Posts tagged with "iOS"

Instapaper 3.0 Is Out: You Can Now “Follow” Other Users

Instapaper, the most popular “read later” tool for the web, iOS and Kindle, received a major update a few minutes ago that brings it to version 3.0 and adds a whole social layer to the app. In Instapaper 3.0 you can now follow other Instapaper users to see the articles they “like” (a new name for “starring” an article). You can find friends via Facebook or Twitter through a simple login or directly from your local Address Book.

The app is faster with a new engine that finally grants perfect quality images, and you can now search all articles (the downloaded ones, at least) for title or content. Sharing to Twitter, Facebook, Pinboard, Tumblr and Evernote has also been implemented natively, to work offline as well. This is a great improvement over the previous versions that didn’t let you share articles that easily. I love this new feature.

Other new functionalities include a “smart rotation lock” that can understand whether the change in rotation was accidental or not (it really seems to be working) and several new tweaks in the Preferences and bug fixes. Also, you can browse for articles in-app or choose from the Editor’s Picks recommended list of content.

The app also now has a completely rewritten web browser built in, so you can browse to any website, find the articles you want to read later, and save them directly from the app. And there’s a new Editors browser, featuring the best human curators on the web who recommend great articles for Instapaper reading.

With these great new additions, many customers won’t even need the bookmarklet anymore.

Instapaper 3.0 is a free update available here, and it’s a terrific new version you should go download right away. Check out more screenshots of the iPad version below. Read more

In-App Purchases Require Password Reentry for iOS 4.3

According to the Washington Post, Apple iOS 4.3 included a change that requires users to re-enter their iTunes Store password in order to confirm in-app purchases, even if the user already entered their password to download the application. This could be Apple’s answer to all the questions they have received about concerns of children and others buying thousands of dollars of in-app purchases on games such as Capcom’s Smurfs’ Village.

The Cupertino company’s move affects users of its most recent operating system and comes amid growing concern by federal and state enforcement agencies that consumers, including children, were not adequately informed or aware that they were incurring charges on iTunes accounts because of a 15-minute period that allowed for purchases without a password. Apple said its new device software, iOS 4.3, made available Wednesday, will come with a feature that requires a password when purchases are made within an application after it is downloaded.

An Apple spokeswoman said that this change to iOS 4.3 should prevent people without knowledge from ‘accidentally’ buying in-app content.

We are proud to have industry-leading parental controls with iOS,” said Trudy Muller, a spokeswoman for Apple. She said users have always been able to use parental control setting and restrictions of in-app purchases to protect their iTunes accounts from accidental charges. “With iOS 4.3, in addition to a password being required to purchase an app on the App Store, a reentry of your password is now required when making an in-app purchase.

Please remember that that giving passwords to children, or anyone other than you, is considered a bad practice, especially now that they can re-enter them for in-app purchases without asking. Parents: next time you hand an iPad or iPhone to your kids just to “keep them happy and quiet”, think about the consequences; because you can’t blame Apple or any other tech company if your children break the bank.

[via MacRumors]

Angry Birds Seasons: St. Patrick’s Day Edition Now Available→

Angry Birds Seasons: St. Patrick’s Day Edition Now Available

As previously reported, Rovio has finally released a new update for Angry Birds Seasons, which now comes themed for Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day. The update features “green levels” (green is Ireland’s national color), 15 new levels, new achievements and more.

Have the Luck of the Irish and Go Green with this episode of Angry Birds Seasons: The St. Patrick’s Day Edition! After the love fest of Valentines, Angry Birds Seasons is back with the greenest update to date. May Irish eyes shine upon you and as usual Angry Birds gives the most generous updates of any app!

Oh, you can also send St. Patrick’s Day cards to your friends. Go grab the update here.

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Apple Releases iOS 4.3 - Direct Links

Apple just released iOS 4.3, available for iPhone (3GS, 4), iPod touch (3rd and 4th gen), iPad, iPad 2 and Apple TV. The new firmware is available for download in iTunes (check for updates) or through Apple’s website.

iOS 4.3 adds a number of new features such as Personal Hotspot for the iPhone, which allows users to share their 3G connection with other devices via WiFi, USB and Bluetooth; AirPlay support for Mobile Safari and third-party applications; improved Safari performances with the new Nitro engine and iTunes library streaming on a local network with Home Sharing.

On the iPad users now have the possibility to choose whether the side switch must act as a rotation lock or mute button, whilst iPhone owners can use Personal Hotspot’s tethering with up to three devices over WiFi, three devices over Bluetooth and one over USB connection.

Direct links below. Our full iOS 4.3 coverage here.

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TiVo Testing Live iPad Streaming & Hulu Plus

Engadget tipsters are receiving some interesting surveys directly from TiVo concerning how consumers would feel about the option to “stream live TV, DVR recordings and TV shows from a cable company’s On Demand library to one’s iPad.” This would include in-home and remote streaming; the ability to stream to your iPad could really help TiVo sell more units and service. TiVo already has an iPad app that acts like an advanced remote but doesn’t include this type of proposed streaming service to the device.

Back in September of 2010, TiVo announced that Hulu Plus access would soon be coming to its DVRs. Well, it’s now March and there’s finally some news. Engadget received a tip from someone that owns a TiVo Premiere and was invited to join a Field Trial to “test Hulu Plus on TiVo.” The tipster is also receiving codes to get his free month of service. Now that there is some field testing going on (per the tipster), it’s safe to say that Hulu Plus could be coming to a TiVo DVR near you.

Last year TiVo lost $84.5 million and also ran up a deficit of $779.2 million, so the company is trying everything they can to stay afloat. It may be too late to reach to Hulu users and the tablet market but time and money can only tell.

[via Engadget]