Apple iOS 6 News & Updates

[mmadhankumar]

COMPARISON: Android 4.1 Jelly Bean vs iOS 6 vs Windows Phone 8

Image Credit and Source: RedmondPie

 

[Bapun]

Apple removes YouTube app from iOS 6 due to licensing issues

Those who downloaded the latest iOS 6 beta 4 yesterday were in for a bit of a surprise when they found out the YouTube app was no longer part of the OS.

Turns out, Apple will no longer be including the YouTube player app in iOS 6 because their license has expired. However, those using iOS 5 and older versions can continue to use this application as long as they don't upgrade to iOS 6.
Apple has also revealed that Google is working on its own separate YouTube app for iOS, which will be released on the App Store some time in future, hopefully by the time iOS 6 is released to the public.
In case you are wondering how you will watch YouTube videos without the player, there is no need to worry as the videos can easily be played within Safari. You can also access your subscriptions and favorites by logging into the YouTube mobile website from your iOS device, which works similarly to the iOS app.

Via GSMArena

 

[Bapun]

RE: Apple removes YouTube app from iOS 6 due to licensing issues

"Our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended, customers can use YouTube in the Safari browser and Google is working on a new YouTube app to be on the App Store."

-Apple

 

[Raviteja]

Ad tracking 'blocker' comes to iOS 6

Apple's UDID is soon to be dead to advertisers, replaced by the Advertising Identifier. With it, you'll be able to limit targeted ads in iOS 6, but it won't be fully functional at first.


Apple has built into iOS 6 a new toggle that will let you prevent advertisers from hitting you with targeted ads, but slow implementation of its new Advertising Identifier number means you could still see targeted ads on your iPhone for the foreseeable future.

First reported by 9to5Mac, the Limit Ad Tracking option is designed to prevent advertisers from tracking your behavior on the phone. It's a lot like a phone-based version of Do Not Track, except one that advertisers will be forced to obey since iOS is a proprietary system.

The toggle is available in iOS 6 general settings menu. Per Apple's "learn more," section, Apple explains that you still might see targeted ads since not all ad networks will have switched to the Advertising Identifier by the time iOS 6 rolls out next week. According to 9to5Mac, the full text reads:

"iOS 6 introduces the Advertising Identifier, a nonpermanent, nonpersonal, device identifier, that advertising networks will use to give you more control over advertisers' ability to use tracking methods. If you choose to limit ad tracking, advertising networks using the Advertising Identifier may no longer gather information to serve you targeted ads. In the future all advertising networks will be required to use the Advertising Identifier. However, until advertising networks transition to using the Advertising Identifier you may still receive targeted ads from other networks."

So far, Apple has not publicly set a timeline for how long the transition will take, leaving the statement an open-ended one.

CNET has contacted Apple for comment and will update when we hear back.

Source

 

[Bapun]

iOS 6 review​

The definitive guide to Apple's iOS 6 software features for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

iOS 6 is a software update divided against itself. Apple claims over 200 new user-facing features, which is the same if not more than previous versions of iOS. Many of these are good and solid, reducing the friction and increasing the functionality of iOS, and delightfully so. But a lot of it them are also about Apple and the future of their platform.

In that regard, iOS 6 is nowhere near as audacious as iOS 2, which brought the App Store, or iOS 5, which cut the iTunes cord, took us to the iCloud, and brought Siri along for the ride. It doesn't remove user and developer pain points the way iOS 3 did with cut/copy/paste or iOS 4 did with multitasking. iOS 6 is more of a soft-reset and a way to set the stage for iterations to comes. It strips Google almost completely out of iOS and introduces an all-new Maps app and increased Siri intermediation. It introduces Passbook, which isn't a digital wallet, but does provide a single repository for tickets and balances, and starts to make mobile transactions convenient and comfortable. It abstracts and outsources sharing with new Facebook and enhanced Twitter integration, so Apple no longer has to worry about creating awkward new networks of their own. And it increases support for China, which has become a hugely important market for Apple.

But if iOS 6 is about Apple and the future, what does that mean for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad users today? Is there still enough here, individually and in sum, to make it a compelling and competitive update?

Let's find out...

iOS 6 preamble

Before we get to the good stuff, and break down all the features of iOS 6 from iCloud and Lock screen, and app by app in the order in which they appear on the iPhone 5 Home screen, there's some house keeping to get out of the way first.
Previously on iOS...

iOS 6 is the latest in a series of iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad updates going back to the original iPhone OS released in June of 2007. Rather than cover previously released features again, you can find full reviews for earlier versions here:

iOS 5.1 for iPhone and iPad
iOS 5 for iPhone and iPad
iOS 4.3 for iPhone, iPad
iOS 4.2 for iPhone | iOS 4.2 for iPad
iOS 4.1 for iPhone
iOS 4 for iPhone
iOS 3.2 for iPad
iOS 3.1 for iPhone
iOS 3.0 for iPhone
iPhone 2.2 for iPhone
iPhone 2.1 for iPhone
iPhone 2.0 for iPhone


How to update to iOS 6

iOS 6 is available as an over-the-air (OTA) update right on your iOS device, or as a tethered update over USB Dock cable via iTunes on the desktop. OTA is typically faster as it updates in place. iTunes, however, allows for a clean install if you worry about a bad backup restore causing battery life or other issues.

How to update to iOS 6 with OTA Software Update
How to update to iOS 6 with iTunes
iOS 6 compatibility

iOS 6 is compatible with the following iOS devices. Not all features are available for all devices, especially older devices, but they'll all be able to run iOS 6 apps (binary compatible) which is a huge advantage going forward.

iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS
iPad 3, iPad 2
iPod touch 5, iPod touch 4

Turn-by-turn navigation is available only on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPad 2 or later with cellular data capability. Flyover is available only on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2 or later, and iPod touch (5th generation). Cellular data charges may apply. Siri is available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad (3rd generation), and iPod touch (5th generation) and requires Internet access. Cellular data charges may apply. FaceTime video calling requires a FaceTime-enabled device for the caller and recipient and a Wi-Fi connection. FaceTime over a cellular network requires iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, or iPad (3rd generation) with cellular data capability. Availability over a cellular network depends on carrier policies; data charges may apply. Offline Reading List is available on iPhone 4 or later and iPad 2 or later. Made for iPhone hearing aids require iPhone 4S or iPhone 5. Panorama is available on iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, and iPod touch (5th generation). Find My iPhone and Find My Friends enable you to locate iOS devices only when they are on and connected to a registered Wi-Fi network or have an active data plan.

iOS 6 feature availability

Not all iOS 6 features are available in all countries or regions. For example, standard maps are available in 177 countries as of this writing, while Siri movie showtimes are only available in 3. Some features will be added to additional regions in October, while it's likely data availability and partnership deals will mean longer waits for many others. Apple provides the following feature-by-feature, region-by-region availability breakdown:

iOS 6 feature availability


iCloud

Alongside iOS 5, Apple introduced iCloud to not only cut the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad computer cord, but take iTunes into the cloud. With PC-free set up, back up, and restore features, mail, contacts, and calendar sync, iTunes in the Cloud for apps, books, music, movies, and TV shows, Documents in the Cloud, Photo Stream, Find my iPhone, and Find my Friends, Apple in large part succeeded. Some of it was slow, some of it was rocky, and some of it still has occasional outages, but for the most part it works.

Recently Apple expanded deep iCloud integration to the Mac with OS X Mountain Lion and the forthcoming iTunes 11. They also added Notes, Reminders, and banner-style notifications to the iCloud.com website.

Bringing all that feature parity to the rest of the ecosystem means there's not much new to iOS this year.

You do get the ability to set up iMessage and FaceTime as part of the new device set up process on all devices, and to enable Siri not just on the iPhone, but all compatible devices. iCloud will also sync your custom dictionaries, and your Safari tabs across devices (see Safari, below).

The biggest new feature, however, is Shared Photo Stream. (See the Photos sections, below.)

Siri

Siri, the natural language interface that serves as Apple's virtual personal assistant, was introduced with iOS 5 as an exclusive feature for the then-new iPhone 4S. With iOS 6, Apple is increasing support to the iPad 3 (which only had Dictation at launch) and the new iPod touch 5 and iPhone 5. Apple is also increasing language support to include Canadian (English/French), Spanish (Spain/Mexico/US), Italian, Swiss (German/French/Italian), Korean, Mandarin (Mainland China/Taiwan), Cantonese (Hong Kong/Mainland China)

In addition, Apple has expanded Siri's feature set to provide sports information, restaurant reservations, movie listings, social sharing, and app launching. There's also a driving mode called Eyes Free.

At the time of this review, Apple stated that they were working with select car manufacturers to integrated Siri Eyes Free with on-board voice control systems, which would allow drivers to easy initiate Siri, ask questions or give instructions, and results back without the screen turning. Since I wasn't able to test it, I'll update this section when it Eyes Free becomes more widely available.

All the other features worked as promised. Indeed, a lot of them live completely inside Siri, as though it's the beginning of a new OS all unto itself. When it does hand off to built-in apps like Maps, Safari, or Phone, there isn't even the usual multitasking carousel animation. You're just there. (Getting back is another story -- you still have to re-activate Siri and repeat your query.) Now you can also be taken to third-party App Store apps like Yelp and Open Table as well (and those do carousel.)

That's an interesting twist. Apple knows that for end users, the interface is the app, and the more they can do with Siri, the less people will default back to Google. That means we get better natural language search, and Apple gets to intermediate data away from Google and broker it to select, best of breed providers like Yelp and Open Table.

But only if Siri works. Technically, Apple still lists Siri as being in beta, but their commercials haven't reflected the reality of many users, and indeed set false expectations that might have done more harm than good. Over the course of the last year, the Siri servers kept going down, results took forever to load, and in general, the experience was bad enough that some people simply stopped using it. Siri in iOS 6 still isn't perfect, but it's been much better for me than it ever was before. I use it constantly to hear and reply to texts while travelling, to quickly get information about movies or book tables at restaurants, and even to dictate portions of articles like this ones while on the go.

If Apple can nail reliability and win back confidence -- a big if -- Siri and natural language interfaces could be a big part of their future.

In the meantime, it would be nice if Apple let you access the Siri back end via Spotlight. If voice isn't working, or you're someplace where voice would be rude or inappropriate, being able to quickly type a query and get back the same quality of response would be valuable.

Siri sports scores, standings, schedules, rosters, and stats

Siri now knows sports. Or at least, Siri knows quite a few sports, in quite a few places around the world. Those mainly consist of the most popular sports in the most popular markets, like MLB, NBA, and NFL for the U.S. and soccer/football for Europe. If you prefer CFL in Canada, cricket in India, or even NASCAR or the UFC in the U.S., there's nothing for you yet, but it's easy to see Apple adding more sports and leagues in the future.

Here's what's available now.

Soccer: Italian Seria A, English Premier League, Dutch Eredivisie, Major League Soccer, French Ligue 1, Spanish La Liga, and German Bundesliga
Baseball: Major League Baseball
Football: NCAA Football, NFL
Basketball: NCAA Basketball, NBA, WNBA
Hockey: NHL
You can ask questions like:

"What was the score of the last Buffalo Bills game?" and get a new scoreboard widget showing the results.
"What are the Italian Seria A standings?" and get a scrollable widget with up-to-date team standings.
"When is the Montreal Canadians first game of the season?" and get a new schedule widgets giving you the data and time for the appropriate game.
"Who's on the New York Yankee's roster?" and get a list of all the players.
"Who scored the most points in the NBA last season, Labron or Kobe?" and get a comparative answer showing each players stats card.


More> iOS 6 review | iMore.com

 

[Bapun]

Apple iOS 6 starts seeding to iDevices around the globe​

Apple has just started seeding its latest iOS 6 to iDevices around the globe. If you own a 4S, 4, 3GS or iPad 2, new iPad and iPod Touch you can expect to get the update in the following hours.

This is the first iOS release that's available over the air so you can check the Software update menu on your eligible device. You can also check for the update from your computer, but you'll need the latest iTunes (v10.7) installed.
The update might take a while depending on where you are. If you know your Apple stuff you should know that the main features in iOS 6 are the brand new Maps app with free voice-guided navigation, which replaces Google Maps, Facebook integration and a more functional Siri. Here's our iOS 6 preview if you want to check out what else has changed.

Apple iOS 6 starts seeding to iDevices around the globe - GSMArena.com news

 

[Bapun]

10 new features in Apple's new iOS 6​

Apple has released the iOS 6 update earlier today. The update is available for iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, new iPad, iPad 2, iPod Touch 4th generation and iPod Touch 5th generation. According to the Cupertino-based company, the new OS brings over 200 new features to iOS devices.
The new features range from brand-new maps, Facebook integration to Passbook and FaceTime over cellular. Here's a look at 10 new features that you will get as part of iOS 6.

1. Maps
Perhaps the biggest change for a normal iOS user. Apple has ditched Google provided maps in iOS 6 and has introduced its own maps. The maps bring turn-by-turn navigation, 3D maps, real-time traffic information and more, however not all the maps features will be available in every market.

One of the interesting features of new maps app on iOS 6 is Flyover. With Flyover you can see select major metro areas from the air with photo-realistic, interactive 3D views.

2. Improved Siri
Siri has been on iPhone 4S for last one year, but now it is reaching more devices and with more features. With iOS 6, Siri understand more languages and can give answers to your movie, sports and restaurants related queries as well. It can also now post to your Facebook and Twitter accounts.

A new interesting addition to Siri is Eyes free, Apple is working with car manufacturers to integrate Siri into select voice control systems. Through the voice command button on your steering wheel, you'll be able to ask Siri questions without taking your eyes off the road.

3. Facebook Integration
Similar to the Twitter integration in iOS, Apple has also Facebook in iOS 6. With this integration in place, you will be able share a photo to Facebook right from camera app or post your location directly from maps. Facebook events also get integrated to your device calendar and same is the case with contact information from Facebook.

You will have sign in Facebook only once and then you can use also these features and more from any app without signing in again.

4. Shared Photo Streams
With shared photo streams, you can selectively share photos with a bunch of people. All you have to do is select photos from Photos app, tap the Share button, choose the people with whom you want to share these photos and you are done. If your friends and family are using Photos app or iPhoto, they will get the shared photos instantly in the apps, while the non-iOS/ Mac device users will be able to see them on web.

5. FaceTime over cellular
Along with Wi-Fi networks, you can also use FaceTime over cellular networks now. You can also make and receive FaceTime calls on your iPad using your phone number.

Apple has enhanced FaceTime so that you can receive FaceTime alerts across all of your devices. That means you can use FaceTime wherever you are, on any device. And never miss another FaceTime call.

6. Safari & Mail improvements
Apple has further enhanced the web browsing experience on iOS devices with iOS 6. A new feature called iCloud Tab keeps track of which web pages you have open on your devices, so even you if switch devices, you can just pick up from where you left on the other device. Safari can also save the full web pages now for reading later or offline access. The full screen support is finally present, all you have to do is turn your iOS device in landscape mode and just tap the full-screen button. Safari also gets the ability to upload photos via a form.

Mail is also improved with new features like VIP lists. You can now designate certain contacts as VIPs and chose to be notified when they email, even when email notifications are off. The VIP lists are cloud-enabled, so your boss or mom will still be VIP no matter which iCloud-enabled device you are using. Also included is swipe to refresh and an improved way to add videos or photos to email messages.

7. Panoramic photos
iOS 6 users using iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, or iPod touch (5th gen.) will benefit from the all new camera app that adds a panorama view. Until now you had to use third-party apps to get panoramic photos, but now with one simple motion you can shoot up to 240 degrees of view and watch the software weave its magic.

8. Better App Store
Apple has revamped the App Store interface on iOS devices. You will now have access to more information about each app and you will no longer have to enter a password for the free app downloads. The company has also made changes to way the search results and Genius recommendations are displayed.

9. Phone & DND
What is a smartphone without a phone and in order to make calling cooler, Apple has made some changes in the Phone app in iOS6. Now when you decline an incoming call on iPhone, you can instantly reply with a text message or set a call-back reminder. With iOS 6, you will also be able to turn on Do Not Disturb to suppress all incoming calls and notifications except for the VIP contacts.

10. Passbook
If you are tired of managing all the passes or loyalty cards, Apple's new Passbook is to your rescue. With Passbook, you can store your boarding passes, movie tickets, retail coupons, loyalty cards, and more in one place. With the app, you will be able to just scan your iPhone or iPod touch to check in for a flight, get into a movie, and redeem a coupon. Apart from all this, Passbook will tell you when your coupons are expiring or balance left on your cards.

While Apple has introduced some really nice features in iOS 6, not all users will be able benefit as some of them don't work in all markets.

10 new features in Apple's new iOS 6 | NDTV Gadgets

 

[Bapun]

iOS 6 is already on 15% of iOS devices, shows Android users how it’s done​

On Wednesday, the 19th of September, Apple released iOS 6. According to research done by Chitika, an online advertising company, they say that 15% of iOS devices in the United States and Canada updated to the new version within the first 24 hours. That’s frankly astonishing when you think about it. To put that number into some perspective, Chitika says that Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, despite being a couple of months old now, is only responsible for 1.5% of web traffic in the same two countries. Say what you will about Apple and how expensive the iPhone is, but the company sure seems to know how to make sure that their customers are using the most up to date software.

Speaking about iOS 6, we should bring up some of the problems that people are facing. One, Apple pulled out the YouTube application. Why? Because Apple hates Google. Now this doesn’t matter all that much because Google already has a YouTube application in Apple’s App Store. It’s the number one free application at the moment. Two, Apple pulled out Google Maps. The maps they replaced them with, Apple Maps, are not only uglier, but they’re far less accurate. This is a huge problem because navigation is central to most people’s smartphone usage. Rumor has it that Google is working on porting Google Maps to iOS, but we have absolutely no idea when it’s going to go live. Three, Apple pissed off Switzerland, but that’s another problem all together.

Back to the main story, the key takeaway here is that being in control of your platform lets you make sure that people get to use the latest and greatest version of said platform. We really hope Google changes their attitude towards Android in 2013 and forces companies like Samsung and HTC to make devices that do a better job at respecting Google’s vision of what mobile computing should look like.

iOS 6 is already on 15% of iOS devices

 

[Bapun]

Google Chrome now supports iOS 6​

The new Chrome for iOS is also compatible with new iPhone 5 smartphone.

Google has released an update for its Chrome mobile web browser app to make it compatible with Apple iOS 6 software update. The new Chrome for iOS app version 21.0.1180.82 is now available in the Apple App Store. There are no major improvements or features added in this new Chrome for iOS app.

The Official Chrome blog also noted that the new Chrome for iOS app update brings compatibility of the app with new iPhone 5 smartphone. Besides that, the new Chrome for iOS also fixes issues with Gmail mobile web app when used on devices with iOS 6.

The race for the best third party mobile web browser on the iOS platform will once again start with the arrival of iOS 6. The new software update also brings several improvements in the HTML5 performance and the iOS 6 laden iPhone 5 still ranks higher in the HTML5 Test.
You can get the updated Google Chrome for iOS app from Apple App Store.

Source

 

[Gssran]

Today got a update about Chrome,