No one really knows what happened, but everyone knows that iOS 4 is terrible for exchange clients. Devices running iOS 4 can bog down the exchange server, completely stop syncing, sync sporadically… the list goes on. The “Apple-recommended” fix for this is listed in a Support Article. The article contains a link to an updated configuration profile for iOS 4 devices. Apple doesn’t explain exactly what the new configuration profile does but the rumor is that it just extends the amount of time it can ping the exchange server. Does that sound like a fix? No, not really.

None of my clients have seen reliable exchange syncing with iOS 4 and the updated configuration profile didn’t really fix anything… maybe it’s a little more stable… but it’s definitely not fixed. It looks like we’ll be waiting for an OS update before we actually see a real solution here. For anyone who’s using ActiveSync on the iPhone: stop yelling at your IT guy or gal, it’s not his or her fault.

We’ll start the rumors here: It’s entirely possible that Apple will scratch the Game Center idea completely before they even release it. The initial idea was met with opposition, questions and anything but user support. Sure, some developers like the idea of social integration within their games, but that exists already with OpenFeint and Plus+… so it begs the question: why would Apple even care to step in as a player? We can’t think of a single good reason to put time and effort into Game Center… maybe some sort of combination with iAds? OpenFeint and Plus+ have been around for a while, they know what works and what doesn’t. Apple has no clue about social gaming. If anything, Apple should do what they do best: buy someone out. Better yet, get out of the social gaming industry. It’s definitely not their area of expertise.

Either way, we shouldn’t expect to see anything until “later this year.” We’re guessing a back-to-school release with new iPods.

If you haven’t heard by now, iPhone OS 4.0 Beta 4 came out late in the day on Tuesday. We still have spots available for our Beta test program. We’ll let you know about our experience with Beta 4 in the next couple days.

We’re really enjoying the new beta and have had great success with it thus far. Here are a few of the new features that other sites have mentioned: iPod playback controls now show up in the multitasking interface, you can close out of multiple apps at once from the multitasking interface, and the obvious fix of the Wi-Fi and Camera Roll issues.

We’ve run into a few quirks with some of our third-party applications but we’re sure that they’ll be fixed once we can actually get ahold of 4.0-compatible applications from the developers. We can’t wait to use some of our apps with the background APIs that Apple opened up in the beta. Other than that, there’s nothing blatantly obvious about the new beta. If you are a developer and have access to Game Center, feel free to add me as a friend… even though there aren’t any games to play it’s fun to pretend. My alias is “joshcarr.”

For those of you interested in signing up for our CTA Beta program, now seems like the perfect time. We can’t wait to introduce you to some of the new things we have brewing here at CTA. Click the Beta tab in the menu bar to sign up.

Spirit works by exploiting an unreleased vulnerability in the default iPhone OS. It uses that vulnerability as an injection point for the jailbreak and, once completed, will allow you access to all of the typical jailbreak software. It will only be compatible with 3.1.2, 3.1.3 and the iPad’s 3.2. Once the vulnerability is exposed, we’re certain that Apple will do whatever it takes to close the hole because it has unlimited malicious potential. Anyone with a nefarious know-how will be able to use the vulnerability to run their favorite exploits on your iPhad touch.

We give and we take. We take whatever jailbreaks we can get but they often expose holes in the iPhone OS. We give these holes to Apple when the hackers release their jailbreak solutions. We actually expect that the Spirit jailbreak will be killed by an update within days of its release. So, be very careful that you don’t press the update button in iTunes if you decide to go this route.

Please remember that this is not unlocking software: it merely jailbreaks your device. We do not recommend anyone using an unlock to update and try out Spirit. It is merely a jailbreak and still requires activation via iTunes after the jailbreak has been performed. So, don’t mess with it unless you know what you’re doing. For more information on Spirit, please read the Dev-Team’s post and follow @comex on Twitter.

Here’s a video demo of the software that came out a few weeks back:

We’ll always keep you updated on the latest Jailbreak and Unlock news. So, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our RSS feed by clicking the buttons in the sidebar to the right. It’s super easy.

Some are complaining that it’s too soon after the iPad launch. We find that laughable. If anything, customers are going to be happy that there will be more functionality on their brand new devices. The biggest rumor surrounding the new OS is multitasking. We honestly are among the few that don’t really miss it, but we’re sure that the added capability will become something we can’t live without. Many iPhone users have been begging for multitasking ever since iPhone OS 2.0 came out with third-party application support.

We may also see advanced MultiTouch gesturing that will allow for an “exposé-like” experience on the Mac. We’re hoping that Apple goes one step further and allows a dashboard to live in the background that can hide our simple one-task applications like Stocks or Weather. In return, we’d have more room for productivity or gaming apps on our home screens. There have been a few rumors that we’ll see a complete re-write of the user interface… but we’re pretty skeptical and wouldn’t expect it.

The last rumor we’ve heard surrounds the built-in Mail application on the iPhone and now the iPad. It’s never had a unified inbox like its desktop cohort. Developing a unified inbox for the iPhone could be a challenge, but the screen size on the iPad would make it ridiculously easy. We’re glad to hear that a unified inbox is likely coming with iPhone OS 4.0. This software update could make the iPhone and the iPad the devices we were hoping for from the beginning… minus the Flash content.

Anyways, GoeHot’s new jailbreak is done directly from the device and eliminates the need for a computer. It doesn’t appear to need the complicated steps of entering DFU mode, and it doesn’t show his pretty little face during the jailbreak. This will practically put all of the unlockers in the audience out of business… assuming there’s an unlock available after the jailbreak. It’s common practice for knowledgeable people to unlock iPhones (for a fee) for the less tech-saavy… take a look at the video below, it seems pretty simple to us.

Here’s the post from his website:

See the video here.

I believe it meets the requirements for a good video.

The jailbreak is all software based, and is as simple to use as blackra1n. It is completely untethered, works on all current tethered models(ipt2, 3gs, ipt3), and will probably work on iPad too.

Don’t ask about a release date. You won’t make it happen any sooner.

We’re guessing that he has the software done and ready to go, he’s just playing the cat and mouse game for the time being. Apple is widely expected to release iPhone 3.2 along with the iPad release. The iPad itself is actually running 3.2 — the same software that developers are using to work on their updates for the iPad. If he holds onto the software until that release, Apple won’t be able to release a fix for the hole until the next update to the iPhone OS. Hold onto it for a little while longer, George.

The IRB1 iPhone Remote Control is one of the most polished remote interface addons we’ve seen for the iPhone. It doesn’t do anything over WiFi and actually plugs into the dock connecter. There’s no built-in battery, it just uses the iPhone’s power to function. The companion iPhone app looks well designed, well, sort of. Some of the visual design choices seem questionable, but we’re glad the developers put more focus into the capabilities of the device than the aesthetics.

The RedEye was the first, and its new Mini is the cheapest universal remote option at $49 but isn’t shipping until Spring. It also plugs directly into the headphone jack… we think it would be all too easy to break that off, so we’re a little hesitant to go that route. There are other options like a case from Power A and a similar dongle from New Potato Technologies but this one appears to give us the most bang for the buck — $69.95.

The IRB1 comes with 40,000 IR codes built into the iPhone app and can learn the functions from your remotes if they’re not available in the database. The company explains that learned commands are incredibly small — 1MB of data represents about 800 codes. It can also function as your Apple Remote for iTunes and Front Row if you’d like. Amusingly enough, it has a “Take Control” function that lets you do just that if you’re out at the bar and want to switch channels. We’re not exactly sure how the feature works, but it’s a great way to make your table happy… and get thrown out of a bar.

Anyways, the company is showing the units are in stock, so grab one and let us know what you think. We’ve contacted the company for a review unit so we can put it to the test. We’ll hopefully be doing a review of each of the listed devices above so that we can help you decide what device would be best for your home theater setup.

Update: the developer is shipping us a review unit. We’ll have a full writeup in the near future.

Source

It appears that the three owning studios — ABC, NBC, and FOX — have been trying to figure out a way to make more money from Hulu besides the already annoying ads. This will probably result in a premium model that will give us access to more content. Currently, shows available on Hulu contain the latest three episodes (on average). That’s always been our biggest issue with Hulu: we can’t watch anything older than a few weeks. Even the networks’ online players tend to limit shows to the current season. Anyone else want to watch old seasons of Big Bang Theory?

So what does this premium model look like? It’s been suggested that paid users will have access to content on three devices: a computer, a TV and a mobile device. That seems like a pretty big step backwards to us. Just this last year, Apple gave us a great music sharing tool with iTunes Home Sharing. It lets us copy all of our content between computers on our home network. Granted this is still limited to Apple’s 5-computer model and requires you to sign into an iTunes Store account BUT there’s no limit for mobile devices. So, what makes Hulu think we should be limited to three devices?

Step back from the question for a sec… we don’t actually own any content with Hulu. We would be paying them for streamed content we can get from countless other sources — sources that would allow us to own it. Buy a season DVD, buy individual shows on iTunes, get a season pass on iTunes, there’s also the nefarious world of illegal acquisitions (we’re not recommending that one) — all of those options give us content that we own. Most of us already pay for cable or satellite and most of those companies won’t offer us internet packages without a TV option. So, what’s driving us to subscribe to another paid TV application that still restricts our access?

Sounds like a bad deal to us.

PopCap finally has brought its most recent popular title to the iPhone: Plants vs. Zombies. It’s not your mother’s tower defense strategy game; it’s a completely new variant of the style, which sends waves of zombies to your door — they want to eat your brains. Defend your home by placing 49 different plants. The game also boasts 29 different zombies. From pole vaulters to Michael Jackson, they can come at you fast or slow, so be ready. This game is probably one of the best iPhone ports we’ve seen and definitely matches the quality of other PopCap titles.

How does Cocoa Touch change the gameplay? To us, it seems easier. There’s no precise clicking as your finger is doing all the work. We’ve found ourselves tapping randomly at the screen in order to pick up all of the sun that comes our way. However, placing the plants can be somewhat difficult at times: we’re constantly putting the wrong plants in the wrong spot, but that’s probably because our fingers are somewhat large (they’re not huge and fat, just big).

Anyway, we’ve played both versions — iPhone and Desktop — and we’re excited to have it available in our pocket at any time. We’re thankful for that but still a little miffed that it’s not the full version. We can spend $2.99 for a pretty good port or pay $19.99 and buy the desktop version. At this point, we don’t see the survival mode, puzzles or the mini-games that we’ve come to love on the desktop version. Maybe they’ll appear in an update in the future, but we don’t see any way to enable them at this point. We’d seriously pay more to get that extra gameplay, as this could get old very quickly. Hopefully we’ll see them take advantage of the in-app purchases… or just give it to us for free.

The gameplay is great but the extras appear to be missing, so we’ll give it an 8 out of 10. Definitely worth the 3 bucks.

Full picture gallery after the break.