iPhone, News/Rumors

Weak iPhone sales reported by Cricket/Leap

Six months after it started carrying the iPhone, U.S. regional carrier Cricket reports that it will only purchase half of its first-year commitment of iPhones by June 2013, reports BGR. Back in June 2012, Cricket started carrying the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S after committing to buy at least $900 million worth of iPhones from Apple over the life of its deal with Apple. It got the iPhone 5 a week after it launched on the major U.S. carriers.

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“The carrier revealed that it is on pace to purchase only half of its first-year commitment from Apple through June 2013. The information in the filing contradicts earlier statements made by the company’s chief financial officers Jerry Elliot. The executive previously said that “sales of Apple devices were pretty good in the fourth quarter” and the carrier wasn’t concerned about meeting its commitment with Apple.”
Cricket is generally considered one of roughly half a dozen “super-regional” carriers in the United States, with more than 5 million customers. The carrier offers a nationwide network through roaming agreements and its prepaid model offers simple pricing with no activation fees or overage charges. Following the launch of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S on its network, Cricket rolled out Apple’s latest iPhone 5 on Sept. 28, one week after the handset started sales with major carriers AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.

Under Cricket’s pay-as-you-go pricing, customers pay $55 per month for an”unlimited” plan that includes talk, text and data. The carrier offers wireless voice and mobile data services over 4G LTE and 3G CDMA through Leap. As of September 2012, Cricket was servicing over six million subscribers.

iPhone, News/Rumors

13 MLB stadiums will now accept Apple’s Passbook

MLB aficionados will sure like this news regarding the grand old game. Major League Baseball announced on Tuesday that it will adding nine new locations to the roster of ballparks that accept digital tickets stored and presented through Apple’s Passbook iOS app. It appears MLB is following the overall push toward digital with the added compatibility, as digital ticketing services like those supported by Apple’s Passbook move further into the mainstream.

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As noted by GigaOm, the 2013 season will see the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, Oakland Athletics and Pittsburgh Pirates join the San Francisco Giants, New York Mets, Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals in supporting Passbook tickets. Three more teams have signed on, but are not yet ready to make an official announcement, the MLB said.
MLB fans can use the free MLB.com At Bat app to purchase tickets and store them in Passbook until game day.

According to MLB CEO of Advanced Media Bob Bowman, iOS device owners account for 70 percent of users for the free version of At Bat, with that number “shrinking every day” with the rise of Android. In comparison, however, the $20 in-app upgrade, which brings added features like live game coverage and tie-ins with MLB.TV subscriptions, is largely dominated by IOS users. Currently, iOS At Bat users account for 85 percent of the for-pay app’s subscribers, a stat that Bowman said is “slowly” changing. The 2013 MLB regular season kicks off on Sunday, Mar. 31, with the Astros hosting the Rangers.

iPad, iPhone, News/Rumors

Apple’s iPhone and iPad claim top ranks in enterprise device activation

Apple’s various iPhones and iPads accounted for eight of the top ten devices activated by enterprise entities for the fourth quarter of 2012, with the current iPhone lineup taking the top three spots. Good Technology’s quarterly Device Activations Report for quarter four 2012 found that Apple’s iOS garnered nearly 77 percent of all activations for the sector, up from 71 percent. In comparison, Google’s rival Android mobile platform dropped from 29 percent of activations to 22.7 percent over the same period.

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For the study, Good, which provides security mobile device, app and data security, analyzed activations across its network of over 4,000 corporate customers, which includes half of the Fortune 100.

Apple was clearly dominant during the three-month period, with the iPhone 5 itself accounting for roughly nearly one third of all device activations. The iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 followed, showing a slight increase bump in activations for the quarter attributed to the annual price drop Apple employs when a new flagship model is released. Rounding out the top five was Apple’s third-generation iPad and the iPad 2. Android’s top performer was Samsung’s Galaxy S III, which netted six percent of total device activations, good enough for sixth place.
Apple has shown its charisma to the public is still at the top. Even with the rampant selling of android phones and tablets, Apple is still going strong and there is no sign that it will stop. Apple is clearly dominating the market with its innovative design and savvy iDevices.

iOS, Jailbreak, News/Rumors

Latest iOS 6.1.3 update will kill Evasi0n

“All good jailbreaks must come to an end,” Andy Greenberg reports for Forbes. “Late last week Apple released an update for iOS to developers in beta that prevents the use of the popular jailbreak software evasi0n, according to one of evasi0n’s creators who tested the patch over the weekend, David Wang,” Greenberg reports. “Wang tells me that he’s analyzed the 6.1.3 beta 2 update and found that it patches at least one of the five bugs the jailbreak exploits, namely a flaw in the operating system’s time zone settings.”

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Greenberg reports, “The beta update likely signals the end of using evasi0n to hack new or updated devices after the update is released to users, says Wang, who says he’s still testing the patch to see which other vulnerabilities exploited by the jailbreak might no longer exist in the new operating system. ‘If one of the vulnerabilities doesn’t work, evasi0n doesn’t work,’ he says. ‘We could replace that part with a different vulnerability, but [Apple] will probably fix most if not all of the bugs we’ve used when 6.1.3 comes out.’”

Released less than a month ago, Evasi0n was quickly adopted by users wanting greater control over system-level device functions usually reserved for Apple’s first-party apps. It was reported in early February that the jailbreak had been downloaded over seven million times in just four days. Evasi0n was dealt a temporary setback when iOS 6.1.1 was released in mid February, but a subsequent jailbreak version was swiftly issued to bring back support for all iOS devices, including Apple’s flagship iPhone 5 and new iPad mini.

iPhone, News/Rumors

iPhone 5 again a Best-Seller ?

According to the latest stats data Apple’s iPhone 5 was the best-selling smartphone in the world in Q4 2012.

History repeats itself: you remember when the iPhone 4S overtook Samsung’s flagship. This time the iPhone 5 took the crown from Samsung Galaxy S III. Now let’s get down to figures: Samsung shipped 15.4 million Galaxy S IIIs, while Apple shipped 17.4 million iPhone 4S units and 27.4 million iPhone 5 units in Q4 2012.

“Samsung’s Galaxy S3 has long proven wildly popular with consumers and operators across North America, Europe and Asia. However, global demand for the Galaxy S3 appears to have peaked and Samsung will surely be keen to introduce its rumored Galaxy S4 upgrade in the coming weeks to fight back against Apple’s popular iPhone range,” said Executive Director at Strategy Analytics Neil Mawston.

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As for the terms of  market share, the iPhone 5 currently holds 12.6% of the global market, followed by iPhone 4S with 8% and Samsung Galaxy S III with 7.1%.

Accessories, iPhone

“New” Lightning Cable And Updated In-Ear Headphones

Last month a shorter 0.5 Thunderbolt cable was released. In fact Apple made some minor updates in its accessories department. Now the company offers an even shorter 0.5 meter Lightning to USB cable for $19, which is still the same price as the normal 1.0 meter cable. Here there question arises: why you should pay the same amount of money for less cable, but there you go.

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As for in-ear headphones, they have also been updated, but not in the way you would think. The remote/mic has been slightly redesigned to match the look of the EarPods. Apple’s in-ear headphones haven’t received a major update since 2008. They sell online for $79 with free shipping.

iPhone, Jailbreak

Evasi0n 1.3 already available for iOS 6.1.1

on Tuesday the Evad3rs team presented an update for the Evasi0n jailbreak tool, fixing bugs found in the initial software while adding support for the Apple’s iOS 6.1.1 mobile operating system just one day after its release.

Apple’s release of iOS 6.1.1 on Monday broke compatibility with the software hack, but version 1.3 brings back support for all iOS devices, including the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Apple’s iOS release targeted battery life and 3G issues seen by some iPhone 4S users, and was not meant to patch the Evasi0n exploit.

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After launching last week, version 1.3 of the Evasi0n jailbreak is now available to the public, allowing iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners to liberate any device running iOS 6, 6.1 and 6.1.1.
Numerous reports noted that Evasi0n was downloaded over seven million times in four days. Thus, this very version is the most popular in iOS history.
Available on OS X, Windows and Linux, the infinite hack allows users to jailbreak their devices without having to connect to a computer.
It should be noted that the process of jailbreaking is legal, but will void the supplied Apple warranty as it leverages exploits in the iOS software to run unauthorized code.

Accessories

Silicone case for iPhone 5

Cygnett makes great silicon cases, and the Bulldozer is no exception. This case looks good, feels good, and fits the iPhone 5 well to boot. If you’re ready to expose your iPhone to drops, bumps, or other impact, the Bulldozer is a fine option for protecting it.

Cygnett presents its $20 Bulldozer case for the iPhone 5: it offers “extra-protective silicone.” The Bulldozer case is designed to be impact resistant, and it may seem that developers were inspired by bulldozer tracks.

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The case envelops the iPhone 5 snugly and fits securely, and thanks to its rubbery flexibility, it’s a breeze to put on and remove. There are press through button overlays for the volume and sleep/wake controls, and cutouts around the mute switch, speakers, Lightning port, rear camera and flash, and headphone jack.

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The Bulldozer is shipped with a microfiber cloth, an adhesive screen protector, and a slim applicator card for putting that screen protector on without air bubbles.
Because the Bulldozer extends past the iPhone 5’s screen a bit, it affords some screen impact protection: If the phone falls screen-side down, the case’s lip should absorb the brunt of the impact.
The Bulldozer’s textured silicon is grippy, though I was surprised it didn’t do more to prevent the case-clad iPhone from sliding around on flat surfaces. The iPhone certainly feels less slippery in the Bulldozer than it does in the nude, but I expected a more pronounced increase in tabletop friction.

 

Accessories, iPad, iPhone

PlugBug World for everyone

PlugBug World is an international version of the popular Twelve South PlugBug. PlugBug World brings the dual charging convenience of PlugBug to Mac users everywhere. PlugBug uses the clever trick of attaching to any Apple MacBook Power Adapter by replacing its attached plug or extended power cord. When snapped into place, PlugBug not only allows for worldwide charging of MacBook, but also provides a separate 2.1-Amp USB charger for iPad/iPhone. Once attached, simply select your local plug, or use your extended cable, to power both your MacBook and iPad or iPhone from a single outlet. This powerful accessory is a lifesaver in locations where finding multiple wall outlets can be a challenge, and where charging your MacBook and iPad quickly is mission-critical to your next meeting or presentation.

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Made with the traveler in mind, PlugBug World has snap-on plugs for use in US/Canada/Japan, UK/Hong Kong/Singapore, Continental Europe, Australia/New Zealand and China. They’re available for purchase now, and Twelve South is picking up shipping costs in the US. International customers can get flat-rate shipping to most countries.

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Even if you’re not a world traveler, it’s great to have that extra USB port when plugging in a MacBook Pro. Its 10 watts of power is a gracious plenty for any iPad, iPod or iPhone — twice as much power as the 5-Watt charger for the iPad mini, for example. This extra power results in a faster charge.

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The PlugBug World uses a feature of Apple’s already clever charger design. The iPad and MacBook chargers are the same the world over, and ship with different AC plugs for different parts of the world. These tips are interchangeable between iPad and MacBook chargers, too, making Apple’s own travel charger set very handy indeed.

The PlugBug World is available now for $44.99 and the original, compatible with outlets only in the US, Canada and Japan is $34.99

iPhone, Jailbreak, News/Rumors

Long-awaited “jailbreak” of Apple’s iOS 6

A new software tool promises deep system access to the inner workings of the iPhone 5, as well as Apple’s latest devices, running the newest iOS.For the first time ever, iPhone 5 and iPad mini owners can jailbreak their device with the release of Evasi0n, the new jailbreak for Apple’s iOS 6 mobile operating system. The software itself runs on Mac, Windows, and Linux and can be used on all iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and iPad mini models.However this new, much-awaited tool continues to work even if you restart your iPhone or iPad, and also works with the iPhone 5.

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Once installed, users can install applications on their phone outside of Apple’s App Store using such stuff like Cydia. Some of those same software tweaks can also be used to make major changes: reskinning the operating system, adding extra functionality to your iproduct .