ZAGG launches backlit Cover and Folio iPad mini keyboards

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Accessory maker ZAGG today announced a pair of Bluetooth-powered backlit keyboard products for Apple’s iPad mini. The ZAGGkeys Cover and Folio are both ultra-thin, pack in Bluetooth wireless connectivity and sport a patented hinge system that allows for up to 135-degree viewing angles and can reverse the device for a one-piece reading and playing mode.

As for the form factor, the Cover is just 6.3mm thick versus 6.9mm for the Folio. Both offer backlit keys in seven color options and three lighting levels and a battery that keeps them going for up to three months each of normal use… Read More

 

Apple CEO Tim Cook takes the witness table at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has been summoned to testify in a Senate hearing on offshore tax practices, now has to do something no other Apple CEO did before him: take the witness table at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill.

Apple ahead of the hearing published a 17-page written testimony which details its push for a fair tax reform: it should be revenue neutral, Apple writes, eliminate all corporate tax expenditures, lower corporate income tax rates and implement a reasonable tax on foreign earnings that allows free movement of capital back to the U.S.

It’s not clear why the U.S. Senators singled out Apple as many other companies don’t repatriate the money earned overseas due to the steep 35 percent tax. It’s important to note that what Apple and others are doing isn’t illegal. Moreover, Apple is compelled to do what is in both their and their shareholders’ best interest.

Anyway, you’ve hopefully grabbed your popcorn because things are about to get quite interesting if not downright messy. Go past the fold for a blow by blow… Read More

 

Water-resistant iPhone 6 concept envisions wireless charging, notification LEDs and more

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Here’s another next-generation iPhone concept, one that envisions a number of features unlikely to make their way into the handset. That of course didn’t prevent designers Uygar Kaya and Ran Avni from dreaming up the ultimate water and dust-resistant smartphone with notification LEDs, a full HD 1,920-by-1,080 widescreen display, 13-megapixel camera, touch-sensitive volume rocker, wireless charging and front-facing stereo speakers – all encases in an ultra-slim aluminum shell… Read More

 

Consumer Reports ranks Galaxy S4 its new top-rated smartphone

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Samsung’s latest flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S4, has been declared our “new top-rated smartphone” in a barrage of tests conducted by Consumer Reports, an influential U.S. magazine published monthly by Consumers Union since 1936.

Yup, that’s the same publication that gave Apple’s iPhone 5 a thumbs-up shortly following its September 2012 introduction only to rank it one of its worst high-end devices available on the larger U.S. carriers in its February 2013 issue. So, what Galaxy S4 features did Consumer Reports editors single out as particularly appealing? Read More

 

Create shortcuts for up to 7 of your favorite apps with SubIc0ns

By Cody Lee on May 21, 2013

There’s no shortage of jailbreak tweaks that allow you to quickly access your favorite apps. I can think of a few right off the top of my head including Axis, Grabby, and JellyLock. And today, we’ve got another one to add to the list.

SubIc0ns, by developer ClausCartel, is a new tweak that allows you to add up to 7 app shortcuts to a hidable window that can be accessed via any Activator function. This gives you quick access to these apps from anywhere in iOS… Read More

 

Add handy information tiles to your device’s Lock screen with LS Squares

By Cody Lee on May 21, 2013

Folks looking to spice up their device’s Lock screen will be happy to hear that there’s a new jailbreak theme out that can help with that. It’s called LS Squares, and it adds 4 tiles to the empty space that each provide you with useful information at a glance.

Sure, there are already hundreds of tweaks and themes available in Cydia that have similar premises. But what sets LS Squares apart from the rest of them is its sharp, Metro-like tile design that can completely change the look of your Lock screen… Read More

 

Facebook makes it easier for iOS developers to add sharing to their apps

By Cody Lee on May 20, 2013

Are you not getting enough Facebook in your life? Do you find yourself wishing that your third party apps offered better integration for the social network? If you answered yes to either one of these questions, you’ll love this.

Facebook just announced that it’s pulling the native Share Dialog feature it introduced last month out of beta today. This will allow developers to add sharing features from the social network to their apps with a single line of code… Read More

 

U.S. Senators respond to Apple’s tax avoidance strategy ahead of tomorrow’s hearing

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

Tomorrow will be a pretty big day for Apple CEO Tim Cook, finance boss Peter Oppenheimer and Tax Operations head Phillip Bullock as the three men are scheduled to appear in front of the United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation and give testimony regarding the company’s creative approach to tax avoidance.

Apple ahead of the hearing published a lengthy document on its web site which pushes for tax reform on argument that America’s tax system undermines the nation’s competitiveness in the “digital economy” because the current tax code was written for the “industrial era.” As expected, some U.S. senators beg to differ and think Apple is just being creative in its tax avoidance strategy.

This is bound to get more complicated when Tim Cook & Co. find themselves in hot water explaining to U.S. Senators how the company sidesteps U.S. taxes. Get your popcorn out… Read More

 

AT&T will enable FaceTime over cellular for everyone by year’s end

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

In a surprising move, telco AT&T is backtracking from its nonsensical policy of restricting FaceTime to its customers who subscribed to a Mobile Share data plan.

Today we learn that AT&T is promising to enable any video chatting application over cellular for all users, regardless of their data plan or device.

In a statement to The Verge, the wireless carrier said that by mid-June it will enable video chatting over cellular for its unlimited plan customers who have LTE devices from Apple, Samsung or BlackBerry, enabling these services for all customers throughout the second half of this year… Read More

 

Verizon’s LTE launches in 6 new markets, now available in nearly 500 U.S. locations

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

Verizon’s aggressive 4G LTE network roll-out continues unabated. The nation’s leading wireless carrier on Monday announced six new markets getting its speedy fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology today: Durango, Colorado; Corbin and Madisonville, Kentucky; Adrian and Mount Pleasant, Michigan; and Marietta, Ohio.

The carrier, for the first time, released a list of LTE-enabled locations which with today’s additions counts 497 markets, up from 440 locations Verizon claimed last December. The big red carrier’s LTE network is now two and a half years old, for those wondering. If all goes according to plan, Verizon should cover its 3G network entirely with LTE by the middle of this year… Read More

 

Apple issues statement on corporate tax policy ahead of senate hearing

By Cody Lee on May 20, 2013

Ahead of Tim Cook’s appearance in front of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation tomorrow, Apple has released a lengthy statement regarding its company tax practices and other items that will be used in its testimony.

Remember, last week we told you that Cook was expected to testify at a senate hearing this Tuesday on “offshore profit shifting,” following Apple’s move to take on domestic debt, rather than use its offshore cash, to avoid $9 billion in taxes…

Read More

 

Tumblr updates iOS app with redesigned interface

By Cody Lee on May 20, 2013

It’s been a big day for the folks over at Tumblr. Earlier this morning, the microblogging network confirmed the weekend’s speculation that it is has agreed to an acquisition deal with Yahoo!, said to be worth over $1 billion.

And shortly after the news was revealed, an update for Tumblr’s iOS app posted in the App Store. The update, which brings the app to version 3.3.2, includes a handful of bug fixes and improvements, and a shiny new interface… Read More

 

Video Filters app launches with over 100 real-time video effects

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

Lots of avid iPhone photography fans don’t just use their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad to capture stills, but shoot video as well.

I usually fire up Apple’s excellent iMovie application ($4.99 universal binary) whenever my clips need touching up, but now a new software has come along to go beyond what you thought was possible on your iOS device.

Video Filters by i4Software packs in over a hundred fully customizable video effects with live previews, which is kinda big deal because only a few years ago nobody thought we’d be able to edit full HD footage on tablets, in real-time… Read More

 

Apple offers iPhone discount to India’s students

By Ed Sutherland on May 20, 2013

In yet another attempt to capture the nascent smartphone market in India, Apple is now promoting discounts for students. Students can receive $144 on an iPhone when they trade in their old smartphones. Apple and Samsung have engaged in a marketing struggle, both rolling out installment plans to encourage Indian buyers of rival smartphones.

The iPhone maker also announced a cash-back deal when Indian consumers use American Express to purchase an iPhone 4, 4S or 5 before June 10, according to a Monday report… Read More

 

Samsung’s $800,000 competition lures devs to write exclusive Galaxy apps

By Ed Sutherland on May 20, 2013

Samsung wants more developers writing apps that require features exclusively found on its own devices, such as the Galaxy S4 flagship smartphone – and is willing to pay. In an $800,000 competition, the South Korean conglomerate is seeking entries which highlight its own sharing service and proprietary software development kit.

The first-prize winner takes home $200,000, three second-place finalists receive $100,000 each, while six third-place finishers get $50,000 each, according to the Wall Street Journal. The competition’s goal is to improve Samsung’s standing against Apple’s iPhone… Read More

 

Turkish PM visits Apple, Google and Microsoft ahead of tablet tender

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

After Apple back in January flew its vice president for education John Couch to Turkey who meet with the country’s president Abdullah Gül to discuss Turkey’s $4.5 billion modernization program in which textbooks will be replaced by tablets and chalkboards by electronic whiteboards, a report Monday notes that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdoğan has now visited Apple, along with Google and Microsoft, in order to explore options ahead of the country’s impending decision to purchase 10.6 million tablets for education… Read More

 

DigiTimes: 33 percent lighter iPad 5 on track for September release

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

DigiTimes, the-sometimes-reliable Taiwanese trade publication, on Monday ran a report which quotes sources with Taiwan’s supply chain who claim that a fifth revision to Apple’s full-size 9.7-inch iPad will be 25-33 percent lighter than its previous generation.

The fifth-generation iPad is believed to be entering trial production next month, meaning the device should be on track for a rumored September launch. Initial output is pegged at up to three million units until Apple and its manufacturing partners reach yield levels necessary to ramp up production… Read More

 

Apple ostensibly sampling 1.5-inch iWatch screens

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

The pretty accurate Japanese blog Macotakara passes along a pair of Taiwanese reports claiming that Apple is now evaluating and sampling tiny screens for its rumored smartwatch, affectionately dubbed by the media as iWatch. Apple’s technologies chief Bob Mansfield, who is believed to have taken particular interest in wearable technology, along with a team of 100+ engineers are reportedly evaluating 1.5-inch screens based on OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode).

OLED is important because it doesn’t require a backlight so it’s more batter-friendly than a liquid crystal display (LCD). Additionally, OLED screens render deeper black levels and are thinner and lighter than LCDs, which are major feats for small form-factor wearable gadgets like smartwatches… Read More

 

Yahoo buys blogging platform Tumblr for $1.1 billion

By Christian Zibreg on May 20, 2013

Yahoo’s recently-minted CEO Marissa Mayer has gone on a shopping spree. After the troubled Internet giant in March bought mobile news startup Summly for $30 million, and having snapped up the iOS/Android task management service Astrid earlier this month, Yahoo this morning announced a definitive agreement to acquire Tumblr for $1.1 billion. Yahoo promised “not to screw it up” and operate Tumblr independently as a separate business, keeping its founder David Karp as the CEO.

More than fifty billion posts (75 million more arriving each day) are hosted on Tumblr so this acquisition is bound to significantly bolster Yahoo’s content empire… Read More

 

Hacked AT&T carrier update could improve your device’s network performance

By Cody Lee on May 20, 2013

Last week, a hacked carrier update surfaced for T-Mobile subscribers that promises to increase the cellular data speeds of the iPhone 5. It claims to pull this off by increasing the handset’s bandwidth supply, allowing for “better throughput of data.”

This weekend, the same person behind the T-Mobile hack unveiled a similar workaround for AT&T customers. As before, the process installs a modded carrier file to your device that aims to improve its network performance with better band management… Read More

 
Page 112345...