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

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.'"

Comments

I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio.

[lxs]

Because there are clearly radio buttons on the Slasdot poll.

Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio.

[PopeRatzo]

That's because you don't get karma for funny posts.

Maybe YOU don't...

Re:I predict the imminent retun of Slashdot Radio.

[Vintermann]

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.

Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network?

[Internal Modem]

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.

Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network?

[Sockatume]

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.

Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network?

[Internal Modem]

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.

Re:Another revenue stream for Apple's iAd Network?

[ColdWetDog]

Mr. Ballmer, this really comes across as sour grapes, don't you think?

This is ludicrous!

[polyp2000]

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.

Re:This is ludicrous!

[gutnor]

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 ?

Re:This is ludicrous!

[sootman]

> 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!

What are the first three words?

[Anonymous Coward]

"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!

[Chibi Merrow]

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.

Re:Blame Canada!

[Anonymous Coward]

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

[Savage-Rabbit]

So you mean Apple will try to get a design patent on radio buttons?

No they won't I've already patented concentric circles.

Re:Radio buttons, for that vintage look

[Custard Horse]

Apple will claim that they are squares with the corners filed off...

If I were Apple...

[sootman]

... 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.