O'Grady's PowerPage

Tag: Newsstand

  • Apple releases iOS 7 beta 3, adds extensive changes across the board

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    The third iOS 7 beta is out, complete with a fairly massive list of updates and changes.

    Per AppleInsider, Apple Apple on Monday released the third beta build of iOS 7 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch to its development community for testing, addressing pre-release bugs related to a range of issues, including Messages, iCloud and AirPlay.

    Those with authorized Apple developer accounts can update their devices directly through the Software Update section of the built-in Settings application. Monday’s launch confirms an earlier rumor that Apple planned to follow a two-week release schedule.

    The third beta includes the following fixes and changes:
    The third beta is said to address a number of issues that previously existed when using Apple’s iCloud services. Specifically, users familiar with the accompanying release notes said a number of problems associated with the new iCloud Keychain feature have been fixed in beta 3. Issues that also existed with Find My iPhone and Bookmarks toggles have reportedly been addressed.

    Apple also indicated to developers that it has fixed an issue in the Messages application that would present an empty message list on a clean install of iOS 7. Another issue that would cause Messages to crash when viewing attachments on two separate threads has also been addressed.Fixes in iOS 7 beta 3 are wide ranging, covering issues with push notifications, iCloud Keychain, Messages, and Newsstand.

    Developers testing iOS 7 beta 3 will also no longer be prompted with authorization alerts when Newsstand background downloads using HTTP basic or digest authentication are initiated.

    The latest beta also squashes a bug that would not save per-app settings in the Background App Refresh option in Settings. In addition, an issue that would not respect custom Passcode Lock and Auto-Lock settings has been fixed.

    Apple has also reportedly addressed a common issue where some apps may receive either duplicate push notifications, or no push notification at all. The app switcher has also been updated to show all suspended apps, Apple told developers.

    Finally, a bug that would not allow Reminders to work with VoiceOver functionality is said to have been addressed.

    As before, Apple has warned users that the second beta “should only be deployed on devices dedicated for iOS 7 beta software development.” The prerelease software is not intended for use among the general public.

    As such, a number of known issues are said to remain in iOS 7 beta 3 in a range of applications, including Calendar, Contacts, Notes, Safari, Passbook and more.

    The second iOS 7 beta was provided to developers two Mondays ago, on June 24. It added new voice options for Apple’s Siri personal assistant software.

    Apple gave developers the first beta of iOS 7 a month ago at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference. That was also the first time the world, outside of Apple’s team, got to see a major design overhaul for the platform.

    If you’ve gotten your hands on the new iOS 7 beta and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

  • QuarkXPress 9.2 update released

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    Oddly enough, QuarkXPress is receiving fairly favorable reviews these days.

    And if your life revolves around it, this may help a bit.

    On Wednesday, software developer Quark released version 9.2 of its QuarkXPress design application. The 1.03 gigabyte update, which can be downloaded here, adds the following fixes and changes:

    – Create a new project specifically for ePUB.

    – Add sound, video and hyperlinks to an ePUB e-book.

    – Create new articles, visually crop pictures, and split text components in a reflow article.

    – New Actions for iPad apps allow you to build buttons that control other media elements such as sound and video.

    – iOS 5 Newsstand support.

    – New Box From Clipping path command turns complex clipping paths into objects.

    – And more….

    QuarkXPress 9.2 requires Mac OS X 10.5.8 later to install and run and retails for US$799.00 for the full version.

    If you’ve tried the new version and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

  • iPhone 4S battery issues remain after iOS 5.1 beta, further work might be needed

    The iPhone 4S battery issue…it might take a little more work.

    Per ArsTechnica, Apple’s first beta of iOS 5.1 issued to developers reportedly does not address battery problems experienced by some users, as solutions to the complex problem continue to elude.

    ABI Research’s Michael Morgan spoke with ArsTechnica about the problems that some have reported since the release of iOS 5. In addition to existing iPhone users who updated their handset to iOS 5, the problems have been reported by those who have bought the new iPhone 4S, which comes with iOS 5 preinstalled.

    Morgan said that although Apple has apparently not yet been able to solve the battery life issues for all users, an eventual software fix is still the most likely solution. He said that software is the most likely cause of the problems seen by some, not hardware.

    “We tore down the 4S and tested some of the major components, including the new A5 processor,” Morgan said. “Nothing that we tested was significantly different from the iPhone 4, and power draw was right where we expected it to be.”

    Of course the version of iOS 5.1 seeded to developers on Monday is only the first beta of the pre-release software, and Apple will continue to make changes to it before its release. The final, public debut of iOS 5.1 could turn out to resolve the battery issues being reported by some iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 users.

    But Apple already released iOS 5.0.1 in November, an incremental update that aimed to fix bugs affecting battery life on the iPhone. However, some users said that installing iOS 5.0.1 failed to address the battery life problems they were experiencing.

    Apple quickly responded the same week iOS 5.0.1 was launched, and issued a public statement in which it admitted there may be some issues that still need to be addressed. While Apple said iOS 5.0.1 addressed “many” battery bugs, the company said it was still investigating “a few remaining issues.”

    General battery-related issues, or any “undefined glitch,” are a “massive problem” for Apple, Morgan said, noting how difficult it can be to pinpoint a problem in software as complex as Apple’s iOS 5.

    Morgan said what makes the battery issues so difficult for Apple to completely address is not only the complexity of the software that powers the iPhone, but also the variables involved with how users actually use their device. New features like Notification Center, automatic updates to content in Newsstand, and syncing with iCloud mean people are using their device more, which will naturally drain battery.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.

  • Apple releases iOS 5.0 update

    After months of anticipation, speculation and generally looking forward to it, Apple has released iOS 5.0 for its current iPhone, iPod touch and iPad models.

    The update, a several hundred megabyte download, can be snagged by plugging in your respective iOS device and checking for updates in iTunes and will take several minutes to create a backup file in iTunes, install, update firmware and perform additional tasks.

    The update offers the following fixes and changes:

    Notifications:
    – Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Center

    – New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen

    – View notifications from lock screen

    – Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app

    iMessage:
    – Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users

    – Track messages with delivery and read receipts

    – Group messaging and secure encryption

    – Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi*

    Newsstand:
    – Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen

    – Displays the cover of the latest issue

    – Background downloads of new issues

    – Reminders for managing to do lists

    – Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlook

    – Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4

    Built-in support for Twitter:
    – Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube

    – Add location to any tweet

    – View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts

    Camera improvements for devices with cameras:
    – Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)

    – Volume Up button to take a picture

    – Optional grid lines to line up shots

    – Pinch to zoom in the preview screen

    – Swipe to camera roll from preview screen

    – Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock

    – Photo improvements for devices with cameras

    – Crop and rotate

    – Red eye removal

    – One tap enhance

    – Organize photos into albums

    Mail improvements:
    – Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts

    – Indentation control

    – Drag to rearrange names in address fields

    – Flag messages

    – Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unread

    – Customize mail alert sounds

    – S/MIME

    Calendar improvements:
    – Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch

    – Tap to create an event

    – View and add event attachments

    Game Center improvements:
    – Use personal photos for your Game Center account

    – Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends

    – Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends

    – Discover new games with custom game recommendations

    – AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S

    Multitasking Gestures for iPad:
    – Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen

    – Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar

    – Swipe left or right to switch between apps

    – On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant

    – Software updates available over the air without tethering

    iCloud support:
    – iTunes in the Cloud

    – Photo Stream

    – Documents in the Cloud

    – Apps and Books automatic download and purchase history

    – Backup

    – Contacts, Calendar, and Mail

    – Find My iPhone

    – Redesigned Music app for iPad

    – Hourly weather forecast

    – Real-time stock quotes

    – Wireless sync to iTunes

    Keyboard improvements:
    – Split keyboard for iPad

    – Improved autocorrection accuracy

    – Improved Chinese and Japanese input

    – New Emoji keyboard

    – Personal dictionary for autocorrection

    – Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words

    Accessibility improvements:
    – Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4

    – Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone

    – New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices

    – Option to speak a selection of text

    – Custom element labeling for VoiceOver

    – Exchange ActiveSync improvements

    – Wirelessly sync tasks

    – Mark messages as flagged, read or unread

    – Improved offline support

    – Save a new contact from a GAL service

    – More than 1,500 new developer APIs

    – Bug fixes

    iOS 5.0 requires an iPhone 3GS, 4 or 4S, an iPad, iPad 2 or third or fourth generation iPod touch to install and run.

    If you’ve tried the new iOS update and have any feedback to offer, please let us know in the comments.

  • Rumor: Apple to add remote diagnostic tool in iOS 5.0

    It’s always nifty when you can get something fixed remotely.

    Per the cool cats at HardMac, Apple has allegedly internally announced to its employees that the new remote diagnostic tool has been completed. Presumably, these features could arrive with this fall’s release of iOS 5, the next major upgrade to Apple’s mobile operating system.

    The entirely online system will be triggered by a special URL sent via e-mail or entered manually. When a user visits the website and agrees, Mobile Safari will conduct internal checks of the system and send that data to Apple’s servers.

    To ensure user privacy, the only personal data that will be sent to Apple will include its unique identifier, or UDID, as well as the name of the owner, the report said.

    The list of information to be shared by the diagnostic system reportedly includes:
    Battery health, including current charge level, amount of time since the last charge, minimum level to which the battery was discharged, iOS version installed and whether the handset was turned off normally the last time.

    Apple’s iOS 5 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is set to be released this fall. It will pack more than 200 new user features, including Notification Center, iMessage, and Newsstand.

    Stay tuned for additional details as they become available.