IOS 4.3 Now Available For Download 346
tekgoblin writes "Apple has just released iOS 4.3 for download from iTunes. The update from Apple includes enhancements to Apple Airplay, Safari, iPad side switch, and the Personal hotspot feature for the iPhone 4. I personally welcome the feature to make the 'mute button' on the iPad back into the screen orientation lock."
Xcode no longer free (Score:5, Interesting)
The bigger news today is that Apple has decided that developing for iOS or the Mac, without even submitting anything to their respective app stores, is now no longer free. Developers registered in the $99 iOS or Mac developer program get it as part of their subscription, but all others have to pay $4.99 [apple.com] now.
While $4.99 is chump change, it just seems like an odd thing to do and comes across as greedy. Seriously, they aren't going to make any significant amount of money from this, so why bother? I can't imagine what they were thinking. All it does is serve as yet another roadblock, albeit low-priced, to getting into the walled garden. I imagine a lot of young, aspiring developers will see this and look elsewhere instead. Maybe that's a good thing?
Interesting Timing (Score:4, Interesting)
Unwanted feature - the D word (Score:1, Interesting)
A feature I wish it didn't come with... 30% of subscription revenues from "publishers" like Netflix, Amazon Kindle etc.
See http://voices.washingtonpost.com/fasterforward/2011/02/apple_30_percent_subscription_tax.html [washingtonpost.com]
An app was already pulled for not paying up: http://blog.readability.com/2011/02/an-open-letter-to-apple/ [readability.com]
Ironically it's the same app's OSS code that Apple used to implement the Readability function in Safari...
http://downloadsquad.switched.com/2010/06/08/think-safari-reader-looks-familiar-thats-because-apple-used-op/ [switched.com]
I guess no company is exempt from extreme corporate greed... sad to see other companies(especially little startups like Readability) get trampled on the way.
1. High margin sales of iDevices to iUsers
2. 30% of all app sales on all the iDevices by iUsers
3. 30% of all subscription revenue that all iUsers pay on all iDevices (will be implemented soon)
4. ???
5. Overtake oil baron Exxon Mobil as the world's largest publicly traded company with most market capitalization (well, gas prices are going up too.. will be interesting to see who wins this one)
Time to jailbreak 3GS (Score:4, Interesting)
Usually, I'm quick to mod things (game consoles, etc), but for nearly two years I've stayed "legit" with my iPhone 3GS. I figured that as long as Apple gave me first-class features and updates, I'd stick with them.
I almost jailbroke when 4.2 came out because "find my phone" wasn't available (for free) on the 3GS, but luckily discovered a workaround to make it happen.
For 4.3, I was looking forward to the WiFi hotspot feature. But today, I discover that you only get this on the iPhone 4. The 3GS just keeps the same old USB and Bluetooth tethering, renamed to "personal hotspot".
I don't begrudge Apple for being unwilling/unable to add the coolest new features to the 3GS, but if the jailbreak community can take better care of me then I guess that's where I'll have to go.