iOS 8.0.1 Update is Breaking Phones and Hearts

The latest update to Apple's mobile Operating System (iOS 8.0.1) seems to have been a bit of a disaster for the Cupertino-based fruit vendor.

In fairness, all software (and an Operating System is just very complicated software after all) can have unpredicted bugs and unwanted behaviour, and therefore all updates can suffer the same likelihood of things going a bit awry.

On rare occasions and for some users, the cure for fixing a number of issues with the original iOS 8 version was worse than the disease itself.

Within a few hours, Apple pulled the update from their servers due to "an issue" and said that they were "actively investigating" reports of users having problems.

Some of the problems include network issues whereby the iPhone ceases to be able to access the mobile carrier - effectively turning their phone into an expensive iPod. Not cool!

We're sure Apple will work this out and have an iOS 8.0.2 update ready to roll out in the coming days.

If you were one of the poor unfortunate souls who immediately updated from iOS 8.0.0 to 8.0.1 (the "more broken" version), here's a guide from our friends at iMore to help you revert back to 8.0.0.

Some iOS users are unhappy with the latest update (iOS 8.0.1) - pic courtesy of mactrast.com

Apple Getting Fired up for iOS 8 and iPhone 6 Releases

All signs are pointing towards as big a launch of iOS 8 as had been predicted when we attended the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) back in June.

Earlier today, a number of changes were rolled out to the layout and some of the features of the iTunes Connect system (the online service developers and publishers use to submit and manage apps in the App Store). These were mentioned during WWDC and have finally arrived.

It's the first time in a couple of years that the iTunes Connect system has had any significant change made to it. Apple don't do such things lightly, and generally do so alongside of other functional changes.

For example, we can expect the new TestFlight Beta Testing Service to be managed through iTunes Connect.

This is the stuff that we nerds get excited about, but some consumers are already starting to queue up for the iPhone 6 even though the launch event isn't until 9th September and the likely release date of the device to Apple Stores is 18th September. You can watch the live stream of the launch event if you have nothing better to do at 3am (Brisbane time).

Here's what the interface looks like today:

Main Page of the New iTunes Connect (as at 5th September 2014)

An Example of an App Listing in the New iTunes Connect (as at 5th September 2014)

Creative Intersection develops apps for Android and iOS, with equal fervour and zeal. Give us a shout if you'd like us to apply our expertise to your idea.

iMessage services down due to Hurricane Sandy

We have seen several reports of that the iMessage service provided by Apple is having some problems and messages in many cases are failing to deliver between i-devices.

This also seems to affect other APN (Apple Push Notification) services such as those provided in many apps available on the iTunes App Store.

The current prevailing theory is that message traffic generated in the wake of Hurricane Sandy may have caused Apple to need to add capacity to their APN systems, which has left many "tokens" unable to be used (a "token" is a unique identifier stored in your phone to help it let Apple's servers know who you are and what services you should be receiving).

Another theory is that Apple's North Carolina data centre is being slammed and has had to drop some services. Those services are being re-routed to other data centres.

Right now, the best fix seems to be to simply restart your iPhone or iPad (if it is having trouble successfully sending a message).

If you are in the affected areas, you may also experience data outages (e.g. your own ADSL and WiFi), in which case iMessages and other notification services may not work anyway. In such cases, disconnect your iPhone/iPad from the WiFi network (if ADSL/cable internet is down) and try using your carrier's 3G network instead.

Our best wishes go out to our friends and customers on the East Coast of the U.S..

iOS Volume Licensing Comes to Australia

The U.S. and other parts of the world have enjoyed something called "iOS Volume Licensing" for a couple of years, but it hasn't made it to our fair shores until now.

iOS Volume Licensing refers to the ability for institutions (educational, government, and large corporations) to purchase numerous copies of apps in a single transaction (and usually at a discount), and then distribute those apps to their devices without the need for individual users to spend their own money directly via their iTunes App Store account.

As an app developer, you have the choice if you wish to make your app/s available for such volume purchases.

It's an interesting development, and one which may eventually catch on in Australia for both institutions and developers alike.

Source: Apple Australia

iOS Volume Licensing for Educational Institutions & Business (Photo: zdnet.com)

iPhone 5 Rumours are Hotting Up!

With just under a week to go for the official launch of the iPhone 5 by Apple's massive media leviathan at an event in San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, rumours are rife about what we can expect from this latest iteration of the iconic smartphone.

How will it look?  .... How heavy will it be? .... Will it finally do the dishes for me?

From an app developer's perspective, however we are most interested in the technical specs - particularly the screen size, ratio, and resolution.

Why do we care ?

It's simple. Most apps that we develop are designed to look "just right" on whichever device they are used (from Samsung Galaxy S III to Samsung Notes and Galaxy Tabs ... through to every iteration of the iPhone and iPad). Our designers spend a lot of time moving things around on the screen to get the exact right look (for the user interface - or UI) and feel (for the user experience - UX).

When you spend so much effort on creating gorgeous apps, you don't want that messed up by random device changes.

Almost every time a new device is launched (particularly in the Android space, but also very much in the Apple orchard), screen dimensions change to keep in step with technological and cultural advances.

Sometimes we can scale apps, but when the ratio (how "square" a screen is) changes then we have to rewrite the "View" of the app to better suit that proportion.

And so it seems to be with the iPhone 5 (if rumours are to be believed). The resolution may change to 1136x640 pixels, which is very close to the 16:9 ratio that your widescreen TV at home works at, and the same ratio as the latest Samsung Galaxy S III device (which is even higher in resolution at 1280x720).

If that is the case, and it likely is since the old iPhone 4/4S proportions now look far too square for today's media-heavy users, then app developers like Creative Intersection will once again be inundated by client requests to update their apps to take advantage of the new iPhone 5 hardware and use the full screen real estate.

The possible new screen ratio for iPhone 5 (credit: macrumour.com)

If you have an app idea that you would like to discuss, or if you have an app that needs updating to work with new hardware (be it Apple, Samsung, Sony, HTC, Acer, etc), give us a shout.

iPad and iPhone Application Development Services

An endless world of possibilities presents itself when "game changing" devices like the Apple iPad are released to the public.

There are many thousands of commercial (and free) applications available through the iPad and iPhone App Store ... from GPS navigation and business presentation applications to fishing games and a virtual box of chocolates.

Endless opportunities exist for the right idea to be brought into life and on to an iPad or iPhone screen.

... and ... businesses can create their own limited-release applications for internal use without having to go through the effort of seeking approval through the App Store.

Just imagine - your property inspectors, sales force, or consultants can work while they are in the field and push the results of their work directly into a live database for storage, sharing, and processing.

At Creative Intersection, database-driven, online-enabled websites and applications have been our bread-and-butter for nearly 10 years now - and the iPad and iPhone are exciting new platforms to deliver exactly this sort of "Web 2.0" functionality.

We have recently purchased two iPad WiFi + 3G devices to use as test and demonstration machines for our iPad development work, and have already started working on cutting-edge ideas under our ongoing AusIndustry-approved Research & Development program.

Call us to arrange a meeting to discuss how our team of designers and developers can build your next iPad and iPhone application.