Posts Tagged ‘party apps’

New Facial Detection APIs in iOS 5

Developers and testers of iOS 5 have found several new APIs in iOS 5 that deal with facial recognition.

One of these new APIs is the CIFaceFeature, which can easily determine where a person’s eyes and mouth are located, which is an important feature that helps the software to distinguish between two individuals.

This is similar to software used by Facebook, which can determine the difference between several different people in uploaded photos, a process that makes identifying and tagging people in photos an easier process.

Another new API, the CIDetector, is used to process images for face detection, essentially identifying faces in photos.

These APIs are thought to be in iOS 5 for developers. With public resources for face detection, there will be greater possibilities available in third party iOS apps. Facial recognition was not previously available to app developers because Apple does not allow third party APIs.

This could be something like what’s recently been released in Lion. Several new Photo Booth effects track facial features and apply effects to photos on screen, such as the dizzy birds that will fly around the users head.

Facial recognition could potentially be integrated throughout the new iOS, even for security in the future. These new facial detection APIs should bring about a whole new set of interesting, creative, and useful apps once iOS 5 is released in September.

[via 9to5Mac]

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HDTVs to Support AirPlay Video Streaming Soon?

As we’ve mentioned earlier this year, 2011 will be a big year for Airplay devices. After speakers, receivers, and even docks specially designed to support wireless streaming from your iOS devices and computers, HDTVs are next.

According to report from Bloomberg, AirPlay might make its way into HDTVs, as Apple is allegedly in talks with major HDTV makers, to allow them to use the technology, and allow users to stream movies and TV shows directly to their TVs.

HDTV AirPlay support would be a great way to popularize the technology, as million of iOS-powered devices users would instantly be able to push content on their devices to their TV screens, without the need of extra devices such as an Apple TV.

While the move will most likely hurt Apple TV sales, enabling HDTVs to support AirPlay natively would most likely help Apple sell more content than ever, and should generate a revenue large enough to compensate potentially weakened Apple TV sales. Moreover, Apple would charge HDTV makers a fee of at least $4 per unit to allow them to offer AirPlay support to their customers.

According to Bloomberg, the first AirPlay-enabled HDTVs should hit store shelves later this year.

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SiriusXM Releases iPad-native Radio App with AirPlay

SiriusXM has released a new application for the iPad that gives you access to over 120 channels of great Sirius XM programming.

The new application is an update to the formerly known Sirius XM Premium Online, and now features a sleek iPad-optimized interface.

The new SiriusXM Internet Radio application supports both the iPad and iPhone devices. The main difference from the previous version is the optimized interface for the iPad, which features a much more visual, art-guided channel selection.

SiriusXM has also added some fancy album art, artist biographies, and a switch to AAC+ audio format for improved audio quality and better performance over a 3G connection. An additional feature included in the new update is AirPlay support. If you have an iOS device running iOS 4.3, you have the option to share your favorite XM radio stations via AirPlay with an Apple TV or any other AirPlay-compatible audio equipment.

The new application is FREE to download. However, it requires a subscription plan. SiriusXM offers several options – a $2.99 per month option for existing Sirius customers; a $12.95 per month Internet-only plan; and a $16.99 per month “Everything Plus” radio subscription.

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iOS 4.3 for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch and Apple TV Out

Boy Genius Report was off by one day, as instead of yesterday, iOS 4.3 was released earlier today, at 10 A.M. Pacific Time. The update is the same build already offered to iOS developers since last week, and is compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, first generation iPad, iPad 2, third generation iPod touch, and finally, second generation Apple TV.

The new version of iOS brings several new features to the table, primarily the personal hotspot for the iPhone 4, as well as full AirPlay video streaming support, even for third-party apps. The new operating system also includes a customizable mute/rotation switch, a much faster JavaScript engine for Safari, and the necessary API to allow iPad users to use the subscription service offered by iTunes.

Note that Verizon iPhone 4 users will have to wait, as the update is not compatible with their device yet (Verizon iPhone owners already have some of the new features in their current iPhone version).

To update your device, simply plug it in your Mac or PC, fire up iTunes, and hit the “Update” option.

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iOS 4.3 Officially Releasing Today?

Just a few days ago, Apple released the final version of iOS 4.3 (Gold Master) to its network of iOS developers.

The company released the Gold Master copy in final preparation for the iPad 2 launch, and to release additional features for its family of iOS devices. Now, Boy Genius Report (BGR) is reporting that an official public release for iOS 4.3 could be available today!

The iOS 4.3 release is compatible with iPad 1 and 2, iPhone 3G/3GS and 4, as well as the latest generation iPod touch. According to BGR, the official software update could become available around 1Pm Eastern, or 10AM Pacific time.

The new version of iOS brings several new features to the table, primarily the personal hotspot for the iPhone 4, as well as full AirPlay video streaming support, even for third-party apps. The new operating system also includes a customizable mute/rotation switch, a much faster JavaScript engine for Safari, and the necessary API to allow iPad users to use the subscription service offered by iTunes, which is used by publications such as The Daily to charge their readers on a regular basis.

However, according to the BGR tipster, the “three device hotspot” limit that was been mentioned earlier, was been driven by AT&T and not by Apple. The information seems to indicate that even though Apple defaults to the “three device” limit, it can also allow the carrier to extend it to five devices.

It is worth noting that the new iOS 4.3 would exclude Verizon iPhone owners from this new update. Verizon iPhone owners already have some of the new features in their iPhone version.

If BGR’s report is accurate, make sure you constantly check iTunes today. The iOS 4.3 public release could be waiting for you later today!

[via: BGR]

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iOS 4.3 Gold Master for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch Just Released

Earlier today, Apple released the final version of iOS 4.3 to its network of iOS developers. The new operating system can be downloaded via the iOS dev center website, or via torrent, as the files are already available on most torrent search engines.

iOS 4.3 is compatible with iPad 1 & 2, iPhone 3G/3GS & 4, as well as the latest generation iPod touch.

The new version of iOS brings a couple new features to the table, namely personal hotspot for the iPhone 4, as well as full AirPlay video streaming support, even for third-party apps. The new operating system also includes the necessary API to allow iPad users to use the subscription service offered by iTunes, used by publications such as The Daily to charge their readers on a regular basis, and automatically upload new content to their device.

Similarly to the beta versions of iOS 4.3, the gold master natively supports new multi-fingers multitasking gestures to allow iPad users to switch between apps without having to use the multitasking bar. However, the feature seems to work only via the iPad simulator offered to iOS developers, and once installed iOS 4.3 is installed on real iPad hardware, these gestures are automatically disabled, as Apple is only testing these gestures for now.

While iOS developers can already play with iOS 4.3, regular users will need to wait another week, since the new version of iOS will be officially offered for download next Friday, the day the iPad 2 will hit store shelves.

Apple also released a new version of Xcode, one of the tools used by iOS and Mac developers to build their apps. The new version fixes some issues encountered by Mac OS X Lion users.

[Pictures credit: iOSnoops]

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Apple Unveils iOS 4.3 – Available March 11

During today’s iPad 2 launch event, Apple announced that iOS 4.3, the latest version of their mobile OS, will be available to iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch (3rd and 4th generation) customers starting March 11.

New features in iOS 4.3 include the following:

• The update brings a much faster web browsing experience thanks to Safari’s new Nitro JavaScript engine.
• Users can now access all their iTunes media content via WiFi using the new iTunes Home Sharing feature.
• AirPlay has been improved so that all iPad apps can push video or photos out to any AirPlay ready device like the Apple TV. The feature even allows websites to push audio and video via AirPlay.
• As was rumored, users can now select whether to set the iPad’s switch to lock screen orientation or act as a mute button.
• iPhone 4 users will be able to set their phone up as a personal WiFi hotSpot and share a single cellular data connection with multiple WiFi devices.
• Photo Booth finally makes it to iOS. Users can select from dozens of photo effects to capture and stylize photos.
• FaceTime video calling now takes advantage of the new iPad 2′s dual cameras. iPad and iPhone users will now be able to connect via FaceTime.

Users will be able to update their device via the software update feature in iTunes.

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Apple Posts Video of iPad 2 Keynote Address

We followed Apple’s announcements closely today and were excited about the new products they unveiled during their big media event. The day began on a positive note with Steve Jobs making a surprise appearance to present many of the items. From iOS 4.3 to the new iPad 2, March 11th promises to be a busy day with several new products hitting store shelves.

If you’re interested in watching all the details of today’s event firsthand, you can stream the QuickTime video of the entire keynote address from the Apple website or you can download a video podcast from iTunes.

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AirPlay Video Support Comes to Linux Computers

In recent weeks, a few folks have asked me if I knew about a way to leverage Apple’s AirPlay to stream video to Linux-based computers. Up until now, I didn’t know of any solutions for my dear Linux friends.

However, the Totem media player that ships with most Linux distributions now has a new unofficial AirPlay plugin that allows iOS device owners to send content to their Linux-based PCs.

For some of our new readers that are not familiar with AirPlay, it’s a very nice service from Apple that allows your computer, iPad, iPhone, or iPod to send a stream of music, video, or photos to multiple devices such as an AirPort Express, Apple TV or other AirPlay enabled devices.

The new Totem media player plugin, called “totem-plugin-airplay“, will allow users to send content to Linux-based computers and use them for video playback as if it were an Apple TV.

The Totem media player setup is actually quite easy. The folks at OMG Ubuntu have provided detailed installation instructions if you need them.

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RIM PlayBook: No Native Email or Calendar Apps?

According to a macgasm/gizmodo report, RIM’s “iPad killer” will not come with a native email or calendar application. While RIM is spending some serious PR money touting the features of its upcoming product, it is hard to believe that such basic capabilities will be missing from the device.

Sure, you will be able to use third party apps, and if all you need is basic, personal email, the lack of mail/calendar apps is no big deal. But for most enterprise users – the vast majority of RIM’s customers – who need connectivity to their corporate email, the lack of native mail and calendar apps will likely be a major showstopper.

In order to push emails to its devices, RIM does not use traditional email mechanisms such as POP or SMTP, but instead uses proprietary delivery mechanisms that require direct integration with RIM’s corporate customers’ networks – in other words, if RIM does not build the capability in its PlayBook, no third party developer will be able to build it on their behalf.

Instead, RIM will ask PlayBook owners to use their BlackBerrys as their primary device for email and calendar, and expects them to tether their phones to the PlayBook to allow them to access their emails from the tablet. As macgasm puts it, “it might sound cool off the top, but it’s actually pretty stupid.”

The need to connect the PlayBook to a BlackBerry to be able to do corporate emails is just mind blowing, as corporate users will have to carry both devices at all times if they want to take care of their emails. In comparison, the iPhone and the iPad use ActiveSync to connect to corporate email servers, a proprietary technology as well, but both devices can connect to the servers independently.

Another issue RIM will rapidly face: users who own a non-BlackBerry smartphone such as iPhone, Android or Windows Phone 7. Is RIM really expecting them to switch to a BlackBerry?

RIM’s approach is rather strange, as the company seems to be mostly targeting its BlackBerry customers with the PlayBook, even though the company has been losing market share to Google and Apple for a while. Is RIM hoping that the PlayBook will help lock in its corporate users and stop the ‘hemorrhage’ it is currently experiencing?

RIM’s co-CEO recently went on an epic rant about how the upcoming PlayBook was “way ahead” of the iPad and how the device would set the bar “way higher.” Except Flash, we’re having an increasingly harder time seeing how.

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