Barron’s is reporting that OmniVision will supply the CMOS sensors for two cameras in the next generation iPad 2 — a 5MP camera on the back and a VGA quality camera on the front.
OmniVision (OVTI) will supply CMOS image sensors for a second-generation Apple (AAPL) iPad that will launch in the calendar first quarter of 2011
A second generation iPad 2 would most likely be introduced early 2011, perhaps in April like the original. With cameras would come FaceTime support. Now that Apple has opened up FaceTime to the iPod touch and Mac, we could be looking at a huge surge related to mobile video calling.
In addition, Barron’s went on to suggest that the iPhone could sell up to 23 million units within Q1 2011 based on build orders, and pointed to the increasingly likely Verizon iPhone selling over 6m units alone. This could make the 14.1 million iPhone units last quarter seem rather puny by comparison.
So what about you, do you see yourself using FaceTime on the iPad once the next revision hits the streets? Let us know what you think in the comments!
[Barron's]
by Andrew Wray
iPad 2 to include two cameras, FaceTime [rumor] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
The IDC’s Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker claims that Apple’s record Q3 this year was exactly what it needed to bypass RIM and take over the fourth spot on their list of global mobile phone vendors. Apple is currently still behind, Nokia, Samsung and LG according to a report from Business Wire. Apple has been a dominant force in mobile phones since the introduction of the original iPhone 3 years ago but has never been able to sneak into the top 5 list of global mobile phone vendors. Their arrival into the top 5 knocked out Sony Ericsson devices the first time since IDC started this survey back in 2004.
IDC senior research analyst had some interesting thoughts on this achievement by Apple:
The entrance of Apple to the top 5 vendor ranking underscores the increased importance of smartphones to the overall market. Moreover, the mobile phone makers that are delivering popular smartphone models are among the fastest growing firms.
Apple has clearly dominated in terms of growth year-over-year as well, shooting up just over 90% while the next closest competitor, RIM, grew just under 46%. Nokia and Samsung are still a considerable amount ahead of Apple as far as market share goes but LG is slowly declining which could allow for Apple to eventually slide into the number 3 position.
[ Market Watch ]
by Brian Tufo
Apple Passes RIM to Become No. 4 Global Mobile Phone Vendor is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
With Cydia currently not giving new users the ability to save their SHSH blobs it seemed like a good time to go over how to save your SHS blobs with an alternative, TinyUmbrella. An SHSH blob or ECID SHSH is basically a unique signature which is checked against Apple servers whenever you decide to restore the firmware on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Once a new firmware is released, Apple stops signing the older firmware, hence making it impossible to restore back to the older firmware from iTunes. So, YOU MUST SAVE YOUR SHSH WHILE APPLE IS CURRENTLY SIGNING THEM.
Now to “why is it important to save your SHSH blobs”: The creator of Cydia has setup a new server which basically mimics Apple’s verification server and can save your older signature (SHSH blob) so that you can downgrade or restore back to the older firmware. This is important because if you don’t have your SHSH blob saved, and accidently update to new firmware, you’ll loose your jailbreak and furthermore, you wont be able to downgrade back to older firmware to re-jailbreak your device.
Now while Cydia will probably once again start letting you save your SHSH blobs on the server automatically by using the “Make my life easier” button, a utility has been released which allows for both saving blobs on the server and locally and also for restoring older firmware via iTunes. You can also use TinyUmbrella to save your SHSH without being Jailbroken and for the currently signed firmware even if your iDevice is using a lower firmware.
You can download it here: TinyUmbrella
Look for version you need on right hand column.
Instructions for saving your SHSH
- Download and run TinyUmbrella and make sure your iDevice is detected.
- Check “Advanced Options.”
- Under “Device / Version,” select the firmware version you want to Save (You can only restore to versions that have SHSH saved).
- Click on “Save my SHSH.”
- Repeat to save other firmware hashes if you wish.
- Now, click on “Display SHSHs.” It should listed all hashes you have saved on your computer for all your iDevices.
Instructions for restoring:
(Make sure you have saved your SHSH blob locally using method above. If not, repeat the method above for the firmware you wish to restore to.)
- Backup iDevice in iTunes and then close iTunes.
- Open TinyUmbrella and make sure you dont get any errors on startup or else you will need to make sure that port 80 is open and that your host file is not set to Read-Only.
- Click on Start “TSS server,”
- Download firmware you wish to restore to from here: iPhone/iPodTouch
- Open Itunes and use the Shift/Option + Restore method to choose the firmware file you wish to restore to (Upgrade button cannot be used)
- After your firmware is restored you might get a 1004 error. Not to worry, simply click “Kick Device out of Recovery” if you get it.
- Restore Settings from Backup in iTunes and sync.
Done! If you have any questions or need any help, head on over to our Jailbreak Forum.
by Farbod
How to save your SHSH blobs with TinyUmbrella [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Apple has shown an increasing interest as of late in creating stainless steel devices that are more durable to everyday wear and tear, and have been experimenting with an external coating of nitride to make this possible.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has published information relating to Apple’s latest invention of a new application which they call “Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products.” This describes a cost-effective system that would include placing a layer of nitride on top of the stainless steel exterior to help it wear better over time. The application reads:
In addition to providing a durable, hard surface that is both scratch and impact resistant, the nitride layer allows for the natural surface color and texture of the underlying stainless steel to remain visible to the user. It is this natural surface color and texture of the stainless steel that adds to the aesthetically pleasing appearance of the consumer electronic product, thereby enhancing the user’s overall experience.
This concept would allow the look and feel of the stainless stell to be maintained while at the same time providing greater protection against scratches and other wear and tear that devices face on a day to day basis. It’s also desireable because it is non-magnetic and would be less likely to inhibit 3G wireless signals as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. We all know this is rather important after the infamous antennagate Apple faced with the release of the iPhone 4.
[ Apple Insider ]
by Brian Tufo
Apple Going Towards Stainless Steel With A Nitride Coating? [Patent Watch] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
It looks like hackers have had their hands on the iOS 4.2 beta 3 for iPad long enough to jailbreak it. Last night, well-known iOS hacker @iH8sn0w tweeted a picture of an iPad running MobileTerminal, a jailbreak app giving the user full access to the terminal command line interface. From iH8sn0w:
Yay! iPad 4.2 b3 jailbroken — Weird that MobileTerminal runs in simulator
Going along with Apple’s normal beta schedule, it would seem they missed the beta 4 release window this past Tuesday. This could signal that Apple may skip beta 4 altogether and go straight to a GM build sometime next week. (Maybe that’s connected to the stealth developer summit Apple is rumored to be holding in Cupertino next week?)
So what does this all mean? Once Apple releases iOS 4.2 there will likely be a jailbreak available shortly (if not immediately). No need to worry about having to wait before you upgrade to if you’re a dedicated jailbreaker!
Will you be jailbreaking your iPad once 4.2 hits? Let us know in the comments!
[@iH8sn0w]
by Andrew Wray
iOS 4.2 for iPad already Jailbroken is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
As previously announced, Verizon and AT&T have started selling the iPad today. AT&T is selling iPad Wi-Fi + 3G at the standard pricing for both device and data plan. Verizon is offering the wifi-only iPad bundled with their own Verizon MiFi, for more flexible, if less integrated 3G connectivity.
Once again, the bundle prices are:
- 16GB iPad and MiFi – $629.99
- 32GB iPad and MiFi – $729.99
- 64GB iPad and MiFi – $829.99
Data Prices (per/month):
- 1GB – $20
- 3GB – $35
- 5GB – $50
Since the AT&T iPad is pretty much what we’ve had all along, we’re more interested in asking if anyone will be opting instead for a Verizon iPad + MiFi this holiday season?
by George Lim
iPad now on sale at Verizon, AT&T is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
A new reports suggest that 54% of all video online is now HTML5 compatible (mostly H.264), which means it’s iPad, iPhone and iPod touch compatible as well. Here are some of the discoveries from MeFeedia:
- 54% of web video is now available for playback in HTML5, with H.264 being the dominant video format.
Mobile is driving HTML5 video adoption. HTML5 video is the most common format for mobiles, including iPhone and iPad.
- Publishers and platforms now offer iframe embeds, allowing them to switch players dynamically depending on the access device.
- Alongside mobile growth, we expect that most video sites will follow this trend.
This is awesome news for iOS users, and signals a dramatic shift in online video playback from just 10% penetration in January of this year. Looking at the numbers a bit further, HTML5 video has more than doubled in numbers since May at just 26%, and further suggests a rapidly growing trend of major online outlets integrating HTML5 video into their sites.
Although Flash is still the dominant video playback method, could HTML5 video soon be overtaking Adobe in the streaming video space, and will it be driven mostly by iOS devices? Daring Fireball points to an interview between Robert Scoble and Starbucks CIO Stephen Gillett, where Starbucks chose to go HTML5 rather than Flash simply to support iOS devices.
Does knowing this make you miss Flash on the iPhone any less, or do you still want your Flash video and want it now?
[MeFeedia]
by Andrew Wray
iPhone, iPad friendly HTML 5 video penetration hits 54% is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
In the past Cydia has given the option to “Make my life easier” which automatically saved SHSH blobs on the Cydia server, but since the release of limera1n and greenpois0n, this option has disappeared and your saved SHSH blobs are not shown on the Cydia front page. The Cydia server is still up and running, and any SHSH blob that you saved previously is still saved. Also TinyUmbrella, which uses the Cydia server, still works perfectly and should be used to make sure your 4.1 SHSH blobs have been saved.
My guess is that with the huge flood of jailbreaks and Cydia downloads during the past couple weeks, Saurik decided to turn this feature off for the time being in order to save bandwidth. Fear not, your blobs are still safe and this feature should return soon…
[TinyUmbrella, image via ipodtouchfans]
by Farbod
Cydia no longer giving new users the option to save SHSH blobs [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Building on yesterday’s story of Apple announcing they wouldn’t be releasing the white iPhone 4 until Spring 2011 comes new rumors that they’ve cancelled the phantom shade indefinitely, and will not be making it available whatsoever. BGR reports:
According to a previous source of ours, we have been told that Apple in fact has no plans to release the white model iPhone 4.
With all of the mixed reports we’ve been seeing on the white iPhone lately, we don’t know what to believe anymore. It’s possible that, due to the timeline and events played out so far, Apple may just wait until the iPhone 5 is released in summer 2011 before officially bringing the white iPhone to the table.
What do you think? Will we ever see it? Do you even care anymore? Sound off in the comments below!
[BGR]
by Andrew Wray
Rumor: White iPhone 4 just never going to ship? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Apple has launched their online store for China, a streamlined store that includes the iPhone, iPod, iPad and Mac product lines. The store also includes free shipping, an option for custom engravings on your iPod or iPad, and it is also the only place online where you can currently grab the iPod Nano in the (PRODUCT RED) variant. From Apple COO Tim Cook:
We are thrilled to open our newest online store in China. With personalized engraving, configure-to-order options and free shipping on everything, the Apple Store is a great destination for our customers in China.
To top it off, Apple has made their App Store available in Simplified Chinese, making it easier for citizens of China to access the 300,000+ apps available for the iPhone and iPod touch (or at least as many of them as are offered in China).
Slowly but surely, Apple is extending their offerings throughout Asia, one of the biggest consumer electronic markets on the planet, and should have 25 more retail stores in China by the end of 2011.
But in the land of cheap-as-in-unlicensed Windows PC and Android variants we’ve never heard of, will it be enough? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
[Apple]
by Andrew Wray
Apple opens online store for China is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
MusicDog, a completely free music streaming app, is now available via Cydia. Version 1.3 only works on iOS 4.x. and features include:
- Multitasking support
- A growing library with over 100,000+ tracks that can be searched and bookmarked
- Album Art
- “What’s Hot” and “Recently Added” lists
- iPod and remote headset control
The app requires you to make an account by adding an email address and password before you are ready to go.
Along with GrooveShark, MusicDog adds to the growing number of streaming services available only though Jailbreak. Do these types of services make you more likely to Jailbreak your iPhone? Does it put pressure on Apple to get their own iTunes streaming service off the ground? Let us know what you think by leaving a comment below or discuss it in our brand new Jailbreak Apps Forum!
by Farbod
MusicDog for iPhone brings free streaming music app to Cydia [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Apple has announced that the now seemingly mythical device known as the white iPhone 4 will not grace us with its presence until next spring. Apple spokesperson Trudy Muller:
We’re sorry to disappoint customers waiting for the white iPhone yet again, but we’ve decided to delay its release until this Spring.
This just after we told you how Apple teased us all with promises of reserving a white iPhone 4 at your local retail store. Clearly this is not the first time the white iPhone 4 has been delayed, nor do we know if it will be the last.
Those of you still waiting for a white iPhone 4, will you keep waiting, get a black iPhone 4 instead, or just give up and see if a white iPhone 5 ever decides to grace us with its presence?
[ Reuters via All Things Digital ]
by Brian Tufo
White iPhone 4 delayed until spring 2011 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
After rumors that Apple attempted to block Spotify from entering the US market, now there’s a suggestion they might just be negotiating with the Swedish-based streaming music startup over a possible acquisition. TechCrunch reports:
“Apple and Spotify are in on-again, off-again discussions about an acquisition, but at best it’s very early in the process. No firm price has been offered, no term sheet tabled. Still, it’s interesting that the two are talking.”
Now, it’s important to understand that these rumors are just that — rumors — and as such, you should be taking this with a massive data center-sized grain of salt. However it’s still rather interesting to hear that these two clashing companies have been in possible talks.
Apple purchased Lala late last year, a streaming music service similar to Spotify, and many were under the assumption that Apple might create an online iTunes music service with streaming and possibly subscriptions. Now Lala has closed and there’s still no iTunes.com in sight.
What do you think, should Apple buy another streaming music company? And if Apple did buy Spotify would anything come of it, or would it disappear as fast as Lala? Sound off in the comments!
[TechCrunch]
by Andrew Wray
Apple in early stage negotiations to buy Spotify? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Last night Apple updated the Apple Store app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad and decided to tease us by including what looks to be white iPhone 4 reservations as part of the new functionality.
The caveat to this, however, is that not everyone is seeing the white iPhone 4 listed, and even if you do, when you try and reserve it you get a popup stating they are not taking reservations for that product at this time.
So given that it is still not available to be reserved but that Apple updated their app to include the white iPhone 4 does this mean we will be seeing them sooner rather than well…never?
If you’re using the Apple Store app, let us know if you can see the white iPhone 4, if you can whether it lets you try and reserve one at your local store, and whether or not you’re having your dreams crushed with a notification saying unable to reserve?
[ iTunes Link via BGR ]
by Brian Tufo
Apple updates Apple Store app, teases white iPhone 4 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Apple is now offering free iPad engravings, just in time for the holidays. Apple have always offered free ‘personalised’ iPod engravings, however, this marks the first time Apple have unveiled the same laser-engraving program for the iPad.
Like iPod engraving, the iPad engraving is available at no additional cost and you can add up to 2 lines of text. However, it will increase the shipping time by 1-3 days.
Will you be buying an iPad with personal engravings, this holiday season?
[store.apple.com]
by George Lim
Apple now offering free iPad engravings is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
VLC has been updated as a universal app that now supports iPhone as well as iPad. The update is now available in the iTunes App Store and allows you to:
- Watch natively unsupported videos on your iPhone or iPad (WMV, AVI etc)
- Open natively unsupported video attachments from emails/internet
- Open natively unsupported videos from other apps, like Dropbox
VLC also allows you to sync your favourite videos to your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad without having the need to convert them.
[ Free - iTunes link, thanks to everyone who sent this in! ]
by George Lim
VLC for iPhone now available in the App Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
It looks as if there’s yet another Phone.app security hole, this time in iOS 4.1 that allows someone to get around a passcode locked iPhone, gain access to the owner’s contact list, make calls and send emails to anyone in said contact list. From MacStories:
“To reproduce the bug, make sure to have a passcode lock turned on and lock your device. In the lockscreen, tap on Emergency Call in the lower left corner. Now type a non-existent emergency number, I tried #946494. Start the call, and as soon as the red button appear hit the sleep button. You’ll be brought to the contact list.”
The issue will most-likely get patched by Apple in the 4.2 update coming later this month, but it’s not the first time the emergency call screen has been exploited. Both iOS 2.1 and iOS 2.0.2 suffered from passcode lock bugs. Hopefully Apple pays extra attention and really secures Phone.app this time.
We were able to recreate the issue in the video above. Any readers out there seeing the same results? Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments below!
[MacStories]
by Andrew Wray
iOS 4.1 security flaw allows calls to be made on passcode locked iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
The new Apple data center located in Maiden, North Carolina, is expected to begin its operations “any day now” according to local officials. Amidst Apple getting ready to begin production inside the massive 500,000 sq. ft. data center, rumors have been milling around the internet stating that Apple plans on doubling the size of its already massive data center.
A local realtor, Bill Wagenseller, posted an aerial video of Apple’s facility had these comments to share:
Though there has been no official announcement, I discovered that site work is being performed and it clearly appears that there may be some truth to the speculation.
This new data center is what many are saying will be the heart of Apple’s new cloud-based services which will allow users to store files such as their iTunes libraries on Apples servers as to stream them to all their devices.
Are you excited about possibly getting to utilize the cloud soon to store your files or does the cloud experience have you nervous about leaving all of your files in the hands of Apple and their servers?
[ Data Center Knowledge ]
by Brian Tufo
Apple’s massive data center about to open, could double in size is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
Earlier this morning it was outline how Hollywood stars and producers alike have been quick to adopt the Apple iPad to help with their day-to-day work.
J.J. Abrams, Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk, director and producers for shows like LOST, Fringe and the Cloverfield movie respectively, have specifically been using the iPad as a main assisting component when
working with Transformers executive-producer Robert Orci last month
while laying down the sequel to the last Star Trek movie.
“When you’re carrying a little TV around, you bring the power of
imagery to places that you don’t normally have it,” Mr. Orci said in
an interview.
In addition to big-time writers and producers using the iPad to help
with their work, it looks like many actors — like Dana Delany who
will be starring in “Body of Proof” on ABC — have been utilizing the
iPad to help with things like rehearsals and script revisions. Heck,
even the sound guys are getting in on the action.
“The iPad is the must-carry accessory on sound stages this season,
visible behind the scenes of television and film shoots and in
business meetings.”
With the amount of product placement for the iPad (2,438 appearances
on TV in September alone) and attention from the likes of major
Hollywood players mentioned above, how quickly could the iPad
take over most day-to-day tasks at the workplace? How have you been
using the iPad at work, specifically? Let us know in the comments!
[ NYTimes ]
by Andrew Wray
Hollywood actors, writers, and producers putting iPad to work is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
UK supermarket chain Tesco, have reported that they are experimenting on a new shopping experience, using your iPhone and iPad. They are already trialling a “scan-as-you-shop” system, in a store in Romford, Essex using specially developed handheld scanners. These are used to scan your shopping as you walk around the store, and you can just simply check out at the cashier. Nick Lansley, head of Tesco’s research and development, said that these scanners are likely to roll out nationwide in early 2011. Lansley also added, that his team are looking into implementing similar technology into iPhones and iPads.
The R&D department set about deploying the same technology to an iPhone. We wanted to prove that we could do it without any real change to our checkout systems.
There are several wireless access points in the ceilings of Tesco stores, which staff already use for communication with each other. He explains that using these wireless access points, they can determine where the customer is located in store, which can then be used to navigate them to specific products, or show the user relevant offers in the isle they are currently in. Unfortunately, he added that reflections from certain things within the store, like metals and shelving, may disrupt these signals, however his R&D would look into resolving this.
Are there any TiPb readers who think they would highly benefit if this was implemented in their local supermarket?
by George Lim
UK Supermarket Tesco experimenting with iPhone and iPad shopping experience is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.
TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog
