Microsoft uses Siri to highlight iPad flaws in new Windows 8 ad

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

It’s not unusual to see Microsoft and Apple products pitted against each other in a TV ad. Back in the early 2000s, Apple had success with its ‘I’m a Mac’ spots. And just recently, MS took on both Apple and Samsung in its ‘Don’t Fight’ commercial.

But this new Windows 8 tablet ad takes the rivalry thing to a whole new level. Using the voice of Siri, Microsoft highlights a number of things that the iPad can’t do, that a tablet running its latest OS can. As always, we have the video for you after the fold… Read More

 

Popular analyst warns iWatch may not hit market until late 2014

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

Folks looking forward to seeing Apple launch its iWatch product this year probably shouldn’t get their hopes up. According to a new report from well-respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, there’s a good possibility we won’t see the rumored accessory until late 2014.

Kuo says that due to the vast changes coming in iOS 7, Apple won’t have the resources to build out software for the wristwatch-like device. And he thinks that, and an immature component market for wearable devices, will delay the project until the end of next year… Read More

 

Clear for iPhone and Mac updated with e-mail list sharing and more

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

Realmac has updated its Clear app today for both the iPhone and the Mac today, bringing it to version 1.2.2 (or 1.0.1). The update brings about e-mail list sharing—which was a highly requested feature—as well as new themes and other improvements.

On the iPhone, the new list sharing feature can be activated simply by shaking the handset while Clear is open. Doing this brings up the email tool  that includes the active list, plus a link that lets the recipient open it within their own version of Clear… Read More

 

Twitter heightens account security with two-factor authentication, enable it now

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

Remember how Apple – after a major security hole let attackers reset your Apple ID password using only your email address and date of birth – has enabled two-step authentication for Apple ID accounts? You’d be forgiven for thinking that every popular web service out there has by now adopted heightened security features, but that’s not really the case.

Google, for example, last year enabled two-step process for Google Accounts, with Dropbox following suit a few months later. Today, micro-blogging platform Twitter joined the fray with its own version of two-step verification designed to keep the bad guys out of your account.

You should enable it immediately and iDB, as always, has you covered with a handy tutorial on that… Read More

 

OtterBox announces acquisition of waterproof case-maker LifeProof

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

This is pretty interesting. It appears that OtterBox, a well-known maker of heavy-duty smartphone and tablet cases, has announced this afternoon that it will be acquiring LifeProof. The San Diego-based startup makes durable cases for Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

OtterBox, the brand, has become synonymous with device protection in recent years, thanks to hit cases like Armor and Defender. The company claims that it is the #1 selling smartphone case in the US, and that it controls over 20% of the global case market… Read More

 

New hack enables support for iOS push notifications in Google Glass

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

You knew this was coming. Well-known developer Adam Bell has figured out a way to route push notifications from iOS through Google Glass. By design, the pricey accessory—which is only currently available to devs—doesn’t communicate with Apple’s mobile OS.

Bell, known for jailbreak tweaks like Stride and Blackout, is working on a hack that will allow Glass users to receive all app push notifications from their jailbroken iOS devices. It’s not quite finished yet, but he’s just posted a demo video showing the mod in action… Read More

 

Voice Search coming to Chrome for iOS soon

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

Google is on a roll these days. Hot on the heels of updating its desktop Chrome browser with Siri-like conversational search earlier today, the Internet giant just published a post over at the official Chrome blog confirming that Chrome for iPhone and iPad with voice search is “coming soon.”

A Chrome update for the iPhone and iPad will be ready “over the coming days” and will let you speak your searches into Omnibox, which in Google’s parlance means Chrome’s combined search and address box.

You’ll even get certain results spoken back to you, right in the Chrome browser – how cool is that? Read More

 

Twitter for Mac now plays nice with OS X Notification Center

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

Twitter, the leading micro-blogging service turned media platform, has just updated its Mac client with a much-needed native support for OS X Mountain Lion’s Notification Center. The new Twitter version 2.2.1 also includes half a dozen fixes. The native OS X Notification Center support lets you not only receive notifications when someone mentions you or when you receive a direct message, but also for any new tweet surfacing in one’s stream… Read More

 

Rdio 2.2 is out with new ‘Find People’ feature, improved UI and more

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

Hot on the heels of this morning’s update from Pandora comes a new version of the Rdio app for iOS. The update brings the music client to version 2.2, and includes a number of new features and improvements.

Perhaps the biggest change in today’s release is the addition of ”Find People,” a new tool that will make it easier for users to find friends and discover artists to follow. And the UI improvements are also blatant… Read More

 

German online Apple Store now accepts PayPal

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

Although Apple has long offered PayPal as a payment option in the United States for both digital consumer sales on iTunes and volume software purchases by education customers, the firm never instituted paying for online store purchases using PayPal.

That’s ostensibly changing now as users in Germany now report being able to complete purchases on their localized online Apple Store using their PayPal account.

It remains unclear why exactly Apple enabled the feature in Germany (could be part of the broader Apple Store changes), but the move could signal a staggered worldwide roll-out… Read More

 

EU examining tax evasion tricks by Apple, Google and Amazon

By Ed Sutherland on May 22, 2013

More than $1 trillion leaked from the tax coffers of EU member states each year, an amount large enough to prompt European leaders Wednesday to hold a summit on reforming corporate taxes. The move follows high-profile investigations showing Apple and other tech giants used European countries to avoid paying taxes in their home countries.

Earlier this week, Apple CEO Tim Cook testified before a Senate subcommittee investigating how the iPhone maker used a hole in Ireland’s tax laws to lower its U.S. tax burden on $74 billion held overseas… Read More

 

Apple claims Google Now violates its Siri patents, adds Galaxy S4 to suit

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

A week ago, news broke that Apple mulled adding Samsung’s latest Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone to its patent infringement case against Samsung Electronics. It’s not terribly surprising then that Apple has now filed a motion asserting that both the Internet giant’s head-turning Google Now feature and Samsung’s Galaxy S4 handset violate its two Siri patents and five other inventions… Read More

 

Cook: US-made Macs to be built in Texas

By Ed Sutherland on May 22, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook, while squirming Tuesday under Congressional questions about the company’s tax-savings tactics, revealed an interesting tidbit: the Lone Star State will build the the tech giant’s made-in-USA Mac. Testifying before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Cook said the Mac would be assembled in Texas, with parts coming from other regions of the country… Read More

 

Penguin settles for $75 million with DoJ in e-book price fixing suit

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

Penguin, one of the five named publishers in the Apple e-book price fixing suit, has reached a comprehensive agreement with the United States State Attorneys General and private class plaintiffs to pay a cool $75 million in consumer damages, in addition to costs and fees related to resolving all antitrust claims relating to the e-book price fixing suit… Read More

 

Sony could spin off entertainment biz to better compete against Apple and Samsung

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

The ailing Japanese giant Sony could spin off its entertainment business amid heightened competition from the consumer electronics giant Apple and the South Korea-based conglomerate Samsung, Reuters reported Wednesday.

The news gathering organization writes the CEO Kazuo Hirai confirmed Sony’s board will discuss a proposal by U.S. hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb to spin off up to twenty percent of its movie, TV and music division because Sony has “fallen behind powerful rivals” such as Apple and Samsung in terms of both profitability and innovation… Read More

 

Google Now-like conversational search goes live in latest Chrome build

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

Google Now-like voice search in the desktop Chrome browser is definitely one of the easily overlooked Google I/O 2013 announcements. There’s no denying that it makes a hell of a lot of sense to unify Google’s voice search experience, no matter what device or operating system people happen to be using.

Having recently added Google Now to its native Search app on iOS devices, the Internet giant has now enabled very similar conversational voice search capabilities in the latest build of its Chrome desktop browser for Mac and Windows… Read More

 

Online Apple Store gets Father’s Day revamp

By Christian Zibreg on May 22, 2013

After being down for nearly four hours, Apple last night tweaked its online Apple Store with a cleaner look and Father’s Day gift promotion.

Gone are the navigation columns on the left and right sides to make room for product teasers that now occupy the entire width of the page.

As part of the redesign, key product hubs (the Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod) are now lined up horizontally across the store’s top and the images are now larger. And because Father’s Day is drawing near, Apple now prominently features its iPhone 5 and iPads on the store’s homepage… Read More

 

Change the way you look at songs with iMusic

By Lory Gil on May 22, 2013

Apple’s Music app is kind of ugly. At least, that is what developers of music interface apps think. While I am perfectly content with Apple’s list and carousel design, plenty of iOS users are always looking for a diverse way to experience music.

Developed by jailbreak developer Saltb0x, the iMusic app satisfies your desire to view your music with a different design, plus makes it easy for you to share what you are listening to with others using a quick tweet, email, or text message… Read More

 

Inteliscope mounts an iPhone to your favorite tactical firearm

By Jim Gresham on May 22, 2013

Yes, you read the headline correctly. The Inteliscope will link technology with the firearms industry in mid-June. If there was ever a time you wished to use an iPhone as a scope, get excited because your weird and strange wish is now granted.

When I first received word from the InteliScope marketing relations team, I spent a while trying to determine what exactly this product is designed to do. Is it a game? Does it come with a fake gun? Is there a Bluetooth connection to the trigger for some type of modern Duck Hunt experience?

Well, no, it is nothing like that. This is not a game. In fact, one of the advantages of this accessory system, according to the company, is the ability to “shoot around corners with no head exposure.” Creepy. Get the details past the fold… Read More

 

Ravensburger’s Las Vegas! gets the iOS treatment

By Lory Gil on May 22, 2013

If you’ve been paying attention to my longwinded reviews, you’ll know that I am a board game fan. Put some squares on a thick piece of cardboard and throw down some dice and you’ll have me on your porch with a 2-liter of Mountain Dew and some red vines in a matter of minutes.

Ravensburger has been around for more than 100 years and makes some top quality games. Las Vegas! first launched in 2012 and just recently found its way into the App Store. Interestingly, the iOS version of this game is actually better than the physical board game… Read More

 
Page 112345...