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GTA V

GTA V
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Tuesday, July 30, 2013

6 Best Back-to-School Tablets

Summer's coming to an end, but don't let that get you down — instead, take advantage of back-to-school season and upgrade to a tablet that you truly love.

We've rounded up the best tablets on the market today, including the classically beautiful iPad with retina display, the light-as-a-feather Nexus 7, the media-rich Kindle Fire HD and more.

1. iPad With Retina Display


This iPad is easily one of the most beautiful tablets on the market today. With over 3 million pixels, the retina display on this tablet makes for a stunning visual experience. It has a sharp camera and a new A6X chip, which makes it twice as fast as previous iterations.
Price: $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB), $699 (64GB), $799 (128GB)

2. iPad Mini


The iPad mini is enjoyably small, weighing in at about 308 grams. It fits nicely in one hand, and is small enough that you can carry it in your bag alongside your other books without breaking your back. The device has a 5-megapixel camera and 1080p HD video recording. With so many different data package options, you'll be able to enjoy the Apple store's 275,000 apps, take class notes and store your music, all on this miniature device.
Price: $329 (16GB), $429 (32GB) and $529 (64GB)

3. Google Nexus 7


Unlike previous Nexus devices, Google's seven-inch tablet is designed by Asus. It's much thinner than previous iterations (2 millimeters thinner and 50 grams lighter than its predecessor), and boasts a high-definition LCD display. It also has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, Bluetooth 4.0, and a micro USB 2.0 port. The Nexus 7 tabletclocks in as exceptional across the board: The UI is smooth, it weighs very little and it's cheaper than a lot of its competitors.
Its the first to ship with Android 4.3 Jelly Bean and comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro 8064 processor rated at 1.5GHz. There is also a 4G LTE version, priced at $349.
Price: $229.99 (16GB) and $299 (32GB)

4. Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7


This tablet features a sharp visual display, an extensive media library, and it offers a smart and streamlined UI. With an 8.9-inch display, it's bigger than some of its competitors. The Kindle Fire gives you access to more than just books — you can check out Amazon's films, music apps and games. It has a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera, but does not have a camera on the back.
Price: $159.99 (16 GB), $189 (32GB)

5. Nook HD


The Nook HD is competitively priced, but it doesn't offer the same sleek user experience as some of its competitors. It's light, weighing just 315 grams, so it's easy to transport to class. However, some argue that the lightweight plastic makes the device feel cheap and detracts from the overall experience. This tablet doesn't have a camera, but it does have dual speakers on the bottom. It also has a microSD card slot.
Price: $129 (8GB), $149 (16GB)

6. Samsung Galaxy Note 10


The quad-core processor makes the Galaxy Note 10 exceptionally fast. With a stylus pen, it's great for taking handwritten class notes without having to carry heavy binders and notebooks. The Galaxy Note 10 also has functional multitasking, so you can have multiple apps running at once — perfect for updating your Facebook during the boring parts of class.
Price: $449 (16 GB) and $499 (32 GB)

New iOS 7 Beta Supports Fingerprint Recognition In Next iPhone's Home Button


A London programmer named Hamza Sood has found evidence of support for fingerprint recognition through the home button in the latest version (V4) of the iOS 7 beta released yesterday to developers. Sood found a BiometricKitUI folder within the AccessibilityBundles in the Library directory of the new OS that contains the code in the above image.
Sood told 9to5Mac that the text in the <string> tags in the image “are what an iPhone with VoiceOver on would read to a user.”  9to5Mac also reported that another source told them that “the user-interface for the fingerprint scanning system has been complete.” If this is to be believed, then these text strings describe the images in an on-screen tutorial instructing users how to touch the home button on an iPhone to scan their fingerprint to unlock the phone. Apparently the image of a fingerprint (whether generic or particular) appears on the screen and changes color during the recognition process (Sood, being in London ostensibly has the UK version of iOS that spells this as “colour.”) This second source also told 9to5Mac that “the technology is focused around unlocking the phone, so it is unclear if it is built for a payment system (as rumored) in the next iPhone.”
That next iPhone has been rumored to make use of the fingerprint recognition technology that Applehas acquired from AuthenTec. If iOS 7 supports fingerprint recognition using the home button, that would further suggest that this rumor is true.
But it’s potentially even more interesting than that. As Bulgarian designer/developer Pavel Simeonovjust tweeted, “Fingerprint sensor in iPhone 5S is much more than a gimmick. This + iCloud keychain = end of passwords.” So this is not just about security, but also convenience. If iCloud keychain converts and safeguards all of your passwords that you—and only you—can access via your iPhone, then Apple will have scored a tremendous usability coup that potentially makes its phone the key to your life—quite literally. These 14 lines of code could indeed have big implications!


Facebook Leaps into Games Publishing

facebook

SAN FRANCISCO -- Facebook wants a cut of the revenue from the mobile games business.
The company today said it plans to take a role beyond its position of games platform to that of promoter and publisher. Facebook's new pilot program, dubbed Mobile Games Publishing, will allow it to promote small- and medium-sized games and take a cut in the sales in return.
"We are invested in the success of these games, and in exchange for a revenue share, we will be collaborating deeply with developers in our program by helping them attract high-quality, long-term players for their games," Facebook said in a blog post.
Facebook shares rose 5.6% at $37.43 in trading, approaching the company's IPO price of $38.

The world's largest social network will use its massive 800-plus million monthly users of its mobile apps as a vehicle to drive the reach of these games with promotional support.
"While it's hard to precisely estimate the revenue opportunity at the outset, this is a great opportunity for game publishers/developers and a strong opportunity for Facebook as well," Opus Research analyst Greg Sterling says. "Obviously, games are a category that is very much bound up with the history and growth of Facebook engagement."
Games helped Facebook post blockbuster second-quarter results last week. Its payments revenue increased 11%, with games accounting for 7% of that revenue, in the period compared with a year ago.
Facebook also announced the first 10 developer participants in the program. They are 5th Planet, Brainbow, Certain Affinity, Dragonplay, Gameloft, Gamevil, KiwiGames, Outplay Entertainment, Space Ape and We Made Entertainment.
The move serves a blow to Zynga's troubled online games business. Shares of Zynga traded nearly 1% lower at $3 today.


Monday, July 29, 2013

Microsoft, Sony set prices for Xbox One and PS4 controllers


If you’re saving up for a next-generation console, then it’s also worth remembering that the $499.99 device comes with some additional costs. Accessories for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, by and large, won’t work with the next generation, meaning that you won’t be able to use your old controllers to supplement the one that comes in the Xbox One box.

Microsoft on Monday released prices for new accessories, including its controllers, for pre-orders to give gamers a clue about what amounts they should set aside to make sure they can play with their friends.

Multimedia
A Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Galaxy S4 smartphone, right, sits on display inside an OAO Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) retail outlet in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, July 11, 2013. OAO Mobile TeleSystems's chief said Russia's largest mobile-phone operator would need better terms to back Apple Inc. handsets again after Windows smartphones advanced to almost match iPhones in market share. Photographer: Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg
What is spectrum and why should you care?--Post Buzz
JUL 15
The Post’s Hayley Tsukayama breaks down the spectrum policy debate and explains why it is important for mobile users to understand.
While there are clear examples of companies inventing new ways of human computer interaction, they just don’t seem to happen often enough.

New controllers will set you back $60 a piece, while a headset made to work with the new console costs $25. According to Microsoft’s Xbox Support Twitter feed, an Xbox One adapter for older headsets is in the works, but the company hasn’t offered more information on that ahead of the console’s planned launch in late 2013.

Microsoft is also taking pre-orders for its “Play and Charge” controller kit, which lets users ditch the double-AA’s in favor of a rechargeable battery pack. With a controller, the whole kit costs $75. If you just wanted the charging cable and battery pack separately, it’s $25.

The company is also offering a 12-month Xbox Live Gold membership for pre-sale, which will cost $60 and give players access to multiplayer gaming, entertainment and Skype. The Kinect, which has been one of Microsoft’s most popular Xbox peripherals, is now bundled with all new systems.

Meanwhile, Sony has said that the controller for its PlayStation 4 will also be $60 and is available for pre-order at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and GameStop. Sony’s PlayStation Camera, also $60, is also up for pre-order on those sites. Sony is including a mono headset with every system.
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com

Twitter Faces Backlash Over Rape-Threat Tweets

twitter

(CNN) -- A barrage of rape and death threats on Twitter aimed at feminist Caroline Criado-Perez -- who petitioned to have women displayed on British banknotes -- has sparked outrage in the global media and among the Twitterati.
Following a day-long onslaught, in which Criado-Perez received around 50 sexually-abusive tweets an hour, police finally arrested a 21-year-old man in Manchester on Sunday.
The feminist champion, whose campaign resulted in the Bank of England agreeing to picture Pride and Prejudice author Jane Austen on every £10 bill, tweeted throughout the abuse: "I actually can't keep up with the screen-capping & reporting -- rape threats thick and fast now. If anyone wants to report the tweets to Twitter."
Twitter UK's General Manager Tony Wang said the social-networking company takes online abuse very seriously, offering to suspend accounts, and called on people to report any "violation of Twitter rules."
World media
But the story has ignited a backlash against the site from users and the media alike with more than 50,000 people signing on online petition urging Twitter to tackle Internet trolls.
UK Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper wrote to Wang on Sunday criticising Twitter's "inadequate" response.
In her letter, Cooper wrote: "Despite the scale and seriousness of these threats, the official response from Twitter continues to be extremely weak -- simply directing Caroline away from Twitter towards the police, and, belatedly, directing users to abuse-reporting forms on Twitter."
Writing in The Guardian, columnist Tanya Gold called on "misogynists" to be shamed rather than criticized, describing the Internet trolls as "lonely, fearful and dumb," adding that the emergence of social media "has given the vicious a voice."
Criado-Perez had her own take on the debate being played out her Twitter account. Writing in the Independent on Saturday, she said: "If we stand firm, and shout back as one, we will win."
The BBC's technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones argues that Twitter now faces a "tricky dilemma" of protecting free speech while under pressure to "make the network a safer and more polite place."
Cellan-Jones believes Twitter would prefer to see threatening Tweets referred to the police, rather than introduce a "report abuse" button on every post, which would require significant manpower to monitor.
Twitter has already introduced a "report tweet" function for the iPhone and is currently developing the option for the web and Android.
But The Telegraph's chief technology blogger Mic Wright said a report function would allow "any armchair activist to make a vague stand without putting in any time, effort or thought."
Wright recognizes that comment sections on user-generated websites such as YouTube are the "post-apocalyptic badlands of the web... a resting place for the misspelled dribblings of the chronically hard-of-thinking." But he argues the Twitter conundrum is a societal problem not a technology-based one.
The debacle has led to a campaign for a Twitter boycott on August 4 -- International Friendship Day -- and an e-petition for a "report abuse" button on Tweets.
Author of 'How To Be a Woman' and columnist for The Times, Caitlin Moran, proposed a "Trolliday" where Twitter users would tweet the holding message: "Waiting for troll solution."
Source: http://www.cnn.com

Hopstop iOS App Gets Refresh After Apple Purchase


It's still unclear what Apple has in store for its recently acquired HopStop public transportation navigation service, but it looks like the iOS app isn't going away — at least for now.
An update for the iOS version of HopStop rolled out this weekend, bringing support for cities in the U.K., Germany, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Israel, as well as a new user interface and other helpful changes. Android users unfortunately did not get the same update, while the Windows Phone version was killed off shortly after the Apple purchase.
Hopstop for iOS version 2.6 now lets you report real-time delays, crowds, incidents, service changes, station closures, broken elevators, as well as suggestions and complaints. You can also save your home and work addresses from the Settings menu for easy access when you need directions.
For additional convenience, the app now lets you view your saved trips directly from the search screen, so you can more quickly access directions you call upon often. Plus, there's an updated user interface and new font, presumably to bring the app more in line with Apple's aesthetic.
5 Steps to Fix Apple Maps
 Buy Yelp Street View Rival Better TomTom Integration Better Satellite Imagery VIEW ALL PHOTOS IN GALLERY
Apple purchased HopStop last week following an acquisition of the crowdsourced location data company Locationary. The move to purchase both companies is likely intended to boost Apple's struggling Maps product, which does not currently include public transportation information like bus, subway, and train schedules.
Following the acquisition, Apple quickly pulled the Windows Phone version of HopStop, causing some to worry about the future of other platforms. At this point, HopStop is still available for Android devices through the Google Play store. The updated iOS app is available in the App Store.
Launched in 2004, HopStop offers door-to-door transit, walking, biking, and taxi directions for more than 300 cities worldwide through its website and free mobile apps.
Source: http://www.pcmag.com

iOS 7 Beta 4: Full Change Log Now Available

iOS

Apple released iOS 7 beta 4 for the iPhone, iPad, iPad mini and iPod touch to developers on Monday and as is always the case, the updates were made available over the air before Apple’s troubled online developer site was updated with all of the new download files. The iOS developer portal has now been updated though, and BGR has been sent the full change log published alongside iOS 7 beta 4 by a friend of the site. Curious to see what changes Apple pushed out with its fourth iOS 7 beta? Apple’s full iOS 7 beta 4 change log follows below.
Notes and Known Issues
The following issues relate to using iOS SDK 7.0 to develop code.
Address Book Notes
Privacy support for the AddressBookUI framework is reenabled for apps linked against the iOS 7 SDK. Apps linked against older SDKs are not changed. If your app uses any of the Address Book view controllers, you should verify that it still behaves as expected.
AirDrop
Notes
AirDrop in iOS 7 Seed 2 or later is not compatible with AirDrop in iOS 7 Seed 1. Contacts Only support requires that:
You are logged in to iCloud.
The sender and receiver have each other’s Apple ID email addresses in Contacts on their devices.
Known Issues
Contact Only currently requires that you have an active Internet connection.
The App Store should support the ability to find an app capable of opening a received document based on the document’s Uniform Type Identifier (UTI). Currently, just a blank screen is displayed.
AV Foundation Notes
AVCaptureSession now uses your app’s AVAudioSession by default.
Calendar
Fixed in Seed 4
iCloud calendar events may not sync through fetch, push, or manual refresh as expected. iCloud calendars or reminders may be duplicated after adding new events.
Car Display
Known Issues
Support for Car Display will be provided once compatible systems are available.

 Fixed in Seed 4
Some high-resolution photos will not sync (via iCloud and other services) when set as a Contact’s Caller ID photo.
Core Animation Notes
When the UIViewGroupOpacity key is not present, the default value is now YES. The default was previously NO.
This means that subviews of a transparent view will first be composited onto that transparent view, then the precomposited subtree will be drawn as a whole onto the background. A NO setting results in less expensive, but also less accurate, compositing: each view in the transparent subtree is composited onto what’s underneath it, according to the parent’s opacity, in the normal painter’s algorithm order.
Exchange
Notes
The Exchange DeviceIdentifier has been changed back to the behavior of iOS 6 where it uses the serial number.
Fonts
Notes
Font line heights have changed from previous seeds. If you had previously manually aligned your font, it may move slightly up vertically with this seed.
Foundation Notes
An NSMetadataQuery with ubiquitous scope can now use kMDItemContentTypeTree in predicates. For example:

      NSPredicate *p = [NSComparisonPredicate

predicateWithLeftExpression:[NSExpression

expressionForKeyPath:@"kMDItemContentTypeTree"]

rightExpression:[NSExpression

expressionForConstantValue:@"public.rtf"]

modifier: NSAnyPredicateModifier

type:NSLikePredicateOperatorType

options:0];

 When called on results returned by queries with ubiquitous scopes, -[NSMetadataItem valueForAttribute:NSMetadataItemDisplayNameKey] now produces the same value as -
[NSURL getResourceValue: forKey: NSURLLocalizedNameKey], matching nonubiquitous queries.

iCloud Notes
If you use iCloud Keychain with recovery, you may see a dialog indicating recovery has been disabled due to a server change. This is intentional. To reenable functionality, follow the instructions in the notification. If you see multiple alerts or observe issues with reenabling recovery, please file a bug report.

iCloud Keychain in iOS 7 Seed 3 or later is not backward compatible with iOS 7 Seed 2 or OS X Mavericks Seed 2.

If you had iCloud Keychain and/or Keychain Restore enabled from iOS 7 Seed 2, both features are disabled upon updating to iOS 7 Seed 3 or later.
After updating to iOS 7 Seed 3 or later, go to Settings > iCloud > Keychain and reenable iCloud Keychain on your devices.
See OS X v10.9 Release Notes for more details.
Activation Lock, a new feature of Find My iPhone, is turned on automatically when Find My iPhone is enabled on any device running iOS 7. Activation Lock requires users to enter their Apple ID and password to turn off Find My iPhone, sign out of iCloud, erase the device, or reactivate the device after an erase. It’s important to do one of the following before transferring a device to a new user:
Sign out of iCloud.
Turn off Activation Lock in Settings > iCloud > Find My iPhone.
Fixed in Seed 4
Users who have a single device with iCloud Keychain on will not be presented with the correct iCloud Keychain setup screens after restoring from a backup.
Users signing out of iCloud by deleting their iCloud account, erasing all contents and settings, or erasing the device via Find My iPhone and signing back in will not be presented with the correct iCloud Keychain setup screens.
Credit cards deleted in Safari Settings > AutoFill are removed from the device, but not from other devices.
Sometimes when you disable iCloud Keychain you may not be able to reenable it.
Keychains are not synced among devices when they are on a wireless network with WEP security.
When setting up iCloud Keychain in Setup Assistant on iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s, the keyboard covers the iCloud Security Code entry field and the Advanced Options link.
Nonpurchased ePubs and PDFs will not be restored when iCloud-restoring an iOS 7 device with a pre-iOS 7 backup. Purchased content will be restored without issue.
Known Issues
Voice Memos are not restored from iCloud Backups.
Workaround: Make sure to sync Voice Memos off of your device before restoring from iCloud.
Users in Switzerland, France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Finland, and possibly some other countries, will be unable to restore their keychains using phone number validation.
Workaround: Use Random Security Code.
MapKit Notes
If the calls to renderInContext on the layer backing an MKMapView are made off the main thread, they should be eliminated or moved to the main thread. Failure to do so can cause an app crash. Instead of using renderInContext, use the new MKMapSnapshotter APIs.
Media
Notes
iOS now remembers the last used media app across reboot and app crashes. Media apps that can receive remote control events should be prepared to be launched in the background and potentially receive a remote control event to begin playback. Additionally, it’s important that media apps monitor and handle the media server reset event, since the media app may receive a remote request to resume playback after a reset. Notifications to monitor these media server events are available in AVAudioSession and proper handling is described in General recommendations for handling kAudioSessionProperty_ServerDied.

Multipeer Connectivity Notes

Many updates to the MCSession APIs are included in this seed. The APIs now function as they were presented at WWDC. Major changes and enhancements include:

The following new method on MCSession has been implemented:

This delegate method has been implemented:

The following new method on MCSession has been implemented:

      - (NSOutputStream *)startStreamWithName:(NSString *)streamName toPeer:(MCPeerID

*)peerID error:(NSError **)error

     - (void)session:(MCSession *)session didReceiveStream:(NSInputStream *)stream

withName:(NSString *)streamName fromPeer:(MCPeerID *)peerID

      - (NSProgress *)sendResourceAtURL:(NSURL *)resourceURL withName:(NSString

*)resourceName toPeer:(MCPeerID *)peerID withCompletionHandler:(void(^)(NSError

*error))completionHandler

 The delegate method to start receiving a resource from remote peer has been implemented as:

    - (void)session:(MCSession *)session didStartReceivingResourceWithName:(NSString

 The delegate method to finish receiving a resource from remote peer and save the content in a temporary location is implemented as:

MCAdvertiserAssistant is a convenience class for implementing an Advertiser, which handles invitations and connections to an MCSession.

MCSession has a new initWithPeer: method.
sendResource has added “with” to the completionHandler.
The timeout has been removed from connectPeer:withNearbyConnectionData.
For more information on these APIs, watch the video for WWDC 2013 Session 708, “Nearby Networking with Multipeer Connectivity.”
Multitasking
Notes
The policy for the task completion API has changed back to match the iOS 6 behavior, but the time limit for task completion has decreased from 10 minutes in iOS 6.
Networking Fixed in Seed 4
All NSURL session tasks now start suspended rather than running. This allows you to set up their state before the task is started.
Notes
Cellular fallback is a technology that will attempt to connect over the cellular interface when a connection over the Wi-Fi interface does not succeed. There are a number of cases where connection failures may occur over Wi-Fi, such as a cable modem in need of a reboot or a firewall that blocks access to certain resources.

If your app restricts network operations over the cellular network, verify that your code is using the proper API to implement that policy.

For example, if your app watches SCNetworkReachability for the kSCNetworkReachabilityFlagsIsWWAN to monitor when Wi-Fi is available, it may not behave correctly under cellular fallback.

If an app uses this method and then attempts to connect, thinking it will get a connection over Wi-

    - (void)session:(MCSession *)session didFinishReceivingResourceWithName:(NSString

*)resourceName fromPeer:(MCPeerID *)peerID atURL:(NSURL *)localURL withError:

(NSError *)error

    Note: The app is responsible for moving the file to a permanent location within its sandbox.

         *)resourceName fromPeer:(MCPeerID *)peerID withProgress:(NSProgress *)progress

 Fi, the app may inadvertently end up with a connection over the cellular network. The lack of the kSCNetworkReachabilityFlagsIsWWAN is not a guarantee that your connection will not go over cellular. If your code needs to enforce that a connection not go over cellular, it needs to specify that when making a networking request.

Instead, for CFNetwork code using CFSocketStream, CFHTTPStream, or similar APIs, set the kCFStreamPropertyNoCellular property to true on the CF object before connecting.

For NSURLRequests, call [request setAllowsCellularAccess: false].

In addition to making sure that your code will never be connected over cellular because of cellular fallback, this call ensures that your code will never be connected over cellular because of the VPN or convoluted routing problems (connecting to IPv6 over cellular because only IPv4 is available over Wi-Fi, etc.).

To verify that your app is behaving properly, you should test against a broken Wi-Fi network. The easiest way to set up a broken Wi-Fi network is to set up an Apple AirPort Base Station or other Wi- Fi access point to hand out a DHCP address and leave the access point disconnected from the Internet. Another simple way of testing is to unplug the cable or DSL line from your cable or DLS modem.

Two low-level networking APIs that used to return a MAC address now return the fixed value 02:00:00:00:00:00. The APIs in question are sysctl (NET_RT_IFLIST) and ioctl (SIOCGIFCONF). Developers using the value of the MAC address should migrate to identifiers such as -[UIDevice identifierForVendor]. This change affects all apps running on iOS 7.

Objective-C Runtime Notes
Due to changes in how the isa field is implemented, *self may change during enumeration (for example, if the container is retained).

Workaround: When implementing countByEnumeratingWithState, do not set state- >mutationsPtr = self.
Passbook
Notes
As of iOS 7 Seed 4, Passbook has added support for the major and minor fields to better match the rest of the iBeacon ecosystem. The new major and minor keys are independently variable optional alongside proximityUUID (required) in each dictionary in the beacons array.

In previous versions of the iOS SDK, Passbook did not validate the back fields on passes completely. The validation rules have not changed, but validation is now including back fields. Please check the console log for additional logs.

As of iOS 7 Seed 3, PKPassLibraryDidCancelAddPasses is a new status code in the PKPassLibraryAddPassesStatus enum. It signifies that the user tapped Cancel in an add-passes alert.
Safari
Fixed in Seed 4
Safari website credentials do not always autofill between mobile and desktop versions. Workaround: Use the desktop version if the site offers it.
Upgrading to iOS may reset Safari’s settings to their default values.
Security Notes

-[UIDevice uniqueIdentifier] is no longer accepted in submissions to the App Store. In iOS 7, apps that are already on the store or on users’ devices that call this removed API will no longer be returned the UDID. Instead, -[UIDevice uniqueIdentifier] will return a 40-character string starting with FFFFFFFF, followed by the hex value of -[UIDevice identifierForVendor]. It is important to consider how this will affect existing apps. Consider submitting updates that no longer access the UDID.

iOS now requests user consent for apps to use audio input on all iOS 7 devices. For devices sold in China, iOS will also request user consent for apps to use the camera hardware. The operating system will present the consent alert when you set the category of the instantiated AVAudioSession. The AVAudioSession categories that will present the alert are AVAudioSessionCategoryRecord and AVAudioSessionCategoryPlayAndRecord.

If the user doesn’t allow access, the audio session data will be all zeros (silence). For devices where camera access is requested and denied by the user, the video capture session is a black screen.
The API gethostuuid() has been removed and will not be accepted for submission to the store, regardless of the targeted OS. For existing apps running on iOS 7, the function will return a uuid_t representation of the vendor identifier (-[UIDevice identifierForVendor]).
Setup
Known Issue
The setup assistant may crash when setting up a new device with an existing email address.
Workaround: Continue through the setup assistant. Then go to Settings > iCloud and manually enable the services that are off.
Siri
Notes
This seed includes development versions of new male and female Siri voices for U.S. English and French, and a male voice for German.
Social Notes

       Through iOS 6, when using TWTweetComposeViewController and SLComposeViewController (the latter only for Twitter and Weibo, but not Facebook), if the caller supplies a completionHandler, the supplied completionHandler is responsible for dismissing the view controller. As of iOS 7, if the app links against the iOS 7 SDK, the view controller will dismiss itself even if the caller supplies a completionHandler. To avoid this, the caller’s completionHandler should not dismiss the view controller.

Known Issue

When using the iOS 6.1 SDK on OS X v10.8 Mountain Lion, if you use the iOS 5.0 or iOS 5.1 Legacy SDK in iOS Simulator, you will not be able to use Twitter features: attempting to sign in to Twitter via the Settings pane will fail, and Twitter.framework will not work correctly. If you need to test Twitter features, you will need to choose either an iOS 6.1 or iOS 6.0 Simulator run destination, or you can test with iOS 5.x on a device.
Springboard
Notes
Active touches are no longer canceled when the user takes a screenshot. Dynamic wallpaper is not available on iPhone 4.
Fixed in Seed 4
Springboard crashes when accessing some web clips in the App Switcher.
When restoring from an iCloud backup on a device with hundreds of apps, Springboard may crash repeatedly.
Passwords with diacritical marks are not supported in this seed. If you have diacritical marks in your password, change it before upgrading to Seed 3 as you will be unable to unlock your device.
Sprite Kit Known Issue
+[AVPlayer playerWithPlayerItem:] returns an AVPlayer object, but the current item will return nil if the player was created on another thread.
Stores
Known Issue
Some iPhone 4 devices are unable to download content from the App Store and the iTunes Store.
Sync
Fixed in Seed 4
The Wi-Fi sync option in iTunes is checked, but Wi-Fi devices do not appear in iTunes.
UIKit
Notes
In previous seeds, the snapshot API (snapshotView and resizableSnapshotViewFromRect:withCapInsets:) would defer taking the snapshot if the view had never been committed or had been added to the view hierarchy in the current transaction. This behavior has changed.
Snapshots now always represent the current, committed state of the view. Attempting to snapshot a view that has never been committed logs a message and now returns nil.
Snapshotting methods have been updated and now take an argument: afterUpdates. When set to YES, this instructs the snapshot to wait until all pending changes to the hierarchy have been committed. To maintain the pre-Seed 4 behavior, pass NO and the snapshot will capture what is currently on screen. See UIView.h for more details.
When there isn’t enough room in the navigation bar layout for the full text of the back button title, the navigation bar will substitute a generic short back title (in English, “Back”). If even that string is too long, the bar will show the back indicator chevron with no title.
+[UIPasteboard pasteboardWithName:create:] and +[UIPasteboard pasteboardWithUniqueName] now unique the given name to allow only those apps in the same application group to access the pasteboard. If the developer attempts to create a pasteboard with a name that already exists and they are not part of the same app suite, they will get their own unique and private pasteboard. Note that this does not affect the system provided pasteboards, general, and find.
Starting with Seed 2, apps default to using the new view controller-based status bar management system. To opt out of this, add a value of NO for the UIViewControllerBasedStatusBarAppearance key to your Info.plist.
When using Auto Layout to position a UIButton, if you set the content compression resistance or content hugging priority to minimum, the button will have ambiguous layout.
Workaround: Don’t use a content compression resistance or content hugging priority of less than 2 for UIButton.
UIScreenEdgePanGestureRecognizer allows you to perform actions in response to swipes over the edge of the screen using the same heuristics that the system uses for its own gestures. Use this if you have a navigation semantic of your own that doesn’t use UINavigationController but should include this gesture (e.g., Safari).
This gesture recognizer has a property that describes the edges on which it’s active. UIRectEdge is a new enum type that this property and -[UIViewController edgesForExtendedLayout] can share. UIRectEdge replaces UIExtendedEdge, which will be removed. The members of both have the same values. Use Xcode to replace all instances of “UIExtendedEdge” in your project with “UIRectEdge”.
UIButtonTypeInfoLight, UIButtonTypeInfoDark, and UIButtonTypeDetailDisclosure buttons all look the same.
Blurred layers are not available on iPhone 4. Parallax is not available on iPhone 4. Letterpress text is not available on iPhone 4.
Fixed in Seed 4
The UIImagePickerController does not show a live preview when using custom overlays. UIPickerView with custom views doesn’t show the views in the selection indicator.
UIRefreshControl and the associated table view are hidden under the navigation bar when setTranslucent: is NO.
IB support for -topLayoutGuide and -bottomLayoutGuide is not functional in this seed. The title of the UIRefreshControl appears below the navigation bar.
Known Issue
Your app’s UI may move slightly after using a media player in landscape mode.
Weather
Notes
Weather conditions are not animated on iPhone 4.
WebKit
Notes
Previously, when the viewport parameters were modified, the old parameters were never discarded. This caused the viewport parameters to be additive.
For example, if you started with width=device-width and then changed it to initial-scale=1.0, you ended up with a computed viewport of width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0.
In iOS 7, this has been addressed. Now you end up with with a computed viewport of initial- scale=1.0.
Previously, when using <meta name=”viewport” content=”initial-scale=1.0, user-scalable=1″>, the scale could be incorrect after rotation.
Now, if a user has not scaled the page explicitly, the page is restored to its initial scale. Also, the current scale is now correctly restricted within the min-scale, max-scale bounds.
Some images for Retina display devices appear at twice the size that they should instead of being scaled down 50%. This issue can also occur with any image to be scaled that is larger than its container and that uses either the background-size property or the -webkit-background-size property. This issue affects both native apps that display web content and web pages viewed in Safari for iPhone.
The background CSS shorthand property now resets the value of the background-size property to auto when background size is not specified. This new behavior is per the CSS spec, and the old behavior is available only for apps linked to an SDK prior to iOS 7.0 when running on iOS 7 or later.
Workaround: Specify the background-size property or the -webkit-background-size property after the background shorthand property in the CSS stylesheet for the web content being displayed.

         
Known Issue

Web apps and web clips created in previous seeds will not stay in folders across reboot.
Workaround: Delete the old web app or web clip and recreate it in this seed by loading the content in Safari, tapping the Action button, and then “Add to Home Screen.”
Wi-Fi
Notes
This seed introduces changes to AWDL so that technologies that use it—such as AirDrop and the MultiPeerConnectivity APIs—will not work properly with older seeds.
Source: http://bgr.com

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Admits He Made A Huge Mistake

microsoft

Microsoft boss Steve Ballmer is finally admitting what everyone has been thinking: Microsoft made a huge mistake with the Surface RT tablet.

Last week, the company disclosed that it lost over $900 million on the low-selling tablet computer, and during an internal Microsoft event this week, Ballmer put the disaster into simple, understated terms, The Verge and Neowin separately reported.

"We built a few more devices than we could sell," Ballmer reportedly said.

Despite some good reviews, Microsoft had an extraordinarily difficult time getting the Surface off of shelves, and an overwhelming number of Surface RT tablets have been left unsold. If you break down the $900 million Microsoft lost on the Surface RT, it comes out to about 6 million unsold devices.

Still, Microsoft is working on the next generation of the tablet, and internal response to the new device has been positive at Microsoft, Neowin reports.

It's not just the Surface that has been letting the company down; Microsoft is not selling enough Windows products in general. But Microsoft does have one bright spot: Windows Phone 8 is beating BlackBerry for the coveted No. 3 spot in the smartphone market.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Apple Inc's Smartphone Market Share Slips To Lowest Since 2009

Apple

Apple's share of the global smartphone market fell during the second quarter to its lowest level in four years, according to data released Friday.

Apple took 13.1 per cent of the worldwide market, according to ABI Research, down from 16.6 per cent a year ago. That's the lowest level since the third quarter of 2009, two years after the launch of the first iPhone.

Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, California, sold 31.2 million iPhones in the April-to-June period, up from 26 million in the same period a year ago, the report said. But the company's sales growth isn't keeping pace with the overall smartphone market, which grew 52 percent from last year.

The No. 3 and No. 4 smartphone makers, LG Electronics of Korea and Lenovo Corp. of China, doubled their sales in the quarter, according to ABI research.

Samsung, the world's largest maker of smartphones, also saw a drop in market share.
Source: http://www.indianexpress.com

Google Floods Market With Hardware


In what was likely an accident, Best Buy revealed the specs and images of the new Nexus 7 tablet early Wednesday morning, only hours before Google's own announcement about the device. The tablet was made available for pre-order but was later not available for purchase and instead labeled "Coming Soon." By then, tech sites all over the Web were saturated with details about the new tablet: It would have a 7-inch screen with the capacity for input from 10 fingers at a time and a crystal clear resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 pixels; a 5-megapixel camera; a long-lasting (9-hour) battery; an incredibly thin 8.65 mm body, and a starting price of $229 for the 16 GB model. That's $30 more than the price of the last Nexus tablet, but still a whole $100 less than Apple's comparable iPad Mini. In fact, the new Nexus 7 will have a higher screen resolution and weigh less than the iPad Mini.

Adding to the fervor about Google's new hardware, the company also unveiled a new device called Chromecast, a $35 HDMI stick that will allow computers or tablets to stream TV, videos, photos, or really any content to a monitor. At the San Francisco unveiling event for the new device, titled "Breakfast With Sundar Pichai" (Pichai is the head of Android and Chrome at Google), the executives said that only 15% of people know how to send content from the Internet, tablets, or computers to a TV screen. The Chromecast is designed to address that need at a reasonable price.

Obviously it was a big day for Google hardware, but all the news also revealed a fairly stark difference between Apple and Google when it comes to new devices. The Internet is abuzz about the new Nexus 7, how it will be an iPad killer, how it will do this and do that, and about the Chromecast and how it will provide the boost Google needs to move more successfully into the living room. In the other corner of the tech-giant ring is Apple, and here, our speculations are hazier: Will there actually be an iWatch? Will there actually be an iTV? When will the iPad 5 ship?

All this being said, Apple was the dominant force in smartphones and tablets long before Google entered the hardware game with such zeal. Google is playing catch-up, and caught up it has. From July 2012 to June 2013, Android's global market share increased from 26.53% to 37.93%. Apple's iOS saw a slight decrease over the same period, from 25.41% to 25.09%.

Additionally, the tablet space, which has been handily dominated by Apple iPads since its debut, is feeling the winds of change. Apple hasn't launched a new tablet since its iPad Mini in November 2012, and during the second quarter of 2013, Apple's share of the global tablet market fell to 35.50%, its lowest point ever with shipments dropping from 19.5 million in Q1 to 14.6 million in Q2. Granted, 35.5% is still the majority share, with Samsung's second place share coming in at 21.4%. Apple's dominance is being threatened by its sparse new product releases, as well as the wealth of Android tablets available on the market -- a few of them available for under $100 (click here to see some of the best Android tablets available).

There are even prototypes of Google Glass out and about via the company's Explorer program, which had consumers write in a tweet or Google+ post about what they would do with the new wearable tech device and why they hope to be selected to receive one. Those who wrote the most interesting entries were given the option of buying Glass for $1500. Obviously, no such prototype exist for the iWatch or for Apple's smart TV.

What Apple has on its side is an incredibly well-developed ecosystem of products and unmatched access to apps, especially for iPad, through its app store. So although several companies make smart watches, the iWatch, if and when it is debuted, will take its place in the Apple pantheon alongside the iPhone and iPad, and its status and desirability is likely to be higher because of this.

Apple's standard MO is to keep high-profile products under wraps and to use years and years of R&D to create a compelling product. This has worked with the company's "black swan" products in the past, but now the question is, is this tactic still relevant? Google seems to be flooding the market with quality products at competitive prices, and we're all still waiting on Apple.
Source: http://www.usatoday.com

Google Nexus 7 Vs. iPad Mini: 6 Key Factors

Google's second-generation Nexus 7 tablet, introduced on Wednesday, delivers significantly better performance than its predecessor and surpasses Apple's iPad Mini in several ways.
The new Nexus 7, known as "Razor," trades its white back for black. No longer two-tone, the 7-inch tablet might not reflect as much light as its first incarnation but it still outshines the competition, at least for the time being. In the coming months, Apple and other tablet makers are likely to respond. But for now, the new Nexus 7 deserves serious consideration if you're looking to buy a 7-inch tablet.

1. Screen
The best thing about the Nexus 7 Razor is its screen. The 7.02-inch 1920-pixel-by-1200-pixel HD display (323 ppi) looks great, provided you're viewing content prepared with a high-resolution screen in mind. It's ideal for gaming and video, thanks to its 16:9 aspect ratio, which is similar to the iPhone 5's. The iPad Mini has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which isn't optimal for HD video but works well for reading ebooks. The crispness of text on the Nexus 7 offers some compensation for its narrower pages.

2. Price
The Nexus 7 starts at $229 for the 16-GB model. The 16-GB iPad Mini starts at $329, 43% more than the Nexus. Add 16 GB of additional memory to the Nexus and the cost rises to $269. Add 16 GB of additional memory to the iPad Mini and the cost rises to $429. If money is no object, buy both and donate your least favorite to a worthy cause. If money matters, the Nexus 7 is the clear winner.

3. Graphics/Processor
The quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro, which runs at 1.5 GHz, should outperform the older dual-core Apple A5 (1 GHz) in the iPad Mini, particularly with applications that take advantage of Open GL ES 3.0, a new addition to Android 4.3. Even so, outside of graphically demanding apps, processor power isn't everything.

4. Wireless Charging
Charging by cable is not a problem, but it can be a hassle. The Nexus 7 supports wireless charging, so you can put it down on an inductive charging pad and have it charge without attaching any cables. Wireless charging requires extra investment -- inductive charging pads range from $30 to $80 or so online. But you might find it worth the effort.

5. Android
Android 4.3 is the best version of Android yet. For iOS zealots, Android is not an option, particularly with iOS 7 promised in a few months. Personally, Android has grown on me, to the point that I'm content in either operating system. I still find many iOS apps more responsive than their Android versions and prefer the simpler iOS UI conventions, but the relative openness and customizability of Android appeals to me.

6. Google Play
Google Play offers a better purchase experience than Apple's iTunes Store, mainly because it works on the Web rather than in a separate application. Apple has really missed the boat by failing to allow customers to purchase iTunes content directly from the Web.

Beyond these features, the Nexus 7 and the iPad Mini are more or less evenly matched. Both have 1.2-MP front-facing cameras and 5-MP rear-facing cameras. Both support Bluetooth 4.0. Both support dual-band Wi-Fi (2.4G/5G) 802.11 a/b/g/n. Both claim about 10 hours of battery life. Both come with more or less the same sensors. Their respective weights differ by only a few grams. Really, it's hard to go wrong with either device.

If you're committed exclusively to Apple products, well, there's not much that can be said to convince you to venture outside Apple's walled garden. But if you're open to a great Android tablet at great price, take a look at Google's new Nexus 7.
Source:news.google.com

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