iPad 2

Apple has officially released iOS 8.1.1. The update includes bug fixes and performance improvements for older hardware. This is good news for iPhone 4s and iPad 2 owners who were concerned about a previous Ars Technica report that said iOS 8 ran slower on these devices. iOS 8.1.1 also patches the recently released Pangu jailbreak and should be avoided if you plan to keep your device jailbroken.

At the time of this post Apple is still signing iOS 8.1. Meaning this is your last chance to upgrade to 8.1 if you want to jailbreak at the last iOS release possible. It is unknown when Apple will stop signing iOS 8.1, so upgrade now while you still can. You can learn how to jailbreak your device using Pangu on Mac OS X here or Windows here.

Apple plans to replace Google Maps with its own 3D mapping software when it releases iOS 6 this fall, but Google has beaten them to the punch by adding a new 3D view to its Google Earth app.

Verison 7.0 of Google Earth features 3D imagery for 14 regions including: Los Angeles, Boston, San Francisco, Geneva and Rome. Google plans to add additional 3D cities to the iOS and Android platforms in the coming weeks. Version 7.0 also allows you to explore various locations, historic landmarks and natural wonders with its new "Tour Guide" feature. The new 3D view is available for the iPhone 4S, iPad 2 and new iPad. You can download the app for free from the Apple App Store.

As expected Apple has stopped signing iOS 5.0.1 with the release of iOS 5.1. If you own a jailbroken device you should not update to 5.1 because it breaks both the Corona untether and the Absinthe exploit. The Dev-Team warned both veteran and amateur jailbreakers about the dangers of upgrading on Wednesday.

iPhone 4S and iPad 2 users who did not heed the warning won't be able to downgrade back to 5.0.1 even if they did save their SHSH blobs. People with earlier devices and saved SHSH blobs can downgrade with the assistance of geohot’s limera1n exploit. There is also a tethered jailbreak for non-A5 devices if you really have the urge to get to 5.1.

iPhone developer and jailbreak specialist pod2g recently disabled comments on his jailbreaking blog, but he did take the time to respond to some of the serious inquiries he has received in the past.

Here are his answers to the top four frequently asked questions about his upcoming A5 jailbreak.

One week after the Chronic Dev and iPhone Dev Team helped pod2g release his untethered iOS 5.0.1 jailbreak for A4 devices, the iPhone hacker tweeted that the A5 version is only a week away from a public release.

Pod2g enlisted the aid of the Chronic Dev team to release his A4 exploit so he could concentrate on A5 devices. The A4 untethered jailbreak was released on December 27 while iPhone 4S and iPad 2 owners were once again left out in the cold. That is all about to change in the near future according to pod2g.