iOS 6 users face Wi-Fi, connectivity issues

IOS 6, Apple’s latest operating system, came with a lot of features and improvements. However, it has brought along its fair share of bugs and problems too. After the Maps app debacle, which resulted in CEO Tim Cooks issuing an apology, it appears iOS 6 may also cause problems when connecting to Wi-Fi.If the discussion threads on Apple’s support forums are anything to go by – one of which is currently 123 pages long – some iOS 6 users are unable to switch on Wi-Fi on their devices, while others are complaining of not being able to connect to Wi-Fi networks in spite of having Wi-Fi enabled. Other threads on the support forum highlight another problem with Apple devices not being able to connect with Netgear modems or routers after being upgraded to iOS 6.

With reports indicating that over 60 percent of all Apple users have upgraded to iOS 6, this does seem like a significant problem for Apple. One of our colleagues who owns an iPhone 4 and recently upgraded to iOS 6, however, reported no issues with the Wi-Fi not working. He does complain about the Maps app though, but who doesn’t?

Apple’s iPhone 5 launch was marred by users taking to social media and blogs to complain about geographical errors and missing information on the maps feature, which is based on TomTom's map data. The company decided to forego the use of Google Maps in favour of an app that was developed in-house. The app is receiving many complaints due to the high level of inaccuracies. Following the debacle, CEO of Apple Tim Cook issued an apology to users of iOS 6, and suggested alternatives to the Maps app till Apple fixes it.

In his statement, Tim Cook said, "We are extremely sorry for the frustration this has caused our customers and we are doing everything we can to make Maps better...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".

However, analysts are of the opinion that due to the demand for the latest iPhone, the iPhone 5 will not be affected despite the bad publicity gained by Apple Maps. Sterne Agee, analyst at Shaw Wu, said that the demand for the iPhone5 continues to be high despite the under-par Maps service present on its operating system. 

Apple still estimates a ship time of three to four weeks for the iPhone 5. Complaints over the many mistakes in Apple Maps have surfaced since the app debuted two weeks ago. But Wu sees this as a short-term problem, and one that may have been unavoidable. 

Since Maps is software-based, the analyst is confident that Apple will make the program "more powerful and refined" over time. Google Maps has been touted as a better solution, especially since it was kicked out to make room for Apple Maps. But Google's product had its own growing pains, Wu noted.

Here’s hoping for the sake of iOS 6 users that Apple fixes this glitch soon.

Apple's Passbook app: rubbish mobile wallet for your iPhone

Millions of iPhone users on iOS6 now have access to a mobile wallet with Apple’s Passbook app. But it's not very good.

Passbook is a new feature that comes with the latest Apple iOS6 update. Millions of iPhone users will now have the app, which is being heralded as the latest mobile wallet. But if you ask me, Passbook falls a bit short.

How it works
Passbook is designed to securely store and organise most of the stuff that could be cluttering up your wallet, bag or pocket.

Users can store compatible gift cards, loyalty cards, coupons, film tickets and even boarding passes in one place using the app.

So you can pay for your coffee at Starbucks by integrating the store payment card app and have your boarding pass ready for a flight with American Airlines, all using the same programme.

Presently only a few companies have come on board to integrate with Passbook. These include Ticketmaster, Lufthansa, American Airlines, Starbucks, United Airlines, Fandango, Gyft, Target and Live Nation.

So if you don’t have anything to do with these businesses your virtual wallet may feel a bit empty!

Features
Passbook makes the most of geo-location, using time and locality to provide updates or present the appropriate reward card, gift card, coupon, pass or ticket without you needing to search for it.

So if you have integrated your flight tickets with the Passbook you will receive updates like gate changes automatically. Or if you're near a Starbucks store, Passbook will ready your Starbucks Payment Card to pay for your coffee.

It is smart technology we have come to expect from Apple, but something is missing.

Near Field Communication
One feature that technology commentators have noted is missing from Passbook and the new iPhone 5 is Near Field Communication (NFC). NFC technology enables contactless payments using mobiles in thousands of shops by linking a bank account, pre-paid account or credit card to your handset. Instead Apple Passbook uses existing QR codes and barcodes for redemption and access.

Underwhelmed
The Passbook seems great for collating some ad hoc apps but less so for actually paying for things with a credit card, debit card or bank account – which is surely what a mobile wallet is all about.

Even the rumour that American Express could be joining Passbook doesn’t quite live up to expectations. This particular integration is likely to mean you can get real time information about your credit card account, review recent purchases and get access to relevant offers. But you won’t be able to pay for anything.

[SPOTLIGHT]Commentators believe Apple may be hedging its bets to wait for the chaos in the mobile payment industry to settle. If NFC technology prevails, it will involve Apple paying for new hardware. But if NFC fails PayPal might be a cheaper option for Apple.

Verdict
For me the Passbook app falls short of being a complete mobile wallet. I feel the current mix of companies and what their Passbook features offer are missing something.

It seems that the Passbook is just acting as a storeroom for other apps that already allow quick and convenient access or in some cases payment for specific stores. It doesn't appear like something we could use to replace our wallets with just yet. For more on this phenomenon read: Contactless payments: the end for cash?

However, I have no doubt that the Apple Passbook will act as a great platform for more innovation. Plus it will be interesting to see how retailers will redesign existing apps for use in Passbook. Perhaps in time Apple will enter the mobile payments industry or will allow third party mobile payment integrations.

Alternatives
If Passbook is failing to live up to your expectations of a mobile wallet take a look at the alternatives.

Google wallet – an app thatallows users to store debit cards, credit cards, loyalty cards, gift cards and special offers. You can use the information held to shop online and in-store through NFC technology for contactless mobile payments. Google Wallet is available on android phones.

O2 wallet - is an app thatworks like a virtual wallet giving you the option to sync all your cards with your mobile making shopping online even easier. You can also send money messages and compare prices.O2 Wallet is available on iOS, RIM and Android phones. For more read O2 Wallet: send money to friends and shop using your mobile phone.

Orange Quick Tap - enables you to pay for things with your phone in the same way a contactless card works. It works in more than 100,000 UK stores for purchases under £20, but the technology is limited to only a few phones like the Samsung Galaxy SIII.

Barclays Pingit - allows customers to send and receive money through a mobile phone number. It is the first mobile-to-mobile payment service and the app is available on iOS, Android and RIM phones. For more see Barclays launches Pingit mobile-to-mobile payments

What do you think? Have you found the Passbook useful so far? What other updates could make it a better mobile wallet?

Google Maps For iOS 6: Hacker Claims Jailbreak Ports Google Maps App To iOS 6

Amidst widespread dissatisfaction over iOS 6's Apple Maps application, a hacker has reportedly managed to successfully port the beloved and sorely missed Google Maps app on to Apple's new operating system.

Over the weekend, hacker Ryan Petrich tweeted he was able to get the iOS 5.1 version of Google Maps running on the recently released iOS 6, Apple Insider However, Petrich, who demonstrated the solution in a YouTube video, admitted the workaround was "still crashy" and had only been successful on an updated iPhone 3GS (not the iPhone 5 just yet).

According to The Next Web, the hacker also confirmed that a jailbreak is required to make the Google Maps app functional in iOS 6.

Petrich has yet to disclose the details of his solution to the public but appeared to hint that he would publish the information if and when he gets it working properly.

For those confused by all this hubbub over the maps application, here's a quick update:

The Google Maps app is not available on the iPhone 5 or any device running iOS 6 -- and the Apple Maps app which has replaced it is said to be less than optimal.

Since Apple's iOS 6 software was released last week, users around the world have "complained about the inconsistencies and errors with Apple Maps, which has mislabeled major cities, erased entire towns, shows airports where there are none, and doesn't provide transit directions," according to an earlier report by The Huffington Post. 

Apple is reportedly aggressively recruiting ex-Google Maps staff to flesh out its new maps application, but hackers like Petrich are attempting to fill the void in the meantime.

On a related note, a jailbreak for iOS 6 was released a few days ago, but it doesn't work on new devices. At the moment, it is said to only work for older A4-powered devices, such as the iPhone 4 and the iPod touch 4th-generation.

Over the weekend, well-known iOS hacker Grant Paul (also known as "chpwn") claimed to have jailbroken the iPhone 5. However, he has yet to publish the code so it is unclear as to whether or not the jailbreak really works.

Achieved through the use of hardware and/or software exploits, jailbreak allows users to download additional applications, extensions and themes that would otherwise be unavailable through the Apple App store, as in the case of Petrich and the Google Maps app workaround. It’s a process that Apple has attempted to put a stop to in the past, but has "so far failed to combat successfully," t3.com notes. Jailbreak sometimes also allows users to download pirated material.The iOS 6 is not without its perks, however. Click through this slideshow to see the seven awesome features developers have found so far in the iOS 6 beta you may not know about:

YouTube on iOS 6, back to old school method

There’s some intriguing news today for iOS device users who use the YouTube app but are unhappy with the latest version as it seems one ingenious developer has managed to install the odd school style YouTube on iOS 6, without having to jailbreak the device. We also have a video to show you the method in action so read on for more details.

Many iOS device owners are happily using the latest YouTube app but it has to be said that there are some people who have voiced their displeasure with the new-style app, although not to the same extent as complaints about the Apple Maps app. One of the features that some missed from the older version YouTube iOS app was the ability to upload video from the app. News then that one hacker has managed to get the old-style YouTube app working on iOS 6 might please many readers, although the method hasn’t yet been revealed. However we’re informed that the person who masterminded this, Daniel Levi, is in the process of coming up with an installation tutorial.

News of the old YouTube app successfully working on iOS 6 came to us from iDigitalTimesand you can view the video below showing the evidence that this has been achieved. Levi states that this is the first time that the iOS 5.1 YouTube app has been successfully installed on an iOS 6 device without the device already being jailbroken. His method took him around 48 hours to achieve on his iPhone 5 and Levi also claims that he didn’t have to jailbreak the new iPad to get the new iPhone’s native app suite working on the tablet either.Although some of you may be eagerly waiting for details about how to get the old YouTube app working on your iOS 6 device, sadly you’ll have to wait a little longer yet. However, as we said previously, a tutorial for how to do it is in the pipeline although we have no way of knowing how long this may take to appear. It’s certainly interesting to hear that it can be done though and we shall, of course, keep readers informed with further developments about this.

Are you unhappy with the latest YouTube app and would like to return to the old YouTube on your iOS 6 device? Will you be waiting for the installation tutorial? Send your comments to let us know.