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Announcement: iPhonewzealand is closing

The Team — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 06:29:01 +0000

With heavy hearts, the time has come for us to announce that we’re going to be closing iPhonewzealand as at 20th February, 2012. With some help from contributors along the way, we (Dan and Steve) have run the site with every ounce of the spare time that we have been able to sacrifice outside of our normal jobs and family lives. At times this has been quite gruelling, especially around the launch of new devices, so it’s fair to say that this action is also due to a desire to free up some of that precious time.

We’ve been operating since July 2009, back when the device was relatively new and had official support with only one mobile operator in New Zealand, so there was a need for a site like ours to help people get connected on other networks. Dan’s legendary carrier bundles made it possible for people to get going on the network of their choice quickly and easily.

We also helped spread the word about local apps and developers, keeping the ever-growing kiwi user-base up-to-date with news and reviews as an explosion of ‘big name’ kiwi apps such as TradeMe, Stuff and TVNZ hit the App Store.

As of now, new registrations to the site are closed. The site will continue to be here for a while, but with no further updates after this post. If you need to, you can get hold of us via the ‘Contact Us’ link until the site is taken down (in the event that it is not sold), or via our Twitter presence, @iphonewzealand, which will remain open (but mostly inactive) for a period of time.

We welcome any expressions of interest into buying the site or offers from anybody who might like to shower us with cash so that we can do this for a living — please feel free to get in touch with us via the ‘contact us’ button on the header of the site.

Steve Jobs once said that he just wanted to “put a ding in the universe”. That goes for us too, and we hope that on a much tinier scale we managed to do that.

All the best

Steve and Dan

Telecom’s new Skinny sub-brand soft-launches, config profile available for iOS 5 devices

Steve — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:57:41 +0000

Telecom has begun to quietly roll out its new ‘Skinny’ sub-brand, which offers pre-paid mobile services over its XT Network with alternative pricing packages and a completely separate brand identity. Looking at the pricing and plans on the company’s website the service does appear to be geared towards calling and texting primarily, but a data add-on of $4 per week for 120MB of data (so roughly $16 per month for 480MB) may be of interest to some iPhone users. Skinny has posted a config profile on Geekzone that can easily be installed on your iPhone should you decide to make the hop, in which case you’ll also need to request a free MicroSIM which you can do through the website or by calling 0800 4754669.

The Warehouse to offer parallel imported iPads from Boxing Day [update: available 6pm today]

Steve — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 19:24:35 +0000

Something stood out on the junkmail yesterday: The Warehouse are going to be offering parallel imported iPads from Boxing Day. The advertised model is the black, 16 GB, WiFi-only model but it’s priced at $719 which is a significant saving over the standard price of $799. The ad doesn’t say whether other models will be available.

This might be cold comfort for any of you who have already bought one in time for Christmas, but for those of you still on the market for a new iPad this could be a deal worth considering.

UPDATE: According to their email mailer, this deal is actually available from 6pm today via the website.

Merry Christmas from the Team

The Team — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 02:15:04 +0000

Another year is quickly coming to an end and today is the last day for us before the Christmas break. We are going to be away for the Christmas and New Year breaks, but to all our readers, we’d like to extend our heart-felt wishes for a very Merry Christmas for you and all your families and a wonderful new year.

2011 really has been another fantastic (if not shaky) year for us and we really appreciate all the continued support you’ve given us. The positive feedback and support we’ve had throughout the year is what keeps us going, and we’ve really enjoyed giving something back to the kiwi iPhone community.

We’ll be raising our glasses in your honour and are really looking forward to 2012 and we hope you’ll be with us when we’re back in full swing in the new year!

Have a good one!

Leading kiwi developers offering their time for free for one day only

Steve — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 21:03:57 +0000

Do you have a burning idea for an app but no coding skills to turn it into reality? Well, this could be your big opportunity. Leading kiwi developers Carnival Labs, who have worked with some of the world’s leading brands including Dreamworks, Intel, Air New Zealand and the New Zealand Herald, are running a competition where you could win their time for a day, during which they will turn your app idea into the real deal.

All you need to do is let Carnival Labs know what you want to do (the full details are set out in the press release below) and their panel of judges will decide the best one. The winner will win the source code and will even be able to upload it to the App Store. Entries close 20/12 so get your thinking hats on and keep reading for the full press release.

iTunes Match available now – no really it is! Still $39.99 per year

Dan — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 22:39:22 +0000

Ok so this time it’s for real… After yesterday’s shenanigans iTunes Match has gone live and is available to New Zealand as of right now. We’ve received confirmation from a number of users saying they have been succesful and have also confirmed it ourselves.

UPDATE: And now, to mitigate any concerns that this may be another mistake, we’ve had confirmation from Apple that the service is now officially available:
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iTunes Match available now, maybe?? – $39.99 per year [updated: looking like a mistake]

Dan — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:31:14 +0000

As reported on a number of other international sites today iTunes Match (the service that makes your entire iTunes music library available in the cloud) has been coming on and offline for most of the day for countries outside the U.S.

We have just taken a look ourselves and it would appear that whilst it is accessible to New Zealand we may be having the same issues as well. It’s possible that it going live is just a mistake or it could be that the servers are getting hammered. Either way at the moment even though we get a confirmation email to say we have subscribed it is erroring and asking us to sign out and in again. Once you have done that and you go back to your account it does say that you have a subscription and it will expire in a years time, but as yet I cannot get to the iTunes Match tab to actually use the service.

iOS 5.1 beta 2 seeded to devs… you can now delete photos from Photo Stream!

Dan — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 19:43:11 +0000

I am not sure I have been this excited about a beta in some time. Normally they come and go and eventually you get your GM release. But this one had me at hello.

iOS 5.1 beta 2 is available for developers now and with it comes the ability to delete/remove individual photos from iCloud’s Photo Stream, something that I, and many others, feel should have been there from day one.

The update is available for all the usual suspects, iPhone (4, 4S and 3GS), iPad (1 and 2), iPod touch (3rd and 4th gen) and also the Apple TV 2. Keep reading for more or head over to the developer site to download.

NZiDev is underway

Dan — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 01:15:34 +0000

NZiDev got underway today and if last year is anything to go by this is going to be a great weekend for iOS developers. As we previously said unfortunately we are unable to make it this year however if you are there and want to share your weekend with us then make sure you add the #NZiDev tag to your tweets and why not leave a comment below on your experience at NZiDev.

You can also post a longer articles on particular subjects to our NZiDev forum post.

New Zealand Developers Showcased by Apple

Dan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 18:41:59 +0000

We already knew that we had some great developers here in New Zealand and now, for AlphaSprite, Apple know it too.

You may remember back in September last year we took a look at CoachPad, an app for the iPad that allows you to sketch out and display formations and tactics all using your iPad in a simple and intuitive way. Well now that same app has been included in Apple’s latest iPad 2 television advert.

Airing in November 2011, it revolves around the emotive theme of ‘Love’ and how people engage with the iPad 2 on a daily basis. CoachPad appears at the beginning of the clip where a basketball coach shows a gameplay strategy to his team on an iPad 2.

Congrats AlphaSprite.

iOS 5.1 beta available to devs now

Dan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:33:24 +0000

Apple have today released iOS 5.1 beta to the development community for testing. Along with it they have also released Xcode 4.3 beta which is required if you are wanting to develop and test your applications with iOS 5.1 devices.

According to reports there are a number of bug fixes and changes in this release including references to an iPad 3 and a new “geofencing” setting that apparently stops battery drain in the Reminders app when it’s not in use.

Head over to the developer site to download and see the full notes.

More info on 5.1 here: iOS 5.1 roundup: new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV references, minor tweaks

Online Apple Store sale event coming this Friday [updated: now live]

Steve — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 07:37:49 +0000

Generally speaking, Apple doesn’t really do sales or discounts but once a year it gets into the festive spirit and hosts a sale via its online store. This year, the event falls on 25th November (that’s this Friday) so mark your calendars and head over to the Apple Store to grab yourself some discounts on things that might be on your Christmas shopping lists. The actual discounts aren’t announced in advance so it’s a case of wait-and-see, although the graphic above does seem to indicate that a broad range of products will be included. Anything on your wish list? Share in the comments.

UPDATE: 9to5 Mac have published leaked information on the discounts in line for the US Store, which should be similar to what we see here.

UPDATE 2: The event is now live. The headline deals include:

$61 off iPad 2
$31.01 off iPod touch
$15 off iPod nano
$161 off MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMac

NZiDev 2.0 coming to Auckland 3rd-4th Dec 2011

Dan — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 19:12:16 +0000

That’s right, NZiDev is back for another year [NZiDev 2.0] but this time it promises to be bigger and better than ever and it’s coming to Auckland on the 3rd and 4th of December.

Last year was a massive success with over 100 iOS developers from all over New Zealand gathering to discuss everything iOS and we had the great pleasure of attending. Unfortunately this year we will not be able to make it, however keep reading to get the low-down on all you need to know about this years event.

Accessory review: Opena Case combines man’s two greatest creations

Steve — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 09:00:26 +0000

If you love iPhones and you also happen to love beer, be prepared to reach for your wallets. Chillicase have begun to sell the Opena, a hybrid iPhone-case-slash-bottle-opener, right here in New Zealand. Stick with us for a tour of an engineering feat which combines two of the greatest passions known to man!
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#4SonXT Launch parties how did they go? [video] [gallery]

Dan — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:25:36 +0000

As you may or may not have heard Telecom threw a couple of launch events last night to celebrate getting the iPhone 4S. Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch seemed to get the queues whilst Dunedin didn’t have much of anything. However in the other three centres a great time was had by all and, as far as we know, no one went home disappointed or empty-handed. Keep reading to see our launch party thoughts, video (nicely edited by Steve) and gallery of pictures.

© Dan for iPhonewzealand, 11/11/2011.
15 comments
Post tags: gallery, iPhone, iPhone 4S, launch, party, Telecom XT, video, XT
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iOS 5.0.1 goes live… promises to fix battery woes and more

Dan — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:13:50 +0000

This morning iOS 5.0.1 has gone live to the public and according to the release notes, among other things, will fix battery issues from iOS 5 and will improve voice recognition for dictation with an Australian accent. No doubt it will also seem a lot snappier, smoother and faster then any previously release of iOS as well… but don’t all new updates?? See below for full details of the update.

Vodafone breaks the silence, announces pricing and midnight launch

Steve — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:34:06 +0000

Vodafone have finally broken their silence on the iPhone 4S and have this afternoon announced handset pricing, subsidies, plans, and confirmed that they, too, will be hosting a midnight launch at the following stores: Queen St, Auckland; Lambton Quay, Wellington; George St, Dunedin; and Riccarton Mall, Christchurch. It will then be available in all Vodafone retail stores from 9:00am. The handset-only price is $1049, but subsidies and contracts appear (with just a cursory glance) to be similar to Telecom’s offerings. Keep reading for the press release and full pricing details.

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 10/11/2011.
17 comments
Post tags: 4S, iPhone 4S, launch, launch day, plans, pricing, subsidies, Vodafone
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Details for Telecom’s iPhone 4S launch parties [poll] [launch-pics]

Dan — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 18:53:22 +0000

With less than 24 hours to go we thought we’d make sure you know what is happening for the launch parties (yes, parties!) Telecom will be hosting at 12:01am and what happens if you are not in a “main centre”.

You’ll find a poll below to let us know your plans are and our live blog will kick off in earnest later on this evening. Click here for that. (moved all the pics over to flickr to save bandwidth)

Now, before anybody asks why we haven’t done a post like this for Vodafone, the reason is simple: Vodafone haven’t announced any launch details for us to give you. Telecom have been very up-front with prices, plans, launch times and registration processes with very little left in doubt and that’s a massively refreshing approach compared to the fiasco of last year’s iPhone 4 (un)launch from Vodafone. If we do hear anything from Big Red, we’ll let you know. Info on the Vodafone launch can be found here.

Finally!! Telecom to get the iPhone 4S!

Dan — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:45:24 +0000

Finally after much will-they-won’t-they and then the whole website-links-coming-and-going thing, Telecom have finally stepped up and announced that they will indeed be offering the iPhone (all versions) and what’s more they will be launching the devices at 12:01am on 11th in the 4 major centres (Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin). Keep reading for more info and the full press release… including plans.

iPhone 4S now available for pre-order

Paul — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 00:40:13 +0000

The iPhone 4S is available for pre-order right now via the Apple Store website. At the time of writing this, the shipping time is 1-2 weeks so the question is… pre-order and wait for it to be delivered, or risk another potentially shambolic retail launch on the 11th? What are you going to do? Share in the comments.

UPDATE: As pointed out by a lot of readers, Telecom’s website briefly showed an ‘iPhone’ link this morning, and then went away again. See screen shot below. There is speculation that this could mean Telecom are getting it, but it could just as easily mean that Telecom are going to offer some ‘bring your iPhone to XT’ deals like it has in the past.

iPhone 4S launches in New Zealand November 11th, pre-orders open Friday

Steve — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 17:21:39 +0000

After a short but agonising wait, Apple has confirmed this morning that the iPhone 4S will launch in New Zealand on November 11th with pre-orders opening November 4th. Pricing has also been confirmed with the 16GB model priced at $1,049, the 32GB model at $1,199 and the 64GB at $1,349. Keep reading for the full press release.

A slice of Apple comes to the core of Christchurch

Steve — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:47:01 +0000

This Saturday marks the opening of Christchurch’s new temporary city mall, a development project called Re:START. Made from modified storage containers the mall will be located on both the north and south sides of Cashel Street in the spaces occupied by now-demolished buildings. As both Cantabrians and iOS addicts, the part that excites us the most is that Apple reseller YooBee will be among the list of tenants.

Where to buy the Steve Jobs biography in New Zealand

Steve — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:08:22 +0000

In case you were unaware, Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs biography has been released internationally and is now available to purchase. There have been several unauthorised Steve Jobs biographies released in the past, but this is the first official and authorised publication and promises to be a great read. I thought I would provide a quick wrap-up of how and where you can purchase the book in New Zealand and how much it will cost.

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 25/10/2011.
25 comments
Post tags: Biography, Books, eBook, iBook, Physical Book, Steve Jobs
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Fix Your iOS5 APN Issues Via Wi-Fi

Chris — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 03:27:25 +0000

By now most of you with iOS devices will have managed to update to the new version and will be enjoying it without issue. However some of you are experiencing the APN horror story.

Fear not there is a way to fix it!

Update: MMS and mobile data switch

The floodgates are open: Apple launch a barrage of updates and new apps

Steve — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 19:49:47 +0000

I hope your broadband data cap is in good standing, because it won’t be by the end of the day! As well as the long-awaited iOS 5, Apple have released a barrage of updates for both Mac and iOS apps as well as launched some brand new ones. Keep reading for a summary of what’s new.

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 13/10/2011.
17 comments
Post tags: Airport Utility, Cards, Find My Friends, iMovie, iOS 5, iWork, Lion, Remote, update
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iOS 5 available now…Go Go Go!!

Dan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:28:27 +0000

Finally the day has come… iOS 5 is available for the general population to download. The update is available now via iTunes for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch 3rd and 4th gen, iPad, iPad 2, and Apple TV 2.

There’s a whole raft of new features (over 200 of them), too many for us to go through, but below is a list of the main ones (via Apple). We thought we’d leave it up to you guys to tell us what you think, what you’ve found, what you like and what you dislike. So hit the comments below and let us know what you think of the new features and what’s your favourite.

iTunes in the cloud now available from New Zealand store

Dan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:46:11 +0000

Amongst other updates that are coming with iCloud, Apple has quietly updated the iTunes Store on iOS 5 to now allow for iTunes in the Cloud, meaning the music you purchase in iTunes appears automatically on all your devices and you can also download your past iTunes purchases.

It needs to be activated by going to “Settings >> Store” and then you will see that under Automatic downloads there is now a Music option. This will likely already be there once you download iOS 5 if you are not a dev and don’t currently have it. Once you have done that you will see purchases in the iTunes app and you will be able to download your pas purchases.

Unfortunately iTunes Match is still only available for U.S account holders. Image gallery after the break…

Hat tip to JarrodM for the heads upRead More

iCloud now open to all

Dan — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 07:42:19 +0000

A short while ago Apple removed the beta and developer tags from iCloud.com and the iCloud preferences in the latest version of OS X Lion (which is still only available for devs right now). iWork won’t work fully just yet as it requires an update to the iWork apps, which we assume will be available tomorrow along with iOS 5 and OS X Lion 10.7.2. Anyway, hit the link above to start your transition to iCloud, oh and you may want to read some of the FAQ’s first: MobileMe to iCloud Transition FAQ’s

iTunes 10.5 now available

Steve — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 17:36:39 +0000

iTunes 10.5 is now out of beta and available to download. It seems a bit hit-and-miss as to whether it will pop up on Software Update but going to itunes.com seems to be the best source. The download weighs in at 103MB and you should grab it now in preparation for iOS 5 and all the goodness that has to offer. Enjoy!

Facebook for iPad available now

Dan — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:42:19 +0000

Yes that’s right folks, Facebook have finally released their app for the iPad and it’s available at the link below. They have also issued an update to the iPhone app and from our initial look at it, it’s a pretty nice update with a whole new interface. Hit the download link below (it’s universal) and get your ‘Like’ on.

Steve Jobs has passed away aged 56…

The Team — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:08:29 +0000

It comes with great sadness that we are writing this post, however we have just heard that, as reported by Apple, Steve Jobs has passed away today at the age of 56. Like many of you, we foolishly hoped that this day would never come. His departure is a massive loss not just to Apple but the entire industry. Our condolences to Jobs’ family and to all of those whose lives he touched.

From Apple:

If you would like to share your thoughts, memories, and condolences, please email rememberingsteve@apple.com

Rest in peace.
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Today’s iPhone 4S announcement and what it means for New Zealand

Steve — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 06:20:26 +0000

After all the hype and the months of insufferable wild speculation, it pains me to say that if today’s announcement could be summed up in a word it would be: yawn. This will certainly go down in history as one of the least exciting iPhone keynotes (in my opinion at least), but for New Zealand in particular there is even less to be excited about. Why? Keep reading.

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 05/10/2011.
63 comments
Post tags: 4S, announcement, Apple, iCloud, iOS 5, iPhone, New Zealand
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In case you hadn’t heard, iOS 5 GM 9A334 is available now

Dan — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:58:43 +0000

I know, I know… we are late to the party, but iOS 5 GM 9A334 is now available for download from the dev site.

Let us know what you find in the comments.

Reminder: Tomorrow is iPhone announcement day. Give us your predictions!

Steve — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:49:06 +0000

No doubt about it, the past few months have been ridiculous in terms of rumour and speculation surrounding the next generation iPhone. Thankfully, we don’t have to put up with it much longer because tomorrow morning at 6am NZT Apple will be unveiling the real thing on home turf in Cupertino, California. Unfortunately, it won’t be possible for us to live blog the event this time but all the usual iPhone blogs such as TUAW, 9to5Mac, The Loop and This is my next will be, so if you’re getting up early head to your site of choice and get ready to refresh like you’ve never refreshed before. We’ll provide a wrap-up later in the day with any New Zealand-specific news, should any materialise.

Will we see a slightly tweaked iPhone 4 revealed as the iPhone 4S? Or will the tear-drop shaped iPhone 5 debut? Maybe 2degrees or Telecom will become official carriers, or Vodafone will actually hold a launch party? Share your thoughts in the comments!Read More

App Review: MetroView NZ City GPS Navigation

Chris — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:14:25 +0000

We have reviewed a number of turn-by-turn GPS apps previously, but with the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand another big GPS Location provider has landed on our iDevices. MetroView NZ City GPS Navigation has been released into the wild to help fans get around, so how does it shape up?

© Crucias for iPhonewzealand, 29/09/2011.
4 comments
Post tags: app, GPS, iPad, iPad 2, iPhone, navigation, nz, review, turn-by-turn
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Apple to hold iPhone event October 4th (US time)

Steve — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 18:58:10 +0000

Finally, after months of rumour, we have a date! As reported by The Loop, Apple has begun sending out media invites for an iPhone event to be held at the company’s Cupertino headquarters on October 4th (October 5th in NZ). The invite specifically says “Let’s Talk iPhone” so there seems little doubt that next generation of the device will be unveiled. Other than that, details remain under wraps as per usual. So, what are your predictions? iPhone 4S? iPhone 5? Both? Hit the comments!

iPad 2 – Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G?

Jason — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 09:16:28 +0000

While standing in the checkout queue of my favourite Apple reseller a few weeks ago, I found myself helping a young lady decide which iPad 2 option was most appropriate for her needs. She was specifically interested in the cheaper Wi-Fi only version and asked about the ease and reliability of tethering to her iPhone 4. I’m not sure which option she eventually chose, but I remember grappling with the decision myself before selecting my own iPad 2 and figured that what I’ve learned since may be of help to others.

Why consumer groups in NZ are barking up the wrong tree with complaints about Apple iTunes pricing

Steve — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 22:04:13 +0000

This morning, Stuff is running an article where they bemoan the price of digitally-distributed goods (i.e. music, movies and apps) in New Zealand with a heavy focus on what Apple is charging in the iTunes store for the same titles in the NZ store versus the US. Sadly, Fairfax have done a hatchet-job on the facts and this isn’t helped by the fact that some local heavy-weights have also weighed in, but they’re all missing the point. How? Keep reading.

Having issues with your APN settings under iOS 5 beta 7? Here’s a work around:

Dan — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:20:53 +0000

It would seem that Apple have removed the ability to change the APN settings in iOS 5 beta 7 for non-official carriers. Hopefully this is just an oversight in this beta and it will be fixed before the GM is released (if not it could leave a lot of users out in the cold). Personally I believe it is a bug as Apple sell the iPhone to use on “the carrier of your choice” when buying from the online store, so they are surely required to make sure you can use it properly (hence the reason it was allowed in the past).

In the meantime if you need to change your APN or it has stopped working here’s how you can do it (it requires you to have a Vodafone SIM or other “official carrier” SIM):

Update: Video below..

iOS 5 beta 7 (and more) available now

The Team — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 23:11:05 +0000

Go get it devs! (and probably a lot of non-devs)…. Apple has just released iOS 5 beta 7, iTunes 10.5 beta 7, Apple TV Software beta 6 and Xcode 4.2 Developer Preview 7.

You can download iOS 5 beta 7 for all the usual suspects (iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPad, iPad 2 or iPod touch 4th and 3rd gen) as an OTA delta update (70.9MB) or via the developer centre.

If you find anything new let us know in the comments below.

NZ iPhone 5 launch date: October 9?

Mak — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 03:41:32 +0000

The much anticipated next iPhone from Apple is rumoured to be launching in New Zealand on October 9 according to ‘a contributer’ at kiwi tech blog TechDay. And he (or she) should know because ‘a source’ told him (or her) so.

Data Based SMS iPad App Comparison

Chris — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 08:20:24 +0000

With the evolution of gaming now extending onto the internet, many of us will find that we suddenly have a lot of friends overseas. In the past, we could just flick our mates a text to plan a game, but with overseas texts often excluded from our bundles and plans we cannot always afford it. So we turn to our smartphones (and similar such devices) and look for an app, but there are many choices!

So with Apple now wading into the thick of this market with their new iMessage service in iOS 5, does it change the balance of power? Is Apple’s app the superior product? Lets find out…

WARNING: MobileMe to iCloud phishing email doing the rounds

Dan — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 10:03:02 +0000

We’ve just received a tip-off from one of our readers that a number Macrumors readers have received phishing emails claiming to be from Apple asking them to update their MobileMe account to iCloud. The email reads as above and the key in the email is the “botton” you need to click and the link to update to “iCLOUD”, you know Apple would never send that out.

We thought we’d give you a heads up in case you should receive one of these. If you get this email, with “botton” and “iCLOUD” in CAPS, do not click the link in the email and do not enter your credit card details. In fact just delete it, permanently. Keep reading for the full story from Macrumors.

Steve Jobs resigns as Apple CEO, Tim Cook to take the helm

The Team — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 23:34:48 +0000

Considering Steve Jobs’ health over the past few years you would think this wasn’t too suprising and that we’d be expecting it, none-the-less, in what is still considerably shocking and very sad news Steve Jobs has just submitted his resignation as CEO of Apple and the board has anounced Tim Cook will take the helm as CEO (as per the the Apple succession plan).

It’s not all bad news though and Steve isn’t quitting completely. In the meantime he will serve as Chairman of the Board, Director and an employee of Apple.

Below is his letter of resignation and the Apple Press Release after the break.

Resignation Letter:

To the Apple Board of Directors and the Apple Community:

I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple’s CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come.

I hereby resign as CEO of Apple. I would like to serve, if the Board sees fit, as Chairman of the Board, director and Apple employee.

As far as my successor goes, I strongly recommend that we execute our succession plan and name Tim Cook as CEO of Apple.

I believe Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it. And I look forward to watching and contributing to its success in a new role.

I have made some of the best friends of my life at Apple, and I thank you all for the many years of being able to work alongside you.

Steve

TradeMe app updated, finally able to add new listings

Chris — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:34:28 +0000

Back in November last year we had an exclusive hands on preview with the TradeMe app when it first launched. In May, we wrote that it was time for more features. Now, almost a year after the initial release, TradeMe have released a new update, with the usual bug fixes, but also a critical functionality update… In-app listing has arrived!

Is your business weather, sickness and disaster-proof? There are apps for that.

Steve — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:25:50 +0000

Snowstorms, earthquakes and tornadoes: mother nature just keeps throwing curve-balls at New Zealand this year and there’s no telling when she’ll do it again. All of these events cause massive disruption for not just people but businesses too and a study by LogMeIn shows that up to 68% of small businesses and 32% of corporates are unprepared to deal with events that could cause loss of access to the office. If you’re reading this blog it’s a fair bet to say that you own at least one iOS device, so keep reading and make sure that you’re tooled up to avoid being part of these statistics.

© Steve for iPhonewzealand, 22/08/2011.
One comment
Post tags: accounting, apps, banking, business, collaboration, iOS, join.me, logmein, New Zealand, Remote, tips
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iOS 5 beta 6 now available to developers

Steve — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:28:54 +0000

Apple has seeded iOS 5 beta 6 to developers this morning, along with iTunes 10.5 beta 6. The update is available as either a full download or OTA delta update (which appears to be nice and easy this time around, unlike beta 5) and appears to be a bug-fix release rather than one that adds any major new functionality.

Winter 2011: Web Browser Comparisons

Chris — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 05:00:04 +0000

On April 13th 2010 history was made, the first 3rd party Web Browser for iOS was approved. Opera Mini was the first amongst many browsers to grace the iOS and since then it has been followed by a succession of unique browsers.

However, if you try and find a review on them, to see which you would like the most before buying, you will be sadly disappointed. It has been many a month since any blog reviewed and compared the cream of the offerings. With iOS5 and its revamped Safari just around the corner (and because I am not restricted to the NDA) I think it’s time we changed that!

© Crucias for iPhonewzealand, 17/08/2011.
12 comments
Post tags: Atomic, Diigo, iChromy, iOS, Mercury, NDA, Opera Mini, review, Skyfire, Web Browser
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Competition: Win a 32GB WiFi iPad 2 with thanks to Vonage – Closed

The Team — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 07:14:56 +0000

UPDATE: This competition has now closed. We are currently going through your awesome entries and we’ll let you know who has won once we know.

UPDATE 2: The competition was won by MrGadget who has been notified via email. Thanks to all our entrants and congratulations to MrGadget!

As we mentioned the other day, we’ve teamed up with Vonage to celebrate the launch of their Time to Call app by giving away a shiny new 32GB WiFi iPad 2 to one lucky reader (although we originally had to pull out the folks at Vonage have been amazing and have made it possible for us to run it).

All you need to do to enter is hit the comments of this post and tell us in 500 characters or less the following: if you had 15 minutes to call anyone past, present or future, who would you call and what would you talk to them about?

Your answer can be serious or funny, fact or fiction, so get creative and get writing.

Accessory Review: Wacom Bamboo Stylus for iPad

Jason — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 06:28:51 +0000

There appears to be a never ending supply of options when it comes to notes apps for our beloved iOS devices, doesn’t there? It’s not surprising then, that there’s an equally extensive range of writing implements available for those apps.

The Wacom Bamboo Stylus hit our shores just a couple of weeks ago and, due to its remarkable pedigree, has a lot to live up to. I decided to put it through its paces and help you decide if it’s worth the $45 it’s selling for in New Zealand stores.