Haze for iOS launches, clears the visual clutter of weather apps (hands-on)

Haze for iPhone clears the visual clutter for weather apps handson

RoboCat and Taptanium aren’t fans of the typical weather app, which tends to bombard the user with numbers when they just need a heads-up as to whether it’s warm or likely to rain. Its newly launched Haze, then, is the potential antidote. The iOS app initially shows just the core temperature, humidity and hours of sunlight in different sections, with its namesake haze effect giving a clue as to whether conditions are trending up or down. If you need to know more, a tap expands the details, and a swipe down shows a 5-day forecast. There’s also a handful of elements that we seldom see in these apps, such as a direction-relative wind indicator, optional motion-driven navigation and visual themes. RoboCat hints to us that an iPad version might be on the way, although ports to Android and other platforms are more likely to depend on the early response.

We had the chance to give Haze a spin ahead of launch. It’s at least a refreshing take: there’s an appeal to exposing only the weather we want to see, and in a colorful way that never needs more than one hand to navigate. Compared to Apple’s default app, though, it’s at once providing more information and less. Haze is much better at supplying the current day’s conditions, but its forecasts don’t always reveal what’s happening — you’ll know the humidity is shifting on Tuesday, but not the likelihood of snow. Consider the app more of a single-day weather specialist in its current form and the 99-cent price ($3 after a promo period ends) is easy to justify.

Gallery: Haze for iOS

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Source: Haze, iTunes

Apple Plans To Fix iOS 6.1 Passcode Lock Bypass Exploit

Apple Plans To Fix iOS 6.1 Passcode Lock Bypass ExploitA flaw in the passcode lock in iOS 6.1 was revealed yesterday that allowed anyone to bypass it with very little effort in order to access the owner’s phone application to view voicemails, contact information and place calls. As a result, Apple has announced it is currently working on a fix that would help make its passcode lock feature function the way it should.

In a statement to CNET, Apple says the company ” takes user security very seriously.” They also say they “are aware of this issue, and will deliver a fix in a future software update.”

Apple didn’t give a timeline of when a fix to the passcode lock bypass in iOS 6.1 would be available.

iOS 6.1.1 was recently rushed to release in order to address issues iPhone 4S users were having with iOS 6.1. Those users complained of battery drain and 3G performance issues, but seeing how this is a major security concern, we’re hoping Apple releases the update much sooner to all iOS 6.1 users than they did with the release of iOS 6.1.1.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple Reportedly Pushing Out iOS 6.1.2 Early Next Week To Fix Passcode Exploit, Scosche Lightning Connector Cables Now Available,

Evad3rs member Planetbeing talks iOS 7 jailbreaking

The iOS 6 jailbreak is officially out and it’s had plenty of time to get into the hands of eager jailbreakers, specially 7 million of them. Now that the Evad3rs dev team has had some time to relax, one of the members was available to answer questions on Reddit today. Planetbeing, the hacker also behind the first jailbreak ever, discussed his thoughts on jailbreaking iOS 7.

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When asked if iOS 7 may possibly be harder or more easier to jailbreak than iOS 6, Planetbeing says that “it’s hard to say,” since he’s not quite sure what Apple will do, but he guesses that the next major version of iOS will be harder to jailbreak, and while the time it takes to jailbreak each major iOS version has kept rising, Planetbeing really isn’t sure how long it might take to get iOS 7 exploited.

He continues by saying that, when iOS 7 eventually comes out, the dev team will study it and see what they can do with it. He says that you “can’t really plan on” things beforehand, since it’s so difficult to know what to expect. Planetbeing says that it’s all a “specialized game with a steep learning curve.”

As far as what Planetbeing does when he’s not hacking into Apple devices, he actually works at a web analytics company for his day job, and as far as his free time, he says that “if jailbreaking is no longer possible,” he would most likely play all those Steam games he bought on sale that he never gets around to playing.


Evad3rs member Planetbeing talks iOS 7 jailbreaking is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

iOS and Android combine for 91% of smartphone market share

It’s certainly no surprise that Android and iOS are gobbling up most of the smartphone market share nowadays, with a few stragglers like BlackBerry and Windows Phone. Of course, if you needed proof, IDC has it. The research firm reported that iOS and Android have a combined 91% market share when it comes to smartphone operating systems.

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As far as how each operating system is doing, IDC’s report shows that Android’s Q4 2012 market share was 70.1%, while iOS took hold of 21%. BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Linux, and “Others” accounted for the remaining 8.9%, with BlackBerry coming in third at a measly 3.2% for the quarter. However, perhaps one of the most interesting facets from the statistics are the changes from this time last year.

During Q4 2011, Android had 52.9% of the market share, with Apple at 23%, so Android saw a big jump while Apple had a slight loss. However, BlackBerry dipped big time, going from 8.1% last year to 3.2% this year. Of course, that’s not a huge jump, but when you only own a slight portion of market share, each loss is crucial.

In total, smartphone shipments topped out at 227.8 million during the fourth quarter, which is a substantial jump from last year’s 160.8 million during Q4 2011. Of course, that’s not too surprising, given that smartphones are taking over. Samsung remained a big player this time around as well, accounting for 42% of all Android smartphones for the quarter.

[via Android Community]


iOS and Android combine for 91% of smartphone market share is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Android And iOS Capture 91.1% Global Market Share

Android And iOS Capture 91.1% Global Market Share

IDC has released its the latest numbers that it has gathered about the smartphone industry, and they show that Android and iOS have captured a combined 91.1% mobile operating system market share. While we all knew that they both accounted for the large majority of the market, the number remind us how much of an uphill battle it is for competitors like Windows Phone, Blackberry, Ubuntu mobile, Firefox OS and Samsung’s Tizen. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Mysterious Nokia Lumia Device Spotted In Lumia 920 Ad, Google Launches Nexus 4 Store Locator,

Infinity Blade free for first time ever, sale ends February 21

Infinity Blade, the popular sword slinger fantasy third-person game, is now free in the iTunes App Store for the first time ever. While it may seem like a Valentine’s Day special, the app was merely just chosen by Apple as its free App of the Week, a promotion series that the company started not too long ago. The app is available for free from now until February 21.

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Infinity Blade is normally priced at $5.99, so it’s definitely a good deal if you’ve ever wanted to try the game out but were never willing to shell out that much for it. It’s compatible for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, so any iOS user can get in on the fun and start slaying all those bad guys.

The game released in December of 2010 and acted as a flagship game of sorts for the iPhone, with Apple using it to show off the graphics of the then-just-released iPhone 4. While the game is now over two years and even has a sequel out, the original Infinity Blade is still considered an impressive specimen compared to today’s standards.

Overall, it’s one of the most popular games ever to hit the iTunes App Store. It was also the first iPhone game to use the Unreal Engine 3 technology that absolutely set the bar for graphics in mobile games. Infinity Blade has received almost 65,000 five-star ratings in the App Store, so it has no doubt seen its fair share of usage.


Infinity Blade free for first time ever, sale ends February 21 is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Kickstarter hits iPhone for hands-on mobile crowdfunding

It’s time for more Kickstarter fun and action than you can handle as the crowdfunding group brings on their very first mobile app for iPhone. This app will allow you to fund and follow projects galore as well as follow your friends – and the projects you’ve backed! You’ll be able to check all the newest and most powerful ideas in the land as well as watch your own funded projects flourish!

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This app has two sides to it – you can see it as a project backer or you can see it as a project creator. When you’re a creator, you’re able to connect with your backers with messages and updates. You can track your project’s progress on the back-end, and you can post updates from wherever you are in the world – all mobile-like!

You’ll first come across a list of Kickstarter “staff picks” when you enter the app, with several other list views available to you with a tap at the title of the list. From there you’ll be able to work with Popular projects, projects you’ve starred, and a collection of categories just as they’d appear on the full Kickstarter website. Art, Fashion, Technology, and the rest are all here.

This app is available for free from the iTunes app store right this minute and is optimized for iPhone – iPhone 5 display size included. Go grab it right this minute and let us know what you plan on backing first! Also have a peek at the timeline below to see recent Kickstarter-related stories to see what all the hubub is about!


Kickstarter hits iPhone for hands-on mobile crowdfunding is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Kickstarter acknowledges that you shop from your phone with an iOS app of its own

Kickstarter acknowledges that you shop from your phone with an iOS app of its own

With 40 billion App Store downloads and counting, if you haven’t already carved out your own little piece of mobile magic, it’s time to get crackin’. Kickstarter, the biggest name in crowdfunding, might be a bit late to the game, but its lack of presence in Apple’s mobile shop ends today, with Kickstarter for iPhone. As you might expect, the smartphone-native version of the popular site’s online store lets you browse through projects, watch pitch videos and submit a pledge just like you do on the web, but with a much less cumbersome interface. Project creators can also use it to track their own progress, or to post updates on the go. Kickstarter is compatible with iPhone 3GS and later, third-gen iPod touch devices and iPad, though it’s optimized for iPhone 5, so tablet users may want to stick with the website for now. The rest of you can hit up our source link to get started — the app just hit today.

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: Kickstarter, iTunes

Pebble watch jailbreak tweak shows all notifications from iPhone

The Pebble smartwatch is finally shipping to customers after a number of delays, and we even got our hands on the thing during CES 2013 last month. Jailbreakers and app developers are also getting in on the fun, and now we’re seeing what looks to be the first jailbreak tweak for iPhone built for the Pebble smartwatch.

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Developer Conrad Kramer released the “BTNotificationEnabler” tweak today in the Cydia app store, and it’s a fairly simple tweak that allows the iPhone to push all notifications to the Pebble smartwatch. Since the Pebble watch uses Bluetooth to connect to the iPhone, any notification from any app will be sent to the watch.

Granted, Pebble is allowing for third-party apps to use its SDK, so it would probably be just a matter of time before most apps eventually support push notifications on the smartwatch itself, but jailbreaking leaves the door wide open for possibly even better tweaks, since these kinds of apps aren’t subjected to Apple’s rules.

Then again, if you want seamless integration with your iPhone, it’s rumored that Apple is working on their own smartwatch, which may or may not happen of course, but it’ll be interesting to see how that plays out in the next few months. If an Apple smartwatch does happen, the seamless integration could be quite good for iOS users, and it may even integrate with OS X as well, which would be even better.

[via Cult of Mac]


Pebble watch jailbreak tweak shows all notifications from iPhone is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

iOS 6.1 vulnerability allows anyone to bypass lockscreen

Apple‘s new iOS 6.1 firmware, even with all of its new features, is still trying to fit in and become a solid upgrade to iOS 5.x. However, it’s had its fair share of problems, including battery life issues and connectivity problems. Tack one more on, though, because now it looks like anyone can break into your device, even if you have it password protected.

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The exploit doesn’t appear to allow you to access the home screen, but rather just the contacts list and the photo library on the device. The process is fairly complicated, so it’s not something that you could just easily do on accident. It involves quite a few steps that require to access the emergency call section, put the device in stand-by mode a couple of times, and overall just good timing to eventually get access to the phone.

The hack will allow perpetrators to view or modify contacts, check voicemail, and look through photos by attempting to add a photo to a contact when editing them. Again, you won’t be able to access the homescreen or any other apps, so it’s not completely exploited, but getting a hold of contacts’ personal information could be all that it takes.

Of course, this isn’t the first time we’ve seen glitches like this on iOS. iOS 4.1 back in 2010 suffered a similar fate, where users could bypass the lockscreen in order to access contacts, as well as email and even text messages. Of course, that exploit was eventually fixed in iOS 4.2, so it this latest one should be all patched up in the next iOS update, but who knows when that’ll be for sure.

[via Gizmodo]


iOS 6.1 vulnerability allows anyone to bypass lockscreen is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.