On December 16, Apple will continue the international roll out of the iPhone 4S, launching it in Russia, Brazil, Taiwan, South Africa, the Philippines, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

Apple took over 1 million pre-orders in the first 24 hours in the initial 7 countries where the iPhone 4S launched, and sold through over 4 million sales during the opening weekend.

Although Apple hasn’t put forward any official press release about continuing with the 4S international rollout, carrier partners such as Claro (Brazil) and Russian retailers like Digital.ru have announced the 16th as the magic date with pre-orders already being accepted.

Are you pre-ordering an international iPhone 4S, or picking one up on the 16th? If you're having trouble deciding which generation, color, or capacity to get, we have a complete iPhone 4S buyers guide ready and waiting. Check it out and then come back and tell us which one you’re getting!

Source: MacRumors

Facebook is apparently, buying Gowalla. If you preferred Facebook Places, you’re probably already using it. If you preferred Gowalla, well, looks like you’ll soon be out of luck.

Most of Gowalla’s employees, including founder Josh Williams, will move to Facebook’s offices in Palo Alto. The team will work on Facebook’s Timeline feature, which launched at this year’s F8 conference and is gradually rolling out to Facebook’s 800 million members.

If this pans out, best guess is the Gowalla iPhone and iPad apps aren’t long for this world. They were the only check-in apps I used, and then only when I travelled to conventions. Rather than switching to Facebook or Foursquare, I’ll probably just check out of check-in.

Source: CNN

Some original iPad and fourth-gen iPod touch users have reportedly been met with immediate crashing issues after launching Infinity Blade 2, which launched to wide success yesterday.

For some users Infinity Blade II seems to be running out of memory on their heavily laden iPad1 and iPod Touch devices.

The problem stems from how iOS handles icon caching on your iPhone home screen, where older iOS devices with a large number of apps installed create memory constraints resulting in a force-quit upon launching. The Epic team has let everyone know they’re working hard on a fix and will push an update to the App Store as soon as they can, and in the meantime they’ve updated the App Store description to let users know the problem exists.

Any readers using older iOS hardware running into this?

Source: Epic Games via The Verge

If you’re jailbroken on iOS 5 you’ll definitely want to check out the newly released Springtomize 2. It’s by far one of the easiest ways to customize your device running on iOS 5. To start customizing just purchase Springtomize 2 in Cydia then pop into your Settings app and start tweaking every little aspect of your springboard easily and directly from your device.

Springtomize 2 allows you to tweak icons, folders, animations, app switcher, dock, and much more. If you’ve purchased it already, what are your thoughts? Anything else you’d like to see the ability to customize in a future update?

$2.99 – Cydia Search Link

• PDF Connoisseur – Kdan Enterprise iPad Edition: A versatile, top-notch file reader from Kdan Mobile's PDF product series that includes the following features: Save to PDF, Text to Speech, annotations, file transfer, and more. [$9.99 for iPad - App Store link]

• iDownloader Pro: Easily download anything from the web to your device and then view/play the downloaded files or transfer them to your computer. Now with a multi-tab browser, private browsing, and Wi-Fi sharing! [$1.99 for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Safari Party: Safari Party is a new genre of match-4 action puzzle game where you become a photographer travelling around the globe: Safari, Ocean, North Pole, Forest and Metropole. Take as many photos as you can of more than four animals of the same kind. [Free for iPhone and iPad - App Store link]

• Apple Life i: Swap an apple with an adjacent apple to form a horizontal or vertical chain of apples. The chain should contain 3 or more apples to get eliminated. Bonus points are also given if the chain contains more than 3 apples or if it forms 2 separate chains in a single swap. [Free for iPhone - App Store link]

• Kick the Buddy Episodes: Meet a cheerful Santa Claus on your roof in the new Santa Stops Here episode. Hit the Buddy with a Christmas tree or blow him up with fireworks! And you can do a lot more in this "truly Christmassy game". [$0.99 for iPhone - App Store link]

Any other big app or game releases or updates today?

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

It appears that Syrian authorities are now banning the use of iPhones in their country, seemingly due to activist use of the device to upload violent scenes to web sharing services such as YouTube. While the iPhone as a fast electronic news gathering and viral news tool is well known and well established but this is the first time we’ve seen only the iPhone banned in a country.

The government has already banned several types of social media use after protests started in January of this past year and over 4,000 have been killed. The authorities believe social media apparently has an impact. One activist has this to say –

"It is enough for any tourist or guest visiting Syria to own an iPhone to be a spy suspect."

I don’t think I’ll be visiting Syria with my iPhone anytime soon….

Source: Al Nashara

Have you been dreaming of a free iPhone 4S for the holidays? Wishing for an iPad 2 with your name on it? Hoping for iPod touches or Apple TVs for the whole house? Already saving for an iPad 3 in 2012?

Well you’re in luck! The TiPb Nation is by far the best community on the ‘net and we want to say thank you — and spread a little holiday cheer! — by giving you the iOS device of your dreams!

The Prize: A $600 Apple gift certificate to put towards the iOS device — or devices — of your dreams. An iPhone or iPad for you or your special someone, a couple of iPod touches for the kids, a handful of Apple TVs for the whole family — you could even save it for an iPad 3 when Apple releases it! — whatever you choose!

How to enter: Each week we’ll have a special thread in a different TiPb iOS device forum. Just leave one (1) reply in each thread telling us why you’d love to have that week’s device. You can enter once per week, each week, for a total of four (4) chances to enter over the course of the contest.

The giveaway starts now and the winner will be announced on the iPhone Live podcast on December 28, 2011.

So what are you waiting for? Enter already!

• TiPb iOS Dream Device Giveaway: Week 1 thread!

Have a loved one on your holiday shopping list who uses their iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad for business? Not sure exactly what to gift them? Not a problem, TiPb has you covered! From enterprise to mom-and-pop shops, corner offices to telecommuters, here are some of our favorite device, accessory, and app picks for the business user in your life!

Don't need anything for a business user? Check out the recommendations anyway, something great might still catch your eye. If not, no worries, check out one of our other 2011 holiday gift guides!

Perfect hardware and accessory gifts for business users

No matter how busy your business user is with leveraging synergies and harmonizing capacity, there’s nothing like bringing them back to reality with a present to pick up and unwrap. It’s not just what’s in the package, but the experience that makes it special.

iOS devices

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is becoming increasingly popular in the board room and more and more of those devices are iPhones and iPads. If your business user has a BlackBerry in his or her pocket and a beige box on his or her desk, and iPhone or iPad can can be just what their spirits need to get going again. If they already have an iPhone or iPad, an Apple TV for the board room — or bedroom — can make it easy to push everything from corporate presentations to game breaks to family FaceTime chats onto the big screen.

Not sure which one you should get? Not a problem! Start here:

• iOS device gift guide

Stands and Docks

Business users are, by definition, busy, and they need quick and easy access to their iPhone or iPad. I normally have at least one of them plugged into the computer or wall charging at any given time. I have never been a huge fan of the Apple dock for iPhone or iPad as they don’t typically fit a device with a case on it. I’ve found third party adjustable docks to be much more convenient. Who wants to remove their case every time they want to dock their iPhone or iPad?

• Seidio Desktop Charging Cradle for iPhone is compatible with more than one iPhone model and, since it’s adjustable, it will work without having to remove your case.
• Griffin A-Frame is a sharp-looking, easily adjustable stand that’s compatible with the original iPad and iPad 2.
• Clingo Universal Podium for iPhone is a nifty little stand that will twist and turn to pretty much any position imaginable and supports all iPhone models.
• Element Joule Stand for iPad is a higher end dock made out of aircraft grade aluminum.
• Grassy Lawn Charging Station lets you add a touch of green to an otherwise drab office, cubicle, or desk.

Chargers

The more you use your device, the faster it will run out. That’s just physics. Unfortunately, if you’re away from an outlet or charge cable for long periods of time, that can also lead to a dead device. Whether your business user is frequent flyer, convention attendee, or simply constantly on the go for appointments or consults, they’re going to need to keep their iPhone or iPad charged and ready to work.

• mophie juicepack offers the lighter, more colorful “air” model or the heftier but more powerful “plus” model. The air will recharge your iPhone to roughly 70%, the plus to almost full. Whether your business user values light weight portability or big battery power, the mophie juice pack is a must-have for anyone who is away from a wall outlet for long periods of time.
• Richard Solo 1800 External Battery Pack is for those who prefer to keep their battery and their case separate. This plugs into your dock port, charges your devices, and includes a handy flashlight and laser pointer as well.
• Kensington PowerBolt Duo Car Charger charges two devices simultaneously — and charges them FAST. It’s compatible with all iPhone and iPad models. So if a certain someone spends a lot of time on the road this would make the perfect addition to their workflow.

Extras

There are a wide variety of accessories that let your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad do a lot more than they can on their own, everything from taking a credit card payment, to tracking time, to taking signatures, and creating invoices. This year, why not give your business user something that makes their — and their clients — lives easier?

• Square Readers – As a small business owner, I use Square to take payments while in the field and in the office. The readers are relatively cheap and ultra portable. If you know someone that uses Square I’m sure an extra credit card reader would be appreciated. Especially if they’re anything like me and happen to misplace them frequently due to their tiny size. I always find them weeks later floating around in a random drawer. I’ve just gotten into the habit of having a few extras on hand just in case I can’t remember where I put one.
• Bamboo Stylus for iPad is both functional and beautiful. It’s weighted just right and is the perfect thickness. The length is also perfect – shorter than an average pen, but long enough to be comfortable to hold. Leanna loves it and it’s the number one item on my Christmas list. (A hint to any of my family or friends reading this post!)
• TK-421 iPhone Case with Flip-Out Keyboard is for those who just can’t get over the lack of a physical keyboard on their iPhone. Whether they’ve moved over from a slider on another platform, or just want to take long trips without a laptop and still pound out their email and reports, this keyboard equipped case can come to the rescue!

Super software gifts for business users

While wrapping paper is nice, nothing is faster to buy or easier to ship than software. Whether you load it up for them on their brand new device, or send it half way across the world, it’ll always get there on time and ready to use.

• How to gift iPhone and iPad apps

Productivity apps: Documents to Go

Documents to Go puts your word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation needs into one, Microsoft compatible mobile app, with lots of support for online storage from Dropbox to Box.net. A universal binary, it works on both iPhone and iPad.

• $16.99 – App Store link

Also check out

• Keynote, Numbers, and Pages for Apple’s take on the productivity suite. $9.99 each. Keynote in App Store link, Numbers in App Store link, Pages in App Store link
• Good Reader is a powerhouse for PDF annotating and file management. $2.99 – App Store link
• OmniOutliner helps you collect, compose, and organize your ideas. $19.99 – App Store link
• Todo takes task management to the next level, with sync to Dropbox or iCloud among others. $4.99 – App Store link

Note taking apps: CaptureNotes2

Maybe your business user hasn’t found that one perfect app to make their iPad come to life in the office yet? Well, if they sit in on a lot of meetings, or take a lot of consults, a good note taking app will make the iPad absolutely indispensable.

This gem allows users to type, write and record – at the same time. It’s easy to miss important things that a boss or client says while frantically taking as many notes as possible, so CaptureNotes makes it easy to flag parts of your notes that make it easy to pick up and listen to that exact part of the meeting at a later time. A disadvantage to typing notes has always been the inability to draw diagrams, but with CatpureNotes you can quickly draw a diagram right there with your typed notes. You can also import PDFs and share to Dropbox.

Really, every business user needs this app.

• $4.99 – App Store link

Also check out:

• Noteshelf is a powerhouse note taking app for iPad that keeps you organized and more. $4.99 – App Store link
• Elements is a text editor that syncs with Dropbox and has Markdown support. ‘Nuff said. $4.99 – App Store link
• Evernote stores text, images, and audio for easy reference later. Free – App Store link
• Awesome Note is a note-taker, to-do list, and diary all-in-one. $3.99 for iPhone – App Store link. $4.99 for iPad – App Store link

Travel apps: NAVIGON

If your business user is also a road warrior, give them full fledged turn-by-turn driving directions on their iPhone so you can keep your eyes where they belong — on the road. NAVIGON provides on-board maps which means it keeps working in areas where there’s no data coverage. You can buy regional, country, or continents at a time, and there are also options for live traffic updates, parking directions, and enhanced panoramic views of the surroundings.

• Varies – App Store link

Also check out:

• Flight Tracker Pro for the jet setting business user. $9.88 – App Store link
• Tripit takes all the heavy lifting out of travel. $3.99 – App Store link
• Trip Cubby is an easy to use mileage log for the iPhone. $4.99 – App Store link
• Card Scanner Pro lets you quickly and easily convert a mess of cards into a neatly organized set of contacts. $6.99 – App Store link

Your picks?

You’re a part of Team TiPb too! Have any accessories you think business users would love to get for the holidays? Make sure to let us know what your picks are as well!

A huge Great White Shark was spotted in the wild by a boat owner and luckily for us, he was an iPhone 4S user. We already knew that the iPhone 4S was capable of capturing some fantastic 1080p video content but when you see the result with this magnificent 18 foot long shark in it, it really brings it home. [NSFW-L]

This great white circled our 21ft boat for 20 minutes and made contact with the boat (slapped its tail on the boat). We were about 25 miles southeast of Wrightsville Beach.

There are not many moments when you come face to face with such a stunning sight in the wild. No matter how bad your hat may be, Harry, there is no better phone to have in your pocket than the iPhone 4S!

Source: YouTube via Daring Fireball

Spotify is working on an iPad app and it should be available very soon. Spotify, for those that don't know is a music streaming service that offers a subscription service for mobile devices with features like playlist sync for offline listening.  Spotify Managing Director Chris Maples told Pocket-Lint that it is making an iPad app a priority and it is absolutely in the pipeline.

“We launched recently on Virgin Media’s TiVo platform and our fundamental philosophy is anytime, anywhere,” he said. “Consumers make no differentiation between devices and we want our service to be available on any device that people want it on.”

Spotify is already available for the iPhone and if you want to try it out, Spotify offers a free trial. The trial lasts for 48 hours and then you can extend it for a further 30 days. If you decide to keep it after that, it will cost you $9.99 a month. The addition of an iPad app would certainly be a welcome addition to the service and if done right, could be a very nice experience too. We will let you know as soon as we hear anymore.

Source: Pocket-lint

 

Gifts HD Plus is an iPad apps to help organize your gift lists this Holiday season. Each list is password protected from prying eyes and individual budgets can be tracked. Want to do some online shopping for someone on your list? Gifts HD Plus also has a built in web browser that offers quick access to your todo list for referencing.

• Gifts HD is designed for multiple users in mind, each profile created has his or her own gift list and a password so no one can see gifts you are planning on purchasing.
• Add an unlimited amount of “People to Buy For” and for easy use it will grab names from your contact list if you wish.
• Add a Budget for each “Person to Buy For” and see if your exceeding your limit in one easy screen.
• Track Gift Purchased, Gift Mailed and Gift Wrapped for each person
• Settings configurable to cross people / gifts off your list when a threshold has been met.
• Countdown to Christmas and Chanukah – Both Configurable
• Summary screen shows Total Gifts, Purchased Gifts, Gifts Left to Purchase, Gift Wrapped, Left to Wrap, Estimated Budget, Actual Cost and Cost Per Gift
• TO DO list is a quick glance of who still needs gifts and what actions need to be preformed (Purchase, Mail, Wrap)
• Built in calculator in App
• Built in Web Browser built in the app – Browser automagically bring over your TO DO list so you can see what gifts you need to purchase.
• Email the Summary and TO DO list off to your phone so you can see what you need to purchase and for who on the go!

Gifts HD Plus is available on the iPad for $4.99.

[App Store link]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.

• Subscribe via iTunes: Audio | Video
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• Show notes

Rene, Georgia, and Seth talk iOS 5.1, Siri hacking, iPhone 5 rumors, Infinity Blade II and iTether, and pick our favorite accessories and apps for 2011, gift guide style! This is iPhone Live!

Rene’s picks

• mophie juice pack plus for iPhone
• Air Video for iPhone, iPad
• Apple TV

Georgia’s picks

• Case-Mate Monsta Case
• SeigeCraft for iPhone or iPad
• AppSpeed iOS Controlled Truck

Seth’s picks

• DODOCase BOOKBack for iPhone
• 1Password Pro for iPhone and iPad
• IRIS 9000 voice control module for iPhone & Siri

Hosts

• Rene Ritchie (@reneritchie)
• Georgia (@GeorgiaTiPb)
• Seth Clifford (@sethclifford)

Credits

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now

“It’s got all the convenience of talking to a woman without paying that annoying $2.99/minute.”

Nice.

Source: Colbert Nation

If you’ve updated your iPhone 3GS to iOS 5 or 5.0.1 and lost your unlock we can help you get it back. The actual jailbreak will be tethered but you’ll still be able to unlock and continue using your device in the mean time until an untethered jailbreak solution is released. iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S users should steer clear of this as it will not work.

Devices supported

• iPhone 3GS

What you’ll need

• RedSn0w 0.9.9b5 or later, we recommend the most current version which is RedSn0w 0.9.9b8 – Mac Link, Windows Link
• A working SIM card (doesn’t matter what carrier as long as it’s activated and working)

Jailbreak with RedSn0w and Install the iPad baseband

You’ll follow the same steps are you would to jailbreak via Redsn0w except for one difference. Instead of just checking Install Cydia you’ll need to check off Install iPad baseband. RedSn0w will warn you that this can not be undone. Agree and continue the jailbreak process.

Boot Tethered

After jailbreaking you’ll need to perform one tethered boot before unlocking. Simply launch RedSn0w again and click Extras. Check the box for Just boot tethered right now. You’ll be walked through DFU mode and your phone should reboot.

Install UltraSn0w

After your phone reboots you’ll need to perform the following steps to unlock it:

Open Cydia and search for ultrasn0w

Install the ultrasn0w package to your device.

After installation is complete your phone should automatically ask you to reboot it. If it doesn’t, reboot it manually.

You’ll need to jump into RedSn0w one more time and perform a tethered boot like you did above.

Your phone should now be unlocked. It may say Searching… for a few minutes before finally connecting to the network.

Known Issues

A few users have seen issues where their phone will not obtain service after using ultrasn0w on iOS 5 or iOS 5.0.1. If you have this issue, launch RedSn0w once more and choose jailbreak again. Instead of going through the whole process this time, you only want to check Deactivate. Do one more tethered boot and you should be good to go!

If you need more help, visit our TiPb jailbreak & unlock forums for answers to many common questions and to ask your own!

Update: Some users are pointing out that using RedSn0w 0.9.9b8 is breaking GPS functionality again but using RedSn0w 0.9.9b7 doesn’t. So if you’re having that issue, try using the beta 7 version instead. Thanks to all that tipped this!

Dimmer is an iPhone and iPad application that allows you to quickly adjust your screen’s brightness level without having to navigate through the Settings app. Just launch Dimmer and slide the lightswitch up or down and you’re good to go! It also comes with preset options so that you can quickly switch to a reading mode or outdoor mode.

This is a great alternative to those who don’t like to idea of installing profiles on their device that add Settings shortcuts to their home page. Not to mention, Apple has removed that ability from the iOS 5.1 beta, so it may not even be an option come its release.

iPhone back light can be adjusted in favorite luminosity very quickly. We recommend you to put this app on your home screen. Because your iPhone life becomes comfortable "epoch-makingly

• Advanced Mode
• Preset function
• Color bars function
• Start & Preset Function
• Start & Preset A ⇔ B

Dimmer is available on the iPhone and iPad for free.

[App Store link]

[Thanks @pdxbrothaman for the tip!]

Have an app you’d love to see featured on TiPb? Email us at iosapps@tipb.com, tell us about your app (include an iTunes link), and we’ll take a look.