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   iOS 6.1 Expands Global LTE Support

   Agen G. N. Schmitz

   Focused largely on expanding global LTE coverage, Apple released [1]iOS
   6.1 for the iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and iPad mini with an additional
   36 carriers for the iPhone 5 and 23 carriers for LTE-enabled iPads. The
   big LTE switch is turned on for both the iPhone and iPads in markets
   such as Denmark, Finland, Italy, and Switzerland, while several Middle
   Eastern countries (including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab
   Emirates) get LTE just for the iPhone 5. You can find a full list of
   LTE markets and carriers for specific models of [2]iPhone and [3]iPad
   at Apple's Web site.

   Beyond LTE connectivity, the update adds the capability to use Siri to
   purchase movie tickets from Fandango (U.S. only), and it enables iTunes
   Match subscribers to download individual songs from iCloud (a previous
   iOS update quietly removed this option). A Reset Advertising Identifier
   button is also added to the Advertising preference (Settings > General
   > About > Advertising), which enables you to flush your current
   Advertising Identifier (much like deleting history from a Web browser)
   so that you're hopefully served more relevant ads going forward. Of
   course, you can also turn on the Limit Ad Tracking option here, which
   not only reins in targeted advertising but can also help minimize
   cellular use (see more cellular data tips in Matt Neuberg's
   '[4]Mysterious iOS 6 Cellular Data Usage: A Deeper Look,' 24 October
   2012).

   Josh Lowensohn at [5]CNet also notes several smaller changes not
   mentioned by Apple, including a reworking of the lock screen's music
   playback controls. Now when you double-tap the home button, the
   playback controls are pushed up to replace the current time display,
   giving you a better view of your lock screen wallpaper image.

   [6][tn_ios-61update-playbacklockscreen.jpg]

   As usual, we recommend going the over-the-air update route if you have
   Wi-Fi connectivity (Settings > General > Software Update) as this
   method downloads only the deltas that are much smaller and faster to
   install. The over-the-air deltas for the iPad and iPad mini weigh in at
   76 MB and 83 MB respectively (compared to 1.08 GB if downloading the
   full update through iTunes), while the iPhone over-the-air update is
   107 MB (compared to 989.5 MB in iTunes). The update is free, and it can
   be applied to the iPhone 3GS and later, iPad 2 and later, and
   fourth-generation iPod touch and later.

   In other iOS news, the [7]Apple TV Software also gets bumped up to
   version 5.2, which adds Bluetooth keyboard support, the capability to
   wirelessly send audio to AirPlay-enabled speakers and devices, and
   support for iTunes in the Cloud ' enabling you to stream purchased
   music directly through the Apple TV rather than stream it from a
   computer on your network. The update is available for second- and
   third-generation Apple TV models.

References

   1. http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1624
   2. http://www.apple.com/iphone/LTE/
   3. http://www.apple.com/ipad/LTE/
   4. http://tidbits.com/article/13354
   5. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57566214-37/apple-releases-ios-6.1-with-additional-lte-support/
   6. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-01/ios-61update-playbacklockscreen.png
   7. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4448?viewlocale=en_US&locale=en_US

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