Apple releases new app and iTunes copyright claims tools

By Cody Lee on Aug 31, 2012

It seems that Apple is starting to take some major steps to cut down on the amount of copyright and content infringement found in iTunes, and more specifically, the App Store.

Yesterday, we noted that it had rejected an app because its icon looked too similar to that of another. And today we’ve learned that it’s launched new copyright claims tools… Read More

 

New iPhone accessories may miss holidays due to supply shortages

By Cody Lee on Aug 31, 2012

The massive third-party accessory ecosystem that surrounds the iPhone and other iOS products is arguably the largest of its kind. A Google Search for the term “iPhone accessory” returns some 46 million results.

But this ecosystem, which has flourished for several years, is expected to get turned upside down this fall. For the first time since the original iPhone’s inception, Apple is changing the handset’s charging port… Read More

 

Report: Apple to release 8 products by end of 2012

By Ed Sutherland on Aug 31, 2012

Sometimes delays are good. Apple is expected to release eight new products during September and October, delayed from an earlier introduction due to production problems, an analyst wrote Friday. Although most consumers know Apple will unleash the iPhone 5 in September, followed by a 7-inch iPad in October, the Cupertino, Calif. firm reportedly may also unveil a new iPod, MacBook Pro and iMac.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities said along with the iPhone 5, September will see a redesigned 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display with an entry price between $1,100 and $1,300. Next month will also see a new iPod touch… Read More

 

Video demo shows rumored 4-inch iPhone display in action

By Cody Lee on Aug 31, 2012

The 4-inch display rumored to debut in Apple’s next smartphone has received mixed reactions from the tech community. It has a resolution of 1136 x 640, meaning it’s the same width as before, just a bit taller. And some folks don’t like that.

Why would Apple make the display in the new iPhone taller but not wider? We’re sure it has its technical reasons, but the elongated screen, to us, seems like it would improve things like movie-watching and games. Here, watch this video… Read More

 

DisplayCandy adds new open, close, and switching animations to iOS

By Jeff Benjamin on Aug 31, 2012

DisplayCandy is a brand new tweak that significantly spruces up the animation transitions on your iPhone or iPad. There are three areas where animations can be customized — opening, closing, and when switching between applications.

Each of the areas can be customized using a wide variety of animations, along with a slider to increase or decrease the duration of the animation you choose. As you’ll come to appreciate from the video inside, DisplayCandy is an excellent way to customize the look and feel of an iOS device… Read More

 

Report: Apple using MacBook supplier AU Optronics and LG Display for iPad mini display

By Ed Sutherland on Aug 31, 2012

As we get closer to the expected October launch of Apple’s “iPad mini,” details are emerging about how the Cupertino, Calif. company is reshaping its supplier base in the face of growing demand for handheld devices. AU Optronics, which made MacBook displays, is now building parts for the smaller iPad, Bloomberg reports Friday.

LG Display is also among the suppliers for the smaller tablet, according to Bloomberg. Read More

 

Apple and several publishers offer concessions to avoid e-book suit

By Cody Lee on Aug 31, 2012

A new report is out this morning claiming that Apple and several major publishers have agreed to offer pricing concessions in an effort to end an antitrust investigation by the European Union (EU).

Last December, the EU started looking into claims that Apple was conspiring with publishers to raise e-book prices, saying its “agency model” was hampering digital publishing competition in Europe… Read More

 

FaceMail opens Facebook emails in its native app

By Jeff Benjamin on Aug 31, 2012

FaceMail is a recently released jailbreak tweak that forces Facebook links appearing in the stock Mail app to open in the Facebook app instead of Safari.

At first glance, this might seem like the perfect tweak for avid users of the Facebook app, but upon further inspection it has a few shortcomings. Check inside for the full rundown… Read More

 

The new iPhone looks really thin compared to the 4S and 3GS

By Cody Lee on Aug 31, 2012

Thanks to new in-cell display panels, a smaller dock connector and other modifications, the new iPhone is going to be thinner than ever before. How thin? The casing for the handset has been measured at 7.6mm.

While that doesn’t sound like a very big difference — just 1.7mm thinner than the 9.3mm 4S — it’s certainly noticeable. Just look at these two comparison photos showing the new iPhone, the 4S and the 3GS… Read More

 

Sharp slows production of Apple’s new iPhone screen

By Ed Sutherland on Aug 31, 2012

Apple may need to give a cash infusion to one of its iPhone display suppliers, whose production has slowed due to high costs, Reuters reports Friday. Screens for the new iPhone expected on Sept. 12 have embedded touch sensors, eliminating the need for an additional touch-screen layer.

Sharp is “struggling with high costs that have cut into its margins on the screens,” the news service reports this morning, citing an unidentified production source… Read More

 

Developer finds tracks of the iPad mini in server logs

By Cody Lee on Aug 31, 2012

As the rumored October launch date of the iPad mini inches closer, evidence of the tablet’s existence is starting to pick up. We’ve seen rear shells, dock connectors and even cases that reportedly belong to the device.

And today, it looks like even more proof has surfaced. An iOS developer is reporting that he has spotted two new iPad devices in his app logs, which he believes could be variations of Apple’s highly-anticpated new tablet… Read More

 

Tokyo court rules Samsung devices don’t violate Apple patent

By Cody Lee on Aug 31, 2012

You have to feel for Samsung, it’s had a pretty rough week. First, it lost a high-profile patent suit to Apple which will cost it in upwards of $1 billion. And now it’s facing a US sales ban on 8 devices.

But this should help ease the pain: a Tokyo judge has just handed Samsung a court victory, ruling that its phones and tablets do not violate Apple’s patent related to music and video syncing… Read More

 

iOS 6 App Store app updated with card-based search results

By Jeff Benjamin on Aug 30, 2012

The App Store was updated with a brand new layout for search results in iOS 6 beta. The change impacts both the iPhone and the iPad.

The card based layout is quite a departure from the current search results on iOS 5, as you’ll see in our hands-on video. Read More

 

Apple seen rejecting applications that copy popular app icons

By Cody Lee on Aug 30, 2012

Earlier this year, Apple started pulling applications from the App Store that were blatant knockoffs of popular titles. This included games like Temple Jump, Tiny Birds, and Numbers With Friends.

Now it looks like it’s applying the no-clone policy to app icons as well. A developer says Apple recently told him his App Store submission was rejected because its icon was too misleading for users… Read More

 

Tim Cook reportedly in talks with Google’s Larry Page over patents

By Cody Lee on Aug 30, 2012

If you’re getting as tired of all of the patent lawsuits as we are, then you’ll happy to hear that Google and Apple have opened the lines of communications regarding intellectual property matters.

A new report is out this morning claiming that Tim Cook, and Google’s CEO Larry Page, have been involved in behind-the-scene talks over a range of things, including mobile patent disputes… Read More

 

LTE iPhone could be a game changer, especially for Verizon

By Ed Sutherland on Aug 30, 2012

If you’re looking to handicap which iPhone carrier is ahead in the LTE horse race, one Wall Street analyst points to Verizon and Sprint as the big winner and loser. Indeed, an LTE-enabled iPhone 5 would “change everything,” making it “the biggest consumer product launch ever.”

Jeffries & Co.’s analyst Thomas Seitz Thursday advised investors to buy Verizon shares, hold onto AT&T and sell Sprint-Nextel. Verizon now has 230 million LTE POPs — more than all other US carriers combined. As a result, Seitz sees “a share shift towards Verizon, primarily at AT&T’s expense.” Read More

 

Samsung plans to use LTE patents to sue Apple over next-gen iPhone

By Cody Lee on Aug 30, 2012

If you thought Apple’s victory last week was the end of the fighting between it and Samsung, think again. Samsung is still expected to file an appeal on the ruling, and an injunction hearing has already been set.

On top of that, Samsung is said to be gearing up for a major legal counter attack, preparing “all measures for all scenarios” to fight Apple in 50 patent disputes in 10 countries. In other words, “it’s on…” Read More

 

Sharp and Foxconn have yet to reach billion dollar investment deal

By Cody Lee on Aug 30, 2012

Earlier this month, word got out that Hon Hai (aka Foxconn) was looking to up its stake in Sharp Corporation to 10 percent, or more, giving it a fairly large piece of the Japanese company.

The news fueled rumors of an Apple TV set, as Foxconn is Apple’s favorite manufacturer and Sharp, well, makes TVs. But according to a new report, the two sides have yet to reach a deal… Read More

 

Amazon: Kindle Fire owns 22% of US tablet sales

By Ed Sutherland on Aug 30, 2012

Amazon’s Kindle Fire owns 22 percent of the US tablet market, the online retail giant announced Thursday. The figure comes as Amazon preps to likely announce a new tablet next week, along with girding to take-on Google’s $199 Nexus 7 device.

According to Amazon, “in just nine months, Kindle Fire has captured 22 percent of sales in the US,” PaidContent reports. Accustomed to being fed amorphous Kindle marketing stats like “a lot” and “most in our history,” the concreteness of the announcement was surprising. However, after the initial shock, there began questions, like 22 percent of what? Read More

 

EA kicks off Labor Day sale, knocks most iOS games down to $.99

By Cody Lee on Aug 30, 2012

Great news for all of you folks waiting for the next big app sale to grab some iOS games. Electronic Arts has just kicked off its Labor Day promotion, shaving prices on a number of their most popular titles.

And don’t worry, this sale is much better than the recent Back to School one. Most everything has been discounted down to $.99, and there are dozens of both iPhone and iPad games to choose from… Read More

 
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