Apple: About 400 Accounts Affected, App Store Not Hacked

Clayton Morris provides some details about the App Store ranking fraud reported over the weekend. As previously reported, developer Thuat Nguyen's apps had been removed from the App ...

Found Footage: Browsing speed compared on the iPhone 4 and 3GS

Filed under: Found Footage, iPhone

Thanks to Obama Pacman, here's a neat (audio muted) video comparison of web browsing speed over 3G on an iPhone 4 (shown on the left) and an iPhone 3GS (shown on the right).

The test was done using only mobile 3G with Wi-Fi turned off, and it shows a variety of sites using Safari in a head to head comparison. In almost all the tests, the iPhone 4 was much faster in Web browsing.

When you look under the hood at the iPhone 4's 3G performance, the improved browsing speed is not much of a surprise; CNET benchmarked the 4 against the 3G (not the 3GS) and found dramatic improvement across the board. Even against the more recent 3GS, the iPhone 4 delivered stronger download performance in Andy Ihnatko and John Gruber's tests.

The processor is obviously kicked up a notch as well. MacRumors, running benchmark tests, found the iPhone 4 processor to be 31% faster than the 3GS using Geekbench 2.1. The iPhone 4 came in with a 2.514 score across routine tests like memory allocation and view drawing, easily besting the 3GS at 2.298. Both were tested under iOS 4.

Benchmark tests are not really analogous to real life usage, of course, but they do give a basic indication for comparison purposes. So although it probably takes more muscle to paint the screen using the iPhone 4's high-resolution Retina Display, the faster A4 chip combined with the improved network throughput (when you've got all your bars, that is) seems more than up to the task.

Found Footage: Browsing speed compared on the iPhone 4 and 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Found Footage: Browsing speed compared on the iPhone 4 and 3GS originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 4 Proximity Sensor Problem: Few Solutions To Fix It

iPhone sales expectations lowered due to supply shortage

Filed under: iPhone

We've already heard that Apple is taking a risk by being low on supplies for iPhone 4, and now at least one analyst says it's too far: Shawn Wu of Kaufman Bros. is lowering his expectations for iPhone 4 sales this year. Of course, that means he's cutting expected sales from 9 million to 7.5 million (which means Apple would still make truckloads of money), but nevertheless, Wu says that "an inventory drawdown and screen supply constraints could impact near-term shipments over the next two quarters." Ouch -- that's pretty harsh by analyst standards.

I think Apple was in the same boat with me on this one -- after such a successful iPad launch (and a not-bad 3GS launch last year), I didn't think that the iPhone 4 launch would provide too many issues. But from all of the anecdotal and sales data we've heard so far, it was huge -- much bigger than any of the previous iOS device launches so far. Apple's probably not worried -- 7 million phones is still plenty of phones for them. But it certainly seems, especially since a lot of stores still don't have phones ready and in stock, that they were caught off guard by demand.

iPhone sales expectations lowered due to supply shortage originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

iPhone sales expectations lowered due to supply shortage originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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PhoneHalo for your iPhone helps finds your keys

Filed under: iPhone

If you've ever lost your keys in the house but have your phone, then PhoneHalo might be what you're looking for -- apart from your keys. The Bluetooth device attaches to something (typically keys) and allows you to "ping" the device via an app on your iPhone. It works the other way as well, although no word on support for backgrounding or push notifications. The video has a brief description, although the app isn't available on the iPhone yet.

In the video, the narrator mentions a heavy social component, but I'm not really keen on telling my friends on Twitter and Facebook that a) I've lost my keys or b) where they are. Nevertheless, if you are a chronic key loser this could be your new best friend. Currently available for BlackBerry and Android, the iPhone version is slated for September 30 and you can (somehow) pre-order it now for US$1. You can order one PhoneHalo device (plus software for the currently-supported phones) for $59.95. Order 2 devices for $95.95 or 3 for $139.95. Or just tack a nail to the wall so you can hang your keys up.

PhoneHalo for your iPhone helps finds your keys originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

PhoneHalo for your iPhone helps finds your keys originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple releases updates for iDisk, iMovie mobile apps

On Tuesday, Apple released a universal update for its MobileMe iDisk app that provides support for the iPad and iOS 4 updates for the iPhone. iMovie for the iPhone got an update as well that fixes some bugs with the mobile video-editor.

Is AT&T Capping Data Upload Speeds For iPhone 4 Users?

Proximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal

Filed under: Retail, Apple, iPhone

Continue reading Proximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal

Proximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Proximity sensor woes caused by reflective ear canal originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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‘MobileMe iDisk’ Updated With iPad and Multitasking Support, ‘iMovie’ for iPhone 4 Receives Bug Fixes

Apple has updated its MobileMe iDisk application [App Store] with a number of significant enhancements, most notably including a shift to a universal application to support both the iPhone/iPod touch and the iPad. In addition, the update bri...

Review: BN eReader for iPad

On the whole, this iPad-based e-reader performs adequately. But it doesn't measure up to other offerings on the App Store -- notably Amazon's Kindle app or iBooks from Apple.

Apple responds on App Store fraud

Apple has finally commented on a developer's alleged App Store fraud over the 4th of July weekend.

Apple updates MobileMe iDisk: Universal for iPad/iPhone, multitasking for iOS 4

Apple has just updated their Mobile iDisk app not only to add iOS 4 multitasking but also making it a universal app to support both iPhone and iPad. Here are the details on version 2.1:

• Designed for both iPhone and iPad
• Multitasking support for iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS (iOS 4 required).
• Quickly switch to another app and back to iDisk
• Play audio from your iDisk while using another app
• When app is opened, the last file or directory viewed is displayed
• Option to open iDisk documents in compatible apps such as iBooks
• When sharing a file, an email can be sent from any configured email account
• The URL for a shared file can be copied and pasted
• Various stability improvements

Nice to see Apple start rolling these out. Now where’s our Apple Remote for iPad?

[iTunes link. Thanks Chad!]

Apple updates MobileMe iDisk: Universal for iPad/iPhone, multitasking for iOS 4 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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iOS 4 limitations: Multitasking saves state, doesn’t check for timeline updates

We’ve had a few TiPb readers ping us to ask what’s going on with timeline-based apps like Twitter, IM, RSS, etc under iOS 4 multitasking — specifically why they aren’t updated or updating any more when they open. The answer is the current timeline update conundrum.

First, it’s important to remember that Apple didn’t include background timeline updates in their multitasking API. Apps can stream music, they can wait for VoIP activity, and they can handle location for navigation or check-in, but they can’t update your Twitter, IM, or RSS the way Apple’s own Mail app can. Apple’s SVP of iPhone Software, Scott Forestall said they prefer iOS handle that via push notification instead.

Push notification is fine for alerting you that a new update (tweet, IM, article, etc.) has come in, but when you launch the app — because of the lack of background timeline updates — the app has to then check back with the server and download every update since the last time it ran.

Under iPhone 3.0, this was handled by most apps when you launched them (some more quickly than others). Under iOS 4, however, apps now save state and restart from where you last left them. And therein lies the problem — many apps aren’t checking for updates because they haven’t been relaunched, they’ve just been continued from their last saved state.

No relaunch, no check for updates.

UPDATE: per comments below, tweets, and emails, developers are telling us that apps can, in fact, be coded to check for updates when they return to the foreground and that it’s not overly difficult to implement (and some apps are indeed implementing it).

If that’s indeed the case, the question becomes: why is the only solution in many of our favorite timeline apps still a manual refresh? (i.e. trigger the reload action by tapping a button or other gesture, sometimes backing out a screen or two to get to a place you can do it — which defeats some of the benefit of saved state.)

Do we need to start a “naughty and nice” list for this functionality?

iOS 4 limitations: Multitasking saves state, doesn’t check for timeline updates is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Apple Responds On iTunes Account Fraud; Bans Developer From App Store

Verizon ad mocks iPhone 4’s antenna woes

A full-page ad in The New York Times promotes the upcoming Droid X by mocking the iPhone 4's reported antenna problems.

AT&T having HSPA upload speed problems in some markets

There's now a rather meaty thread on Mac Rumors' forums detailing problems that iPhone 4 users have had with miserably slow upload speeds in HSPA-equipped AT&T markets -- speeds that had in some cases been well over 1Mbps before the holiday weekend but have since fallen to 100kbps or lower. A popular theory is that AT&T decided to cap speeds in light of the iPhone 4's success and the danger it poses to network oversaturation, but we're not buying it -- 100kbps is ridiculously slow for an HSUPA-enabled network, even a heavily-used one, and there are huge markets (LA, for example) that seemingly aren't affected. We don't know what's going on, but we've reached out to AT&T for comment and we'll let you know what's up as soon as we do.

AT&T having HSPA upload speed problems in some markets originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video evidence of the iPhone 4 death grip — this time with real numbers

Filed under: iPhone

You wanted a demonstration? You got a demonstration; we've put together a video to show how the iPhone 4 antenna issue is not simply a result of Apple's miscalculation of how many bars are being displayed. Our own Erica Sadun wrote an iPhone app (at the suggestion of Engadget's Nilay Patel) to display the raw signal strength, the number of bars, and what Apple calls the graded signal strength. Erica's tests (see video above) show that the "Kung Fu grip of doom" results in the signal strength dropping to almost zero. According to Erica, removing her hand from the antenna gap brings the signal strength back to normal.

The Apple iPhone Bumper provides a cushion, but Erica's tests show that the death grip (otherwise known as holding the iPhone 4 normally in your hand, as shown in Apple's promotional video) can kill signal integrity even with the bumper installed, depending on the signal strength in your area. Marginal signal areas are affected most by antenna signal attenuation. Users in areas with strong reception will not see the same results.

It looks like Apple needs to 'fess up on this issue, and soon. NBC's Today Show brought up the antenna problem this morning, continuing to publicize the issue to a nationwide audience. They also cited the wave of YouTube videos from irate owners showing the grip issue. You can view the Today Show clip by clicking the Read More link at the bottom of this post.

Continue reading Video evidence of the iPhone 4 death grip -- this time with real numbers

Video evidence of the iPhone 4 death grip -- this time with real numbers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Video evidence of the iPhone 4 death grip -- this time with real numbers originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple Seeing Continued Strong Mac Sales on Little Cannibalization by iPad, iPod Sales Remain Lower

Silicon Alley Insider reports that Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster has released a new research note looking at NPD's data for Mac and iPod sales for April and May. According to Munster, Apple is continuing to see strong growth of Mac sale...

Vopium iPhone app adds Facebook integration

Vopium has released a new version of the its application for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, which promises significant savings on international calls.

Apple comments on iTunes fraud – dev banned, changed your password

Apple has responded to that bizarre incident over the weekend involving a glut of Vietnamese, copyright-infringing book apps rocking to best-seller status on the backs of hacked iTunes accounts.

The developer Thuat Nguyen and his apps were removed from the App Store for violating the developer Program License Agreement, including fraudulent purchase patterns.

Developers do not receive any iTunes confidential customer data when an app is downloaded.

If your credit card or iTunes password is stolen and used on iTunes we recommend that you contact your financial institution and inquire about canceling the card and issuing a chargeback for any unauthorized transactions. We also recommend that you change your iTunes account password immediately. For more information on best practices for password security visit http://www.apple.com/support/itunes.

Good advice for this incident, great advice in general. Also remember to never, not ever, click a link in an email and log into an account. That’s how social engineering attacks like Phishing scams work. Use a strong password (long, with numbers and symbols), keep it unique, and change it once and a while. Treat it as securely as you treat your credit card and cash — because that’s what it is.

[Engadget]

Apple comments on iTunes fraud – dev banned, changed your password is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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