Hasta La Gadget!

Just as last week was winding down, we heard a credible rumor that Microsoft was about to update some of the native apps found in Windows 8 / Windows RT. Turns out, that report was on the money: the company unveiled some changes today to Mail, Calendar and People, with a particular focus on speed improvements. None of these updates will be available to download until tonight or tomorrow, says a Microsoft rep, so don’t all of you go making a beeline for the Windows Store at once now. If you’re itching for a preview, though, we’ve got a summary of the new features after the break, along with a few extra screenshots.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

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When it comes to all of the interesting apps that do one thing well, Speedtest.net is one of the best out there, and we sometimes use it to test out new LTE markets for hands-on sessions and reviews. The app gives you both your download and upload speeds either over WiFi or a data connection, and it received a big update today for iOS users. It comes with an all-new design, as well as iPhone 5 support, and a few new features.

The redesign features a Tron-esque look to it, and it’s completely different from the web version, which it replicated in the past and didn’t look that great, honestly. The newly-designed app features neon buttons and dials, which give it that futuristic look that it pulls off quite well. Plus, there are some new sorting features that users will love.

Users can now sort results by either type, time, download speed, upload speed, or ping. Tapping on a result will also provide more information about that specific test, including where the test was taken, giving users a comprehensive history of their WiFi or data speed results, making sure they’re getting the speeds they’re paying for.

Users can now more easily share results with friends, using email, Facebook, Twitter, or iOS Messages. The app is completely free, but it comes with ads. However, Speedtest.net finally has a paid version that’s ad-free, although it’s in the form of an in-app purchase rather than another paid app. Users can pay a one-time fee of $0.99 to remove all the ads.

Speedtest.net for iOS updates with all-new design is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Yesterday, Apple released iOS 6.1.3 unto the public, and it came with a couple of big updates as well as some general bugfixes and performance improvements. However, it also patched up some of the exploits used by the Evad3rs dev team in order to jailbreak iOS 6.1, which means that if you update to iOS 6.1.3, you’ll lose your jailbreak.

Of course, some iOS 6.1.3 users can still jailbreak thanks to Redsn0w, but it’s limited to devices running Apple’s older A4 chip and it’s a tethered jailbreak, meaning that you have to plug in your iDevice to your computer every time you reboot it, which can be a pain in the rear end most of the time.

However, if you’re currently on iOS 6.1.2 and are either jailbroken or have plans to jailbreak in the future, don’t update to iOS 6.1.3 — at least for now. Evasi0n team member David Wang (a.k.a. Planetbeing) says that he and the rest of the dev team don’t yet have a fix for the iOS 6.1.3 update, and they aren’t sure if there will ever be one.

Of course, you may be thinking about that pesky lock screen vulnerability that’s present in iOS 6.1.2, and while I do care about security, there’s probably no reason to be worried about it. If someone got a hold of your iPhone, the chances of them knowing that elaborate scheme of swiping and tapping gestures to get past the lock screen are low. Of course, there’s always that chance, but you’d probably have a greater chance of getting struck by lightning if anything. Oh, and another lock screen vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 6.1.3, so you’re screwed either way.

Plus, iOS 6.1.3 doesn’t consist of a lot of new features anyway. Besides the lock screen fix, there are improvements to Apple Maps specifically for Japan. When’s the last time you were in Japan? Have you even been to Japan? Probably not, so it’s safe to say that you don’t need the Japan maps improvements, or any of the other new things in iOS 6.1.3 for that matter. (Japan residents need not apply to this.)

In the end, it’s best to play it safe and stay away from new updates if you’re jailbroken or have plans to jailbreak. Heck, I’m still running iOS 5.1.1 and I’m chugging along just fine like the rest of the iOS crowd. We may eventually see an untethered jailbreak for iOS 6.1.3, but it could be awhile, and if history is any indication, it may be even more difficult to jailbreak iOS 7 than any other version in the past.

iOS 6.1.3 patches up Evasi0n jailbreak: hold your updates is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

We’ve known that the update would be coming eventually, and it looks like today’s the day. Apple has released iOS 6.1.3 to the masses, and it fixes that stubborn lock screen vulnerability, as well as comes with a ton of map improvements in Japan. The update has begun rolling out, and you should be seeing it soon on your iDevice.

The lock screen exploit was originally discovered last month, and it allows anyone to bypass the lock screen with a bit of clever swiping and tapping maneuvers. From there, prying eyes can look at your contact list and even your photo library, both of which could contain sensitive information. However, this latest update patches it right up.

The update also patches up some of the exploits used by the Evasi0n iOS 6 jailbreak, so if you plan on jailbreaking your iOS 6 device, may this be a warning not to update to iOS 6.1.3. However, if you’re already jailbroken, then you probably don’t have a lot to worry about, other than the fact you won’t be able to update to the latest version.

Other than that, you have some other small bugfixes and improvements that come with the update, but the lock screen fix and the map improvements in Japan are the big two. However, the Evasi0n patch is also noteworthy for those interested in tapping into their iPhones and iPads, and the dev team behind the jailbreak doesn’t have any plans to support iOS 6.1.3 anytime soon, sadly.

Apple releases iOS 6.1.3 with lock screen fix, Evasi0n patch is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Windows 7 Service Pack 1 is over two years old now, but apparently there are still users out there who haven’t upgraded yet. However, starting tomorrow, Microsoft will be rolling out Windows 7 SP1 via Windows Update to those who don’t yet have SP1 installed. While tomorrow will be the big day, the company didn’t mention why they’ve waited this long to push out the update.

Those who have Automatic Updates enabled won’t have to worry about anything, however, since Microsoft says the update process will be fully automated for these users. Since SP1 comes in at a whopping 1.9GB, it’ll take fairly longer to update than past updates have been, and you should make sure you enough storage space for the upgrade.

However, some Windows 7 users won’t get the update for a couple more weeks, as Microsoft notes that the rollout will take several weeks. Of course, if you absolutely don’t want to upgrade to SP1 even though there’s not a compelling reason not to do so, you don’t necessarily have to, but Microsoft won’t support your OS after April 9 if that’s the case.

There’s not a lot to the update anyway, though. It’s mostly full of small and incremental updates, as well as a few new virtualization tools thrown in there. Essentially, while there’s no harm in updating to the SP1, there’s probably not a lot to take advantage of. However, it looks like those who have been straggling behind will finally get caught up.

Windows 7 SP1 rolling out tomorrow for those who never updated is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.