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Some owners of Apple’s new iPhone 4S have been hit with SIM card error messages, even if they are connected to a CDMA carrier that does not use SIM cards.

One reader contacted AppleInsider on Thursday to share their frustrations with error messages that read “Invalid SIM” and “SIM Failure” on their iPhone 4S. This person said the errors began occurring after they updated to iOS 5.0.1, though other users posting on Apple’s official Support Communities website, in a thread with more than 30,000 views to date, have experienced similar problems since the iPhone 4S first went on sale in October.

“This problem can only be solved when you reboot your iPhone,” the person, who is an AT&T customer, wrote in an e-mail. “Everything else fails — restore, removal of the SIM, etc.”

When users experience a SIM-card-related error, basic functions including making phone calls, sending text messages, and using mobile data become unavailable, as the handset cannot make a connection with the wireless data provider.

The iPhone 4S is a “world phone,” which means its redesigned antenna and internal components are compatible with both CDMA and GSM carriers. Micro SIM cards placed in the iPhone 4S are only used by GSM carriers to identify a subscriber and grant them access to a carrier’s wireless network.

But while only GSM carriers, like AT&T in the U.S., use the micro SIM slot on the iPhone 4S, users on CDMA carriers, like Verizon and Sprint, have also reported experiencing SIM-card-related errors. iPhone 4S units sold through CDMA carriers come with a “roaming SIM” installed, which allows CDMA customers to roam worldwide on GSM networks.

“No service on my white 32 GB 4S on Verizon,” user ‘racyb’ wrote in October. “Did a shutdown and reboot….it went into searching mode and finally found Verizon again after 1 minute. What is going on?”

Since the release of iOS 5.0.1 earlier this month, another thread at the Apple Support Communities website features more users who say the problems began occurring after they updated their iPhone 4S. Some say their iPhone displays full signal reception, yet error messages like “Call Failed” and “Invalid SIM” continue to display.

“Same problem here in Brazil,” user ‘GuiMedrado’ wrote on Wednesday. “Bought my 4S – 32GB unlocked in Switzerland and couldnt’ make it work after upgrading to 5.0.1. Any solution?”

The iOS 5.0.1 update was released earlier this month in an attempt to address battery life issues reported by some users. But some battery-related problems have remained, and Apple has publicly said it is still working to fix those issues.

One rumor this week claimed that Apple will issue a new update, iOS 5.0.2, no later than next week in a second attempt to improve battery life with iOS 5. There was no mention of any fixes for SIM card issues or error messages.

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References discovered in the underlying code of Apple’s iOS mobile operating system suggest that some cross-platform features of Mac OS X iChat could make their way to the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Though the code discovered by developer John Heaton, and highlighted by TUAW, doesn’t specifically mention iChat, it does include strings related to outside services AOL Instant Messenger and Jabber. The iMessage application found in iOS 5 allows text messaging, but does not currently connect to third-party chat services like AIM.

But the iChat software built into Mac OS X does connect to services like AIM, Jabber and others, like Yahoo Messenger. The code references discovered by Heaton suggest that Apple was at one point testing similar functionality in iMessage for iOS 5.

Also interesting is the fact that the “IMService” code in iOS 5 mentions both the iMessage and FaceTime services. Currently, iMessage and FaceTime are separate applications in iOS 5, with the iPhone handing off FaceTime duties to the handset’s native “Phone” application, and the iPad and iPod touch featuring a separate application specifically for FaceTime. The code might suggest that FaceTime could eventually become integrated in iMessage.

Even on the Mac, FaceTime and iChat are different applications without integration. And there is currently no support for iMessage in Mac OS X, though there has been evidence that Apple could bring iMessage support to iChat in Mac OS X 10.7 Lion.

iMessage is Apple’s new proprietary chat client that debuted with the launch of iOS 5 in October. For iPhone users, it handles text messaging responsibilities, but it also allows for free messaging between iPhone users, as well as iPad and iPod touch users, in a manner similar to Research in Motion’s BlackBerry Messenger.

The iMessage software is based on the same push technology that Apple developed for use in iOS application notifications, push e-mail and contacts.

Like iMessage, FaceTime originally debuted on the iPhone and was not available on Macs. But earlier this year, Apple released a dedicated FaceTime application on the Mac App Store for 99 cents.

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Σύμφωνα με δημοσίευμα γερμανικού blog μηχανικός της Apple δηλώνει ότι την επόμενη βδομάδα θα δούμε την αναβάθμιση στο iOS 5.0.2 που θα διορθώσει τα συνεχιζόμενα προβλήματα με την αυτονομία στο iPhone, θέμα που ταλανίζει από την πρώτη μέρα κυκλοφορίας του iOS 5 τους χρήστες.

Τα νέα δεν σταματούν εδώ, όμως, αφού σύμφωνα με το ίδιο δημοσίευμα η Apple ετοιμάζει ήδη την πρώτη μεγάλη αναβάθμιση iOS 5.1 που θα δώσει μερικές νέες συναρπαστικές δυνατότητες στο Siri όπως τη δυνατότητα να τραβήξετε φωτογραφία/βίντεο και να ανοιγοκλείσετε Wi-Fi ή Bluetooth.

Δεν διαθέτουμε, βέβαια, κάποια παραπάνω πληροφορία σχετικά με την ακριβή ημερομηνία κυκλοφορίας σε αυτό το σημείο αλλά αναμένουμε με ανυπομονησία την περαιτέρω βελτίωση του Siri στο iPhone 4S και την γενικότερη βελτίωση της αυτονομίας.

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Έρευνα της IDC φέρνει για μια ακόμη φορά το iOS στην πρώτη θέση των προτιμήσεων των developers σε ποσοστό 91%. Συγκεκριμένα, η αναφορά ερευνά την πρόθεση των developers για ανάπτυξη εφαρμογών οι οποίοι έδειξαν πολύ ενδιαφέρον σε ποσοστό 91% για το iPhone και σε ποσοστό 88% για το iPad.

Για το Android η αντίστοιχη έρευνα έδειξε μείωση ενδιαφέροντος στο 83% για τηλέφωνα και στο 68% για tablets ενώ τα Windows Phone 7 καταλαμβάνουν την τρίτη θέση για πρώτη φορά με ποσοστό 38% ως αποτέλεσμα της πρόσφατης συνεργασίας με τη Nokia.

Θα ήταν ενδιαφέρον να δούμε πόσοι Έλληνες developers για το iOS έχουν ασχοληθεί και με άλλες πλατφόρμες όπως το Android ή τα Windows Phone 7 ή πόσοι σκέφτονται να ασχοληθούν στο μέλλον. Τα σχόλια σας στο forum.

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This week in Apple news, we talked to security researcher Charlie Miller about a flaw within iOS that ultimately got him suspended from Apple’s developer program. Apple then issued an update to iOS 5 that fixed that bug in addition to a handful of others. We also covered a MagSafe connector settlement, Instagram clients for the desktop, GarageBand for iPhone, Apple’s new self-checkout system at its retail stores, and more. Read on for the roundup!

iOS 5.0.1 arrives with purported battery life fixes: Apple has made good on its promise to deliver an iOS 5 software update to address battery life bugs. But does it work?

Proof-of-concept app exploiting iOS security flaw gets researcher in trouble with Apple: Security researcher Charlie Miller has found a crack in iOS’s sandboxing foundation that could let any app run unsigned, unvetted code. His proof-of-concept app earned him a one-year suspension from Apple’s developer program, too.

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Apple Senior Vice President Phil Schiller has received a slight shift in his title at the company, while iOS 5.0.1 appears to have introduced a bug that keeps an iPhone 4S from recognizing contacts. Finally, a wireless carrier in Puerto Rico is selling the iPhone 4S for the low price of $99.99 with a two-year contract.

Phil Schiller

Apple’s website introducing its executive team is now reflecting a change in Schiller’s title from SVP of Worldwide Product Marketing to SVP of Worldwide Marketing, as first noticed by The Next Web.

Though it’s likely that the subtle change doesn’t mean much for Schiller, it’s also possible that the shift corresponds to an adjustment in Schiller’s responsibilities at the company. Schiller has in recent years played a more public role at Apple, especially in relation to Mac OS X.

The Cupertino, Calif., company’s executive team is undergoing some restructuring. At the beginning of the month, Apple took down former retail chief Ron Johnson’s photo and bio from its website after he left to be the CEO at J.C. Penney. Johnson is reportedly gathering former Apple executives to serve on his new team at the U.S. retailer.

In September, iTunes boss Eddy Cue received a promotion to senior vice president of Internet Software & Services from his previous position as vice president of Internet Services. As part of his new role, Cue will oversee iAds and iCloud in addition to iTunes.

Of course, the biggest personnel change for Apple was the resignation of Steve Jobs as CEO in August. Apple has yet to appoint a new chairman of the board since Jobs passed away from pancreatic cancer in early October.

Contact bug

After wirelessly updating to iOS 5.0.1, Paul Hontz of The Startup Foundry reported that his iPhone 4S on Verizon no longer recognized his contact entries. Though all of his information remained in the contacts app, the device would only show phone numbers when receiving calls or text messages.

According to Hontz, many of his Twitter followers have experienced similar issues. For now, the issue appears isolated to iPhone 4S users on the Verizon network who updated to iOS 5.0.1 over the air.

Some users reported being able to resolve the issue by calling Verizon or disabling and re-enabling iCloud contacts. Hontz was able to fix his incoming calls by calling the carrier’s over-the-air programming number, but he has yet to find a fix for his incoming messages.

Apple released iOS 5.0.1 on Thursday to address battery life issues and other bugs in the operating system. The release also marked the first public over-the-air iOS update.

Scattered reports suggest that iOS 5.0.1 did not fix all users’ battery issues. Apple indicated on Friday that it is aware of the problems and is continuing to investigate the issue.

Puerto Rico

Wireless operator Claro in Puerto Rico is advertising the 16GB iPhone 4S for just $99 with a two-year contract, a full $100 cheaper than Apple’s own price of $199 in the U.S. 32GB and 64GB models sell for $199.99 and $299.99 respectively, though the higher-capacity versions are listed as coming soon.

Plans for the device start at $64.98 a month for unlimited minutes and SMS with 250MB of data, while unlimited data, voice and SMS costs $84.98 a month. Claro also offers the iPhone 4S off contract for $669, $769 and $869, $20 more than Apple’s prices for contract-free versions of its latest handset. The iPhone 4S is also available in Puerto Rico on AT&T and Sprint.

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