Apple to issue emergency software fix for major Message-crashing bug!

In case you haven’t already heard, a pesky iOS bug unearthed earlier this week has been causing iPhones to crash and reboot when a precise string of characters is received as a text message. Additionally, the bug can also cause the Messages app to crash repeatedly upon opening.

Thankfully, Apple not too long ago issued a statement to CNBC indicating that they’re aware of the issue and that they plan to “make a fix available in a software update.”

Though there’s no indication of when a software update might come down the pipeline, we imagine it will be much sooner rather than later before news of the bug becomes even more widely known.

As reported earlier today, the problem stems from the way iOS processes the offending Unicode text when received in the form of a Messages banner notification. What makes this particular bug so frustrating is that there isn’t much one can do to prevent a mischievous friend from sending the text message in question to your device.

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Google search results on the iPhone and iPad will soon include iOS apps

Google announced today that it will soon start indexing iPhone and iPad apps.

Just like Google does on Android for Google Play apps, iOS app indexing will basically allow users to open apps from the search result page, should a certain iPhone or iPad app appear to be relevant to a particular search query.

The search engine giant announced that indexed iOS apps will start showing in iPhone and iPad search results in the coming weeks. At first, just a select range of apps will be included, but Google promised to expand the technology to other app developers “as soon as possible”.

iOS apps will appear in search engine results both from the Google Search iOS app and the Chrome iOS browser, but only if the user is signed into his Google account.

Interested developers can get the full documentation on iOS app indexing from the source link below. Furthermore, Google will also be holding a special talk at this week’s Google I/O developer conference that should help devs make the most out of the new feature.

Apple is the most valuable brand for 2015, Google second, research firm Millard Brown claims

In the world of technology, having a discernible brand surely goes a long way. According to Millward Brown, a Kantar-owned company that focuses on brands and their value, Apple is 2015’s holder of the most valuable world in the world, leaving one of its biggest rivals, Google, distant second.

Interestingly, Millward Brown’s 2014 global brand ranking list featured the vice versa situation, with Google at the top and Apple behind, but Cupertino has seen a 67% spike in its brand value to $247 billion, which ensured it the current top spot. In 2011, 2012, and 2013, Apple was also the company with the most valuable brand in the world.

Although unnecessary, Millward Brown says that this wild increase in value is due to the successful market performance of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but you already suspected that this was the reason, right?

The third spot in Millward Brown’s 2015 brand ranking list is occupied by no other than Microsoft, which has also seen a 28% rise in its brand value and is currently worth $115 billion.

We also have Samsung at the 45th spot with a brand evaluation of $21.6 billion. There’s hardly any other smartphone maker in the Top 100.

Apple releases iOS 7.1.1 with additional fixes

Apple has just released iOS 7.1.1 for public consumption. A maintenance update, iOS 7.1.1 contains “improvements, bug fixes and security updates.” Specifically, it makes Touch ID even more reliable than the previous iOS 7.1 update, while fixing a pair of bugs related to keyboard responsiveness and Bluetooth keyboards with VoiceOver enabled.

It’s arrived just five days after iOS 7.1.1 devices located in and around Apple’s Cupertino campus started exposing themselves in web logs.

Needless to say, those of you who rock a jailbroken iPhone, iPod touch or iPad are advised to hold off on upgrading to the new software until we’re able to confirm it won’t break yourjailbreak…

Firmware files are available on our Download page.

According to the official changelog, iOS 7.1.1 – labeled as build 11D201 – contains improvements, bug fixes and security updates, including:

– Further improvements to Touch ID fingerprint recognition
– Fixes a bug that could impact keyboard responsiveness
– Fixes an issue when using Bluetooth keyboards with VoiceOver enabled

You can apply an over-the-air update by visiting iOS Settings > General > Software Update. From there, hit the Download and Install button and follow the instructions. You must be connected to a Wi-Fi network in order to download the update.

Alternatively, connect your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad via a USB cable to iTunes and apply the update using your Mac or Windows PC.

For me, the installer comes in at a rather paltry 26MB, but your mileage may vary depending on your device model and the version of iOS installed.

For detailed info on the security content of this update, check out this support doc.

A companion Apple TV 6.1.1 update is also available on your set-top box.

According to early reports on Twitter, Touch ID recognition is now markedly faster than before. You’ll probably need to re-register your fingerprints in order to get Touch ID to recognize them faster than before in iOS 7.1.1.

Safari now supports new top-level domains like .photo, .camera and more. Also, as acommenter pointed out (and proved me wrong in the process), the App Store in iOS 7.1.1 now appropriately labels items that contain In-App subscriptions.

I originally assumed this was a backend iTunes update, but subsequent checks have confirmed that IAP labels show up in iOS 7.1.1 but not in iOS 7.1.

Should you spot other noteworthy improvements, please do share them with the community down in the comments and I’ll update the article accordingly.

iOS 7.1 is out with CarPlay support, Siri and Touch ID improvements and more! Jailbreakers should stay away!

Apple has just released long-expected iOS 7.1 for public consumption, the first major software update to its mobile operating system in nearly six months. As you know, Apple last September gave iOS a substantial visual makeover that inadvertently brought issues like random restarts and crashes.

Apple claims it’s fixed these problems while adding a myriad of user interface refinements and a few new features, including Siri and Touch ID enhancements.

You’ll also appreciate noticeably faster animations and transitions, as well as new accessibility options, performance improvements and more. If you’re jailbroken, do not upgrade to iOS 7.1 – you’ve been warned…

iOS 7.1 carries a build number of 11D169b.

Again, people with jailbroken devices should steer away from iOS 7.1 as it kills theevasion jailbreak by patching key kernel exploits.

The update is available for the following iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices compatible with iOS 7: the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5, iPhone 4s, iPhone 4, iPad Air, iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini, third and fourth-generation iPad, iPad 2 and fifth-generation iPod touch.

To apply this update OTA, hit Software Update under the General section of iOS Settings or connect your device to iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC. Additional information about the security content of this update is available in this support document.

iOS 7.1 fixes a bug that caused the Home screen to crash for some, resulting in random restarts. As a bonus, iPhone 4 owners should enjoy snappier performance after upgrading to iOS 7.1 from one of previous iOS 7 versions.

More importantly, iOS 7.1 includes new Siri features, Touch ID improvements, CarPlay integration and a number of other tweaks and refinements, all listed below.

The company has also released the Apple TV 6.1 software update for the second and third-generation Apple TV. Again, it pays to sit tight for now if you want to keep your Apple TV jailbreak.

We’ve written extensively about iOS 7.1 so don’t be shy, explore our iOS 7.1 archive.

Some of the highlights in iOS 7.1 worth mentioning:

• iOS 7.1 features CarPlay support
• Siri in iOS 7.1 lets you manually control when she listens by holding down the Home button while you speak and letting it go when you’re done
• Touch ID fingerprint accuracy and reliability has been improved
• Camera app has a new ‘HDR Auto’ feature
• Photos & Camera tab in iOS Settings has a new ‘Upload Burst Photos’ option
• you can now use a new ‘Darken Colors’ option under the Increase Contrast section of the Accessibility tab
• the Phone app has a new-look dialer
• you can disable Parallax effect independently of other animations when setting up wallpaper
• iCloud Keychain is supported in additional countries

Other tidbits:

• instead of saying ‘No Missed Notifications,’ Notification Center now just says ‘No Notifications’ when an alert is cleared
• there is a new Yahoo logo in both Notification Center and the Weather app
• you can now enable or disable bold text without restarting the device
• a new dialogue appears when restarting iPhone 5s, which reads ‘Touch ID requires your passcode when iPhone restarts’
• new iPad wallpapers
• ‘Touch ID and Passcode’ has been bumped up to the main menu in iOS Settings
• list view in the Calendar app has been redesigned
• you can now enable button shapes
• animations and transitions are noticeably faster
• iOS keyboard has new Shift/Backspace key highlights
• the slide-to-power-off UI has been redesigned
• icons for Phone, Messages and FaceTime apps have less vibrant colors
• Music apps has new Repeat and Shuffle buttons

As previously rumored, iOS 7.1 unlocks Apple’s newly announced in-car integration feature dubbed CarPlay, launched at last week’s Geneva Motor Show with initial support from Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari and Volvo.

 

From Apple’s changelog for iOS 7.1:

• CarPlay
  • iOS experience designed for the car
  • Simply connect your iPhone to a CarPlay enabled vehicle
  • Supports Phone, Music, Maps, Messages, and 3rd-party audio apps
  • Control with Siri and the car’s touchscreen, knobs, and buttons
• Siri
  • Manually control when Siri listens by holding down the home button while you speak and releasing it when you’re done as an alternative to letting Siri automatically notice when you stop talking
  • New, more natural sounding male and female voices for Mandarin Chinese, UK English, Australian English, and Japanese
• iTunes Radio
  • Search field above Featured Stations to easily create stations based on your favorite artist or song
  • Buy albums with the tap of a button from Now Playing
  • Subscribe to iTunes Match on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to enjoy iTunes Radio ad-free
• Calendar
  • Option to display events in month view
  • Country specific holidays automatically added for many countries
• Accessibility
  • Bold font option now includes the keyboard, calculator, and many icon glyphs
  • Reduce Motion option now includes Weather, Messages, and multitasking UI animations
  • New options to display button shapes, darken app colors, and reduce white point
• Other
  • New Camera setting to automatically enable HDR for iPhone 5s
  • iCloud Keychain support in additional countries
  • FaceTime call notifications are automatically cleared when you answer a call on another device
  • Fixes a bug that could occasionally cause a home screen crash
  • Improves Touch ID fingerprint recognition
  • Improved performance for iPhone 4
  • Fixes display of Mail unread badge for numbers greater than 10,000
  • Continued user interface refinements

Apple’s iOS 7.1 webpage is now live so head over there to learn more in terms of new features, capabilities and refinements.

Note:

4G LTE is now functional on compatible iPhones running iOS 7.1 in Lebanon (Alfa & Touch).
List of compatible iPhones:
– iPhone 5 (A1429)
– iPhone 5c (All models)
– iPhone 5s (All models)

Apple Releases iOS 7.0.6 And iOS 6.1.6 (For iOS 6 Devices) With Various Bug Fixes

As we continue to wait for iOS 7.1 to be released to the public, Apple has seeded iOS 7.0.6 to the public this morning. The release comes a month after iOS 7.0.5 landed at the end of January, which also featured bug fixes for certain newer models of iPhones.

It also looks like Apple has released a similar bug fix for iOS 6 users in iOS 6.1.6 Both updates are available either over the air, by visiting Settings > General > Software Update, or by plugging your device in iTunes.

From the surface, it looks like iOS 7.0.6, which carries a build number of 11b651, just contains a fix for SSL connection verification. It is for all devices. And as for iOS 6.1.6, it carries a build number of 10b500, and is just for the iPhone 3GS and iPod touch 4G.

We currently aren’t sure whether or not these updates are safe for jailbreakers, so it’s best to stay away from them until we get confirmation that they’re ok. We typically get word from the evad3rs or other prominent jailbreak figures within 24 hours of updates.

Apple releases iOS 7.0.4 with bug fixes and stability improvements, and it’s Jailbreak safe !

Apple has just released iOS 7.0.4 for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Along with the usual bug fixes and stability improvements, iOS 7.0.4 fixes a bug which would sometimes prevent users from making a FaceTime call.

The update is available over the air, directly from Settings > General > Software Update, or by plugging your device in iTunes…

Apple also pushed out an iOS 6.1.5 update for owners of fourth generation iPod touch, also to bring a fix to the aforementioned FaceTime bug, and and update to the Apple TV firmware, bringing it to version 6.0.2.

Hacker iH8sn0w has confirmed that the update is safe for jailbreakers as iOS 7.0.4 doesn’t bring any security changes.