iOS

The security flaw that led to security researcher Charlie Miller getting kicked out of Apple's developer program has been patched in the company's latest iOS update.

That flaw, which let apps phone home to download potentially malicious unsigned code, thus changing the behavior of an application, is listed as one of the security fixes in iOS 5.0.1, which went out to users today.

"A logic error existed in the mmap system call's checking of valid flag combinations. This issue may lead to a bypass of codesigning checks," Apple posted in a security document … Read more

Ahead of its original estimate, Apple released iOS 5.0.1 to users this morning. It's the first update to the latest version of its mobile operating system, and one that promises to fix bugs that gave users poor battery life on their devices.

The updates comes a little more than a week after Apple first acknowledged that some users were, in fact, running into problems with battery life after upgrading to the newer version of iOS. In conjunction with that, the company released a beta version of the software for developers to test. A second beta of that … Read more

iPhone 4S users have been able to enjoy conversations with Siri. But owners of older iPhones have no Siri to talk to. Why?

Tearing down the iPhone 4S, the gurus at iFixit believe that Siri's absence on older phones is connected to changes in the proximity sensor used in the new iPhone.

The proximity sensor judges when your face is near the phone so it can dim the display and disable the keyboard. In past model iPhones, it turns on only during a call and then turn offs when the call is completed.

But Siri also makes use of … Read more

Apple's iOS 5.0.1 update, which the company released today ahead of schedule, apparently fixes the battery drain problem, at least according to some early testers.

Based on comments made by users who've installed the update, Wired found that most are enjoying a big boost in battery power. Followers of Wired on Twitter chimed in after the magazine posted a tweet asking who has updated to iOS 5.0.1 and if it improved their battery life.

In response, Wired reader Donald Kuntzman reportedly called the update "nothing short of amazing," saying that his iPhone … Read more

Former technology journalist Jon Briggs has revealed himself as the voice of Siri in the United Kingdom, despite a warning from Apple to keep silent.

In an interview with the U.K.'s Telegraph, Briggs outed himself as the voice behind Daniel, the name given to the U.K.'s version of Siri. iPhone 4S users who change Siri's language in iOS 5 to English (United Kingdom) can hear the actual voice, which naturally carries with it a slight British accent.

Briggs spilled the beans even after a call from an Apple PR rep who told him not to speak publicly about Siri, … Read more

Apple iOS 5 users can now hack into a hidden autocorrect keyboard bar, courtesy of a few steps revealed by the folks at 9to5Mac.

When the feature is enabled, you type the first few characters of a word, and then the keyboard displays a bar with a list of suggested complete words. Such an option has long been available on Android devices, but has yet to see the light of day in iOS--at least officially.

Thanks to research done by self-proclaimed hacker and 9to5Mac researcher Sonny Dickson, anyone running iOS 5 on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch can now … Read more

There was a time when Nintendo was synonymous with portable gaming. But now the company is being shoved aside.

According to research firm Flurry Analytics, by the end of 2011, 58 percent of total U.S. portable game software revenue will go to titles being played on Android and iOS. Nintendo's DS family of devices will only be able to grab 36 percent of total U.S. portable game software revenue this year, followed by Sony's PSP with 6 percent market share.

But that's just part of the story. As Flurry points out, in 2009, Nintendo's … Read more

Just a few weeks after its debut, iOS 5 finds itself nestled on almost 40 percent of iPhones, according to stats from online ad network Chitika.

Analyzing iOS traffic on its own mobile network from October 22 to October 28, Chitika broke down the percentage of iOS 5 upgrades among Apple's three major mobile devices: the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

The iPhone came in first, with 38 percent of users having already updated their phones to the latest mobile OS. In second place was the iPad with 30 percent of its owners already using or updating to iOS … Read more

Apple has no current plans to make the Siri voice assistant available on older iOS devices, according to a tip reported to developer Michael Steeber.

Siri, which was released as an exclusive beta to the iPhone 4S, uses the built-in microphone to take user commands and turn them into actions on the phone. That includes actions that make use of a network connection, like searching the Web, setting reminders, and checking stock prices.

A tipster told Steeber that when he contacted Apple with a bug report, he also suggested Apple make available an optional build of iOS with Siri included … Read more