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Steve Jobs: MobileMe Will Get “A Lot Better” Next Year

Surprised? MacRumors is reporting of a new email from Steve Jobs to one of their readers who, annoyed by MobileMe performance issues such as duplicate entries or unreliable syncing, emailed him to ask if Apple was working on it, to make it better. Jobs, as usual, replied with a very concise email saying that, yes, MobileMe will indeed get a lot better in 2011.

Q: I love my iPad and iPhone4 and am a huge fan of yours and all that Apple does. I desperately want to stay inside of Apple’e ecosystem as much as possible.

However, MobileMe is making it very difficult for me to do so. Unreliable/unpredictable syncing, creating duplicate entries (sometimes scores of them), etc. It’s almost unusable.

And I know from forums (including Apple’s own support boards) that I am not the only one experiencing these very real and frustrating problems.

Please tell me it will get better, and soon?

Jobs: Yes, it will get a lot better in 2011.

Sent from my iPhone

Of course it will get better. Apple is always working on making its product line better year after year and, even if some issues of MobileMe weren’t addressed during 2010, don’t forget Apple made Find My iPhone free, introduced note and iBooks bookmarks syncing, revamped the web UI of MobileMe. Changes were made in 2010, so perhaps 2011 will bring several performance improvements – we’re talking about speed, sync, support for multiple clients. And maybe some new features, too.

Also, don’t forget the data center Apple has been busy building in North Carolina. Because we’re pretty sure that will be behind MobileMe getting a lot better next year.

Ego for iPad Updated for iOS 4.2 Multitasking, Now Available at $2.99

Ego is the best iOS app to check on stats coming from Mint, Twitter, RSS, Vimeo and a variety of other online services. By representing stats as small widgets on a dark background, Ego has managed to become one of my most launched apps both on the iPhone and ipad.

An update to the iPad version (our review) was released a few minutes ago. Version 1.0.6 includes iOS 4.2 compatibility and support for multi-tasking (fast app switching), plus various bug fixes to address Twitter auto-login issues and the detail view on iOS 4.2.

But what’s really cool about this update is that Ego for iPad is now available at $2.99 in the App Store. It’s not a sale, it’s the new price. Go buy it now.

MacStories Giveaway: Win A Copy of djay for iPad and Mac

djay by Algoriddim is an excellent music making / mixing software for OS X that recently made its way to the iPad, with an app that takes full advantage of the new features introduced in iOS 4.2. From our review:

…the great value of djay lies in its own software nature: it’s not a complicated piece of hardware you have to set up and manually wire, it’s a great app that can be used in professional environments and by casual users like me at the same time. I’m sure “pro” users will delve deeper into the app to test all the impressive tech that’s behind it, but for someone like me — who’s not really a DJ nor does know all the terminology necessary to understand all the features of djay — this is just so cool, and useful.

We have two copies of djay to give away: one for the iPad, one for the Mac. Check out the giveaway rules below. Good luck! Read more

A Cydia Tweak That Somehow Fixed My iPhone’s Proximity Sensor Issues

Either a persistent iOS bug that hasn’t been fixed on iOS 4.2.1 or a real issue on my device, the proximity sensor isn’t working well on my iPhone 4. I accidentally drop and / or mute calls every once in a while, but not because or low signal or a bad interface scheme I don’t understand: when I bring the iPhone to my ear during a call, the proximity sensor doesn’t dim the screen and prevent skin contact on phone’s buttons as it should. It doesn’t happen all the time but when it does – it’s pretty annoying.

A new tweak available in the Cydia Store at $0.99, CallLock, changes the behavior of the power button during an outgoing / incoming call to make sure that the phone is actually locked, so that the faulty proximity sensor won’t get in the way and no accidental taps will be registered. CallLock locks the iPhone during a call, simple as that.

CallLock comes with two activation methods: manual and auto-lock. The auto mode will lock the iPhone’s screen as soon as a call is connect, manual will override iOS’ default settings to make the power button lock a call, and not end it.

I found CallLock to be a good compromise when it comes to avoiding calls to be dropped and muted, even though you’ll have to unlock your iPhone after each call. If you can accept the trade-off, CallLock is available at $0.99 in the Big Boss’ repository.

Creepy Guy Destroys iPad, Delivers It To Steve Jobs [Video]

I don’t know what’s going on with mysterious website SayHiToSpace.com. Sure, there’s a countdown in there and even links to email and Twitter, but it’s their Youtube channel that creeps me out. Basically, the first video from SayHiToSpace went viral as it featured a creepy guy finding out that the iPad lacked a camera, then destroying it making a hole in the middle of the device with a water jet.

Here’s the first video:

Read more

AutoCAD WS Updated with Retina Graphics, Offline Editing and Email Support

AutoCAD WS for iPhone and iPad was released in late September and it quickly became one of the most popular apps in the App Store – mainly thanks to the huge AutoCAD userbase that was looking forward to being able to edit and share DWG files on mobile devices. The app allows you to preview and annotate drawings using iOS’ multi-touch gestures and save your edits to the AutoCAD WS online workspace.

The 1.1 update, released a few hours ago, brings several new features and optimizations to WS – and it’s going to be an update AutoCAD users will love. First off, offline editing: by activating the option in your online AutoCAD account, you’ll be able to sync an offline copy of a document to the iPhone and iPad, edit it without a 3G or WiFi connection, sync it back to the account once you’re back online. Perfect for iPad WiFi users who carry their tablets around and don’t happen to have an internet connection available all the time.

AutoCAD WS can now also open email attachments: if you receive a DWG or DXF account via email, you can copy it to AutoCAD WS –but you’ll need an internet connection to upload it right after the import process. Among other changes, Retina Display-ready graphics and improved connectivity.

AutoCAD WS is available for free here. Check out the official video detailing offline support in AutoCAD WS below. Read more

Turn Your iDevice into a Monitor with WiFi Baby

I remember when our 2 kids were infants, we monitored them with audio-only monitors, and that wasn’t too long ago. I remember seeing some units that let you install a video monitor but they seemed very expensive at the time. Now Y-Cam has released the WiFi Baby 3G, a Wi-Fi enabled baby monitor that displays HD quality video and audio for daytime and even uses night-vision technology for night-time monitoring.

Read more

Find My iPhone App Helps Police Track Down Thief In Singapore

We have heard stories like this one before, and it looks like Apple’s Find My iPhone service keeps on helping police and iPhone owners track down thieves. The latest story comes from Singapore, where the Straits Times is reporting a 18-year-old Malaysian man was tracked down by the police thanks to Find My iPhone in less than 48 hours.

Early on Sunday morning, the 36-year-old victim was walking along Lim Liak Street when an unknown man approached her from behind and snatched away her iPhone which she was holding.

After the victim lodged a report, the ‘Find My iPhone’ application was used to help the police track down the suspect.

With the release of iOS 4.2 in November, Apple made Find my iPhone free. The service officially supports only last generation devices, but it’s quite easy to set up on older units.