News/Rumors

WWDC: Sold Out in 2 Minutes

Do Want to go to Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference? Hope you got in early because the event sold out in just two minutes.Passes for the conference went on sale at 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. Eastern, and were priced at $1,599. By just two minutes after the hour, the event was sold out. In comparison, last year it took about two hours for tickets to sell out.

In just 120 seconds, can you imagine that? Many would-be ticket buyers were unable to even reach the purchase page, instead getting stuck with error messages (probably due to the increased load on the servers).
WWDC tickets cost $1,599 and are non-transferable. So unlike concert tickets — where greedy buyers frequently try to resell tickets at a higher price later — the black market for WWDC tickets is quite small (unless you’re willing to legally change your name to appear as someone else).The five-day conference is scheduled to feature more than 100 technical sessions presented by more than 1,000 Apple engineers. WWDC 2013 will also include hands-on labs aimed at helping developers integrate new technologies, as well as the annual Apple Design Awards showcasing some of the most outstanding iOS and Mac App Store applications.

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Seeing as demand is so high, maybe its time for Apple to consider either a larger venue or multiple developer events around the world. WWDC is historically where Apple unveils its latest software efforts — and hardware sometimes makes an appearance too.

News/Rumors

How to use Passbook on iOS 6 Beta

The World Wide Developer’s Conference announced a brand new feature on the latest –generation of operating system iOS 6 and namely Passbook.  The app practically allows users to track multiple types of stubs, not to mention boarding passes, loyalty cards, movie tickets and coupons; all in all everything that has a bar code. Passbook is included in the 200 new features that will rock on iOS 6 this fall but the Beta version is available for developers from 11 June.

Working with Passbook needs individual entries to be set up and coded with the help of information but for those that wish to have access to it easily can manage to cope with it using a third-party website that creates iOS 6 Passbook passes.

  • First of all, open PassSource.com website on the gadget that has iOS 6 installed and select the type of pass you wish to create.
  • Fill all the spaces with accurate information and afterwards click “Create”. You will be displayed a .pkpass file that is compatible with the Passbook application.
  • When each item has been creates and selected, you can take full advantage of PassBook.

Rumors wonder around that the next generation of iPhone will include the NFC chip, meaning that Passbook could very easily be a Google Wallet alternative if it gets a payment processor like Citibank’s PayPass system for credit card transactions.

 

News/Rumors

WWDC 2012 Facts & Releases (Comic Magazine)

WWDC 2012 has come with new devices and operating systems that would surely make Apple chuckle over success:  OS X Mountain Lion that will be available in July for $19.99, iOS 6 being released this fall, brand-new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display and last but not least updates for the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro.

Check out the Comic for seeing comic facts from Apple’s WWDC backstage.

iPhone

How to use the new Do Not Disturb feature in iOS 6

The Do Not Disturb feature was introduced at WWDC 2012, a feature that practically informs your smartphone not to light up the screen or make a sound even though the messages and calls still come to the phone. You also select groups for the people that you wish to answer when you call.

iOS 6 is going to be released this fall but we managed to get our hands on screenshots with the steps that activate the new feature.

  • Enable Do Not Disturb – Go to Settings and Switch to ON the DO NOT DISTURB tab. When you wish to return to your busy life with calls and messages simply slide it OFF.
  • Schedule – You can choose to select the feature yourself,  which is Manually or By Time 
  • Select whether you wish to be called from Favorites/ No one/ Everyone – There are people in our life that you would answer even if called at 4 in the morning. The app has the advantage of permitting a selected group of people of calling out loud even if the feature in turned ON.
  • Turn repeated calls ON – If someone calls a second time in 3 minutes, the call will come through. This is very useful for emergency calls.
  • Select Groups – You can select the Groups that you wish to receive calls and messages even though the feature is enabled, and namely from All Contacts, Family, Friends and Work. 
News/Rumors

iOS 6 announced at WWDC instead of iOS 5.1.2. Features. Bugs Fixed. Compatibility

WWDC 2012 has come with new devices and operating systems that would surely make Apple chuckle over success:  OS X Mountain Lion that will be available in July for $19.99, iOS 6 being released this fall, brand-new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display and last but not least updates for the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro.

iOS 6 will come with 200 new features, one of the most important being Facebook Integration, Google Maps, Siri for the new iPad, Do Not Disturb, Passbook, Lost Mode etc. Although most of the expected features were unveiled at WWDC this Monday, everyone is wondering what happened to the rest of the predicted features & news and when will they be announced.

  • Support for the 3rd generation of iPod touch – It seems that Apple left apart any update in what concerns the iPod touch. It is likely for older products to be often left off without major updates- for example iPhone 3G and iPod touch second-generation have dropped support for iOS 5.
  • Support for the 1st  generation of iPad – The support for the first iPad model is beyond iOS 5 meaning that it will lack all the shiny new features, including the virtual personal assistant. The third generation of iPad is going to get the new operating system is July, possessing Siri; it’s the second device after the iPhone 4S that would let Siri take full advantage of its functions. Apple has not confirmed why the first iPad model has been left aside, maybe because it couldn’t have coped with the 3D maps, being a requirement too big for the hardware.
  • iOS iCloud, based app for Notes and Reminders – This feature would have synced-up data from apps in iCloud and afterwards moved it devices that possessed the same Apple ID. Any gadget running iOS 6 could have taken advantage of the feature and it would have operated just like iTunes and Photo Stream.
  • iPhone 5 release date – 2009’s WWDC came with the 3GS and the event from 2010 announced the launch platform for iPhone 4. Apple used to provide iPhone gadgets in summer but from the release of the iPhone 4S, Apple changed their method. And because of their Secrecy is in Apple’s DNA, they didn’t say a single word about the next generation of iPhone or when it’s coming on the market. In 2011, Apple has waited until October to detail the iPhone 4S and finish iOS 5.

Apple comes with fixes for Notifications in iOS 6:

Remember the times when your Notification Center on iPad was full with notifications even though you have already checked them on another Apple device? In iOS 6 Apple has managed to fix the bugs so now clearing Notification on one gadget automatically does the same thing on an iPhone. Syncing on iOS 5 seemed quite annoying due to the fact that notifications would rise at the end of the day and you would have Notification Center empty on one device and full on other. iMessage seems the most suitable example in what concerns the bug.

Monday at WWDC, Apple has made the announcement for Messages coming to OS X Mountain Lion and it’s expected to have seamless integration between iMessage on both operating systems, iOS and OS X.

Compatibility : iOS 6 limits FaceTime over 3G to iPhone 4S and the new iPad

Introducing a new feature that will be limited to gadgets running A5 chip or later because FaceTime over 3G will only be coping with iPhone 4S and the latest generation of iPad. Users that have a previous version of Apple devices will still have to connect to Wi-Fi for connecting to FaceTime video chat call.

The iPhone 4 won’t be enjoying FaceTime over 3G, turn-to-turn navigation & Flyover when the iOS 6 arrives but at least it would have access to shared Photo streams. Shared Photo Streams will only be available for devices that cope with iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion so 3GS would be left aside. Not to mention the fact that the iPhone 3GS will also lack iOS 6 Mail application and Flagged smart mailboxes, only iPhone 4 or later and iPad 2 or later would “get their hands” on the features.

News/Rumors

News about iPhone 5 not unveiled at WWDC but features released will be integrated in the new iPhone

WWDC has come with brand new details about iOS 6, OS X Mountain Lion, new MacBook Pro with Retina Display and updates for MacBook Air and MacBook Pro.

iOS 6 came with an impressive number of 200 new features, like Facebook Integration, Google Maps, Lost Mode, Do Not Disturb feature, Passbook and so on and so forth.  It’s almost 100% possible that the next generation of iPhone, namely iPhone 5 would come with the latest operating system iOS 6.

Facebook is now the second most popular social network that gets official iOS integration. Twitter was integrated in iOS 5 and now Facebook is also “on loose”. You have the advantage of getting “tap to post” form Notification Centre so now there is no need for firstly going into the app for writing a new status. You’ll never miss a birthday again thanks to friends’ birthdays automatically integrated into your calendar.

Google Maps: We stated in May that “Google Maps software that is running on iOS since 2007 will no longer be of service for Apple because a brand new Maps app featuring an Apple background will rock the market” and it seems that Apple did just the thing, it provided a new map app called Google Maps that provides traffic services, turn-to-turn navigation and FLYOVER.

Advanced Siri: Apple must be working really hard to make Siri chuckle over success on the new iPhone mentioning the fact that the personal assistant was integrated into the new iPad and in one year it will be integrated in 8 different car brands, namely BMW, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Audi, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda.  

iOS, News/Rumors

Update: iOS 6 News at WWDC 2012- FaceTime will now run over 3G and 4G

We stated before the WWDC that 3G FaceTime is one of the expected features of iOS 6 among Siri API, Maps app instead of Google Maps, Facebook Integration and so on and so forth.

If you were to establish a FaceTime call with Wi-Fi active on iOS 5.1.1, turning off the “Enable 3G” would put you forward to „Disabling 3G may end FaceTime. Are you sure you want to disable 3G?”. It’s seen as a proof that Apple will come with 3G support to FaceTime. Disabling 3G does not interrupt FaceTime and video calling will still work with Wi-Fi interrupted. The fact was first noticed by iDevice, the Romanian Apple website.

When the user attempts to turn 3G on, he would be he would be encountered by “Enabling 3G will end your phone call. Are you sure you want to enable 3G?” The fact is that neither of the two warnings will interrupt the FaceTime video call. The FaceTime feature was first revealed on Apple gadgets in 2010 with the launch of the iPhone 4. Afterwards it was introduced on Macs, iPads and iPod touch. 

At WWDC, Apple  announced that Facetime will now run over 3G and 4G cellular connections. FaceTime calls can be answered from both Mac and iPad with the new update and both phone number and Apple ID are being unified by Apple. The last news in what concerns FaceTime is the phone number is also being integrated into iMessage.

News/Rumors

Update: Safari receices Baidu support at WWDC 2012

We predicted earlier that Apple wil introduce an update that integrates the search mechanism from Chinese Baidu into the new operating system. The news came from no other than a Baidu product manager who argued that the company has made an arrangement with Apple to be the one that introduces the integration.  If you were to think better, it all seems logical due to the fact that Baidu is so powerful in China’s search and Apple’s sales in China are growing each day.

Such an agreement would provide Baidu an outstanding share of the country’s iPhone users. Statistics highlight the fact that Apple received a profit of $7.9 billion from Chinese users during the first quarter of 2012 and other reports show that Apple’s sales have reached 6.2 million gadgets between January and March this year. 

At the WWDC conference, Apple integrated Baidu into the OS X Mountain Lion, allowing Safari to get better support for Chinese users, including a Chinese dictionary. 

iOS, News/Rumors

WWDC 2012: iOS 6 – Facebook Integration, FaceTime, PassBook & Lost Mode

The first day of the expected WWDC is over and it come with a lot of devices and features that would surely make Apple chuckle over success. Apple has finally announced the new operating system for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple TV. It will be available for iPhone 3GS and later, the 2nd- and 3rd-generation iPad, and the 4th-generation iPod touch this fall and it’s stated that not all the features presented at WWDC will be available on all products. Developers can get their hands on the Beta version starting from today, 11 June.

Features unveiled:

Siri- Siri gets update for iPad and restaurant selecting made by rating: you can use OpenTable from Siri’s interface to book a tablet in a blink of an eye. The virtual assistant has now the power to launch apps, so just utter the name of the app and it will open in seconds. Also, Siri got support for quite an impressive number of languages, including Chinese and Korean.

Facebook Integration

Facebook is the second popular social network that gets official iOS integration. Twitter was integrated in iOS 5 and now Facebook is also “on loose”. You have the advantage of getting “tap to post” form Notification Center so now there is no need for firstly going into the app for writing a new status. You’ll never miss a birthday again thanks to friends’ birthdays automatically integrated into your calendar.

Do Not Disturb feature

Apple introduce the Do Not Disturb Feature that practically tells your phone not to disturb you.

“I can see many of you are like me and you’ve been awakened in the middle of the night — this tells your phone not to bother you. The messages will still come to your phone; it just won’t light up the screen or make a sound.”

“You also get fine grain control over which phone calls you can receive.” This is nice — you can also do groups. “You can also set up repeated calls — if someone calls a second time in 3 mins, it will come through.”

Passbook

iOS comes with a brand new app called Passbook, being described as “the simplest way to get all your passes in one place.” Deal with boarding passes, rewards cards and movie tickets, practically with everything that has a bar code. 

Google Maps: Turn-to-turn navigation and Flyover

The new maps in iOS 6, namely Google maps are said to come along with traffic services and turn-to-turn navigation. 

Lost Mode

Apple has introduced an advanced version of Find my iPhone, the lost mode that practically allows the owner to send a number to the phone and the person that finds it merely has to tap a message for calling the owner back. I wonder if all those that find devices would return them.