Love them or hate them, rumors will never cease. With the next big thing just around the corner and everyone doing their best to second guess what the big thing to come out of the likes of Apple and Samsung will be, speculation and conjecture will always be on the tip of the internet’s collective tongue. Unfortunately it doesn’t always get it right.
The final version of iOS 7.1 download links have just been released by Apple for those on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. As well as bringing support for the Cupertino company’s recently-unveiled CarPlay feature, iOS 7.1 brings a host of smaller enhancements, as well as the usual supply of bug fixes and general performance enhancements. Full details and download information, as well as the full change log, can be found after the break.
Apple TV, as has been demonstrated over the past year through various software updates and the introduction of multiple new streaming channels, is much more to its Cupertino-based maker than a "hobby" - a word that Tim Cook used to describe the little black box back when he was COO. But while new content partners, from Red Bull to Crackle, have been aplenty, the set-top's software hasn't really been improved for a couple of years, and one of the key features it lacks at the moment is notifications. This may be all about to change, though, and with Apple TV users having been notified of certain artists performing live shows at this week's iTunes Festival, we may just have our first glimpse of Apple TV notifications.
Shortly after the release of iOS 7 back in September, it became apparent that some users were experiencing motion sickness and nausea, attributable to the various new animations Apple had applied with its largely-altered software. Supposed to give the revamped iOS 7 a touch of finesse, it proved, quite literally, to be a headache for some, but with the update to iOS 7.1 earlier on this week, the issues related to parallax and zooming animations appear to have been addressed.
There's no denying that the public launch of iOS 7.1 brings with it a number of positives for users. However, to go with those positives, it also seems like there could be a substantial negative attached to iOS 7.1, with many users reporting significant battery drain after updating to the latest firmware.
The act of taking a selfie and sharing it with the world may be thought of as a flash-in-the-pan phenomenon by most of us, but it looks like Apple could be on a mission to give it some credibility and longevity.
CarPlay, a term Apple uses to describe its all-new, in-car operating system, was showcased heavily last week at the Geneva Motor Show by the likes of Volvo and Ferrari. Since then, we've seen the Cupertino company drop iOS 7.1, bringing official CarPlay support to the iPhone, and with most of the pieces now seemingly in place, we're just waiting on the manufacturers to come through with the release of compatible automobiles. But while it has seemed, hitherto, like users would probably have to buy a new car in order to take advantage of CarPlay, Pioneer may be poised to develop CarPlay integration for upcoming systems, as well as those already installed.
Apple's AirPlay is one of the more prominent examples of Apple's 'it just works' ecosystem and is arguably the best reason to own an Apple TV. Being able to take audio and video from an iOS device and throw it over to a big-screen TV or audio system is the thing of dreams, and the fact it works so well just adds to the mystique.
Apple is pushing closer to its aim of building of a unified, cloud-centric system that does away with the traditional OS X file system, according to sources of 9to5Mac. The fruit company's long-term goal with iCloud, which has become an integral part of its apps and services over the past few years, is to create a system whereby devices seamlessly integrate with one another, and with some new iCloud apps for iOS on the horizon, the iPhone maker is making good progress in its quest to achieve this.
Apple may have only recent announced CarPlay - formerly iOS in the Car - but there's already plenty of positive news for the Cupertino based company. A number of high profile manufacturers have already committed themselves to integrating Apple's tech in their vehicles this year, and it looks like that list is set to continually grow as time passes. Toyota, the world's largest car manufacturer based on sales volume, has confirmed via an official blog post that it will introduce vehicles with Apple CarPlay compatibility.
