Apple's (Mostly) Hidden Tricks to Make an iPhone More Like an Android
Ashamed of its thieving, Apple has hidden some of its more blatant Android pilfers. The Steve Jobs biography revealed that Apple held a grudge with Google for thieving his iPhone design and iOS platform, but while Apple and Google battle it out for originality, Apple can't claim complete creativity since Apple has stolen at least a few ideas ideas from its competitor. Yesterday, Google fought back by insisting that the Android predated the iPhone. "The Android effort started before the iPhone effort," Google founder Eric Schmidt said speaking in South Korea, as reported The Telegraph. It's really a back and forth he-said, she-said type battle. But, Apple has taken at least some of Android's sparkle, hiding some Android-esque features in its iPhone.
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Autocorrect Keyboard
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Recently, a user noticed that the iPhone has a hidden "Android-esque" autocorrect keyboard bar. A user has discovered that Apple planted a keyboard that shows the autocorrect process of the keyboard, which iPhone's usually hide. It's a play directly out of Android's book, notes Boy Genius Reporter's Zach Epstein. "The functionality works much like the solutions currently found in Android or Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform, and it is viewed by many as a much-needed addition to Apple’s mobile OS," he writes. 9 to 5 Mac breaks down how to access this hidden Android-like keyboard.
1. Download iBackupBot
2. Backup your iPhone/iPod in iTunes
3. Open iBackupBot and find the backup, then load it.
4. Find Library/Preferences/com.apple.keyboard.plist and open the file. (if your software isn’t registered you’ll have to press cancel and then it will open)
5. Add in the following code: <key>KeyboardAutocorrectionLists</key><string>YES</string>
6. Save your modifications, and then restore from backup from within iBackupbot.
Below you can see the new iPhone keyboard looks a lot like the Android autocorrect keyboard on the left, with completion suggestions down below.
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Panorama Camera Mode
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Some Android phones have Panorama mode, for nice and wide scenery shots. And it's a shame Apple didn't include a panorama feature to go along with its 8 megapixel camera. But, it looks like Apple developers have hidden this feature within the iOS5 camera app, discovered programmer Conrad Kramer. "So, I found out how to enable Panorama in the iOS Camera app. Set the key 'EnableFirebreak' to YES in com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist," he tweeted. Again, 9 to 5 Mac has a step-by-step breakdown of how to enable the camera.
1. Download iBackupBot
2. Backup your iPhone/iPod in iTunes
3. Open iBackupBot and find the backup, then load it.
4. Find Library/Preferences/com.apple.mobileslideshow.plist and open the file. (if your software isn’t registered you’ll have to press cancel and then it will open)
5. Add in the following code: <key>EnableFirebreak</key><string>YES</string>
6. Save your modifications, and then restore from backup from within iBackupbot.
Here's what it will look like once turned on.
iOS 5 Updgrade for Notification Dashboard
In general the iOS 5 software has some features that look a lot like Android's software. For those still rocking an older Apple phone, upgrading to the new OS will provide Anroid-esque notifications dashboard. Instead of seeing individual pop-up notifications, the iPhone has put them all in one place, just like the Android. As you can see below, like the Android notifications, on the left, the new OS has Apple notifications all in one place.
