If you've been seeking an alternative to Mail.app -- the default iOS mail client -- then look no further; the popular Mac email client Sparrow has hit the App Store, and is now available on the iPhone and iPod touch. What's interesting is how people often haven't really gone out of their way to find an alternative for Mail.app; it's strange in some ways that a default, bundled app is the most commonly used email app on iOS considering the vast third-party marketplace. Perhaps Sparrow might just be the app to put a dent into its use.
As well as the obvious introduction of the new iPad, Apple also made what many deemed as a statement of intent towards eventual connected TV by introducing an updated Apple TV device.
IntelliScreenX has been described by a lot of people as a good enough reason alone to jailbreak the iPhone, with some believing that Apple should adopt the ideas shown by Intelliborn and build them into future revisions of iOS. The commercial modification, which sits at home on the device’s lockscreen and integrates seamlessly into iOS provides a huge array of functionality which justifies the $9.99 price tag attached to it.
For established or up and coming iOS developers who are considering releasing something for download on the Cydia store, my advice would be to make sure that it is either entirely unique and innovative, or if it does offer similar functionality compared to an already available package, then make sure it dramatically improves upon it. With new packages being sent to repositories on an almost hourly basis, it stands to reason that we are ultimately going to see a slow down in unique creations and begin to see ideas regurgitated.
For those run of the mill iPhone owners out there, the default Camera application which is part of the iOS installation generally proves to be sufficient. With the ability to toggle the flash on and off, the option of HDR-enabled snaps and an optional on-screen grid, most casual snappers find it more than adequate. However, for those who may require additional power and a more advanced feature set, the general consensus is that that the Camera+ application by the developers over at Tap Tap Tap is one of the best around.
The newly released iOS 5.1 contains minimal changes in the way of actual tangible feature additions, but it does include some Siri support for additional markets as well as fixing over eighty one security flaws, and if internet murmurings are anything to go by then it looks as if it has also brought improved battery life.
Apple may have released the new iPad, a revamped Apple TV unit and brought iOS 5.1 to the mainstream but while the new releases find their way into the spotlight, the producers of our jailbreak tools are working as hard as ever in the background in an attempt to figure out a way to jailbreak the latest version of the OS. We brought you the news yesterday that French security researcher Pod2g was taking no time off from his work, and is actively beavering away in the background in an attempt to find vulnerabilities in iOS 5.1 which could ultimately be used to produced an untethered jailbreak for all devices. After spending the better part of three months developing the bug he secured in iOS 5.0.1, he could be forgiven for taking a little time off, but, with the cat and mouse game beginning all over again it seems that it is a case of all hands on deck.
When we think and talk about Apple and their products, we generally focus on two key aspects, form and function, both of which make devices like the iPhone, iPod and iPad stand out in the marketplace above all competition. The iPod portable music player revolutionized the way we think about and listen to music. The iPhone was one of the first smartphones to fuse together advanced features with an almost flawless design and the iPad brought about what Apple is calling the "Post-PC" era, and looks set to go from strength to strength.
Some iPhone apps create little niches that we didn't even know existed. Others take a manual task and replace it with a nice, shiny digital alternative. Some even manage to do both at once, and Pocket Doorbell is one such app.
With the March Apple media event now over, and the iOS loving world fully aware of what is in store for them when it comes to the latest iOS and Apple TV devices, attention is being turned to the release of iOS 5.1 which is starting to appear as an OTA and iTunes update to many users. For those users who enjoy their A4 iOS devices with a little bit of additional freedom and choice, you will no doubt be chomping at the bit to press the update button and get that warm Cydia feeling back on the device’s Springboard.
