Review: Digital Treasures Props Power Case – the case for the power-hungry iPad owner

As someone with years of experience of pushing the battery-life of laptops to the limit, the iPad was something of a revelation. If we ignore the time I stupidly left the Smartcover auto on/off engaged while it was in a bicycle pannier on a London to Paris cycle ride, I've literally never run out of power.

However, since I was reviewing the Digital Treasures Powerflask, I thought I would look at the company's Props Power Case at the same time. The concept is a simple one: a protective case with a built-in battery. Plug your iPad into the case, and the case provides the power…

First impressions

The case is made from the same faux-leather as the Powerflask, with the same red stitching. The feel of the material gives it away, as I mentioned in the Powerflask review, but it certainly looks the part.

At first glance, the Power Case looks a little bulky. Both front and back covers are two-ply: the rear cover housing the battery, as well as the front using the typical hinged flap approach to hold the iPad upright when in use. In reality, the battery section is pretty much the exact thickness of my Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard. It just feels thicker as it looks like a standard leather case, and we automatically expect it to be equally thin.

The iPad clips into the case with the fairly standard approach of four semi-flexible corner clips. Fitting an iPad 2 into it is very slightly fiddly, but it is held securely once in place.

The right-hand side of the case holds the only visible sign that there is anything special about this case: a black plastic strip with a power input socket, a micro-USB power output socket, an on switch and the same four tiny blue power indicator LEDs as the Powerflask.

Portability & protection

With the case closed, it is significantly thicker than most cases at exactly 1 inch. However, it still fit into the same slot in my bag that I use to store my iPad with the Logitech case, and the case doesn't feel like it adds any significant weight.

With the battery in the rear cover, you'd expect that side of the case to be rigid, and it is. Perhaps more surprisingly, the front cover is also stiff. With the thickness, rigidity, and slightly rubberized interior, this feels like a case that will leave your iPad well protected against pretty much anything short of an air-to-ground missile attack.

The rubberized interior also serves a second purpose: its non-slip surface means that you can literally position the iPad at any angle and it reliably stays put. This is a big improvement on cases that offer a limited number of fixed angles.

Charging the case

Who'd have thought 10 years ago that we'd update the firmware in our fridges and charge our cases?

The current version of the case has a non-standard power input socket that uses a supplied cable to charge from a USB power source. A future revision will allow both power input and output to use the same micro-USB socket. Either way, it can be charged from either a mains socket (with adapter) or laptop. But charging it fully on mains took around 12 hours, so I wouldn't recommend relying on a laptop to charge it overnight.

The four blue LEDs light up in sequence while charging, and it's fully charged when all four are solid and not flashing.

Charging your iPad

The case is supplied with a short flylead around 3 inches long. At one end is a micro-USB plug that slots into the output port on the case, and the other has a standard USB socket. The instruction leaflet said to use your existing USB cable to plug into this.

This is my one grumble with the case. On the plus side, providing a standard USB socket means you can connect either a 30-pin or Lightning connector to suit older or newer iPads. However, on the downside, the existing cables we own are likely to be a foot or more in length. Since the cable hangs outside the case, this is a little unwieldy.

You can tuck the spare cable length behind the flap to get most of it out of sight, but with the dongle and more cable length than you need, it feels messy (especially as the case is black and most cables are white).

I was hoping that I could use the iPad without plugging it in while actually in use, and then plug it in to recharge while it was in my bag. But, with two connectors sticking out, it risks snagging one or both connectors on your bag. It's not a big deal, but it does feel like a less than optimal approach. Putting the battery immediately behind the iPad and using a short length of ribbon connector would be so much neater.

The arrangement does mean, though, you can use the case to charge other USB-powered devices like an iPhone.

The full-sized case is available in two capacities: an 8,000mAh version for $89.99 and a 12,000maH one for $119.99. The iPad Mini version obviously has less room for the battery, so it is limited to 8,000mAh.

I tested the 8000mAh version with my iPad 2, charging the iPad to full, setting it not to power down, and then using it normally at my standard brightness level of around 50 percent. The sums said I should get 11.5 hours usage from my iPad 2 with the iPad's own battery remaining fully charged.

Unlike the Powerflask, however, the practice didn't match the theory: the Power Case battery powered the iPad for a touch over 6 hours—just over half what the numbers suggested.

On that basis, I'd expect the 1200mAh version to see around 9 hours. An iPad 3 or 4, which draw twice as much power, would likely see half of that. Case battery plus iPad battery would thus give a total battery-life of anything from 13 hours for an iPad 3 or 4 in the 8,000mAh case to 19 hours for an iPad 2 in the 12,000mAh version.

Conclusions

As I mentioned at the outset, I'm not the target market for this case. I have yet to exhaust the battery of my iPad, despite using it very extensively while out and about.

I'm also a firm fan of keyboard cases, having used the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover since it was launched. Indeed—such is my addiction to same that I carried the keyboard as well during this test and slotted it under the Power Case flap in a Heath Robinson-ish arrangement that worked but didn't exactly look like a solution designed by Jony Ive.

But for those who can manage with the on-screen keyboard, and who need more than 10 hours' use per day, the Power Case provides a workmanlike if somewhat inelegant solution. With the ribbon cable arrangement I suggested, it would be significantly more aesthetically pleasing in use.

The Power Case is available for $79.99 for the iPad Mini, $89.99 for the 8,000mAh iPad case, and $119.99 for the 12,000mAh iPad case. 

Apple Working on Dedicated iOS Game Controller? [Updated]

Pocketgamer reports that Apple spoke with a number of developers at the Game Developers Conference this week about providing game support for a new, official iOS game controller. Apple was rumored to have a physical game controller in the works for the iPhone last year, but nothing has yet seen the light of day.
Two iCade Game Controller Products

Of course, there's no official word yet, but Apple has been active during the conference talking to developers about its plans and ensuring plenty of games will support the joypad at launch.

It's been operating a meeting room at the show, albeit booked under a pseudonym company name to avoid media attention.

However, speaking anonymously, multiple developer sources have confirmed the news to PocketGamer.biz.

Back in 2008, Apple applied for a patent relating to a Wiimote-like controller, but there is no indication that patent is related to this effort.

There are a number of third-party game controllers including the iCade line and an Atari Joystick. However, these third-party efforts have been hampered by a lack of widespread support from developers.

MacRumors had heard previously that Apple had originally supported accessory makers in their quest to make official dock-connector game controllers, but then the approval process was mysteriously halted. Some had speculated at the time that Apple was working on their own game controller solution.

For what it's worth, none of our GDC contacts have heard anything to corroborate the Pocketgamer story, and there is no indication of when or if such a controller might launch.

Update 1:33 PM: The Loop's Jim Dalrymple has quashed the rumor, responding to Pocketgamer's report with a simple "Nope".

Apple Has No Plans for Dedicated iOS Gaming Controller

Following today's rumor that Apple was quietly polling developers at this week's Game Developers Conference about support for a forthcoming gaming controller for iOS devices, the ever-reliable Jim Dalrymple has quickly quashed that report.

As usual, Dalrymple provides no additional comment beyond a simple "Nope", but his selective quoting of the source material suggests that he is denying any current plans for an Apple-branded controller.

"Long rumoured – and hoped for – GDC 2013 has finally provided confirmation that Apple will release its own dedicated game controller."

Nope.

Dalrymple has solid connections at Apple and has on numerous occasions and with 100% accuracy either confirmed or denied specific rumors. Prior to today, his most recent such statement came last month when he nixed a claim of a television-related Apple media event scheduled Apple for this month.

Apple’s Chinese woes increase as State-owned film studio sues

Photo: South China Morning Post

A Chinese State-owned film studio is suing Apple, alleging that the company sold its animated movies on iTunes without permission, reported the South China Morning Post.

The 3.3m CNY ($531,000) lawsuit follows five consecutive days of media attacks by the State-owned People's Daily, claiming Apple's customer service and refund policies in China are inferior to those offered in other countries. Apple is also being sued by a Shanghai-based company that alleges Siri infringed a patent used in its own 'Xiao i Robot' voice-recognition systems …

The latest case is set to be heard in a Beijing court.

Shanghai Animation Film Studio, which has produced blockbuster animated movies such as The Monkey King, accuses Apple Inc and Apple Electronics Products Commerce (Beijing), one of its Chinese subsidiaries, of infringing on intellectual property rights while providing unauthorised download services in its App Store.

A senior official with the Shanghai company confirmed that it had filed the litigation with the Beijing No 2 Intermediate People's 

The Week in Tweaks: Automatic App Store updates, a new screen recorder, and more for your jailbroken

Here's a look at some of the most fun or useful jailbreak tweaks that came out this week. If you like these tweaks, but don't have a jailbroken iOS device, you can check out jailbrea.kr to learn more about how to jailbreak your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

Auto App Updater – $2.99

Auto App Updater is exactly what it sounds like. This great new tweak will automatically download and install updates to any of your App Store apps without any input from you. It comes with a ton of options for how often to check for updates, whether or not to use a celluar connection, whether to update apps when on battery or AC power, and even lets you blacklist apps from being automatically updated just in case there's an app you'd rather keep at a certain version.

What's more, for those of us who like to know exactly what we're getting into with each app update, Auto App Updater will store the change log for any apps that it updates so you can check and see exactly what's new. Of course, the only way you would know to check this change log is if you knew that there was an update to begin with. Since Auto App Updater installs the updates transparently in the background, you likely won't even know there are change logs to read. To fix that, the tweak can show you a notification letting you know each time an update has been installed.

Auto App Updater is seroiusly impressive and it looks like a lot of thought went into making it the most comprehensive auto-update solution possible. You can get it now on ModMyi for the reasonably low price of $2.99.

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Addial – Free

Addial is a simple widget that follows the recent trend of moving the iPhone's various functions to the Notification Center two at a time. This week's addition allows you to dial a phone number or add a new contact via sharing-style buttons. Unfortunately the "dial" button doesn't allow you to call a number from your contacts at this time, so you'll need to manually type in whichever phone number you're trying to reach.

You can get Addial for free on ModMyi.

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RecordMyScreen – Free

RecordMyScreen is an open source alternative to the popular Screen Recorder tweak. RecordMyScreen differs from Screen Recorder in that it doesn't actually use a dynamic library to load itself into the SpringBoard, meaning it doesn't impact performance at all unless the app is actually running. Granted, Screen Recorder doesn't take up that much of your iPhone's resources when it's not running either, but everything counts, especially on older hardware.

However, since RecordMyScreen relies on native iOS 6 methods to capture the screen, it does force a red double-height status bar to be on the screen when you're recording. That's not a huge deal-breaker, and most people probably won't mind at all. The capture quality is good, but just a tiny bit laggier than Screen Recorder.

The app's interface is also not the greatest thing I've ever seen, but it gets the job done. My biggest problem was the fact that the folder where the recordings are stored is also the folder where a bunch of other tweaks store important files, and those files appear in the list of recordings. If you delete those files from the list, they'll be deleted from your phone as well, so be careful.

Overall it's a really solid app, and for the price you can't beat it. RecordMyScreen is available for free on the BigBoss repository.

Adding mobile hits takes Apple’s website into top 10

Apple, ranked last year as the world's 11th most popular website, has now climbed to the No. 8 slot after web analytics company ComScore rather belatedly started measuring mobile as well as desktop access.

The average top 100 website sees a 38 percent audience gain when mobile is included, but Apple has the largest gain in the top 10 list after adding 54 percent to its numbers.

First Volume of Manga Adaptation of Steve Jobs' Biography Launches in Japan

The Verge reports that the first volume of Mari Yamazaki's manga adaption of Walter Isaacson's Steve Jobs biography has launched in Japan, appearing in the May issue of the girl-focused Kiss anthology.

The first thing you'll notice in these opening pages is that Yamazaki has pulled off the artwork beautifully; far from the spiky-haired caricatures that may come to mind when you think of manga, Jobs has been brought to life in a semi-realistic monochrome style that is never off-putting, but stays in the Japanese manga tradition.

The Verge summarizes this first volume as including fifteen pages of Steve Jobs trying to convince Walter Isaacson to write his biography before jumping into Jobs' childhood and moving through to his college years.

Once Jobs is of college age, Yamazaki swiftly transforms him into the type of character any schoolgirl reader could fall in love with. In one memorable two-page spread, Jobs goes from accepting a bribe of $5 and candy from his influential teacher Imogene Hill, to replying "Sure!" when encouraged to try LSD by a long-haired peer in college corridors.

The first volume ends as Jobs meets Steve Wozniak for the first time, setting the stage for their partnership and the formation of Apple.

Yahoo has also posted a preview of the first volume showing Jobs and Isaacson discussing the possibility of a Steve Jobs biography.

Apple Launches U.S. iPhone Promotion Offering Free Next Day Shipping On All Models

Apple today launched a new promotion for U.S. customers, providing free next day shipping on all of its iPhone models. While Apple typically provides free shipping for all orders over $50, the promotion also includes the iPhone 4, which is free with a two year contract.

The shipping promotion comes shortly after Apple released a new "Why You'll Love an iPhone" advertising campaign via email and the web and a secondary email advertisement that highlighted Apple's 9th consecutive J.D. Power Smartphone Satisfaction Rankings win. Apple's advertising push follows the introduction of Samsung's Galaxy S 4 phone.


Potential customers are limited to purchasing two iPhones with the newly released shipping offer, which is available immediately. Though no specific holiday is associated with the promotion, it does come a week before the Easter holiday.

Apple to Triple Reseller Network in India to 200 Stores by 2015

The Economic Times reports (via iPhone Hacks) that Apple is tripling the size of its reseller network in India by 2015, growing to 200 stores.

These franchisees, who did not wish to be named, told ET that they have been asked to scale up operations in the country as the Cupertino-based company plans to grow aggressively in the country. In addition to increasing the number of Apple exclusive stores, called Apple Premium Resellers, that are owned and managed by 17 franchisees, the company also plans to expand its presence in multi-brand stores, they said.

Some of these plans are said to have been discussed during last month's Mumbai visit of Hugeues Asseman, Apple's vicepresident (sales) for Europe, Middle-East, India, and Africa. Asseman met key trade partners and franchisee owners to take stock of the company's India business and to outline the company's expansion plans.

We first noticed Apple's expansion plans almost exactly one year ago after the company posted a job listing seeking a new national manager for the Apple Premium Reseller (APR) program in India, with the listing describing a "significant growth plan for the future".


Today's report also indicates that Apple has still been unable to find a way to open its own retail stores in India, given regulations requiring such single-brand stores to source 30% of their products from within the country.

Currently, the US company does not manufacture any of its products in India and the 30% sourcing clause could, therefore, deter it from opening self-owned stores. But it has asked its franchisees to upgrade Apple exclusive stores in India to global specifications, including designing, lay-outs, fit-outs, and is even sending its global suppliers to fit those stores. These outlets will have a lot of glass decor, which Apple uses at its company-owned stores in the US. The cost of refitting and redesigning each store is expected to be more than Rs 1 crore, which the company will reimburse the franchisee owners over a year, an Apple Premium Reseller franchisee said.

Late last year, Apple brought on two new distribution companies to assist with the company's iPhone business in India, an effort that resulted in a tripling of sales.

Apple has also been working to expand its content ecosystem in India, launching music and movies in the iTunes Store back in December and complementing that move with a February debut for the Apple TV.

Apple Updates OS X Anti-Malware Definitions to Block 'Yontoo' Adware

Yesterday, word surfaced of new malware targeting major browsers on the Mac platform with adware capable of injecting advertising into users' browsing experiences. The malware, known as "Yontoo", masquerades as a video plug-in or download accelerator in order to trick users into installing the package.


As noted by security firm Intego, Apple has already updated its "Xprotect" anti-malware system to recognize Yontoo and warn users who attempt to install it on their machines.

Apple has decided the Yontoo Adware has fallen too far on the side of undesirable behavior, as they have released an update to the XProtect.plist definitions file to provide Mac OS X with basic detection for the Yontoo adware as OSX.AdPlugin.i. In testing, it appears this detection is very specific and potentially location-dependent. This extra specificity is likely there so as to catch only the surreptitious installations of this file.

Apple routinely uses its Xprotect anti-malware tools introduced in OS X Snow Leopard to provide rudimentary protection against threats, and has expanded its efforts in OS X Mountain Lion with the introduction of Gatekeeper to allow users to restrict app installation to software from identified developers registered with Apple, or even to only apps installed through the Mac App Store.

Apple has also been using Xprotect to enforce minimum version requirements for plug-ins such as Java and Flash Player, forcing users to upgrade from earlier versions known to have significant security issues.

Apple expected to report record revenues — but falling earnings

Fortune reported that Apple is likely to achieve record revenues in Q2—but the first fall in its earnings in a decade.

Apple's revenues are expected to grow from $41 billion to $43 billion, another record for Q2, but margins are expected to have fallen substantially from a peak of just over 47 percent last year to 'between 37.5 and 38.5 percent' this year.

Margins tend to fall with new products, due to high initial investments and reduced yields when pushing the limits of what can be achieved (as with the new iMacs), and it's this falling margin that has impacted Apple's earnings per share…

EPS in Q2 last year was $12.30; the average of analyst predictions for the same quarter this year is $9.85.

The bad news is that every analyst we've surveyed — even the most bullish — believes that for the first time in a decade Apple (AAPL) will report that its income this quarter was lower than the same quarter the year before.

The good news for Apple is that these predictions have already been factored into the current share price.

Judging from the performance of Apple's shares since early March, the smart money has been pouring back into the company for the past three weeks … Wall Street seems to be betting that in the next six to 12 months, those numbers have nowhere to go but up.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/9To5Mac-MacAllDay/~3/575x8IQRlYw/

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Apple blocks OS X “Yontoo” malware that injected ads into websites

Yesterday, we noted that a new "Yontoo" malware hit the web that could inject advertising into websites (including Apple's own site).

Today, Apple has blocked that malware by updating its anti-malware definition system.

The change was first reported by Intego:

Apple has decided the Yontoo Adware has fallen too far on the side of undesirable behavior, as they have released an update to the XProtect.plist definitions file to provide Mac OS X with basic detection for the Yontoo adware as OSX.AdPlugin.i. In testing, it appears this detection is very specific and potentially location-dependent. This extra specificity is likely there so as to catch only the surreptitious installations of this file.

Haswell preview suggests similar gains to Ivy Bridge over Sandy Bridge

A detailed performance test of a prototype Core i7 Haswell chip by tom's Hardware suggests that it will offer a 7 percent to 13 percent performance gain over equivalent Ivy Bridge CPUs—a similar gain to that experienced with the move from Sandy Bridge to Ivy Bridge.

The integrated HD 4600 GPU experiences an impressive speed boost of almost 30 percent, but the website noted that this still won't allow for comfortable gaming on HD monitors, so gamers will need discrete graphics chips.

While performance gains reached up to 75 percent in the case of some specific tasks, the gains for typical desktop applications are 

iPhone 5S to Get Upgraded Camera and Processor, Could Ship to Retailers in the 3rd Quarter

DigiTimes is reporting that next-generation iPhone components will begin shipping at the end of May, and the Apple's new smartphone could show up sometime in the third quarter, matching with other reports that an iPhone 5S would be released in June or July.

Components for the next-generation iPhone will start shipping at the end of May with the new smartphone to have a chance of showing up in the third quarter, according to sources from the upstream supply chain.

The new iPhone will not receive a major upgrade and may just be a slightly enhanced version of iPhone 5 (iPhone 5S), the sources said citing their latest specification data.

DigiTimes' sources claim the iPhone 5S would have a higher-end processor and a higher-megapixel camera, which match with other rumors about the phone.

Other recent reports say Foxconn is currently preparing to ramp production on the iPhone 5S and that it may come equipped with a fingerprint sensor.

Apple's Hiring of Kevin Lynch Questioned Amid Concerns Over His Staunch Defense of Flash

Following yesterday's news that Adobe Chief Technology Officer Kevin Lynch will be leaving to join Apple as vice president of Technologies, reporting to Bob Mansfield, there has been a considerable amount of discussion about the move. In particular, observers have pointed to the role Lynch played in backing Flash in the face of Apple's insistence that it was a technology with too many problems and which needed to be left behind.

Daring Fireball's John Gruber has been particularly vocal about Apple's hiring of Lynch, pointing back to several events such as his continued cheerleading for Flash as recently as two years ago as evidence that he is a "bozo" who will turn out to be a poor hire for Apple. "Bozo" was a favorite term of Steve Jobs, who used it to refer to people who were not of the caliber they believed themselves to be, and former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki has highlighted the "Bozo Explosion" phenomenon described by Jobs as one of the biggest potential threats to a company.

A players hire A+ players.

Actually, Steve believed that A players hire A players - that is people who are as good as they are. I refined this slightly - my theory is that A players hire people even better than themselves. It's clear, though, that B players hire C players so they can feel superior to them, and C players hire D players. If you start hiring B players, expect what Steve called "the bozo explosion" to happen in your organization.

An argument can obviously be made that Lynch was a staunch defender of Flash because it was his job to be one, but his role as Chief Technology Officer also means that he had considerable influence over the direction of Adobe's efforts with respect to Flash. As a result, Lynch's continued defense of Flash even as it was clear that mobile devices were driving technology toward HTML5 solutions has raised eyebrows and generated concern over whether he will be a good fit for Apple.

In one final dig at Lynch, Gruber highlights Adobe's 2009 introduction of iPhone apps built using Flash, featuring Lynch starring in a Mythbusters parody that included putting an iPhone into a blender and crushing another one with a steamroller as part of an effort to get Flash to run on the device.

Apple TV Software Updated to Version 5.2.1 with Bug Fixes, Hulu Redesign

Alongside today's update to iOS 6.1.3, Apple also updated the Apple TV to version 5.2.1. The 5.2.1 software contains a number of bug fixes and has also brought a redesigned Hulu app to the device.

The security fixes, which can all be credited to the evad3rs, prevent users from executing unsigned code, determining the address of structures in the kernel, and executing arbitrary code in the kernel.

As for Hulu, the app has been entirely redesigned with improved discovery tools and some simple UI enhancements.

Right away, you'll notice we've added content categories across the top navigation bar to make it easy to for you to jump to your chosen section – whether it is TV, Kids, Latino, Search, or something else. Inside each category, you'll discover what's new in our content library so it's easy to discover new shows and keep up with the shows you already love. You can also jump into your favorite shows right away with the "Shows You Watch" tray. We built this to make sure you never miss a new episode or lose your place in a series.

Users are now able to hold down the "Select" button to access the Subtitles and Audio menu for captioning, and pressing play on a TV show will play the latest episode. This new functionality is reliant on the Apple TV 5.1.2 update.

The latest Apple TV update is currently available for eligible devices and can be downloaded immediately on Apple TV.

Update 1:11 PM: Apple has updated its Apple TV software updates support page with mention of several other changes included in the 5.2.1 software.

- iTunes in the Cloud: Adds support for Music in the Cloud in Japan and Israel.
- Stability and performance: Includes improvements for software update, subtitles, and general performance.

iOS 6.1.3 Released with Minor Fixes & Improvements [Download Links]

Apple has released iOS 6.1.3, a relatively minor software update that includes a patch for the bug that allowed someone to bypass the lock screen and access the Phone app, and also brings some improvements to Maps in Japan. Additionally, the update patches the evasi0n jailbreak, thereby preventing devices from being jailbroken by that tool in the future. There are no known feature additions or changes.

The update is available to all iOS 6 compatible devices including iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini, and iPod touch 4th & 5th generations.

Download iOS 6.1.3

The fastest way to get iOS 6.1.3 is to update through Over-The-Air (OTA) update:

• Open Settings, tap "General" then "Software Update"
• Tap "Download and Install" to get the update directly from Apple on your iOS device

Advanced users can use IPSW files and manually update the iOS firmware with iTunes.

iOS 6.1.3 IPSW Direct Download Links

These are direct download links from Apple's servers:

• iPhone 5 GSM
• iPhone 5 CDMA
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4 GSM
• iPhone 4 CDMA
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad mini GSM
• iPad mini CDMA
• iPad mini Wi-Fi
• iPad 4 GSM
• iPad 4 CDMA
• iPad 4 Wi-Fi
• iPad 3 GSM
• iPad 3 CDMA
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi
• iPad 2 GSM
• iPad 2 CDMA
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi
• iPod touch 4th gen
• iPod touch 5th gen

Right click and choose "Save As", the resulting firmware file should always have a .ipsw file extension.

Prevents Evasi0n Jailbreak

If you've been enjoying a jailbroken iPhone or iPad, or simply want to keep your device eligible for jailbreaks, you'll want to avoid the iOS 6.1.3 update for now as it patches the methods used by the Evasi0n tool to jailbreak iOS 6 through iOS 6.1.2. It is possible a new jailbreak for iOS 6.1.3 will surface, but as of now one does not exist.

Release Notes for iOS 6.1.3

The release notes included in the update are brief:

This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:

- Fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the passcode and access the Phone app
- Improvements to Maps in Japan

Downgrading Not Possible

An important reminder, once you update iOS it is not possible to downgrade to a previous version of system software. This is unimportant for the vast majority of users, but jailbreakers should be aware of this.

iOS 6.1.3 Released with Minor Fixes & Improvements [Download Links]

Apple has released iOS 6.1.3, a relatively minor software update that includes a patch for the bug that allowed someone to bypass the lock screen and access the Phone app, and also brings some improvements to Maps in Japan. Additionally, the update patches the evasi0n jailbreak, thereby preventing devices from being jailbroken by that tool in the future. There are no known feature additions or changes.

The update is available to all iOS 6 compatible devices including iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPad 2, iPad 3, iPad 4, iPad Mini, and iPod touch 4th & 5th generations.

Download iOS 6.1.3

The fastest way to get iOS 6.1.3 is to update through Over-The-Air (OTA) update:

• Open Settings, tap "General" then "Software Update"
• Tap "Download and Install" to get the update directly from Apple on your iOS device

Advanced users can use IPSW files and manually update the iOS firmware with iTunes.

iOS 6.1.3 IPSW Direct Download Links

These are direct download links from Apple's servers:

• iPhone 5 GSM
• iPhone 5 CDMA
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 4 GSM
• iPhone 4 CDMA
• iPhone 3GS
• iPad mini GSM
• iPad mini CDMA
• iPad mini Wi-Fi
• iPad 4 GSM
• iPad 4 CDMA
• iPad 4 Wi-Fi
• iPad 3 GSM
• iPad 3 CDMA
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi
• iPad 2 GSM
• iPad 2 CDMA
• iPad 2 Wi-Fi
• iPod touch 4th gen
• iPod touch 5th gen

Right click and choose "Save As", the resulting firmware file should always have a .ipsw file extension.

Prevents Evasi0n Jailbreak

If you've been enjoying a jailbroken iPhone or iPad, or simply want to keep your device eligible for jailbreaks, you'll want to avoid the iOS 6.1.3 update for now as it patches the methods used by the Evasi0n tool to jailbreak iOS 6 through iOS 6.1.2. It is possible a new jailbreak for iOS 6.1.3 will surface, but as of now one does not exist.

Release Notes for iOS 6.1.3

The release notes included in the update are brief:

This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:

- Fixes a bug that could allow someone to bypass the passcode and access the Phone app
- Improvements to Maps in Japan

Downgrading Not Possible

An important reminder, once you update iOS it is not possible to downgrade to a previous version of system software. This is unimportant for the vast majority of users, but jailbreakers should be aware of this.

Cupertino Hotel Adds Apple TVs to Guest Rooms [Mac Blog]

The trendy Aloft Hotel in Cupertino, which is located a mere two blocks from Apple's headquarters, has installed an Apple TV in each of its 123 rooms. Using the Apple TVs, hotel patrons can access television shows and movies via iTunes, and use Netflix and Hulu in addition to the Apple TV's other apps.

AirPlay is available for playing videos and music, and according to Square International, (via CNET) the company that installed Aloft's Apple TV system, the hotel can use the set-top boxes to provide guests with important information and access to the front desk.

The system can be customised to include your branding and images associated with the hotel. Additionally, you can integrate information about hotel services, including room service menus, the spa brochure, restaurant menus, shopping catalogues, local maps and city guides.

Our powerful, yet easy to use PC, Phone or Tablet management system allows Front Desk, Housekeeping or Engineering to use any web-enabled PC to enable / disable the system to act as an additional revenue stream, clear down all guest information with one click and even quickly and clearly see if a unit is offline.

The Apple TVs can be customized with iTunes accounts from any country and are wiped after each use to allow guests to access their private iTunes accounts.

Though the Apple TV is often referred to as Apple's "hobby" project because of its lack of popularity, Apple CEO Tim Cook noted that more than two million of the devices had been sold during Q1 2013, an increase of 60 percent year over year.

Cook also reiterated that the Apple TV was an area of intense interest for Apple, saying "I tend to believe that there is a lot we can contribute in this space and we continue to pull the string and see where it leads us."

The Apple TV recently received a stealth update that added a smaller A5 chip to the device, but Apple is rumored to be working on a more substantial upgrade that could range anywhere from improved content and the inclusion of third party apps to a full blown Apple-branded television set.

Samsung Galaxy S 4 Benchmarks Nearly Twice as Fast as iPhone 5 [iOS Blog]

Following last week's introduction of the Samsung Galaxy S4, Primate Labs has analyzed Geekbench 2 scores for the phone, comparing it to a number of other smartphones including the iPhone 5.

The analysis shows the new Samsung flagship is significantly faster than competing phones including the HTC One, and its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy S3. However, the S3 also benchmarked faster than the iPhone 5.

From John Poole's analysis:

The Samsung Galaxy S 4 is twice as fast as the Samsung Galaxy S 3. Given that the Samsung Galaxy S 3 is less than a year old, that's a remarkable achievement. I am amazed at how quickly smartphone technology is improving.

The Samsung Galaxy S 4 is also twice as fast as the Apple iPhone 5. Apple has improved performance dramatically in the past (there was 2.5x increase in performance from the iPhone 4S to the iPhone 5). Will they be able to make a similar improvement for the next iPhone?

Though the iPhone does benchmark somewhat slower than its competitors, Apple's close integration of software and hardware leads to significant performance gains that Android phones can't easily replicate.

Tim Cook's Approval Rating Slips, Loses Top Spot in CEO Rankings [Mac Blog]

Career site Glassdoor today released the results of its annual CEO approval rating survey, showing a four percentage-point drop for Apple CEO Tim Cook that resulted in a decline from the top spot in last year's survey to 18th in this year's version. Glassdoor's results are based on over 500,000 company surveys submitted by employees over the past year that ask whether they approve of how their CEO is running the company. Based on an average of ratings over the past year, Cook dropped from a 97% approval rating in the 2012 survey to a 93% rating this year.


Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg surged to the top of this year's list, seeing a 14-point rise in his approval rating to 99%.

While Apple has continued to perform well financially since Cook's ascension to the CEO position in August 2011, the company's growth has been slowing in recent quarters and its stock price has declined by roughly 40% from its highs amid concerns over increasing competition and how well Apple will be able to tap new products and markets to drive future growth.

Dropbox Acquires Mailbox, Will Accelerate Rollout

Popular email management app Mailbox has been acquired by file-sharing and storage service Dropbox.

Terms weren't disclosed, but the company plans to keep Mailbox as a standalone app, though the companies plan to extend both their platforms going forward, reports The Wall Street Journal.

"We felt we could help Mailbox reach a much different audience much faster," said Dropbox CEO Drew Houston, who said both companies shared the goal of making people's lives easier.

He said Dropbox will keep the Mailbox service running as a stand-alone app, and over time Dropbox will also use Mailbox's technology to enhance Dropbox features, like email attachments. The deal came together, he said, after the companies started talking about email attachments a few months ago.

The thirteen Mailbox employees will join Dropbox, but continue working on the Mailbox app. Mailbox is now delivering 60 million messages per day and has taken 1.3 million reservations for its free service.

Apple analysts react to Galaxy S4 launch with a variety of wild insights

Samsung officially unveiled its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone last night at a theatrical, Broadway-style presentation in New York, and analysts are quick to jump in today with opinions on what it means for Apple. AAPL is having a decent morning hitting a high of 442.50 and opinions from analysts seem to be split down the middle regarding whether the S4 has what it takes to cut into Apple's market share.

Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray doesn't seem too impressed with the S4 upgrade but noted Samsung's new S Band is "a quick first pass for Samsung on wearable technology ahead of Apple's watch. Munster added that he expects Apple to launch its smart watch product by 2014 (via Barron's):

The Galaxy S4 appears to be largely an incremental update to the S3 including a slightly larger screen (4% larger on diagonal), better camera and processor, and updated software, but largely the same body style and casing. We believe some of the software features are unique, including the tilt to scroll, video pausing based on facial recognition, and hand gesture based interactions, but view these software improvements as minor compared with what Siri was to the iPhone 4S or even Google Now to Android.

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek thought the S4 will be "incrementally negative for Apple" but doesn't view the S4 upgrade as "revolutionary" (via Zdnet):

We believe the S4 will certainly sell well and it is incrementally negative for Apple; however, the device is not revolutionary, in our view. Aside from the large screen size, which we believe gives Samsung a large advantage over Apple, we believe many of the features can easily be replicated. Additionally, a major complaint amongst Galaxy users is that they do not like Samsung's customized software, especially when it is a downgrade in performance from stock Android features. We wait to see the real world performance for the many new features. Misek did wonder if an iPhone 5S or iPhone 6 would be enough to hold Apple's fort against the phablet craze.

Sterne Agee's Shaw Wu lowered his price target today from $715 to $630 after the introduction of Samsung's Galaxy S4, while noting that recent supplier checks indicated production of current iPhones has slowed as Apple gears up for an iPhone 5S launch later this year. He doesn't, however, expect an iPhone with a larger screen until 2014 (via MarketWatch):

"We are picking up from our supplier checks build plan reductions for iPhone likely due to an inventory drawdown ahead of refreshes in the second half. In addition, we see evidence of sourcing activity for what appears to be iPhone 5S and a lower-cost iPhone using composite material casing,"

Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities said today that recent supplier checks indicated Apple would launch its rumored low-cost iPhone with the same 4-inch display as the iPhone 5. He also said the device will be made out of a "super-thin plastic casing mixed with glass fiber" and come in four to six colors. Kuo claimed earlier this year that Apple will include a fingerprint sensor under the home button in an iPhone 5S, and today confirmed he still believed the device is coming later this year.

BTIG analyst Walter Piecyk chimed in yesterday, claiming a new low-cost iPhone is "necessary in order for Apple to grow its EPS next year" (via AllThingsD):

"We believe a product that addresses the more than 70 percent of global wireless subscribers that are unsubsidized pre-paid is necessary in order for Apple to grow its EPS next year," Piecyk writes. "This is not rocket science and our belief is based on basic logic, not questionable 'channel checks' or trips to Asia."

Barclays' Ben Reitzes thought Samsung's momentum "is a major issue for Apple," and the GS4 will be more competition as expected (via Fortune):

"In terms of competition vs. Apple, the GS4 seems largely as expected – and there could be some relief for Apple (certain versions of LTE won't be available until later this year). However, as we stated recently in a recent report – we believe that Samsung's momentum is a major issue for Apple. As a result, we need to see Apple expand its iPhone market this year in a big way – and improve its platform. However, Apple seems rather silent of late – and could be waiting until C3Q to make any competitive response outside of potential adjustments to pricing."

‘Jobs’ biopic with Ashton Kutcher release to be delayed, new date yet to be announced

While the upcoming biopic "Jobs" with Ashton Kutcher was set to make its debut on April 19th of this year, the movie's release has reportedly been pushed back. The reason, according to the Hollywood Reporter, is that the film's distribution company wants more time to market the film prior to release. A new release date has yet to be determined. (Thanks, Scott!)

OS X 10.8.3 Update Now Available

Apple has released the OS X 10.8.3 Update for Mac users running Mountain Lion. The update includes a handful of bug fixes, a new version of Safari, support for installing Windows 8 through Boot Camp, support for installing Boot Camp on drives larger than 3TB, and the ability to redeem iTunes Gift Cards through the Mac App Store using a camera, much like you can already with iTunes. The peculiar File:// bug that caused applications to crash instantly is also resolved with the update. The full release notes for Mountain Lion 10.8.3 are included below.

The update weighs in around 250MB and can be downloaded through the Mac App Store.

Pull down the  Apple menu and choosing Software Update, or launch the Mac App Store directly and look under the "Updates" tab. Installing OS X 10.8.3 requires a system reboot, and it's always good policy to perform a quick Time Machine backup before installing any system software updates.

Release notes for OS X 10.8.3 update are as follows:

OS X 10.8.3 Release Notes

These are the full release notes courtesy of Apple:

- The ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store using your Mac's built-in camera

- Boot Camp support for installing Windows 8

- Boot Camp support for Macs with a 3 TB hard drive

- A fix for an issue that could cause a file URL to quit apps unexpectedly

- A fix for an issue that may cause Logic Pro to become unresponsive when using certain plug-ins

- A fix for an issue that may cause audio to stutter on 2011 iMacs

- A fix for an issue in Contacts that may cause cards to print out of order

- A fix for an issue that may cause the desktop picture to change after logging out or restarting

- A fix for an issue in Messages that may cause messages to appear out of order after waking from sleep

- A fix for an issue that may cause the screen to display incorrectly after waking from sleep

- Improves compatibility with IMAP servers in the Notes app

- Allows the Slideshow screen saver to display photos located in a subfolder

- A fix for an issue in Contacts that may cause addresses to print in the wrong location

- Reliability improvements when using a Microsoft Exchange account in Mail

- Xsan reliability improvements

- A fix for an issue that could cause Active Directory accounts to be locked out after accessing the Security & Privacy pane in System Preferences

- A fix for an issue that could cause link aggregation to not complete after a restart

- A fix for an issue that could cause delays when logging into an Active Directory account on high latency networks

Safari 6.0.3

Safari 6.0.3 is included in the OS X Mountain Lion v10.8.3 Update and contains fixes that improve performance, stability, and security, including:

- Improves scrolling on facebook.com

- Improves scrolling while zoomed in on a webpage

- Improves performance on webpages with plug-in content

- A fix for an issue that could cause the inaccurate appearance of an alert that bookmarks can't be changed

- A fix for an issue that could cause duplicate bookmarks to appear on an iOS device after editing bookmarks with Safari in OS X

- A fix for an issue that permitted users to access unfiltered search results when searching from google.com when Parental Controls are enabled

- A fix for an issue that could prevent Safari from restoring the last position on a webpage a user navigated back to

The following are the abbreviated release notes provided via the Mac App Store:

The 10.8.3 update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users and includes features and fixes that improve the stability, compatibility, and security of your Mac, including the following:

• The ability to redeem iTunes gift cards in the Mac App Store using your Mac's built-in camera

• Boot Camp support for installing Windows 8

• Boot Camp support for Macs with a 3TB hard drive

• A fix for an issue that could cause a file URL to quit apps unexpectedly

• A fix for an issue that may cause Logic Pro to become unresponsive when using certain plug-ins

• A fix for an issue that may cause audio to stutter on 2011 iMac models

• Includes Safari 6.0.3

For detailed information about this update, please visit:http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5612 (as of time of publishing, link is not yet live on Apple.com)

We will update with more information and changes as it becomes available.