windows Phone user. If the SMS contains a particular string of text then Windows Phone 7.5 devices will reboot and the messaging hub will not open despite repeat attempts. We have tested the attack on a range of Windows Phone devices, including HTC’s TITAN and Samsung’s Focus Flash. The attack is not device specific and appears to be an issue with the way the Windows Phone messaging hub handles particular characters. The bug is also triggered if a user sends a Facebook chat message or Windows Live Messenger message to a recipient.
And you don’t just get a reboot. When your phone comes hobbling back to life, the Messaging hub no longer works. And other parts of the OS are wonky.
If a user has pinned a friend as a live tile on their device and the friend posts a particular string of text on Facebook then the live tile will update and causes the device to lock up.
The fix? Hard reset of the device. Ouch.
Rogers puts “One Number” service in beta, declares it’s an “easy way stay connected to everyone on your terms”
Rogers seems to have quietly gone live with a new service called “One Number”. Customers can now register, but it clearly is still in beta format – this web-based application basically allows for an “easy way stay connected to everyone on your terms” and gives you the ability to control your communication with one number, right from your computer. The promo vid said that “now communicate how you want, on your mobile, computer or home phone using your existing wireless number with one integrated experience. Extend your existing wireless service to all your communication devices, giving you one number that reaches you anywhere. Plus, get one contact list, one voice mail, and one call history.”
According to the One Number site here’s the list of features:
- Text and Talk from your personal computer using your wireless number
- Manage emails and text messages all from your secure, personalized website
- Control one contact list that is always in sync between your wireless phone and computer
- Seamlessly switch calls between your computer and your wireless phone without missing a word
- Call any Canadian number using your computer from anywhere in the world for FREE
This One Number service is free for Rogers Wireless postpaid customers, but the fine print in the legal states that “Charges apply for certain uses of the Rogers One Number service (such as calls made to numbers outside of Canada)”. In addition, to call any Canadian number from your computer Rogers says this is only “Available with use of the Rogers One Number web phone only”, which they give no details on. Finally, the fine print also notes that the One Number service “is intended for personal use only, based on a total of 44,640 minutes available in a 31-day month”… so perhaps they might be rolling something out for business use later.
Apple might fall victim to a boycott. Seeing they are thinking of buying an Israeli tech company and knowing many university students are for boycotting Israel and Israeli made products, they might end up boycotting Apple :haha: Means that universities and university students will have to unload their Apple products. Would be nice to get some Apple products for bargain.
One number seems interesting, I will check it out.
malek
quote:
Originally posted by E2EK1EL
Loooong time ago, I posted that app's info when it came out.
It's ok, but very buggy and sketchy.
Apple will make that function run proper.
give it a second try, its actually pretty good.
E2EK1EL
I've tried it many times, only got 3 panaromics to work.
There are many that work very well in the appstore.
