Do you have an iPhone or a 3G iPad? Well, if you do, that is the case.
It looks like ever since iOS4 was released, both devices have been keeping a record of your location within a hidden file on the device.
It’s not sure, however, what the point of this mass data collection is but it looks to be intentional as the location databases are backed up and are automatically transferred with phone migration.
The file where this information is stored is unencrypted and unprotected so it can easily be accessed if your phone falls into the wrong hands and they can get an approximation of your location for the past year, since the release of iOS4.
The white iPhone 4 was supposed to launch alongside the black one in June 2010, but unforseen production complications saw Apple postponing the release many times until it looked like they buried the product.
Tweets around February re-sparked the interest in this iPhone as many Apple insiders and employees tweeted about how “beautiful” it was.
Apple had confirmed last week that the white iPhone would see a late April release date and it looks like it’s now set for the 20th.
So for those still holding out for a white iPhone 4, your time has come.
It seems that U.S. iPhone users can start getting excited about their legitimate unlocking prospects: i.e. without the use of third-party software or hacking mechanisms to ensure they can use their carrier of choice.
A bunch of websites, such as Negri Electronics, have started selling a “permanent” unlock for iPhones were you pay in the order of around $175, email them your IMEI and you get an email in the next two days or less telling you your iPhone is now unlocked. The companies doing these unlocks are getting so many requests that they’re being forced to discontinue selling this until they take care of the orders they already have.
This might look like a scam at first but many are reporting it to work. And the amount of unlock requests companies are getting only shows that U.S. customers need this, as the United States is the only country remaining where the iPhone is still locked to a specific carrier, with no means of having it unlocked except buying one from other countries, such as Canada, France, etc…
This unlock currently works only on GSM iPhones (i.e.: the iPhone that work on AT&T), not Verizon’s CDMA iPhone.
Apple announced its upcoming product today, the second generation iPad, named: iPad 2.
Steve Jobs, whose presence at the event was doubted, came on stage to give the keynote address, starting, as usual, with a few stats.
iBooks:
– Over 100 million books have been downloaded so far.
– Publisher “Random House” (DaVinci Code…) is now available on the iBooks Store, adding up over 17,000 books.
Apple ID:
– Over 200 million subscribers, possibly the biggest credit card subscribers online.
App Store:
– $2 Billion is the total revenue App Developers have made by selling their apps via Apple’s AppStore.
iPhone:
– Apple has crossed the 100 million iPhone threshold.
Pretty interesting, right?
Jobs then proceeded with a brief presentation about how 2010 was the year of the iPad. Calling it their third post-PC blockbuster, it’s both “magical and revolutionary.”
With over 90% market share, the release of the iPad has been the most successful consumer product launch yet. Over 15 million iPads were sold between April and December 2010.
Moreover, he announced the availability of over 65,000 apps for the iPad currently. Other platforms have a measly 100.
A brief video was then played about how ground-breaking the iPad was: used with doctors, in brain surgeries, in helping autistic children, in universities…
Then it was time to announce the main event of the keynote:
iPad 2:
– All new design.
– Boasts an A5 processor, becoming the first tablet to have a dual core processor, using the same low power as the A4 processor found in the original iPad and the iPhone 4.
– Has a built-in gyroscope, like the iPhone 4.
– It’s thinner than the iPhone 4, at 8.6 mm and 33% thinner than the original iPad. It’s also, at 1.3 pounds, lighter than the original iPad.
– It has two cameras: One on the front and one on the rear.
– Comes in two colors: black and white.
– Battery life is over 10 hours, or a month on standby.
– Same prices as the original iPad.
– Supports HDMI video output via a separately purchased cable for $39.
– Available starting March 11th in the U.S. and March 25th in 26 other countries.
Next was another highlight of the evening, the Smart Cover:
– Instead of hiding the iPad’s design, this is a front cover.
– Has magnets, allowing it to auto-align.
– iPad sleeps when the cover is closed and wakes up when it’s opened.
– Can be folded into different shapes, depending on your need.
And it wouldn’t be a complete Apple event without a part addressing iOS.
iOS 4.3:
– Available March 11th, along with iPad 2.
– Involves improvement to Safari’s performance.
– Enables iTunes home sharing, allowing you to get your iTunes content over Wi-Fi.
– Involves improvement to Airplay.
– And for the iPad, it enables the preference if you want the side button to be a mute button or an orientation lock button.
– Enables personal hotspot, for iPhone 4 only.
– Facetime is also added to iPad 2, along with PhotoBooth functionality, allowing the user to have split-screens, tamper with colors, etc…
Then two apps for the iPad were demoed: iMovie and Garageband, both available on March 11th as well. They looked pretty cool and on a Dual Core device, I think they’d be pretty functional, as evident by the many video and song demos that were played at the keynote, made only by those apps.
The new specs for the updated Macbook Pro have been revealed by a leaked picture via macrumors:
Which means the overhaul includes the new Apple implementation of Intel’s Light Peak, Thunderbolt.
The overall specs for the low-end 13” MBP are:
– Core i5 two cores at 2.3 GHz 3 MB cache
– 4 GB of DDR3 1333 MHz
– Hard Drive 320 GB 5400 rpm
– Screen 13.33″ glossy 1280×800
– Intel Graphics GPU HD 3000 with 384MB of RAM shared with main memory
– HD Camera for FaceTime
– Superdrive 8x
– Thunderbolt port
– SDXC Card slot, Firewire 800 and two USB 2.0
– Digital Audio Output
– Integrated Ethernet
– Backlit keyboard
– Size and weight 32.5 x22, 7×2, 41 cm, 2.04 kg
– Comes in two colors: black and white.
A Separate State of Mind | A Blog by Elie Fares 