• Google Capitalizes Backlash Over Apple’s App Store In-App Subscription

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, google, News, Rants & Raves No Responses

    Google on Wednesday announced a new Web subscription service for publishers called “One Pass,” in which the search giant will keep just 10 percent of revenues in transactions, compared to Apple’s 30 percent cut of iOS content. Good timing/well played by Google. Check out what Appleinsider had to say about the matter:

    Google One Pass allows subscribers to access content they’ve paid for on a variety of devices using a single username and login on a website. It also offers business model flexibility, allowing content providers to offer subscriptions, day passes, metered access, pay-per-article, or multi-issue packages to customers.

    “By providing a system for user authentication, payment processing, and administration, Google One Pass lets publishers focus on creating high quality content for their readers,” the company said. “Publishers have flexibility over payment models and control over the digital content for which they charge and the content that is free for consumers.”

    One Pass also allows publishers to grant access to existing subscribers through a coupon-based system. Publishers host their own content, and must add what is referred to as a “small amount of code” to a website. “Development effort is minimal,” Google said.

    The new service was announced just a day after Apple unveiled its own subscription plan for software on the iOS App Store. Apple takes a 30 percent cut of all sales through the App Store, but publishers can offer access to existing subscribers if they provide their own authentication process inside their iOS application.

    According to The Wall Street Journal, Google’s One Pass will undercut Apple, and the search company will only keep a 10 percent cut of sales. But Google will also allow publishers control of subscribers’ personal data, something Apple has been reluctant to do.

  • Do You Like Intel’s New Laptop (Or Macbook?) Ads?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Rants & Raves, Rumors No Responses

    We’re not saying these are the new MacBook Pros, we’re just saying we like this design. Intel would never leak an upcoming MacBook Pro in their advertising anyway.

  • iBooks Crashes On Jailbroken iOS Device Fixed [Updated]

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, Jailbreak, News No Responses

    The well-known iPhone hacker Comex and the guy behind Spirit and JailbreakMe, has just find a way to fix iBooks crash which occurs after jailbreaking you iOS device, if you saw this message “There is a problem with the configuration of your iOS Device. Please restore with iTunes and reinstall iBooks“ so your iOS device has been infected.

    Comex has announced about this via his twitter by some techy words, anyway it’s expected that Comex will embed some new patches on the upcoming jailbreak tools to fix these crashes.

    @Comex: It seems that before opening a DRMed book, iBooks drops an improperly signed binary, tries to execute it, and if it works concludes that the device is jailbroken and refuses to open the book.
    This is what the binary does:
    int main() {
    return 42;
    }

    Later, MuscleNerd of iPhone Dev Team also confirmed the fix:

    Update:

    The Fix is now availabe on Cydia

    • Add http://repo.insanelyi.com repository in Cydia
    • Install “iBooks Fix”. you are done!

  • Apple’s iPhone 5 to Pack 4-inches Screen, A5 Processor?

    // Gradly // Apple, blog, iPhone, Rants & Raves 1 Response

    Although the last few days have been packed with rumors pointing to a smaller iPhone with a smaller display, Digitimes is now reporting that Apple’s fifth-generation iPhone, due in June, will pack a 4-inch display to go toe-to-toe with Android device’s larger displays. This information is said to come directly from Apple’s production lines.

    Apple reportedly will change the screen size of iPhone to 4-inch for its fifth generation iPhone to compete with the Google Android platform in the 4- to 7-inch smartphone market, according to upstream component suppliers.

    The component suppliers noted that the production lines for Apple’s next generation iPhone have begun testing, and Apple is interesting in expanding the screen size to 4-inches to support the tablet PC market as the vendor only has a 9.7-inch iPad in the market.

    In fact, smartphones that adopt the Google Android platform are mainly 4-inch and larger models. Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy S and Google’s Nexus S adopt 4-inch panels, Sharp adopts 5.5-inch for its smartphone, and Acer plans to launch a 4.8-inch smartphone. With Apple joining the 4-inch and larger market, 4- to 5.5-inch will become the major battlefield for smartphones and further change the industry dynamics for small- to medium-size panels.

    What is worth noticing is that Dell has re-defined the market position of the Dell Streak 5 – which was originally focused on the tablet PC market – as a super phone. The Dell Streak 5 uses a 5-inch panel which stands in the gray area between tablet PC and handset segments and indicates there is an overlap in the market for 4- to 7-inch panels.

    Chimei Innolux (CMI) is also producing touch panels at its 4.5G plant and part of its 5G plant through front to back-end method, and is also producing iPhone and iPad panels through IPS technology.

    Panel makers noted that in addition to touch panels, AMOLED is another important development in the smartphone market. AMOLED supply remains in shortage, and Samsung’s subsidiary Samsung Mobile Display (SMD) is the leading player in the market with the largest capacity, while LG Display is actively following behind and AUO and CMI and actively becoming involved in the market.

    Another report from the same source claims that iPhone 5 will sport a faster A5 processor (Dual-Core perhaps?) to take on the likes of recently announced Samsung Galaxy S II, while the iPad 2 will feature an enhanced version of the current A4 chip.

    Apple is reportedly looking to outsource the production of its A4 processor as well as the next-generation ARM Cortex-A9-based A5 processor to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), according to industry sources.

    According to Digitimes Research, the iPad 2 will support an enhanced version of the A4 and the A5 will power the iPhone 5. TSMC will initially produce the improved A4, and could likely become the exclusive manufacturer of the A5.