It has been a month since the last iOS update and today has seen iOS 6.1.3 made available for download. We already knew that this update was all about fixing the passcode issue, even though we were unable to replicate the problems that people were having.

What we have noticed with several of the last updates is that they all have been released in order to resolve bug issues, so wouldn’t it be nice if iOS 6.1.4 would come with some new features rather than resolve problems. Isn’t it funny that when Apple releases a major version of their iOS they then spend the next year trying to resolve all the issues that should have been ironed out in the first place?

We’ve seen Apple release new features during a cycle, just like they did with iOS 6.1 by adding more support to Siri, such as being able to purchase tickets via Fandango by using Siri. The music controls on the lock screen were also tweaked along with a new welcome screen for the Passbook app.

Okay, so these are not major improvements, but we don’t expect them to be, although they are far better than having to download and install an update to see an issue get rectified.

Having said that, we are still waiting for one issue to be resolved and that is poor battery life. This problem has existed since iOS 6 was first released, and no matter what, Apple can never seem to get on top of the issue. Personally I believe that Apple has given up and is aiming to rectify the battery problem in iOS 7.

Apple seems to be upping their game because they recently made several improvements with some new iOS 6.1 features, although they were not that extensive. However, this will soon change because the new iOS 6.1.1 features an Apple Maps overhaul, but don’t get too excited just yet because they will only apply to Japan for the time being.

iOS 6.1.1 beta is now live and ready for download, so developers can start to have a play to see what new enhancements there will be. While the rest of us will be a little upset that this latest update will not bring a great deal of new features to other countries outside Japan, there are bound to be a few – just hope the issues with iOS 6.1 will be resolved?

Looking over the improvements for Apple Maps that come with iOS 6.1.1, pronunciation of roads will be one improvement, as will turn-by-turn navigation on toll roads, more 3D buildings and much more, which can be viewed in detail here.

For those of you who live outside of Japan then try not to feel too disappointed because a recent job listing shows that there will be future iOS Maps improvements, although we have no timescale as yet. Some of the features that will be improved are displaying maps in real-time, visuals of 3D flyovers and more.

What improvements would you like to see made to iOS Maps as well as the OS itself?

We’re now in the middle of January and there is still no untethered iOS 6 jailbreak for the iPhone 5 that consumers are desperately waiting for. Apple finally seems to have kept hackers at bay since the release of their latest iPhone last year, although we do have some encouraging news for those continuing to hold out, courtesy of two key members of the underground community.

As it stands, we’re still no closer to having a public download for the elusive untethered iOS 6 jailbreak, but at last there appears to be signs of the situation improving. The wait may be a frustrating one for the average consumer, but you should be aware that work is still ongoing daily in attempt to break Apple’s code.

Planetbeing and Pod2g are two well known figures in the jailbreak scene and it has been confirmed that they are now working together to provide a working iOS 6 untethered jailbreak for fans as soon as possible. A Tweet sent out by Planetbeing over the weekend suggests that ‘progress’ has been made thanks to the two of them working together on the jailbreak.

A further Tweet by Pod2g reveals that two new vulnerabilities were discovered in a single day, however he also admitted that both of them are missing an ‘initial code execution’ which is needed to provide the public with a jailbreak. It’s obviously not the news you were hoping to hear, but it’s encouraging that progress is still ongoing to get the jailbreak out.

Could we possibly get to the stage where an iOS 6 untethered jailbreak still isn’t out and Apple steps up plans to release another iPhone in 2013, with the iPhone 5 security still in tact? It has never happened before and it will be interesting to see if this is playing on the minds of hackers as a real possibility.

How long are you prepared to wait for a jailbreak?

Earlier today we touched on the fact that the iOS 6 Do Not Disturb problems were not isolated to just New Years day, and we’d heard from a few of our readers that stated issues continued today with the scheduled turn off not working. If you are running iOS 6 and are looking for a fix to the Do Not Disturb problems, then you should know that there’s nothing you need to do for a long term fix.

Apple has submitted a support document, which confirms the Do Not Disturb mode is staying “on past its scheduled end time“. They continue to explain that the fix to this problem is simply waiting until January 7, 2013. After this date everything should work fine on your iPhone 5, 4S/4, 3GS, and other devices running iOS 6.

Earlier today we touched on the earlier article we published reporting this problem on New Years Day, and the fact that we also experienced problems with our iPhone 5 and the Do Not Disturb feature. We had a slightly longer sleep-in on New Years Day just like thousands of other iOS 6 users.

This article had been followed up with a video that Apple published on YouTube for New Years Day, which showcased their new TV ad. The video promoted their Do Not Disturb mode, and also made some fans laugh considering it had not worked when they woke up yesterday and today.

Apple’s recommendation for an iOS 6 Do Not Disturb fix right now – for now you’ll need to manually turn the Do Not Disturb feature on and off. This is done by going to Do Not Disturb, which is found under Settings > Notifications.

Did you notice the Do Not Disturb problem this year? We’ll check our iPhone 5, 4S, and iPads in the office after January 7 to see if everything is working again. For now it looks like you’ll need to manually turn the feature on and off.

New Years Day would certainly be a day that a lot of people want to sleep in a little longer than usual, especially if they’ve had a heavy night celebrating the start of 2013 and looking back on the last year. This is one reason a number of iOS 6 users turned on the ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature, which they might have set to be turned off by a certain time. Today our iPhone 5 ‘Do Not Disturb’ feature is not working, which is exactly what’s being reported in forums today by hundreds of people using various iOS 6 devices.

For our readers that don’t know – the Do Not Disturb option stops your iPhone 5, or other iDevice, from vibrating or making sounds that could wake you up if you’re sleeping. This feature has an option to set a time when it should be turned off, which didn’t work today for us and also for hundreds of other users running iOS 6.

This problem with Do Not Disturb is obviously a glitch with iOS 6, but we’ve already heard some funny comments from users with wild claims. Some people believe it is a gift from Apple, and others are labeling it the “Hangover” feature. Apple has not confirmed the bug, but we expect something to be mentioned within a future software update or from a spokesperson shortly.

Did you receive some extra sleep today? If your device with iOS 6 had been set with the Do Not Disturb on, we’d love to know if you had problems today. Also let us know what device and software version you’re using?

Update: We’ve been contacted by a number of iPhone 4S owners that claim that the Do Not Disturb worked just fine, so we’d love to hear from PR readers that own an older iPad or iPhone. Is the iPhone 5 the only Apple phone experiencing this ‘Do Not Disturb’ problem on New Years Day 2013? You can see a number of people talking about this issue in this forum.

Today you might have noticed your Apple mobile device receive the iOS 6.0.2 update, which during the install process explains that it fixes a Wi-Fi bug. We’ve heard plenty of complaints about the iPhone 5 and 4S experiencing Wi-Fi problems, but this is the first time Apple has officially addressed the issues and offered a solution within a software update. If you have started the download then you’ll know that the file size is 983.2MB for the iPhone 5, although it would likely be a similar size for other devices running iOS 6 as well.

Apple made it clear that the iOS 6.0.2 software update contains other bug fixes and improvements, but only listed a fix for Wi-Fi on the update window as seen in the image below. You can go to Apple’s official security updates page found here, which lists software updates for a range of devices throughout 2011 and 2012. It is worth noting that the latest iOS 6.0.2 update is not yet featured on this page, but you should expect the release notes soon.

It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve heard about problems with iOS 6 and the biggest had been Apple maps, which has since been helped with the release of an official Google Maps app for iOS devices. We recently heard about a lot of performance problems with the iPhone 5 and 4S running on iOS 6.01, which can be seen in over 100 comments on this page. We also heard from a lot of PR readers about iPhone 4S battery life problems back in October, and even after the iOS 6.0.2 update today it seems that some people are still complaining about battery issues.

Does your iPhone have battery or Wi-Fi problems after iOS 6.0.2? Personally our iPhone 5 runs fine without any Wi-Fi or battery issues, and we can say the same for two iPhone 4S models in this office. It is fair to say that thousands of people are experiencing issues, so we’d love to hear from these people after they install the iOS 6.0.2 update. Has your device improved?

How are you enjoying Google’s new Maps app which has been dubbed the savior of iOS 6? Apple has been having well documented problems with their own in-house map solution, but they have always maintained that they are working hard on a solution to improve the issues. The company has just seen Google release their maps app which everyone has downloaded in an instant, but now we’re hearing that Apple may turn to Foursquare in a bid to improve mapping functionality for users.

If you are not familiar with the current Foursquare setup which allows users to check in at local hotspots, the service may start to become a lot more mainstream if Apple is indeed plotting some sort of partnership. The Wall Street Journal has published a fresh report, saying that Apple are now in discussion with Foursquare over a move which will improve the current maps situation that users are not happy about.

Google Maps is the clear favorite mapping solutions already on iOS 6, despite only being available for a week. Apple obviously doesn’t want to waste any time either in getting their app firmly in the minds of consumers once again. Is Foursquare the definitive answer to the problems though, or is just one part of Apple’s plans to revamp the map completely?

It’s fair to say that Foursquare has its select followers, Steve Wozniak included, but some consumers may argue that a secondary check-in service is not really needed with many just using the similar feature available through Facebook. On the other hand, Foursquare is also seen as the best location based app around, so it could be viewed as an excellent move by Apple if iOS 6 users have the advantage of using maps with Foursquare features built-in that won’t be available on the likes of Android and other operating systems.

Let us know your initial thoughts on this potential move from Apple. Are you a big fan of Foursquare, or it a feature that you can happily do without in 2013? Going back to Google Maps on iOS 6, will you still stay on Google’s app despite Apple’s upcoming improvements?

Hearing that an iOS 6 untethered jailbreak will arrive for iPhone 5 / 4S within this month would’ve been what everyone wanted in the jailbreaking community, although most people are skeptical thanks to the solid date coming from an individual that’s not associated with the well-known developer teams. We touched on the apparent iOS 6 untethered jailbreak date a couple of days ago, which is due in 11 days time and this article included a few tweets from respected Joshua Hill and the unknown person behind Dream JB. Reactions to this news were mixed and included those that said we should wait until all the facts are out, and others that really didn’t believe it.

The iOS 6 jailbreak is said to be for iPhone 5, 4S, iPad, and a number of other Apple devices running the latest software, which is currently at iOS 6.0.1. The jailbreak proof due within the next 24 hours is also mentioned in the tweet below that had been made by the official Dream JB account. They also point out that the Dec 22nd release date is not a joke, although I’m sure most people are hoping that this really reveals something solid considering the long wait already.

Within the last couple of hours we also saw another tweet from the same Twitter account, and this time a rough time is given for iOS 6 untethered jailbreak proof. We might be waiting until next week for the software to release, but evidence has been promised to arrive within the next 24 hours. The tweet below explains that the first finished iOS 6 untethered jailbreak will be backed up with proof before “8PM EST” on the 12th. Will you be following their website at dreamjb.com or Twitter account for this evidence?

What would you class as real proof for an iOS 6 jailbreak for iPhone 5? Most people in the jailbreaking community know that the iPhone 5 and 4S include better security, which paired with iOS 6 has made it hard for well-known hackers to unlock for public consumption. We’ve also been informed by the likes of p0sixninja that most videos revealing evidence can be proven as fake, so we wonder what type of information will be used by Dream JB as proof that a real iOS 6 jailbreak works on the iPhone 5, 4S, and other iDevices?

Feel free to hit the comments with what you’d like to see in the next few hours showing real proof? It is worth noting that the latest claim isn’t going to be a bootrom jailbreak, so when iOS 6.1 arrives it might be a good idea not to update to the latest software and in fact most jailbreakers gave iOS 6.0.1 a miss as well.

It’s no secret that Apple’s maps on iOS 6 hasn’t been the most accurate in bringing up the correct data 100 percent of the time. One of the biggest complaints that consumers have been moaning about is the fact that results produce wrong data and that is obviously a major problem for a service that needs to be perfect every time.

Consumers perhaps now realize how efficient the old Google maps on iOS 5 application actually was, as although it wasn’t necessarily easy on the eye – it did get the fundamental job done, a problem which Apple appears to be having difficulty matching. If you have been searching for the latest status on Google’s own mapping solution for iOS 6, you probably would have noticed one case in Australia where some users were being sent to an incorrect location, an area which is apparently a health risk due to the overwhelming temperatures.

That location is the city of Mildura in Australia, as police have sent out a warning that there was an initially a problem with Apple’s maps app which was sending users to the wrong place – around 70km away according to this local report. The inaccuracy with the data meant that users were stranded in a place with ‘no food or water for 24 hours’ – obviously an issue which Apple doesn’t want to be held responsible for.

Luckily, we’re hearing that Apple has responded immediately and have already fixed the problem so that users who search for Mildura will now be directed to the correct location. There has been no official statement or apology on the matter yet, so it will be interesting to see if Apple says anything else before the end of the week.

Does this situation just reinforce the need for Google Maps on iOS 6 even more? Let us know if you have had any recent experience of Apple Maps showing incorrect data or not.

We’ve been led to believe that any iOS 6 untethered jailbreak for iPhone 5 will come via a well-known hacker, and some of these security researchers have wanted credible news websites to keep pointing out certain scams to stop newbies falling for them. Just last week we saw a new video posted to YouTube that claimed to reveal an iOS 6.0.1 jailbreak for iPhone 5 and 4S, which we published tweets from p0sixninja, Joshua Hill, along with this video although Hill did show further frustration after some people believed certain claims later on that day.

You can see a tweet below that revealed just how frustrated some hackers become after claims of an iOS 6 untethered jailbreak, which it is fair to say the majority of them are fake. In this tweet Hill explains “they’re all fake“, although we’re not sure exactly what this had been referred to but it could be the so-called video proof seen on that same day last week.

Confident iOS 6 untethered jailbreak release date – one of the most confident claims of an iOS 6 jailbreak has arrived over the last week, which comes from a hacker not from the so-called closed circle that we touched on in the past. Going by the name of “Dream JB“, found at dreamjb.com, it seems that this relatively unknown hacker is claiming the first untethered iOS 6 jailbreak will go live for public download on “22/12/2012“. It is also claimed that this jailbreak will support iOS 6.0.1 and should work with iPhone 5, iPod touch 4G/5G, iPhone 4S, and a number of other iDevices that includes the 2nd generation iPad.

We love the attitude of the person behind this claim, which is stated at the top of their website with a quote talking about achieving “the impossible” by attempting the absurd. This reminds us of Geohot, aka George Hotz, which showed the power of an individual and while we’re not saying the latest claim could be from a new Geohot type hacker, we have to keep an open but also skeptical mind. You can see a tweet from the @DreamJailbreak official Twitter account below, which points out that this iOS 6 untethered jailbreak will not be an iPhone 5 bootrom exploit, and is better known as a userland hack.

Do you believe an iOS 6 untethered jailbreak is possible for the iPhone 5 / 4S from an outsider? It wouldn’t be the first time we’ve seen this happen, although we can’t help but remain sceptical after so many scams in the past. The good news is we can’t see anything to be gained here, unless money is asked for that is, which we don’t think will be the case and if it is ever asked for with a jailbreak most people know it’s a scam right away. The latest tweet from this hacker can be seen below and points out that proof is on the way.

Joshua Hill has pointed out that most videos can be faked or proven wrong, so it will be interesting to see what the proof will be next week for the claimed iOS 6 untethered jailbreak from Dream JB, and if it will be running on an iPhone 5. Keep connected to PR as we keep you updated, and also leave a comment with your thoughts on this latest claim from an outsider.