• apple,  ios,  iphone,  sprint,  troubleshooting,  upgrade

    iOS 6.1 Upgrade on my iPhone 4S Has Just Gone BOOM! [Updated]

    January 28, 2013 /

    Earlier today, Apple released iOS 6.1 as an 85MB OTA update for my Sprint iPhone 4S.  Sweet!  That is until I run the upgrade and my iPhone ended up in “Recovery Mode”.

    I’ll post periodic updates as I work through this issue.  The iPhone 4S is my first iPhone, I was a Palm Pre user before getting my iPhone in October 2011.  There have been a few OTA iOS updates since then, and they have all gone smoothly.  I’m not sure why this upgrade failed.  Naturally, I’m holding off upgrading my iPad 3 until I figure out what’s going on.

    If you have found yourself in the same situation, or want to learn more about Recovery Mode, check out Apple’s support page on the subject.

    Update 5 – 5:45am:

    The OTA iOS 6.1 upgrade for my iPad 3 installed without any issues.

    Update 4 – 9:00pm:

    The iOS 6.1 recovery install from iTunes 11 running on my MacBook completed successfully.  Everything is back to normal and my iPhone 4S is ready to get back to work. Crisis averted.

    Update 3 – 8:30pm:

    The iTunes 11 download for iOS 6.1 is *finally* complete and I’m about to plug my iPhone 4S into my Mac – hopefully getting this update show back on the road and my iPhone back into working condition.  It sucks as a paperweight.

    Update 2 – 7:30pm:

    Well, we’ve got about 60% of iOS 6.1 downloaded and about another 45 minutes to go.  I haven’t found any posts online yet to indicate that this is a wide spread issue.  I may just be ‘lucky’ tonight.

    Update 1 – 6:50pm:

    I’m downloading the iOS 6.1 update so I can install it on my iPhone and get it working again.  According to iTunes 11, the 920MB download will take about 85 minutes to complete the download.  Looks like it’s going to be a long night.

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  • apple,  galaxy III,  iphone,  rumors,  samsung,  wsj

    Rumor: Apple Working on Less Expensive iPhone Model

    January 9, 2013 /

    According to an article that appeared in today’s Wall Street Journal, Apple is rumored to be working on a lower cost version of their popular iPhone smartphone.

    “Apple is working on a lower-end iPhone, according to people briefed on the matter, a big shift in corporate strategy as its supremacy in smartphones has slipped” reports the Journal.

    We’ve heard rumors of cheaper iPhones before along side rumors of an “iPhone mini”, however, it seems that this time around, Apple is taking a closer look at finally selling a high and low-end iPhone.  Up until now, Apple has favored keeping around the previous two years models as their less expensive purchasing options.

    Here in the United States, customers typically purchase wireless carrier subsidized phones.  That means, that the newest iPhone, the iPhone 5, starts at $199, last year’s iPhone 4S is $99, and the two-year old iPhone 4 is now free.  These prices all require that you purchase a 2-year service agreement.  If you chose to purchase an iPhone without a service contract, a 16GB iPhone 5 will cost you $649,  a 16GB iPhone 4S will cost you $549, and an 8GB iPhone 4 can be had for the low-low price of $450.  Not exactly “cost effective.”

    Now, factor in that in many other countries, wireless carriers do not subsidize the purchase cost of smartphones.  Customers have to pay the full price up front, but have the option of changing carriers without the hassle of early termination fees and other lock in tactics that U.S. carriers use to keep people tied to their service.  Suddenly those prices look insane for customers to purchase with the current global economic situation.

    Making matters worse for Apple, Samsung has had an amazing year selling their Galaxy-line of smartphones in China and emerging markets.  At the end of 2012, Samsung was estimated to have about 31% of the worldwide smartphone market compared to Apple’s 14.6%.  To put a finer point on it; the iPhone generates about 48% of Apple’s total annual revenue.  Any perceived slowing or decline in Apple’s global share is likely to send investors running for cover.

    So, what might we expect from Apple should they decide to go to market with new version of the iPhone that will be less expense?  The Journal has this to say:

    “Apple has been considering a less-expensive iPhone since at least 2009, viewing it as a way to grab market share and introduce people to the brand, said people familiar with the efforts. 

    Before the launch of the iPhone 4 in mid-2010, the company developed designs for cheaper phones that were very similar to the iPhone at the time but had a less expensive back and sides, one of the people said.”

    You can read the full article online. (Subscription maybe required.)

    [Via Wall Street Journal…]

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  ipod touch,  jailbreak

    Auxo Tweak Revolutionizes iOS App Switching

    December 23, 2012 /

    Tech blogs are abuzz this weekend because of Auxo, a new iOS 6 tweak for jailbroken iPhones, iPads, and iPod touch handsets.

    Auxo, developed by @Sentry_NC, is a replacement application switcher for iOS.  There are two main features of Auxo which really grabbed my attention.  The first is a new card-like interface to show you which applications are running on your iOS device.  The second, a feature that I really like on smartphones running Google Android, are a sort of widget-like toggles for features that you normally have to go hunting for in the Settings control panel.

    iDownloadBlog.com recently posted a video demo of Auxo running on an iPhone 4S.  Below are some screen captures from the video which we link to below.

    These first two photos show the new app switcher interface.  The standard iOS app icons have been replaced by smaller versions of the app icons with a thumbnail of the application state.  This is really kind of cool in a webOS kinda of in that it shows you what the application is ‘doing’.

    These next photos show more detail in to the other key feature of Auxo, iOS control widgets.

    The first image in this set shows the replacement iPod music controls and the second image shows the regular Rotation Lock control, and three new controls that allow you to quickly toggle Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and cellular radios on/off.  Auxo also allows you to have two rows of four controls.  In the last screen shot, the red arrow points to the two ‘page’ indicators that you see elsewhere in iOS, like in the Home screen.

    [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4Q_97exnJk]

    Auxo is an unofficial tweak for iOS 6 devices.  Because Auxo is a tweak, and not an ‘official’ app that comes from Apple’s App Store, you must be running a ‘jailbroken’ device and install the software from the Cydia app store.  Auxo will be a paid tweak, however reports say that the cost will be ‘reasonable.’  The developers are suppose to be working on an iOS 5 port now.

    Auxo, Jailbreaks, and Staying Competitive

    I have to say that I’ve always been a member of #TeamPure and up until now, I have not seen a tweak that would make me consider jailbreaking my iPhone 4S or iPad 3.  There has been a growing call from bloggers and ‘geeks’ (ie: not your average consumer) that iOS needs a major features shake up with iOS 7 that is expected to be released late in 2013, and I’m starting to come around an agree with that sentiment.  Google’s Android and to a lesser extent, Microsoft’s Windows Phone, are putting up a strong challenge to Apple’s mobile platform.  With iOS 7, Apple needs to start ‘borrowing’ ideas from their rivals and making some ‘strategic’ code acquisitions from the iOS jailbreak community if they want to stay competitive.  I hope that Tim Cook, Jonny Ive, and the rest of the Apple team setting the direction for iOS in the wake of Scott Forstalls stepping down as the head of iOS development really take a look at what’s going on with other mobile operating systems and look to them for inspiration on new features and improvements in iOS.

    [Via iDownloadblog.com…]

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  • app store,  apple,  games,  ios,  ipad,  ipad mini,  iphone,  ipod touch,  microsoft,  playstation,  sony,  xbox

    Karateka Returns to Delight a New Generation of Heroes

    December 22, 2012 /
    Back in the mid-1980’s I was introduced to the Apple //e and a I fell in love with computers and technology.  The first real game that I played back in 1984, after Apple Presents…Apple, was Karateka.

    For those of you who don’t remember, or may not have been around back then, Katateka is game focusing around an evil warlord who has captured the princess and the tasks falls on you to save her.  Pretty straight forward.

    Fast-forward to 2012 and Karateka has been reborn on the iOS, PlayStation, XBox Live, and Steam.  The game has been updated to run on today’s popular gaming platforms and looks amazing all the while staying true to it’s 8-bit Apple //e roots.

    This time around, you must still save the princess, however, you are given three warriors with which to save her: the warrior, the monk, and the brute.  You battle your way into the warlord’s fortress, fight his minions, battle his hawk, and then fight him to save your true love.

    After finding Karateka on the Apple iOS App Store, I immediately purchased the game and started playing on my iPhone until the battery died.  Then I picked up my iPad and kept playing.

    Gameplay is simple and easy to learn.  In combat, you have two moves: block and attack.  The controls are pretty easy to master.  You tap the screen to block an attack and you tap the screen to attack.  New in this version of the game there is the ability to double-tap the screen to use a special move that allows you to stun your opponent and unleash a powerful combo attack that shaves a good amount of hit points off his health meter.

    I found the new Karateka true to it’s 1980’s original.  Yes, the game has been updated with new graphics and new characters, but at it’s core, it’s still the same game that I loved as a boy.  Personally, I think that it’s a tribute to the care and detail that went into remaking Karateka.  I have played some other ‘reboot’ games on iOS this year, and with all of them, I came away longing for the originals.  No so with Karateka.

    If you’ve played Karateka before you will find this version familiar and fun to play.  If you are new to Karateka, hopefully, you will have found a new game to play that is fun to play.

    Karateka is available now from the Apple iOS App Store (link) and sells for $2.99.  Karateka for iOS is a universal application and will play on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  Before you buy, make sure you have a supported device as the game only plays on the iPhone 4S and newer, iPad 2 or newer, including the new iPad mini, and the iPod touch 5th generation.  Karateka is also available now on Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network, and Steam.  The console editions sell for about $9.99.

    For more information about Karateka, check of the game’s website.

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  • apple,  ios,  itunes,  itunes store,  mac,  mac os x,  windows

    Apple Posts Redesigned iTunes 11

    December 2, 2012 /

    Last week, Apple released iTunes 11, the next major upgrade to the company’s media management and iOS device sync software for Mac and Windows PCs.

    It has been widely reported about the new features of iTunes 11 with it’s iCloud integration, cleaner design layout and improved iTunes Store layout.

    Love it or hate it, iTunes 11 has a new design layout that is a big departure from all previous versions of  iTunes.  New users may find the changes welcome, but for long time users like myself, who have been using iTunes since version 1.0, the changes can be a little bit disorienting and a little confusing.

    No problems.  To get a more familiar view of iTunes back, turn on the iTunes Sidebar.

    Just use the View > Show Sidebar menu command or press Option + Command + S on your keyboard.

    Oh, and there is also a small side benefit; in the iTunes 11 Sidebar, the colored icons are back!

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  • android,  apple,  google,  ios,  ipad,  iphone,  microsoft,  office,  office mobile

    Microsoft Office Mobile Coming to iOS, Android Early 2013

    November 7, 2012 /

    The Verge is running a breaking story that Microsoft will be releasing versions of the new Microsoft Mobile suite for Apple’s iPhone, iPad, and Google Android devices in early 2013.

    “Microsoft’s Office for iPad, iPhone, and Android is a reality. Although Office Mobile has been rumored and reportedly spotted in the wild, Microsoft has remained persistently quiet about its plans for the product. The Verge has learned through several sources close to Microsoft’s plans that the company will release Office versions for Android and iOS in early 2013.”

    [Via The Verge.com…]

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  • apple,  imac,  mac,  mac mini,  mac os x,  mountain lion

    Apple Refreshes the iMac, Mac mini

    October 24, 2012 /

    Apple also, today, updated the iMac and Mac mini computers.

    SAN JOSE, California—October 23, 2012—Apple® today unveiled a completely new iMac® with a stunning design, brilliant display with reduced reflection, and faster processors.* With third generation Intel quad-core processors, powerful NVIDIA graphics and an innovative new storage option called Fusion Drive, the new iMac is the most advanced desktop Apple has ever made. 

    “With a stunning design, brilliant display and faster performance, we’ve made the world’s leading all-in-one desktop computer better in every way,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “The all-new iMac is unbelievably thin, yet packs an incredible amount of performance and technology into our most innovative desktop.” 

    Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high-performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure with up to 40 percent less volume than its predecessor and an edge that measures just 5 mm thin. Built with an unprecedented level of fit and finish, the new iMac delivers an amazing desktop experience in a gorgeous design. The new iMac also features a completely reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent while maintaining brilliant color and contrast. In the new design, the cover glass is fully laminated to the LCD and an anti-reflective coating is applied using a high-precision plasma deposition process. Every iMac display is individually color calibrated using an advanced spectroradiometer. 

    Apple also updated the Mac® mini with third generation dual-core Intel Core i5 and quad-core Intel Core i7 processors that are up to twice as fast and have integrated graphics that are up to 65 percent faster.** Mac mini comes standard with 4GB of 1600 MHz memory with support for up to 16GB. Retaining its amazingly compact aluminum design, the new Mac mini now includes four USB 3.0 ports in addition to its Thunderbolt, HDMI, SDXC, Gigabit Ethernet, and FireWire® 800 ports.

    Pricing and Availability

    The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US); and with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US). The 21.5-inch iMac will be available in November through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    The 27-inch iMac is available with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US); and with a 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US). The 27-inch iMac will be available in December through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    The Mac mini is available with a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $599 (US); a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 4GB of memory and a 1TB hard drive for a suggested retail price of $799 (US); and a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, OS X Server, 4GB of memory and two 1TB hard drives for a suggested retail price of $999 (US). The Mac mini is available today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    For more information about the new iMac and Mac mini family of computers, visit the Apple Mac website.
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  • apple,  mac os x,  macbook pro,  mountain lion

    Apple Introduces 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display

    October 24, 2012 /

    Today’s Apple event wasn’t just about iPads.  Nope.  Apple also introduced new Macs too, including the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

    SAN JOSE, California—October 23, 2012—Apple® today introduced an all-new version of its popular 13-inch MacBook® Pro featuring a stunning Retina™ display and all flash storage in a new compact design. At a mere 0.75 inches and 3.57 pounds, the remarkably portable 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is 20 percent thinner and almost a pound lighter than the current 13-inch MacBook Pro. 

    “The 13-inch MacBook Pro is our most popular Mac, and today it gets completely reinvented with a new thin and light design, fast flash storage and a gorgeous Retina display,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “With vivid colors, razor sharp text and more pixels than anyone else’s 15 or 17-inch notebooks, the Retina display completely changes what you expect from a notebook.” 

    The new MacBook Pro packs more than 4 million pixels into its 13-inch Retina display, nearly twice the number of pixels in an HD television. At 227 pixels per inch, the Retina display’s pixel density is so high the human eye is unable to distinguish individual pixels at a normal viewing distance, so images look sharp and text looks like it does on the printed page. With four times the pixels of the current 13-inch MacBook Pro, you can view and edit video in pixel-accurate 1080p and see a new level of detail in high resolution images. The 13-inch Retina display uses IPS technology for a 178-degree wide viewing angle, and has 75 percent less reflection and 28 percent higher contrast than the current generation.

    Pricing and Availability

    The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is available with a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.1 GHz, 8GB of memory and 128GB of flash storage starting at $1,699 (US); and with 256GB of flash storage starting at $1,999 (US). Configure-to-order options include faster dual-core Intel Core i7 processors and flash storage up to 768GB. Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at apple.com/macbook-pro. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is available today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

    The full press release for the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display can be found on the Apple website.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad

    Apple Introduces the New Fourth Generation iPad

    October 24, 2012 /

    In a surprise turn of events at today’s iPad mini announcement, Apple also refreshed the 9.7-inch iPad, replacing the third generation “new iPad” with what I can only half-jokingly refer to as the “new-new iPad”, but in actuality, is now referred to as “iPad with Retina display.”

    Apple today also announced the fourth generation iPad featuring a gorgeous 9.7-inch Retina™ display, new Apple-designed A6X chip, FaceTime HD camera and ultrafast wireless performance. Both iPad mini and fourth generation iPad come with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features. 

    The new fourth generation iPad features the amazing 9.7-inch Retina display and includes a new Apple-designed A6X chip that delivers up to twice the CPU performance and up to twice the graphics performance of the A5X chip, all while delivering an incredible 10 hours of battery life in the same thin and light iPad design. Other new features include a FaceTime HD camera, twice the Wi-Fi performance when compared to previous iPad models and support for additional LTE carriers worldwide.

    So basically, the new iPad 4, as I’ll call it, replaces the 6-month old iPad 3, and bumps the processor and graphics capabilities of the iPad.  The iPad 4 also includes support for Apple’s new charging and accessory port, Lightning, and replaces the old 30-pin connector that has been used on iDevices for the last 10 years.

    Pricing and Availability

    The fourth generation iPad with Wi-Fi models will also be available on Friday, November 2, in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model.

    For more information about the new iPad 4, visit the Apple iPad website.

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  • apple,  ios,  ipad mini

    Apple Introduces the iPad mini

    October 24, 2012 /

    Earlier today, at an event in San Jose, California, Apple introduced the world to the new iPad mini.

    SAN JOSE, California―October 23, 2012―Apple® today introduced iPad® mini, a completely new iPad design that is 23 percent thinner and 53 percent lighter than the third generation iPad. The new iPad mini features a stunning 7.9-inch Multi-Touch™ display, FaceTime® HD and iSight® cameras, ultrafast wireless performance¹ and an incredible 10 hours of battery life²―every inch an iPad, yet in a revolutionary design you can hold in one hand.  

    “iPad mini is every inch an iPad. With its gorgeous 7.9-inch display, iPad mini features the same number of pixels as the original iPad and iPad 2, so you can run more than 275,000 apps designed specifically for iPad,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPad mini is as thin as a pencil and as light as a pad of paper, yet packs a fast A5 chip, FaceTime HD and 5 megapixel iSight cameras and ultrafast wireless―all while delivering up to 10 hours of battery life.” 

    iPad mini comes in a beautiful new aluminum and glass design that is just 7.2 mm thin and weighs only 0.68 pounds. The 7.9-inch Multi-Touch display delivers the same iPad experience users have come to expect, in a design that has 35 percent more screen real estate than 7-inch tablets and up to an astonishing 67 percent more usable viewing area when browsing the web. The dual-core A5 chip delivers responsive graphics and a fast, fluid Multi-Touch experience, while still providing all-day battery life. 

    Like the three previous 9.7-inch versions of the iPad, the new iPad mini will come in black and white models with or without cellular LTE version.

    In addition to the iPad mini, Apple also announced a new line of Smart Covers for the new iPad

    Pricing and Availability

    The iPad mini will go on sale for pre-orders this Friday, October 26.  iPad mini will go on sale at Apple Stores and other Apple authorized retailers on Friday, November 2, at 8:00am.  The iPad mini Wi-Fi + Cellular models will go on sale on an unspecified date in November.

    iPad mini will sell for $329 in the 16GB Wi-Fi only configuration and go up from there following the same pricing structure for incremental storage capacity and LTE cellular.

    For more information, visit the Apple iPad mini website.

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