Jailbroken iOS 5 devices get Siri0us, tap into Nuance's dictation servers

Sure, it's leaps and bounds away from all the parlor tricks that Siri is able to perform, but now, jailbroken iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch devices -- that have been upgraded to iOS 5 -- may access the dictation portion of Siri's prowess. Thanks to Siri0us, the free app available through Cydia, users will gain the option to speak messages and search queries rather than type them, which could be a huge time saver -- unless there's a series of mistakes, anyway. Rather than accessing Apple's own system, the app works by tapping into Nuance's Dragon Go servers for speech recognition. Rather subversive, don't you think? If you'd like to get in on the fun (before Nuance breaks up the party), just check the video following the break.

Siri lends a hand via your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo, reminds you to buy milk (video)

We have seen Siri used to do a host of things, including controlling the temperature in a hacker's home. But the folks over at Autoblog were curious to know just how well the virtual assistant would work with Bluetooth-enabled car stereos. Once your iPhone 4S is properly tethered, holding down the handset's home button will activate Siri. Treating her as an incoming call, your Notorious B.I.G. playlist will pause before the ready-for-command chime sounds. The in-car assistant was tested on two Mercedes-Benz automobiles, a Chrysler 300, a Dodge Charger and a Nissan Maxima, with the Maxima showcasing the best results. It comes as no surprise that mic placement on each stereo and in-cabin background noise provided a noticeable difference in Siri's listening abilities during the test. For a glimpse of the action before trying it out yourself, hit the video just past the break.

iOS 5.1 Beta Points To New iPhone, iPad

Apple has seeded iOS 5.1 beta to those who develop applications for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. Typically, point-one updates to iOS add new features, even if minor ones. With iOS 5.1, there are no new, obvious features found in the software itself, nor called out by Apple in the changelog. Instead, the changelog notes all the known bugs in the software and little else.

Some probably hope that the update resolves the ongoing battery life problem that iPhones have exhibited since iOS 5 went live in October. Apple claimed the problem was software related, and released iOS 5.0.1 in an attempt to solve the battery issue. For many, iOS 5.0.1 made the battery problem much, much worse.

While we wait for word on that, developers have already spotted some interesting bits of code in the new version of iOS.

First, there's a reference to a device codenamed iPad2,4.

(Apple usually gives its iOS devices such codenames, and they signify the different generations of products, such as differing between the original iPad and the iPad 2, or the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S. Think of this number as a chassis designation.)

Right now, some believe that this iPad 2,4 designation could refer to a Sprint-specific model, perhaps one that includes WiMax. The new code also refers to iPad3,1 and iPad3,2. These could be next-gen versions of the iPad, which is widely expected to debut by March or April 2012. Either way, these designations don't refer to the current generation.

Next up, there are references to a device called the iPhone 5,1, according to a developer. Could this be a codename for the iPhone 5, which many believe will launch next summer with a larger display? Possibly.

Last, iOS 5.1 beta mentions something called the J33, which 9to5Mac posits refers to a refreshed version of the Apple TV. Reports of a new Apple TV have been swirling around the Internet for more than a month now, but no solid details have emerged. Perhaps this code is all we'll get before Apple makes a full announcement.

Do these little reference numbers really tell us anything we didn't already know? Nah. We know Apple is working on a new iPad and a new iPhone, just like Ford is always tweaking the Mustang, and Chevy is always tweaking the Silverado.

New hardware is on the way. Eventually. Until then, the software is more interesting.

Source is
http://informationweek.com/news/mobility/smart_phones/232200372

How to help jailbreak future iOS updates

Despite the overwhelming success of Apple's "walled garden" approach to the iPhone,iPad, and iPod Touch, many users still wish to part ways with the benefits of control in favor of the unbridled technology (good and bad) available when jailbreaking iOS. If you are one of those users, you can actually become an integral part of the jailbreaking community.

Jailbreaking your iOS device largely depends on finding exploits in the iOS code that hackers can use to take control of the operating system and install applications and functions not approved by Apple. Those exploits can be found a number of different ways, one of which is by analyzing crash reports.
And that's where you come in.

Normally when your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch crashes, the report it generates is sent to Apple anonymously so that a fix can be worked out for the next iOS update. Those crashes can contain the information on exploits that hackers need to overwrite iOS. The battle that the jailbreak community, specifically the Chronic-Dev Team, is attempting to fight now is for who gets those reports.

The Chronic-Dev Team has an easy way for users to help support the jailbreak community.

The Chronic-Dev Crash Reporter is available for Mac and Windows on the idownloadblog.com Downloads page (most of the way down the page, under Other Tools). The app is free and once launched will search your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch for any crash reports you may have and send them to the Chronic-Dev Team to be analyzed.


Obviously, more reports equals quicker results. So, if you support the work that the jailbreaking community does, this app is a good way to help it (and by extension, you) out.

Source is
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-19512_7-57332482-233/how-to-help-jailbreak-future-ios-updates/

Acidra1n Beta 1 is Another Tool For Tethered JailBreak On iOS 5.0 or iOS 5.0.1

Beside Redsn0w and Sn0wbreeze, another tool has come into existence from a Unix hacker called Acidra1n. This tool is not  different from those which are present at the moment. Instead, it is yet another alternative for people who want to tether JailBreak their iDevice on iOS 5.0/iOS 5.0.1. Till now, iPad 2 is not supported because it uses the A5 chip where Geohot’s bootrom exploit fails. Only solution for iPhone 4S or iPad 2 is a userland based JailBreak.

It is expected that Acidra1n has great future in terms of the functionality and we will be able to see it growing really soon. Unfortunately, the tool is supported for Mac OS X Lion only. Hopefully, it would work on Mac OS X Snow Leopard as well. Interestingly, hacking community is on full swing today. At first, we saw a crash reporter tool from Chonic DevTeam and then iPhone 4S unlock news from MuscleNerd. And now, another JailBreak tool from an another rising hacker.

You can download Acidra1n from here. If you are desperately in need of an iOS 5 untethered JailBreak, you can checkout the semi-tethered JailBreak which is actually useful at the time of urgency, that is, when you don’t have a Mac/PC around to boot tethered. Options such as JailBreak, Tethered boot, Pwned DFU and exit recovery have been included. We are hoping for an option to make custom firmware and support for other platform in near future.

Source is
http://iphonehelp.in/2011/11/27/acidra1n-bera-1-tethered-jailbreak-ios-5-0/

How to use Gmail for iOS

After a false start, Google released an updated version (1.0.2) of its Gmail app for iOS earlier this month.
The update fixes the error message users of the original app the received upon startup, but the app is still limited. There isn't support for multiple accounts, for example, and it doesn't make use of iOS 5's Notification Center. (The only notifications you receive when a new e-mail arrives are a sound and badge notifications.) The app does, however, feature search, labels, and attachments. There has been no shortage of criticism of the app, so let's take quick look at what Gmail for iOS can do.

You must first highlight messages before deleting or archiving them.

First, Google advises that you log out or uninstall the original version of the app if you have it. When you launch the new version and log in to your account, you're taken right to your inbox. If you tap the Menu button at the top or swipe to the right, your inbox slides over, revealing a column of menu options on the left. While swiping to get to the menu is slick, it means you can't swipe on a message to archive or delete it as you can with iOS' native mail app. Instead, you must tap to check the box for a message and then tap the Archive or Delete button from the menu that springs from the bottom of the screen.

Adding labels is but one of the inbox organizational tools at your disposal.

Tap the triangle icon next to the Delete button for more e-mail management options: Move, Label, Mute, Report spam, Mark as unread, and Mark as Read. You can add multiple labels to a message, and you have the opportunity to undo any of these changes.

Gmail conversations look familiar.

As with the native mail app, you simply pull down on your inbox to check for new messages. When viewing an e-mail conversation of multiple replies, however, you'll notice that Gmail app provides the familiar color-coded headers for each message, which I prefer to the native mail app's treatment of Gmail conversations. Also, the Gmail app lets you view only important and unread messages, which you can't do with the native app. It's the first item listed in the Menu.
The biggest advantage the Gmail app has over the native app is attachments. You can't attach a file when creating an e-mail in the native mail app (to e-mail a photo, for example, you must do so from the Photos app, but you can send only one at a time.) With the Gmail app, you can attach multiple files to an e-mail. To do this, tap the paperclip icon at the top to attach files one by one.

With the Gmail app, you can attach multiple files.

 

Another advantage is the ability to search not only your inbox but also your chat history. Just tap the magnifying-glass icon to enter a search term. Results are returned impressively fast.
The Gmail app is available for the iPad, too. It features a similar layout to the iPhone version, though instead of a single column, it has two columns. And you can tap the menu button or swipe to reveal the menu options as you can on an iPhone.

Source is
http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57330627-285/how-to-use-gmail-for-ios/

Delay of iOS 5.0.2 Update Caused by Memory Leaks

Apple has apparently run into difficulties with the iOS 5.0.2 update, said to be arriving this week, which is meant to address battery issues and other new problems that have arisen following the release of iOS 5.0.1.

According to technology website Macerkopf.de (via AppleInsider) Apple still needs to do additional testing on the new update, and is said to be having trouble with memory leaks in the code. They are also concerned that if all the issues aren't dealt with properly and an iOS 5.0.3 update is required soon after, users might not take the never ending update story lightly.

Macerkopf.de suggested last week that Apple was preparing the update for this week, and iOS 5.0.2 would eliminate the battery problem once and for all providing iPhone 4S users with 10 hours of active use.

While Apple seems to have delayed the release, no new date has been put forward, not even vaguely hinted at just yet. The German technology website did however suggest that Apple's team is already working on iOS 5.1, a version that will bring significant improvements to Siri's functionality.

Apparently, after this major update, Siri could be asked to initiate actions such as taking photos, recording videos, turning on or off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. This development is "very expensive" according to Macerkopf.de sources and the release of iOS 5.1 will not be possible until the end of this year.


Source is
http://www.itproportal.com/2011/11/23/delay-ios-502-update-caused-memory-leaks/