iOS

While many folks have started to notice iOS 6 Maps improving as of late, there is still plenty of customers out there who don't think Apple's new solution is anywhere nearly as good as the old, Google-powered one. If you're one of those, the lost and disillusioned, then good news. The long-rumored standalone Google Maps app may soon see the light of day (read: App Store).

A bug in Apple's AV Foundation framework, which handles streaming audio and other media for podcast apps, radio apps, and more, could be behind the mysterious, maddening cellular data spikes many users, myself included, have experienced since updating to iOS 6 or the iPhone 5. In essence, iOS just keeps on downloading data, over and over and over and over again, sometimes gigabytes worth at a time.

Apple has released iOS 6.0.1, a bug fix revision. You can grab it via over-the-air (OTA) update by going to Settings > General > Software Update, or by tethering to iTunes and checking for updates.

As usual, Apple kicked off today's event with lots of impressive numbers. We're still waiting to hear about the iPad mini, but here's what Apple's been willing to brag about so far.

Apple has reportedly started testing iOS 6.0.1 with carrier partners and the update could launch as early as next week as part of the iPad mini release. iOS 6.0.1 is said to contain bug fixes for various issues found in the original iOS 6 release, such as keyboard rendering glitches, the camera flash failing to go off, and a number other issues, from smaller annoyances to security problems.

Back in May, iMore learned Apple would be going ahead with a 7-inch iPad and targeting an October release. Now Apple has gone and announced an October 23, 2012 event, and while we won't know the exact agenda until Apple executives take the California Theater stage, it's widely expected that the iPad mini will be star of the show. But it won't be the whole show. Whether Apple runs the October iPad/Mac event like the September iPhone/iPod event, as essentially two separate events glued together, or whether they run them as a single event like the WWDC Keynote that flows from one topic to another, rumors persist of a focus on iBooks, of an updated iPad 3, of new Macs, and perhaps of more.

Since the release of iOS 6, our forums and tip lines have been buzzing with issues relating specifically to iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Match. Issues seem to range from iTunes Match expiration notices, sync issues with ringtones and text tones via iTunes, and slow performance when it comes to streaming music.

Despite problems with Maps and complaints about the new Lightning connector, there is increased demand for the iPhone 5 than the iPhone 4S this time last year, a new survey finds. Conducted by 451 Research and ChangeWave Research, the survey of 4,270 primarily North American consumers, the survey shows that despite the attention given to these issues by the press, they barely seem to concern customers. In all, 32% of those surveyed said that they were likely to get the iPhone 5, up from 22.5% for the 4S a year ago. Of those unlikely to buy the phone, 61% responded that their current phone was good enough.