Category Archives: iOS

Jun
13
2013
88
comments
 

Post Your iOS 7 Beta 2 Wish Lists

Posted by at 8:46 am

icono-ipswApple seeded the first iOS 7 beta to developers on Monday, following its WWDC keynote, and early adopters have now had close to three days to digest the new software update. And perhaps you think highly of the new update — outside of those god-awful icons — but wish there was a certain feature or two that Apple had included.

So, naturally, we’ll point you to the iOS 7 beta 2 wish list discussion thread within the iFans forums. There, you can leave your thoughts on the current iOS 7 beta and what you would like to see in future revisions throughout the summer. Last year, it took five beta versions of iOS 6 before the final candidate was released, so there is still a lot of leeway ahead.

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Jun
12
2013
19
comments
 

Why iOS 7 Looks the Way It Does

Posted by at 8:04 pm

Why iOS 7 Looks the Way It Does

iOS 7 1

iOS 7 is an entirely different OS, visually. From the basic navigation hierarchy, to the design cues taken to inform the users which application they are currently in, iOS 7 truly is a completely different beast. In most cases, that is a very good thing: in general, most people seem to like the design of individual apps, the notification center, and the other navigation changes made in the OS.

But those icons.

The stock icons have been the subject of much controversy. And now, we know the reason for that controversy:

First of all, many of the new icons were primarily designed by members of Apple’s marketing and communications department, not the app design teams. From what we’ve heard, SVP of Design Jony Ive (also now Apple’s head of Human Interaction) brought the print and web marketing design team in to set the look and color palette of the stock app icons. They then handed those off to the app design teams who did their own work on the ‘interiors’, with those palettes as a guide.

IOS 7 logo

In other words, Apple’s crack team of designers (who were also responsible for the design of iOS 6, so it’s understandable that Ive wanted to keep them away from decisions surrounding such aspects as the color palette) didn’t create the icons we now see. Apple’s marketing and web teams did.

The good news? According to that same article, all of this is subject to change. The icons, specifically, are not final versions, and the entire OS is to be considered a preview, a definite “work in progress,” until its final release later this year.

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Jun
12
2013
33
comments
 

iOS 7 Security Flaw Allows Access to Photos and Contacts

Posted by at 2:15 pm

IOS 7 logoLess than two days after Apple seeded iOS 7 to developers for testing, one user has already discovered a notable security flaw that allows a user to bypass the passcode lock and gain access to the device’s camera roll. From within the camera roll, a malicious user could subsequently gain access to the Contacts, Messages and Mail apps.

In a video posted to YouTube, iFans forum member Barraquito demonstrates how the security flaw works, which involves a simple four-step process: swipe up from the lock screen to reveal Control Center, tap the Calculator toggle, bring up Control Center again, and tap the Camera toggle. Camera Roll is then fully accessible. iFans can confirm that this flaw exists on iPhone 5, iPhone 4S and iPhone 4. (more…)

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Jun
12
2013
11
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Meet Mieko Haire, the Face of iOS 7

Posted by at 11:55 am

Meet Mieko Haire, the Face of iOS 7

applepeople_email

Through its promotional materials, Apple offers some indication of who it is targeting with its products. For the release of iOS 6, it depicted a mother emailing and posting pictures of her children to Facebook using the new system.  The iOS 5 release used the story of a business executive on a camping trip. Its original marketing for the iPad Mini focused on women.

However, it turns out that Mieko Haire is a real person—and so are other people listed in Apple’s marketing materials for iOS 7. She and the others all have worked at Apple. Real Mieko has not responded to requests for comment, but here is what the materials tell us about the marketing character that shares her name.

So the people that Apple uses to demo its new iOS 7 applications are real. Some really interesting observations in this article.

 

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Jun
12
2013
20
comments
 

Nintendo Thinking Long Term By Avoiding iOS and Android

Posted by at 11:04 am

Nintendo 2 Nintendo 3

Nintendo is a signature video game maker — and also the world’s largest, in terms of revenues — that is behind the insanely popular Super Mario, Zelda and Pokemon franchises. Yet, the emergence of casual smartphone gaming has had a profoundly negative impact on the Kyoto-based game corporation as of late. Nintendo has posted its first two annual operating losses ever, both occurring in the past two years.

While one would presume that Nintendo could simply port its games to iOS, Android and other mobile platforms, in order to solidify its dominant position within the industry, company president Satoru Iwata believes that is a shortsighted vision. Instead, Iwata is focused on the long-term success of Nintendo as a corporation whose existence dates back to the late nineteenth century.  (more…)

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Jun
12
2013
11
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Hey Gamers: Official Controllers Are Coming

Posted by at 7:22 am

iOS 7 APIs

We now know what one of those 1,500 new APIs hiding out in iOS 7 are for: game controllers! While various third-parties have released unofficial controllers that rely on developers updating their games to add support for them, Apple will be creating a standard specification and official API for this purpose.

iFrogz, creator of various Apple accessories, seems to be the first out of the gate with support for this with the Caliber Advantage:

Compatible with the iPhone 5 and the fifth-generation iPod touch, the Caliber Advantage provides 360-degree motion control with viewing options in both portrait and landscape position. Gaming action is made possible through left and right slide-out analog controls that feature responsive keys for an accurate, high-quality gaming experience. Available this fall for $59.99, the Caliber Advantage will also feature an integrated lithium polymer battery offering 10-12 hours of continuous play without the need for a charge.

The API is open, which will allow any accessory creator to utilize them. Individual applications will still have to be updated to support the API, but considering that this is an official, Apple API, it should see fast adoption inside of games. Will the standardization of these controllers allow for more intense games to come to iOS?

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Jun
11
2013
8
comments
 

How to Block iMessage, FaceTime and Phone Contacts in iOS 7

Posted by at 10:14 pm

messagesThe three most common communication mediums on iPhone are Messages, FaceTime and Phone, yet the trio of services were lacking a crucial feature until now: the ability to block another user.

That has all changed with iOS 7, thankfully, as Apple finally allows you to block contacts that are perhaps a touch on the annoying side. When you add a contact to the list, that user is unable to send you phone calls, messages or FaceTime requests.  (more…)

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Jun
11
2013
61
comments
 

Beyond Flat: Jony Ive’s New Icons are a Step in an Entirely New Direction for Software Design

Posted by at 7:14 pm

iOS 7

The 2013 WWDC keynote finally happened yesterday and, along with OS X 10.9 Mavericks and the new MacBook Air, Tim Cook and company introduced the latest iteration of Apple’s mobile operating system–iOS 7. There has been an infinite amount of praise around the new features of the OS–Control Center, new spotlight, full multitasking, the list goes on and on–but there’s one thing that seemingly no one can agree on: the icons.

I’m not a designer and therefore I will not be sharing with you my stance on whether or not the icons are good design. I could, but my opinion would hold quite literally zero weight. What I can share, though, is something I stumbled on that might explain why the icons are the way they are–besides the obvious fact that Jony Ive is (or was) primarily a hardware designer. It seems as if all of the iOS 7 icons are based on a single template, and Apple was nice enough to show us that template, right inside the latest version of iOS itself. (more…)

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Jun
11
2013
17
comments
 

6 Lock Screen Wallpapers That Look Great on iOS 7

Posted by at 8:49 am

iOS 7 2

While the home screen icons on iOS 7 might look rather unimpressive, the redesigned lock screen on iPhone and iPod touch delivers a much cleaner and elegant appearance. We’ve put together six wallpapers for iOS 7 that we think make the lock screen look beautiful. Take a look at the gallery below, which includes the matching wallpapers for iPhone 5 and iPod touch 5G, and let us know which setups are your favorites.  (more…)

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