iOS 7 is Already Changing: The Differences You Need to Know

On Monday, Apple released the third beta for iOS 7 to developers, which packed a subtle yet important change to the company's mobile operating system: An updated default font.

The first two iOS 7 beta releases featured a brand new default typeface, Helvetica Neue Light for all on-screen text. This is a change from the Helvetica Neue (regular) typeface used in all previous versions of iOS. At larger sizes and in screenshots, Helvetica Neue Light is a great choice. It looks clean and modern. But at small sizes, the font becomes difficult to read.

Famed typographer Erik Spiekermann described the decision as a "youthful folly" and explained why it's not a good choice for Apple.

Clearly, Apple is listening. This isn't the first time Apple has responded to criticism from the community — contrary to popular belief, Apple is very plugged in to the conversation revolving around its products and by its developers. The company just doesn't always publicly engage or respond to those conversations.

The decision to return to Helvetica Neue regular for standard text is indicative of Apple's evolving process while refining its releases (Helvetica Neue Light is still used at larger sizes and for headings). Beyond the font change, iOS 7 has several other updates, mostly in the form of new icons and subtle menu redesigns.

As I wrote last month, iOS 7 is a big change for developers and users, as well as for Apple. This much is clear from the changes to the OS within just one month.

Let us know your thoughts on the evolution of iOS 7 in the comments.

Mashable composite; images courtesy of Apple

Limbo May Be the Creepiest iOS Game Ever

Remember Limbo, Playdead's black-and-white, 2D-scroller that scared and thrilled us on the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC? The game is now available for iOS, and it's every bit as scary as its big-screen counterparts.

In the game, you play a little boy searching for his lost sister. To find her, you must enter Limbo, a weird, monochromatic world that's a child's worst nightmare. Don't believe us? Well, the first time you step on a spring trap, you'll see what we mean.

The gameplay mostly consists of the usual brain teasers and obstacles, and the controls are simple, but effective — tap and swipe right on the screen to move forward, and swipe up to jump.

However, Limbo's beautiful visuals, bleak atmosphere and gruesome details make it a special treat for gamers looking for something slightly out of the ordinary.

The game is available in Apple's App Store for $4.99. It works on the iPad 2 or higher, iPad Mini, iPhone 4S and higher, and the latest-generation iPod Touch.

Have you tried the game out? How do you like it? Tell us in the comments.

Image courtesy of Playdead

Apple’s iOS 7 Will Ship On Time For A Preview Release In June And Full Launch In September, Report Says

Apple’s iOS 7 will arrive “on time,” according to a couple of well-placed sources following a report from Bloomberg this morning that suggests it was risking delays in the face of major software changes. Apple blogger and noted beard-wearer Jim Dalrymple gave one of his famous one-word confirms today on his blog, agreeing with a source which told AllThingsD that while Apple has had to shift engineering resources away from OS X to iOS to make sure things proceed on schedule, the update will arrive on time.

Apple says on its WWDC landing page that we’ll see “what’s next in iOS and OS X,” but it hasn’t spelled out that we’ll see new versions of either its Mac desktop OS, or the mobile platform that powers iPhones and iPads. Still, the focus at WWDC is on software, and it’s more than reasonable to expect given the teaser on the information page as well as references to the future of iOS and OS X made in the official press release noting when tickets for WWDC would go on sale this year.

iOS 7 delay rumors have been making the rounds since John Gruber noted that Apple was “running behind” on the next version of its OS, and they cropped up again today thanks to Bloomberg’s report. But while Apple is apparently having to devote more engineering resources than normal to helping with the redesign process, which is rumored to be headed up by Jony Ive and involves a big visual refresh, which will embrace “flat” design (favoring solid colors and doing away with optical effect that mimic the textures and reflections of physical materials) and bring big changes to the calendar and email tools built-in to iOS.

The changes coming in iOS 7 are about modernizing the UI, likely to inject some fresh energy into a mobile operating system that has retained a fairly stable aesthetic style throughout the course of its six year existence. A significant change to the basic functionality of some apps and the look and feel of the entire OS would be quite difficult on its own, but Bloomberg says that the management shift that took place at the end of last year with Scott Forstall’s departure ended up causing a pause and refocus in the direction of overall development.

WWDC is just over a month away, so we’ll see exactly how extensive the modification really is with a likely introduction of a public developer preview version at that time, if Apple continues doing the same thing it has in the past around the iOS development process.

iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 details emerge online

Rumours that Apple will debut at least two new smartphones this year gathered pace today, after a Chinese source claimed to have seen the forthcoming devices.

Posting on micro blogging service, Sina Tech, Old Yao claims his friend at one of Apple’s Chinese parts suppliers has laid eyes on the new edition of the standard-sized iPhone, AKA the iPhone 5S, and the phablet-sized iPhone 6.

According to said insider, the iPhone 5S isn’t too different from the current-gen model in the looks stakes. That tallies with other recent reports suggesting that improvements that the next-generation handset brings will be largely restricted to the phone’s internals.

The iPhone 6, meanwhile, is a different matter and is purportedly longer – Yao claims it packs a five-inch screen - and wider than the iPhone 5, but is also thinner.

Although that’s not a terribly concrete description, it’s sure to add to the clamour of tech voicesforecasting that Apple’s 2013 product portfolio will include a tablet-smartphone hybrid aimed at seeing off the challenge from the Samsung’s Note range.

Still, before you get too excited, it’s worth remembering that we can’t set too much store in Old Yao’s claims, given that it’s been hard to verify what kind of industry credentials he’s got. If indeed, he’s got any at all.

Either way, given the Samsung Galaxy Note and Note 2’s huge sales, it seems likely that demand for an Apple phablet would be huge. And with a putative spec sheet that takes in a super HD camera, 128GB of storage and Near Field Communications, it’s not hard to see why.

Via:

CNET