Yahoo has been in the mobile space for quite some time and as such, they’ve managed amassed a good amount of apps, but now — Yahoo is looking to cut some of their weight and move on. They’ve now announced the nixing of some of  apps in an effort to keep moving and keep innovating. Some of the apps that will be discontinued:

• Yahoo! Meme (iPad and iPhone)
• Yahoo! Mim (iPad)
• Yahoo! Answers (Android)
• Yahoo! AppSpot (Android and iPhone)
• Yahoo! Deals (iPhone)
• Yahoo! Finance (BlackBerry)
• Yahoo! Movies (Android)
• Yahoo! News (Android)
• Yahoo! Shopping (iPhone)
• Yahoo! Sketch-a-Search (iPad and iPhone)

The decommissioning of these apps, as Yahoo noted — will allow them to put more effort into creating other applications in the mobile space. Of course, Yahoo’s larger apps stay in place and the ones cut — weren’t really up there in terms of usage. Anyone sad to see any of them go?

Source: Yahoo; via: Android Central

Strategy Analytics has crunched most of the fourth quarter results announced this week (including Apple’s), and figures the iPhone maker is now the top smartphone manufacturer, but only by a sliver. In Q4 2011, Apple claimed 23.9% of global smartphone market share, and Samsung trailed only slightly, with 23.5%. That’s just counting Q4, too; for the whole year, Samsung beat out Apple by a single percentage point.

Beyond smartphones, in the world of mobiles at large, Apple was relatively far behind. iPhones constituted 8.3% of the world’s handsets, while Nokia still clung the top spot with 25.5%, followed by Samsung with 21.3% global market share. Although that shows the iPhone still has a long ways to go, it did boast the best growth out of the three; during the same quarter last year, Apple only constituted 4.0% of the global market.

The folks at Strategy Analytics stepped in for a few comments. Associate Director Alex Spektor said “Apple's growth was fueled by intense demand for its refreshed iPhone 4S, as well as the availability of three generations of iPhones at a variety of price points at operators like AT&T in the United States,” but there’s a lot of promise internationally, too. Tom Kang, another director, said ”China is becoming a key market for Apple this year, and we expect Apple's share to grow rapidly in 2012, despite countless copycat rivals." Nokia’s having a rough time holding onto their top spot, despite generally positive reviews of their first Windows Phones. According to Executive Director Neil Mawston,  "Nokia's global handset shipments declined 8 percent annually to 113.5 million units in Q4 2011. Volumes were buoyed by the sales of Nokia's low-end dual-SIM models in emerging markets like Southeast Asia, but were a little soft overall, as initial shipments of Microsoft Lumia phones could not offset declining Symbian sales.”

It’s rarely a surprise to see Apple doing well in terms of sales, but they’ll have to keep working hard in order to stay ahead of Samsung. We’re seeing lots of different Android phones coming out of Samsung to address different price points, and though Spektor’s right that there are older iPhones still on the market, they lack the forward-compatibility of many Android handsets.

It’s worth noting that according to Strategy Analytics, the overall smartphone market grew 63.1% in 2011, versus 71.4% growth in 2010. Do you guys think smartphone momentum is starting to plateau, or is this just a slight bump in the road?

Source: Strategy Analytics via Apple Insider

We’ve rolled through this week and now we’re heading on into the weekend, we’re gathering up plenty of MacWorld coverage for you all so you’ll want to stay tuned for that.  You can register now to get started today and while you’re at it, check out some of the threads below:

• iPhone 4S Forum: Keep getting failure exclamations!
• iPhone 4 Forum: 16GB vs 32GB – The space argument
• iCloud Forum: Picasa to iCloud Help
• iPad Apps and Games Forum: Tweetbot vs. Tweetcaster
• Jailbreak and Unlock Forum Help with Jailbreak-Absinthe crashes

If you’re not already a member of the iMore Forums, register now!

In the latest episode of CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” titled “Beta Test Initiation”, Raj Koothrappali starts a relationship with a well-known woman – Siri.

After buying an iPhone 4S, Raj starts building a creepy relationship with Siri – taking her out for coffee, inviting her on double dates, and even dressing her, in “a nice black case”.

If you are a fan of the show, you’ll know that one of Raj’s personality traits is that he has difficulty talking to women, so when Siri makes a human appearance, hilarity ensues.

You can check out the clip of humanised Siri below, but be sure to watch the full episode on CBS.

 

Sam and Max, the quintessential dog and bunny duo, are coming back to iPhone to start the next season of their episodic game series. Episode one of “Beyond Time and Space” is called “Ice Station Santa”. The illustrious personification of Christmas has gone on a rampage, so Sam and Max hoof it to the North Pole to find out what’s going. Hilarity ensues, as it is wont to do. On top of the game, Ice Station Santa also includes a soundboard with which you can create bizarre phrases with sound bytes from characters. Beyond that, there’s a “Whack da Ratz” mini-game, where you shoot up a simple carnival game with an oversized revolver.

I’ve got a particular soft spot for the Sam & Max series, not only because I played the original PC game when I was a kid, but because the dialogue is snappy, the scenarios are hilariously absurd, and Max’s homicidal tendencies hold an indescribable charm. The one downside that I find to the new Sam and Max episodes is that if you haven’t played previous seasons, you’ll miss out on the appeal of many of the recurring characters and inside jokes. Otherwise, it’s a fine point-and-walk adventure game, with memorable dialog trees and puzzles that come at you out of left field. To get a sense of their humour, you should take a look at this comic series written when the franchise was revived in 2005.

Episodes 2 – 5 were already built for consoles and PC long ago, so hopefully we’ll see the rest of the season in the iOS app store soon. In the meantime, you can snag Episode 1 – Ice Station Santa at the link below, or get a taste of the game at the video after the jump. ”Ice Station Santa” is a universal app, so iPad owners, have at it!

• App Store link

Many big-name companies are switching to the iPhone, and though BlackBerry is the biggest competition in the enterprise arena, iOS is doing a great job of cutting Android out of the picture. According to the latest data from Good Technology,  the iPhone 4S was just as popular new device among businesses as it was among consumers in the last quarter, commanding 31% of enterprise activations. The iPhone 4 has had a bit of a head start, but even then, only accounted for 17.6%, followed by the iPad 2 with 14.9% share. The top Android phone was the Samsung Galaxy S II, which only accounted for 1.7% of Good’s business customers. The data spanned October 1 through to December 31, and included thousands of companies that had at least 5 activated devices.

The Good data also broke down smartphone activity by sector, which showed that 35% of all mobile activations in the last quarter were in financial services, followed by business and professional services at 16.2%. The iPhone 4S specifically managed to be fairly popular in the business and professional services market, snagging 25.7% of all corporate iPhone 4S activations. Unfortunately, Good didn’t have any metrics on BlackBerry activations, but seeing as they’re essentially the alternative to RIM’s enterprise server software, I would wager their BlackBerry activation data would be lower than average anyway.

While Android smartphones were still pulling in more interest than iPads, it was a pretty close race, and combined with the massive popularity of iPhone activations, iOS is firmly planting itself in businesses. I’d love to see some more large-scale studies comparing iOS penetration in enterprise compared to BlackBerry, especially internationally, since RIM claims much of their popularity abroad. Data from November (PDF) suggests iPhone is leading BlackBerry in businesses, but there haven’t been a lot of other studies backing up that research.

How many iPhones are you guys seeing around the office? Is it a common sight, or does BlackBerry still reign supreme? Maybe Android has started to make some inroads…?

Source: Good

As you might expect, anyone in the market for an iPhone is leaning towards the latest and greatest. A recent survey conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners shows that 89% of U.S. consumers who bought an iPhone between October 14 (the day the iPhone 4S launched) and December went with the 4S, while 7% picked up an iPhone 4, and 4% bought a 3GS. Of the iPhone 4S buyers, 21% bought the 64 GB model, 34% went with 32 GB, and 45% bought the 16 GB version. The CIRP co-founder, Mike Levin, provided some additional context to the study.

“An amazing 19 percent of all iPhone buyers upgraded from the iPhone 4, a phone barely a year old at the time of the launch. Forty-two percent of iPhone buyers broke existing carrier contracts to get the new iPhone 4S. And 19 percent of these iPhone 4S buyers sold their old iPhone in the secondary market. Early upgrades, broken contracts, and selling used phones — all allow buyers to purchase the new iPhone 4S, when conventional wisdom suggests that these users would follow the two-year contract cycle, or at least purchase the cheaper models.”

It’s surprising to see such a disparity between the iPhone 4 and 4S, given form factor is the same, most of the capabilities are intact, and the 4S is significantly more expensive. On the other hand, Apple fans aren’t well-known for skimping on their gear, if only by virtue of the traditionally high pricetag their devices. Plus, there’s bound to be a bit of a spike, as the study’s timeframe includes the iPhone 4S launch day; maybe over time things will even out a little bit.

Quick show of hands – how many of you upgraded from the iPhone 4 to the 4S? Know any friends who did? Any regrets? Other surveys show iPhone 4S satisfaction is through the roof, so I doubt it.

Source: AllThingsD

For today only, the iMore Store has the Speck Products PixelSleeve Plus for iPad on sale for only $22.95! Get them before they’re gone!

Get the Speck Products PixelSleeve Plus for iPad now!

The Speck PixelSleeve Plus is protective, portable and lightweight. A stretchy neoprene skin snugs up to the Apple iPad, while a tough, flexible reinforced middle layer guards against rough handling and impacts.

Inside, a soft micro-fleece lining and padded zipper protect against scratches. Easy to stash and easy to carry with its integrated handle, the Speck PixelSleeve Plus also makes airport security check points quick and easy.

Features:

Three layers of protection help keep your iPad looking new Lay-flat airport checkpoint-friendly design — keep iPad in sleeve without removing during security checks Integrated low-profile carry handle for comfort and convenience Textured neoprene exterior is soft, grippy and stylish

Apple has successfully defended the second UMTS (3G) patent infringement claim from Samsung in Germany today, though the battle’s far from over. The first complaint from Samsung was dismissed last week, and Apple promptly fired back at Samsung with a slide-to-unlock infringement claim. The Galaxy Nexus isn’t one of the phones in Apple’s countersuit, though there are still plenty more Android devices Apple’s complaint does include. Even if Apple manages to chew through the other 3G-related complaints, Samsung has another two lawsuits lined up related to smiley emoticons.

Apple and Samsung haven’t only been duking it out in the courtrooms, either. Samsung has been running a tongue-in-cheek set of ads that depict desperate, near-sighted Apple fanboys being faced with the grim reality that the Galaxy S II is plainly a better phone. Yeeeeeah, because we’ve all seen how Android’s voice-to-action implementations are way better than Siri.

While Apple is duking it out in Germany, Dutch courts have sided with Samsung in Apple’s design patent infringement claims against the Galaxy Tab 10.1. Patent squabbles are a natural part of the high-tech game, but Samsung and Apple in particular seem to really be going blow-for-blow against one another – although I’m sure Apple would be equally willing to attack any manufacturer siding with Android. Steve Jobs, as you might recall, had an intense loathing for the Android platform, and that mission will likely live on in Apple.

It sure would be nice if we could all just get along, if only to avoid having to figure out who’s suing who for what and where.

[via FOSS Patents]

Need help figuring out what the best apps and tweaks are for your newly jailbroken iPhone? Cydia can be overwhelming if you’re not sure where to start. Whether you’re jailbreaking to theme or add more functionality, we’ll have you on your way to becoming a jailbreak ninja in no time.

Quick toggles and gestures

Utilities like Activator and SBSettings should be at the very top of any jailbreaker’s list. Who likes to tap all the way into Settings to disable Wifi or 3G? I know I don’t when I can just use SBSettings to disable it with two taps from virtually anywhere on my iPhone.

SBSettings has a limitless amount of toggles available in Cydia and can be customized and tweaked until your heart’s content. If you want a quick toggle to turn off SMS alerts, you’ve got it. It also allows you to monitor free memory and clear it out. All with a simple swipe on your status bar.

Activator is also a staple in the jailbreak world when it comes to accessing information and applications quickly. You may already have it and not know it. A lot of jailbreak applications and utilities require it. The main function of Activator is to allow you to set gestures for different functions. For example, I double tap on my status bar and a quick reply window for BiteSMS pops up. I can set virtually any gesture I want for any application that supports Activator gestures (a lot of the popular ones do).

SBSettings and Activator are must have utilities for any jailbreaker. They’re typically the very first items I install on my jailbroken devices.

SBSettings – Free – Cydia Search Link

Activator – Free – Cydia Search Link

Notification enhancement applications

While iOS 5 added a ton of enhancements to the way notifications are handled and presented, Apple still left a lot of room for improvement. This is where apps like LockInfo and IntelliscreenX step in to give you even more control over how notifications are handled.

I’ve never been a fan of how iOS 5 discards notifications from the lockscreen immediately after unlocking. I like them to stay there until I dismiss them myself. LockInfo and IntelliscreenX both allow this behavior. You also have the ability to add widgets and other information to your lockscreen and notification center (called Infoshade in LockInfo). IntelliscreenX takes it one step further and adds a “top shelf” that allows you to add quick toggles you can access with a quick swipe down on notification center. This is a convenient place to stick SBSettings.

LockInfo also allows you to access your favorite contacts directly from the Infoshade or lockscreen. Both apps are great notification enhancers but they differ in some areas and feature sets. Choose the one that’s personally right for you. To help you decide which one may appeal to you more, you can check out our LockInfo vs IntelliscreenX comparison.

LockInfo – $7.99 w/ free trial – Cydia Search Link

IntelliscreenX – $9.99 w/ free trial – Cydia Search Link

Text message enhancements

While multitasking in iOS 4 made switching between applications a lot easier, you still have to completely exit whatever you’re doing to reply to a text message. Apps like BiteSMS and Messages+ aim to close that gap with quick reply functionality. Instead of having to exit out of an app a quick reply keyboard pops up, you type your message, away it goes, and you’re back to whatever you were doing before without interruption.

If you’ve purchased IntelliscreenX, you also get a license for Messages+ as well. While there are other quick messaging applications available in Cydia, BiteSMS and Messages+ are the best of the best. BiteSMS allows you to purchase credits as well if you don’t want to pay text messaging fees. It can add up to be a lot cheaper than text messaging plans.

BiteSMS – Free or $9.99 (ad free) – Cydia Search Link

Messages+ – $7.99 (free w/ IntelliscreenX purchase) – Cydia Search Link

Theming your iPhone

If you want to customize the look and feel of your iPhone, there are thousands of free and paid themes in Cydia. You can also choose from a few different utilities to theme. Some themes may require Winterboard while others will require Dreamboard. There are also applications like Theme It available in Cydia that aim to bring the best of the best themes straight to your iPhone all in one place.

If you don’t necessarily want an all in one theme but still want to customize to your liking, you can check out Springtomize 2. Springtomize 2 allows you to customize individual aspects of your iPhone’s overall appearance. There are tons of add-ons and built-in options to choose from. If you tend to be more picky, Springtomize 2 is probably a better bet as it offers far more control.

Winterboard – Free – Cydia Search Link

Dreamboard – Free – Cydia Search Link

Springtomize 2 (iOS 5+) – $2.99 – Cydia Search Link

Extras

If you’re looking for tweaks that just make your iPhone that much cooler when jailbroken, here’s some extra tweaks we’ve found that are just cool in general.

Cyntact

Adds contact pictures to your address book next to each contact.

$0.99 – Cydia Search Link

BlurriedNCBackground

Blurs the background of notification center. Nothing to configure and doesn’t add any additional icons.

Free – Cydia Search Link

Shrink

Change the default size of icons in your dock and on your homescreen. I find this particularly useful if you have a background you’d like to see without huge icons being in your way.

$1.49 – Cydia Search Link

Barrel

Add cool transitions when tabbing through pages on your springboard. Make your icons roll, fall away, and more.

$2.99 – Cydia Search Link

If you’ve got any cool tweaks or utilities you think beginner’s would benefit from be sure to let us know! This is just the beginning of what you can do with a jailbroken iPhone.

Additional resources:

• How-to jailbreak guides
• Jailbreak apps, hacks, and themes forum
• General jailbreak and unlock forum
• Cydia repositories list
• iMore downloads section
• Jailbreak troubleshooting guide

The British Heart Foundation has released an app that provides detailed instruction on how to give CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) should the need ever arise. Performing CPR could save the life of a friend or relative and is a practice everyone should know how to perform.

The British Heart Foundation PocketCPR provides REAL-TIME feedback and instructions on Hands-only CPR that empowers ANYONE to learn and practice CPR, so that they can be READY when seconds really count!!! The technology is the same as that used in the ZOLL PocketCPR for actual rescue from sudden cardiac arrest. This version teaches Hands-only CPR skills according to the latest American Heart Association and European Resuscitation Council CPR and ILCOR Guidelines as published on October 18, 2010.

• BHF Pocket CPR is a must-have app for anyone who wants to learn how to perform CPR with accuracy. The PocketCPR app can be used in CPR training programs and for individual practice at home or at work. It is a great tool for families to learn CPR in order to be prepared if a loved one needs their help
• Actively utilizes the accelerometer hardware in the phone for real-time coaching and actual feedback on CPR while you are learning and practicing
• Measures the actual rate and depth of your compressions and lets you know if you need to push faster or slower, and whether you should push harder or softer
• PocketCPR will remind you to Call for Help, to Check Responsiveness, and to perform Hands-only CPR at the correct rate and depth. The device algorithms are in complete compliance with American Heart Association and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) guidelines.
• Clear visual and audio step-by-step instructions on Hands-only CPR performance, including initial steps for the Chain of Survival.
• Precise metronome to pace chest compressions
• Accurate ability to detect rate of actual compressions and to state visually and audibly whether to push faster or to push slower
• Industry-proven technology to detect the depth of chest compressions
• Audio and visual prompts to push harder or to push softer
• Feature to detect when chest compressions have stopped and to prompt user to START CPR
• Complete Instructions for Use
• Ability to capture and email CPR compression data and accelerometer data allowing the user to record the quality of the CPR chest compression training

The British Heart Foundation PocketCPR app is available free for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It requires and  iOS 4.3 or later.

• App Store link

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

 

Acoording to a report by Reuters, Apple's generous customer service may be causing huge problems for victims of iPhone theft. The warranty plan is tied to the iPhone and not the person who owns the phone; this means anyone can take an iPhone to an Apple Store for service or replacement.

The ease of trading in stolen iPhones and selling their replacements makes them nearly as tempting as grabbing cash. In cities from coast-to-coast, reports of iPhone thefts are common. While some thieves sell the phones through the traditional channels of fencing stolen goods, examples abound of stolen iPhones being brought back to Apple, as if broken, for either replacement or a discount on a new unit. ”Apple seems to have not considered stolen devices and instead is relying on the honor system,” says Robert Siciliano, a consultant for Intel Corp’s technology security unit McAfee and an identity theft expert. “The honor system is devised with the mindset that we are all sheep and there are no wolves.” Siciliano says he has known of this problem for a while, but doesn’t see any immediate solution. “Until consumers scream loud enough about this issue, Apple probably won’t do anything about it.”

While this approach is fantastic for the honest iPhone owners, thieves are using Apple's good nature to carry out a type of laundering for stolen iPhones. When a phone is reported as stolen, a carrier can blacklist it as stolen and disable it by using its device specific IMEI number. If the device has been swapped or replaced at an Apple Store, that security measure has now been bypassed. This enables a thief to sell on or use a brand new iPhone without fear of recrimination.

Apple has yet to comment on the findings within the report but let's hope a simple solution can be found that will not cause pain for the honest amongst us. The last thing we need is for Apple to change its policies and make life more difficult when it comes to iPhone service and replacement.

Source: Reuters, Image Wikipedia

Apple CEO Tim Cook has followed up on the New York Times story about the human cost of manufacturing iPhones, iPads, and Macs in China with an email to Apple internal employee. In short, he takes issue with the Times.

As a company and as individuals, we are defined by our values. Unfortunately some people are questioning Apple's values today, and I'd like to address this with you directly. We care about every worker in our worldwide supply chain. Any accident is deeply troubling, and any issue with working conditions is cause for concern. Any suggestion that we don't care is patently false and offensive to us. As you know better than anyone, accusations like these are contrary to our values. It's not who we are. For the many hundreds of you who are based at our suppliers' manufacturing sites around the world, or spend long stretches working there away from your families, I know you are as outraged by this as I am. For the people who aren't as close to the supply chain, you have a right to know the facts.

Cook went on to note that Apple wants to educate workers about their rights. Apple wants to empower them to speak up when they are unfairly or mistreated. Cook claims more than a million people have already been trained under Apple’s program. Cook was also sure to mention that it’s his belief that no other company has taken more or better steps than Apple has with their workplace efforts.

The employee emails were semi-frequent under the late Steve Jobs and they’ve been regular under Tim Cook as well. Jobs was also fond of the open letter. Perhaps we’ll start to see those from Cook as well, and this incredibly important issue will get the attention and publicity it deserves.

You can read Tim Cook’s full email sent out to Apple employee’s via the link below.

Source: 9to5Mac

Team,

Hello everyone and welcome to iMore's weekly celebrity iPhone and iPad sightings roundup! Time to take a little break from your daily routine and relax with some gossip from the world of the rich and famous. What do all of these celebrities have in common? They all were spotted with an iPhone or iPad, of course. Check out a ton of pictures after the break, and if you spot a celebrity rocking an iPhone or iPad, drop us a note at news@iMore.com so we can include them in the next roundup, next week!

Please note: Some pictures may from time-to-time be NSFW (Not Safe For Work) so use discretion when viewing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Namco Bandai have released Namco Arcade to the iTunes App Store for iOS devices with a free-to-play model in effect. If you’re a fan of retro gaming, this is certainly one you won’t want to miss as Namco has re-created many 1980′s classics and wrapped them all into one app. NAMCO Arcade includes the four titles XEVIOUS, The Tower of Druaga, Motos and Phozon, and more titles are panned for future release.

The pricing structure for the included games is interesting, each day you get one free game to play and if you wish to continue – or play a different game, you can purchase play coins right within the app. Prices for the coins that allow you to play any game start at $.99 for 10 with the outright game purchases pricing starting at $1.99 and going up as high as $4.99.

In addition to the cool games available, Namco has also added Game Center integration and uploadable user data so that you may share your scores across the globe with other playing the games. Just in case you feel like bragging about your high scores. Namco Arcade is available in the iTunes App store now for free.

• App Store Link – Namco Arcade