iOS

Just a week and a half after releasing a third beta of iOS 5 to developers, Apple has put out yet another version of the software.

This afternoon the company delivered the fourth beta of iOS 5 for developers to test their apps on. It's the first version of the software to make use of the over-the-air software updating feature that lets users update to newer system software without plugging into iTunes. Previous versions of the beta required that users first download the appropriate version of the system software, then run it as a full restore.

Along with the over-the-air updating feature, beta 4 brings Wi-Fi syncing to Windows users. That's the feature that lets users sync their iOS device with their iTunes library minus the cord, as long as the iPhone, iPod, or iPad is on the same Wi-Fi network, and plugged into a power source.

Apple has said it will release iOS 5 to users as a free update this fall. The company typically seeds several beta versions of its major software releases to developers ahead of time to work out any bugs and give the developers time to integrate new features and APIs into their applications.

iOS 5 made its debut at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference last month. Its headlining feature is an overhaul of the notifications system, alongside a new messaging platform called iMessage that lets iOS users text and chat with one another free of charge. The software is also deeply tied to Apple's upcoming iCloud service, which will be used to ferry photos, applications, and settings back and forth between iOS devices, as well as serve as a free backup solution.

(via 9to5mac) … Read more

Both Apple and Android have been capturing more mobile customers in the enterprise arena, but Apple's iOS has been the dominant force thanks to growing demand for the iPad, according to mobile-software provider Good Technology.

Released yesterday, Good's latest quarterly data report (PDF) found that more smartphones and tablets in general have been flooding the workplace. But Apple's iOS has led the way, grabbing 80 percent of all device activations in the enterprise seen by Good during the second quarter. That marks an increase from just less than 70 percent in the first quarter.

The iPad itself (… Read more

Using a credits-based system, Apple is proposing (via a new patent filing) an option for offline purchasing of iPhone and iPad games and apps.

When you do not have a network connection, you will still be able to purchase items using the credits you purchase from Apple (much like an iTunes Gift Card currently), except the credits would be on your iPhone locally instead of in your iTunes Store Account.

The next time you have a network connection, your local iPhone account would sync with your iTunes Store Account and the credits discrepancy would be settled.

Apple's iPad is still the top tablet in terms of shipments, but its share has dropped lately against a crowd of competing devices, according to a report out today from Strategy Analytics.

For the second quarter of the year, Apple grabbed 61 percent of the global tablet business, shipping a record 9.3 million iOS-based tablets. Though still a healthy chunk, that number was down from the 94 percent share the company scooped up a year ago.

Those results aren't exactly surprising, however, given that the market has been flooded lately with rival devices from the likes of Samsung, Motorola, Acer, Research In Motion, HP, and a slew of other vendors.

Apple itself reported yesterday that it shipped 9.25 million iPads during its fiscal third quarter, which ended June 25.

Android-based tablets soaked up 30 percent of all global shipments in the second quarter, according to Strategy Analytics. However, no one single Android tablet has yet come close to matching the appeal of the iPad, and demand for many of these tablets is still "patchy," the report noted.… Read more

Personal Audio, the company that was awarded $8 million in damages from Apple in patent infringement ruling earlier this month, has come back with a new lawsuit taking aim at additional Apple products it says infringe on the same intellectual property.

In a suit filed today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, picked up by patent tracking blog FOSS Patents, Personal Audio alleges that Apple's sixth-generation iPod Nano, fourth-generation iPod Shuffle, fourth-generation iPod Touch, iPhone 4, and iPad 2 all infringe on the company's patented audio technology. Personal Audio is seeking additional … Read more

Apple today released new versions of its Mac computers as well as the system software that powers them.

At first blush, today's changes would seem to be business as usual for the technology giant, which has built massive success off cyclical updates to its products. But behind the scenes the changes represent a carefully crafted strategy in how the company presents its products to customers, as well as getting its machines more tightly connected to its various digital storefronts. Read on to find out what's new.

New operating system First things first, there's Lion, the latest version of Apple's Mac OS. The new software is the seventh major revision of Mac OS X, and an upgrade to Apple's Snow Leopard OS which came out in late 2009.

Apple is advertising Lion as having more than 250 new features, with some of the biggest ones being touches brought over from iOS, the system software that powers Apple's iPhone, iPod and iPad. That includes things like an icon-based application launcher, and multitouch gestures that make the OS feel more like an iPhone or iPad when interacting with onscreen content using a multitouch trackpad.

There are also full-screen applications--something Microsoft's Windows has had for years, but Apple's taken a slightly different approach with--making use of the multitouch trackpad to let users switch back and forth between full-screen apps, almost like pages of a magazine. Apple plans to bring identical behavior to iPad apps with a software update in the fall. … Read more

If you've got cinematographic chops and an iOS device, you could win yourself (or someone you love) an iPad 2 or other prizes by submitting your best film creations made entirely on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad 2.

The Original iPhone Film Festival has four categories: Fiction, Brand Film, Nonfiction, or Music Videos. Submissions will be judged by a variety of film, TV, and music professionals including members of popular pop group Maroon 5, New York Times technology writer David Pogue, Macworld Senior Associate Editor Heather Kelly, and Director of Television Production at BBDO New York Regina Ebel. … Read more

Android stayed atop its perch as the leading mobile OS on Millennial Media's ad network last month, though Apple continues to shine as the top device maker.

Looking strictly at mobile platforms, Millennial Media's June Mobile Mix report found Android on top with 54 percent of all ad impressions last month. In second place was Apple's iOS with a 26 percent share. Both results were little changed from May but showed Android's growing dominance since it overtook iOS on the ad network last December.

Rounding up the rest of the pack, RIM's BlackBerry OS took … Read more

The iPhone is the No. 1 choice among consumers planning to buy a new smartphone over the next 90 days, according to data released today by ChangeWave Research.

In a poll conducted in June surveying 4,163 smartphone consumers in North America, 46 percent of those planning to buy a new phone said they'll opt for an iOS device. That figure is two percentage points higher than the one seen in ChangeWave's latest survey, held in March. Trailing in second place is Android, with 32 percent saying they'll pick up a phone running Google's mobile OS, … Read more