MobileCrunch |  |
- Apple Sneaks A Big Change Into iOS 5: Phasing Out Developer Access To The UDID
- HTC CEO Sticking With Android Despite Google-Motorola Deal
- Microsoft: Windows Phone Mango Is Done, Manufacturers Just Need To Release It
- Apple Releases iOS 5 Beta 6 To Developers
- Apple’s “Inaccurate Evidence” Debacle, Part 2: Smartphone Edition
- Sprint, Cable Companies In Talks To Acquire Clearwire
- HTC Releases Evo 3D Bootloader Unlock Tool
- Leaked Droid Bionic Ad To Run Sunday, Dual-Core LTE Magic To Follow
- Samsung Teases For IFA, Glowing Handsets And Beautiful People
| Apple Sneaks A Big Change Into iOS 5: Phasing Out Developer Access To The UDID Posted: 19 Aug 2011 01:24 PM PDT  Apple is making a lot of big changes to its mobile operating system with iOS 5, which is dribbling out in betas for developers ahead of a general release later this year. But there is one big change some developers are just starting to take notice of that Apple isn’t talking about that much. In a recent update to the documentation for iOS 5 (which is only available to registered Apple developers, but a copy was forwarded to me), Apple notes that it will be phasing out access to the unique device identifier, or UDID, on iOS devices such as iPhones and iPads. This is a big deal, especially for any mobile ad networks, game networks or any app which relies on the UDID to identify users. Many apps and mobile ad networks, for instance, uses the UDID or a hashed version to keep track of who their users are and what actions they have taken. App publishers are now supposed to create their own unique identifiers to keep track of users going forward, which means they may have to throw all of their historical user data out the window and start from scratch. Here is the language from the Apple Developer documentation:
The change may be in response to privacy concerns or as a way to pre-empt them. Mobile ad networks, for instance, use the UDID to target ads. It is not clear whether Apple itself will stop relying on the UDID as a unique identifier for iAds, Game Center or other services. “I guarantee Apple will not stop using UDID,” predicts one mobile industry CEO. If Apple does continue to use UDID for itself but denies it to developers that would be an “extremely lopsided change.” It would give Game Center and iAds yet one more advantage over competing third-party services. If you are an iPhone developer, please weigh in with your comments below. How much of a hassle will this change cause, or is it just a minor annoyance? Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer,...
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| HTC CEO Sticking With Android Despite Google-Motorola Deal Posted: 19 Aug 2011 01:09 PM PDT  "We welcome the news of today's acquisition, which demonstrates that Google is deeply committed to defending Android, its partners, and the entire ecosystem.” That was Peter Chou’s line from right after the Google-Motorola deal was announced, and it would appear he’s sticking to it. Today, the HTC CEO has announced his intention to stick it out with Google and Android in spite of the multi-billion dollar acquisition. According to the Wall Street Journal, Chou was careful to reiterate his support for the deal, stating that it would benefit the entire ecosystem because Google would have a stronger patent shield thanks to the acquisition. The end result: a stronger Android for manufacturers to work with. Chou has dispelled the recent rumor that HTC was considering building an OS of their own, stating that the company’s goal is to differentiate their products while “leveraging partnerships” with software partners Google and Microsoft. Chou’s strategy certainly seems to be working so far: HTC is the #1 Android handset manufacturer in the country, with Motorola coming in second. Mr. Chou also mentioned that Google was deeply committed to their relationship with HTC, and with good reason: I don’t need to remind you that HTC was Android Partner Number 1, and worked with Mountain View to bring the first Google Phone to life back in 2008. While it’s believed that the Google/Moto deal could make for rough seas between Google and their other Android device manufacturers, Chou and HTC seem to have faith that Google will live up to their famous “don’t be evil” credo. HTC, in a way, seems almost fearless these days: Chou’s vehement support of Google, HTC’s new patent suit against Apple, and their acquisition of a majority stake in Beats have a sort of maverick, “we can handle anything” air about them. Even if Motorola does happen to receive preferential treatment (and I have a hard time imagining that they wouldn’t), HTC seems poised to take whatever comes next with a smile and a new phone in hand.
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| Microsoft: Windows Phone Mango Is Done, Manufacturers Just Need To Release It Posted: 19 Aug 2011 11:56 AM PDT  Well, this is something new. Here in the tech world, we hear about delay after delay — but very rarely does a company step out and say: “Hey! We’re ahead of schedule!” Today, Microsoft was that company, and the product was Windows Phone 7 Mango. Peter Wissinger, Microsoft’s director of Mobile Business in the Nordic countries, today released an official statement on Mango’s status: And for those whose Swedish might be a bit rusty, the translation:
(Shout out to WinMobile.se for spotting the statement first) The only hang-up: Just because Microsoft finished Mango a bit early doesn’t mean that its OEM partners are ready to rock and roll. Currently, Microsoft’s list of hardware partners includes HTC, LG, Samsung, Dell, Acer, Fujitsu, ZTE Corporation and, of course, Nokia. We already know that Fujitsu has something (probably the Toshiba-Fujitsu IS12T) in the works slated for a September launch, and towards the end of June we got a quick peek at Nokia’s first Mango smartphone, the so-called “Sea Ray”. There’s really no telling how long it will take manufacturers to get their WP7 Mango-powered devices out, nor when we might expect non-Mango devices to start seeing updates — but from this point on, the ball is out of Microsoft’s court. Company: MICROSOFT Website: http://www.microsoft.com Launch Date: 4/4/1974 IPO: 13/3/1986, NASDAQ:MSFT Microsoft, founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, is a veteran software company, best known for its Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of...
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| Apple Releases iOS 5 Beta 6 To Developers Posted: 19 Aug 2011 10:37 AM PDT  It’s that time again! Right on schedule (with “on schedule” meaning “roughly 2 weeks since the last one”), Apple has just released the sixth Beta build of iOS 5 to developers. You know what that means: developers, get to updating (Remember: OTA updates work now!) Non-developers pretending to be developers, carry on (Just don’t be a jerk and go reviewing applications.) And everyone else? Be happy to know that iOS 5 is one big ol’ step closer to going gold and hitting your handset. Now, as for whats new in this build…
Though most are just crackin’ into beta 6 right this second, we’re not hearing much in terms of new stuff here — it’s mostly bug fixes and itty bitty spots of polish at this point. Which, of course, makes sense: Apple’s presumably nearing the end of the Beta phase here, so it’s less about adding new stuff and more about making sure everything that’s in there works as expected. With that said, we’ll update you if we hear about anything new and noteworthy lurking around in this release. Started by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne, Apple has expanded from computers to consumer electronics over the last 30 years, officially changing their name from Apple Computer,...
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| Apple’s “Inaccurate Evidence” Debacle, Part 2: Smartphone Edition Posted: 19 Aug 2011 10:28 AM PDT  Apple has again submitted what the blogosphere is calling "inaccurate evidence" in its case against Samsung. A photo found on page 77 of Apple's complaint to the Hague district court in the Netherlands shows the Samsung Galaxy S next to the iPhone 3G. And guess what! Apple screwed with the dimensions once again. But don't freak out. This may not be as big of a deal as everyone's making it out to be. Here's what's up: The battle has migrated to the Netherlands, the only EU country as-yet untouched by the brawl. Within Apple's newly filed complaint (which is only available for inspection at the Hague court, but has been seen by Weberwerld.nl) the company asks for an EU-wide ban on almost all Galaxy devices, including the Galaxy S, Galaxy S II, Galaxy Tab 7 and Galaxy Tab 10.1. Apple also asks that all remaining inventory be pulled from retailer shelves. This time around, it's not just about appearances, and that makes all the difference. When Apple first submitted that screwy picture of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 in Germany, the lawsuit was entirely concerned with design, so there's really no obvious reason to mess with the images. That's not to say that it was some crazy under-handed move by Apple, but it does make it a bit harder to justify a tampered-with aspect ratio. However, the BBC reports that the German judge inspected the devices hands-on and did not base his decision solely on images provided by Apple. In the Dutch case, Apple's complaint is far more reaching, and cites patent infringement not only regarding the same EU Community Design (iPad), but other functional European patents concerned with mobile photo management, interpretation of touch events, and Apple's swipe-to-unlock. In other words, we've moved on to software, which makes things 100 percent more complex. In the image (Weberwerld’s rendering of the picture is above), the Samsung Galaxy S is scaled to the same proportions as the iPhone 3G. In reality, the Galaxy S is both longer and wider than the iPhone 3G. Specifically, the Samsung Galaxy S measures in at 122.4mm x 64.2mm, whereas the iPhone 3G sports dimensions of 115.5mm x 62.1mm. But in the image provided by Apple, the Galaxy S has been resized by about 6 percent, making it appear identical in size to the iPhone. Unlike the situation with the GalTab, the aspect ratio has not been measurably tampered with. Since we can't actually get our hands on the court documents, it's hard to tell the context of the side-by-side comparison, but weberwerld.nl reports that Apple did mention the Galaxy S's "non-identical elements, such as the slightly larger size” (also on page 77). Chances are if Apple is actually stating on the same page that the Galaxy S is bigger, there is probably a good reason for scaling the photo. Granted, the Galaxy S design is under scrutiny due to its similarity to the iPhone 3G, but there are other facets of the device in question, as well. It's entirely possible that the image of the Galaxy S was resized so that the judge could investigate something unrelated to design. Then again, this is the only side-by-side comparison photo of the Galaxy S with the iPhone 3G, which makes me wonder why a more realistic comparison wasn't presented, too. To add to the confusion, Samsung's lawyers claim that Apple did manipulate evidence, since this time Samsung actually got to be a part of the court proceedings. "[Apple has been] manipulating visual evidence, making Samsung’s devices appear more similar to Apple’s," said Bas Berghuis of Simmons and Simmons law firm. Because we're going off of translations it's hard to be sure, but it looks like Mr. Berghuis evidence was not substantial enough to convince the judge. Google translates weberwerld.nl's reporting as follows: "But this claim was by Samsung at the meeting was not substantiated by evidence." I can't imagine Mr. Berghuis would make a claim that Apple is tampering with evidence without presenting said false evidence to the court. Therefore, Apple's imagery in the filing is probably resized for good reason. Plus, if Apple was trying to purposefully deceive the court systems with this false evidence, the company probably would have abandoned that plan as soon as the original GalTab photo was discovered.
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| Sprint, Cable Companies In Talks To Acquire Clearwire Posted: 19 Aug 2011 07:44 AM PDT  Not long after Clearwire announced their intent to begin lighting up a 4G LTE network, Sprint and a cabal of cable companies have begun to discuss the idea of a possible Clearwire acquisition. Last we heard, Clearwire was waiting on $600 million in additional funding before any work on their LTE rollout could begin. Comcast, Time Warner, and Bright House are currently in talks with the nation’s third-largest wireless provider to get Clearwire the necessary funds to build out their LTE network. Traction for Clearwire’s current WiMax offerings have slowed down considerably — no new WiMax markets have bee lit up this year — and Verizon’s 4G network is now said to cover half of the country’s citizenry. It would appear that the tacit agreement among Sprint and Co. is that LTE is crucial to competing in the mobile space. What’s still up in the air are the exact mechanics of this investment. BusinessWire runs though a few possibilities: the companies in question could take the direct approach and buy out Clearwire completely, while another option has the cable companies investing through Sprint. Regardless of the process, if the deal goes through, it could be a win-win for all concerned parties. Thanks to funding from the cable companies, Sprint gets access to a more competitve 4G network which should allow it to stand on firmer footing in comparison to rivals Verizon and AT&T. With Verizon moving at full steam with LTE and AT&T poised use T-Mobile to expand its reach, Sprint needs LTE just to stay relevant. Sprint’s stance on wholesalers would benefit cable companies in the event Sprint ends up acquiring Clearwire: while Comcast and Time Warner already resell WiMax equipment from Clearwire under their own banners, Sprint’s wholesale agreements would allow cable companies to continue doing so albeit with the latest and greatest in network tech. The bottom line: more money in everyone’s coffers. The deal isn’t yet official, but considering what it could mean for everyone involved, expect to hear about some serious negotiations in coming weeks.
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| HTC Releases Evo 3D Bootloader Unlock Tool Posted: 19 Aug 2011 07:01 AM PDT  It’s only been a few days since HTC got its bootloader unlock tool up and running, but unfortunately it was only made available to owners of the European/international version of the HTC Sensation. Obviously that didn’t do a lot to help our American hackers get what they want. But today, HTC threw some love our way making the bootloader unlock tool available to owners of the HTC Evo 3D, according to HTC’s Facebook page. If you’re interested in a little Evo customization, head on over to HTC Dev for instructions. You’ll have to download the next update, which will come over the air. And just in case you’re a noob, it’s only fair that I warn you: unlocking the bootloader on your phone voids any and all warranties associated with the phone. So once it’s unlocked, proceed with caution in all your tinkering endeavors. Game on, hackers! HTC Corp, (TAIEX: 2498) produces smartphones running the Android and Windows Mobile operating systems for themselves and as an OEM to other manufacturers. Since launching its own brand in...
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| Leaked Droid Bionic Ad To Run Sunday, Dual-Core LTE Magic To Follow Posted: 19 Aug 2011 05:58 AM PDT  It’s been an excruciating wait for the Droid Bionic — a truly painful seven months. But over the past month, we’ve gotten our hands on little bits of relief. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha promised a “September” release in late July, and just a week later, IGN found Verizon’s device road map which pegged the Bionic for a September 8 launch date. Today we landed another hefty signal that the Bionic launch is nearly upon us. A leaked copy of Best Buy’s Buyer’s Guide was obtained by TechnoBuffalo, and is apparently chock full of Bionic ads. The Buyer’s Guide is slated to run on Sunday, which means that the September 8 launch date is almost certainly spot on. Unfortunately, an exact date wasn’t included in the Buyer’s Guide. Specs on this bad boy include a dual-core 1 GHz processor underneath Android 2.3 Gingerbread, along with support for Verizon’s 4G LTE network. The Bionic is also confirmed to have a 4.3-inch qHD touchscreen based on details within its FCC filing and this lovely ad within Best Buy’s Buyer’s Guide. You’ll also get an 8-megapixel shooter capable of video capture in 1080p, along with a front-facing camera for video chat. No word yet on how much the Bionic will cost you, but don’t expect it to be cheap. Motorola Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: MSI) is a data communications and telecommunications equipment provider that succeeded Motorola Inc. following the spin-off of the mobile phones division into Motorola Mobility Holdings,...
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| Samsung Teases For IFA, Glowing Handsets And Beautiful People Posted: 19 Aug 2011 05:50 AM PDT  Samsung has something big in store for IFA 2011 — but don’t they always. The company just unveiled two videos for its latest marketing campaign that, per the rules of Viral 101, do not show anything of interest. Still, IFA is Europe’s CES and they company is bound to have something newsworthy like a Galaxy II successor or a Galaxy Tab of the 7-inch variety. The second video after the jump has most of the action and shows peeps walking around with glowing handsets, which likely forecasts a new smartphone. Whatever it will be, we’ll be onsite next week, drunk on gadgets and German beer.
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