iPhone 5 Talks – Everything about iPhone 5!

With iPhone 5 and iPad 3 stealing the show, why not let iPod Nano 7G gain some attention too! It seems Apple is trying its best to revive the good old days of iPod by upgrading its latest (to-be released) iPod Nano model.

Apple.pro  has uploaded few images that confirm image capturing capabilities of the next generation iPod. iPod Nano 7G is assumed to come packed with 1.3 megapixel video enabled camera located at device’s rear side (similar to the one featured on iPod Touch). The clip on iPod’s back panel contains a hole to provide space for camera’s lens view. Apple may also be testing a 2 megapixel camera, latest rumor has it! Size and weight of iPod Nano 7G would probably be same as the 6th generation iPod Nano.

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iTunes Match (1 , 2 (Link to http://www.iphone5gfeatures.com/new-version-of-itunes-launched-includes-itunes-match/) is a service that matches ripped tracks to iTunes quality and maintains all of it in the iCloud. It is available as $25 a year service for all iDevice users.

According to a report by CultOfMac , there is a bug in iTunes Match that is playing clean versions of some selective rap songs even when their censored counterparts are present in iTunes Library.

One of the readers of 9To5Mac emailed Eddy Cue (SVP of Internet Software and Services at Apple) regarding this issue and got a reply that Apple engineers were working on a fix.

Some of the tracks that have been replaced are:

1. Song by Ice Cube: “Jack N The Box” from his album Raw Footage
2. Two song by Kanye West: “Hell Of A Life” and “Power” from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
3. Song by Jay-Z: “Can I Live” fromhis album Reasonable Doubt

Songs are tagged “Clean” and “Explicit” so that users can distinguish between songs that have profanity and those that haven’t. The bug in iTunes Match makes the software to ignore user’s preference and replaces “explicit” versions of songs with “clean” ones. People have been complaining about this for a couple of weeks now. Though profanity in exists in several genres of songs, problem has been reported by rap music fans primarily.

Apple replied to one of reader’s query but did not suggest any temporary workaround.

Mashable itself carried out a test by uploading a ripped copy of Jay-Z’s The Black Album (with explicit lyrics). This explicit song was replaced by its clean version when played. However, this bug does not mess with the music that is purchased on iTunes. This means that some info must be present in tag files that are linked with the music format chosen by Apple (AAC), with the help of which one can distinguish a song as “explicit” or “clean”. This detail is not replicated in mp3 music files for sure.

iTunes Match has also been found suffering form issues like “Genius” feature turning dormant. This feature, when active, allowed users to make playlists of songs that sounded similar.

If you too are annoyed by any such problems, do let us know!

The Commercial Times (as cited by Digitimes ), referring to a report from Daiwa Securities, says that iPhone 5  is seeking launch at Apple’s WWDC (Worldwide Developer’s Conference) which is to take place in June this year. The source also claims that the gadget will be utilizing G/G (glass-to-glass) touch panel technology and hence will benefit Wintek and TPK Holding (currently supplying touch panels). This technology prevents any sorts of damages to iPhone’s screen.

No official date for the conference has been announced yet, but according to rumors (that surfaced way back last year), WWDC is likely to be held in San Francisco between 10th and 15th June.

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Siri began with “smart”, reached “smarter” and has now headed towards being the “smartest”!

We have confronted a hell lot many jailbreak tweaks to make Siri even better. But the latest app named “MyAssistant” outsmarts all its predecessors. MyAssistant app developed by Andrea Oliva and Saltb0x can run on Jailbroken iPhone 4S and any of the Siri-hacked iOS gadget. It is available on third-party app market Cydia Store (BigBoss Repository) for 99 cents. However, it is still a “work in progress”.

Features of MyAssistant:

This tweak has following features:

1. Commands: The application adds several new commands to Siri. These commands include rebooting handset, click an image, power off, respring, lock, unlock, safe mode, get lyrics of a song and give battery percentage
2. Custom Replies: Users can ask queries and create custom replies to them (up to 10 lines)
3. System Toggles: Customers can manage system toggles via Siri. It covers Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth, Volume, Location, Airplane Mode and Brightness

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Everyone is waiting eagerly for iPhone 5’s arrival. Though most of the sources point towards June release of the handset, nothing is confirm yet.

No one has yet noticed that with the arrival of iPhone 5 in June, a hell lot of upgrade eligibility issues for AT&T and Verizon users (who have been using iPhones already) will also arrive. As first considered by Beatweek Magazine , AT&T allows its customers to upgrade pricing only 12 or 18 months after they have purchased their last iPhone. In fact, several other factors like size of their monthly bill or how often a user makes late payments also influence their eligibility for an upgrade. Now, noticing the fact that iPhone 4S arrived in October last year, if iPhone 5 releases in June this year, a time gap of only 9 months between the two launches will exist. This would probably mean that no one in the United States will be able to purchase iPhone 5 at its advertised pricing on the day of launch.

Similar is the case with Verizon customers. Verizon launched iPhone 4 in spring of last year (which is 8 months after AT&T launched it). It follows a standard upgrade eligibility policy of 20 months, which means that a person who bought iPhone or iPhone 4S will not be able to purchase iPhone 5 at its standard price after its launch. So who exactly will be eligible to use an iPhone 5? Well, AT&T users who bagged an iPhone 4 early enough to complete required time period for eligibility, iPhone 3GS users and Android and BlackBerry customers who are planning to take a switch to an iPhone will be eligible to buy the next generation iPhone. However, unfortunately, none of the iPhone 4S users will get to enjoy the next generation iPhone at its standard pricing on its launch.

Solution? Well, the best way out is to stick with whatever you have right now. Apple offers new iPhone software system updates to users of older generation iPhones for free. All new features of iPhone 5 will be available on iPhone 4S through these upgrades, while only some of them will get down to slower iPhone 4. Else, you can wait for some time until you satisfy the eligibility criteria for upgrade. One can also buy iPhone 5 by paying $200-$250 extra (as overage fees) and later can sell their current iPhones in an online auction. For your information, iPhone 4 still has a value of over $300 on ebay. In case a customer falls few months short of fulfilling eligibility criteria, he can call up his network operator (Verizon or AT&T) and threaten to switch to some other network unless it gets ready to match his eligibility date with iPhone 5 release date. Believe me! This has worked before!

Claims of iPad 3  featuring Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide Displays have been in controversies for a long time now. Digitimes reported a month back  that Apple was planning to incorporate Sharp manufactured IGZO display screens in the next generation iPad, while an esteemed Korean website said Sharp was thrown out  of the race.

However, in an interview with CNET , Charles Annis (DisplaySearch analyst) said iPad 3 has fair chances of utilizing Sharp-manufactured IGZO technology for its display screen. On being asked his opinion about Sharp still competing for iPad 3 display screen, he said that the company has been producing IGZO displays in huge masses and he doesn’t find a reason why its competitor LG display (LGD) would be accepted easily by Apple. According to him, as IGZO flat panel displays are not available in market at present, if iPad 3 comes out with one, it would be making a major debut of this technology. He strongly believes that Apple will launch iPad 3 sometime in April.

Charles suggests that IGZO displays hold great potential for next generation iPad because they allow greater brightness with thinner displays. Additionally, by reducing the number of LEDs used in the backlight, one can get equivalent brightness as offered by existing displays. This would reduce the overall cost and most importantly, the power required by the LED unit, hence increasing battery life.

Apple may use multiple display technologies for the same product, says the analyst. The company is currently working with Korean display manufacturers also. On being asked about the possibility of Sharp IGZO being used exclusively in iPad 3, he said that Apple can use a couple of different approaches here. IGZO panels can be sold in some regions and Korean amorphous silicon-based panels can be sold in other areas. Additionally, Sharp panels cut down backlight costs (though costly themselves), so iPad 3 units having cheaper overall package (due to cheaper backlighting system) can be manufactured.

Hence, both these technologies can be used in producing iPad units that have same specifications but possess different internals. Charles notes that Sharp IGZO panels and Korean amorphous silicon panels have a lot in common. Both of them employ similar LCD technologies and use in-plane switching. In his words “Both have a wide viewing angle and excellent color reproduction. You never know what Apple will do.”

iPad 2 sports a display screen of resolution 1024×768 only. However, next generation iPad is rumored to come with highly upgraded display with resolution of 2048×1536. High power Retina Display would be one of the top power gobbling features of the gadget, so power reduction measures (like required for LED backlighting) can be attractive propositions by Apple.

Dip! Here goes your iPhone in water! Freaked out? Well, you certainly won’t with iPhone 5 (in case rumors are true!).

According to a website named Today’s iPhone (TiP) , the next generation iPhone will have a waterproof coating that will prevent it from severe damages caused due to water. This nano coating system by Liquipel (a California based company) will cover both inside and outside surfaces of the handset and will act as a water repellent, hence making it resistant to water-caused damages. According to the company, waterproof protection is in the form of vaporized liquid and is 1000 times thinner than human hair strand, but is extremely efficient in protecting iPhone from water.

TiP’s sources (that are claimed to be found correct in past) quote “iPhone 5 will have a liquipel treatment as it will be altering the wording on insurance”. However, they had no information on exact type of changes being made in handset’s insurance documents.

Some techies also say this technology will lead the handset to dissipate more heat than compared to the one with no protection coating.

As for now, you can get your iPhone (be it any) waterproofed just for $59.99. The company will treat your handset within 2 days after receiving it, and in case of an emergency (like you need it in 2 hrs), additional $10 will be required.

Here’s a video demonstrating how the technology protects your phone:

Liquipel cofounder says that the technology has been developed to protect phones from accidental damages only. Taking your handsets for a swim deliberately may prove to be fatal for it!

Moisture and liquid damage are said to be the top reasons why people claim for insurance on smartphones. Placing extra protection against liquid will definitely change the present scenario, and possibly, liquid damages could be covered under warranty for high end waterproof smartphones.

Amazon has added two books on iPad 3 (help books and manuals), named as “iPad 3 pour les nuls” (which is iPad 3 For Dummies) by Edward Baig and “Auf die Schnelle iPad 3 Ganz Leicht” (which is On the Fly Easy iPad 3), to its European website. These books are designed to help users who haven’t seen an iPad before or are not familiar with using it.

Out of two mentioned, the first book is scheduled to be launched on March 29th, while the other will be coming in May this year. These two new additions to Amazon’s online catalog were first noted by AppleBitch.com . Besides the above two, “Premiers Pas avec iPad 3 pour les Nuls” (iPad 3 for Dummies scheduled for April 26th launch) and “iPad 3 Step by Step for Dummies” by Jolivalt Bernard (scheduled for April 26th launch) have also been listed.

This news falls in line with our report on Apple planning to introduce iPad 3 in March rather than February  and Bloomberg’s report too. However, it may be considered as another hint pointing towards March release of the next generation iPad. In fact, there has been a massive outburst of rumors on iPad 3 lately. Not even a week back we heard that iPad 3 is to come equipped with LTE and Quad-core processor . Additionally, every now and then, we read about Retina display  of the thicker  next generation iPad too. But answer to the main question “when” still remains blurry!

Amazon France has a tendency of pre-announcing Apple’s products (though not found accurate always) via its online book catalog. In 2010, the French Bookseller was offering iLife ’10 pour les nuls that was scheduled to be released on 23rd September 2010 (first noted by TUAW). However, iLife ’11 was introduced in October 2010 rather than iLife ’10 in September of that year.

Yesterday morning, Germany’s Mannheim Regional Court passed a permanent judgment in favor of Motorola, hence stripping off one of the very important services offered by iCloud. Motorola has won a ruling (that was filed in April 2011) against iCloud’s data pushing services and any devices that use it (except iPhone 4S). The copyright covered “multiple pager status synchronization system and method”.

As Florian Mueller of FOSS Patents says, the suit is not applicable to Apple all over Europe, but in Germany only. Apple can run iCloud services with “push email services” intact, however, if Motorola chooses to enforce the ruling, it can shut down the service whenever it wants. In fact, apart from iCloud, MobileMe and all other devices that utilize push services have been affected by this injunction. This “push email” service enables a user to receive emails almost instantly by pushing new data to the concerned device as soon as it reaches the server.

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BGR reports that it has received some details of iPad 3  (in form of images) from a source that claims to be in possession of an iPad 3 prototype. Data in the photos show the result of using a debug and development tool called iBoot on iPad 3 which certainly can be used to infer several things about the next generation iPad.

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