iOS 9 bricks iPhones repaired with 3rd party Touch ID / Components [Error 53]

3rd-party repairs provide such repairs that you usually won’t notice the difference and are often way cheaper than getting services from official Apple Stores. But, with iOs 9 update, things seems to be changing. Apple’s iOS 9 software update is reportedly bricking devices that have gone through third-party repairs and some of the components have been replaced with unofficial alternatives.

Many iPhone owners who have had their devices repaired at a 3rd-party center are now encountering an “Error 53” after updating to iOS 9 software releases. The majority of the affected devices are those that have gone through Display replacement that incorporates new Touch ID sensors.

The error is reportedly being caused only after the iOS 9 update is installed because users have been using their devices without any problem after getting it repaired from a 3rd party repair center. The moment they install iOS 9, the error 53 popped up, effectively rendering their iPhone useless. Apple has doesn’t provide any prior warning related to the after-effects of third-party component replacement. The user also loses all of his/her data on the device.
Antonio Olmos, a freelance photographer working on an assignment for The Guardian, found it the hard way:

I was in the Balkans covering the refugee crisis in September when I dropped my phone. Because I desperately needed it for work I got it fixed at a local shop, as there are no Apple stores in Macedonia. They repaired the screen and home button, and it worked perfectly.

Olmos kept on using the device without any problem until he went for the iOS 9 update route. He ended up with error 53, Apple could not offer a fix, and he had to get a replacement device for £270. The error 53 seems to be pretty widespread which seems normal given the popularity of the iPhone.
Kyle Wiens of the iFixit says:

The problem occurs if the repairer changes the home button or the cable. Following the software upgrade the phone in effect checks to make sure it is still using the original components, and if it isn’t, it simply locks out the phone. There is no warning, and there’s no way that I know of to bring it back to life.

Apple has responded to The Guardian confirming that the error 53 is real and provides the following explanation:

We protect fingerprint data using a secure enclave, which is uniquely paired to the touch ID sensor. When iPhone is serviced by an authorised Apple service provider or Apple retail store for changes that affect the touch ID sensor, the pairing is re-validated. This check ensures the device and the iOS features related to touch ID remain secure. Without this unique pairing, a malicious touch ID sensor could be substituted, thereby gaining access to the secure enclave. When iOS detects that the pairing fails, touch ID, including Apple Pay, is disabled so the device remains secure.
When an iPhone is serviced by an unauthorised repair provider, faulty screens or other invalid components that affect the touch ID sensor could cause the check to fail if the pairing cannot be validated. With a subsequent update or restore, additional security checks result in an ‘error 53’ being displayed … If a customer encounters an unrecoverable error 53, we recommend contacting Apple support.

Now it is unclear whether Apple introduced the error 53 to provide more security to the iPhone users, or it’s an attempt to force iPhone users to get their devices repaired only at pricey Apple Stores. Error 53 is not new, but it is only now that media is covering it in greater details and it looks like it is going to cause lots of controversy.
If you’ve encountered “Error 53”, let us know in the comments section below.

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New iPhone 7 concept shows an incredibly cool design

We often see some awesome pieces of conceptual designs for the future iPhone devices and most of them are impractical but still fanciful. This latest iPhone 7 concept is as unlikely as any other impractical future iPhone concepts, but the designer has made the concept an incredibly cool one by adding a 5-inch secondary display on the back, water-resistance to a design that is just 3mm thick with an edge-to-edge main display.

The designer has conceptualised and incorporated all possible features that one can desire in an iPhone. Some of the prominent features shown in the concept include a 5-inch display with no bezel (edge-to-edge) that takes up all the real-estate of the front-side of the device, a secondary display that covers the back side of the conceptualised device, an all-new stereo audio system, wireless charging, and water resistance. All of this is packed inside a body made of liquid metal. Herman Haidin is the designer who articulated this piece, who thinks that there won’t be any need for the ports and buttons in future iPhone devices, that’s why you won’t find any port or button in the photos of the concept. He believes that the wireless charging, Bluetooth, and WiFi connectivity will be all needed in the future.

It’s highly unlikely of Apple to add all the features conceptualized in this design into a real future iPhone. Nevertheless, the design is one of the coolest concepts that we have seen for a future iPhone to date.

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You can Upgrade your 16GB iPhone to 128GB for around $60

When you are going to buy an iPhone, you end up choosing from the three available storage capacities: the bare-bone 16GB model, and the models with more storage capacity such as 64GB and 128GB. The later two are probably the best options for you given the current capabilities of the video cameras and size of the latest iOS apps and games. However, getting a model with larger capacity does cost you more; $100 more for moving up to 64GB from 16GB and a staggering $200 for moving up to 128GB from 16GB. If paying that much to get more storage capacity is going to be too much for you, then you’ll be happy to learn that there is a cheaper alternative but for that, you must be visiting Shenzhen, China.

In the Shenzhen market of the China, there is this particular company reported by BeSound, which makes it possible to get your iPhone’s internal memory upgraded, at a very cheaper price as compared to Apple’s official pricing. For those who have an out of warranty iPhone 6, or do not mind voiding their warranty, the Chinese company can upgrade your 16GB iPhone 6 internal storage all the way up to 128GB, just for around $60. An upgrade to 32GB internal storage costs only $20, and you can also go up to 64GB for $35.
The internal storage upgrade process involves disassembly of the iPhone 6 to replace the installed flash storage chip with a new flash chip manufactured by Toshiba with more capacity. All the information stored on the old flash chip is also transferred to the new storage chip. The iOS is then reinstalled, once done, your device will be rocking a larger storage capacity than before. The whole upgrade process takes around 30 minutes to complete.
The upgrade options are currently limited to the iPhone 6, iPad Air, and some older devices. The guy in the video also reveals that around 50 storage upgrades are being done every single day at the Shenzhen location.
We do not recommend installing a 3rd party storage solution in your iPhone device. However, if you do not mind voiding your warranty or your device is already out of warranty, and you can make it to the Shenzhen market, it’s indeed a way cheaper and quicker option to get more storage available in your iPhone devices.

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‘iPhone 7’ to have a flush rear camera and antenna bands removed from the back

iPhone 7 rumors mill has started picking up its pace and a recent report sheds some light on the design choices Apple has gone with for its upcoming iPhone revision, widely referred to as an iPhone 7.

In a new report, Macrumors – citing some of its undisclosed sources, reveals some new details about the design changes Apple is going to introduce in its iPhone 7 model. One bit of the report talks about potentially good camera redesign. The report states that the iPhone 7 camera won’t have a bump on the back and it will be flushed with the body of the device. Going back to flushed camera design from a protrude design as found on iPhone 6/6s/Plus will be a welcomed design change for many iPhone fans.

With another rumor making rounds claiming that the larger iPhone 7 Plus will have a dual-camera system, this recent report fails to provide any information whether that pair of rear cameras will also be flushed with the body or not.
Another welcomed change from the design point of view that Apple is reportedly planning to introduce in iPhone 7 is related to the antenna bands found on the iPhone 6/6s/Plus. MacRumors reports that iPhone 7 will be designed in such a way that will remove the antenna bands from the back of the smartphone. However, the antenna bands will still be present at the top and bottom edges of the device. Removal of antenna lines from the back cover will surely give iPhone 7 a sleeker look over its predecessors.
While Apple is known for launching a redesigned iPhone model after ever ‘s’ model release, but the report says otherwise. The report indicates that the iPhone 7 will have looks identical to the current iPhone 6s. If this turns out to be true, it’ll be interesting to see the reaction of the masses.
[via MacRumors]

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AT&T brings back unlimited data plans for DirectTV and U-Verse Subscribers

While the unlimited data plans from many carriers have been phased out over the past few years and replaced with “data buckets” for individuals and families to be consumed within a given month. But AT&T is now going to launch a brand new version of its unlimited data plan tomorrow.

AT&T is now bringing back its unlimited data plan which the number two wireless carrier in the US had phased out years ago, but there are some big catches. The wireless carrier is re-launching its unlimited data plan as a cross-promotion with its DirectTV and U-Verse TV services. If you are going to subscribe any of these two Television services, both offered by AT&T, then you can subscribe for an unlimited data plan every month from the wireless carrier.
If you are already a subscriber of either DirectTV or U-Verse, and already using AT&T as its carrier, you can signup for an unlimited data plan which starts at $100, and after that it’s $40 per line. If you add four smartphones on a single plan, you’ll earn enough credit that makes fourth line free. It means you’ll be charged $180 per month in total for unlimited data plan, talk time, and text on all four lines. However, you’ll be paying the full $220 for the first two months before the free credit for fourth line kicks in.

This unlimited plan is also limited to smartphones. If you want to use it on your iPad, you’ll need to pay additional $40 to add the tablet to the plan. So this plan can quickly get pricey.
These new unlimited data plans will be starting tomorrow. Does this new unlimited data plan strike fancy? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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Apple facing a class action lawsuit for Data overage caused by iPhone 5s/5 WiFi defect

Apple introduced Wi-Fi Assist feature in iOS 9, which allowed iOS devices to automatically use cellular connection when the WiFi connection is poor. This feature ended up gobbling GBs of data for many customers who were not familiar how the feature worked, this is why Apple is facing a class-action lawsuit over Wi-Fi Assist feature of iOS 9. Now in addition to this, Apple is now facing another lawsuit over iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s automatically switching to LTE network from Wi-Fi for AT&T subscribers.

Verizon users were also experiencing the same data automatic switching to LTE issue on iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s devices, but Apple had addressed the issue with an Over-the-Air update back in September 2012. However the issue persisted with iOS 6 and iOS 7 for the AT&T users and was only fixed with iOS 8.1 update back in October 2014, states Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, the law firm.
The law firm states that when a user stream a video over Wi-Fi network for 10-20 minutes on his iPhone 5 or iPhone 5s, the video compression process is handled by the GPU and the CPU of A6 and A7 chips go into sleep mode to save battery. This is when the both devices start streaming the video over an LTE connection switching from WiFi network.
Verizon didn’t charge its customers for crossing their data limit because of this iOS bug, but AT&T did not wave off data overage charges for its affected subscribers. Since Apple failed to informed its customers about this automatic network switching, it violated the California consumer laws, argues the law firm.
Are you one of such affected iPhone 5 or iPhone 5s users? If you, you can be a part of this class-action lawsuit by signing up here.
Via [MacRumors]

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GeoHot is building a self-driving car to take on Tesla

George Hotz, better known as “Geohot“, is the father of carrier-unlocking iPhone which allowed users to use their iPhone with other unofficial carriers as well. He’s also one of the pioneers of early iPhone jailbreaking scene. After a long absence from iOS jailbreaking and unlocking scene, he appeared on the scene again but with a PlayStation jailbreak. But didn’t took his reverse engineering efforts lightly and GeoHot had to face legal actions from Sony but later he settled with the company. Once again, the same GeoHot has come up with an idea of building a self-driving car of his own, according to Bloomberg Businessweek.

Similar to what he did to the iPhones, and Playstation, he has now done the same to an ordinary 2016 Acura ILX sedan. GeoHot has managed to turn his Acura into a self-driving car and did achieve all that by working in his garage. He attached a 21.5-icnh display, a joystick, mounted a camera near the rearview mirror and put a laser-based radar on the roof to turn his car into a self-driving vehicle.

We’re on the brink of another industrial revolution now. The entire Internet at the moment has about 10 brains’ worth of computing power, but that won’t always be the case.

He has written his own software that runs on a Linux-based machine to handle the cameras and sensors. He claims his software to be a self-teaching artificial intelligence that uses data from the vehicle and driver to learn from their choices. His self-driving vehicle is not depending on a software which comes with a preprogrammed rules for driving, it learns from the drivers and training miles.

Interestingly enough, his achievement is said to have impressed Elon Musk, the founder, and co-owner of Tesla Motors, so much that he offered Hotz to work for him on homegrown Autopilot software along with a multimillion-dollar bonus, but he declined. GeoHot claims, in a coming few months, he will have a video of his self-driving car outperforming a Tesla across Golden Gate Bridge.

I’m happy to work out a multimillion-dollar bonus with a longer time horizon that pays out as soon as we discontinue Mobileye. I’m a big Elon fan, but I wish he didn’t jerk me around for three months,” he says. “He can buy the technology for double.

Currently, GeoHot is running his own company called comma.ai and is trying to best Mobileye – a major supplier of driving assistance systems to most of the big names including Tesla. Hotz is building his own $1000 kit using off-the-shelf components consisting of six cameras that would be placed around the car and a smart control software. He’s planning on selling the kit directly to consumers who would buy customized vehicles at a showroom run by Hotz.

The truth is that work as we know it in its modern form has not been around that long, and I kind of want to use AI to abolish it. I want to take everyone’s jobs. Most people would be happy with that, especially the ones who don’t like their jobs.
Let’s free them of mental tedium and push that to machines. In the next 10 years, you’ll see a big segment of the human labor force fall away. In 25 years, AI will be able to do almost everything a human can do. The last people with jobs will be AI programmers.

GeoHot is known as the first person to carrier unlock the very first iPhone. He also released popular jailbreak tools such as Limera1n and Blackra1n.
via [Bloomberg]

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Apple to launch iPad Air 3 without 3D Touch in March and iPhone 7 in September next year

Apple will be launching a newer model of its iPad Air lineup, widely referred to as an iPad Air 3, in the month of March next year and the next-generation of iPhone devices (iPhone 7?) will be launching in the month of September next year, suggests the recent note from KGI securities’ top analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

The most surprising bit in Kuo’s latest note to investors is that the analyst believes Apple won’t include 3D Touch technology in its upcoming iPad Air 3 model. He blames the supply issues for the lack of 3D Touch in upcoming iPad Air 3 and notes that the production of Apple’s new pressure sensitive component is still well below 30 percent, which makes it harder for Apple to introduce it in its upcoming revision of the iPad Air lineup.
Apple usually launches its new iPad models towards the end of every year, but Kuo believes that the company has decided to skip doing so this year and launch the new iPad Air 3 in March 2016. This year, the company launched an all new 12.9-inch iPad Pro alongside its new iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. Other than kuo’s note on the lack of 3D Touch, it is still unclear what new feature will the iPad Air 3 come packed with.
Other than the iPad Air 3, Kuo also talked about iPhone 7 in his recent note to investors. Kuo believes that the iPhone 7 with 3D Touch is on track for launch in 2016 and it will feature “similar technology and structure” as the current iPhone 6s.
KGI analyst has also predicted iPhone 7 to be as thin as iPod Touch. Some rumors suggest that the iPhone 7 won’t be getting the rumored OLED display technology for iPhone lineup and the next iPhone will be a waterproof iPhone 7 with 3GB of RAM.
via [MacRumors]

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20 Christmas Wallpapers for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6

Christmas is upon us. The crazy shopping time is about to end and we are soon going to turn to the kitchen to bake some of our favorite goodies. It is the best time to give yourself a little bit of seasonal cheer by decorating your iPhone with Christmas themed iPhone wallpapers and backgrounds. Besides decorating your home, there are many other ways to get into the festival mood and using Christmas themed wallpapers on your iPhone is one of them.

Here we have compiled a list of best Christmas wallpapers for iPhone 6s or iPhone 6 that will not only beautify your personal device but also add a seasonal touch to it. Just put these wallpapers on your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6 and enjoy the very moment of celebration!
Also, check out:

• iPhone 6s Wallpapers

Christmas wallpapers for iPhone 6s / 6

All of these iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Chrismas wallpapers comes in 1334 x 750 pixels resolution, which is native to both of these iPhone models. Here are all the best 20 Christmas wallpaper for your iPhone 6s/6:

Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6


Download: iPhone 6s / 6

How to Download Christmas Wallpapers

To download the above Christmas wallpapers:

• Visit this page on your iPhone 6s or iPhone 6 and simply tap on the download link right below the wallpaper image. Once the full-sized image loads, tap and hold on the image, and then save it. Now go to Settings > Wallpaper > Camera Roll. Choose your saved image and set as wallpaper.
• From a desktop computer, click on the download link right below the wallpaper, let the full-sized image load. Then right-click on the image and save it to your iTunes sync folder.

Enjoy your holidays!

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Apple has been working on an in-house GPU for several years [Rumor]

Apple has been using its own A-branded processor chips inside all of its iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices since several years now. These A-branded chips have gained much attention as high-performing chipsets that power Apple’s smartphones and tablets. Along with these A-branded chips, another new chip could be getting some of the limelight soon, if a recent rumor is to be believed.

As Alan Kay’s famous quote goes: “People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware,” and Apple has been following this concept quite literally. Many of the hardware components found inside Apple devices such as the processing chip, motion co-processor, Taptic engine, Touch ID in iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch are designed by Apple itself.
While Apple’s A-branded processor comes with Apple’s custom cores and microarchitecture, still these chips use numerous graphic chips developed by Imagination Technologies. A new rumor suggests that Apple has been working on developing its own graphics processing unit for mobile devices in an effort to reduce its dependency on Imagination Technologies.
According to this  new rumor, Apple has been working on an in-house graphics chip meant for its iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch lineup for quite some time now. The report indicates that the fruit company has been hard at work to develop its own graphics chip for its mobile devices for several years now, but it is not clear when, or even if, a final version of Apple’s in-house GPU chip – ready for installation in future iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch devices, will even see the light of day.
The report also suggests that Apple’s next year iPhone model, the iPhone 7, won’t be getting this new GPU chip.
via [GforGames]

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Apple releases tvOS 9.1 for Apple TV 4

In addition to releasing iOS 9.2 for iPhone, iPad, and the iPod Touch devices, Apple has also released tvOS 9.1 software update for the new Apple TV 4. This is the first major update released after a minor software update: tvOS 9.0.1, which was pushed in November.

tvOS 9.1 comes with a build number 13U85 and brings numerous tweaks, bug fixes and under the hood improvements to the Apple TV software. Apple had rebranded its Apple TV software as tvOS and launched it back in October.
With tvOS 9.1, Apple’s own Remote app now works with the new Apple TV 4 and you can use Siri to search through Apple Music and ask Siri to play a song of your choice using voice controls.

How to download and install tvOS 9.1 on Apple TV 4

Depending on the settings you have set, your Apple TV 4 should either automatically display a prompt to install the downloaded tvOS 9.1 OTA update, or it could automatically update to latest software version without user intervention.
If you have chosen to manually install any tvOS update, then you can install it by going into Settings > System > Software Updates > Update Software on your Apple TV. The update prompt should now appear. It is normal if you are not seeing the update prompt yet because changes take some time to get propagated through the internet.
Please note that the Apple TV 3 or older Apple TV devices are not compatible with tvOS.

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Japan Display negotiating to provide OLED displays for iPhone 8 [Report]

According to Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, a Japanese website, Japan Display plans to begin manufacturing OLED displays for future iPhone models on massive scale in Spring 2018. In case you’re not familiar, Japan Display is one of Apple’s supply chain partners responsible for providing display panels for the iPhones.

In an effort to win OLED display orders from Apple against the competing OLED suppliers such as Samsung and LG, executive team of Japan Display has already started negotiating with Apple, the report states.
Apple has been using LCD display panels in all of its iPhone devices launch since 2007. Japan Display is one of the two major Apple’s LCD display panel suppliers for the current iPhone models alongside Sharp, another Japanese company. Japan Display was incorporated back in 2012 as a result of a joint venture by Hitachi, Sony and Toshiba.
Ming-Chi Kuo of the KGI Securities, who has a great track record when it comes to predicting Apple’s future product plans, reported last month that Apple does not plan on switching to OLED display technology for at least next three years. Nikkei, a Japanese website, also reported that Apple plans on introduction OLED technology in its Phone lineup in 2018. Apple may also continue to offer some iPhone models with LCD display to meet the demand.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported last month that iPhones are unlikely to have OLED displays for at least the next three years, and Japanese website Nikkei confirmed that Apple plans to switch to OLED displays for iPhones starting in 2018. Apple may continue to offer some iPhone models with LCD displays to fulfill demand.
Most of the Samsung high-end smartphones comes equipped with AMOLED displays just like the Apple Watch. There are some advantages of using OLED panels including sharper images, brighter colors and better color accuracy as compared to the LCD display panels. But the OLED technology generally has a shorter life span and its manufacturing cost is also higher.
If these rumors turns out to be true and Apple continues to launch new iPhone models based on the current naming and release cycle, 2018 is the year when Apple will be launching its iPhone 8 model as its first smartphone featuring an OLED display panel.
[MacRumors]

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iOS 9.1 Jailbreak Status Update

Can I jailbreak iOS 9.1 on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch? Here we look at the state of the jailbreak with Apple having now released iOS 9.1 final version to the public.
After seeding five development betas to registered developers and testers over a period of a month, iOS 9.1 is here, and it’s finally available, but where does that leave those individuals who choose to have a liberated iOS device?

 The introduction of a jailbreak solution last week with Pangu 9 for iOS 9.0, 9.0.1, and 9.0.2 took many by surprise. It was, of course, a very welcome surprise for those who were yearning for an untethered jailbreak on Apple’s latest mobile OS, but it still managed to blindside a lot of individuals. Of course, Pangu 9 release also meant that any vulnerabilities used to exploit iOS essentially enter the public domain, leaving Apple to tear the jailbreak apart and patch any of those holes. It’s widely accepted that the security loopholes used in the latest Pangu jailbreak were patched by Apple in beta 4 of iOS 9.1.
It’s for that reason that it’s vitally important to not go through the process of upgrading to iOS 9.1 if you wish to remain jailbroken. We officially need to wait for actually verified confirmation from Pangu Team that their methods of exploit have been patched by Apple, but in the meantime we can safely assume that this is the case. That really makes iOS 9.1 a danger zone for anyone who is currently enjoying all of the spoils that being jailbroken offers.
If you’ve accidentally gone through the process of upgrading to iOS 9.1 without thinking of the consequences, then it’s definitely advised to downgrade back to iOS 9.0.2 while the signing window is still open on Apple’s side. The same can be said if you’re on an earlier version of iOS and haven’t yet updated to iOS 9.0.2. The signing window won’t last for long though so you better hurry up if you want to update or downgrade to iOS 9.0.2 while it’s still possible. You can find the instructions for it here: Downgrade iOS 9.1 To iOS 9.0.2, Here’s How [Tutorial]. It seems that the age old game of jailbreak cat and mouse between Apple and the teams involved in serving up jailbreak solutions is about to begin once again.
The bottom line is that there’s currently no public jailbreak solution available for iOS 9.1. As previously mentioned, we really need to wait for that official confirmation that the vulnerabilities used for the iOS 9.0 – 9.0.2 jailbreak have been patched. Until then, stay away from the latest version of iOS if you’re a jailbreaker.

Update x1: Apple in a document about iOS 9.1 security has confirmed that they have patched two vulnerabilities found by Pangu team. More details on it can be found here.
Update x2: Apple has now stopped signing iOS 9.0.2 firmware, making it impossible to downgrade from iOS 9.1 for jailbreak.
Update x3: A browser-based untethered jailbreak for iOS 9.1/9.2 apparently exists, but it will likely never be released to the public. Details on it here.
You may also like to check out:

• Download iOS 9.1 Links For iPhone, iPad, iPod touch [IPSW]
• Jailbreak iOS 9, 9.0.2, 9.0.1 With Pangu 9 On iPhone And iPad [Updated]

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How to Use LED flashlight for notifications on iPhone

We often left our iPhone on the other side of the room and missed the vibration alert for an incoming text or a call. Those iPhone users who also own an Apple Wach do not need to worry about such missing any incoming alert because they get those notifications right on their wrist without carrying around the iPhone. However, most of the users still have to carry their iPhone with them in order to be notified of a new incoming alert when the device is in silent or mode.

 If you have used a BlackBerry device in its prime time, you’d probably know that flashing LED light was one of the most useful features. The flash LED would blink itself every twenty seconds to remind of any incoming email that you’ve not yet checked. Numerous top Android phones still offer flashing LED light notification as a built-in feature, but a majority of the iPhone users – despite having it as a feature built into the iOS – are not aware of it.
iOS, Apple’s mobile operating system has an Accessibility section within its Settings application. Specifically designed for people with certain disabilities, the functions available under Accessibility section make people’s lives much easier. However, there are many features under this section that are useful for a wider range of iPhone users. Using iPhone’s camera flash as a visual alert for any incoming notifications is a perfect example of such features.

How to enable LED flashlight for visual notifications on iPhone

Here are the simple steps to use camera flash LED as notification light:

1. Launch the Settings app.
2. Tap on General.
3. Go to Accessibility.
4. Scroll down to the Hearing section and switch the LED Flash for Alerts toggle to ON state.

With this option enables, whenever you receive a new text, email, call, or any other notification, your camera flash light with start blinking to alert you.
If you want to disable LED flashlight notifications, simply follow the above-mentioned steps again, and turn the LED Flash for Alerts toggle to OFF state.
You may also be interested in:

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Facebook testing features to manage relation with an ex after break up

While World’s top internet social network Facebook is all about being social but sometimes one might not want their posts to be seen, or to see posts from certain someone who is still on the friend list. For instance, an ex after break up. An ex, with whom one recently broke up, is an example of the person removing whom from the friends list is not the best option but, you would want Facebook to not show them your status updates, photos, or videos.

In an effort to manage former relations, Facebook is now testing a tool that will help people manage how they interact with a former partner. Users will get access to these tools when they would change their relationship status indicating that they are no longer in a relationship.

This new tool gives users option to manage how much exposure their ex-partner;s name and profile photo gets on their timeline without blocking or unfriending them. This will prevent their posts from showing up on user’s timeline and even their former partner’s name won’t be suggested when tagging friends in Photos or a new Message. The user will also be able to limit access to their status updates, photos, or videos that a former partner will see. Even the users will be able to edit and untag themselves from posts with their former partner.
These tools are currently operational in the US for mobile users and these will be rolled out to more users based on the initial feedback from people, says Facebook. The tools are being offered through Facebook help center and are optional.

Share you thoughts about on this new Facebook features which are meant specifically for people who may be going through difficult moments in their lives.

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iPhone is the most popular camera device in Flickr’s year in review 2015

iPhone has surpassed to become the top camera used by the Flikr users in the year 2015. Flickr, in its latest year in review, reveals that iPhone is the most popular camera device used to capture photos and videos in 2015 by the Flikr community.

That does not mean that the dedicated cameras do not have any place in Flickr’s 2015 year in review. While the smartphones maintain a healthy lead over the dedicated cameras, the photo-sharing review indicates that DSLR is still holding a close second. The latest numbers reveal that Flickr users used smartphone camera 39% of the time to share videos and photos to the service while DSLR devices were used 31% of the time. Point-and-shoot cameras managed to secure 25% while only 3% of the time users used mirrorless cameras to share stuff on Flickr.
When we look at the device wise breakdown of the results, iPhone holds a healthy lead of all other devices including the likes of Canon and Nikon. Specifically, 42% of the total uploads on Flickr in the year 2016 were done using the iPhones, while Canon (EOS) was used 27% of the times, followed by Nikon (D) which was used 16% of the time to upload photos on the service.

A further breakdown of the devices by Flickr reveals that iPhone 6 was the most popular camera smartphone used for sharing on Flickr, followed by the iPhone 5s, and Samsung’s Galaxy S5 managed to secure the third position on the list. Other iPhone models on the list include the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 5 as well. Other prominent brands on the list include the likes of Canon, Sony, Samsung, Nikon, Motorola, and LG.
There is no big change or any element of surprise in this latest Flickr’s year in review stats. iPhone has been leading the popular device on Flickr since iPhone 4 back in 2011, and it seems like this trend won’t be breaking for some time.
via[Flickr]

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4-inch iPhone 6c with colorful metallic enclosure to launch in February 2016 [report]

In a new report, a relatively unknown Chinese website TechWeb claims that Apple will be launching its much-rumored 4-inch iPhone variant, a successor to company’s unapologetic plastic iPhone 5c, in the month of February next year. This yet-to-released 4-inch iPhone model is widely referred to as iPhone 6c.

TechWeb, citing its sources inside Apple’s supply chain who are familiar with the matter, reports that the iPhone 6c, unlike its predecessor, will come enclosed in a metallic body with a range of color options to choose from. In comparison, the iPhone 5c had a plastic polycarbonate body and it was also available in multiple color options to choose from.
An unnamed source of the publication inside Foxconn, Apple’s major partner of assembling many of company’s gadgets including the iPhone, reportedly told TechWeb that the iPhone 6c will officially be unveiled in January 2016 followed by the launch in the month February next year. However, Foxconn has not yet received orders to begin the mass production of the device, TechWeb cautioned.
Apple will make the device available at an affordable price by not including some of the features of latest iPhone devices, such as 3D Touch, reports the publication. However, the device will get the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, the publication suggested. The device is said to cost between $400 to $500 in the United States.
We started hearing about Apple baking a new version of its 4-inch iPhone lineup since earlier this year. Just like this report, many previous reports claimed the new 4-inch iPhone model to come in a metallic enclosure. In another report, Apple is said to be testing multiple iPhone 7 prototypes with unique hardware capabilities such as USB Type-C, wireless charging, Touch ID integrated within the display, dual cameras, and more.
It is advised to take such reports with a pinch of salt. Do you think, we’d see the iPhone 6x earlier next year? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

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