Hidden 'Radio' Buttons Discovered In Apple's iOS 6.1

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Hidden 'Radio' Buttons Discovered In Apple's iOS 6.1

Posted by samzenpus on Wednesday February 6, 2013 @10:27PM from the I'm-on-apple-radio dept.

tad001 writes "CNET is reporting 'Discovered last night within a freshly jailbroken iPad: a set of buttons and code references for "radio," a feature found in iTunes on Macs and PCs, but not on the iPad or iPhone.' ... 'The buttons hint at Apple's much-rumored radio service, a product that will let people stream music much like they do on the popular Pandora service, but with deep ties to Apple's iTunes library.' ... 'The discovery follows a high-profile jailbreak of iOS 6.1, the updated system software Apple released just last week. A team of developers came up with a tool that gives users deep system-level access to do things like install applications from third-party app stores, change the look and feel of iOS, and add new software features.'"

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I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio. by lxs · 2013-02-06 22:35 · Score: 5, Funny

Because there are clearly radio buttons on the Slasdot poll.
1. Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio. by Internal+Modem · 2013-02-06 23:00 · Score: 2
  
  It looks like you "whooshed" the moderators. Good job!
2. Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio. by Internal+Modem · 2013-02-06 23:04 · Score: 2
  
  EDIT: OP was "+4 insightful" when I commented. At +5 Funny now. Someone got it.
3. Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio. by PopeRatzo · 2013-02-07 00:27 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  That's because you don't get karma for funny posts.
  Maybe YOU don't...
  
  --
  You are welcome on my lawn.
4. Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio. by Vintermann · 2013-02-07 01:45 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  It's a thing on slashdot now, some newbies rate insightful instead of funny because they've heard that funny doesn't give karma.
  I infer that they are newbies from the fact that they want to give karma to me. It's really, really not hard to max out on karma on slashdot.
  
  --
  xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
5. Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio. by Plumpaquatsch · 2013-02-07 04:22 · Score: 2
  
  That's because you don't get karma for funny posts.
  That's what "Underrated" is for - not "Insightful".
  
  --
  Of course news about a fake are Fake News.
6. Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio. by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-07 05:10 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Check the FAQ, they changed it. You didn't use to, but you do now.
  Now, on to the actual topic: Why? There is already a free app out there for both iPhone/iPad and Android that will let you stream almost any radio station in the world; they advertise it daily on KSHE. My guess is that they were originally going to put some sort of radio feature in, it got half finished and everyone was using the free app so they shelved it.
  Meanwhile, five years ago someone I know had a dumb phone that had an AM-FM radio built in. Not internet radio, of course, but still -- it seems to me that every smart phone and feature phone should have a built-in radio and TV receiver. If the telcos weren't a bunch of bald faced liars (like every corporation is these days) they could save a lot of their bandwidth. Thios pretty much indicates that their data caps are bullshit that has nothing to do with saturating their frequencies, but is just a ploy to extract more $$$$$ from their customers.
  If Android had a built-in TV and radio reciever (most of the curcuitry is already there and all of it for a sound radio), I'd buy one. A tablet with built-in radio and TV would really be nice!
Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network? by Internal+Modem · 2013-02-06 22:48 · Score: 3, Interesting

This seems like another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network, which can definitely use the boost. Advertiser-sponsored streaming radio stations (a la Pandora) with a paid option to remove advertising.

These buy buttons seem like the obvious tie-in with iTunes to buy a song as it is streaming. This falls in with Apple's announcement that they will start separating software revenue from hardware revenue in quarterly reports. I guess they won't be propping up iPod revenue with iTunes anymore (since music players don't affect the stock any more).

Apple's software is getting stickier.
1. Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network? by Sockatume · 2013-02-06 23:05 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  Interestingly enough, iTunes runs at around break-even, with Apple using it largley as a way of getting people to buy iDevices by ensuring there is content available for them. I wonder if this means that the market has shifted and it now has to pull its own weight as a profit-making part of the business.
  
  --
  No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
2. Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network? by Internal+Modem · 2013-02-06 23:43 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Here's a story from 2008 where Steve Jobs once again repeated the claim that Apple didn't expect to make a lot of money through iTunes selling phone Apps. However, the author disagrees and compares iTunes to other e-commerce businesses like Amazon and eBay.
  
  In 2008, iTunes had "margins that are better than the best e-commerce companies around; no marketing costs and a built in audience; Sales of nearly $3 billion a year in its existing business; and a new $1 billion business on the way."
  
  In 2013, we now know the sales projections were conservative, and with a need to show revenue growth to investors, I'm sure Tim Cook would not announce that Apple would begin quarterly reports of software revenue (e.g. iTunes) without being certain he can produce big numbers.
3. Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network? by ColdWetDog · 2013-02-07 05:30 · Score: 3, Funny
  
  Mr. Ballmer, this really comes across as sour grapes, don't you think?
  
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  Faster! Faster! Faster would be better!
4. Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network? by tlhIngan · 2013-02-07 06:13 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  2013, we now know the sales projections were conservative, and with a need to show revenue growth to investors, I'm sure Tim Cook would not announce that Apple would begin quarterly reports of software revenue (e.g. iTunes) without being certain he can produce big numbers.
  iTunes sales numbers are right there in their financials. It's marked as "online services" or somesuch, and it earns a few billion dollars in revenue annually (note timespan).
  Of course, those numbers pale compared to even Mac revenue numbers (order of magnitude higher).
  And revenues aren't profits - no one outside Apple knows how much the iTunes store makes in profit - though I suspect it's saddled with the cost of the datacenter Apple set up and iCloud and processing fees and such.
5. Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network? by Patch86 · 2013-02-07 06:25 · Score: 2
  
  Have you seen the licensing costs for Apple Server software? iTunes may barely break even, but their Enterprise Software division is doing great!
  Only half joking; that sort of accounting trick is common as muck, as long as there's an incentive for it. Not sure what that incentive would be in this case, but 5p on the side says that it begins with "T" and ends with "X", without much in the middle. See Starbucks and their "loss making UK division", with a surprisingly high, and highly circuitous, payment to license the brand from their American parent which just so happens to change each year to match whatever their revenues are...
Re:Radio buttons, for that vintage look by Sockatume · 2013-02-06 22:59 · Score: 2

They're buttons with a radio antenna on them, not "radio buttons" as in "buttons that only let you select one thing at once".

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Possibly ... by dbscoach · 2013-02-06 23:21 · Score: 2

... we'll even be blessed with 'Television' in iOS7?
Re:What will they come up with next?! by tinkerton · 2013-02-06 23:21 · Score: 2

It's kind of an analog wifi. I'm surprised they managed to make it work so soon, if you know how many engineers broke their teeth on analog computers. Probably not really analog then but with a digital machinery under the hood..
Re:What will they come up with next?! by inasity_rules · 2013-02-06 23:34 · Score: 2

You joke, but my fairly recent Nokia N8 could both receive and transmit Analogue FM between around 88MHz and 104MHZ. I often wondered if I couldn't hack it into a smart tuner...
Analogue radio is still around in many parts of the world and isn't going anywhere. However TFA is referring to the use of Wifi or (3rd gen) GSM radio to stream audio from a internet source...

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I have determined that my sig is indeterminate.
Re:Pandora WTF is that who cares? by inasity_rules · 2013-02-06 23:41 · Score: 2

Try living in Africa. We got the iTunes music store late last year, by which time I'd already chucked the only idevice I ever had the misfortune to own. Can't even buy from amazon....

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I have determined that my sig is indeterminate.
Re:Deep system-level by Sockatume · 2013-02-06 23:41 · Score: 2

Mortal man was not supposed to meddle with the font in the messages app.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
This is ludicrous! by polyp2000 · 2013-02-06 23:45 · Score: 3, Insightful

Ok Jailbreaking iPhones is news i guess - although why someone would buy an iPhone in the first place with the intent on jailbreaking it is a mystery to me - surely thats an admission that the phone doesnt check all your boxes. irritation aside ....
they found some icons that arent currently in use by any apps. big f***king woop. Im sure you could find a bunch of unused icons on any windows , linux, amigaOS.
Just because its Apple - this is some sort of game changing discovery that merits a wordy article on cnet - only to appear on slashdot hours later.
Come on now are the moderators that bloody nerdy now that a glimpse of a new icon gives them a semi ?
N.

--
Electronic Music Made Using Linux http://soundcloud.com/polyp
1. Re:This is ludicrous! by gutnor · 2013-02-07 01:35 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  why someone would buy an iPhone in the first place with the intent on jailbreaking it is a mystery to me
  That's called expectations clash with real life. Other examples:
  Why would you buy an Android phone with the intention of installing cyanogen on it ?
  Why would you buy a Windows computer with the intention of installing Linux ?
  Why would you get your internet connection from an ISP and access content from censured source using VPN ?
  Why would you buy a flat with the intention of refurbishing it ?
  Why would you vote for a politician and then lobby to get some of his decisions overturned ?
2. Re:This is ludicrous! by sootman · 2013-02-07 02:15 · Score: 4, Insightful
  
  > why someone would buy an iPhone in the first place with the
  > intent on jailbreaking it is a mystery to me - surely thats an
  > admission that the phone doesnt check all your boxes
  I can't believe you got a +5 for that. You're not very imaginative, are you? Here's a possibility: maybe NO phone "checks all your boxes" but the iPhone comes closest? Maybe you like a competing phone a lot, but a jailbroken iPhone is even better?!? Maybe you like iPhones just fine, and jailbreaking them makes them even more fantastic?
  Have you ever in your life bought something and then changed it to make it suit you more? OH MY GOD!
  
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  Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
Dev work done before a business deal by alen · 2013-02-07 00:14 · Score: 2

Amazing that apple would develop a potential service to be ready to go the day a business deal is signed. And keep the code hidden until a deal is signed
Simply amazing
Re:What will they come up with next?! by JasterBobaMereel · 2013-02-07 00:19 · Score: 2

That will be something like the Radio service I get on my Android, or something similar to the live streaming of broadcast audio I can also get on the same device ...

--
Puteulanus fenestra mortis
What are the first three words? by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-07 00:46 · Score: 3, Funny

"CNET is reporting..........."
Radio buttons....really? CNET is like that retarded cousin who plays console videogames all day long, chats in Yahoo, and he thinks that makes him a computer haxor.
Blame Canada! by Chibi+Merrow · 2013-02-07 01:08 · Score: 4, Insightful

It's not Pandora's fault. It's Canada's fault. Stop being a worthless internet crybaby and go get your local laws fixed so that Pandora can offer you service, and not be locked out by the local copyright monopolies.

--
Maxim: People cannot follow directions.
Increases in truth directly with the length of time spent explaining them
1. Re:Blame Canada! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-07 03:50 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  How did this get modded up? In Canada we have cancon restrictions for a very good reason and a lot of Canadians support that. If someone wants to be a player in our media, they need to support Canadian artists. When you live next to an Imperialistic entity like the USA, if you don't protect your culture, you will lose it.
2. Re:Blame Canada! by Anonymous Coward · 2013-02-07 05:08 · Score: 3, Insightful
  
  As a canadian, I detest that the government attempts to force feed me "Canadian" content. I like what I like. Some of it may be of Canadian origin, and some may not. I don't need some government bureaucracy trying to tell me what music I should listen to, or video I should watch.
  Stop being scared of the Americans. It makes you look pathetic.
Re:Radio buttons, for that vintage look by Savage-Rabbit · 2013-02-07 01:10 · Score: 3, Funny

So you mean Apple will try to get a design patent on radio buttons?
No they won't I've already patented concentric circles.

--
Only to idiots, are orders laws.
-- Henning von Tresckow
Re:Pandora WTF is that who cares? by inasity_rules · 2013-02-07 01:19 · Score: 2

2.5 Get rejected because your credit card isn't in the EU.... I think they sell a T-shirt for this...
It is honestly so stupid (also another reason I quit apple).
Me:"I want to buy x, y, z. Here take my money. Heck, I'll even pay your ridiculous price."
Apple/Amazon/Pandora/etc: "STFU. This stuff isn't available in your region."
Me: "And I shouldn't pirate because....?"
At least steam works fine. Why can't everyone else that?

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I have determined that my sig is indeterminate.
Re:Radio buttons, for that vintage look by Custard+Horse · 2013-02-07 01:34 · Score: 4, Funny

Apple will claim that they are squares with the corners filed off...
Re:Aw man, what a letdown. by Sockatume · 2013-02-07 01:42 · Score: 2

I think you've got them confused with Google.

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No kidding!!! What do you say at this point?
Baby steps by Overzeetop · 2013-02-07 02:09 · Score: 2

Woah, there, buckaroo. That's the kind of thing that will be rolled out over the next decade. Everyone else will have it first, but I promise you that when Apple releases (ahem, allows) it, it will be like a breath of fresh air and TV will not just be TV - it will be wonderful again.
You'll have to excuse me. I need to go watch some youtube videos which are nothing but a fake staticy screen with the message that the content owner hasn't approved the viewing of the material on my device.

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Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
Re:What will they come up with next?! by rossdee · 2013-02-07 02:13 · Score: 2

Radio is so old it predates Analog, and even Astounding and Amazing Stories...
How games differ from music, movies, and TV by tepples · 2013-02-07 02:18 · Score: 2

At least steam works fine. Why can't everyone else that?
Steam is a service for distribution of video games. The time between the invention of video games and the Internet was much shorter than for music, movies, or TV shows. Because distribution was so difficult in the pre-Internet era, long-term exclusive contracts with a distributor that specializes in each territory became the norm. PC games, on the other hand, had demos spread through dial-up BBSes even before the Internet was opened to the public in the mid-1990s.
If I were Apple... by sootman · 2013-02-07 02:20 · Score: 3, Interesting

... I'd dedicate one measly megabyte of iOS to random icons and product ID strings just to fuck with people. Seriously, it'd be fun. For every one feature accurately hinted at there would be ten bogus ones.

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CNET owns GameFAQs by tepples · 2013-02-07 02:22 · Score: 2

CNET is like that retarded cousin who plays console videogames all day long
Like? You mean it is. CNET owns GameFAQs, and it bought Giant Bomb, which began as a purportedly more ethical competitor to CNET's GameSpot.
Internet radio ? No thanks by ctrl-alt-canc · 2013-02-07 04:08 · Score: 2

I tried it on my car: I don't have a iPhone but an android smartphone, but I guess the results shouldn't be that different. Consumption of bandwidth is huge and reception is crappy, since on my commuting path I don't have a reliable UMTS/GSM data coverage. Furthermore one hour of reception drains about 50% of the battery.
On the other side, my Sony shortwave receiver needs 4 AA cells every two weeks, and can pick up plenty of stations. Unfortunately BBC, Voice of America and other broadcasters are shutting down their shortwave facilities, since they claim that internet is the future...sigh.
1. Re:Internet radio ? No thanks by isorox · 2013-02-07 07:01 · Score: 2
  
  I tried it on my car: I don't have a iPhone but an android smartphone, but I guess the results shouldn't be that different.
  Consumption of bandwidth is huge and reception is crappy, since on my commuting path I don't have a reliable UMTS/GSM data coverage. Furthermore one hour of reception drains about 50% of the battery.
  On the other side, my Sony shortwave receiver needs 4 AA cells every two weeks, and can pick up plenty of stations. Unfortunately BBC, Voice of America and other broadcasters are shutting down their shortwave facilities, since they claim that internet is the future...sigh.
  It' amazing how few people in target BBC areas have radios now, compared with access to smartphones and the internet.
  BBC R&D did a fair bit of work on DRM, which was obviously doomed to failure. All the downsides of shortwave, coupled with the fact noone has a receiver. And it's French.
Re:Radio buttons, for that vintage look by dedmorris · 2013-02-07 10:13 · Score: 2

Wow - make a very gentle crack on Apple, and my karma goes from excellent to good to positive in less than an hour. I have learned my lesson.