Hasta La Gadget!

In case you weren’t aware, Apple’s newly launched App Store subscriptions aren’t sitting so well with everybody. While the functionality could of course be a boon to services that have struggled getting paying customers, folks who have already been doing just fine, thank you very much, are balking at the new restrictions Apple has imposed. Rhapsody has issued a statement, which says that it’s not going to play ball and even levels a bit of a threat: “We will be collaborating with our market peers in determining an appropriate legal and business response to this latest development.” The big trouble stems from the fact that Apple requires anybody offering a subscription service to offer that service for the same price or less through Apple. That means you can still sign up folks through your own methods and get all the cash, but if anybody signs up through your app, Apple gets a 30 percent cut. In addition, Apple is no longer allowing applications to include a link to an external site for purchasing, which means vendors will have trouble getting new users to pay them directly instead of using Apple’s simple but heavily-taxed option. Rhapsody claims that it can’t offer its services at existing prices with Apple grabbing that much of the revenue, and it sounds like Rhapsody will be leaving the App Store soon if an agreement isn’t struck.

Of course, this is just the shiny surface of the dirt Apple’s new policies have scuffed up, and we might even have an antitrust case on our hands, according to the Wall Street Journal. Check out the more coverage link for more on that, and follow after the break for Rhapsody’s statement in full.

Continue reading Rhapsody won’t bow to Apple’s subscription policy, issues statement

Rhapsody won’t bow to Apple’s subscription policy, issues statement originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 15 Feb 2011 17:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just like Boxee, Verizon’s rolled out a February 14th update to users with the FiOS DVR Manager for iPhone, who might actually be on Verizon for their phones now too. It adds support for controlling multiple DVRs, a refreshed UI to match the latest version 1.9 on set-top boxes, access for non-DVR users, and a “What’s Hot” feature showing what others in your area are watching. Our friend Dave Zatz has already gone hands-on with the new version 1.5.0 and reports an improved experience with a smoother login process to boot, although he noted it could still improve by integrating itself into the remote control app that’s also available.

Verizon’s FiOS DVR Manager for iPhone gets a facelift and some new features originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Wall Street Journal has weighed in on rumors of Apple’s smaller iPhone, and citing “people familiar with the matter” the publication says that the rumors are likely true. One such familiar person reportedly saw a device half the size of the iPhone 4, bearing the codename “N97,” and said that the handset will be only about half the size of the original, and at only around half the price too. Amazingly, those anonymous sources continued to divulge information, expressing the idea that Apple could finally make its MobileMe cloud service suite free, and that it just might be the platform from which Apple could finally launch a streaming music platform and lessen the need for all those gigabytes of flash storage in your pocket. We’ll let you know if or when any of that happens, okay?

WSJ corroborates the mini-iPhone, says Apple may make MobileMe free originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple has made a new version of iOS available for download. iOS v4.2.6 doesn’t bring new newspaper subscription payments, or fix AirPlay to work properly with third-party apps. It doesn’t add gestures to the iPad. In fact, it does almost nothing, unless you are the lucky recipient of the new Verizon iPhone which officially arrives today.

Apple’s release notes are infamously sparse, and this is no exception. Here is the entirety of the “What’s new” section on MacUpdate:

Fixes a bug to ensure Personal Hotspot data usage is accurately reported (for Verizon iPhones).

The update, previously available as a direct download to patch review units, should be ready for you when you plug in your new Verizon iPhone 4 today and is, as ever, free.

iOS 4.2.6 [MacUpdate]

See Also:

• Hands-On With Verizon iPhone Hot Spot
• Verizon iPhone's Chipset Hints at Unified Network Support
• IOS 4.2 Update 'Delayed,' Despite No Official Launch Date
• Apple iOS 4.2 Arrives, Makes Find My iPhone Free

Losing your smarpthone is bad enough. But if you lose your iPhone and don’t issue a remote wipe command (available for free with the Find My iPhone app) then you could find yourself in a world of hurt. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute Secure Information Technology (Fraunhofer SIT) can jailbreak and decrypt passwords from the iPhone’s keychain — for say, your Gmail account, corporate VPN, home WiFi, and MS Exchange — in about six minutes using existing, known exploits. Sorry kids, your flimsy lockscreen passcode won’t help. Video proof, after the break.

Continue reading Researchers steal iPhone passwords in six minutes (video)

Researchers steal iPhone passwords in six minutes (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 06:16:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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