iOS

Instead of sliding to unlock your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch, you could one day simply point it at your face.

That future, which already exists on some devices running Google's latest version of Android, may end up on Apple's mobile software platform too.

A patent application, published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and picked up by Apple Insider, details a system of using on-board cameras to recognize when faces are in the frame, as well as recognizing whose face it is. It could then set up the device for each particular user's … Read more

iPhone users have been grabbing free apps at a feverish pace, says a new study from mobile ad firm Fiksu.

For the month of November, the total number of downloads of the top 200 free iPhone apps in the U.S. hit a record 5.65 million per day. That figure was 15 percent higher than the 4.91 million seen in October and a full 83 percent higher than the rate recorded a year ago.

November also was the first time that Fiksu's numbers surpassed the 5 million mark.

The download rate showed a gradual dip since this … Read more

iOS and Android both saw a huge number of device activations on Christmas, but Apple may have outshined its mobile rival by about 1.6 million, says Fortune columnist Philip Elmer-DeWitt.

Following the trail of breadcrumbs to arrive at his estimate, Elmer-DeWitt first pointed to a Tuesday report from mobile analytics firm Flurry. iOS and Android devices combined generated 6.8 million activations on December 25, according to Flurry.

Then yesterday, Andy Rubin, Google's senior VP for mobile, revealed that 3.7 million Android devices were activated the weekend of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And on December 20, … Read more

Hey, iOS users! Are you still scratching your heads over what exactly iTunes Match is supposed to do for you? Apple has done its best to come to your rescue with a new Web page designed to answer your lingering questions about the service.

Launched last month, the $24.99-per-year iTunes Match service lets you store your iTunes collection in Apple's cloud-- even content you've ripped from CDs or purchased from other music sites. From the cloud, you can then sync and listen to your music across an array of devices, including an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, … Read more

It's been a busy week in the realm of iPhone hackery. Earlier today there was the release of an unofficial port of Siri for older iPhones, and now that's joined by an untethered jailbreak for users on Apple's iOS 5.0.1.

The software tweak, which was announced as working by hacker @pod2g earlier this month, works on the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 (both GSM and CDMA), iPad 1, and third- and fourth-generation iPod Touch devices, allowing users to jailbreak their phones. That means users could install third-party applications from places outside of Apple's own App … Read more

Based on a recent job posting on Apple's corporate Web site, Apple is looking to expand its iCloud offerings with new and innovative applications to better utilize the server-based technologies it offers iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch users.

The post, originally uncovered by AppleInsider, shows that Apple is looking for "proactive, creative-minded engineers to build the next generation of cocoa-based client applications that integrate tightly with a set of cloud based services."

The responsibilities of the position are to develop new and existing applications for iCloud services, help define and implement user interfaces, and build products that … Read more

iPhone owners still using OS 3.1.3 can once again install new apps from the App Store.

Users running the older OS reported on Apple's Support Communities over the past week that they were unable to download and install new apps directly onto their iPhone and iPod Touch devices, though they could update existing apps and sync new apps from iTunes. The glitch seemed specific to OS 3.1.3, though some iPhone 4S users with iOS 5 reported a similar problem.

As of yesterday afternoon, forum users started chiming in that the download bug had been squashed.… Read more

Every now and then a particular patent application gets granted that seems obvious, especially because almost every other company that competes in that space does the same thing on their product. The latest such patent was granted to Apple and covers the ability to start and switch apps while continuing a phone call in the background.

As soon as I read the original report from Patently Apple I immediately had my brother call me on his Droid and switch apps during the call. The interface for doing so is nearly identical to that in iOS.

With Apple already in court … Read more

When iOS 5 was released alongside the iPhone 4S earlier this fall, iMessage was introduced as a new, all-encompassing messaging service that would connect all iOS device users for free using their unique Apple IDs. iMessage, however, may have a critical downfall when it comes to securely erasing access if you lose your device.

Since Apple released the Find My iPhone app, users cruising out and about have had a backup plan to keep their minds at ease should they accidentally leave their iPhone at a bar or come across the misfortune of being robbed.

Find My iPhone allows you … Read more