BUG REPORTED IN iOS 5.0.1, BATTERY ISSUE ALSO NOT RESOLVED

A bug that affects the contact list on Apple's iPhone 4S has been discovered after applying the iOS 5.0.1 OTA update. According to users the contact list is fine, however when receiving a call or a text the name does not appear. This might be confined to those on the Verizon network and doing the following procedure has been shown to fix this issue.

1) Open the Phone and dial *228. This is a Verizon over-the-air programming number.
2) When the system answer press 1 for “Program or activate your phone”
3) Wait for the call to disconnect. You should get a prompt stating something like, “Settings updated.”
4) Open the Task Manager (double click the home button) and kill the Phone, Message, and Contacts Applications
5) Wait a few minutes (I waited 3 just to be extra safe)
6) Open the Message App to verify the fix.

Also, a number of users are reporting the 5.0.1 update has not fixed their battery drain issue and in some cases it has made it worse. The 5.0.1 update was specifically deployed to correct the battery issue, however for some users that does not seem to be the case.

FACEBOOK GOOGLE BATTLE ROYAL CONTINUES

Late last year, Google surprised everyone by suddenly blocking Facebook from being able to import contacts from new users’ Gmail accounts.

When it happened, everyone knew that we were watching two tech giants exchange their first earth-shaking blows for the future of the web. It’s only gotten worse from there as the two colossi have poached one other’s employees and actively bid against each other for important strategic acquisitions like Twitter.

But today, things might have gotten real, as Facebook has decided to shut Google out of their social network entirely by demanding that Facebook app developers only use in-app advertising from approved vendors. Guess who isn’t approved? Google.

Well, not Google specifically, but their two major properties in Adsense and Double Click, which combine to form basically the largest advertising force on the web. If you are a Facebook app developer and your app is serving up ads from Google, you’ve got until February 28th to change your ways or you’re going to get booted.

GOOGLE FACEBOOK FEUD HEATS UP

Google and Facebook are not the best of friends at the moment. Google blocked Facebook from exporting Gmail contacts to its user’s accounts, but then Facebook worked around the block and carried on using it.

Google’s response has not been to find a new way to block access and has instead taken the higher ground. It believes users should have the right to export their data so will continue to offer it as a service.

However, a new warning has appeared for users attempting to export contacts to Facebook. It informs users that Facebook will trap their data with no way to get it back out. Here’s the main section of the warning:

Hold on a second. Are you super sure you want to import your contact information for your friends into a service that won’t let you get it out?

Here’s the not-so-fine print. You have been directed to this page from a site that doesn’t allow you to re-export your data to other services, essentially locking up your contact data about your friends. So once you import your data there, you won’t be able to get it out. We think this is an important thing for you to know before you import your data there. Although we strongly disagree with this data protectionism, the choice is yours. Because, after all, you should have control over your data.

Google then goes on to offer the user the option of making a complaint about data protectionism or cancelling the action. [Geek]