iOS 6 Maps has received its fair share of criticism from the customers and the press, prompting Apple to publish an apologetic letter on their official website’s landing page, and even suggesting users to use third-party alternatives until iOS 6 Maps improve.
Every now and then, a jailbreak package comes along that seems like it should have been a part of Apple's own implementation of iOS. The new Merge tweak that has been unveiled by Joshua Tucker and Andrew Richardson during the JailbreakCon event in San Francisco is one of those creations and it wouldn't be surprising if Apple actually adopted it going forward. Merge greatly improves the iMessage feature on compatible iOS devices by merging conversations into one on a per contact basis.
We all knew that JailbreakCon was going to feature some of the greatest developers and designers in the jailbreaking scene, but we didn't know that it would feature some exclusive package releases so early on in the day. UI and UX designer Joshua Tucker has taken the opportunity to announce the release of his Emblem tweak that has been created in collaboration with iOS developer Kyle Howells. Emblem is an iPad only tweak that offers users a new slant of device notifications that has taken inspiration from OS X Mountain Lion.
As you'll probably be aware, this year's Worldwide Jailbreak Convention (WWJC '12) will commence in a short while, and unlike Apple's WWDC keynotes, the celebration and insight into the jailbreaking community will be available to watch as a live stream; details after the jump!
iOS Maps might have been criticized ad nauseam over the past ten or so days, but that hasn't stopped iPhone and iPad users flocking to the brand-new mobile firmware from Apple. Onswipe, a firm helping websites offer a more touch-friendly interface, reports the problems surrounding iOS 6 don't seem to have prevented consumers downloading and installing en masse, and of 100,000 users sampled through the company's partner sites on Friday, an incredible 59.43% of iPhone traffic and 41.3% of iPad traffic was coming from those running the newer software.
Tim Cook's open letter, published earlier in apology to the public for Apple's shortcomings with the new Maps app of iOS 6, was certainly required to try and calm the storm which has built up over the past ten days. The letter itself wasn't particularly surprising, but Cook and Apple's decision to recommend other, rivaling apps for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users to utilize until iOS Maps is sorted out, was a bit of an eyebrow raiser; and now the App Store echoes those recommendations made by the company's CEO.
It hasn't exactly been a quick transition from iPhone and iPod touch to the iPad, considering the initial Camera+ iOS app has been available on Apple's smartphone and portable media devices for over two years, but some will argue that it has definitely been worth the wait. In the time since release, Camera+ has propelled itself to being one of the most loved third-party camera and editing packages available on iOS with updates over the last two years bringing significant improvements and enhancements.
The guys over at Rovio have been hard at work producing something that they feel is up to the same standard as their Angry Birds phenomenon, and although we have known for quite some time that the game would give the gorgeous green piggies a chance to take the limelight, we are now seeing the official screenshots of the Bad Piggies game as it starts to hit supporting mobile app stores. It must be extremely difficult to produce a game that follows on from the phenomenal worldwide successes of the Angry Bird series, but Rovio is hoping that mobile gamers are ready to see some pigs fly.
One of the great things about mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad is that they allow professionals to conduct their day-to-day business from pretty much anywhere that has a data connection. That comes as a great help for those who are constantly on the move and are unable to whip out a notebook to access mails or other work related documents. That is partly one of the reason why iOS and OS X productivity apps are so popular, with DocuSign Ink being one of the current hits on the App Store.
iOS 6 was launched a few days back and while feedback overall is positive, its Apple-made Maps app has received a lot of negative feedback. Users dislike the distinct lack of transit directions, inaccurate data, lack of points of interest especially when compared with Google Maps on iOS 5 and especially with the even stronger Maps app on Android smartphones.
