Plug in your iDevices people, because Apple just released an update.

It’s a minor one, to be sure, but brings about some rather helpful bug fixes. Most notably, you should no longer receive the “Unable To Purchase” message when buying digital content from the iTunes or App Store.

There have also been some complaints about AirPlay video playback, which will be resolved with iOS 5.1.1, as will a bug that prevented the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks. The update will also improve the reliability of using the HDR option for pics snapped with the Lock Screen camera shortcut.

It’s been two months since Apple released iOS 5.1, which added the swipe to open camera function and fixed a few call quality and battery life bugs.

As previously mentioned, this certainly isn’t the most exciting thing we’ve seen come out of Apple, but an upgrade is an upgrade. So go ahead and plug in your iPhone/iPad/iPod touch and get your update on.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

In one of the most anticlimactic (and likely ineffective) marketing campaigns in history, RIM has today launched its “Wake Up. Be Bold.” campaign in Australia. It began with a group of “protestors” disembarking from a bus outside of Apple’s Sydney store with signs that read “Wake Up.” But don’t get too excited — that’s the most exciting part of the story.

After the long and vigorous rivalry between Samsung and Apple, both in marketing and in the courts, the South Korea-based company was originally blamed for the seemingly out-of-the-blue protest. RIM, of course, kept quiet.

But it was in fact RIM that staged the shit show, which all culminated in the launch of the wakeupbebold.com website, wherein an Australian man explains how business has changed and that to be different you mustn’t just “think different,” but “do different” (which I’m fairly certain is grammatically incorrect), lest you end up “floating through life like a cork in a stream.”

Not only is the ad boring — just a stream of text accompanied by a voice — but it really doesn’t resonate in any way shape or form. At BlackBerry Jam last week, we saw some pretty cool new features that will ship with BB10, including a badass new keyboard and a retro time-defying camera app built with tech licensed from Scalado.

Yet, the ad talks about how business is no longer conducted by briefcase-carrying, cubicle-sitting suits. But if I remember correctly, it’s the old-school business man (likely forced by his big business employer) that still uses a BlackBerry. Way to go for a new demographic, RIM.

What’s worse, the mantra of “BlackBerry isn’t for everyone” is woven throughout the campaign. “We know some people will choose to float on by, and that’s fine,” says the random voice.

Not once throughout the ad does the company make mention of why RIM is ready to take on the iPhone and grab its core customer base (or floating corks, if I may be so bold), and the campaign can’t even really crack a solid joke at Apple the way Samsung manages to do in its campaign spots.

I usually love writing about phone ads, but this was a depressing and disappointing way to open up the week. Thanks for that, RIM.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch

There are plenty of travel sites out there, but have you ever noticed that almost all of them help you get where you’re going and then leave you all alone in the dark once you actually arrive there? What spots are must-see, what food is must-eat, and which shops do you absolutely have to pop into?

There really isn’t a great way to efficiently and reliably plan out a trip itinerary on the web, except of course for the new travel site and service, Fathom. And thanks to a new partnership with Kate Spade, Fathom is about to get a whole lot more fashionable in destinations like New York, L.A., London, Tokyo and Tahiti.

The site is a streamlined guide to the cities you want to visit, curated by former DailyCandy editors who can shed more light on food and good travel than most of the user-generated content out there. The core idea is tightly edited lists of places to go, food to eat, and things to do.

“24 is the magic number,” said founder Pavia Rosati.

The service compiles lists of 24 travel ideas, including old favorites, new finds, and multiple price points to make sure you can find what you’re looking for without sorting through a mess of madness. Rosati describes Fathom as the type of information your best friend would give you if they lived in the city you were traveling to, but couldn’t be there with you.

There are various features on the site, like Post Cards, which is set up around the structure of “I travel for the…” They are basically inspiration for the traveler. The idea is that even if you don’t know where to go for your upcoming vacation, you can figure out something great once you know your favorite part of travel, whether it be food, fun for the kids, shopping, or relaxing.

Fathom also features a store that lets you bring your favorite destinations back to you, with highly curated products. You can shop by destination, traveler, category or activity, meaning you can shop for a Safari or get your favorite mustard that’s only available in New Orleans.

Fathom has also just partnered with Kate Spade to bring Spade-themed travel guides to five locations, including New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, London and Tahiti. If Tahiti sounds like the word that doesn’t belong, that’s simply because Kate Spade is working with a Tahitian-inspired print this year.

Each guide will have five sections, with five to eight suggestions for each category (sleep, eat, drink, shop, and explore). The guides will also feature itineraries, cheat sheets, and clever packing lists.

Article courtesy of TechCrunch