News

After almost six years of service, the original iPhone is set to be labeled "obsolete" by Apple retail stores starting on June 11, 2013. So what does this mean for owners of the first iPhone? Devices classified as obsolete are no longer eligible for parts replacement or repairs, even if the owner would like to pay for Apple to provide this service. So is it game over for the original iPhone?

Not entirely. Although in Apple retail stores, Asia-Pacific, Europe and other regions around the globe the original iPhone will be classified as obsolete, in the United States the device will officially be "vintage". Vintage status means the original iPhone can still be serviced by an Authorized Service Provider who is contacted directly.

Ever notice when Mobile Safari gives you suggestions to complete a search query that tapping them initiates the search immediately? Other browsers such as Google Chrome don't have the same behavior, the search query can be completed and reviewed before actually searching. Now thanks to the iOS jailbreak tweak Platinum, Safari can complete search queries, too.

Once installed from the Cydia app store, Platinum has no options or settings to configure. The tweak simply adds circular blue arrow buttons to the right of auto-complete suggestions when typing in a Safari query. To complete the words in the query field with one of the suggestions, tap the blue button. If you prefer to initiate the search immediately then touch the words themselves.

Google has updated the iOS Google Search app to version 3.0. The biggest change adds Google Now capabilities to the app, providing information on the go in customized cards that are automatically generated. Instead of performing multiple searches for specific information throughout the day, Google Now can feed you the information you need at the right time or place.

22 cards are now available on iOS, including traffic, weather, sports scores, appointments, flight schedules, transit schedules and more. Swiping up in the Google Search app is all it takes to bring up current cards to find information. Although Google Now on iOS does not feature push alerts at the current time, these are under development for a future version of Google Search.

Fans of the Angry Birds franchise will be happy to know that Rovio's popular Facebook game is coming to iOS on May 2nd. Angry Birds Friends is the next installment in the Angry Birds series of games available on the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. The Facebook version of the game was launched one year ago and attracts over a million daily users.

It's not clear whether or not the Angry Birds Friends app will require Facebook Connect to play. Since the game is designed for social interaction, players can create bird avatars, gift power ups to friends, and invite friends to play the game. In addition, many other features will be incorporated into the game including in-app purchases to enhance the experience.

A document has surfaced on the French site NWE that could point to a summer iPhone 5S release. The details are found in an internal carrier publication purportedly circulated to sales staff at the Japanese carrier KDDI. Assuming the document is authentic, Apple will announce the iPhone 5S in June followed by a July release, with pre-orders coming on June 20.

The leaked information doesn't stop there, however. Employees are briefed on the differences between the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S, with several new features highlighted. The 5S will include a 13 megapixel camera, built-in fingerprint authentication and iOS 7. These items have all been rumored by analysts and from leaks in the component supply chain.