News

iPhone users were left severely displeased yesterday after blogger Arun Thampi uncovered that the iOS app Path was storing people's contact info and uploading it to its servers without requesting permission. Path’s CEO Dave Morin issued an apology and a new version of the app today, but many iPhone owners were left wondering what other applications collected personal information without their knowledge.

Developer Ryan Petrich created a jailbreak tweak that warns iPhone owners when an app is trying to access their contacts database. You can download ContactPrivacy from Petrich’s repository for free at http://rpetri.ch/repo. The tweak doesn't add any new icons or settings to your iPhone, but it should give you the option to block an application from accessing your information.

Apple told third party iOS developers that they can only submit Retina display screenshots for their iPhone and iPod apps. This not only signals the end of the 480×320 app, but it could be the first sign that Apple plans to discontinue the iPhone 3GS when the next generation iPhone is released.

It's safe to assume that the iPhone 4 will eventually replace the iPhone 3GS as the low device on the totem pole. This will make 480×320 resolution apps obsolete. Many believed the iPhone 3GS was going to be discontinued last year, but the delay of the iPhone 5 allowed Apple to keep it around to compete in the low-end smartphone market for the holidays.

If you're tired of hunting for lost remote controls, or just have too many cluttering up the house, the VooMote Zapper may be what you're looking for. The iPhone accessory and app turns your iOS device into a universal remote eliminating the need for batteries and multiple remote controls.

Universal iPhone remotes are not a new idea, but the makers of VooMote promise you will love their easy setup wizard and “Teach-In” feature. The VooMote app allows you create room "bundles" so you can easily separate the Blu-ray player in your living room, from the one in your bedroom. You can even substitute buttons for normal IOS swiping gestures.

Hot on the heels of AT&T changing its tiered data plans once again, reports have surfaced regarding data throttling on unlimited plans. Although the unlimited option has been discontinued, some iPhone users are grandfathered into the plans and continue to enjoy no monthly limits on usage.

Only catch is that AT&T will start throttling data speeds when a threshold is reached, typically when a customer enters the top five percent of data usage. According to MacRumors this threshold has decreased significantly and now includes subscribers who have reached just 2GB of usage. This number is even lower than the 3GB tiered data plan costing $30 per month that was recently announced.

Apple plans to use Liquipel technology on the next generation iPhone, making the iPhone 5 immune to problems resulting from exposure to water. The waterproof iPhone 5 would be treated internally with a thin layer of Liquipel's material that prevents water molecules from ever contacting sensitive electronic components.

The news that Apple plans to utilize this technology comes from a source in the UK phone retail industry, who stated that wording for insurance documents will be changed to accomodate the waterproofed iPhone 5. Liquipel's technology was demoed at this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.