Microsoft Office for iOS Said to Launch in Early 2013, Offer Only Basic Functionality

There has been a significant amount of discussion about Microsoft's rumored plans to bring Office to iOS devices, and The Verge now weighs in with additional details and a few screenshots from the project. According to the report, Office Mobile for iOS and Android will launch in early 2013 but will not offer anything close a true Office experience, with the editing functionality it does offer coming through an Office 365 subscription.

Office Mobile will debut in the form of free apps that allow Android and iOS users to view Microsoft Office documents on the move. Like the existing SkyDrive and OneNote apps, Office Mobile will require a Microsoft account. On first launch, a Microsoft account will provide access to the basic viewing functionality in the apps. Word, PowerPoint, and Excel documents will all be supported, and edit functionality can be enabled with an Office 365 subscription.

Microsoft will allow iOS users to purchase an Office 365 subscription within the app, or let organizations distribute codes to enable Office Mobile editing for users. The apps will allow for basic editing, but we're told this won't go very far in attempting to replace regular full use of a desktop Office version.

The report indicates that Office Mobile for iOS is currently planned for launch in late February or early March, with the Android version following several months later.

Apple Store App Updated With Siri and Gift Card Passbook Support (Theoretically)

Apple has updated its Apple Store app [App Store] with support for Siri, and the ability to email Passbook enabled gift cards to friends via the app. However, despite being in the release notes, neither the gift card feature and Passbook support appear to be enabled yet.

What's New in Version 2.4

- Buy new gift cards and email them to friends and family right from the app. These gift cards are easily integrated with the new Passbook app (U.S. only, iOS 6 required).

- Ask Siri to help you find prices and shop for Apple products. (Siri-enabled device required.)

Asking Siri things like "How much is the MacBook Pro?" routes users directly into the Apple Store app, generally to the section they've asked about. This adds to Siri's app-related abilities; on Monday it was reported that in iOS 6.1, Siri would support movie ticket purchases via Fandango.

The Apple Store app is available via the App Store. [Direct Link]

How to Jailbreak iOS 6.0.1 with Redsn0w

Jailbreakers will be pleased to discover that iOS 6.0.1 can already be jailbroken by using existing versions of Redsn0w. Currently, only the iPhone 4, iPod touch 4th gen, and iPhone 3GS are supported, and you’ll have to point Redsn0w at the older 6.0 IPSW, but otherwise the process is pretty much the same as any other recent tethered jailbreak. The simple walkthrough below guides you through the process, but the Redsn0w app itself also is fairly explanatory these days.
Before beginning, it’s a good idea to perform a manual backup, this lets you easily undo the jailbreak without losing anything. Use iCloud to backup manually or go the traditional route with iTunes, but don’t skip this step.

• Update to iOS 6.0.1 if you haven’t done so yet, use OTA, iTunes, or with the 6.0.1 IPSW
• Get the latest version of redsn0w (Mac OS X) (Windows)
• Get a local copy of iOS 6 IPSW for your device
• Launch Redsn0w, click “Extras”, then “Select IPSW”, and choose the iOS 6.0 IPSW file you just downloaded, then go back to the main Redsn0w screen and choose “Jailbreak”
• Follow on screen instructions to enter DFU mode by holding the Power button for 3 seconds, then while holding Power also hold the Home button for 5 seconds, finally release Power button but hold home button for another 15 seconds, Redsn0w will notify you when DFU has been successful
• Be sure to check auto boot in Redsn0w to automatically boot the device tethered upon restart, if you missed that step go to the primary redsn0w window and select “Extras” followed by “Just Boot” to boot tethered

When iOS reboots you should find Cydia on the home screen, signifying the jailbreak was successful. If you don’t see it or it doesn’t launch, you probably didn’t boot tethered, which is required. The whole tethering thing is the primary downside to these types of jailbreaks, as you’ll need to connect it to a computer with Redsnow each time the device reboots or runs out of battery.
If you decide to undo the jailbreak, just connect the iPhone or iPod touch to the computer and choose Restore, selecting the most recent backup stored locally or within iTunes.