Apple Offers Free iOS and Mac Repairs Following Japan Disaster

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As noted by TUAW, Apple has started offering free repairing services for iOS devices, Macs and Cinema Displays damaged during the Japan earthquake and tsunami in March. The list of supported devices is available here [Google Translation] and includes any Mac model, Apple Cinema Displays, iPhones, iPads and iPod touches. Customers who live in the municipalities listed in the Disaster Relief Act of 2011 can apply to the free repairing service.

Following the earthquake and tsunami, Apple offered its support to victims and staff multiple times. Most notably, a story from an Apple employee in Japan described how the company allowed  customers, employees and regular people to find shelter inside the Apple Stores, using the power lines to recharge their computers and in-store Macs to connect iPhones and iPads. The company then set up a special page in the iTunes Store to donate to the American Red Cross for the Japan relief fund. Apple CEO Steve Jobs also sent a letter to all Apple Employees a few days after the disaster.

Xcode 4.1 Developer Preview 5 Released

Alongside an update to Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview, Apple also released a new build of Xcode 4.1 to developers. Xcode 4.1 Developer Preview 5 is available now for download in the Mac Dev Center, and requires the installation of Lion Developer Preview 3, released through Software Update.

This is a pre-release version of Xcode 4.1 for both Mac and iOS development. This release requires Mac OS X Lion Developer Preview 3 and includes iOS SDK 4.3.

The first build of Xcode 4.1 was released in February after the first Lion Developer Preview, with new builds following the release of Lion Developer Preview updates.

Apple Releases Lion Developer Preview 3

Apple just released a new OS X Lion Developer Preview. The update weighs at around 1.07 GB and it’s available now in the Software Update control panel. It is recommended for all users running Lion DP 2, and Apple’s Mac Dev Center seems to confirm the new build is indeed Lion Developer Preview 3, although the direct link on the Dev Center still goes back to Lion Developer Preview 2. It appears Apple is now seeding Lion DP update only via Software Update.

Mac OS  X Lion Developer Preview 3 is now available via Software Update for systems running developer preview 2 update 2.

 

In the past weeks, Apple released via Software Update two updates for Lion Developer Preview 2; these latest updates to Lion DP 2 are needed in order to install Developer Preview 3 through Software Update. Read more

BreakTime Helps You Step Away From Your Mac

Where Take Five remembers to unpause music that you seemingly forgot about, BreakTime is your queue to get up off your butt and take a brisk walk around the office or grab a bottled water. Featuring a beautiful interface that carefully counts down (perhaps you could use it as a Pomodoro timer in your menubar), BreakTime will carefully interrupt your session so you don’t lose any progress on what you’re working on, while encouraging you to rest your eyes or stretch at your desk.

If you happen to walk away from your Mac for a while, BreakTime has Magic Rescheduling™ built in that monitors your keyboard and mouse usage – the next time your return to your Mac, BreakTime will start the timer and smartly determine when it’s appropriate to take a break. Available for $2.99 in the App Store, BreakTime reminds you that sitting all isn’t healthy.

First Build of Mac OS X 10.6.8 Seeded to Developers

As noted by MacRumors, Apple has seeded the first build of Mac OS X 10.6.8 to developers. The new build, which carries number 10K521, confirms there’s room for at least one more Snow Leopard update before the release of 10.7 Lion, scheduled for this summer.

According to people familiar with the new build, focus areas for 10.6.8 are AirPort, Graphics Drivers, Mac App Store, Networking, QuickTime and VPN. Apple released the last public version of Snow Leopard, Mac OS X 10.6.7, on March 21, including fixes for Mac App Store, SMB servers and Back to my Mac.

Analyst: iPhone 4S Coming with HSPA+, Minor Design Changes

BusinessInsider relays a report from Jefferies analyst Peter Misek claiming that, according to his industry checks, the next-generation iPhone will be called “iPhone 4S” and it will come with a dual-core A5 processor, and better cameras. Whilst these specs have been reported by several other sources in the past, Misek also seems to believe the iPhone 4S will indeed feature minor “cosmetic changes” (thus contradicting rumors we’ve heard in the past few weeks) and support for HSPA+ networks.

Because the 4G chips weren’t ready, Apple is going with the minor update to the iPhone 4.

Misek also revealed the next version of the phone will work with Sprint, T-Mobile, and China Mobile.

Speculation arisen around the next-gen iPhone model suggested Apple was already testing iPhone 4 prototypes running a custom A5 chip (the same found on the iPad 2) for better performances, but those old reports couldn’t specify whether the temporary iPhone 4 demo units would result in an iPhone 4-like design for the final product. Misek believes the iPhone 5 – which was rumored to have NFC, a bigger screen, 4G connectivity, or a thinner form factor, among other things – will look like an iPhone 4, only faster on the inside. Upgrading the 3G performances of the iPhone also falls in line with Tim Cook’s recent statements about LTE 4G chipsets, which the COO mentioned the Q2 2011 earnings call, saying they would have required “design compromises” Apple wasn’t willing to accept.

Just how many people are using the iPad 2 camera? (Answer: Not many)→

Just how many people are using the iPad 2 camera? (Answer: Not many)

Two things going against the iPad are that it’s unwieldy to use as a camera, and it’s not even a good camera to start with. When we took our test pictures, we got passable (but not really great) shots with enough ample lighting, but you’re still not going to be able to take the spectacular photos that the iPhone 4 can. Compare that to what the iPhone 4 is genuinely capable of in someone like Josh Helferrich’s hands: http://campl.us/6Qb.

The iPad isn’t currently a great tool for photography, and there’s a reason why Apple was seemingly reluctant to add it. Unfortunately, when Apple finally did add the camera, it feels like it’s just there to be there. Electricpig’s infographic makes the point that nobody is using this feature on the iPad 2.

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Google News Goes Local on Mobile Browsers

With an official post on Google News’ blog, Google has announced that starting today in the United States, Google News will be able of displaying location-based content on iOS and Android mobile browsers. By giving access to your location information in iOS Safari, Google News will find news relevant to where you are in the US with a new section called “News near you.”

To use this feature, visit Google News from the browser of your Android smartphone or iPhone. If this is the first time you are visiting Google News on your phone since this feature became available, a pop-up will ask you if you want to share your location. If you say yes, news relevant to your location will appear in a new section called “News near you” which will be added at the bottom of the homepage. You can reorganize the sections later via the personalization page.

The updated section is available now on news.google.com, but it’s restricted to the United States. Remember you’ll have to grant Safari access to your location, otherwise the feature won’t work.