Apple That

Apple has just launched an all-new recycling plan that is designed to help you actually make money from your old iPhone, iPad, Mac or, surprisingly, your old Windows PC. Known as the Reuse and Recycling Programme, (no, that’s not a spelling error, that’s actually how Apple spells it), this scheme will be operated by Dataserv GmbH and will allow you to recycle your old or unwanted technology, if you live in the UK that is.

According to a message poster on Apple’s website, “Apple’s commitment to the environment includes finding the most efficient ways to reuse or recycle electronic equipment at the end of its useful life, including iPHone, iPad, Mac or PC computers, and displays from any manufacturer. You may even get some money for your old equipment.”

Getting started with the program is easy. All you have to do is go to the Reuse and Recycling Programme website and answer a small series of questions about the device you want to recycle. Once that is done, you will be given an estimate of the overall value of the device as well as a prepaid shipping label, compliments of Dataserv.

The message on the site also reads, “Whether it’s an iPhone, iPad, Mac or PC computer, working or not, we’ll take it and determine if it qualifies for reuse and has a monetary value. If it does, the amount will be credited directly into your bank account. If it doesn’t, you can recycle it responsibly through one of our free recycling programmes.”

After your device has been valued, you can send Dataserv the device, where it will be verified upon receipt. Once that happens, the value you were given for the recycled device will be directly deposited into your bank account. In addition to the aforementioned devices, you can also recycle old iPods and mobile phones via Apple.

Source: PC World – Apple Launches Recycling Program for iPhones, iPads, Macs and PCs in the UK

DVD Video Projectors are exactly what they sound like, a combination unit that combines a DVD media player with a video projector, cutting out the need for multiple pieces of electronics and wiring.

It appears as if Apple has recently won a couple of patent applications that the company has created over the past few years. These patents include such things as the second generation iPod Shuffle, as well as the ability to switch between applications during a call on the iPhone. Unfortunately, these patents do not foreshadow anything that will be released in the future necessarily nor were they meant to be kept secret for long.

However, even though these patents may not lead to new technologies, each is interesting to look at in order to know the process. One thing that sticks out immediately is that Steve Jobs’ name is still very much attached to the core of these transactions.

The first application displays details about a button that will allow the user to switch between apps while talking to someone on their iPhone. You would, essentially, be able to tap the application switch icon that is on the same screen as the phone dialer and switch back to the call with another button located above the display at your leisure.

Functionality like this was replaced by the multitasking abilities of iOS 5 since the application was created. The original patent was filed back in Q1 of 2008 and credits Senior Vice President of iPhone Software Scott Forstall, as well as his team members Stephen Lemay, Imran Chaudhri, Greg Christie and Marcel Van Os.

The other patent was for the second generation iPad Shuffle which also credits Steve Jobs as a designer. There are dotted lines in the picture of the patent that, interestingly enough, are not claimed in the patent. Then there is a microperforated and backlit display having alternate display capabilities which relates to an earlier patent won by Apple. That patent win deals with components on Apple computers that are invisible until light is shown behind them.

Full details can be found at Patently Apple, who have recently found themselves in possession of these newly won patent applications. Head on over there if you want to learn all about it.

Source: Slash Gear – Apple Patents won for iPhone application switching, iPod Shuffle

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I don’t think I have to remind you just how many apps are available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (over 500,000). If you are an iOS user, you have undoubtedly purchased or downloaded at least one app from the App Store and, in doing so, you have probably noticed that some of them offer the option of purchasing additional content. These apps usually come in the form of apps that have multiple levels, like Angry Birds.

This type of content can be anything, like more levels, character designs in games or added functionality and expansions. However, not all (but a lot) of apps with additional content for purchase allow you to buy from directly inside the application itself.

Unfortunately, not every app that allows in-app purchasing is as up front about the fact that they do this and, sometimes make it extremely easy to “accidentally” purchase in-app content. One of the more controversial apps of late to pull a stunt like this was Smurfs’ Village. Children played the game on their parent’s phone and unknowingly purchased a whole lot of undesired content.

Thankfully, there is an easy solution that makes sure something like this doesn’t happen to you. Just follow these quick and easy steps and you will have in-app purchasing disabled until you say otherwise, making sure your child doesn’t accidentally rack up a huge phone bill with in-app purchases.

STEP 1: Turn on your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad and from the home screen select the Settings application. From here, select “General”.

STEP 2: Scroll about halfway down the page and find “Restrictions”. Select it and then select “Enable Restrictions”.

STEP 3: Once enabled, you will be asked to create a password. The password locks certain functions on your iOS device. After you enter it twice, you’re on to the next step.

STEP 4: After creating your password, scroll down to the “Allowed Content” section and select it.

STEP 5: Slide the bar next to “In-App Purchases” from “ON” to “OFF” and that’s that! No more accidental in-app purchases will rack up on your phone bill.

Source: Digital Trends – How To: Turn off in-app purchases on Apple products

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If there is one thing that the internet loves to talk about it’s tech rumors, specifically ones involving Apple and its slew of mobile devices. And while the next few weeks will have the internet swimming in rumors about the iPad 3, iPhone 5, iPod 37 and everything else Apple, I think it is ok to talk about some potential changes designated for next year.

iLounge is spewing some information from what they call their “most reliable source”, who claims to have the inside dish on all the upcoming revisions Apple is planning. While there is nothing mind-blowing here, it might be enough to make you start saving up for that new piece of Apple tech.

First up is the MacBook Pro redesign. Some say it is coming in March, which is debatable, though the flatter design similar to the Air is most likely a certainty. The question on everyone’s mind, however, is the details, primarily on the device’s storage, processor, ports and optical drive.

Another report is that the next generation iPad (presumably the iPad 3) will be a bit thicker than the previous one, in order to allow for extra lighting necessitated by the high-res screen that is also supposed to be coming. Many people are drooling over the idea of an HD screen and the increased thickness is only said to be about 0.7mm, which still makes it thinner than the original device.

In terms of size, it is also reported that the iPhone will get an increase in size to a 4″ screen, which will in turn make the entire device 8mm longer. In addition to that, it is rumored that the device will hit next summer. Steve Jobs was always passionate that 3.5″ (iPhone) and 9.7″ (iPad) were always the ideal sizes for the devices, though the company may be acknowledging changes in the market if these rumors end up being true.

There is also a report of the next iPhone coming in a metal case, presumably aluminum. The original iPhone was a wonder to behold, both visually, technically and physically and many people think that Apple should bring back that design. Plus, Apple is probably tired of answering calls about shattered iPhones about now.

These rumors will be determined true or false in the coming months, no doubt about it, even though reveals of these devices are not even going to happen for a while. Regardless, there are many more rumors out there than these so if you are looking for a way to spend your Thanksgiving weekend, you could always compare and contrast different rumors, given you have a couple hundred hours to spare.

Source: Tech Crunch – Apple Rumors: The MacBook Pro Shrinks, iPad And iPhone Grow

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Apple is cracking the whip as the company has just banned security researcher Charlie Miller from its iOS developer program. Mr. Miller’s offense? He publicly demonstrated a proof-of-concept attack that would enable an app developer to execute arbitrary code on any iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch that is running version 4.3 of iOS or later.

For this Miller has been suspended from the developer program for one year. According to a recent tweet from Miller, “First they give researcher’s (sic) access to developer programs, (although I paid for mine) then they kick them out.. for doing research. Me angry.” Apple broke the news to Miller via a letter that the company was kicking him out of the program for breaking its terms of service.

Before getting an app to the Apple App Store, Apple first vets the app. If approved, the company then signs the code to ensure that the app cannot be changed. However, the flaw that Miller discovered essentially breaks the iOS application security walled garden, allowing malware attacks to be launched.

According to a statement from Miller in his unlisted YouTube video that demonstrates the attack, Miller said, “The flaw I found is in the way that Apple handles code-signing. Code-signing is important because that’s the way that Apple protects you from malware.” Here is a link to Miller’s video because unlisted videos can only be viewed by someone who already has a link to the video itself.

In order to test the vulnerability he had discovered, Miller created Instastock, a fake stock market app that Apple accepted. “It doesn’t do anything weird or funny, it just checks the stocks,” said Miller in the video. At least, that’s what it appears to do. After being  downloaded from the Apple App Store and first run, the app contacted an attacker’s server.

For the purpose of the test, the server (in this case) was located at Miller’s home in St. Louis and he didn’t have to push in any code to the app while it was being reviewed by Apple. However, after it was approved, Miller was able to open a shell with the device and issue remote commands, making the iPhone do everything from listing directories and processes to making the phone vibrate or download the user’s address book for the attacker.

Miller added, “You can imagine downloading a nice app like Angry Birds, but instead of just being Angry Birds, it actually could download and do anything it wants, and Apple would have no idea that had happened.” In addition to that Miller disclosed the code-signing vulnerability to Apple several weeks ago, although he did fail to mention the proof-of-concept app that he’d uploaded to the App Store, the same app Apple approved and made available in September.

Miller also demonstrated the exploit in his video, which was also posted in September. However, Apple apparently did not hear about the proof-of-concept attack demonstration until Monday, the same day Miller detailed the flaw and provided a link to his YouTube video to Andy Greenberg at Forbes.com. A mere hours after the story hit the web, Apple canceled Miller’s iOS developer account.

By day Miller is a simple principal consultant at the security research firm Accuvant. However, it appears as if Miller is now best known for “hacking” Apple wares. At the Black Hat Conference over the summer, Miller demonstrated how to hack Apple laptop batteries by reprogramming the firmware. This would allow a hacker to brick the battery or even make it serve malware.

Miller isn’t letting this ban phase him, however, as he intends to demonstrate his code-signing attack next week at the SyScan Conference in Taiwan and then again at the Infiltrate Conference in Florida in January. Is Apple’s reaction a bit extreme? Especially considering the fact that Miller found a major fault in Apple’s programming and then proceeded to tell the company about it? This writer thinks so, but what do you think? Sound off in the comments.

Source: Information Week – Apple Excommunicates iOS Cracker

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On October 4, 2011 Apple fans from around the world will cry out in triumph and amazement as that is the day of the next big media event from Apple. It is also the day that the company, known for its popular iPad and Mac computers, will unveil the next installment in its other popular franchise, the iPhone 5.

There have been a lot of differing opinions about the exact timing of the event, some of which even suggested that it would take place this month. However, it has generally been assumed that the event, as well as the unveiling of the iPhone 5, would take place in October.

And while it is true that Apple could change its plans whenever it feels like it, multiple sources have said that October 4 has definitely been selected by the company as the unveiling date of the iPhone 5. In addition to that, sources added that the plan, as it stands right now, is to make the device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement.

While the unveiling of the iPhone 5 is definitely the highlight for fans and consumers, the event itself holds more importance for the company. This event will mark the first big event for new Apple CEO Tim Cook, who took over for Jobs when he resigned last month for personal reasons.

It is this fact that also alludes to the fact that Cook himself will preside over the unveiling, much like Jobs did when he was in charge. If Cook were to pass the event off to another Apple employee, even one as trusted as key executive Phil Schiller, it would undermine his entire position and present an image to the Apple public that the job may be too much to handle.

I can find no better event to mark the first for Cook than the unveiling of Apple’s most anticipated product in the iPhone 5. So stay tuned for all the information and details that are sure to arise from the event on October 4, it should be one to remember.

Source: All Things D – Apple’s Next Event to Be Held on October 4, Starring Its New CEO

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If you recently bought tickets to the upcoming Apple 2011 Worldwide Developers Conference in hopes of seeing some exciting new hardware, then you may want to look into getting a refund. Apple recently released the dates for the event which is scheduled for Monday, June 6 through Friday, June 10, 2011. To add to that, the wording of the announcement all suggests that this year’s WWCD will be largely based around Apple software not Apple hardware.

Don’t believe me? Well then take a look at a quote from the Senior Vice President of Worldwide Product Marketing at Apple Phil Schiller. “At this year’s conference we are going to unveil the future of iOS and Mac OS. If you are an iOS or Mac OS X software developer, this is the event that you do not want to miss.” Sounds pretty clear cut if you ask me.

If you are not the aforementioned type of person and are hoping to catch a glimpse of the upcoming iPhone 5, you may not want to get your hopes up just yet either, even if Apple has used WWDC to unveil the next generation of iPhone in the past. Explicit reports are coming in from all over that this year’s event is a software event. One source even said, “If you go looking for an iPhone 5, you’re probably going to be disappointed.”

All this does, however, kind of make you wonder just what exactly Apple has in store for the iPhone 5. Some speculation concerning the iPhone 5 is that the reason for the postponement of the unveiling and release date could be because the iPhone 5 will be running on 4G LTE networks. AT&T is expected to launch their LTE networks by the middle of the year and Verizon already has their LTE networks up and running. Not to mention the fact that Wang Jianzhou, Chairman of China Mobile, said this earlier in the month, “Steve Jobs has expressed his interest in an LTE iPhone and is willing to start the development at an early date.”

Some interesting information is floating around out there but we won’t know more until Jobs and Apple release something official. All we have now is speculation and rumor.

Source: All Things Digital – No iPhone at WWDC 2011

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The third pre-release Beta of iOS 4.3, Apple’s forthcoming software update for their beloved iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch to developers, has been released making it the third release in nearly three weeks.

The third beta of iOS 4.3 comes to us under the title of 8F5166b and comes to us just weeks after the first beta of the update was released. Full details about what may or may not be included or have been changed or unchanged in this newest software update are still up in the air.

January 12 marked the first beta release for iOS 4.3 revealing a new Personal Hotspot feature which will allow an iPhone to share its 3G internet connection with as many as five devices via Wi-Fi if your carrier allows it. The new software also allows third-party applications to use AirPlay in order to stream video. There is even a software option to change the iPad hardware switch between mute and orientation lock.

The second beta landed just a week later on January 19, the same time Apple revealed the new iPad multi-touch gestures were just a preview of coming features allowing you to gather input. Apple stated that the feature, which includes four-finger gestures to switch between multitasking applications or return to the home screen, will not be available to customers in the first release.

This newest beta came just a day before Apple and News Corporation were set to launch The Daily, a new tablet-only daily newspaper. The Daily is said to run $0.99 per week and could very well debut next to an update to iOS that would allow recurring application subscribers through the app store.

A lot of people are excited about iOS 4.3 and it seems that Apple wants to make sure their customers are getting what they want by releasing all of these betas. Now if we could only get video game developers to do the same thing.

Source: Apple Insider

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It’s happened. The one thing everybody has been waiting for and the one thing AT&T has been dreading, the iPhone 4 is now available on, in my opinion, the best network available, Verizon. There were a lot of naysayers out there that kept touting their babble about how the iPhone would never see release on any other carrier than AT&T, but all their crap has been put to rest and thank God for that!

After talking up his new LTE network, Lowell McAdam, CEO of Verizon, confirmed a CDMA (non-LTE) version of the iPhone 4 will be coming to Verizon Wireless next month. These talks began way back in 2008 (nothing like three years of anticipation to really boost sales right?) and the actual phone has been in testing for a year which means Verizon and Apple were determined to get this one right.

Pre-orders for existing Verizon customers will start on February 3rd for your standard $200 for the 16GB model and $300 for the 32GB model, both on a new 2-year agreement. Everybody else will have the ability to get one February 10th. In case you were wondering, the Verizon iPhone 4 is Verizon 3G (EV-DO) only, no 4G data or GSM roaming. This isn’t a world phone or an AT&T + Verizon phone, it is simply a Verizon phone.

Aside from the Verizon connectivity, the phone is virtually exactly the same as the AT&T version although Verizon’s CDMA network does not support simultaneous voice and data as does the GSM version. It does, however, have the new antenna design that was being thrown around last week but only because CDMA requires a different configuration of antenna. This also equates to a slight bump where the volume and mute buttons are which means Apple may need to design a new case. When it comes to software, there is a big innovation via five user WiFi hotspot functionality. This is standard on all Android phones whereas Apple has limited the iPhone to only being able to tether directly to one computer.

Millions of dreams have come true with this agreement between Apple and Verizon. I, for one, am extremely pleased as, being an avid Verizon customer myself, I will no longer have to listen to the iPhone lackies touting about how AT&T, which was recently rated as the worst carrier in the country, is “so much better” because they have the iPhone. Well, you AT&T pawns, all I can say is now Verizon is better than you in EVERY way possible.

Source: Engadget

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