iOS 6 Jailbreak Already Available with Redsn0w 0.9.13dev

     
    
Redsn0w jailbreak for iOS 6 beta

The first beta of iOS 6 has only been in the wild a few days but has already been jailbroken. The DevTeam released a dev build of Redsn0w 0.9.13 to handle the jailbreak which works on iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, and iPod touch 4G, though each device is tethered for the time being and there are a handful of major issues with the jailbreak that should prevent most users from attempting to use it on their devices.

As the versioning implies, Redsn0w 0.9.13dev1 is intended for developers only. There are many components that do not work, including Apple’s default apps, many 3rd party apps, Cydia apps, and more. Furthermore, this version of the tethered jailbreak does not install Cydia. Because of all the caveats this is really a proof of concept and should not be widely adopted beyond those developing jailbreak tweaks or apps, but it does suggest that when iOS 6 is released to the public a jailbreak will accompany it rather quickly.
Download Redsn0w 0.9.13dev

For the brave devs that wish to try this, these are direct links:

    Mac
    Windows

If you’re a developer and you wish to try this out, point Redsn0w at the iOS 6 IPSW file to jailbreak, and then boot tethered. As the Dev Team mentions, anyone attempting to use this version of redsn0w will need a registered UDID to activate their device.

iOS 6 is scheduled for a public release this fall.

Review: HyperJuice 2 External MacBook and iPad Battery MBP2-100

Talk about good timing. A few days before Sandy hit our town, Hyper sent me its new MacBook + iOS charging external battery device, the Hyperjuice MBP2-100.





Hyper has made external MacBook/Air/Pro batteries for years, and if you’ve ever been to an Apple (or any big technology) keynote event, many of the live bloggers have their rigs hooked up to them. HyperJuice’s latest line, dubbed the “MBP2 series”, expands on the capabilities of the big power batteries…

I’ve been using a Powerbag from Ful for my external battery needs for over a year. I love the idea of power inside a backpack, and it has saved me on many occasions, but I could also use some additional flexibility. You can’t remove the battery charging apparatus from the Powerbag, and it doesn’t offer a way to charge a MacBook.

HyperJuice takes a simpler approach and offers a battery that matches the aluminum exterior of a MacBook Pro/Air. If you want to pop it into a backpack, it is pretty quick and easy; all the ports and the display are on one side and easy to access. Or, you can throw it in a laptop case or even a roomy pocket of an iPad cover. I’ve even seen one double-sided taped to the back of a MacBook Pro.

The OLED screen provides detailed battery information like percentage power remaining, temperature, time to full charge and discharge. There are two iPad-level charging 2.1A USB ports on the front as well as DC in and DC out. The DC in is for charging via the included AC adapter, but you can also charge the battery via DC source like a car or boat. The 12V DC out is for your Mac via an adapter that looks like a car lighter.

To use the HyperJuice with a Mac, you’ll need to pick up the $50 Apple Airplane adapter (or a well rated $30 knock off). Since Apple doesn’t make an Airplane adapter for the Retina MacBook Pro, you’ll need the $10 MagSafe to MagSafe 2 adapter if you are using Retina. As an aside, here are my feelings on that:

    HyperJuice created a charger with a MagSafe tip a few years ago but Apple sued because the MagSafe adapter is trademarked and patented. Because there is no other way to provide extra power to MacBook users (Apple refuses to provide one) HyperJuice was forced to create a jury-rigged type of solution where it requires you to purchase an Apple Airplane adapter (never mind that most Airplanes use AC plugs now).  It gets worse. Apple still hasn’t released a MagSafe 2 adapter for Retina MacBook Pros (see my conversation with Apple Store chat at the bottom of this post) so you are forced to have yet another part in a daisy chain of pieces. It would be nice if Apple could license the MagSafe Adapter the same way it does lightning adapters for instance so that there was an elegant solution to extra battery life.

The 100W/h MBP2-100 model I received weighs about 1.5lbs or about as much as an iPad with a case. The battery storage capacity at 100W/h is about three times as much as the 36W/h battery you’ll find in a MacBook Air, and it is slightly more than the 95W/h battery you’ll find in a 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.

That makes sense, too, because it about doubles the amount of time I can use my 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.  I usually get about 5- to 6 hours of real-world life out of the Retina MacBook Pro. I was able to go 5 hours and 45 minutes of a cross-country plane ride before the internal battery started discharging (which should have yielded me close to 12 total, but I landed with a few hours left!). With an Air, the time is even more pronounced. I get about 4 hours of normal use out of my 13-inch Air.  I was able to use the HyperJuice for over 10 hours before the normal battery kicked in for an overall time around 14 hours.

Recharging the HyperJuice from an AC adapter takes about 4 hours, and you have a reading on the front of the display to know how far to go. You could also theoretically charge it from a car or RV, but I didn’t make such an effort.

The HyperJuice was essential during Sandy’s aftermath, where my family lost power for two weeks. I was able to charge it up in the morning while working at a coffee shop (Thanks, Black Cow!), and then I worked from home for 10 hours until sleeping, while using my phone (also kept charged with the HyperJuice) as a hotspot.

The HyperJuice works even better as an iOS device charger. I didn’t measure usage, because it is probably in the weeks rather than days or hours. HyperJuice gives the following rates:
iPad Battery Life     Extend up to 50 hours (34 hours for the new iPad)
iPhone Battery Life     Fully recharge the iPhone up to 19 times

I was able to quick charge two iPads (a first-gen and third-gen) at the same time, because it has two 2.1A USB ports.

Downsides are few but this is a very big peripheral and probably shouldn’t be something you carry on your person.  Also, the process of buying an Airport adapter and for me a MagSafe 2 adapter was a hassle. Finally, the AC adapter feels a bit cheap, especially for a battery that costs hundreds of dollars – though there wasn’t any mechanical issue with it (and hypothetically, it would be easy to replace).

Overall, I was extremely happy with this device. I’ve spent years playing around with external batteries of different shapes and sizes – and often they fell short of expectations. The HyperJuice holds and keeps its charge for what seems like forever.

Buy it (or other versions)at HyperShop.com for $299 or older models at significant discounts at Amazon.com

Weekend Roundup: Apple vs Samsung, new Genius Bar, Black Friday iPad trends, Will.i.am’s new iPhone accessory, more

According to a report from IBM tracking shopping trends for Thanksgiving and Black Friday (via Fortune), Apple devices dominated among mobile devices for online buying with 10% of shopping online done from an iPad. The device also dominated for online purchases originating from tablets, accounting for 88.3 percent of traffic. iPhone came in at 8.7 percent of traffic for online purchases, while Android devices combined came in at just 5.5 percent.

Apple appears to be testing its new “floating” Genius Bar design in a couple of retail stores. We originally saw images of the new communal Genius Bar configuration back in July, but today TheDailyCity reported Apple is testing the design in at least two stores: one in Orlando at Mall at Millienia and another in a Philadelphia Apple Store. Apple will apparently be rolling out the design to its Florida Mall store. Apple appears to be liking the new design, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see it in more Apple Stores in the near future.

Apple and Samsung are now both seeking to extend their patent infringement claims in the California based lawsuit filed in August. Samsung asked the courts in a filing last week to add the iPad mini and new iPod touch to the case after recently adding the iPhone 5. Now, FossPatents reports that Apple, as of Black Friday, is seeking to add six new Samsung products including: Samsung Galaxy S III, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy Tab 8.9 Wifi, Galaxy Tab 10.1, Samsung Rugby Pro, and the Galaxy S III Mini. The case isn’t scheduled to go to trial until March 2014.

Will.i.am of Black Eye Peas fame is about to launch a new accessory for iPhone this week that is said to turn the device’s existing 8 megapixel camera into a 14 megapixel camera. TheTelegraph (via MacRumors) spoke with Will.i.am who described the product called i.am+:

    ‘We have our own sensor and a better flash. You dock you phone into our device and it turns you smartphone into a genius-phone. We take over the camera.’… The camera will be the first of a series of digital products that bear his name – to support them, he has invested in what he calls ‘digital real estate’ online. He now owns the domain www.i.am. Users of i.am+ accessories will be given individual online profiles, for example www.i.am/Will.

Apple has switched battery suppliers for iPad and MacBooks from Samsung SDI to Amperex Technology Limited and Tianjin Lishen Battery, according to a report from China Business News (via TechCrunch). Recent reports of processor price hikes and Samsung dropping out as an Apple display supplier were later denied by the company, so we’ll wait for official word regarding the batteries.

The majority of iPad mini displays are coming from LG, according to a report from Digitimes. We already knew LG Display, AU Optronics, and Samsung are supplying display components for the device, but the sometimes unreliable Digitimes claimed this weekend that the majority of displays are coming from LG, not AUO.

How to Enable Siri on iPad 3

Siri has made it’s way onto iPad 3 thanks to iOS 6 and it’s actually one of the best reasons to upgrade for 3rd gen iPad owners. Though you should see the option to enable Siri during the first reboot and basic setup after updating to iOS 6 or getting a brand new iPad, if you somehow skipped it or didn’t see that option, here’s all you need to do to get Siri on the iPad:

• Open Settings and tap “General”
• Find “Siri” and flip the switch to “ON”, make any changes to Voice Feedback, Language, and your identity as necessary
• Close out of Settings and Siri is ready to go

With Siri enabled, hold down the Home button for about 2 seconds to activate Siri and start asking questions, request information, and even launch apps.

The voice recognition aspect is just like Dictation in iOS and OS X, but with the responses it’s obvious Siri has undergone some major improvements behind the scenes, and the ability to answer even some obscure questions has dramatically improved. Sports fans will find the new sports features a welcome change too, letting you easily get game schedules, rankings, stats, and much more, perfect for couch lounging on Saturdays and Sundays.

Get Weather on iPad with the Clock App

iOS 6 brought with it a new feature that lets iPad users finally get weather on the device without downloading a third party apps: the new Clock app. Yup, there’s a new clock app for iPad users only, and it does all the things the iPhone and iPod touch clock app did, plus the ability to get the current temperature:

• Launch Clock, tap on “World Clock” on the bottom
• Enter the location(s) you want the current weather for

At a glance, World Clock shows the weather and temperature along with the times for each location around the world you specified.

You can also tap on a specific location to see a larger version of the clock with the current temperature indicated, as shown in the screenshot at top. The Clock app has limitations though, mainly that it will only provide the current temperatures in locations, so you won’t find any forecasting. For that you’ll want to use Siri or a third party app.

By the way, the full-screen clock makes a great screensaver of sorts for the iPad while it’s sitting around not in use. To have the full screen Clock stay visible, just turn off auto-dimming and screen locking.

Weather is obviously a fairly minor and subtle feature, but it’s very much appreciated.

How to Use Google Maps on iOS 6 Right Now

If having Google Maps on your iOS 6 equipped iPhone is an absolute must right now, you’ll be pleased to discover that Google Maps has a surprisingly good web app that works extremely well from mobile Safari. Thanks to the speed of the A6 process in the iPhone 5, the web app so quick it actually feels pretty much like a native app too. Here’s how to get access to Google Maps on your iOS 6 device right now:

• Open Safari and go to maps.google.com
• Tap the [>] arrow button to bring up the task menu, and choose “Add to Home Screen”

Now that you have added the Google Maps web app to your home screen, you can launch it like any other app, though it will load in the Safari web browser. That hardly matters though, because it’s full featured and has complete access to everything Google Maps does with all its detail, accuracy, and directions for cars, walking, public transit, and bikes.

This web-based solution is obviously temporary as Google is widely expected to release an independent iOS Maps app for iPhone and iPad, but there’s still no estimate on when it will arrive. In the meantime, bookmark Google Maps to your home screen, check out Bing Maps as a replacement, and last but certainly not least, give Apple Maps a chance. After using Apple Maps quite a bit I have found it to be quite good, though it’s obviously still a work in progress for some regions. Instead of buying into the negative press (though some of the surrounding humor is quite funny), try it out yourself for a while and you’ll probably agree.

Use Siri as a Calculator

Don’t want to unlock your iPhone and launch the Calculator app? Bummed that iPad doesn’t even have a default Calculator? No big deal, because Siri can function as a regular old calculator, and it has the obvious added bonus of being handsfree. To have Siri calculate equations for you, just feed Siri numbers and thanks to the Wolfram Alpha backend Siri will quickly spit out the answer, complete with a number line.

The simplest forms of Siri calculation can be used as follows:

• Number + number
• Number / number
• Number X number
• Number – number

Try it out by saying the equation aloud to Siri just as it reads. You’ll find the results vary a bit based on the equation given:

Addition and subtraction, Siri will return an easy to follow number line showing movements to the sum.

Multiplication of large numbers, Siri returns the answer in addition to a number line that shows any potential exponents.

Division, Siri provides the answer, reduces the fraction, gives the number as a decimal, and even shows a mixed fraction.

You can string a variety of numbers together and make fairly complex equations, which Siri typically gets right. You’ll notice on some particularly complicated equations that Siri won’t necessarily obey the proper order of operations, so you may want to avoid using Siri as a calculator for complex algebra and calculus homework.

We covered a similarly themed tip recently discussing how Siri can function as a tip calculator, but with how useful the general calculation functions are it’s well worth mentioning the wider potential uses here.

This tip comes to us from Jason R. who uses Siri to add up receipts for expense reports, thanks for the idea J!