Skeuomorphism within the design of iOS is something Apple's designers have squabbled over for a good while. The fake glass dock, plastic background of the calculator, beech wood effect of the Newsstand - these are all examples of ornamental elements throughout Apple's mobile OS, and although former SVP of iOS Software, Scott Forstall, was quite a big fan of the look, he has now surrendered his post. Jony Ive will be one of the Apple execs said to be overseeing tasks formerly manned by Forstall, and is reportedly planning to rid both iOS and OS X of the tacky designs.
Any new device worth talking about is, as a matter of protocol, subject to numerous public tests, with the drop test being by far the most popular. As well as enjoying the perverse pleasure that is watching a brand-new device sustain serious damage, viewing such a test does have its practical benefits, since if a gadget performs particularly poorly, perhaps we'll think twice before parting with our cash.
With iPad minis beginning to find their way into the hands of people around the globe, more and more information is beginning to circulate about just what powers Apple's little tablet. We already knew that the device was, for all intents and purposes, a shrunken down iPad 2, but we always like to be sure. Now, thanks to yet another teardown of the iPad mini, we have confirmation.
Earlier today, Apple released iOS 6.1 beta 1 to developers. Only registered members of iOS Dev Center currently have access to it. If you are a iOS developer who develops tweaks and apps for Cydia, you might be interested in a jailbreak for iOS 6.1.
Whenever Apple pushes out a new piece of hardware to the marketplace, we invariably also see an accompanying comprehensive teardown of the device courtesy of the guys over at iFixit. The stripping down of the device and taking a peek inside has become almost as exciting as the launch of the product itself, with attention being currently paid to inspecting how the new iPad mini has been put together with Apple's new engineering and manufacturing processes.
Visually speaking, iOS’ Springboard “launcher” hasn’t changed much over the years. If you look at the iOS 1 vs. iOS 6 image we’ve placed after the jump, you’ll find the preceding statement to be very much true.
Regardless of public opinion of Apple as a company, it is extremely hard to argue against the fact that they are a caring organization that regularly uses their power and infrastructure in order to provide help to various charitable organizations around the world. Apple are heavily involved in the (PRODUCT)RED campaign, and you may remember the help they provided during the disaster in Japan back in 2011 when they opened doors of Apple Retail Stores to provide shelter for stranded individuals. In response to the ongoing environmental issues in the United States, Apple has now started collecting donations to aid in the relief of those affected.
The new Apple iPad mini is set to hit shelves this coming Friday and with the majority of pre-order models already sold out, it looks like the company has another early commercial success on their hands. Although consumers seem to have reacted positively to the new mid-range tablet, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the likes of Amazon have acted quickly in attempting to convince customers that they would be much better off buying the new Kindle Fire.
When it comes to a product launch, few companies manage to draw in the swarms of consumers quite like Apple does. Every time a new iDevice hits the scene, thousands of fans queue for long hours and in all weathers to be among the first to get their hands on it, and last month's launch of the iPhone 5 was no exception.
Apple has today announced that iTunes 11 will not release this month as previously expected, with November now the expected ship date. If you're one of the millions who use iTunes as their media hub and central iOS device syncing station, then this news is going to sting somewhat. Having previously promised that the next version of iTunes, version 11, would be available for download some time in October, the company has now confirmed that is no longer the case.
