140plus Tweak For Twitter for iPhone Lets you Send Tweets Over 140 Characters Long [Jailbreak Tweak]

140plus is a tweak for Twitter for iPhone which allows you to get around the annoying 140-character Twitter limit. Instead, you’ll be given the option to either shrink the tweet down to 140 characters or send it anyway. So how can you send a larger tweet? Read on.

Sadly, there’s no way to post long tweets directly on the service, since they’re simply not supported and don’t work with the service. This mod gets around that similarly to other services such as Twitlonger or Deck.ly, available on other clients, removing all excess characters and inserting a link to the full tweet instead. Unlike Twitlonger, tweets will be stored on Pastie.org service, which wasn’t specifically developed to to host tweets, but is able to do that job just fine.

This tweak requires you jailbreak your phone first, since this method isn’t approved by either Apple or Twitter. It’s recommended that you have basic skills on how to restore your device. If you’re not willing to jailbreak your phone or modify Twitter, you can always get another client that supports long tweets, such as TweetDeck for iPhone.

This mod was created by Moe Seth, who authored many other iPhone tweaks, such as Photector, which allows you to password-protect your pictures, in order to prevent them from being deleted, or just remove the option to delete them altogether; and TwitPlaying, which lets you tweet out the song currently playing on your device. Like many popular mods, 140plus is available on BigBoss, which is among the most popular Cydia repositories. The installation process is simple and no restart is required. You’ll simply have to re-launch Twitter for iPhone app to see the changes.

Be wary of updates to Twitter for iPhone, since they can and will most likely break this mod, or at least require users to re-apply it.

Next iPhone To Feature Heart Rate, Mood, Altimeter And Temperature Sensors [REPORT]

Your next iPhone could feature a number of new sensors for working out your location, temperature and even mood according to an interview with Benedetto Vigna.

The New York Times‘ Nick Bilton interviewed the General Manager of the MEMS division of STMicroelectronics, with Vigna sharing information on just what new sensors could find their way into the iPhone 5.

The iPhone 4 already features a selection of sensors with accelerometers and gyroscopes adding an interesting dimension to apps, particularly games.

Additional sensors could bring improved accuracy to already accurate location applications.

Mr. Vigna said the next smartphones would have altimeter sensors that would be able to detect your elevation. These sensors will tell people what floor they are on in a building, or could be used to more precisely determine where you are in relation to your friends on a location-based service, he said.

Bilton also shares the possibility the Apple could include mood sensing technology in the iPhone with sensors checking the user’s temperature and perspiration.

A combination of sensors could also be used to increase security past the current solution of entering a passcode when a device is unlocked.

After you use a new phone for a short period of time, it will start to learn your patterns and automatically lock or unlock the phone accordingly. This could be used for more secure banking too.

The only problem with Apple adding more and more technology into an already snug internal design of both iPhones and iPads.

Apple Lowering Current iPhone 4 Shipment Volume, New iPhone 4S With 8MP Camera To Follow?

Thanks to the wonderful world of outsourcing, manufacturers, such as Apple, need to order most if not all of their products, such as iPhones, from suppliers, which in turn are responsible for assembling them. And it’s now being reported by Digitimes that Apple has ordered slightly fewer for next quarter, roughly 17.5-18 million units, a drop from the 20 million it ordered last quarter. Most units, roughly 16 million, will have GSM chips, while the remaining minority, around 2 million, are set to be CDMA-equipped.

This news comes after months of rumors and speculation regarding a possible iPhone 5. But more recently, it has become a clear such an overhaul won’t happen until 2012. Instead, we’ll have a smaller upgrade, awkwardly named 4S, that is expected to begin production in August and begin shipping sometime in September.

It’s being reported that the iPhone 4S will have a new A5 dual-core processor (which will lead to increased speed in all sorts of tasks) and a new 8-megapixel camera, as opposed to the 5-megapixel one found on the current iPhone, enabling the device to take nearly professional-grade pictures. There are also rumors about support for more carriers in the US, such as Sprint and T-Mobile, although no LTE (4-esque) support is expected.

Much like what happened with the 3GS two years ago, the iPhone 4S will have no visible differences compared to its predecessor. Apple seems to have settled for major design upgrades every two years, along with smaller hardware and speed bumps in between those upgrades.

Production drops, and consequently inventory shortages, are common when an Apple productis about to be replaced. The same happened last year, when a new MacBook Air was about to be introduced, as well as, although to a  much greater extent, in 2008 when stores ran out of original iPhones, months before the iPhone 3G had the chance to be introduced.

The iPhone’s larger sibling, the iPad 2, is still going strong with plans to ship roughly 10.5 million units until the end of the year, therefore it should be pretty safe to get an iPad right now, without running the risk of having it fade into history by a newer model a few months down the road.

Will a small update such as the rumored iPhone 4S be enough to gain traction, or will it simply keep iPhones selling at their current pace?

Twitter followers help recover stolen MacBook

There is no denying the fact that social networking is a great tool, whether it’s being used to keep you up to date with the latest COD MW3 game or helping the victims of Japans earthquake it’s a great way to reach a wide range of people.

Previously we have reported how social networking site Twitter had been used to combat crime, in this post by Matt Tran he told us how a school boy used Twitter to catch a phone thief. The latest use of the site to foil crime involves a man who used his followers to track down the thief who took his laptop.

The man in question is Ottawa based web analyst Sean Power, a few days ago his laptop was stolen while visiting New York. A few days went past until Power remembered he had installed a free tracking program to his laptop called Prey,according to Cnet in the process of tracking down the thief he decided to keep his Twitter followers updated on his exploits.

In his first Tweet which you can see above Power can be seen expressing his joy in tracking down his beloved MacBook, capitalizing on the use of his tracking software he then proceeded to gather more information on the man that was in possession of his computer, using a built in camera he was even able to gain a picture of the assailant.

Power then continued to keep his followers updated with all this newly acquired information and even sent out the thieves location, following this one of his followers headed down to the bar and confronted the guy who had stolen the laptop. After a brief conversation on the phone with Power the thief decided to do the right thing and return his much loved piece of kit.

This just goes to show how powerful social networking is, we don’t know about you but after reading this story we will definitely be downloading Prey onto our computers.

Apple planning major product launch for 10th retail anniversary?

Apple may be planning something big for its 10th retail anniversary this Thursday the 19th. Here’s what we’ve been told:

• There’s an overnight shift planned for around 10-15 individuals at each Apple Store to work from late Saturday all the way through mid-Sunday.
• During the overnight shift, it’s going to be required that employees lock cell phones in the main office. They will also have to sign an NDA with Apple.
• There are a wide variety of roles, we’re told, for the overnight shift. This includes all visuals staff, a manager, a business team member, a few Genius team members, one back-of-house employee, and a few generic Apple specialists.
• Apple stores have apparently already received hardware to install, and are expecting more hardware to come on Friday or Saturday. All materials that Apple stores have received have been instructed to be under lock and key until after close on Saturday night.
• Apple employees will be putting up black curtains at all stores so that people walking outside cannot see inside.
• Employees have had to download gigabytes of data from Apple corporate labeled, “training” in a password-protected zipped folder that won’t accessible to managers or anyone else until Saturday afternoon.
• Lastly, all Apple retail stores have mandatory meetings on Sunday, May 22nd. Most meeting are scheduled for the morning, but there are evening meetings as well.

The question is, what is Apple planning?

Apple offering free repairs for iPod touches, iPhones, and Macs damaged in the Japan quake and tsunami

Apple is offering free service and repair to those Mac users who were affected by the Japan tsunami and earthquake in March. As stated in a Support & Information Services note [Japanese version/ Google-translated English version] on Apple's Japanese website, the company is offering free repairs of any Macs, Cinema Displays, iPhones, iPads or iPod touches damaged in the disaster. Apple's offer applies to those directly affected by the earthquake who primarily live in municipalities covered by the Disaster Relief Act of 2011.

This isn't the first time Apple has offered to help those who suffered in the Japan disaster earlier this year. Local Apple Retail managers opened up Apple Stores as sorts of communication centers that allowed people to use the Internet on the store's machines to email, FaceTime and Skype their loved ones. Additionally, several Mac developers came to the aid of the disaster victims offering donations from the proceeds of their apps. Apple and all member of the Mac community who have helped and continue to help those in need deserve props and recognition for their support and humanity.

Originally posted in March, Apple's announcement joins Softbank's offer to replace lost iPhones registered to its network, and free calls to Japan from U.S. carriers, among others. Considering water and other accidental damage typically voids a device's warranty, you'll want to give AppleCare a call soon -- the acceptance period only runs through June 30th.

Apple’s Next iPhone To Be Called iPhone 4S – Sprint/T-Mobile Support, A5, Similar External Design

A new report claims Apple’s next iPhone will be called the iPhone 4S, and it will feature ‘minor cosmetic changes’.

Business Insider reports that Jefferies analyst Peter Misek has put out a note on the next iPhone, claiming Apple will go for the ‘iPhone 4S’ moniker rather than go straight to iPhone 5.

Misek also lifts the lid on specifications: the iPhone 4S will include the dual-core A5 CPU just like the iPad 2, as well as improved cameras front and back. HSPA+ support will also be present this time around, while cosmetically not much will change, though ‘minor’ alterations are expected.

Of particular note are Misek’s remarks that the iPhone 4S will incorporate radios that make the handset compatible with Sprint and T-Mobile in the United States as well as bringing the handset to China Mobile. A T-Mobile version had been rumored before and Sprint support is a new one on us, though not entirely surprising.

Misek also reports Apple did intend to go for the 4G jugular with the iPhone 4S but the hardware was deemed to not be ready just yet, meaning the company opted to go for a more modest model update this year. Reports of multiple prototypes being tested have been doing the rounds for a while now, and it’s possible Apple has been testing a 4G iPhone but ultimately decided against it.

Analysts have been wrong before of course, and there are no reasons to believe this particular one is spot on with all his information, though equally there is no reason to distrust him either. The only fact we find ourselves not sure of is the claim Apple wanted 4G in the next iPhone, despite ‘real’ 4G not being rolled out by carriers properly just yet. Remember, this is the same Apple that brought the first iPhone to market with no 3G radio because they deemed it too early.

Android : Leading Mobile Operating System in the United States, Says Canalys

Based on Q3 2010 mobile market sales data released by Canalys - a research company that specialises in delivering high quality market data, analysis and advice to the world’s leading technology vendors - Android is now the leading handset OS in the United States.

A wide gamut of smart phones running the (Google initiative) Open Handset Alliance's (OHA's) Android operating system had given the platform the top position in the US market for mobile OS with a 43.6% share;

"With Samsung, HTC, Motorola and Sony Ericsson all delivering large numbers of Android devices, and with focused efforts from many other vendors, such as LG, Huawei and Acer, yielding promising volumes, the platform continues to gather momentum in markets around the world," shares Pete Cunningham, Canalys Senior Analyst.

"Android has been well received by the market and in some geographies it is becoming a sought-after consumer brand. It has rapidly become the platform to watch, and its growing volumes will help to entice developers, ensuring consumers have access to an increasingly rich and vibrant mobile content and application ecosystem. Vendors are now delivering Android devices across a broad range of price points, from high-end products such as the Samsung Galaxy S or HTC Desire, to aggressively priced devices such as the LG GT540 Optimus or the Huawei built Vodafone 845, ensuring that Android devices are available and affordable to consumers on almost any budget."

Amazing.

Cloned MacBook Air is more netbook-y but only costs $250

Oh wow, take a look at that MacBook Ai—hey, that’s not a MacBook Air! It’s a $250 netbook from China! That’s actually not too bad of a deal, considering that the machine has a 12.1-inch 1366×768 display, weighs just under three pounds, and is less than an inch thick.

Underneath it all, though, is your basic netbook: Atom N270 CPU, Intel GMA950 graphics, 1GB of RAM, 120GB hard drive, Wi-Fi, and Windows. And let’s just assume that the materials used with this netbook might not be as well-crafted as Apple’s magic aluminum enclosure within which the MacBook Air’s delicate parts are ensconced.

Still, the $250 price tag is pretty nice. You’ll have to be in China to get one, though.

Apple sued over 'exploding' iPod Touch

A mother from Ohio says her son's iPod Touch exploded in his pants, caught fire, and left him with serious burns. Now, she's suing Apple for $225,000 in damages.

Exploding iPod Touch Lawsuit

The lawsuit, filed in Cincinnati on Wednesday, claims the iPod Touch (16GB) exploded while inside the 15-year-old boy's pants pocket. The boy was sitting at his desk in school, the document says, when he "heard a loud pop and immediately felt a burning sensation on his leg." When he stood up, the suit says, he realized the device was on fire.

"[He] immediately ran to the bathroom and took off his burning pants with the assistance of a friend," the lawsuit states. "The Apple [iPod Touch] had burned through [his] pants pocket and melted through his Nylon/Spandex underwear, burning his leg."

"Physical and Mental" Harm

The boy is said to have suffered second-degree burns along with other "physical and mental conditions which will cause him to suffer pain, mental distress, emotional distress, and otherwise for the rest of his life."

The family is demanding $75,000 in "compensatory damages," another $75,000 in "punitive damages," and yet another $75,000 in legal fees and other "special damages."

Lawsuit Specifics

The suit names both Apple and the group of 10 employees who were at the Apple Store when the device was purchased as defendants. Apple has a policy against discussing legal issues while they are still pending.

You can read the lawsuit in its entirety here (PDF)

Apple unveils new iPod shuffle (4th Generation)

Apple on Wednesday introduced the next generation iPod shuffle. The shuffle has always been Apple’s smallest iPod, but now it is nearly half the size of the previous model at 1.8 inches tall by 0.3 inches thin.

The new iPod shuffle bumps storage up to 4GB and features VoiceOver, which enables the iPod to speak your song titles, artists, and playlist names. The shuffle can speak 14 languages: including English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish.

Greg Joswiak, Apple’s vice president of iPod an

d iPhone Product Marketing, told Macworld that the iPod shuffle will automatically recognize what language it should speak. If you have a preference of which language you would like, it can be changed in iTunes.

All of the controls for the Shuffle are located o

n the earphone cord, allow you to play, pause, adjust volume, switch playlists and hear the name of the song and artist. The iPod can also give you information like battery life. Apple confirmed that third-party adapters will be available so you can use headphones other than the ones that come with the iPod.

The new shuffle also lets you sync multiple playlists from iTunes for the first time.

According to Apple, the third-generation iPod shuffle holds up to 1,000 songs encoded at 128 Kbps.

Apple’s new iPod shuffle

“The concept for doing this came from the iPhone, specifically the iPhone headset,” said Joswiak. “After we expanded on it in the fall by adding volume control, we looked at it and realized that would work for the shuffle too.”

Joswiak explained that by removing the buttons Apple was able to make the shuffle smaller, without compromising on other features.

“It’s now the smallest music player in the world,” said Joswiak. “Despite being smaller, it actually holds more songs.”

The new iPod shuffle comes in silver or black and features a sleek and design with a built-in stainless steel clip. It requires iTunes 8.1, which hadn’t been released at the time this story was publishing (although Apple’s iTunes download page says the update is coming soon). The shuffle is available immediately and costs $79 (Apple is still selling the 1GB second-generation iPod shuffle for $49).

iPhone 3rd party Internet Browser now Available at App Store

iPhone users will now have an option as to what browser to use when surfing the web as Apple has approved 3rd party internet browsers to be featured on the App Store. Among the first batch of approved internet browsers, the Edge Browser (shown in the picture) stands out as it provides full screen browsing and, more importantly, is free. If anonymous surfing is your thing, the Incognito browser will come in handy, but it’ll set you back $1.99 to use it. The Webmate browser, meanwhile, provides tabbed browsing and costs less than the Incognito at just $0.99 to download.

With this latest turn of events, we’re now a bit more optimistic of the chances that we will one day see Mobile FireFox and Opera Mini become available on the iPhone.

Apple: Jobs-less until June

In what could be a preview of the not-so-distant future of Apple, Steve Jobs has stepped down as Apple CEO in order to take a medical leave until June of this year.

Here’s a copy of the letter he sent to Apple employees explaining his decision:

“Team,

I am sure all of you saw my letter last week sharing something very personal with the Apple community. Unfortunately, the curiosity over my personal health continues to be a distraction not only for me and my family, but everyone else at Apple as well. In addition, during the past week I have learned that my health-related issues are more complex than I originally thought.

In order to take myself out of the limelight and focus on my health, and to allow everyone at Apple to focus on delivering extraordinary products, I have decided to take a medical leave of absence until the end of June.

I have asked Tim Cook to be responsible for Apple’s day to day operations, and I know he and the rest of the executive management team will do a great job. As CEO, I plan to remain involved in major strategic decisions while I am out. Our board of directors fully supports this plan.

I look forward to seeing all of you this summer.

Steve”

Even though the people behind the technology and success of Apple’s products are still there, the absence of Steve Jobs will surely raise some concern especially from an investor’s standpoint. Nevertheless, it’s business as usual over at the Cupertino-based company, and to be quite honest, I don’t see this latest development having any immediate effect at the consumer level. However, we cannot discount the fact that people will react to this news. As to what extent Steve Jobs’ medical leave will affect Apple as a company, we’ll just have to wait and see how things will turn out in the next couple of months.

Get well soon, Steve, as I’m sure everyone will rest more easy when you’re back at the helm at Apple.

Flash for iPhone/iPod Touch now (sort of) Available

It seems that the prayers of all those who are hoping for Flash support to become available for the iPhone/iPod Touch may have just been finally answered, and no, it’s not coming from Apple.

It’s courtesy of the iMobileCinema app which is designed for the jailbroken iPhone and iPod Touch. Even though it promises to provide Flash support on the Safari browser, it’s not a completely perfect solution as users have reported that some Flash-based sites still don’t work. Nevertheless, this is probably as close as you’re going to get to having Flash work on the iPhone/iPod Touch at the moment.

If you want to try it out, just add d.mobilecinema.com to the sources in Cyda and install the iMobileCinema app. While you’re at it, tell us what you think about it in the comments section below as we certainly want to hear your take on this ambitious application.

3G iPhone Unlock on New Year’s Eve; Demo Video now Available

We’ve got good news for all those still waiting for a software unlock tool to become available for the 3G iPhone. The iPhone Dev Team has announced that they are ready to release one by New Year’s Eve.

In anticipation for its public debut, they will likewise stream a live video demo of this 3G iPhone unlock to be broadcast at a date to be posted on their blog.

With this latest announcement, I guess we can now really look forward to a very promising new year. New phones, new gadgets and thanks to this iPhone 3G unlock, we can probably look forward to cheap unlocked 3G iPhones hitting the interwebs as well.

UPDATE: The iPhone 3G unlock demo video has been released already. Video after the break.

Mobile Internet Browser Face-Off

With most mobile phones featuring internet browsing capabilities, choosing which phone offers the best mobile internet experience is a pretty daunting task. It’s a good thing though that Gizmodo has come out with a very juicy comparison to help us out. It may be a very limited comparison leaving out the likes of the HTC Touch Pro and XPERIA X1 out of the picture, but it is, nevertheless very informative.

As you can see with their scores, the iPhone is still the best among the rest despite lacking Flash support. Garnering a B+ score is the HTC G1 with the Android OS while both the BlackBerry Bold and Nokia E71 got a B-.

The table below shows how all the phones fared using a 3G connection. Page rendering is denoted by a Poor to Excellent rating while the color (green is good; red is poor) takes into account both speed and page rendering accuracy.

This second table show how each phone performs under a WiFi connection.

All-in-all, it was a pretty interesting showdown. Some lived up to their expectation while some failed miserably. Safe to say, if mobile internet browsing is your kind of thing, then it seems that it’s best to go with the iPhone albeit lacking support for flash. For more details about the results and how they conducted the test, you can check out Gizmodo.

How about you guys? Which mobile phone do you think provides the best mobile internet experience?

iPhone Google Mobile app now Supports Voice-Recognition

Here’s some news that might interest all of you iPhone owners out there. Google has just released the latest version of Google Mobile app which now includes voice-recognition functionality. This basically means you don’t have to type in a search query anymore in order to perform a search.

Just run the application, place the iPhone near your ear as if you were making a call, and tell it what you want to search for. It’s that easy. It automatically enables voice command functionality when you place the iPhone near your ear thanks to the proximity sensor that’s built-in the device. Voice commands are currently limited to US English only, but additional language support will be provided as part of future updates. This new version of the Google Mobile app likewise comes with Search with My Location which basically provides a localized search based on your current location. It’s a great additional feature, but I don’t think it works here in the Philippines.

Anyway, the all-new and improved Google Mobile app is now available via the App Store, and what’s even better is that it’s completely free. Check it out for yourself and tell us what you think about it.

Philippine Online Apple Store now Open

First, there was only the iTunes Store. Now, you can likewise order iPods, Macbooks, iMacs and other Apple related products direct from the online Apple Store. Yes, that’s right. Philippibe online Apple Store is now open for business.

According to Yugatech, orders made from the website will be shipped directly from the regional hub in Asia and only takes 1-2 business days. Purchases that are more than P3000 qualify for free shipping as well.

In line with this momentous event, Apple is also giving away exclusive limited-edition T-shirts to all those who make a purchase from now until November 28. It might not be one of the most wickedly designed shirts to date, but if you’re a true blue Apple fan boy, I’m sure you’d love to have one.

The price of their items are not the cheapest as far as the local market is concerned, but at least you can now order from the convenience of your own PC (or Mac) and have your Mac goodies delivered straight to your doorstep.

iPhone becomes top handset in U.S., passing RAZR

9:45 AM, November 10, 2008

Move over, Motorola. The iPhone has shaved away your lead in the mobile phone market, passing the RAZR to become the top handset purchased by U.S. adult consumers in the third quarter of 2008, according to the research firm NPD Group. The RAZR had held onto the top spot for 12 quarters.

Consumers are buying more iPhones than RAZRs because there is a "watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality," said Ross Rubin, NPD's director of industry analysis. That means consumers don't care only about looking cool anymore -- they want to look cool with a phone that doesn't have an 18% failure rate.

Research In Motion's Blackberry Curve came in third in NPD's ranking. A different report last week, from Canalys, found that the iPhone had passed RIM and Motorola to gain a 17.3% share in the smartphone market. That report showed Nokia still hanging onto first place globally. RIM could be hurting because the Blackberry has twice the failure rate of the iPhone.

Still, according to NPD, the jump in iPhone sales wasn't enough to stave off a slowdown in U.S. phone sales overall. Phone purchases declined 15% in the third quarter from the same period last year. Revenue fell 10%.

It's unclear if the iPhone rush will continue: NPD said mobile phones with QWERTY keyboards saw the greatest year-over-year rise in sales. About 30% of handsets sold in the third quarter had QWERTY keyboards. And as all of us fat-fingered people know, a tactile keyboard is not one of the iPhone's many assets.

New Macbooks-Jailbreaking Don’t Mix

Those who are still into jailbreaking iPhones/iPod Touches and are tempted to buy the new Macbooks might want to reconsider buying this latest line of laptops from Apple.

Some users have reported that they’re experiencing connectivity issues when trying to jailbreak their iPhones/iPod Touch using these new Macbook laptops. It’s still not certain as to what’s really prohibiting these Macs from continuing the normal jailbroken process, but iTunes is certainly being considered as an early suspect. Here’s what Gizmodo has to say about the whole situation:

“It’s a very specific problem, too — the tool still runs, and users who have a pre-modified firmware created on another Mac or Windows machine are able to ‘restore’ their devices to a jailbroken state without any trouble. It’s the creation of modified firmware, which is the central purpose of the Pwnage tool, which has been axed.”

For now, I think it’s best to stay clear of these new Macbooks if you’re still interested in the whole jailbreaking process unless you’ve got a spare PC lying around the house you can use to indulge your little hobby. Anyway, you can allows opt to give up jailbreaking for a brand new laptop.

So, which will it be; jailbreaking or a new Macbook? Either way, you’ll end up with an expensive Apple device that probably should be worth a lot less than what it’s retailing for at the moment, but is definitely way cooler than its cheaper rivals that are out in the market today.