Apple Preparing to Seed Developer Builds of Mac OS X 10.6.5

MacRumors has received word that Apple is gearing up to begin seeding certain developers with builds of Mac OS X 10.6.5, the fifth maintenance release for Mac OS X Snow Leopard. While the release has und...

Jailbreaking iPhone Is Now Legal In The US

1Password gets cloud syncing

Users of 1Password for Mac and 1Password Pro for iOS can now synchronize their passwords with their Macs, iPhones, and Windows PCs securely via Dropbox.

27-Inch LED Cinema Display Coming Tomorrow Alongside iMacs and Mac Pros?

Mockup of existing 24" LED display (left) next to 27" model (right)
In announcing the return of his podcast talk show, the plugged-in John Gruber slyly hints, as he is wont to do, that Apple may be set to release a new 27-inch 16:9 wid...

Neon Wallpaper Creator 3.0 Released – 640*960 Enabled for iPhone 4’s

Released in June 2009, Neon Wallpaper Creator has been the Number 1 best-selling iPhone/iPod touch customizable Wallpaper application worldwide since late July 2009, has been an Apple Staff Favourite, and rated 4/5 by MacWorld. Its unique feature is the ability to customize the device using a choice of text effects; to create personalized wallpapers (or [...]

Manga Rock 1.1: The best iPhone/iPod touch Manga Reader just gets better

Not A Basement Studio today announces the release of Manga Rock 1.1- the leading manga reader on iPhone and iPod touch. Manga lovers now truly can enjoy reading manga anytime, anywhere they want. Manga Rock is highly recommended for all manga fans around the globe, as quoted from a review of 148Apps: “Manga Rock is [...]

Jailbreak iPhone 4, Glass back, Free case, iPhone/iPod touch games and apps – From the Forums

The TiPb forums are naturally a great place to talk, commiserate, celebrate, get help, and offer advice to your fellow iPhone users. In order to create a new thread of your own or reply to any of the existing threads, you must be a registered member. Becoming a member is easy and free so if you haven’t already head on over and register now!

• If you are waiting for a jailbreak for iPhone 4 what is the number one thing you are looking to get out of it?

• Wondering why Apple chose to use glass for the back of the iPhone 4? So are a lot of our other members in this thread.

• Last week Apple allowed all iPhone 4 owners the chance to select a free case. Which did you choose?

• If you’d like to discuss all of the latest and greatest iPhone and iPod touch games and apps this is the place to do it – iPhone Apps and Games forum.

See you in the forums!

Jailbreak iPhone 4, Glass back, Free case, iPhone/iPod touch games and apps – From the Forums is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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What Jailbreaking/Unlocking DMCA exception means for end users

The Library of Congress’ DMCA exception for jailbreaking is big news for our community.  The new ruling basically says that jailbreaking or unlocking devices is not illegal.  But I think the bigger question on most people’s minds is what that’s going to mean for end users and the jailbreak community in general.  So what does this ruling mean for you, jailbreak ninjas? Read on to find out.

Now we all know the iPhone has its shortcomings. Every smartphone does. In the iPhone world, we jailbreak to compensate. Android users may root their phones to side load apps. We also have a big issue (mainly in the US) where unlocking your phones is frowned upon. Users have cried foul for a long time. Logically, if you buy an iPhone outright in the states, you should be free to take that phone to whatever carrier you’d like. Yet they’re still locked down to AT&T for state-side users.

Today’s ruling is definitely a step in the right direction and a huge hurdle for groups like EFF, but how it will effect end users right “now” still remains somewhat unclear.  Now keep in mind, as of now, this is strictly my opinion. What I’m taking from this is that Apple or any other phone manufacturer will not be able to sue you or take legal action for jailbreaking or unlocking your device. Does that mean they have to be okay with it or aid you in doing it? Absolutely not.

What about warranties?

In my opinion, I don’t think anything will change (as of now). Apple will still have the same stance on modifying your iOS devices and the risks involved.  I can’t image it would be hard for apple to play off a software malfunction on user error or the fact that you downloaded an application that was not approved or isn’t supported by them.  What if you have a hardware issue?  That should be a little different.  Apple shouldn’t be allowed to deny you hardware repairs solely based on the fact that you are jailbroken.  I’ve read in forums several times that users would attempt to exchange white iPhones for hairline cracks and get turned away because their device was jailbroken.  I’d really like someone at Apple to explain to me how being jailbroken caused a crack in the casing.  Other users have said they swapped their phone just fine.  I’m assuming this probably depends upon what store you go to and how much the genius really pays attention to the phone before performing a swap.  Either way – I don’t see this ruling changing the way Apple handles servicing jailbroken or unlocked devices.

Unlocking

Users have long been unlocking devices and taken them to other GSM carriers such as T-Mobile.  If this becomes a common practice, I’m curious to see how carriers will handle that.  Honestly, I don’t think they will.  They’ll refer you to the manufacturer.  And if that carrier happens to be Apple, if you don’t have a valid AT&T SIM, I still think you’ll have a hard time getting them to service your phone.

If unlocking becomes a standard practice are users can buy unlocked devices to take to whichever GSM carrier they’d like, then Apple would not have the software argument to hide behind, nor would any manufacturer.  AT&T offers unlock codes to users who have been on contract for a specified period of time for pretty much every device in their lineup, except the most popular ones.  And obviously, that includes the iPhone.

Cat & Mouse

The Dev Team and jailbreaks have long played the cat and mouse game with Apple.  A jailbreak is released, a couple months later, an update to iOS is released, it breaks the jailbreak or patches the exploit.  Jailbreakers go back to the drawing board and find yet another exploit.  And the cycle continues.  I don’t see any end to this either.  Apple may not be able to sue you, but they sure don’t have to like it or condone it.

Conclusion

So my opinion? I don’t think a thing will change for end users, as of right now anyways.  Apple can still choose not to honor warranties, they just can’t take legal action, given you aren’t using a jailbreak for unlawful purposes.  Around these parts, we fully support the jailbreak community, without supporting those who use it for illegal purposes.  It’ll be interesting to see how Apple and other manufacturers respond.  But in the mean time, what do you guys think?

What Jailbreaking/Unlocking DMCA exception means for end users is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Pottery HD for iPad- app review

Pottery HD is a unique virtual clay pottery app that can really only be done on the iPad. It shows what an enterprising developer can do with a large multitouch interface. This game is fun and relaxing.

When the game first launches, I was caught a little off guard as I had no idea what to do. You have a “Create” button and that is it. So, I started to create, experimenting with the controls. You can make the clay taller and shorter, wider and thinner. That’s about it. So, I made a pot and fired it up in the kiln. When it was done, it gave me an option to sell it. I thought to myself, “Who is going to buy it?”. As it turns out, no one regretfully as it is all virtual. Once I sold my pottery I earned some virtual money. At the main menu a new feature appeared, “Shop”. Now I had access to paints and brushes. I had a new feature appear as well, “Inbox”. So it appears that as you play the game you are given different objectives; unique pieces of pottery to make. You can reference the photo given to you and once you make it, you can send it off to the virtual requestor. You can play Pottery HD independent of the virtual quests and just have fun adding lots of different pottery creations to your collection. If you like, you can even share these creations with friends via email.

I have had a lot of fun with this game, however, I left it me wanting so much more. For example, I would like a way to regulate the spinning of the pottery wheel; it stays at a constant speed. Also, you can’t add or remove clay either. It would be great to add globs of clay to truly make your pottery any size you want, but instead, you are limited by the vertical size of the screen. The biggest enhancement I would like to see is the ability to share online. The marketplace is limited to a virtual settings, you can’t see other users creations. This is such a wasted opportunity in my opinion.

Overall I really enjoyed Pottery HD, but it’s glaring lack of features and options lend me to recommending only for the most casual of users.

[$4.99- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Pottery looks beautiful
• Sensation of actually making pottery
• the Inbox adds hours of creative fun if you are stumped on what to make

Cons

• Not completely fleshed out with features (missing ability to control clay wheel rotation)
• No Internet- based way to trade with others

Pottery HD for iPad- app review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Review: Real Tennis HD for iPad

Real Tennis HD is a valiant attempt at doing too much without focusing on the few basic elements that really make or break a game. The title's problematic control mechanism overshadows what could have otherwise been a good tennis simulator.

Library of Congress rules in favor of jailbreaking

Filed under: iPhone

Today, the Library of Congress has ruled in favor of both jailbreaking and unlocking phones according to an Associated Press Statement published on the New York Times. The Library of Congress statement can be found here if you'd prefer to read the original. The Washington Post has also picked up this story.

This ruling responds to an EFF petition, one opposed by Apple, that maintains the current status quo, allowing iPhone owners to continue both practices, and pushes things even further. Jailbreaking allows iPhone owners to download third party applications outside of Apple channels and unlocking offers a way to use iPhones on third party GSM networks, typically T-Mobile.

Continue reading Library of Congress rules in favor of jailbreaking

Library of Congress rules in favor of jailbreaking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Library of Congress rules in favor of jailbreaking originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jailbreaking officially granted DMCA exemption

The U.S. Librarian of Congress has issued the latest round of exemptions from the DMCA's anti-circumvention measures, and among them are an exemption for jailbreaking.

RocketBoy offers blam blam blam fun

Filed under: iPhone

RocketBoy 2D from PowPowGames (great and appropriate name!) is a bloody, graphic side-scroller shooter game for the iPhone. It's also amazingly well realized with a strong design aesthetic that's sure to please both visually and through its sound design. The graphic designer did a bang-up job (pun reluctantly intended) creating a coherent visual feel that tickled my fancy. Despite its juvenile look, RocketBoy 2D is not for kids. I meant it when I said "bloody". Watch the video.

Continue reading RocketBoy offers blam blam blam fun

RocketBoy offers blam blam blam fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

RocketBoy offers blam blam blam fun originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AT&T to Fix iPhone 4 Upload Speed Issues Over Next 2-3 Weeks

Reuters reports that AT&T is planning to roll out fixes for a software defect that has hampered upload speeds for iPhone 4 and other users in a number of markets over the next two to three weeks. Users b...

Library of Congress adds DMCA exception for jailbreaking or rooting your phone

This is a wild one, and we're still parsing through the announcement, but on the surface it looks like the Library of Congress has added new anti-circumvention exceptions to the DMCA that, among other things, allow people to tweak their handsets for the purpose of installing legally obtained software -- known as jailbreaking in iOS land, and rooting in the Android / webOS world. Check out the full statement from the Librarian of Congress, which is mostly an update of existing exceptions on record, after the break, but here's the primary excerpt:

Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.

Now, before all you EFFers go all totally wild (although it's undoubtedly a win for the EFF line of thinking on this issue), you should know that this in no way requires Apple to jailbreak your phone for you, or lay down its arms in this ongoing fight. Basically, they just can't sue you for the specific act of breaking their protections, but there's nothing stopping them from putting those protections in there in the first place, or for suing you for an infringement not covered in this exception -- like distributing Apple code in a non-Apple-approved way, or installing illegal or pirated software. Not that any of you jailbreakers would ever do that. What's more, the DMCA still broadly forbids distributing to the public any "technology, product, service, device, component, or part thereof" that's primarily designed to break access controls, so Apple can always go after the Dev Team directly -- and we'd still keep those dreams of opening Joe's Jailbreak Hut on ice for now.

On a more minor note, the language pertaining to unlocking a handset to work on another wireless network has also been expanded from "firmware" in 2006 to "firmware or software" in the 2010 revision. Also, and very exciting for the YouTube set, the section pertaining to cracking a DVD video and excerpting scenes for commentary or criticism has been expanded beyond educational use into documentary and non-commercial applications.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Continue reading Library of Congress adds DMCA exception for jailbreaking or rooting your phone

Library of Congress adds DMCA exception for jailbreaking or rooting your phone originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Library of Congress adds iPhone, iPad Jailbreaking exception to DMCA

Did the Library of Congress just add a DCMA exception for Jailbreaking? Why yes they did:

Computer programs that enable wireless telephone handsets to execute software applications, where circumvention is accomplished for the sole purpose of enabling interoperability of such applications, when they have been lawfully obtained, with computer programs on the telephone handset.

Engagdet lays out what it means and — more importantly — what it doesn’t:

you should know that this in no way requires Apple to jailbreak your phone for you, or lay down its arms in this ongoing fight. Basically, they just can’t sue you for the specific act of breaking their protections, but there’s nothing stopping from putting those protections in there in the first place, or for suing you for an infringement not covered in this exception — like using Apple code in a non-Apple-approved way, or installing illegal software. Not that any of you jailbreakers would ever do that.

Rooting Android is also covered, and both firmware and software are now in the language.

[Engagdet]

Library of Congress adds iPhone, iPad Jailbreaking exception to DMCA is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Incipio Executive Foleo for iPad- accessory review

This week I am taking a look at the Incipio Executive Folio black leather case for iPad. This case not only looks good but is super thin. There are no pockets in the case other than the area to slip in your iPad. The flap secures with a tab of leather that tucks into a leather loop.

The fact that this case uses real leather is nice; no “pleather” here. You can smell it as soon as you take the case out of the packaging. The inside is a very soft suede. I feel very safe sliding my iPad in and out of it. Since it is so soft, it slides in smoothly too. Sometimes with these types of cases the iPad won’t slide in smoothly and can get stuck on a corner, etc. I have not found that to be the situation here.

The only concern I have with this case is that the leather tab that closes the external flap is only sewn on in two places. It feel that over time, it might easily tear. My case has not torn, but if you watch the video, I show you what I mean.

Overall, this is a slim case that will protect your iPad from daily bumps and grinds. There is not any real padding for falls, but it seems to had handled the daily abuse I was able to give it just fine.

The Incipio Executive Folio black leather case for iPad is available now from the TiPb iPad accessory store.

Pros

• Slim
• Genuine leather
• Soft suede interior

Cons

• I feel over time the latch may tear

Incipio Executive Foleo for iPad- accessory review is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

U.S. Government to Explicitly Allow iPhone Jailbreaking [Updated x2]

The Associated Press briefly reports that the U.S. government has defined new rules that will permit users to "jailbreak" their iPhone and skirt Apple's App Store ecosystem to add unapproved third-party a...

Things Touch for iPhone gets alarms, multitasking

This powerful task manager for iPhone and iPod touch has just received the big iOS 4 and iPhone 4 update, including multitasking, Local Notifications, and high-resolution graphics for the iPhone 4's Retina Display.

Analyst firm says iPads to overtake netbooks by 2012

With its iPad capturing 6 percent of the portable PC segment in the second quarter of 2010 Apple will continue lead the media tablet market through at least 2011.