Ios

Apple iMessage and FaceTime not working for some users

10 April 2013 12:48 AM

Apple has confirmed that its iMessage and FaceTime services are not currently working for some users. On Apple’s System Status page, both iMessage and FaceTime are listed as having issues with a note underneath each that reads “Some users affected.” All other services are up.

iPhone owners have already been aware that iMessage is down. As “iPhones” and “iMessage” have both been trending on Twitter in relation to the downtime. If you thought it was just your phone, rest assured it’s not. You will still be able to send messages to friends though, they will just send as normal text messages rather than iMessage’s, of course that means you will have to suffer with those ugly green chat bubbles temporarily.

The issues began around 3:15PM eastern time according to Apple. It’s been a little over three hours now. The actual problem itself is unidentified at this point, so there’s unfortunately no way of knowing when Apple will resolve the iMessage and FaceTime woes.

Apple has a history of having issues keeping up its services like iMessage and iCloud. This is far from the first time iMessage has been down and if I was a betting man, I’d say it probably won’t be the last.

UPDATE 1:30 AM Wednesday, April 10, 2013 (BST): It looks like iMessage and FaceTime is working again.

Feature Points On iOS and Android, Earn Free Money For Downloading Apps

28 March 2013 9:58 PM

Feature Points
Have you ever wanted to get free money? A new app for Android and iOS, Feature Points, is now offering this feature. The old saying “money doesn’t grow on trees” still applies here. However, if you have an Android or iOS device, you can get rewarded just for using your phone.

More specifically, Feature Points works by providing you with a list of free apps. Each app on the list has a number of points connected to it. After you download this app and use it for 30 to 60 seconds, your account should be rewarded with the points.

The app originated on iOS and was just released for Android in February. In our experience with the app over the past 24 hours, we noticed a few bugs with the WebView interface. Otherwise, if you are worried about Feature Points being a scam, you should be reassured by the fact that Chris Pirillo and other tech junkies used it on iOS.

To get started, visit the following list on your mobile device (+50 bonus points included free). So what do you think about being rewarded for downloading free apps? Is it a good marketing strategy or too good to be true? Let us know in the comments below.

LINE – A fun WhatsApp alternative that lets you make calls and chat for free

23 March 2013 10:41 PM

Line

LINE lets you call, chat and send photos to others for free, from your Smartphone, Mac or Computer.

LINE allows you to make free calls to other users of the service. This includes the ability to make calls between the iPhone and Android versions of LINE. The application is easy to set up, allowing you to register with your phone number or email address (the latter option only gives you access to text chat, though.)

The call function of LINE works really well. Although the option to make video calls is missing, the sound quality when making calls is excellent. There is a slight delay in calls both via WiFi and 3G, though the quality is still better than both Fring and Skype.

Text chatting in LINE is easy, with support for group chats of up-to 100 people, and a good selection of emoticons to add to your conversations. Unlike WhatsApp, LINE allows you to chat between the desktop and mobile versions of the application – on the go and at the office!

LINE is a viable alternative to apps like WhatsApp and Viber, allowing you to make free calls on your phone with good audio quality.

Download LINE now free for; iPod/iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Mac OS X, Windows or Windows 8

Apple Store app updates with new delivery options, store availability

13 March 2013 10:48 AM
Apple Store - EasyPay (c) Apple Inc

Apple Store – EasyPay (c) Apple Inc

On Tuesday the Apple Store app has received its first update (version 2.5) since November last year, and it doesn’t add much. There’s new delivery options that allow you to choose different shipping options for separate items in an order, useful if you want to pick up part of your order at an Apple Store then have the rest of it shipped to you.

The app also adds the ability to check and see if an item is available at your closest Apple Store for pick-up, however this feature is only available in the US at this time.

Here are the release notes from the App Store:

  • New delivery options make it even more convenient to get your Apple products. Choose different shipping options for different items in an order.
  • An even easier way to see if the product you want is available for pickup at your favorite Apple Retail Store (U.S. only)

 

The newly updated Apple Store app is a free 5.9MB download from the App Store.

It’s here. Google Maps for iPhone

13 December 2012 6:32 PM

Get the new Google Maps and say hello to Google search, voice guided navigation, transit directions, Street View, and much more. The new Google Maps application for the iPhone became the most downloaded free item in Apple‘s App Store on Thursday, just hours after its launch.

The long-awaited app launched in the early hours of Thursday morning, finally bringing relief to the millions of iPhone users forced to rely on Apple’s own much-maligned mapping system.

The popularity of Google Maps provided an insight into the unpopularity of Apple’s own attempt at providing a map service. Its launch came after Apple ditched its partnership with Google ahead of the launch of iOS6, the most recently launched operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.

“Starting today, we’re pleased to announce that Google Maps is here – rolling out across the world in the Apple App Store. It’s designed from the ground up to combine the comprehensiveness and accuracy of Google Maps with an interface that makes finding what you’re looking for faster and easier.”

Early reviews of Google Maps were overwhelmingly positive. The New York Times described it as “free, fast and fantastic,” concluding that “Google Maps for iPhone is an astonishingly powerful, accurate, beautiful tool“.

The Next Web said the new tool was “pleasantly responsive and feature-rich,” although noted “a few rough spots that suggest it’s been rushed ahead to market“.

The early response to Google Maps is in stark contrast for the widespread despair provoked by Apple’s own attempt at building a mapping system.

Users reported that railway stations had been imagined, the Sears Tower in Chicago had been mislabelled, Paddington Station in London had ceased to exist and searches for ‘London’ directed UK iPhone users to the Canadian London in Ontario, rather than Britain’s teeming metropolis.

Google Maps had been an inbuilt part of the iOS operating system until this year’s update. Apple decided not to renew its licence with Google, reportedly frustrated that Google had refused to allow it access to its voice-directed turn-by-turn navigation and vector graphics for mapping.

The app looks wonderful. It’s easy to navigate and has a very clean interface and it’s free on the App Store.

* You must sign-in with a Google account to bookmark places.

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 5.1 or later. This app is optimized for iPhone 5.