A new pop-up has been added in iOS 7.1, notifying users that they can continue to download in-app purchases for a 15-minute grace period without having to re-enter their password. The necessity for better awareness of in-app purchasing policies has been brought to Apple's attention following several high-profile stories of excess in-app purchases being made without the bill-payer's expressed consent, but now, users should be under no illusions as to how the system works.
Apple has, without too much fanfare, decided to cut down its iPhone returns policy from 30 days to just 14, meaning that new purchasers now have only a two-week grace period after which they can no longer change their mind. The move is part of a wider play aimed at offering a more coherent, uniform returns policy across the company's range of products, while also tying in with similar systems offered by mobile carriers.
The iDevice community is still adjusting to the new iOS 7.1 software, and although the recently-dropped update isn't a landmark release by any stretch of the imagination, it's still the most significant bump that Apple has made since iOS 7.0 arrived back in September. As well as the more notable enhancements made to features like Siri and iTunes Radio - allied to the introduction of CarPlay - there have been several other minor tweaks applied, but in addition, there have also been one or two teething problems. Some iPhone 5s users, for example, have encountered troubles in using Touch ID, and if you're one of them, we've got a little tutorial to help you overcome them.
In the ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Samsung, it has now emerged that the Cupertino-based company has demanded, in front of a jury, that its Korean competitor stumps up the almighty sum of $40 per infringing device. The total, which Apple has arrived at by highlighting five separate patents per device (around $8 a pop), would equate to an eye-watering total sum, and even FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller - a guy that tends to see these matters from Apple's side - seems to think this is a step too far.
What with it only being the middle of March, and with no new iPhone anticipated until the fall, it shouldn't be too surprising that rumors and reports regarding the Cupertino company’s next big thing are both plentiful and conflicting. But one common theme is that the so-called iPhone 6 - which could offer two different sizing configurations - will be larger than the current iPhone 5s, and with the likes of Reuters and Bloomberg having corroborated this notion, it's no wonder the blogosphere has gotten itself into something of a tizzy. Today, Mac Otakara has jumped into the debate, suggesting that the two new devices will integrate design elements of both the iPhone 5c and sixth-gen iPod nano.
In bringing forth its in-house Maps app along with iOS 6 - a decision that saw Google Maps ousted from the native roster - Apple oversaw what was considered to be one of the greatest tech fails of 2012. But having shaken up its iOS software development team and made a host of improvements, Maps is finally starting to look like a navigation service that folks can rely upon. 9to5Mac has word that with iOS 8, continuing the enhancement of Maps is high on the priority list, with public transport directions services being the main implementation, and beyond that, the Cupertino is also toying with the idea of integrating indoor mapping into Maps.
It seems to have been in development for longer than iOS 7.0 itself, but the 7.1 update to iOS is now here, and even though it's not got all the gusto of a big point-0 release, there's still a fair few changes gone into an offering that many will be pleased to see arrive.
Apple has just dropped iOS 7.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners, with features spanning from Siri improvements to the introduction of CarPlay. But precisely which features you'll be getting depends largely upon the region in which you reside, and if you're unsure as to what to expect after downloading and installing iOS 7.1, then Apple has created a useful check-list.
Amid the well-publicized release of iOS 7.1 today, Apple has also dropped a noteworthy bump to the firmware of Apple TV, bringing the version number up to iOS 6.1. The marquee feature of the update is the new-found ability to hide channels, and we've got the rest of the important details right here.
The next Apple smartphone, unofficially dubbed the "iPhone 6," will reportedly arrive in two different configurations - both of which are said to be larger than any iPhone released hitherto. As well as a 4.7-inch model, there will, it has been suggested, also be a 5.5-inch variant, and both of these new handsets could, as other bits of info have implied, be notably thinner than its would-be predecessor, akin to the new iPad Air. With this in mind, one concept maker has come through with an 'iPhone Air' concept, and as well as a stunning appearance, it also boasts a fairly tasty list of specs. Check it out below.
