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Internet’s new addressing system now mainstream, says Apple – prioritized in iOS 9 & OS X 10.11 betas

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With the Internet running out of standard 32-bit IP addresses (known as IPv4), the switch to IPv6 – which offers 128-bit addresses – has been quietly underway for some time. Apple says this work has now progressed sufficiently for IPv6 to be considered mainstream, and it is prioritizing the use of the new addressing system in the public betas of both iOS 9 and OS X 10.11.

What both operating systems previously did was to try both old and new addressing systems and use whichever responded fastest. Both platforms now prefer IPv6 even if it is slightly slower, explained Apple CoreOS Networking Engineer David Schinazi in an Internet Engineering Task Force post.

If the first reply we get is A and we’re expecting a AAAA, we start a 25ms timer
– If the timer fires, we send out the v4 SYN
– If we get the AAAA during that 25ms window, we move on to address selection

In other words, IPv6 is used if it’s up to 25ms slower to respond than IPv4. Based on testing to date, says Schinazi, that means both platforms will be using IPv6 addresses around 99% of the time.

Via TNW

Bluetooth 4.1 will bring more reliable, automatic connections, multiple roles, & more via software update

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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG) has announced that it has updated its Bluetooth specification to 4.1 with new features for both developers and users of Bluetooth Smart enabled devices. The update brings coexistence support for LTE, better connections, and improved data transfer, all of which lets you connect, stay connected, and interact with your Bluetooth 4.1 devices faster and more reliably. The improved connections, for example, means developers can control reconnection intervals so your devices will automatically disconnect when you leave the room and then reconnect when in close proximity. That in return could also bring better battery life:
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