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New iPad gets untethered jailbreak on day of release

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks, Software,

We've gotta hand it to i0n1c for the video above that features the new iPad sporting an untethered jailbreak on the day of its release. Typically, Apple devices get jailbroken fairly quickly, but those are tethered jailbreaks that require that the device be plugged in to a computer during the boot sequence. An untethered jailbreak is much more difficult to achieve, and yet, here we are on iPad launch day. Check the proof in the video above.


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OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion to provide deeper privacy options for contacts

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

Mountain Lion Access Contacts

With all the recent uproar over the fact that many app developers have been accessing and uploading users contacts without their explicit permission, we know that Apple is set to being a feature to iOS that asks the user if it's okay that the app does that. What we didn't realize, however, is that the feature will be coming to the Mac as well with the release of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. One new feature in today's release of Developer Preview 2 sees the operating system notifying the user that an app "Would Like to Access You Contacts" and then offering the user the opportunity to say OK, or to not allow the action. It's a small gesture, but it will go a long way towards keeping your data private.


OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2 now available

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2

Aside from unleashing the new iPad to the masses today, Apple also just released a new OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion Developer Preview. Dubbed Mountain Lion Developer Preview 2, build 12A154q is the second beta release of the company's next major desktop operating system. Developers can grab a download redemption code in the Apple Developer portal, which will be used to grab the update from the Mac App Store. OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion will be publicly released this summer.


Here are the apps that are optimized for the new iPad Retina display

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Software,

ipad retina apps

The new iPad is upon us, being delivered to, and purchased by, hundreds of thousands (if not more) of people today. The biggest feature that Apple's touting is the Retina display, which is seriously gorgeous. That said, to really get the most out of the experience, you'll want to have Retina display-ready apps, otherwise you're just using apps that the iPad is upscaling. Here's a list of a bunch of apps that you can download, right now, that are ready to showcase the beauty of the new iPad Retina display:


Spotify Apps are a success, change the way we enjoy music

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Music, Software,

Spotify Apps review

When Spotify launched in Europe, social music sharing officially arrived, and many services soon folllowed. However, the company soon realized that releasing an API that allowed third-parties to tap into the spotify catalog would mean new features and new ways for its users to interact and enjoy music, and with that came the release of Spotify Apps.

Spotify has shared info on the success of four of these apps. Truth be told, some of them are a runaway success. Each app is unique in its own way in changing the way we do music.

Soundrop, “let’s you discover, listen to, and share music with friends in ‘rooms’ created by genre or theme,” Spotify says. According to the company, Soundrop users in Feburary listened to 15 million songs or the equivalent of 100 years’ of music.

The second app, Tunewiki, lets you sing along to the lyrics of the song you’re listening too. Though we can’t guarantee this will make you a better singer, it's certainly cool to be able to see the lyrics in real-time while playing a track.

Moodagent, plays music according to how you're feeling, which is fantastic time saver. No longer are you a slave to searching your library for the music you wanna listen too when you're 'Angry' or 'Happy', as you can now have Moodagent handle that for you.  

The final app, SpotOn Radio, which was built into the mobile version of the app, hit number six on the Swedish iPhone app store.

The success of Spotify and the widespread use and development of its apps should continue to result in new, refreshing ways to both listen to and share music, with Spotify living on the back end. All Spotify apps are free to use, but require a Spotify account (also free!)

Read More | Spotify

Samsung Galaxy S II Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich update available

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Smartphones, Corporate News, Mods / Hacks, Software,

ice cream sandwich android

Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) is finally available for Samsung Galaxy S II owners. However, to upgrade to Ice Cream Sandwich, you must upgrade KIES to the latest version. Some of the upgrade improvements are the obvious platform changes and better multitasking between apps.

As with all changes, some cautionary procedures are required. We recommend that you back up your device first, as there is a possibility of losing some content. Also, some apps may not be fully compatible with ICS, so just know that going in. Lastly, before proceeding with the update, make sure you have enough free space on your device. Good luck, we know that plenty of you Galaxy S II users have been waiting for this one.

Read More | Samsung

How to fix: Apps Installed on the iPhone could not be Determined

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, PC / Laptop, Software,

I've been putting up with an annoying iTunes error when trying to sync my iPhone 4S. The sync always fails, telling me that it's because "Apps installed on the iPhone could not be determined" - We figured there were others out there receiving the same message, so we wanted to share how we fixed it. The problem would always start with iTunes attempting to transfer apps from the iPhone that it says weren't in the iTunes library - however, this is incorrect, as each time it wanted to transfer over all 153 apps from the iPhone. After the transfer started, the error would appear. Here are some things you can try if you're experiencing the same problem:

First, make sure you're running the latest version of iOS and iTunes. Restart your iPhone (or other iOS device) by holding down the home button and the sleep/wake button at the same time until the Apple logo appears. While it's rebooting, quit and restart iTunes. For some, this will usually fix the problem, but for us it didn't.

The next step is to reboot your computer. When it's back up, launch iTunes and update all apps in iTunes and do the same on your iPhone. Once this is done and both devices have the latest version of the apps that you own, connect your iPhone (and be sure you're using a first-party Apple sync cable) and attempt to sync. This will fix the issue if your iPhone and iTunes each have different versions of an app that might be corrupt. However, in our case, things were still failing. In this case, I had to watch the iTunes status during the sync and noticed that the error came up when it attempted to sync the Price is Right app. I manually deleted it from my phone, synced again, and it worked just fine.

Hope this saves some of you guys out there some frustration!


Apple closing iWork.com beta on July 31, points users to iCloud

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Internet, Storage,

iWork Beta ends icloud

Apple has just announced that it's closing down the iWork.com beta in light of the fact that iCloud has become the company's de facto standard for cloud storage and sharing. It's certainly interesting, since iCloud doesn't yet have all the features that iWork.com has, namely talking about document storage and sharing, as well as the ability to download the stored document in a variety of formats on the fly. Maybe that'll be changing soon? iWork.com users have until July 31, 2012 before the service is shuttered. Full text of the email that Apple sent to iWork.com users after the break.

Click to continue reading Apple closing iWork.com beta on July 31, points users to iCloud


How to install Windows 8 Consumer Preview

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Microsoft, Software,

Windows-8-Beta

You’ve heard the buzz and most of you have followed it and it’s finally here; Windows 8 is finally available for a public download as a Consumer Preview. But before you facepalm yourself over the instructions and long tedious Microsoft installations we’re all used too, you can breathe a sigh of relief. Why? Because no external hard-drives, DVDs or USBs are needed; all you need is an Internet connection and you’re a few steps away from running Windows 8 on your PC! Thanks to the guys over at The Verge, just follow the instructions and the process shouldn't be too bad.

Read More | The Verge

GarageBand for iPad update brings Smart Strings, note editor, iCloud sharing, Jam Sessions

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Music, App Updates, Apple, $4.99,

GarageBand Smart Strings

Yesterday, after its iPad event, Apple released an updated version of GarageBand for iOS that includes a few new features. First is Smart Strings. Similar to the other smart modes, Smart Strings makes it easy to control a set of string instruments and to have them work together to create music on the fly. There's also a new note editor, as well as iCloud integration that allows you to push a track to iCloud so you can then access it from your other iOS devices. Lastly, Jam Sessions allows multiple iOS devices to all play together, mimicking a live jam session. Pretty neat. You can download the update now from the App Store, or buy it for $4.99.


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