Over the last few weeks, we have been hearing numerous reports about the future of Apple hardware and the purported changes which Apple is planning to implement while going forward. One of those major changes is set to be revealed with the announcement of the next-generation iPhone, is the move away from the existing 30-pin dock connector to a smaller connection that is reportedly going to be a 19-pin setup. The change in connector on the iPhone makes perfect sense considering they want to move the headphone socket to the bottom of the device, but if the latest reports that are surfacing are true, then we could be introduced to the new 19-pin connection on all iOS devices in one swoop.
With every passing day we are getting closer and closer to an eventual announcement and release of the next-generation iPhone. With the iPhone 4S being released in October of last year and the traditional Worldwide Developers Conference release date already passed, it looks likely that we can expect a similar launch time for Apple's next iPhone. Although I still expect an October announcement, there are some outlets adamant that we will see some activity during the month of September, but that obviously remains to be seen.
Although we have seen a number of installer packages over the years in the jailbreak world, Cydia is the only one that has really managed to stand the test of time and rise to prominence as the de facto package installation method on jailbroken iOS devices. Although Jay Freeman's package often comes in for some criticism, wrongly so in my opinion, it really is the most powerful alternative to the official App Store that we have seen.
Although Apple devices like the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are handy and powerful communication tools that can be taken anywhere with us, they are also great photography devices with extremely powerful embedded cameras capable of taking very good quality still images and capturing high-definition video. The beautiful Retina display on the iPhone and third-generation iPad along with these advanced photography features make them perfect devices for impressive image-based apps.
Love or hate the iDevice range of Apple, you cannot deny their huge influence on the mobile market in general, and many rivaling companies have sought to emulate the success of the Cupertino-based outfit.
Anyone who is a regular liberator of their iOS device will understand that removing the restrictions applied by Apple isn't always carried out just to install tweaks and modifications to control how the operating system works. The Cydia store is also saturated with a plethora of aesthetic modifications and full-fledged WinterBoard themes that change the entire look and feel of the running device by applying a set of custom-made images over the top of the native OS. By creating their own artwork that follow the same naming conventions which Apple have defined under the hood, theme artists can drastically change the device’s visuals, making it unrecognizable as an iOS device.
The last couple of days have brought some good news for iOS device owners who happen to love consuming visual media in their spare time. Yesterday we told you that Apple TV units in the United States went under a silent update to bring the Hulu Plus service to users, allowing specific content from network partners to be streamed through the unit to a connected HDTV. Amazon is never a company who want to be left behind or excluded and have released their Instant Video app for the iPad for immediate download.
It isn't really a great secret that some of the most popular apps for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad live within the Photography section on the App Store. Browsing through that particular category always manages to bring up multiple appealing apps with new offerings landing on Apple's servers on a daily basis. Apple has put a lot of effort into creating the iPhone, it has a beautiful Retina display and a great camera, something which developers have recognized by producing functioning apps that make use of the photographs taken with the device.
We’ve discussed and shown you plenty of prototype iPhones and iPads from 2006 and earlier here at Redmond Pie recently. These design documents have made their way onto the web thanks to the aggressive Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit that started yesterday; both companies are forced to reveal classified information about their already released or upcoming products in order help the Court make a just decision.
Just yesterday we discussed a five of, what we think, are the best alternatives to Mobile Safari on iOS: with its outstanding UI and tight integration with Google Accounts, Google Chrome was listed at the top, followed by Opera Mini with its equally awesome cloud syncing and Opera Turbo feature, Switch with its multiple user account support, Mercury with its mind-blowing number of features and Puffin with its best in class speed.
