Simply head to https://moc.maxisdevices.com/ to check your eligibility now!

iPhone 5 RRP in Malaysia:

• iPhone 5 16GB – RM2,199
• iPhone 5 32GB – RM2,499
• iPhone 5 64GB – RM2,799

Unlike other plans, iValue Simple is only offered on a 12-month contract which sees the phone priced from RM2079 for the 16GB iPhone 5. Notably, this plan is even cheaper than DiGi’s iDiGi 88 plan, which offers the device for RM60 a month.

Celcom is currently offering 3 main plans for the iPhone users – Prime, Premier and Elite. What is notable is that Celcom eliminated the RM68 plan from last year’s iPhone 4S, but instead offering plenty of internet data this time.

Check out the full plans below:

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has announced the allocation of the highly anticipated 2600 MHz spectrum band for LTE, which allows speed up to 100Mbps for wireless users. Currently the highest speed offered to consumers in Malaysia is DC-HSPA+, which allows speed up to 42Mbps. 8 companies will be allowed access to the 2600 MHz spectrum band, namely Celcom Axiata Bhd, DiGi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, Maxis Broadband Sdn Bhd, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd, Puncak Semangat Sdn Bhd, REDtone Marketing Sdn Bhd, U Mobile Sdn Bhd and YTL Communications Sdn Bhd.

In order to widen coverage and save cost, several carriers have also entered partnerships and sharing agreements which shares base stations between them. Currently Maxis, U Mobile and REDtone has entered a partnership agreement, while Celcom has partnered with DiGi in a similar agreement.

However, this isn’t a good news for iPhone 5 users as the iPhone 5 does not support the 2600 MHz spectrum that MCMC has licensed. However, it is believed that a license for the LTE 1800 MHz spectrum band will be allocated soon, in which the iPhone 5 supports. Singaporean carriers have been offering both 2600 MHz and 1800 MHz and local carriers will likely do the same thing too. Several people have reported that carriers have been internally testing the 1800 MHz LTE spectrum for some time now, and that it might be offered to users as early as Q1 2012.

https://twitter.com/abdusfauzi/status/276885458523410435

(via SKMM)

Maxis has began offering the iPhone 5 with several iValue plans, which requires you to sign either a 1-year or 2-years contract upon purchasing the device with a subsidised pricing. However, some customers find what the packages offer exceeding what they use, thus they would prefer purchasing the phone outright and use a prepaid plan instead. In this case, Maxis is providing this option to customers instead of waiting several days or weeks when purchasing on the Apple Online Store.

iPhone 5 Recommended Retail Price In Malaysia

• iPhone 5 16GB – RM2,199
• iPhone 5 32GB – RM2,499
• iPhone 5 64GB – RM2,799

Quoting from Maxis’ FAQ for iPhone 5:

2) I am currently a Hotlink subscriber. Would I be eligible for the iPhone 5?
If you are a Hotlink prepaid subscriber, you would need to switch to a postpaid iValue plan to purchase  the iPhone 5 on contract. However, if you wish to maintain your prepaid plan, you can purchase the iPhone 5 outright at Maxis Centers & participating dealer outlets.

4) Can I use the iPhone 5 outright?
Yes you can. You can purchase the iPhone 5 outright, subject to stocks availability & conditions.

8) If I buy the iPhone 5 outright, what other plans can I subscribe to?
You can subscribe to any Maxis Postpaid or Hotlink Prepaid plans according to your needs.

No further details are known just yet, so stay tuned to iHelpBoard for more information.

Apparently, it is not only the iPad mini – the iPad with Retina Display (4th-generation iPad) will also be offered alongside the iPad mini. Thus, you might want to hold back for a moment if you wish to purchase the 3rd-generation iPad from them.

Nevertheless, the pages for both devices are now live but details have not been posted yet – stay tuned on iHelpBoard and we will keep you updated!

The plans start from RM60 per month, and the phone pricing starts from RM2012 after subsidised. Same as last year, DiGi only offers the iPhone 5 on a 24-month contract without an option of signing the device on a 12-month contract.

As for the delivery date, DiGi claims that they will be delivered to the customer’s doorstep on the launch date – Friday, December 14 – but last year’s iPhone 4S launching saw few devices being delivered a day earlier. This is particularly useful for people who want to skip the long queue and wait at their front door instead.

The device is now available to order at the Apple Online Store as well as most Apple premium resellers across the country. Ordering online takes 2 weeks to ship for both WiFi and WiFi + Cellular model, while local resellers are having very limited stocks. Therefore, we advice customers to phone the respective store to inquire about stock availability before proceeding to avoid disappointments.

iPad mini pricing in Malaysia

• WiFi 16GB – RM999
• WiFi 32GB – RM1299
• WiFi 64GB – RM1599
• WiFi + Cellular 16GB – RM1399
• WiFi + Cellular 32GB – RM1699
• WiFi + Cellular 64GB – RM1999

The device starts as low as RM1399 for the 16GB model on a 24-month contract, RM800 lesser than the recommended retail price (RRP). To check if you are eligible for the launch event, you can head over to Maxis’ website.

Customers may pay a booking fee of RM200 to reserve their desired device and collect it at your selected Celcom outlet. This booking fee is deducted from the total price of the iPhone 5 package plan chosen by the customer. The collection period is within 14 December 2012 until 28 December 2012, and you can select your desired Celcom outlet to collect from.

Our friends from Oh! Geekz have apparently got on hold with some exclusive information from one of the resellers in Malaysia, providing further evidence that the iPad mini will be in stores starting tomorrow. Although almost every Apple reseller in Malaysia have already received the stock for iPad mini and 4th-generation iPad, most of them only have the 16GB WiFi model for the iPad mini.

They as well unveiled the pricing for the iPad mini, for the first ever time. Note that these pricing are unofficial and may be changed.

iPad mini pricing in Malaysia

• WiFi 16GB – RM1099
• WiFi 32GB – RM1399
• WiFi 64GB – RM1699
• WiFi + 4G 16GB – RM1499
• WiFi + 4G 32GB – RM1799
• WiFi + 4G 64GB – RM2099

4th-generation iPad pricing in Malaysia

• WiFi 16GB – RM1499
• WiFi 32GB – RM1799
• WiFi 64GB – RM2099
• WiFi + 4G 16GB – RM1899
• WiFi + 4G 32GB – RM2199
• WiFi + 4G 64GB – RM2499

We earlier reported about Celcom’s hint at offering the iPad mini for a subsidised pricing along with a bundled data plan, and it could happen really soon.

Furthermore, local Apple reseller Challenger IT Megastore has also announced on their Facebook page that the iPad mini and 4th-generation iPad will be in stores tomorrow, however they only have the WiFi model and we will still have to wait a little longer for the WiFi + 4G model. They also claimed that pricing will be announced by Apple tomorrow.

(via Oh! Geekz, Challenger IT Megastore)

The banner was removed shortly after, although the image is still stored in their servers. Stay tuned on iHelpBoard and we will update you with any further information.

(Celcom via SoyaCincau)

https://twitter.com/xpaxsays/status/276525542432440320

(via Celcom)

(via Maxis)

New Design

No more sidebar. No more mess. Just your collection in its entirety. Wanna see music, click it. Movies? Do the same. It’s designed for you to focus only on that particular content. Frankly, I think this approach is similar to how iOS works: when you open an app, you’ll focus on it and only it. Less distraction. Less noise. I like it.

Expanded View

As a typical Apple fashion, iTunes 11 has been streamlined and simplified to almost every bit: no more views selection, no more Cover Flow. Just a grid view fully rethought to be iOS-like “Folders”. When you click on an album, it expands in place. Apple calls it ‘expanded view’. Best of all, the album follows the design aspect of the artwork: dominant colours gets a prominent treatment, with the rest of them neatly applied on the fonts. Little touches like these is what Apple is all about. If you noticed, there’s an In the Store button that gives you top songs and albums by that artist as well as recommendations.

Up Next

Up Next replaces the now-defunct iTunes DJ. Instead of tucking it with the rest of the playlist, Apple puts it front and center, on the LCD, accessible at any time. Up Next allows you to queue whichever song you want to play next. You can rearrange them, or remove a song from the queue at any time, without interfering your tunes. In fact, it even stays intact when you decide to watch a movie or a TV show. Just by clicking Resume, your music continues where it left off. Neat! To view a history of songs you have played, click the clock icon; clear a song by clicking on the x next to the song name, or clear it altogether.

New MiniPlayer

Not only the new MiniPlayer gets an overhaul, it could also shrink even smaller (you could still expand it if you so wish). Don’t let the name fool you: the MiniPlayer, while smaller, is big on feature. It has a fully-loaded search function, Up Next, AirPlay, and even a song artwork right next to the song name. When you hover over it, the Play/Pause and Skip button appears, including an arrow next to the artwork that lets you do so much more like ratings, and Genius suggestions. Apple really nailed this right. Very efficient use of space.

Redesigned iTunes Store

Finally. A store that’s actually usable on my Windows machine. Apple introduced the similar design for the iPad when iOS 6 came. The store loads insanely quick. Song previews continues to play even when you leave the page or the store. Movie pages no longer requires a refresh when switching between SD and HD content. Even lesser space used for song list, ratings and reviews & related songs/albums, as well as infinite scrolling for comments. No more switching between pages just to check out that particular album, or movies, or podcast. Did you previously previewed a song? Click the three-stacked history button. To preview it again, to buy it, or to clear it, it’s just a click away.

Made for iCloud

iTunes 11 is designed with iCloud in mind. Purchased a song before? It instantly appears on your library letting you to download them or even stream it. If you are subscribed to iTunes Match, it still works the same way it does. When you add a new song, it will match it with the ones on the iTunes Store. You can learn more about iTunes Match here. But what about movies? iCloud is here to save the day. Purchased a movie before? Just click the cloud icon to download them again free, or stream the movie right away. This a huge win for me cause I’d rather offload all my stuff to the cloud. This helps me saves space on my hard drive too. In fact, if the movies you purchased is available in HD, you can set it to stream it either in SD or HD (both 720p or 1080p) whichever applies. You can set this up under iTunes preferences.

The rest

Podcasts page has been rethought, which blurs the line between played and unplayed podcast episodes. Podcast with chapters can be accessible by clicking on the podcast’s artwork when its playing. Similar to iTunes U. Aside from that, the Books and Apps page stays the same, which actually does nothing on your computer since it was meant for iOS devices. Furthermore, when you plug-in your iOS devices, you’ll be greeted with a facelift as well. There’s a new On this (device) tab that gives you an overview on what’s inside.

Creating a song playlist is easier than ever. Just drag a song/album and a playlist pane instantly appears that lets you drop it onto your desired playlist. Or you could click the arrow on the song name (in a Song list tab) to add it. It’s flexible yet easier to navigate around. The radio page stays intact, however, it’s finally usable on my Windows machine. The downloads page has its own window when you need it. Home Videos are also added under Movies page that lets you add, view, and sync videos you have with you. The decade-old sidebar that ships with the previous iTunes is still there but why not give the new look for a spin?

The verdict

Considering how iTunes is known for its bloated design, Apple really nailed it this time, years later. Having subsequently delayed from its original launch date, it has some bugs that might irritate some, but I’m sure the next version will fix it, no doubt. While it feels fast, it still consumes a vast amount of computing resources. App updates still doesn’t sync well with iOS device, heck, the App Updates page still retains the decade-old design. I don’t get it why the action box still existed. Still, go ahead and download it. Try it. Give iTunes a second chance. Despite the minor annoyances, I love it.

Here is even more screenshot to keep you satire for now: (right-click to enlarge)

After delaying for several times, Apple has gradually catch up with the demand and will be launching it in more than 50 countries in 2 subsequent batches. In Malaysia, Maxis, Celcom and DiGi are likely to be launching it simultaneously and we should see plans and pricing to be unveiled shortly.

iPhone 5 Arrives in South Korea & More Than 50 Additional Countries in December

CUPERTINO, California—December 3, 2012—Apple® today announced iPhone® 5 will be available in South Korea on Friday, December 7, with more than 50 additional countries being added in December, including Brazil, Russia and Taiwan. iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless*—all while delivering even better battery life.**

iPhone 5 is currently available in 47 countries around the world including the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and the UK. iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new features including: Shared Photo Streams, Facebook integration, all-new Maps app, Passbook® organization and even more Siri® features and languages.

iPhone 5 comes in either black & slate or white & silver for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model, $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.

iPhone 4S is available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 is available for free with a two-year contract from participating carriers.

iPhone 5 will be available in South Korea on Friday, December 7 and on Friday, December 14 in Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Venezuela. iPhone 5 will also be available on Friday, December 21 in Barbados, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St.Vincent & the Grenadines, Tunisia, Uganda and Vietnam.

*Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks. Check with your carrier for details.
**Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contacts:
Natalie Harrison
Apple
harri@apple.com
(408) 862-0565

Teresa Brewer
Apple
tbrewer@apple.com
(408) 974-6851

Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPhone, Retina, Passbook and Siri are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

(via Apple)

One of the key changes of this layout is that it works perfectly well across different screen sizes from different devices with a consistent experience. There is no loss of contents regardless of how tiny your screen is, and all our site features are available to our readers including the 40% who visit our site through a mobile device. If you are using a desktop, you can peek at our mobile layout by simply narrowing the width of your browser.

While most of the previous features still remain on our new design, we aim to provide a better user experience by simplifying the entire site, giving them a cleaner look. Featured images are now more prominent and contents are now more comfortable to read. The site is easier to navigate and posts are laid out in a cleaner manner.

Best of all, it’s lighter than ever. Lots of heavy elements from the previous theme have been eliminated, and thus scrolling and loading speed have improved significantly. The site is now much faster and smoother to load, so that you can focus on the content.

Nevertheless, this design is still not final yet, which means that you will be seeing some minor changes in the coming days, which includes optimisation for Retina display. Besides working on delivering the best contents about Apple products locally, we also strive for the best experience for our readers when reading our contents.

Prior to this, we also introduced our very own Instagram account which we will share interesting images about Apple products. You can follow us on @iHelpBoard.

Thanks for reading, and happy surfing!

As for local resellers’ availability, several resellers such as Machines and Switch have hinted that they could start selling it as early as this weekend.

(via Apple Online Store)

iTunes 11 features an all-new design which simplified almost every feature of the app, which makes it more user-friendly and make the browsing more intuitive. A redesigned MiniPlayer was introduced with a sleek and simple interface, while displaying plenty of features underneath as you hover your cursor over to the player.

Most importantly, iTunes 11 is now significantly faster and smoother than its predecessor. Once regarded as one of the worst softwares Apple have ever made, it is no longer sluggish and works perfectly well. To update, you can simply use App Store on the Mac or “Check For Updates” on Windows. Alternatively, you can download iTunes 11 from Apple’s website for free.

(via Apple)

One of the key changes in this v2.0 update is that passengers are now able to book a taxi in 2 taps. Once the app is launched, your location will be automatically detected using the iPhone’s built-in GPS system for pick-up, and immediately tells you the amount of taxis available nearby. By simply tapping on the map, you will be shown a map which pinpoints the location of the taxis around you. After selecting your destination, it will automatically calculate the estimated fare based on the distance and display below the map.

Unlike the previous versions, the entire booking process is now transparent and displayed to users clearly. From locating drivers to assigning drivers, the entire status of the passengers’ booking and the drivers’ response to it are shown real-time. Passengers will receive their confirmation within 1 minute, no matter the booking is successful or not, which makes it the fastest taxi booking app in town.

After your booking is successful, you will be shown a map which shows your taxi moving towards you in real-time. In addition, passengers will also see the driver’s details, including his name, car plate number and ID picture to assist passengers in identifying their drivers as well as a button to call the driver. Moreover, the app also displays the journey’s route in order to prevent the driver from fetching the passenger through a longer route to increase the taxi fare.

As a safety measure for passengers, MyTeksi introduced an all-new Share My Ride feature which allows you to share a link with a personalised message to your friends and family through several sharing options. Once they click on the unique link, they will be able to track your taxi’s movement in real-time on a map for the duration of the trip.

In MyTeksi 2.0, booking cancellation is now possible and passengers can can report that they “have arrived” at their destination and choose to “like” or “dislike” the driver, as well as commenting on their experience at any time. Passengers can also view a history of their bookings, which is particularly useful when passengers left something in the taxi and need to contact the driver.

Below is a video of how the new MyTeksi 2.0 works:

In the meantime, to celebrate the launch of the update, MyTeksi is currently running a “Book, Share and Win” contest in which the grand prize is the all new iPhone 5. There will also be 4 iPod shuffles as weekly consolation prizes.

Originally launched in 2011, the startup saw rapid growth and now have over 600 drivers to date. We covered the media launch back in June, and now they have expanded their service to a Windows 8 app as well as an impressive online web booking service.

“The reason behind this overhaul was to push our promise of providing passengers Speed, Certainty and Safety even further. It is a culmination of all our passengers’ and drivers’ feedback in the past one year.” – Aaron Gill, MyTeksi Product & Technical Lead

Press release as below:

MyTeksi 2.0: The app just got sexier!

Since MyTeksi’s official launch in June 2012 for both Android and iOS platforms, they have performed a complete overhaul to the user interface and threw in additional cool features to make taxi-booking a much easier, faster and safer affair for passengers. Apart from the iOS app upgrade, passengers now have an additional option to book a taxi through the web-browser interface directly from www.myteksi.com.

The MyTeksi 2.0 app is currently available for iOS platform only, which can be downloaded from the Apple App Store. The 2.0 app will be available soon for Android and also Windows platforms in a couple of months’ time.

One of the key changes for the new MyTeksi 2.0 app is the user-friendly interface which allows a passenger to book a taxi in 2 taps.

Once the app is opened, it will auto-magically geo-locate your current location for pick-up and immediately tells you how many taxis are near you. If you wish to see the taxis around you, just “tap” on the map above and it will expand to show you.

Once you know there are some taxis quite close by, all you need to do then is to tap on the Drop-Off and select your destination, which will immediately calculate your estimated trip distance and fare.

To complete your booking, just tap on Book Now and instead of just waiting and wondering what is happening to your booking, the MyTeksi 2.0 app now shows the status of the passengers’ booking and how drivers are responding to it in real-time. First time users would need to do a one-time activation to complete the booking.

Passengers will also receive their confirmation within 1 minute (whether the booking is successful or not), making it the Fastest Taxi Booking App In Town.

Once you tap Next, comes the most awesome feature of MyTeksi 2.0 yet. As part of their mission to remove uncertainties in taxi bookings, the MyTeksi app now shows your taxi moving towards you Live on a map.

In addition to that, passengers will get to see driver’s details, such as his name, car plate number and ID picture to help passengers identify their drivers as well as calling him. The app also shows the journey’s route so that passengers can tell if drivers are taking the proper route and not taking the passengers “for a ride”.

To keep their passengers’ safe, MyTeksi’s Share My Ride feature allows you to easily share a personalised message and link privately with your family, friends , loved ones or if you wish to, publicly with the FB and Twitter world. Once they click on that link, they will be able to track your taxi’s movements live on a map for the duration of that trip.

Previously in version 1.0, passengers were unable to cancel their booking and were forced to always rate their journey to end it.

In MyTeksi 2.0, booking cancellation is now possible and passengers can inform that they “have arrived” at their destination and choose to “like” or “dislike” the driver and also to comment on their experience at any time they wish. These comments are important for MyTeksi to constantly improve their services and drivers.

They can also view a history of their bookings, especially useful when passengers forget something in the taxi and need to call back the driver.

You can also catch a video of how the new MyTeksi 2.0 app works over here: http://youtu.be/Gq6oipPXFQM

Aaron Gill, MyTeksi’s Product and Technical Lead explained, “The reason behind this overhaul was to push our promise of providing passengers Speed, Certainty and Safety even further. It is a culmination of all our passengers’ and drivers’ feedback in the past one year.”

“To celebrate the launch of our MyTeksi 2.0 app for iOS 5 & 6 platforms, MyTeksi is currently running a “Book, Share and Win” contest.”, he adds. The grand prize is the all new iPhone 5!

There will also be 4 iPod shuffles as weekly consolation prizes. To find out more, visit their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/myteksi or their official webpage at www.myteksi.com

You can book a taxi with MyTeksi in a variety of ways:

• iPhone and iPad app (version 2.0) – http://bit.ly/myteksi-ios
• Android app (version 1.0) – http://bit.ly/myteksi-android
• Online Web Booking – http://myteksi.com/
• Windows 8 app – http://bit.ly/myteksi-windows8
• SMS Booking – send an SMS to 36881with the following information:
  • Teksi # #Remarks
  • For example:
  • TEKSI 123, SS21/109 #KLIA #Pintu tepi

About MyTeksi

MyTeksi is a for-profit social start-up with a mission to revolutionize the taxi industry.  Runner-up in the 2011 Harvard Business School Business Plan Contest, its core product is a taxi-dispatch service with GPS-enhancements, allowing passengers to hail the nearest taxi with extreme ease.  MyTeksi is the first in Malaysia to use smartphone-based technologies for taxi booking and dispatch. Since year 2011, taxi drivers have been using the MyTeksi smartphone-based technologies to receive bookings and we have over 600 drivers to date. Currently Comfort Taxi and KPPCB (Koperasi Pengangkutan Putrajaya & Cyberjaya Berhad) call centers are also powered by MyTeksi’s fleet operator solution. Now commuters can book taxis on their smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android), online booking through the website or simply by sending an SMS.

At MyTeksi, we want to ensure our passengers’ end-to-end experience of a taxi ride, from booking to reaching their destinations. Through our technology, we now empower our passengers with the full details of their ride; Information of their drivers along with the estimated fare of their ride and capability to share their journey through social media, email and SMS (currently available on iPhone app only). The idea is that passengers can get a taxi fast and ride with a peace of mind.

As a humble start-up, MyTeksi believes that business and social value can be achieved in parallel. It hopes to make a difference on Malaysian public transportation, first by making it easier to book taxis.

Apple has announced the stunningly thin new iMac which was introduced during the iPad mini event back last month to be on sale starting this Friday, November 30. The new iMac, which features an all-new design, better display, faster processors and a new technology called Fusion Drive, was rumoured to be delayed to 2013 earlier.

The 21.5-inch iMac will be available starting this Friday on Apple Online Store, Apple retail stores, and select Apple Authorised Resellers. The 27-inch model, however, will only be available for ordering through the Apple Online Store and will begin shipping in December.

Original press release as below:

iMac Available on November 30

CUPERTINO, California―November 27, 2012―Apple® today announced the all-new iMac® will be available on Friday, November 30. Featuring a stunning design, brilliant display with reduced reflection, faster processors and an innovative new storage option called Fusion Drive, the new iMac is the most advanced desktop Apple has ever made. The 21.5-inch iMac will be available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. The 27-inch iMac will be available for order through the Apple Online Store and will begin shipping in December.

Redesigned from the inside out, the new iMac packs high performance technology into an aluminum and glass enclosure that measures just 5 mm thin at its edge and features a reengineered display that reduces reflection by 75 percent. The new iMac includes 8GB of 1600 MHz memory, a 1TB hard drive, third generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processors that can be upgraded to Core i7, and the latest NVIDIA GeForce graphics processors that deliver up to 60 percent faster performance. Fusion Drive is an innovative new storage option that gives customers the performance of flash and the capacity of a hard drive by combining 128GB of flash with a standard hard drive to create a single storage volume that intelligently manages files to optimize read and write performance.

The 21.5-inch iMac is available with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.2 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US); and with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M for a suggested retail price of $1,499 (US). The 27-inch iMac is available with a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US); and with a 3.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US).

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contacts:
Colin Smith
Apple
colins@apple.com
(408) 862-1171

Bill Evans
Apple
bevans@apple.com
(408) 974-0610

(via Apple)

U Mobile is now offering the Nano SIM for only RM10. What is notable about U Mobile’s offering is that they offer for prepaid users as well compared to other carriers which only offers it for postpaid customers. It is now available across all U Mobile service centres nationwide and both postpaid and prepaid customers can get it for only RM10, which is much more affordable compared to the other carriers.

Does this mean that U Mobile might be bringing in the iPhone 5 soon? Chances are low but there is always a possibility.

(via U Mobile)

It’s no secret that the iPhone 5′s launching in Malaysia has been delayed numerous times. However, reputable Malaysian technology site Lowyat.net has reported that Friday, November 30 is the day that the flagship device will likely launch among Malaysian carriers. Citing “inside sources from a certain telco”, they also report that preorders will start on November 23.

Interestingly, DiGi is holding a ‘roadshow promoting Digi latest packages’ in 1Utama from November 28 to November 30. This clashes with the reported November 30 launch date, but question remains for the first two days. Could DiGi launch the device on November 28?

On the other hand, Maxis and DiGi has been lowering their iPhone 4 and 4S prices respectively by a huge amount. In other words, they have begun to attempt to sell off their remaining stocks before the iPhone 5 releases.

Lucas from Lowyat.net claims that the percentage of the possibility of the November 30 launch date would be in the high 90′s. Given the evidences above, the date seems likely to be true. Stay tuned on iHelpBoard and we will update you with the latest news regarding the iPhone 5′s availability in Malaysia.

(via Lowyat.net, 1Utama)

[signoff] ]]> http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/11/reports-evidences-point-to-nov-30-iphone-5-launch-in-malaysia/feed/ 3 http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/11/digi-offering-16gb-iphone-4s-for-rm499-rm138month/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=digi-offering-16gb-iphone-4s-for-rm499-rm138month http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/11/digi-offering-16gb-iphone-4s-for-rm499-rm138month/#comments Sat, 10 Nov 2012 04:10:40 +0000 Chris Wong http://www.iHelpBoard.my/?p=4574

After offering the 32GB iPhone 4S on a RM699 deal, DiGi has now begun offering the 16GB model of it for RM499, providing that you sign up for their iDiGi 138 plan on a 24 month contract. Purchasing with a 0% interest EPP is as well available, in addition to cash and credit card. However, there is a little catch here – you are required to pay a total of RM1200 upfront when purchasing via cash or credit card, in which the figure will rebate on your bill every month.

Take a look at the plans below:

(via DiGi)

As the iPhone 5′s release date comes nearer, Maxis are now offering the 8GB iPhone 4 on a sale which sees the device sell for as low as RM499. In order to be eligible for this offer, you must sign up for a 2-year contract with one of the two plans it come with. You are required to sign a mobile internet plan in addition to the TalkMore plan, thus bringing the monthly fee to start from RM76 per month.

Despite being two years old, the iPhone 4 is still considered as one of the top phones in the market. Besides a solid hardware, it runs the latest iOS 6 software, and RM499 is definitely a great deal for it.

Take a look at the plans below:

Earlier today, iOS 6.0.1 – the first update to iOS 6 – was released to the public. This update is all about fixing bugs listed below:

• Fixes a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air
• Fixes a bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the keyboard
• Fixes an issue that could cause camera flash to not go off
• Improves reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted WPA2 Wi-Fi networks
• Resolves an issue that prevents iPhone from using the cellular network in some instances
• Consolidated the Use Cellular Data switch for iTunes Match
• Fixes a Passcode Lock bug which sometimes allowed access to Passbook pass details from lock screen
• Fixes a bug affecting Exchange meetings

To update to the latest public version is iOS, simply access Software Update on your iOS device providing you are using iOS 5 and above, or alternatively you can use iTunes to update your device. However, this will result in slower update as it downloads the entire firmware compared to update over-the-air as it downloads only what is changed.

For your convenience, here are the direct download links (Courtesy of OS X Daily):

iPhone

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4 GSM (ATT)
• iPhone 4 CDMA (Verizon/Sprint)
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 5 GSM (ATT)
• iPhone 5 CDMA (Verizon/Sprint)

iPad

• iPad 2 Wi-Fi (Original iPad 2)
• iPad 2,4 (Current iPad 2)
• iPad 2 GSM (ATT)
• iPad 2 CDMA (Verizon)
• iPad 3 Wi-Fi
• iPad 3 CDMA
• iPad 3 GSM
• iPad 4 Wi-Fi
• iPad mini

iPod Touch

• iPod Touch 4th gen
• iPod Touch 5th gen

Before Maxis does any announcement, we discovered that Maxis have reserved a spot in Mid Valley Megamall from Monday, November 5th to Sunday, November 11th for promoting the iPhone 5. From Mid Valley Megamall’s official events listing, North Court at ground floor was booked for “Maxis Iphone 5 Promotion”.

This lines up perfectly to the suggested November 2 launch, which sees the first 3 days of sales to be held in its launch event venue (presumably KLCC Convention Centre) and the remaining stocks will be sent to other locations after the event has ended.

Nevertheless, there is no news so far from Maxis nor other carriers yet and there are words that Apple has delayed the iPhone 5 launching in Malaysia for another time. We hope to hear from them soon and will update the latest news and our latest findings on our website. Stay tuned!

UPDATE (1 Nov 2012): As noted by our reader Shazwani Shafiee, Maxis renamed the title to “Maxis One Club Promotion” instead. Did Apple delayed the shipment to Malaysia once again and forced the launching to be pushed back?

(via Mid Valley)

Grant Theft Auto: Vice City is turning 10 years old next week. As a celebration, Rockstar Games has announced that they will be releasing the title on the iOS AppStore for millions of users. The game, in which the original was released on 2002, will be ported into a touch-controlled version and “[bring] the full experience to mobile devices, featuring native high-resolution graphics and several enhancements unique to the iOS and Android platforms,”.

Last year, GTA III celebrated its 10th anniversary in the same way and Rockstar claims that the game will release “later this fall”, which seems not far from now.

(BusinessWire via Polygon)

According to MacRumors, a number of reports from several countries have surfaced that Friday, November 2 is the date that the iPhone 5 will release. Namely India, Bulgaria, Malta, Romania, Thailand, Greece, Croatia, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, local news have reported November 2 as the date Apple will sell the iPhone 5 in their specific countries.

Previously we have heard that the flagship device will launch in Malaysia on October 26, but the launch was delayed due to shipping delays. Multiple carriers across the globe have started their registration of interest and revealed their pricing, which is usually done within a week of launching the device. It is very likely that Malaysia will be included in the third batch of the device’s release, which has happened in several of the last iPhones and iPads launches.

We could eventually (hopefully!) hear some good news from our carriers – Maxis, Celcom and DiGi – after all. Stay tuned and we will keep you updated with the latest news!

(via MacRumors)

Earlier this morning, Apple announced their earning reports for the forth quarter of 2012. This sees Apple posting a record revenue of $36 billion and net profit of $8.2 billion. 26.9 million iPhones and 14 million iPads were sold in the quarter, which represents a 58% and 26% unit growth compared to a year ago respectively. As for iPods, Apple sold 5.3 million iPods, in which sales continues to decline.

Here are some interesting statistics courtesy of MacStories.

- Highest September quarter revenue and earnings ever.

- 4.9 million Macs sold.

- 3-4 weeks of Mac channel inventory, below target of 4-5.

- MacBook sales now represent 80% of all Mac sales.

- iPod touch accounts for half of all iPod sales.

- iPod share is over 70% in NPD data, iPod is the most popular MP3 worldwide.

- Demand for new iPhone is “phenomenal”.

- iPad sales have been ahead of expectations in all regions.

- Average selling price of laptops was higher than desktop.

- $6.5 billion paid to developers.

- 700,000 apps available on the App Store, 275,000 for iPad.

- iCloud has registered 190 million accounts in the first year.

- Apple retail stores generated $4.2 billion revenue in the quarter.

- 18 new stores in 10 countries.

- Opened first retail store in Sweden.

- 19,000 visitors per store per week.

- $121.3 billion in cash for Apple (after dividend pay out)

- Tim Cook: “We’re dedicated to making the best products in the world.”

- iPad mini’s gross margin is significantly below the corporate average.

- iPhone 5 is the largest product ramp-up in Apple’s history.

- Tim Cook: “Demand for iPhone is extremely robust. We’re thrilled with what we see. We are in a significant state of backlog right now.”

- TC: “We continue to be confident that tablet market will surpass PC market. There is incredible development in both ecosystems and products going on in tablet space. It is already extremely compelling for many customers to choose a tablet, in particular an iPad over a PC. There is an enormous opportunity there – pretty much each quarter you see 80 to 90 million PCs sold. We do think that iPad mini, iPad, and iPad 2 will all be extremely attractive offerings for people in lieu of PCs. We’re going to continue, you know, to very much focus on the future of iPad. We are very confident with what we have in pipeline. We can’t wait until next Friday until we start selling first (iPad mini) units.”

- TC: “We are extremely happy with how we’ve done in China.”

- TC: “I haven’t personally played with a Surface yet, but what we’re reading about it is that it’s a fairly compromised confusing product.”

- TC: “I think one of the toughest things you do when deciding products is to make hard trade-offs and decide what a product should be, and we’ve done that with the iPad. The user experience is incredible. I suppose you could design a car that flies and floats, but it wouldn’t do those things very well. I think people when they look at the iPad vs. competitors, they will conclude they want an iPad. They’ve done that today and will continue to do so.”

- TC: “The way we look at this is that we provide an iPod touch, an iPad, and iPad mini, and an iPad 2. Customers will decide which ones they like and will buy those. We don’t worry about canibalization of our products. Far far bigger opportunity is the 80 to 90 million PCs sold per quarter. I think a great number of those people would be much better off buying an iPad or a Mac. I think that’s a bigger opportunity for Apple. instead of being focused on cannibalising ourselves, I look at it as an enormous incremental opportunity.”

- 1.3 million Apple TVs sold in Q4. Over 100% year-over-year, but still a hobby.

(via MacStories)

As the iPhone 5 launching in Malaysia comes nearer, several job listings as a part-time iPhone 5 promoter at Maxis Centre have appeared over the past week. These promoters will be introducing Maxis’ iPhone 5 packages at Maxis Centres to customers, and must be able to work at least 3 months in terms of daily basis.

Interestingly, in one of the job listing, the job expires on 11 November, which could hint at the iPhone 5′s launching in Malaysia. These promoters, once accepted, will be sent to training and start working thereafter. If the above date means anything, we could probably see the device launching on November 16. Again, this is purely speculation.

 Responsibilities:

- Responsible in introducing the Maxis iPhone 5 packages at Maxis Center.
- Provide excellent customer service to meet customers’ expectation.
- Willing to do sales.
- Willing to work in shift hours

Requirements:

- Malaysian Only.
- SPM and above.
- Candidates with No experience are welcome to apply.
- Semester Break Students are welcomed.
- Training will be provided.
- Sales experience in retailing or service industry will be an added advantage.
- Strong selling skill.
- Pleasant personality with service oriented and positive attitude.
- Proficiency in English.
- Able to work at least 3 months in term of daily basic.
- Able to work at Maxis Center as below::
:: Alamanda (Putrajaya)
:: Cheras (Mon – Sat)
:: E-curve
:: TTDI
:: Mid-Valley
:: KLCC
:: Klang
:: KLIA
:: Pavilion
:: Selayang
:: Sunway
:: Queenbay (Penang)

(via PartTimePost, Jobless)

• HDD = High capacity storage space, up to 1TB to 3TB of them, allows you to store many things on your Mac, cheaper
• SSD = Lower capacity storage space, but speeds up reads and writes, faster boot and app launches, expensive
• Fusion Drive = HDD + SSD, while still affordable

Fusion Drive on the new iMac and Mac mini is smarter too. Thanks to Mountain Lion, frequently-used items on your device are kept ready on speedy SSD while infrequently-accessed items ends up in the HDD. According to Apple’s website, the file transfers took place in the background that you don’t even notice its working. It’s also smart enough to rearrange and figure out which application or file you accessed the most throughout the entire time and transfers between HDD and SSD part of the Fusion Drive simultaneously.

If you noticed the MacBook Air or any device with SSD built-in, the storage capacity often lacks and max out at a paltry 512GB, although it is significantly faster than the HDD. SSD also uses less power compared to HDD which spins to read and write the data. With the so-called hybrid technology called Fusion Drive, it combines the best of speedy 128GB of SSD plus 1TB of spacious HDD. Compared to Intel’s caching approach, Apple’s approach to hybrid drives is less granular in terms of file manipulation, doesn’t duplicate (or cache) files on either HDD and SSD, and works on a bigger scale, according to AllThingsD.

(via AllThingsD)

Alongside the iPad mini, the all new Smart Cover has been announced as well. Gone were the metal hinge on the previous Smart Cover and replaced with the entire slab of material wrapping around the magnets where it attaches to the body of the iPad mini. Available in blue, green, pink, light gray, dark grey and Product (RED), the price hasn’t been announced yet. Watch the video below to see it for yourself:

iBooks 3

Also in line with the new iPad mini, Apple has upped the ante in education with the release of iBooks 3 app. The new update brings us iCloud purchase history viewable on the bookshelf itself, improved sharing, as well as continuous scrolling (perfect if you hate to page through many different pages at a time). On top of that, the books can be updated on the fly thanks to iCloud. Here’s the list of updates entails in the new version:

• See all your iBookstore purchases in iCloud—right on your bookshelf with iOS 6
• Scroll vertically through your books with the flick of a finger using the new Scroll theme
• Receive free updates to purchased books—including new chapters, corrections, and other improvements
• Look up definitions for words in German, Spanish, French, Japanese and Simplified Chinese with iOS 6
• Share quotes or thoughts about your favorite book with friends on Facebook, Twitter, Messages, or Mail

iBooks Author

Courtesy of MacStories, here’s the cold hard numbers from Apple’s announcements today that not only reflect the company’s increasing user base, but also mirrors and sometime exceeds records previously made. From the retail, to hardware and software, take a look at some of the stats gathered from the keynote:

• Five million iPhone 5 sold in the first weekend, fastest-selling device in the history
• 3 million units of the new iPods (combined with the iPod nano and iPod touch)
• Over 200 million devices have been updated to iOS 6
• 125 million documents have been stored in iCloud
• 300 billion iMessages have been sent
• 28,000 iMessages are sent every second
• 160 million Game Center accounts
• 70 million photos have been shared with Photo Stream
• 700,000 iOS apps are available
• 275,000 iPad apps
• Customers have now downloaded over 35 billion apps from the App Store
• $6.5 billion have been paid to developers
• 1.5 million books are available on iTunes
• 400 million books have been downloaded since the launch of the Store

iMac

• iMac 21.5″/2.5QC/2x2GB/500GB/6750M – RM3599
• iMac 21.5″/2.7QC/2x2GB/1TB/6770M – RM4399
• iMac 27″/2.7QC/2x2GB/1TB/6770M – RM4999
• iMac 27″/3.1QC/2x2GB/1TB/6970M – RM5899

Mac mini

The new iPad (3′rd generation)

• iPad Wi-Fi 16GB Black/White – RM1379
• iPad Wi-Fi 32GB Black/White – RM1679
• iPad Wi-Fi 64GB Black/White – RM1979
• iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular 16GB Black/White – RM1779
• iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular 32GB Black/White – RM2079
• iPad Wi-Fi + Cellular 64GB Black/White – RM2379

21.5-inch iMac

• Comes in 21.5-inch LED-backlit display with IPS (1920 x 1080 resolution)
• 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel i5 and 2.9 GHz quad-core i5 (configurable to 3.2 Ghz quad-core Intel i7)
• 8GB RAM (two 4GB), configurable to 16GB
• 1TB HDD, configurable to 1TB Fusion Drive
• NVIDIA GeForce Graphics
• FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, headphone port
• SDXC card slot, four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports
• Gigabit ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Comes with Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Magic Mouse
• Price starts at RM3999 to RM4599, available in November

27-inch iMac

• Comes in 27-inch LED backlit display with IPS (2560 x 1440 resolution)
• 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel i5 and 3.2 GHz quad-core i5 (configurable to 3.4 Ghz quad-core Intel i7)
• 8GB RAM (two 4GB), four user-accessible SO-DIMM slots, configurable to 16/32GB
• 1TB HDD, configurable to 3TB HDD, 768GB SSD, or 1TB/3TV Fusion Drive
• NVIDIA GeForce Graphics, configurable
• FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, headphone port
• SDXC card slot, four USB 3 ports, two Thunderbolt ports
• Gigabit ethernet, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Comes with Apple Wireless Keyboard and Apple Magic Mouse
• Price starts at RM5499 to RM6199, available in November

13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display

Mac fans alike, rejoice! The all new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display is here as well, accompanying its existing 15-inch sibling. It comes with all the new features that you would expect on a typical Pro notebook, but in a thinner and smaller enclosure you just doesn’t get with other portable laptops out there. And with the Retina display, there’s a lot of love being put into the product. Let’s take a look at the specs:

• 13-inch Retina Display with 2560 x 1600 resolution
• LED-backlit display with IPS technology, 75% reduced reflections
• 2.5 GHz Intel dual-core i5, configurable to 2.9 GHz Intel dual-core i7
• Intel HD Graphics 4000
• 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD or 256GB SSD (configurable to 512GB and 768GB SSD)
• 720p FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, stereo speakers
• 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0
• 0.75 inch thin, weighs 3.57 pounds
• MagSafe 2 power port. headphone port, SDXC card slot, HDMI port
• Two Thunderbolt ports, two USB 3 ports
• Full-size backlit keyboard
• Up to 7 hours of battery life, 30 days standby time
• Price starts at RM5299 to RM6199 and is available now

Mac mini

The fun doesn’t stop there. In addition to the iPad mini unveiling, Apple has also revealed the beefed-up version of Mac mini. As Apple’s most affordable desktop computing, its even more compelling for those who are new to the Mac but wanted some extra power in such a small size computer. The all new Mac mini works and looks exactly the same way, here’s the full specs:

• 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 or  2.3 GHz Core i7 (Ivy Bridge) processor (configurable to dual-core or quad-core)
• Integrated Intel HD Graphics 4000
• Starts at 4GB of RAM (and up to 16GB)
• Starts at 500 GB HDD (and up to 1TB) or 256 GB SSD
• 802.11n WiFi
• Bluetooth 4.0, Gigabit Ethernet port, HDMI, four USB 3 ports
• Thunderbolt port, SDXC card slot, Audio in/out, IR receiver
• FireWire 800 port
• Built-in speaker
• Comes with HDMI to DVI adapter in the box
• Price starts at RM1899 to RM2499 and is available now

It’s about time we put the rumor mill of this device to the end. Apple has finally unleashed its smaller iPad siblings called “iPad mini“. With its beautiful aluminium enclosure similar to the iPod touch, it’s only 7.2 mm thin (that’s as thin as a pencil) and weighs just 0.68 pounds (that’s as light as pad of paper). Comes in white and black color similar to the iPhone 5, the new iPad mini seems to have been squarely aimed at all of the other 7-inch tweener tablets. Full specs below:

• 7.9-inch screen
• 1024 x 768 resolution (similar to iPad 2)
• 7.2 mm thin, weights 0.68 pounds
• Dual-core A5 chip
• Front-facing FaceTime HD camera
• Back-facing 5 megapixel iSight camera
• 2x WiFi speed 802.11a/b/g/dual-band n
• Lightning connector
• 10 hour battery life
• Available in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB
• Available in WiFi-only and WiFi + Cellular (LTE)
• Price starts at $329 (presumably RM999 in Malaysia)

Specs aside, what makes iPad mini so unique than its bigger counterparts is its portability. You can actually hold it with one hand, and with thinner bezel on the side makes it easy to navigate with your thumbs. While it lacks Retina Display, it will run the existing iPad/iPad 2 apps just fine (compare that with other tablets that doesn’t even have enough dedicated apps). Don’t forget the existing iTunes and iCloud ecosystem makes this device a must-have for those who have yet to buy their first iPad, considering a smaller tablet, and are looking for the best among the rest.

Watch Apple’s introductory video for the iPad mini below:

Apple’s 3rd generation iPad was only released on March earlier this year, and hit our shores on the following month. However, during today’s special event, Apple released a 4th generation iPad to much surprise, just 7 months after its predecessor.

Typically updated on a yearly cycle, Apple broke the tradition and updated it just after half-year of its predecessor’s release. Aside from changing the 30-pin connector to their all-new Lightning port, the 4th generation iPad only sees hardware specifications upgrade with no redesign.

The iPad still comes with the ultra-sharp Retina display, but now comes with an all-new A6X chip which doubles both the speed and the graphic performance. Its LTE antenna have also updated to support more carriers globally, levelling the iPhone 5‘s, with the WiFi speed doubled as well. That being said, the download speed on the iPad through WiFi can go up to 150Mbps. The only change to its external design is the Lightning port, replacing the decade-old 30-pin connector. Despite all these improvements, the iPad’s battery still lasts up to 10 hours.

This refresh on the iPad, while being pretty unexpected, is no doubt some minor improvements. Storage and pricing remain the same, and no availability of it in Malaysia is announced yet. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: It seems that live streaming is available on Apple’s website too, which makes it available for Mac, PC, and mobile users.

Forget live blogs on other site, stay tuned for 1AM Wednesday Malaysian time to watch the event LIVE through Apple TV! Nevertheless, we will still update you with some key events on our Facebook and Twitter, with a summary of the event available on our website shortly.

1. Launch any Apple’s native app (eg: Notes, Safari, Settings).
2. Hold the ON/OFF switch on the top of your devices until “Slide to Power Off” appears. Ignore it.
3. Immediately release your finger from the ON/OFF button and then hold the Home button until the “Slide to Power Off” disappears.
4. You’ll be kicked into the main homescreeen. Try to double-click your home button and it should be more responsive.

The above method is called “recalibrating” the home button. Its meant to make your home button responds to task as it used to. If you don’t see any improvement, you’ll either need to replace your home button or start using AssistiveTouch. Here’s how:

1. Tap Settings > General > Accessibility > AssistiveTouch and flip the switch to ON.
2. You will see a transparent home-like button on your screen. You can move it around to any position you want.

Depending on your devices, AssistiveTouch contains touch-based commands to features such as:

• Siri/Voice Control
• Screen rotation
• Volume controls
• Lock screen
• Multitasking
• Screenshot
• Shake/motion

Since AssistiveTouch is so broad, it’s not only a perfect alternative to a broken Home button; it also alleviates the need of volume buttons, accelerometer and ON/OFF button (whichever functions related)

• To use it, just tap once for each command you want to trigger. When you’re done, tap anywhere outside the AssistiveTouch’s transparent box to dismiss.

You can also simulate multitasking function directly using AssistiveTouch by just tapping the AssistiveTouch icon and double-tap the Home icon. To simulate Siri/Voice control launching, hold the Home icon like you normally did with the home button to trigger it.

Celcom has been offering the new iPad under a bundled plan which allows us to purchase the device at an subsidised pricing providing that we purchase it with a contract. After slashing the price even further, Celcom yesterday has started selling the iPad for existing subscribers for an even lower price.

This offer, which is exclusive to existing Celcom customers who have been with them for more than 24 months, sees the device costs as low as RM798 for the 16GB model when you sign up for the “Advance” plan, in which you have to pay RM100 monthly. This promotion ends on 31st December 2012 or while stocks last, and head over here to check out the list of participating outlets. Below are the plans and pricing of this exclusive promotion for Celcom’s long-time customers.

(via Celcom)

[signoff] ]]> http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/10/celcom-offering-bundled-ipad-for-existing-subscribers-from-rm798/feed/ 1 http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/10/how-to-create-a-photo-gallery-using-shared-photo-streams/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-to-create-a-photo-gallery-using-shared-photo-streams http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/10/how-to-create-a-photo-gallery-using-shared-photo-streams/#comments Fri, 19 Oct 2012 17:55:29 +0000 Ahmad Nazir Afiq http://www.iHelpBoard.my/?p=4233 iOS 6 supports Shared Photo Streams, which allows us to share photos just the one we want, with the people we want, privately or publicly as a photo gallery. It can even create a website for those not using an Apple product. Oh, it works over both WiFi and cellular and doesn’t count against your iCloud storage.

1. Pick any photos you wanna share within any album by tapping “Edit” and select the photos you want.
2. Tap “Share” and pick Photo Stream.
3. You can add to existing album or create a new set of photo stream.
4. Rename your photo stream album. You can share privately to select users by tapping “+” above and pick a name.
5. Make a public website so that everyone can access it, even those not using an Apple products.*
6. Add comments and tap Post. It will automatically be created.
7. Tap the > arrow next to the album for more options.
8. You can add more people to the list and share the link manually to other places as well.
9. When you’re viewing each photo, you may “like” it and leave a comment.*

For better understanding of the steps above, we’ve compiled some series of snapshots. Follow through each step from left to right all the way to the last homescreen (click to enlarge). Hope this helps!

As you know, the release of iPhone 5 in Malaysia is just around the corner. While no official statements have been announced, DiGi has now start to offer the iPhone 4S for a low price of RM699.

This promotion, which comes in only one choice, offers the 32GB iPhone 4S at RM699 when you sign up for their iDiGi 138 plan under a 24-month contract. With a monthly commitment of RM138, you will get 450 minutes of voice calls, 400 SMS, 40 MMS and 3GB of data.

(via DiGi)

This method also helps those who have had to restore their devices and set it as new, which obviously lose game saves and app data. Follow along as we’re going to guide you how to selectively transfer game saves.

Reasons you might wanna do this:

• You’re planning to buy a new iOS devices
• You don’t want to restore the backup and wants to start fresh
• You’ve restored your current iOS devices as “New”
• You’ve previously deleted the game/app

What you’ll need:

• Your current iOS device (the one with the game saves you want to transfer)
• Your other iOS device (the one with the same game but installed as new)
• PC or Mac
• DiskAid (for Windows or Mac)

We’re going to focus on Windows for this tutorial but it should be similar for Mac users as well. To start, we’re going to transfer Tiny Wings’ game saves from iPhone to iPod touch:

1. Plug in your iPhone to your computer. Ensure that it is unlocked, and that iTunes is not running.
2. Launch DiskAid. Wait for it to detect your iPhone. It will show you the entire apps installed on your device, including Tiny Wings.
3. Click on the Apps tab, find Tiny Wings app and copy the entire “Documents” folder to your desktop.
4. Disconnect your iPhone. Close DiskAid.
5. Re-launch DiskAid and plug-in your iPod touch with Tiny Wings installed as new.
6. Click on the Apps tab, find Tiny Wings app and copy the entire contents of the “Documents” folder saved on the desktop to the same “Documents” folder on your iPod touch.
7. Launch Tiny Wings on your iPod touch and it should have the exact game saves/progresses you made on iPhone.

You can do the same method above with other games and apps as well. Try it!

iOS 6 now let us use songs as an alarm tone, which is sweet! Here’s to use it:

1. Open Clock app and set an alarm as usual.
2. Tap Sounds and select Pick a Song to choose existing songs you have on devices.
3. It will take you the Music app canvas so that you can pick a song.
4. Navigate it via playlist, artist or album views, or search the song and tap it to select as your new alarm tone.
5. Hit “Save” and you are good to go.

However, Tune Talk might be the first to offer the Nano SIM on prepaid, considering them a prepaid-only carrier so far. Tony Fernandes, their Chairman, has tweeted an image showing Tune Talk’s CEO Jason Lo holding what looks to be two Nano SIMs, further hinting that he brought in some “new Nano chip”.

The iPhone 5 is strongly rumoured to be releasing on October 26. Therefore if Tune Talk offers it by then, iPhone 5 users will have an additional option of purchasing the device outright without a contract and use it on Tune Talk’s network, which might be a far more affordable option for certain users.

https://twitter.com/tonyfernandes/statuses/258509494286426113

(via Twitter)

1. Enable “Speak Selection” by going into Settings > General > Accessibility.
2. Enable “Emoji” by going into Settings > General > Keyboard > Add New Keyboard.

Now, when you try to type any emojis, tap and hold on it and highlight it. Then select “Speak” and it will speak emojis to you instantly. By the way, you can ask Siri to jot notes for you just by asking!

You heard it here first in Malaysia, Apple will hold a “special event” on October 23rd to announce something. Something cool. Something nice. Something innovative. At least, that’s what an invitation just sent out from Apple PR suggests. Reported first by The Loop’s Jim Dalrymple, Apple definitely wants to conquer the entire holiday season this year with these new products alongside the iPhone 5, to compete with the likes of Google’s Nexus 7 and just recently announced Microsoft Surface tablet. Here’s a list of what Apple might announce at the event:

• The rumored smaller iPad
• New 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display
• Redesigned and thinner iMac
• Beefed up Mac mini

I’ve been wanting to write my thoughts on this topic for some time now. Really, I’m sick,… SICK of reading news that spins the obviousness that doesn’t even warrant further discussion. These guys hated it too, so much that they created a parody of it. Without further ado, let’s jump right in to six main complains; each with my own take alongside the cold-hard facts.

Did Apple stopped innovating?

Apple is at the top of the game, now as the world’s most valuable company, thinks that R&D (for the sake of innovating) is overrated. Their archenemies Microsoft, Google and Nokia spend most in research and development, even before the rapid rise of iPhones and iPads today; yet they still lack of “wow” factors that shook the universe. Apple’s innovation starts by revolutionizing the phone industry, innovating how smartphone apps should be, and rethinking what a tablet should have been. They still holds the crown as world’s no. 1 music store, textbooks and cloud service provider, with renowned accessibility features Apple is known for. Its software works seamlessly with the hardware as well, including the top-notch Retina Display, advanced wizardry in mobile chips, sensors, and battery; all enclosed in a beautiful canvas that we often forget.

I could go on touting their innovation all day, or maybe suggests some for their next big thing, but that would be an utter waste of time. To say that Apple has stopped innovating is just plain absurd and ignorant. Apple has always been innovative, and they need it to survive every other counterfeited copycats out there. Hadn’t Apple tested the waters, other competitors don’t even exist as they are now. Look at TVs and wearable computing; they’re dead on arrival because Apple hasn’t mainstream it. They don’t simply innovate what’s obvious, they perfected the innards sight unseen.

Nothing new, stagnant improvement

I really feel sorry for the naysayers, calling Apple products stagnant, stale, and boring. Yawn,… bla,… bla,… bla. Worse, they are coming from the people who are still using it after their one-week-rant. Some even blaming it to the demise of Steve Jobs, quoting bla,… bla,… bla…So, let’s go through the first topic above and analyze it. These new inventions and innovations came when Steve Jobs was there, yet some pundits don’t even know what they were thinking. After Steve’s passing, the media blames everything else entirely to the former-operations-now-CEO of Apple, Tim Cook. “Hey, look at maps! Steve would’ve never done that!“. Well, Apple Maps was long-developed under Steve’s empire since the second iPhone, followed by the ill-fated MobileMe. With or without Steve, Apple has to deliver something new and improvise. That’s what technology companies do.

Fast forward to this day, has Apple given up adding something new? Something fresh? Something cool to show off among friends? Apple is an incredibly collaborative yet very secretive company; shouldn’t that bought them some time to innovate? Oh, innovate on what? Mobile payments that would never reach Malaysia? Wireless charging that serves as a gimmick? A pen instead of a middle finger? A mobile OS that only a handful of people on earth would be able to upgrade? Go figure. New isn’t always better. Just because it’s the latest doesn’t mean it’s the greatest. Apple has even hold off from releasing a 3G phone when they first unveiled the iPhone, and the latest LTE technology is one hell of a headache; just because you bought iPhones from other countries doesn’t mean it will work here.

They only care about similarity, size and specs

Here’s another side of the story that pisses me off. Who am I to kid, look at what they did with the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. It looks the same every year, only to shed its weight and thickness, while getting beefier annually. Same, same, same. Even with the new iPhone 5, these people simply hit the repeat, rewind, and replay button over and over again.

Here’s Farhad Manjoo talking about the similarity, size and specs before the iPhone 5 EVEN EXISTS:

• Samsung: S Voice is worse than Siri, cheap plastic piece-of-crap
• HTC: Bad battery life, terrible keyboards and skins
• Nokia: Flawed display, best smartphone ever?

Sure, they did cared about size and specs sometimes. Still, Apple is known not to give a crap about it; if not, then how the hell a dual-core iPhone 5 runs significantly faster than a quad-core Galaxy S III? Specs don’t matter anymore, it’s all about engineering. They always has been focusing on the entire user experience, not for the sake of size and specs.

Aging iOS user interface, is the public bored?

We’ve heard Apple’s going to overhaul the entire iOS interface. Nada. I can’t believe that pinstripes still exists in the Settings app. I’m wholeheartedly agree that iOS needs some new outfit, its what some people want (nerds, especially). But, Apple doesn’t care what we want, they only care about what we need, or what we might need or want. Still, it doesn’t really matter for me as long as it works fine. I don’t have time to tinker with my phone. I spent most of my time in apps, and of course that’s what most of you do.

iOS is all about apps. Quantity aside, they have the highest-quality apps in the industry. But iOS still lacks behind the competitors. That’s true, what could be more awesome than having the latest and greatest, right? Not unless if it actually works and usable, or even if some people actually use nor care about their alphabet-soup features. I’m not gonna switch for the sake of switching; call me all you want but if I get malwares, lags, inconsistency, incompatibility, and inoperability in exchange for widgets, drawers, pencils, sharpeners etc; no thanks.

Is the public bored? Sure. But nobody’s stopping them to switch. In fact, many still don’t despite the whining chant. So, quit complaining, and start contributing if you want them to improve. Oh, but the opposite is happening; Apple’s getting the much-needed boost since the launch of iPhone 5, including a die-hard Android enthusiast from Lifehacker.

Is Apple scared to take risks? Or afraid of the public outcry?

Did they? Well, they did took a leap forward with the new Maps app and apologized for it. Siri hasn’t even shed its beta tag. They seemed so afraid to redesign iOS. Again, if it works just fine, why change it? Not only it will cause confusion for the rest of you (your grandma, your baby, and people with disabilities), it also doesn’t merit enough reason for changing it for the sake of treating it as new. Android needed to change their interface for 4.0 because the old versions looks like trash. Windows Mobile is a lot worse, only to be replaced with Windows Phone 7. BlackBerry? Why do they even exist? Even if Apple do change it, most people will continue ranting and chanting cursed words like “Apple is doomed!“.

Are they afraid of the public? Yes. Apple is all about image and perception. Heck, they don’t even allow comments on their YouTube videos. They even pulled the controversial Genius ads after receiving the lukewarm response. The reason? Apple is built upon perception that “it just works“, perfectionism and appreciates every little detail. So even if they’re experiencing one flaw of a particular product (remember Antennagate?), they get bashed by the public pretty hard as if they are the worse thing ever. Perception’s everything, at least for Apple. But they are humans too, and humans aren’t perfect.

Is competitors’ move innovative or desperate?

I can’t tell. They seemed to crammed as many new features as possible to their product. Some was even based on a stolen technology (I think you know who). Would they even deserve the innovative title? Yes, for some. But I often saw a direct response to the fruit company, in a bad way. Look at this, this, and this. That is called desperate. A cheap move. An immature act. Why can’t they just tout their cool features that Apple don’t, rather than mocking them? What were they thinking? I respect and looked upon competitors product all the time, but this premature move stinks so bad you just want to flush their products down the toilet.

What do you think?

EarPods Without Mic and Remote

iPhone 5 comes included with EarPods with inline remote, similar to those available in the stores. Apple has been pretty sneaky about it; we always thought Apple would just ship the EarPods as it is, but instead opt to fragmented it with a separate mic-less model. Cost purposes? It’s possible, considering it starts around a thousand ringgit for 32GB model. Still, it’s no big deal; you can still use the built-in buttons on the device itself.

Missing Light Sensor

Light sensor, found in the previous fourth generation models, was notably missing from the latest fifth generation version. This sensor is used primarily for setting up Auto Brightness, which is useful for adjusting brightness accordingly with surroundings. Some might use Auto Brightness to save battery life, although I doubt if it ever helps coming from a user who actually using one. Looking at the snapshot below, Auto Brightness was indeed missing in Settings. For those who don’t use it, it doesn’t matter anyway. For those that do, well, keep it lit.

UPDATE: According to 9to5Mac, a curious user shoots an email to Apple’s SVP Phil Schiller and gets a response as to why the iPod touch was missing the light sensor saying:

“It’s just too thin!”

(via TUAW and GIGAOM)

New 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display

The current MacBook Pro with Retina Display has always been shipped in 15 inch, which is spacious yet can be too big for some people. To hear that they’re going to make a separate 13 inch version makes perfect sense: portability + power. This feats can never be achieved with a MacBook Air which currently lacks enough processing power and battery as good as its Pro siblings. Keep in mind that these Retina-models is rumored to be expensive (considering the mouth-watering specs), it also comes with two configurations with varying processors and storage.

A Redesigned, Thinner iMac

While there has not been a solid date release for the rumored thinner iMac model, a purported snapshot was captured on a Chinese forum site, detailing logic boards and other internal components that most of us mere mortals not familiar with. It is said to be so thin that its thickness seems almost impossible to gauge when viewed from the side. Surprisingly, it is said to be more expensive than the current models (is it a Retina model?).

Beefier Mac mini

Last update since 2010, Apple is crucial to update the specs of Mac mini as well. The current models lacks USB 3.0 and runs on a last-generation chipsets so it makes sense to make it on par with the rest of its siblings too. Said to come in two standard configurations, storage and processor options, the new update meant only for upping up its specs. Anyone new to the Mac or is considering to switch might wanna opt-in with Mac mini as it is the cheapest Mac models Apple has ever made, sans monitor.

(via MacRumors)

Once iPhone 5 reaches Malaysian shore, come back to this page to try out this new feature yourself. Here’s how:

1. Open the camera app.
2. Move the slider at the bottom right from photo to video.
3. Start recording your video.
4. While recording, tap the camera icon to take a photo.
5. You’ll see the shutter close on your screen each time you snap a photo.
6. Your photos will be saved to your camera roll.
7. You can take as many photos as you want while recording your video.

Keep in mind that there’s some reports that it can’t take full resolution photos while shooting video. For the rest of us on that’s missing out on this new feature, you might wanna consider buying QuickPix app from the App Store.

Some of these accessories linked directly to the Fancy website, so you will be able to buy it right away and ship it to your local Malaysian addresses. Also, some of them were linked to the original provider so be wary of shipping times, prices, etc. Neither the writer nor iHelpBoard shall be held responsible for any issues as we treat this as an informational purposes only.

Prices DOES NOT include shipping for items added to the Fancy cart. To buy or view any fancied items, please register with Fancy for free on its website.

$75 Macbook Air 11-inch Sleeve

BUY MacBook Air Moleskin Case

$15 Rainbow MacBook Keyboard Decals

$44 Sound To Go PLUS Speaker

$40 Inductive Charger for Apple Magic Mouse

$149 BT-1 Wireless Webcam for Mac

BUY 13 inch Laptop Sleeve Hampshire for MacBook

BUY Campus Pack for MacBook Pro 15 inch

BUY Lowkey USB Stand

BUY IKEA Vika Desk System

Note that this might not work for some devices although it works well for me. Your mileage may vary.

1. Download StifleStand for Mac or PC here and launch it.
2. Plug in your iOS device running iOS 5 or above. Ensure that StifleStand has successfully identified your device.
3. Find the Newsstand folder on your device.
4. Click “Hide Newsstand” on StifleStand. Newsstand should dissappear and replaced with a folder called “Magic”.

Keep in mind:

• You can rename “Magic” folder to any name you want, and put other apps in it as well.
• You can’t use Newsstand while its inside a folder; launching it will kick you to your Lock screen.
• To use Newsstand back, simply drag it out of the folder.
• To hide it back, repeat the same steps above.
• If you can’t get it to work, you might have too many apps installed on your device.

I have tested this on my iPod touch and it really works. Here’s some snapshots:

In this video, a host of Tech Talk discussed about the iPhone 5 flaws and glitches among three writers from the respected sites. Of course, each of them complained about the new Maps app, the purple-gate issue when snapping a photo, and the device’s size. To much of their surprise, another three Chinese factory workers joins the show to counteract their complains. It’s a pretty hilarious parody made by Saturday Night Live, a long-running show on NBC Universal aired in the US.

Do watch it, its pretty funny!

(via Mediaite)

(via The Verge)

Recently, a photo showing an iPhone 5 promotional banner was uploaded by Shibli Vision to its Facebook page. From the banner, it seems like it is indeed an official banner from Maxis that is provided to Maxis Exclusive Partners (MEPs) across the nation. While we are pretty sure it isn’t meant to be displayed now, it could be meant to display from this Friday, October 19 – which is the rumoured pre-order date. If the October 26 release date is proven to be true, having October 19 as a pre-order date seems pretty likely. After all, the word on the banner, “on booking now“, seems that it is for pre-ordering instead of purchasing and getting the device on the spot.

Stay tuned on iHelpBoard, and we will keep you updated with the latest iPhone 5 coverage in Malaysia!

(via Shibli Vision)

[signoff] ]]> http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/10/purported-maxis-iphone-5-promotional-banner-caught-on-picture/feed/ 0 http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/10/why-im-glad-apple-ditched-the-original-ipad/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-im-glad-apple-ditched-the-original-ipad http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/10/why-im-glad-apple-ditched-the-original-ipad/#comments Sun, 14 Oct 2012 11:30:39 +0000 Ahmad Nazir Afiq http://www.iHelpBoard.my/?p=4078 This post reflects the opinion of the writer and not iHelpBoard as a whole.

As an original iPad user for two years now, Apple has decided to pull the trigger and would stop supporting it for iOS 6. Yep, iOS 5.1.1 was the stopgap and we’re stuck with it; unable to upgrade nor downgrade. Although it might seem unfair that iOS 6 supports iPhone 3GS (which is older), Apple has plenty of reasons to stop supporting the original iPad:

• iPhone 3GS still on sale when iOS 6 was announced
• The original iPad doesn’t have enough computing power to support iOS 6

I came to realize why iOS 5.1.1 runs smoother (or at least usable) on the iPad than the prior versions; they’re done supporting legacy devices and wants it to run as smooth as possible so users have little reasons to upgrade. I’m not going to discuss on the so-called conspiracy that they want us to buy the latest and greatest. In fact, why would they do that if they’re still updating legacy iPhones to the latest OS?

Here’s why I’m glad Apple ditched the original iPad users: it’s because of iOS 6.

As you know, iOS 6 is the most controversial release of iOS to-date. The fact that it lacks features on-par with the competitors, Apple decided to refine it from every corner of the OS; these little touches that some of you might appreciate. iOS 6 is not a necessity; it’s a roadmap for a future release of iOS.

Maps

I’ve been using the new Apple Maps on my iPhone 4S; it does the basics well. Turn-by-turn navigation works great. But it’s not finished, and it’s not for everyone. I’m glad Apple left us out from it due to the fact that:

1. I don’t see any need for turn-by-turn feature on larger devices like the iPad
2. I rely on Google Maps’ traffic information including POI (points of interest)
3. I don’t need the 3D view which might slow the iPad (I also can’t tolerate anything in 3D)
4. I want Google’s Street View and terrain mapping as it provides a better look of the surroundings

You might have your own reasons as to why you’re glad that Apple ditched the new Maps app for the original iPad, but the above is my own.

Siri

Siri is a lot more capable thanks to iOS 6; like the ability to read movie reviews and launch apps. But I don’t see any sense for Apple to support the iPad. Siri was designed to be mobile and pocketable; I often use Siri to set reminders or play songs using just the headphones while the phone’s in the pocket. The 9.7 inch iPad isn’t that mobile, and obviously not pocketable, unless Apple decided to change their stance about it.

Besides that, iOS 6 adds capabilities to Siri that I don’t need in the first place. I’m not digging into sports, and finding restaurants is just a pipe dream until Maps (see above) extends more localized Malaysian maps and POIs. I dig movie reviews, and Siri makes it more entertaining, but that’s about it. I don’t need Siri on my iPad; having one on the iPhone 4S is just enough.

iTunes Match

I use iTunes Match for a while now, its great to have the entire music library on all devices. iOS 6, however, aims to make iTunes Match to disappear so its only between you and your music. Not that it’s a bad thing for most users (you just play songs and forget about it), but what pisses me off is that it removes the ability to download individual songs. I still can do that on my iPad running iOS 5 but I just can’t do it my iPhone 4S running iOS 6.

Why the need to download individual songs? Not all of us were blessed with uninterrupted internet connectivity; some might use it to download songs to play offline while on commute. Due to the fact that iTunes Match keeps a cached copy (instead of downloaded copy) of a song when played, it will eventually be removed when my devices is out of space. Many have voiced out their anger and some even went to a great lengths to ditch iTunes Match altogether thanks to iOS 6.

As for me, I’m using the 16GB model with most content consumed by videos and apps. I’m glad to be able to selectively download individual songs on my iPad. Unless Apple rethinks it otherwise, I won’t hold my breath.

Phone, Passbook and FaceTime

Passbook was intended to be used with iPhones, so it make sense not to support the iPad. As for FaceTime, the original iPad doesn’t even have a front-facing camera. Still, I feel sorry for 3G iPad 2 users who can’t even use FaceTime over cellular; that was indeed Apple’s play to piss these users. As for Phones, well, it’s not a silly “Galaxy Note” so there’s that.

Mail

Pull-to-refresh animation? The ability to directly insert images and videos in mail? Em, no. These should not be treated as new features because it’s just refinements. The existing method on my iPad works just fine, and I won’t be needing it anytime soon.

Accessibility

Guided Access is great for those with vision or hearing impaired, for example. I’m the only one who use the iPad so it’s not a requirement for me.

In Contrast:

The above is some of the features I don’t need for my iPad. It will not only might slow the iPad down, it might also ruin the already-great experience I’m using now. However, you might noticed some iOS 6 features missing from the gripes above. Well, turns out I still missed some features that I might need:

• Facebook integration
• Faster Safari
• The new Clock app
• Remodelled Stores
• VIP inbox and offline reading list
• Shared Photo Streams

I’m not going into detail as to why I need the above features, just keep in mind that I love them on my other devices. As usual, what I want is not what I need.

Conclusion

Despite the wants, I’m glad I don’t need iOS 6 on my original iPad, or that I’m glad Apple ditched all of us legacy users. I respect their decision for whatever reasons but that doesn’t stop me from supporting them on the back.

What about you? Are you glad or pissed that Apple decided it this way?

The rumours for a smaller version of the iPad has been flowing heavily over the months and has never stopped. And now, AllThingsD’s John Paczkowski has reported that October 23 will be the date Apple unveil their next product – with a signature “yep” confirmation from respected blogger Jim Dalrymple.

Notably, it is on a Tuesday – instead of a Wednesday that Apple usually holds their events. No location have been reported yet, but Apple’s very own Town Hall Auditorium is a likely place to hold the event.

As AllThingsD reported in August, Apple will hold a special event this month, at which it will showcase a new, smaller iPad. People familiar with Apple’s plans tell us that the company will unveil the so-called “iPad mini” on Oct. 23 at an invitation-only event.

The rumoured “iPad mini”, as what it is being widely called now, will feature a 7.85-inch liquid-crystal display and a Lightning connector. There have been several image leaks lately, with most of them being the back plate, as seen above. The October 23 launching is rumoured to be focusing heavily on iBooks, which might see the device focus more on education sector as a low-cost device, which could also cost significantly less than the iPad which starts from RM1499.

(via AllThingsD)

Revealed during the iPhone 5 event on early September, the 7th generation iPod nano has hit the shores and is currently now available in several key reseller branches across Malaysia.

About the size of a credit card, the 7th generation iPod nano is as well the thinnest iPod ever made. It features a beautiful 2.5-inch Multi-Touch display, and although it isn’t powered by iOS, its built-in applications are never lacking. Aside from listening to musics, it can play video, podcasts, view photos and listen to FM radios. If you are a fitness person, Nike+ support and a pedometer are built in to the iPod nano – so that you do not need to use an external sensor while being able to track your steps, distance, pace, time, and calories burned. On top of that, you can even pair it with accessories and speakers through Bluetooth that is built-into the hardware.

All of them at a price of RM529 for 16GB of storage, with 8 different colours to choose from.

Currently, Machines, the largest Apple premium reseller in the country, has announced the availability of the iPod nano at both Suria KLCC branch and Sunway Pyramid branch, with Mid Valley to have it soon. Switch has announced that it will be available across all their Penang outlets by 8PM tonight, and all outlets outside Penang by early next week. As for Mac City, the device is now available at 1 Utama, with other outlets coming soon within this week. For the remaining Apple resellers throughout the country, the device should be in stores within this week or early next week.

Citing “multiple sources”, BGR India have reported that the iPhone 5 will be launching in the country on Friday, October 26. According to them, Apple will be distributing the iPhone themselves instead of relying on the nation’s carriers.

Multiple sources have confirmed to us that Apple is preparing to launch the iPhone 5 in India on the last Friday of this month, which happens to be October 26.  As we had exclusively reported earlier, Apple will be distributing the iPhone 5 in India on its own rather than relying on its carrier partners.

We expect the iPhone 5 to have a wider availability unlike the past where it was not available readily everywhere.

Notably, the October 26 date matches the date that we have previously reported. Usually, Apple fixes a date for a the launching of their flagship iPhone for a batch of countries. Take last year’s iPhone 4S for example, the December 16 launching sees the device releasing in over 20 countries, namely Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. If this trend continues, the October 26 release date for the iPhone 5 in Malaysia might really happen. Meanwhile, the October 19 date that we have reported a week ago could be the pre-order date from the 3 biggest carriers in the nation – Maxis, Celcom and DiGi.

(via BGR India)

After Maxis and DiGi rolls out their own Nano SIMs respectively, Celcom will finally be offering their very own Nano SIM this Saturday.

According to an announcement posted by a Lowyat forum user, Celcom will be offering the Nano SIM for all postpaid users starting on 6th October 2012. Subscribers that are more than 12 months will be able to exchange their existing SIM into a Nano SIM for free while subscribers less than 12 months will have to pay a fee of RM5 in order to exchange. Prepaid users will not be able to purchase a Nano SIM until further notice.

As of now, all 3 major carriers in Malaysia have introduced Nano SIM which debuted on the iPhone 5 already. Nano SIM features an even smaller and thinner design compared to the Mini SIM and Micro SIM, and the design for Nano SIM was designed by Apple.

(Lowyat via Amanz)

UPDATED: According to Shibli Vision, they were told that Malaysia will be getting an iPhone 5 as soon as October 19th, that is a week earlier that were previously rumored. This has been confirmed by a private email conversation with one of our local telcos. Maxis will announce pre-order date for those who interested, where an e-mail address will be required. However, here’s the excerpt of the conversation:

“Can you compile the iPhone 5 pre order list ? Maxis told me launch date is 19th Oct 2012. We need to compile how many customers are willing to do pre-order with us. Pricing would be around the same if compare to iPhone 4S. Plus or minus RM100. I will get all the sales person to send their pre order list to you. Please compile and update all. It will prioritize to customer who are willing to sign up for Telco bundling plans. Customers can choose on the capacity and color . this round heard black is better.”

Keep in mind that October 19th might/might not be the release date/pre-order date for the iPhone 5. Have you decide yet? Here’s our little overview on what to expect on the iPhone 5.

UPDATE (4 Oct 12): We’re speculating that October 19th might possibly be the pre-order date followed by the actual public release on October 26th, which is a week later. This trend is similar in other countries like the US where it opens up pre-orders a week earlier before it goes on sale. It does make sense, right? What do you think?

UPDATE 2 (4 Oct 12): Our reader, Suri Sam, commented on our Facebook page that he was told to call back next week when he asked Maxis for preorder of the iPhone 5 this morning.

“Siri, remind me to pre-order iPhone 5 on October 19th”

(via Shibli Vision)

Want to purchase a subsidised iPad with a bundled data plan from Celcom? Good news for you. Originally introduced back in June, Celcom has slightly revised their bundled iPad offerings to lower their pricing and increase user’s data quota.

The device itself is now selling as low as RM1088, down from RM1329 before the revision and the data quota has been increased to 10GB per month compared to 7GB per month last time. Below are the new plans after revision.

Interestingly, Lowyat.net has combined a comparison table between the pricing of the old plans and new plans, as seen below. (Courtesy of Lowyat.net)

(Celcom via Lowyat.net)

As promised last month, Samsung has filed a lawsuit against Apple over the latest iPhone 5 for patent infringements, according to Reuters.

Samsung Electronics said on Tuesday that it filed a new lawsuit against Apple Inc in a U.S. court, contending the iPhone 5 infringed on Samsung’s patents.

In a statement, Samsung said: “…we have little choice but to take the steps necessary to protect our innovations and intellectual property rights.”

Previously Apple won $1.04 billion in one of the largest patent dispute case in history against Samsung, which is likely what that led to this case.

(Reuters via 9to5Mac)

Apple’s move to ditch Google Maps for their very own maps system on iOS 6 has received much criticism, which even forced Tim Cook, the CEO himself to publicly apologise. Although Tim Cook has recommended some alternatives that can be found on AppStore in the open letter, many still prefer Google Maps due to its broad maps data.

Frankly, if you access maps.google.com on your iPhone or iPad, you will be accessing a web version of the maps system which can be added to the home screen as an icon. However, the icon is utterly ugly with a 2D design, and when you launch it, you will be brought to Safari browser. However, thanks to a little hack by developer Ben Guild, we can now access Google Maps in full screen and the old icon, making it like a native app.

Simply tap on the following web profiles in order to add the web app into your home page:

iPhone:  http://uploads.benguild.com/ios6googlemapsicon.mobileconfig

iPad:  http://uploads.benguild.com/ios6googlemapsicon_ipad.mobileconfig

If it prompts for a password, simply key in your device’s password that is used to unlock pin-protected iPads – it is all. The app will automatically appear on your home screen and you can finally start using it.

(Ben Guild via TNW)

[signoff] ]]> http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/10/get-google-maps-with-full-screen-old-icon-on-ios-6/feed/ 0 http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/09/maps-alternative-on-the-app-store/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=maps-alternative-on-the-app-store http://www.iHelpBoard.com/2012/09/maps-alternative-on-the-app-store/#comments Fri, 28 Sep 2012 14:08:26 +0000 Ahmad Nazir Afiq http://www.iHelpBoard.my/?p=3981 Apple has apologized, suggests us to use other maps provider for the time being while Maps is under construction. There’s not much reliable third party maps app and services aside from the mobile web version of Google Maps and Nokia Maps. Still, there’s five apps that we think its superior enough to help you with directions all around Malaysia and abroad. Between free or expensive, some may cost you an extra space on your iOS device to function offline. We haven’t actually tried all of them (especially with that price tag) so use these alternative with a grain of salt. Take a look:

Waze (free)

We highly recommend this app. Tried and tested for a long time by yours truly, this app goes beyond what Google Maps can do. And its free too, works with both iPhone and iPad while not using too much storage on your device.

Garmin ($29.99)

While we don’t personally use one, there have been reports of outdated Garmin maps in several parts of Malaysia. Still, Garmin is a well-known maps provider for years before the iPhone. If you’re willing to put the money and trust on them, go give it a try.

TomTom South East Asia ($69.99)

We’ve tried TomTom for awhile now, and I personally used it to go back and forth from/to KL. Needless to say, I’m impressed with the services offered, and arguably comparable with Google Maps. But the price tag is something to think about if you’re curious.

Sygic Singapore & Malaysia ($26.99)

We’ve been monitoring this app for awhile now, its cartography and images looked amazing. Although we haven’t personally try and test it yet, this map covers complete parts of Malaysia and Singapore. You can click the link on the title to learn more.

Live Street View ($0.99)

When you look at it, it seems very familiar with the Apple’s Maps. Perhaps it’s based on the same foundation with OpenStreetMaps (which Apple is using). But that doesn’t mean its suck as Apple’s. And for a buck, why not give it a try?

UPDATE: Apple has also linked to Maps from the competing Google and Nokia. More on that below. Here’s 5 alternative maps app.

Tim Cook, on behalf of Apple, apologizes for the issues plaguing Apple’s homegrown Maps services. There has been many reports of problems on the web since its launch that came with iOS 6. Speculations as to why Apple decided to ditch the former Google Maps from iOS is because that Google refused to license turn-by-turn feature and make it exclusive only for Android operating system. Apple was pissed, so they decided to launch theirs, unfinished, despite the contract that’s due to end by late 2012. Here’s the official statement taken from Apple.com:

To our customers,

At Apple, we strive to make world-class products that deliver the best experience possible to our customers. With the launch of our new Maps last week, we fell short on this commitment. We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better.

We launched Maps initially with the first version of iOS. As time progressed, we wanted to provide our customers with even better Maps including features such as turn-by-turn directions, voice integration, Flyover and vector-based maps. In order to do this, we had to create a new version of Maps from the ground up.

There are already more than 100 million iOS devices using the new Apple Maps, with more and more joining us every day. In just over a week, iOS users with the new Maps have already searched for nearly half a billion locations. The more our customers use our Maps the better it will get and we greatly appreciate all of the feedback we have received from you.

While we’re improving Maps, you can try alternatives by downloading map apps from the App Store like Bing, MapQuest and Waze, or use Google or Nokia maps by going to their websites and creating an icon on your home screen to their web app.

Everything we do at Apple is aimed at making our products the best in the world. We know that you expect that from us, and we will keep working non-stop until Maps lives up to the same incredibly high standard.

Tim Cook
Apple’s CEO

UPDATE: Interesting. Apple even provides instructions on how to add a bookmark of Google Maps and Nokia Maps to the Home Screen. Take a look: (click/tap to enlarge)

(via Apple)

You may join the quiz as well! Just download it and register right on your iPhone. It’s fun:

Are you looking at reviews to decide if you will buy the iPhone 5?

Have you upgraded to iOS 6 yet?

Have your dropped your iPhone multiple times without damaging it?

Do you like the design of Apple’s default apps (iCal, Game Center, etc.)?

Do you use the YouTube app on your iDevice?

Do you own an iPod touch?

Better gift – the new iPod touch (yes) or iPod nano (no)?

Will the new EarPods make buying headphones unnecessary?

Easier to live for a day – no running water at home or no iDevice?

Did Apple make a mistake by eliminating Google Maps?

(via Scoople)

I don’t seem to experience any issues with my iPod touch, although notably there’s some slowness when using the App Store/iTunes Store. Some may seem like a little odd, or just plain annoying; so here’s some of them with possible solution:

Unable to Connect to WiFi

1. Go into Settings > Privacy and slide Location Services to OFF
2. Connect your iPhone/iPad to the WiFi network again
3. Repeat step 1 but switch it back to ON

Internal temperatures on any iOS devices can spike when it’s performing multiple functions at the same time. For instance, when using the device while it’s charging, using Wi-Fi during phone calls, and playing games while charging. Many often experienced warmness during very long phone calls and during normal charging. Worse, there have been reports of discoloration on white models of iPhones and iPads thanks to overheating.

However, don’t worry if your device gets warm. All mobile devices, laptops, etc., tends to get feverish on hot days or during extended use. Still, if it gets worryingly warm, here’s some possible causes, symptoms and solutions to help with that:

The Cause

• Battery Problems: Aging iOS device’s battery can be problematic at any time
• OS Upgrade: New iOS update, especially developers running beta versions
• Overused and misused: This should be easy to resolve

The Symptoms

• Device refuse to charge
• The display gets dimmer than normal
• Weaker cell signal for cellular devices like iPhones and 3G iPads
• Temperature warning screen pops up when it overheats
• Performance of the device gets sluggish
• Apps repeatedly crashed more than usual
• Device took awhile to be switched OFF
• Battery drains faster than normal

The Solutions

• Battery Problems

When overheating issues arise due to device’s battery, here’s some possible workaround:

• NEVER use a charger that aren’t meant for the device (eg: using a 10W iPad charger to charge iPhone)
• DON’T leave the device in your car or in direct sunlight
• DON’T use cases while charging for extending amounts of time
• AVOID using silicone covers as it tends to worsen the overheat
• CHECK for any external damages on your device at Apple’s authorized service centre
• CLOSE graphics-intensive apps like 3D games and GPS-based apps like Maps when not in use
• SWITCH OFF any unused feature (eg: Bluetooth)

• OS Upgrade

When overheating issues arise once after upgrading to the new OS. here’s some fixes:

• Reset All Settings by going into Settings > General > Reset
• Deselect “Sync Apps” while your device were connected to iTunes, sync, and reinstall all those apps
• Remove stubborn caches that might contribute to the problem
• Perform a hard reboot by holding the power button and home button at the same time until the Apple logo appears
• Nuke your device by re-installing iOS from scratch BUT not restoring the backup

• Overused and Misused

When overheating happens, there’s nothing else to blame but us. Here’s some solution:

• CLOSE all unused apps on the multitasking bar, especially games and GPS-enabled apps
• NEVER use the device to play games while charging
• ADJUST brightness levels accordingly, especially on an iPad with Retina Display
• SWITCH OFF automatic time zones via Settings > General > Date & Time > Set Automatically to OFF
• DO NOT perform too many activities on the device while using Personal Hotspot
• CLOSE all unused apps on the multitasking bar while using AirPlay or AirPlay Mirroring
• SWITCH OFF your device for 15 minutes and reboot it
• POWER DOWN your device completely at least once a month

Good luck!

It’s pretty remarkable, so what makes these 9 music videos any different from other similar articles out there? This was handpicked and curated by yours truly; there’s actually more than 9 but mostly were crappy anyway. Before the September ended, let’s watch every one of these videos and take a breath from the real world for a while:

Eddy “NEED”

This music video was shot solely using four iPad 2. It was entirely edited on the iPad and synced to the Mac Pro for further editing with the help of Final Cut Pro. They claimed to film it for 5 hours and took 12 hours for editing, wow! You can get the original song “NEED” right here.

Device(s) used: iPad 2, Mac Pro
Software/apps used: Final Cut Pro

Slow Lane, Fast Pace

Created by Don Adar and Ron Nadel, they spent their vacation in the Andaman Islands of India by filming a music video using an iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Recorded thanks to ReelMoments app for the iPhone, they managed to get plenty of high quality timelapses. It was finalized using iMovie on the iPad 2.

Device(s) used: iPhone 4, iPad 2
Software/apps used: RealMoments, iMovie for iOS

David Choi – That girl

David and his mates created and edited this music video entirely on an iPhone 4. While he didn’t specifically mentioned iMovie in the description, one of the commenters pointed that out on YouTube. Not much details for this music video though.

Device(s) used: iPhone 4
Software/apps used: iMovie for iOS

SUNWAY “The Boys of Summer”

It all started out with a conversation on Facebook; make a music video with an iPhone 4. So, they set out on their beautiful island home of Oahu (its Hawaii, by the way), with a van full of equipment but no storyboard. While they did specify many equipment involved during the making, no software/apps used for finalizing was mentioned. You can download the single now on iTunes!

Device(s) used: iPhone 4, iPod Classic
Software/apps used: Unspecified

Desperation (Milan) – David DiMuzio

While they’re walking around cities of Fukuoka and Kagoshima (Japan), David’s friend Miyako filmed him singing his original song Desperation (Milan). They used iPhone 4 to shoot the entire video in Japan. No other software/apps was specified during the making of this music video, however. You may download it for free here.

Device(s) used: iPhone 4
Software/apps used: Unspecified

R.Vaughn – Live in Your Light

Beautifully sang by R.Vaughn, it’s the most ambitious music video fully shot and edited entirely using an iPhone 4. Despite the limitation of iMovie for iOS at that time, they managed to pull it off and gets featured prominently on CNN, Mashable and even Coldplay’s site.

Device(s) used: iPhone 4
Software/apps used: iMovie for iOS

Blush “Undivided” (feat. Snoop Dogg)

The entire animated music video was made on an iPad using the Brushes app, which is rather impressive. Blush band cooperated with Snoop Dogg to make this song possible. No further details though.

Device(s) used: iPad 2
Software/apps used: Brushes

iPad Face Dance

Sang by Eric Holljes, this awesome music videos was made possible using FaceTime on an iPad 2. “Good in my Hood” song rhymes well with the video. No software/apps used for this video was mentioned, aside from FaceTime.

Device(s) used: iPad 2
Software/apps used: FaceTime

Waking Up With Boston

As stated by the description, “Waking Up With Boston” was written, storyboarded, planned, shot, edited and completed in 36 hours using iPhone 4S. Still no mention of software/apps used.

Device(s) used: iPhone 4S
Software/apps used: Unspecified

PS: It was originally intended to be ten videos but one of them have been removed from YouTube, sadly.

Note that some of these magazines were not yet optimized for the new iPad’s Retina Display (you’ll notice this right away if the magazines is pixellated and ugly) and some of them are universal (works on both iPhone and iPad). We’re focusing on iPad for now since it’s the best device for reading magazines.

*Precaution: In-app purchases is required to enable automatic downloads. Check the price of any issue, read descriptions carefully and monitor your iTunes account before and after subscribing. You may turn OFF in-app purchasing via Settings > General > Restrictions and download issues manually instead. To turn OFF subscription, simply delete the app from your device. The writer nor iHelpBoard shall be held responsible for any issues that may arise.

The Star Editor’s Choice

Let’s begin with our local made magazine. This one’s from The Star, which offers a handful of news, business, features, sports, and opinions only from columnists. Now, this app isn’t just a bland magazine full of pics and text; it’s completely interactive, plus videos and social sharing that you’ll get on most professional magazine. The content’s pretty good too, but keep in mind that if you want the entire newspapers of The Star, you can buy it here. This app is free, however, so don’t sweat it to subscribe and download the entire catalogs available!

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad running iOS 4 or later
Consumed space: estimated 115MB/issue

Al Jazeera Magazine

A company best recognized as leading and unbiased news provider amongst Asia and abroad, Al Jazeera delivers its own set of monthly magazines. Showcasing the best of Al Jazeera’s renowned journalism, each section provides insights into human stories; be it in feature-length articles or opinionated approach, all in one interactive graphics that will keep you reading for hours. This magazine has been released since early September so you’ll know its fresh. It’s level of quality and writing makes this mag compelling enough for free subscription.

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad running iOS 4 or later
Consumed space: estimated 113MB/issue

Endless Vacation

Another great travel magazine done right. It offers plenty of salivating graphics and images that would look great on your iPad’s Retina display. Besides interactivity, the content doesn’t disappoint. Looking for a great place to eat? Where to shop? Where to go? Endless Vacation has it all perfectly tuned for you. It claims to have most content from the print version of the magazine, the difference is that it’s completely free! With videos, photo galleries, panoramas and interactive maps, we highly recommend you to spare some space for this baby.

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad running iOS 4 or later
Consumed space: estimated 431MB/issue

A Garden Life

This one’s for you nature-lovers. A Garden Life is a magazine choked full of visually engaging articles focused on how to achieve a better life and health, as well as gardening (obviously). Topics covered in each issue includes gardening, food, health, community, architecture and the arts all in a practical, how-to editorial to get you started. It’s like watching Martha Stewart Living, but its an interactive magazine right on your iPad. The level of care on every corner of the content makes it obvious that they put a lot of love into the magazine. And its free!

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad running iOS 4 or later
Consumed space: estimated 268MB/issue

En Vie

Fashion police, rejoice! Whether you’re a professional fashionista or just a die-hard fashion addicts, this magazine provides plenty (and we mean plenty) of professionally-photographed shots of beautiful models showcasing new trends in fashions and culture, as well as news for cherry on top. This app isn’t interactive however, its solely vector-based images that you can zoom in or out on the content. Packed with bold approach in all things fashion, this app comes with the price of free, even for their back issues! From designer collections reviews and brands to accessories and more, be sure to subscribe En Vie for free!

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch running iOS 5 or later
Consumed space: estimated 25MB/issue

GameQ by GameFly

Oh yeah, this one’s for gamers! From the same team that brought you GameFly, this awesome mag brings you chocks of interactive video game publication right on your iPad. Whether its skin-deep analysis to stories and interviews, its got it all (except support for Retina display). It’s amazing how they presented news and graphics in a way that you just can’t find on other magazines. Sadly, there isn’t enough content available yet, the latest was released on September 22nd, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting it and consume anytime, anywhere!

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad running iOS 4.2 or later
Consumed space: estimated 431MB/issue

AUX Magazine

A great mag for music jocks, AUX delivers monthly jumbles of music news and what’s happening right now. Be it exclusive pieces, interviews, videos and spotlights, you’ll get an all-in-one music magazine that’s highly interactive and gorgeously made for iPad. As a music lover myself, I’m actually pretty hooked on this mag with its outstanding brilliance in content delivery. Don’t take my word for it: if you love music, if you care about artist, then you should never think twice and subscribe to AUX for free. Oh, and its universal too.

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch running iOS 4 or later
Consumed space: estimated 82MB/issue

CORAL Magazine

As the name implies, this one’s for the fish, I mean for lovers of sea creatures. CORAL lets you discover beautiful and colourful shots of the living underneath the ocean, exactly the same as it appears in the print version. Critically claimed to read by over a 100 countries, CORAL is no slouch: it sets to bring issues covering fish species profiles, all things aquarium, tropical travel as well as news, interviews and more. While you can search and share content, the UI looks clunky and intrusive. But hey, nags aside, it’s a great free magazine!

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch running iOS 4 or later
Consumed space: estimated 128MB/issue

PC Today

Just because it was named after PC doesn’t mean it’s entirely dedicated to Windows PCs; it meant PCs in general – that Mac + PC. Anyway, this magazine isn’t just a typical tech magazine either, its dedicated to business technology for execs and company owners. So, if you work in a company or starting one, you might wanna look into this mag for a complete in-depth analysis of the latest tech, trends, products, services and solutions designed just for businesses. Interactivity level seems pretty basic but its free for life so why not? Oh, you can read in either orientation too.

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad running iOS 5 or later
Consumed space: estimated 88MB/issue

WebMD the Magazine

Medical professionals and students must have known this name. WebMD magazine provides health-related news ranging from expert analysis of all things medical, nutrition, exercise, fitness, parenting and even skin care solutions; all consolidated in one issue. It’s really well made, complete with enough interactivity and decent content for everyone to consume. Oh, it includes slideshows, videos, and even assessments and quizzes among various related topics! Now supported for the Retina displays on iPad, subscribe it now for free on the App Store.

Price: Free subscription + issues
Compatibility: iPad running iOS 4.2 or later
Consumed space: estimated 113MB/issue

If you’re in a hurry, here’s quick links for the above mags:

1. The Star Editor’s Choice
2. Al Jazeera Magazine
3. Endless Vacation
4. A Garden Life
5. En Vie
6. GameQ by GameFly
7. AUX Magazine
8. CORAL Magazine
9. PC Today
10. WebMD the Magazine

Not enough? Here’s more mags we loved that was previously featured here:

1. Engadget Distro
2. Fitness First
3. TRVL
4. #5 Magazine
5. AirTran GO

Enjoy!

Apple has released an iBooks version of the iOS 6 user guide for the iPhone. As you might expect with the previous user guides, it covers complete aspects of the iOS 6 feature that you can learn right on your iOS devices. You can download the iBooks for free on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch using the iBookstore.

Notably this book covers many chapters explaining all the new features in iOS 6 including Siri. It’s all choked full of images that runs alongside the text. It’s pretty nice.

On a sidenote, it seems like iOS 6 doesn’t ship with the useful Wi-Fi Plus Cellular feature previously existed in the betas. This feature allows apps to use cellular data when there are issues with the Wi-Fi connection. It was located in the Settings > General > Cellular but its gone from the final version of iOS 6. Here’s a complete overview as explained by iDownloadBlog:

TechCrunch reported that Malaysia’s leading cable provider, Astro has inked deals with Trapit, an AI-based content delivery syndication for the iPad. Trapit’s technology interestingly based on the same tech with Apple’s Siri that’s powering the iPhone and iPad. Often mistaking as news-consumption app, Trapit actually recommend more than just news ranging from over 120,000 sources.

Astro has invested over $1.9 million for the deal. Here’s what the co-founder and chief product officer Hank Nothhaft of Trapit has to say:

“Anywhere where personalization and content discovery could possibly be a value add, we think Trapit is a no-brainer”

Additionally, Nothhaft says that the Astro deal puts the them “on the path to profitability.” That means Trapit doesn’t have to run ads in its apps (unlike Flipboard and Pulse tried to do). It’s been concluded that it’s still early to go into any details with the partnership with Astro.

Aside from that, the partnership made Trapit extended its technology into video — something that will come soon to its own apps.

(via TechCrunch)

Probably the only odd child in the iOS family, Apple TV gets updated with version 5.1, bringing a slew of new features and fixes. You can get the update by going into Settings > General > Update Software right on your Apple TV itself. Some of the new additions seems obvious, such as new screensavers, Shared Photo Streams (similar with iOS 6 on other iOS devices), and the ability to reorder icons on the second page.

Take a look at some of the new stuff:

• Shared Photo Streams - Accept invitations for Shared Photo Streams, browse photos and comments, and receive notifications of new content.
• AirPlay - Send audio content from Apple TV to AirPlay-enabled speakers and devices (including AirPort Express and other Apple TVs). Also includes the ability to require an onscreen code to use AirPlay with your Apple TV.
• iTunes account switching - Save multiple iTunes accounts and switch quickly between them.
• Trailers - Search movie trailers. In the United States, see show times for local theaters.
• Screen savers - New Cascade, Shrinking Tiles, and Sliding Panels screen savers.
• Main menu - Reorder icons on the second page by holding down the select button on the remote.
• Subtitles – SDH support for the deaf and hard-of-hearing as well as improvements to viewing and selecting subtitles.
• Network configuration - Support for setting up advanced network options using configuration profiles. See http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5437 for more information.
• Stability and performance - Includes general performance and stability improvements.

(via TNW)

Several updates have been released in the last few days as well, including a 10.8.2 update for OS X Mountain Lion, 10.7.5 for OS X Lion, iCloud for Windows and EFI update for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Here’s the official release notes alongside each update:

Download OS X Mountain Lion Update 10.8.2

The 10.8.2 update is recommended for all OS X Mountain Lion users and includes new features and fixes. New features include:

Facebook

• Single sign on for Facebook
• Facebook as an option when sharing links and photos
• Facebook friends’ contact information and profile pictures in Contacts
• Facebook notifications in Notification Center

Game Center

• Share scores to Facebook, Twitter, Mail, or Messages
• Facebook friends are included in Game Center friend recommendations
• Facebook Like button for games
• Challenge friends to beat your score or achievement

Other new features

• Power Nap support for MacBook Air (Late 2010)
• iMessages sent to your phone number now appear in Messages on your Mac
• From Safari and Mail on your Mac you can add passes to Passbook on your iPhone or iPod touch running iOS 6
• New shared Reminders lists
• FaceTime now receives calls sent to your phone number
• New sort options allow you to sort notes by title, the date you edited them, and when you created them
• Dictation now supports Mandarin, Cantonese, Spanish, Korean, Canadian English, Canadian French, and Italian
• The Dictionary application now includes a French definition dictionary
• Sina Weibo profile photos can now be added to Contacts

The 10.8.2 update also includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac, including the following fixes:

• An option to discard the changes in the original document when choosing Save As
• Unsent drafts are opened automatically when launching Mail
• Receive Twitter notifications for mentions and replies from anyone
• URLs are shortened when sending tweets from Notification Center
• Notifications are disabled when AirPlay Mirroring is being used
• SSL support for Google searches from the Smart Search Field in Safari
• New preference to have Safari launch with previously open webpages

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5460

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222

Download OS X Lion Update 10.7.5 (Client Combo)

The 10.7.5 update is recommended for all OS X Lion users and includes general operating system fixes that improve the stability, compatibility and security of your Mac. It also includes Gatekeeper, a new security feature that helps you keep your Mac safe from malicious software by giving you more control over what apps are installed on your Mac.

The 10.7.5 update also includes fixes that:

• Resolve an issue where icons in Launchpad may get rearranged after a restart
• Improve Wi-Fi reliability for iMac (Late 2009 and newer)
• Resolve an issue using Spotlight to search an SMB server
• Improve compatibility connecting to Active Directory servers

For detailed information on this update, please visit this website: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5313.

For information on the security content of this update, please visit: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

Download MacBook Pro Retina EFI Update v1.0

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro with Retina display (mid 2012) models.

This update resolves an issue which can cause the system to hang during heavy processor loads, and resolves an issue where NetBoot does not function properly when using an Ethernet adapter.

Other firmware updates for various machines:

• MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 2.9 (4.29 MB)

This update is recommended for MacBook Pro (mid 2012) models. This update resolves an issue which can cause the system to hang during heavy processor loads.

• MacBook Air SMC Update v1.7 (658 KB)

This update enables Power Nap support on MacBook Air (Late 2010) computers and is recommended for all users running OS X v10.8.2 or later.

• MacBook Air EFI Firmware Update 2.5 (4.76 MB)

This update is recommended for MacBook Air (mid 2012) models. This update fixes an issue where Turbo Boost does not activate when using Boot Camp, and resolves an issue where NetBoot does not function properly when using an Ethernet adapter.

Download iCloud Control Panel for Windows v2.0

The iCloud Control Panel makes it easy to keep your contacts, calendars, and bookmarks up to date automatically between your iOS devices and Windows PC.

It also includes Photo Stream, which wirelessly pushes photos you take with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to the Pictures library on your PC — no cable syncing required.

You can also share select photos with friends and family using Shared Photo Streams, complete with notifications and comments.

Note: To create an iCloud account you need an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 5 or later, or a Mac with OS X Lion v10.7.2 or later. Microsoft Outlook 2007, 2010 or an up-to-date browser is required for accessing email, contacts, and calendars.

Learn more about iCloud at http://www.apple.com/icloud

(via multiple sources: 1, 2, 3, 4)

Hot cakes indeed, Apple has sold over five million iPhone 5 since its going on sale across 8 countries since Friday. Previously, they have announced all-time-record preorders at around 2 million. While we’ve heard that it’s coming here soon, the existing iOS install base has upgraded to the latest version of iOS 6; a hundred million of them.

Here’s the official press release:

iPhone 5 First Weekend Sales Top Five Million

CUPERTINO, California—September 24, 2012—Apple® today announced it has sold over five million of its new iPhone® 5, just three days after its launch on September 21, and more than 100 million iOS devices have been updated with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system. iPhone 5 is available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK, and will be available in 22 more countries on September 28 and more than 100 countries by the end of the year. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeded the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders have been shipped to customers, many are scheduled to be shipped in October.

“Demand for iPhone 5 has been incredible and we are working hard to get an iPhone 5 into the hands of every customer who wants one as quickly as possible,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “While we have sold out of our initial supply, stores continue to receive iPhone 5 shipments regularly and customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are working hard to build enough iPhone 5s for everyone.”

iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.**

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and is available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 is available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S is also available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 is available for free with a two-year contract.***

iPhone 5 will be available on September 28 in Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Qualified customers only. Requires a new two year rate plan, sold separately.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contacts:
Trudy Muller
Apple
tmuller@apple.com
(408) 862-7426

Natalie Kerris
Apple
nat@apple.com
(408) 974-6877

(via Apple)

DiGi has confirmed today that they will be offering the Nano SIM for early iPhone 5 adopters in Malaysia starting Wednesday, 26 September 2012. This came just days after Maxis announced that they will start offering it today.

The Nano SIM will be included for free when you sign up for DG Smart Plan or DG Postpaid Plus. Otherwise, you can swap your existing SIM or Micro SIM to a Nano SIM for a price of RM20 starting on Wednesday at selected outlets in Klang Valley. DiGi also expect it to be available in over 250 stores nationwide by early October.

Meanwhile, you can head to this link starting tomorrow to check about the stores that will be offering it.

(via MalaysianWireless)

The iPhone 5 is the first and only device to use the new and smaller Nano SIM standard so far. Unlike Micro SIM which can be cut from a normal SIM card, Nano SIM can’t be cut due to a decrease in its thickness. This had resulted in people who bought the iPhone 5 in available countries can’t use it as a phone until a local carrier starts selling Nano SIM. However, if you are one of these people, we have some great news for you today.

In a statement, Maxis has confirmed that they will be the first carrier in Malaysia to offer the nano SIM. According to SoyaCincau, a nano SIM costs RM25 and it will be available starting Monday, 24th September 2012. Maxis Centres listed below will be offering it next Monday and other Maxis Centres nationwide will start selling it by late September.

Klang Valley
KLCC
Taman Tun Dr. Ismail
Sunway Pyramid
The Gardens

Penang
Queensbay Mall

Johor Bahru
Danga Bay

Below is an image of the company statement posted by BFM 89.9.

(via SoyaCincau, BFM 89.9)

• Transit: Removed from 51 countries with 4.4 billion people
• Traffic: Removed from 24 countries with 2.3 billion people
• Street View: Removed from 41 countries with 2.5 billion people

Here’s the chart of all 77 countries affected by the iOS 6 between Google’s and Apple’s maps:

X – Coming in October

Not so pretty. Google has released a replacement for YouTube app though. We’re still waiting for Google Maps counterparts.

(via the understatement)

In addition to that, Find My iPhone has been updated as well with more features such as battery status:

Oh, here’s some neat touches: Banners and badges like you’ve seen on iOS devices! (I can’t replicate banners though)

Before you proceed, ensure that your device is eligible for the upgrade plus some noteworthy tips:

• Everything you need to know about iOS 6 with over 200 new features
• Hidden features in iOS 6 (some may have been changed)
• Some iOS 6 features may not be available for your device
• Find out if your device supports iOS 6

1 – Get proper power source and optimum internet connection

1. Prepare your Apple charger/portable charger
2. Connect to a faster Wi-Fi (when possible)
3. Close all other programs to ease congestion

2 – Backup your iOS devices

• over iCloud
• over iTunes

3 – Update to iTunes 10.7

• via iTunes website here
• via Apple Software Update for Windows (preinstalled with existing iTunes)

3a – Update existing apps (iOS 6-compatible) [OPTIONAL]

• via iTunes
• via App Store on iOS devices

4 – Download iOS 6

• via iTunes
• over-the-air (Settings > General > Software Update)
• via direct links:
  • iPhone 3GS (780.43MB)
  • iPhone 4 (887.52MB)
  • iPhone 4S (912.70MB)
  • iPod touch 4 (839.96MB)
  • iPad 2 WiFi (790.80MB)
  • iPad 2 WiFi + 3G (806.72MB)
  • iPad 3 WiFi (1.07GB)
  • iPad 3 WiFi + LTE (1.10GB)

5 – Update to iOS 6

• via iTunes (similar instructions here)
• over-the-air (Settings > General > Software Update)

Expect errors and delays

• many people like you will likely be updating at the same time
• servers may get overwhelmed and slow
• if failed to update, try again later or after 24 hours

Did you know?

Enter PhoneClean.

Probably the first and only one-of-a-kind software that actually cleans and speed up your iOS devices, this software basically searches for app caches, cookies from websites, as well as offline files left by your app that haven’t been cleared up properly, and presents you a nice overview of how much space you’ll be able to claim! Cool!

“We don’t think of iOS as holding a lot of “junk” files like Windows or Android, but it has caches and temporary folders just like any other operating system.”

If you did follow our previous tip on how to locate and clean up caches left by apps or iTunes, its a hassle and not everyone have the time to do so quickly and easily. PhoneClean just requires you to connect your iOS device to your computer, let it scan, and clean. That’s it! Even your cat can do it. I’ve tested mine with my iPad and manage to regained over 500MB of free space! Since it cleans app caches, including Facebook and Tweetbot which often cached megabytes of pictures, I’m able to claim over hundreds of them from both apps alone; no deleting-and-reinstalling required.

On the first start, you can have the option to remove/keep offline files. These offline files will accumulate by itself when you use the app again, but in case you need an additional free storage, it doesn’t hurt to remove these as well. Apps such Readability and Pocket stores offline files like caches images for articles you saved, but it will redownload those for you when you relaunch them. If you see a “Hide clean Apps” option during scanning, it should be checked by default to hide apps that don’t have any cache file. Once its done scanning, you can selectively pick which ones you prefer not to be tampered with, and hit Clean to banish the crap once and for all.

Oh, didn’t I tell you it also helps speed up your iOS devices as well? By eliminating these cumbersome caches and temp files, PhoneClean frees up more memory resource when you’re launching apps, browsing the web, as well as playing big games; as stated on their website. To be honest, my first gen iPad and iPod touch did felt faster, unless your device is already fast enough you won’t notice the speed boost. Still, we’ve talked before that we should preserve some space for caches or else your device will crawl no matter how fast it is.

Available only for Windows (for now) with an additional Chinese and Japanese language, it would be great if the next version supports the Mac as well. Also, the ability to connect and clean more than one iOS devices can be useful too. Before I leave you to decide, keep in mind that it works with any iOS devices running iOS 5 and above, plus some requirements for Windows users here. While you’re at it, let’s not leave the mess behind and start cleaning up!

We’ll never know what could happen tomorrow, next month, or in the future. The world is a scary place, and the crime rate in Malaysia isn’t going down anytime soon, especially theft, so it’s best to keep you and your iOS devices safe, be it before or after you’ve lost your devices. It occurred to me and my family, just a day before the Independence Day where I lost my iPhone and my iPod to the wrong hands. Hurts really, so here’s some tips for you on what to do to prevent this from happening and also some guide in case it did.

Before It Happened

Precautions is a must. Better be safe than sorry. I’m not going into too much detail on what you should do, so here’s a bullet list of what you should do before it happened:

1. Enable Find My iPhone
2. Enable Photo Stream
3. Enable location services for Find My iPhone and Camera app
4. Disable status bar icon for location services
5. Enable iMessage
6. Password-protect your sensitive information with a special app
7. Logged in to your Facebook/Twitter account all the time

Done? Once you followed all these steps, you can forget about it. When the day comes, here’s what you can count on aside from the police or your neighbour. If you’re interested to know how these tips might help you in the future, follow along.

Find My iPhone is a must for every iOS devices running iOS 5, and even a Mac with iCloud enabled. If you’re not using iCloud, here’s at least one reason to use one. We’ve heard some good news about how it has helped many to claim their lost belongings, although still I’m not the lucky one. Works with iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and a Mac, it lets you track your device’s location using iCloud.com or via its app you’ve downloaded on another iOS devices, say your friend. You can send message and sound as an alert, like I did. You can even let it to email you when it finds your devices, in case your device goes offline or dead. Additionally, you can perform remote wipe if it contains some really personal and sensitive information. I don’t really recommend this since it basically wipes everything that you can’t even locate it anymore.

Next, Photo Stream. Wait, so how does Photo Stream really helps us find our lost devices? Well, if you haven’t heard about the case where a person caught taking photos with your lost devices, you can track the location using the geolocation information, or with the photo itself if you enabled it on your other iOS devices as well as your computer. Say, a thief sold your iPod to some stranger, who’s unaware that he/she bought a stolen device, snap a photo that gets transmitted automatically to you (as long as the device was not restored from scratch). If you happen to know the whereabouts of the photo, you can trace it yourself.

One more thing, to get Find My iPhone and Photo Stream to work, you’ll need to enable location services for both of them, including for Camera app. Otherwise, you can never locate nor trace your device back. Also, consider disabling the status bar icon for location services. If the device falls to the wrong hands, the thief might be smart enough to disable any tracking altogether.

Aside from that, iMessage also play a crucial part into reclaiming your lost devices, especially f you have multiple iOS devices with a different iMessage iD associated with it. If you lost your iPad, you can use your other iOS devices or your friends with iMessage enabled to send a text to it. Who knows if some good people happened to hold your belongings decided to help you just that. And its free, too.

Let’s face it: most of us have some personal info and credentials stored on our devices, be it some family photos, banking infos and such; its wise to have them stored safe in a password-protected app like this, this, and this. Everything could turn upside down if you don’t.

Another strange method to keep your devices connected to you all the time when you lost it; always logged in to your Facebook and Twitter app all the time. While I didn’t get any luck much with Find My iPhone, this method actually helps me to trace back my stolen iPod touch a week later. Some really nice people found it and messaged me on both Facebook and Twitter that they have my iPod. While some people recommend us to change our social network’s password right away to prevent the lost device from accessing it, I simply leave it as the way it is because there are good people out there. Unless you stored some nasty things on it, it doesn’t hurt to keep it logged it. If you were hacked or spammed, you can report it and reset your password to claim it back.

After It Happened

Ouch! Things can go south for any people at anytime. If you’re just as panic as me when you lost your iOS devices, here’s some tips on what you should/should not do when it happened:

1. Do not change your Facebook/Twitter password for the time being
2. Do not wipe your device remotely from iCloud
3. Remove your credit card info from your iTunes account, if available
4. Some common sense if your device contains sensitive information

Noted earlier above, I happened to have found my devices by some good people who contacted me via Facebook and Twitter. If you change your password, they can never contact you to claim your lost belongings. Still, do not attempt to remote-wipe the device using iCloud. Once Find My iPhone wipes everything from your lost devices, you can never trace it back. Obviously, you should remove your credit card info from your iTunes account to avoid inadvertent purchases by some complete strangers.

Finally, some common sense also needed if your device contains a highly valuable information. You can remote wipe it if you’d rather lost your device than getting fired from your job if you’re caught leaking sensitive company information. If you store some credentials simply on a Notes app, or any app that is not password-protected, call the respective company to have it suspended. Also, keep track for any suspicious activity whether its your banking info, your iTunes account, your social networking account, and even your e-mail.

What If…

After few weeks and months yet still no sign of good news, its time to move on, sadly. If you happened to backup your lost devices using iTunes or iCloud, you can get a new device and simply restore it from backup and have it the same way it is before. This time, better be safe than sorry.

Good luck!

Apple opened up pre-order for the iPhone 5 several days ago, in which the initial shipment was sold out within an hour compared to 20 hours for the iPhone 4S, and 22 hours for the iPhone 4. In a press release today, Apple announced that they have sold a whooping 2 million iPhone 5s within 24 hours, doubling the record set by iPhone 4S last year. In comparison, iPhone 4S – its predecessor – previously had 1 million orders in the first 24 hours while the iPhone 4 had just 600,000.

“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal. iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet, the most beautiful product we’ve ever made, and we hope customers love it as much as we do.” – Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing

The iPhone 5 will be releasing in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK on Friday, September 21 and 22 more countries the following week.

iPhone 5 Pre-Orders Top Two Million in First 24 Hours

CUPERTINO, California—September 17, 2012—Apple® today announced pre-orders of its iPhone® 5 topped two million in just 24 hours, more than double the previous record of one million held by iPhone 4S. Demand for iPhone 5 exceeds the initial supply and while the majority of pre-orders will be delivered to customers on September 21, many are scheduled to be delivered in October. iPhone 5 is the thinnest and lightest iPhone ever, completely redesigned to feature a stunning new 4-inch Retina™ display; an Apple-designed A6 chip for blazing fast performance; and ultrafast wireless technology*—all while delivering even better battery life.**

“iPhone 5 pre-orders have shattered the previous record held by iPhone 4S and the customer response to iPhone 5 has been phenomenal,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone 5 is the best iPhone yet, the most beautiful product we’ve ever made, and we hope customers love it as much as we do.”

iPhone 5 comes with iOS 6, the world’s most advanced mobile operating system with over 200 new user features including: an all new Maps app with Apple-designed cartography, turn-by-turn navigation and an amazing new Flyover™ view; Facebook integration for Contacts and Calendar, with the ability to post directly from Notification Center; Passbook®, the simplest way to get all your passes in one place; new Siri® features, including support for more languages, easy access to sports scores, restaurant recommendations and movie listings;*** Siri and Facebook-enabled apps like Photos, Safari® and Maps; and Shared Photo Streams via iCloud®.

Pricing & Availability
iPhone 5 will be available at 356 Apple retail stores in the US beginning at 8 a.m. local time on Friday, September 21. Every customer who buys an iPhone 5 at an Apple retail store will be offered free Personal Setup service, helping them customize their iPhone 5 by setting up email, showing them new apps from the App Store and more, so they’ll be up and running with their new iPhone before they leave the store.

iPhone 5 comes in either white & silver or black & slate, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model and $299 (US) for the 32GB model and $399 (US) for the 64GB model. iPhone 5 will be available from the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, Verizon Wireless, select Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 4S will also be available for just $99 (US) and iPhone 4 will be available for free with a two-year contract.****

iPhone 5 will roll out worldwide to 22 more countries on September 28, including Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

* LTE is available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
** Battery life depends on device settings, usage and other factors. Actual results vary.
*** Not all features are supported in all countries.
**** Availability varies by carrier.

Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.

Press Contacts:
Nat Harrison
Apple
harri@apple.com
(408) 862-0565

Natalie Kerris
Apple
nat@apple.com
(408) 974-6877

(via Apple)

The highly anticipated iPhone 5 will be launching at several countries this Friday, followed by the second batch the following week. However, Malaysia is not included in the first two batches, and Apple said that they will roll out to 100 countries “by December”, which very likely includes Malaysia.

Recently, The Malay Mail reported that Malaysians might after all get their hands on the iPhone 5 on October 26. Citing ‘industry sources’, they also write that the launch may also push to November if there is any shortage of supplies. As for carriers, they seem to be only reporting Maxis, Celcom & DiGi, but no any additional carriers such as U Mobile and Tune Talk.

“If orders remain within projections made by Apple by Sept 30, the Oct 26 launch date in Malaysia together with several other countries will remain,” noted an industry source.

“Should there be a shortfall in available supplies, the Malaysian launch date could get pushed to sometime in November.”

While Apple and local carriers have not spoken anything about it yet, October 26 seems to be a likely date for the iPhone 5 release. In the meantime, we will keep you updated if we receive any further information about it.

(via The Malay Mail)

• 7 million copies of Mountain Lion have been downloaded
• 17 million iPads have been sold between April-June
• 84 million iPads have been sold so far
• iPad’s tablet market share actually went up from 62% last year to 68%
• iPad accounts for 91% of web traffic from tablets
• The App Store has now over 700,000 apps, 250,000 tailored for iPad
• 400 million iOS devices have been sold through June 2012

Here’s some fun fact we gathered from many tech sites and Apple blogs all around the globe, exclusively on iHelpBoard:

• Apple no longer sells an iOS device without a Retina Display
• Apple calls it “The New iTunes” not iTunes 11
• iPhone 5 indeed uses nano SIM
• The main reason Apple goes taller, not wider with the iPhone 5 is because you can actually use it with one hand. Try do it with other ginormous competitor phones and see if you could
• LTE fragmentation forces Apple to build 3 separate iPhone 5
• Apple details LTE compatibility by country. Spoiler: Malaysia unseen
• VGA-quality FaceTime camera on iPhone 4 has been replaced with one capable of capturing 1.2MP photos and 720p HD video
• The camera on the iPhone 5 was almost the same specs as in iPhone 4S, only thinner and a sapphire lens, as well as some quality improvements
• Panorama feature found on the iPhone 5 and fifth generation iPod touch also available for other iOS 6-compatible models
• iPod nano is Apple’s hardware design playground: it gets major new changes every year
• Apple was trying to make the new iPod touch more wearable thanks to the Loop
• Ping to be declared dead by September 30th. It existed since September 2010 with not much traction
• Not a single manufacturer makes their charger/connector cable reversible; Apple’s Lightning connector allows you to connect either way
• Phil Schiller said that Apple doesn’t need NFC; Passbook is all what we need and will use without having us to buy a new device
• Phil Schiller claims no need for a wireless charging; saying that it will eventually gets connected to power outlet anyway and obviously not mobile
• To adapt with European regulations, Apple releases Lightning to Micro USB adapter for compatibility
• The new EarPods is said to rivals high-end expensive headphones with greater quality sounds

(via multiple sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)

Apple drops the biggest bombshell yet with the new version of iTunes, dubbed iTunes 11. Only retaining the same cute Mickey-like icon, gone were the aging old interfaces and lifted with a new canvas primarily designed to keep things simpler, faster, and streamlined. It’s hard not to deny that the new iTunes was inspired by the iPad’s new Music app, plus it does so much more with iCloud and pop-overs everywhere. Let’s take a look!

If you’re looking for a minor iTunes 10.7 for the new iPhone 5, iPod nano and iPod touch compatibility, its available now. For iTunes 11? It’s coming in October.

Aside from improved performance, more intuitive layout, easier playlist creation and iCloud integration, the new iTunes 11 not only sexy on the eyes, but rich on features too. iCloud enables iTunes a more seamless resume-play functionality between devices; in English, means if you’re watching a movie halfway on another device, iTunes picks up where you left off. Sidebar is now hidden, reserving more space for covers when browsing the library. There’s also a new feature called “Up Next” which shows you upcoming songs and albums in your queue.

Besides that, you can even move back to your library without closing a playlist, and drag & drop tracks wherever you want them. Even the mini player gets a facelift as well. Take a look:

Aside from iTunes, the store has been redesigned as well. It looks and acts pretty much what you’ve seen on the beta release of iOS 6, which is slated to come by September 19. Better navigation, familiar UI and simpler approach makes this version iTunes a winner on its own. The only thing that’s missing is how iTunes will handle iOS device syncing. If you look at this page, there’s no sight of how we would be able to manage an iOS device; will that be rethought too? It’s nice to speculate, we have until this October to wait and see.

iPod shuffle

Unsurprisingly, Apple has decided not to refresh the iPod shuffle, only updating it with new colours in line with other iPod models. Although the current iPod shuffle is good enough for music with 2GB of storage, it does makes sense: why change it if it’s already good?

Learn more of iPod shuffle on Apple.com

iPod nano (7th generation)

On other news, Apple has announced a completely refreshed iPod nano. It sorta-looks like a mini iPhone now, available with touchscreens that’s wide enough to watch videos on it. This seventh generation version comes with 2.5-inch screen, physical controls on the side and a home button too! It’s smaller, lighter and as thin as 5.4mm. Spec-wise, it’s not any different from the previous generation except for its designs and the ability to watch video, plus EarPods and Lightning connector, Bluetooth 4 and accessibility features.

1. New 2.5 inch design with 7 colourful aluminium enclosure
2. Thinner, lighter than before
3. 240 x 432 resolution at 202 ppi (pixels per inch)
4. Accelerometer, FM radio with Live Pause, Bluetooth 4, Panorama
5. 30 hours of  music and 3.5 hours of video playback
6. Comes with a new EarPods earphones and Lightning connector
7. Available only in 16 GB of built-in storage
8. Just RM529, pre-order online on September 14th

Learn more of iPod nano on Apple.com

While we’ve seen many leaks of the iPhone 5, surprisingly, the fifth generation iPod touch steals the show. “Engineered for maximum funness”, it comes with hefty specs similar to the iPhone 4S; plus an even thinner profile, a 4-inch screen similar to the iPhone 5, plus broad range of colours. Let’s dive right in:

1. New 4 inch design with 5 colours on the back and side
2. Thinner, lighter, wearable on your hand with Loop
3. 1136 x 640 resolution at 326 ppi (pixels per inch)
4. 5MP back and FaceTime HD camera with LED flash
5. A5 chip, up to 150Mbps WiFi, Siri, Bluetooth 4, Panorama
6. Improved battery, 40 hours of  music and 8 hours of video playback
7. New Lightning connector replaced larger 30 pin connector
8. Comes with a new EarPods earphones
9. Available in 32, and 64 GB of built-in storage
10. Starting from RM1049, pre-order online on September 14′th

New Designs

Apple completely reinvented the iPod touch. Gone were the shiny metal back, the new model comes in five colours: anodized aluminium black, silver, blue, red and yellow. Because the colours were actually blended with the aluminium, it looks and feels like one. iPod touch follows the same 4-inch display similar to the iPhone 5, and it is 1mm thinner (6.1mm thick) than the previous generation; which is insane because iPod touch is already that thin. Also, it’s lighter (at just 88 grams) and wearable too on your hand with Loop that are colour-matched to your iPod touch, or you can buy other colours separately.

New Architecture

Fifth generation iPod touch lets you have 5 rows of icons at the same time similar with the 4-inch iPhone 5, with 1136 x 640 resolution at the exact same pixels per inch as their previous 3.5 inch model. Now in 16 x 9 aspect ratio, you can watch HD videos, browsing photos and surfing the web even roomier than before. Any existing apps will run just fine, with letterbox on the sides until developers can update their apps later. Also, it has 44% more colour saturation, which means a clearer colour gamut you’ve ever seen.

Beefier Specs and Battery

Instead of going with the new A6 chip, Apple decided to put A5 instead, which consumes even lesser power while able to perform everything quickly, complete with Bluetooth 4.0 standard and even faster 150Mbps WiFi. The camera gets a big boost from paltry 0.7MP into a mammoth 5MP camera, with increased thinnest and a FaceTime HD camera. Plus a new Panorama mode which can shoot up megapixels of still images stitched together. The 30-pin connector is now replaced with Lightning and comes with the new Apple EarPods earphone. Oh, beefier specs allows iPod touch to have Siri and AirPlay Mirroring too!

Same Price and Storage

iPod touch 5 is expected to be in the same price in Malaysia, with 32GB for RM1049 and 64GB (yet to be priced). You can still pre-order online starting September 14′th.

UPDATE: Here’s some preparation for iOS 6!

iOS 6 has hit Golden Master release today for developers, with final release for the rest of us due this September 19th. During the iPhone 5 event, Apple didn’t really add any new stuff into the OS except for Panorama, and the compatibility set remains the same:

• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 4S
• iPhone 5
• iPad 2
• The new iPad
• Fourth generation iPod touch
• Fifth generation iPod touch

If you could recall, we’ve previously covered that not all iOS 6 features ready for some devices. Apple has decided to feature a compatibility feature set that lets you see which iOS 6 features will be available on your country. Spoiler: It’s not really pretty for Malaysian iOS users. Notably some features of Maps, Siri and Dictation is not available for us, sadly. See for yourself here.

After years and years we’ve been stuck in the past with the aging 30-pin connector, Apple has finally ditched it with a newer, smaller and even better connector called “Lightning“. This new connector makes its first appearance on the iPhone 5 and the latest iPod nano and iPod touch, that comes with only 8-pins and its reversible no matter which way you connect to it. Lightning connector makes sense to allow an even thinner device profile like what you’ve seen today although most things can be done wirelessly thanks to AirPlay, WiFi syncing, wireless backups and more.

The sweet thing about the new Lightning connector is how ridiculously small and thin it was. Also, it is reversible, so we can actually plug our devices to charge without worrying either side. But what about an existing accessories that you’ve bought over the years? Apple knows this so they sell some additional Lightning accessories as below:

• Lightning to 30-pin adapter – RM109
• Lightning to 30-pin adapter (0.2 m) – RM139
• Lightning to USB cable – RM69*

* included with new iPhone 5, fifth generation iPod touch, and seventh generation iPod nano

Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic

It’s amazing to know that Apple took 3 years to design this new breed of earphones. Apple EarPods are designed to rest comfortably inside your ear. Its said to actually have bass and higher quality sound normally on most high-end earphones. Since it comes with a similar remote like the former, you can still adjust volume, control music and video playback, and answer or end calls on your iPhone.

Notable specs of the EarPods:

• Designed by Apple
• Deeper, richer bass tones
• Greater protection from sweat and water
• Control music and video playback
• Answer and end calls

Leaks aside, the new iPhone 5 is a completely redesigned iPhone. Instead of making it bigger like most other smartphones, Apple decided to make it taller instead; a 4-inch display that still fits well in your hands, perfect for one-hand operation. It’s also thinner  and lighter than the iPhone 4S too: only 7.6mm and 112 grams as opposed to 4S’ 9.3mm and 140 grams. It’s insane thinness is as thin as the previous iPod touch. There’s also 3 models of iPhone 5 unlike the world-ready iPhone 4S, likely due to LTE; which wasn’t ready for Malaysians. The expected release date in our country would be this December. Here’s a quick rundown if you’re in a hurry:

1. New 4 inch design with aluminium back
2. Thinner, lighter, lesser prone to scratch than before
3. 1136 x 640 resolution at 326 ppi (pixels per inch)
4. LTE, 8MP back and FaceTime HD camera, up to 150Mbps WiFi
5. Powerful A6 chip, 3 mics, Bluetooth 4, Panorama
6. 8 hours on LTE, 8 hours talktime, 10 hours of  WiFi & video playback
7. Uses nano SIM, even smaller than the Micro SIM
8. New Lightning connector replaced larger 30 pin connector
9. Comes with a new EarPods earphones
10. Comes in Black & Slate, and White & Silver
11. Available in 16, 32, and 64 GB of built-in storage
12. Starting from USD $199, expected Malaysia release this December

New Designs

When you look at the new design, it looks almost identical to iPhone 4 and 4S, only taller. However, the physical changes reflects notable changes that you’ll appreciate the most; a thinner and lighter profile with beefier specs. It comes with the first Retina Display with integrated touch technology; which means that the touch sensors were combined with the glass. Lesser layer of glass means more clarity, thus thinner. Since its taller, the weight is distributed to entire parts of the phone, complete with glass and aluminium back, thus making it lighter. The use of nano SIM and a new Lightning connector is welcome addition too. Wait, it also less likely to scratch too!

New Architecture

iPhone 5 lets you have 5 rows of icons at the same time, with 1136 x 640 resolution at the exact same pixels per inch as their previous 3.5 inch phone. It’s also 16 x 9 aspect ratio, so watching a HD videos, browsing photos and surfing the web is roomier than before. Any existing apps runs just fine on the iPhone 5, with letterbox on the sides until developers can update their apps soon. Also, it has 44% more colour saturation, which means a clearer colour gamut you’ve ever seen.

Beefier Specs

Similar with the new iPad, LTE is now a standard for the iPhone 5. However, its worth noting that Malaysia hasn’t fully launch the availability of LTE networks yet, although that may change some time in the future. It’s said to come with 3 separate models due to LTE: including GSM and CDMA; you don’t need to know about this unless you travel a lot.  With the new A6 chip, everything seems ridiculously quick, complete with Bluetooth 4.0 standard and even faster WiFi; up to 150Mbps of them. While the camera is still 8MP like the iPhone 4S, it’s very much improved due to its thinner profile as well as FaceTime HD camera; a warm-welcome if you’re going to make videos calls via Wi-Fi or cellular. Notably, it has 3 mics for noise cancellation and wideband audio support. Plus a new Panorama mode which can shoot up to 28MP still image stitched together.

https://twitter.com/ChrisWong7/statuses/245966828659163136

Beefier Battery

Apple claims that iPhone 5 managed to get 8 hours of 3G talktime, 3G web browsing OR LTE browsing, 10 hours of WiFi browsing and up to 225 hours of standby time; despite the beefier specs. In the intro video, the new A6 chip is even more power-efficient than the A5 chip. In comparison with iPhone 4S, it had 8 hour 3G talktime, 6 hours 3G browsing, 9 hours of WiFi browsing and 200 hours of standby time. A modest battery improvement although until proven right in a real-world use soon.

Same Price and Storage With Unique Colours

iPhone 5 is expected to be in the same price in Malaysia, since it retails in the US starting from $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB and $399 for 64GB of storage. However, the all-new back aluminium casing allows some unique twist to the colours of the iPhone 5; it’s available in Black & Slate and White & Silver backing. It’s a stunner to look at.

Download the new YouTube app by Google here.

Released to the wild 7 hours ago, it was an entirely different animal compared to the standalone YouTube app made by Apple. Gone was the straightforward one-tap access to Featured, Top Rated, My Videos, etc. The interface takes cues from Twitter for iPad and the new Facebook app where you swipe to the right to view more options, such as your Accounts, Channels that you’ve subscribed, Settings, as well as Categories of videos. The app seems to perform fine and smooth, even for a low-specced iPod touch. Synonymous with other Google iOS apps, it relies on a slow UIWebViews, most obviously when you log in to your account for the first time. Heck, it even resembles the YouTube’s mobile site.

While it’s not as pretty as Apple’s 5-year old YouTube app, it does deliver some additional features that has since existed on other platforms, notably more sharing options including the troubled Google+, more compatible videos including the official music videos by major artists, and even voice search. The downside? You can’t upload videos to YouTube from your iOS devices anymore, and doesn’t even integrate with the iOS systemwide when you click on any YouTube link.

Overall, it’s great to have one just a few days before the expected iOS 6 release. While we’ll continue to see increasing pressure between both companies, the end result will benefit us the most with an even better products and services in the future.

Hey, remember this video where Apple featured the HD capability of the YouTube app for the first-gen iPad? On second thought, Google’s YouTube is not universal (yet); it’s made for the iPhone.