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.

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.

Sony rolls out Android 4.3 Jelly Bean update for Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z!

Sony is rolling out an update that brings Android Jelly Bean and some of its own software modifications to the Xperia Z, Xperia ZL, Xperia ZR and Xperia Tablet Z.

In addition to the benefits of Android 4.3, owners of these devices will get Sony’s Smart Social Camera and the company’s full collection of apps — including Messaging, MyXperia, Smart Connect, Small apps, TrackID, Sony Select and its suite of media apps.

Sony began its Jelly Bean rollout in February, and just last week the software update arrived for its Xperia Z1 and Xperia Z Ultra smartphones. The company says updates are coming to its remaining devices “soon.”

Apple releases iOS 7.0.2 fixing Lock screen security vulnerability

Apple has just released iOS 7.0.2 (build 11A501) as an over-the-air update for the supported iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices.

Release notes for the software indicate the firmware update fixed bugs that could let nefarious users bypass your Lock screen passcode.

As recently detailed by YouTube user Jose Rodriguez, the security vulnerability involves a series of complex taps on the iOS Lock screen to gain access to a bunch of stock apps containing personal data like photos, email, text messages, Facebook and Twitter accounts and much more…

Needless to say, those who are jailbroken should steer away from iOS 7.

In addition to fixing said Lock screen bug, iOS 7 also reintroduces a Greek keyboard option for passcode entry, says Apple. As per usual, detailed information about the security content of this update can be found in Apple’s knowledge base article here.

To apply it over-the-air, visit Settings > General > Software Update on your iOS device (a restart will be required). The update weighs in at 21 megabytes for my iPhone 5: your mileage will vary depending on a device model and iOS 7 version installed.

Apple alongside the September 20 iPhone 5s release made available the iOS 7.0.1 over-the-air release which fixed an issue with iOS 7 not accepting Touch ID fingerprint authentication for some iTunes Store purchases.

The firmware was made available only to owners of the iPhone 5s devices.

Judging by web logs, Apple is also testing out the iOS 7.1 update but we have no word yet what fixes and new features it might possibly contain although we do think the company will release it alongside new iPads in mid-October.

Nearly one-third of iOS users upgraded to iOS 7 in the first 16 hours!

Adoption of Apple’s new version of iOS is off to a fast start. Nearly a third of iOS device owners have already upgraded to iOS 7 just 16 hours after the software was released. According to Mixpanel, by Thursday at 10:28am ET some 31.8 percent of iPhones, iPads and iPods had adopted the new operating system, noted for its flat design and a number of new features. Apple officially released the software on Wednesday at 1pm ET…

The Mixpanel announcement can be found here.

Go here for the interactive chart of iOS 7 adoption

By comparison, 24 hours after iOS 6 was released just fifteen percent of iOS device owners had adopted the new OS. Rival platform Android is saddled with a reputation of being fragmented due to the slow pace of OS adoption.

Compare this to Google’s most recent snapshot of Android OS version distribution.

As you can see, less than half of Android devices (or 45.1 percent) were on Android Jelly Bean version 4.1.x or 4.2.x, per data collected during a seven-day period ending on September 4, 2013.

Keep in mind that Jelly Bean was released alongside Google’s Nexus 7 tablet in June 0f 2012. Also important: Google’s data only counts Android devices that access its Play store, excluding gizmos that use forked Android version such as Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets and no-name Chinese cheapos.

In this week’s Bloomberg Businessweek cover story, Apple CEO Tim Cook mentioned both a NetAppliations survey that gave iOS devices a 55 percent share of all mobile web activity and an IBM research note saying iPads accounted for more than 88 percent of online shopping traffic from tablets during last Black Friday:

“For us, it matters that people use our products,” he said

And commenting on the widespread Google fragmentation, Cook said:

It will show up in developers. It will show up for people that no longer have access to certain apps. It will show up in security issues because if you’re not moving your customer base to the latest version, then you have to go back and plug holes in all of this old stuff, and people don’t really do that to a great degree.

Indeed, for developers, the solid support of iOS 7 means they can be assured apps written for the latest version of Apple’s mobile OS will be widely installed. While the vast majority of Apple’s user base quickly adopts the latest and greatest version of iOS, some people still use older hardware.

For them, Apple’s made it possible to download the last app version that was compatible with their hardware and iOS build. Also, the company today issued a note telling developers they can easily manage availability of apps’ previous versions using the iTunes Connect web portal.