DoJ calls Apple out for allegedly facilitating e-book price fixing

By Christian Zibreg on May 15, 2013

As you know, publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster all settled with the US Justice Department (DoJ) in an antitrust lawsuit the government filed against them and Apple in April 2012. In turn, DoJ is focusing on Apple now and, according to a new report, is calling Apple out for being a facilitator of an alleged price fixing related to electronic books sold on its iBookstore.

Furthermore, DoJ claimed it collected evidence that proves Apple was the “ringmaster” in the price fixing conspiracy… Read More

 

Googiri is Google voice search meshed with Siri

By Jeff Benjamin on May 15, 2013

I don’t think I’ve left it up to sleuthing to understand that I pretty much loathe Siri. It’s a great idea no doubt, but the execution is so poor that it makes me hate the service. Perhaps I’m in the minority, but Siri rarely, if ever, does what I want it to. I ask her for directions to Starbucks, and she replies with “I can’t find a place called scarred duck.” It’s really pathetic.

So imagine how ecstatic I was when I first tried out the voice search embedded into Google Now. It was amazingly accurate, fast, and it didn’t sound like an old worn out robot from the 70′s. Sad to say, but this is the how Siri should be. Google owns the new gold standard for voice recognition… Read More

 

I AM MT: Card Battle turns MMORPG into CCG

By Lory Gil on May 15, 2013

I’ve been playing World of Warcraft (WoW) since The Burning Crusade expansion launched in early 2007. While I would never consider myself a die-hard WoW gamer, I still have my subscription up to date, unlike 80 percent of my friends who never even bought the Mists of Pandaria expansion.

When I AM MT: Card Battle launched in the App Store, I was intrigued by the subtle WoW references; MT is a Tauren, you will battle in places like Silverfang against enemies like Wargs, etc. However, I didn’t realize just how closely associated it was with Blizzard’s most popular MMORPG…

I AM MT: Card Battle is a card collecting game (CCG) that incorporates card collecting, character leveling, and stats-based battling. The game is based on a popular Chinese cartoon that is actually based on the WoW storyline. Play as your favorite Horde class and defeat enemies in this peculiar dungeon crawl game… Read More

 

The Y-cam HomeMonitor boasts free cloud storage

By Jim Gresham on May 15, 2013

As many of our frequent readers know, I am a fan of connected home products. In particular, several home Wi-Fi cameras are covered through our review section and today I take a close look at the Y-cam HomeMonitor system.

Developed by Y-cam Solutions, the 2005 startup company strives to create simple and affordable products for home and small business protection. In addition to hardware, software and firmware are also continually improved, according to the company description. I can vouch for their efforts having already received a firmware update since installing the unit.

Setting HomeMonitor apart from the competition, is the ability to store a full week of motion captures on company servers for no subscription charge. However, while offering a good benefit package, Y-cam HomeMonitor struggles on some basics… Read More

 

New class action lawsuit claims iPhone 4 has faulty power button

By Cody Lee on May 15, 2013

In a class action lawsuit filed in San Jose, California last week, Florida resident Debra Hilton claims that Apple was aware of a flaw in the flex cable that controls the power button on the iPhone 4, but chose to stay quiet about it to sell more handsets.

Hilton is seeking more than $5 million in damages from the Cupertino company on behalf of thousands of iPhone 4 owners she believes bought devices with defective power buttons. Allegedly, Apple knew about the issue, but did nothing to fix it… Read More

 

LockBar Settings Lite adds hidden toggles to your Lock screen

By Cody Lee on May 15, 2013

It’s tough sometimes to get excited about a jailbreak tweak that performs the exact same function as several others before it. Today’s tweak, for example, adds system toggles to your Lock screen. I can’t even count how many others there are that do this.

But that doesn’t mean you should ignore LockBar Settings Lite all together. In fact, it’s actually a pretty handy little utility. You see, its toggles stay hidden on your Lock screen until you swipe up, or double tap, on the ‘slide to unlock’ bar to reveal them… Read More

 

See who you’re talking to with Messages Conversation Photos

By Cody Lee on May 15, 2013

If you’re looking for a jailbreak tweak that embeds your contact photos into your native Messages app, there’s several options to choose from. Just off the top of my head, I can think of Copic, ChatPic, and xMessages.

Today, we’re adding another one to the pile with Messages Conversation Photos. And like the others, it takes the images from your contact list and applies them to your messaging threads in the default Messages app… Read More

 

Let’s Talk iOS 10: We’re going underground

By Jeff Benjamin on May 14, 2013

Sebastien and Jeff talk about the obvious podcast name change, why we did it, and what the future holds for Let’s Talk iOS. We also discuss clicky keyboards, the frustrating aspects of iOS, and our top items from the previous week. It’s a episode that’s jam packed to the brim with goodness. Don’t miss it.

Read More

 

The XiStera: a multifunctional accessory for your iPhone 5

By Cody Lee on May 14, 2013

Looking for an accessory that will help you get the most out of your iPhone? Then you might want to check out the XiStera, by the SwipeCase team. With 8 different functions, it’s essentially the swiss army knife of iPhone accessories.

The XiStera may look like a little 2-3-inch piece of plastic, but it’s not. Under that TPV santoprene mold is a stainless steel component that houses multiple useful functions including a headphone wrap, tripod mount, and more… Read More

 

BlackBerry confirms BBM is coming to iOS and Android this summer

By Christian Zibreg on May 14, 2013

In a better-late-than-never announcement, Canada-based BlackBerry today posted a surprising announcement confirming it will be bringing its BlackBerry Messenger platform to Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platform. Yes, BlackBerry’s killer app won’t be exclusive anymore.

BlackBerry’s move comes amid consolidation in the instant messaging space. Two increasingly popular services, Viber and WhatsApp, recently passed 200 million users each.

With iMessage pretty much ruling the messaging game on iOS devices and Google’s rumored unified chatting platform dubbed Babel expected soon, it is no surprise that BlackBerry Messenger will be available to mobile users who don’t use BlackBerry devices… Read More

 

iPhone 5S may sport sapphire crystal capacitive Home button with fingerprint sensor

By Christian Zibreg on May 14, 2013

The Home button has got to be one of the defining features of the iPhone’s clean rounded rectangular design. Whereas some other manufacturers add a bunch of physical buttons to their gadgets, Apple instead has moved all controls to the iOS software, leaving only the Home button on the iPhone’s face.

That could change with the iPhone 5S, the next iPhone refresh expected later this year. If a new rumor is to be believed, Apple will for the first time replace the iPhone’s Home button – prone to failure after long periods of use – with its capacitive counterpart.

This isn’t new: many Android handsets have touch-enabled “buttons” like Samsung’s Galaxy S series, for example. Apple’s innovation, the story goes, involves using sapphire crystal to prevent scratches and dings and protect the integrated fingerprint sensor… Read More

 

Cydia Substrate makes its way to Android [Video]

By Jeff Benjamin on May 14, 2013

Big news in the world of Mobile Substrate, but oddly enough, it has nothing to do with iOS and everything to do with Android. Yes, you heard right, Android. The creator behind Cydia and Mobile Substrate, Saurik, has released Substrate for Android, and he’s created a brand new website to document the new addition to the family.

What does this mean for Android users? It means many of your favorite jailbreak apps and tweaks could make it to Android, (WinterBoard is already available!) with the potential for many more… Read More

 

Siri updated to respond to longer queries with quotes on brevity

By Cody Lee on May 14, 2013

This is kind of interesting. A thread has popped up in the Reddit forums this week regarding some recent changes to Siri. It appears that Apple has quietly updated the digital assistant with a new, quirky attitude toward lengthy queries.

Now, when Siri is asked a question (or given a command) that is excessively long, she will quote famous passages from notable historical figures like William Strunk and Thomas Jefferson on the subject of—you guessed it—brevity… Read More

 

JellyLock adds tons of new features and makes its way to the ModMyi repo

By Sebastien Page on May 14, 2013

JellyLock has been my Lock screen launcher of choice for a few weeks now. Up until now, the jailbreak tweak was available on the developer’s private repo only, limiting its availability to the masses, but the developer recently decided to move the package to the ModMyi repo.

Still labeled as a beta release, JellyLock packs some interesting features that take this tweak to yet another level while giving more customization options to users… Read More

 

A collection of iOS ports of games you played as a kid

By Lory Gil on May 14, 2013

When I was very young, there was no such thing as home video games. At least, it wasn’t prevalent enough to be something everyone had in the household. Personal computers were just barely sneaking into the homes of some of the more tech savvy consumers.

By the time I was a teenager, gaming consoles had seen multiple renditions and a number of companies were competing against each other to be the next device on everyone’s Christmas wish list.

If you remember when Super Mario Brothers was the coolest thing you’d ever played in your living room, then you’ll appreciate our list of iOS ports of games from decades gone by… Read More

 

Major Pinterest update brings push notifications, mentions and more

By Cody Lee on May 14, 2013

Say what you will about Pinterest. But with more than 50 million users, and a staggering $2.5 billion valuation, you can’t ignore it. It has become a social networking powerhouse, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down.

With that being said, the company released a major update for its iOS app today. The update, which brings the app to version 2.4, includes a handful of new features and improvements like push notifications, mentions and more… Read More

 

Martin Hajek’s new concept pictures budget iPhone running revamped iOS 7

By Christian Zibreg on May 14, 2013

The renderings use Hajek’s past budget iPhone concepts as the basis for the hardware. As for the software, he incorporated a round of nice concepts by 3D artist Dámaso Benítez, picturing a flattened iOS 7 user interface that Apple’s design head Jony Ive and his team are widely believed to be working on.

His mockups, Hajek explains on his personal blog, serve to illustrate “how Apple might introduce the new, cheap iPhone.” More awesomeness can be found right past the fold… Read More

 

Bluelounge smartly redesigns the MiniDock for iPhone 5

By Jim Gresham on May 14, 2013

Covering several Bluelounge products in our review section, astute readers will now be somewhat familiar with the product line. Creating items from packs to docks, Bluelounge attempts to combine form and function for their small, yet clever array of items. The company, taking hints from both art and architecture, prides itself on “forward design aesthetic.”

Well over a year ago, the MiniDock became a staple item for users trying to get rid of desktop clutter. A portable charging dock made carrying a 30 pin cable around the house a thing of the past. Today, Bluelounge updates their MiniDock with Lightning compatibility and refines a few nice touches at the same time. I was able to get my hands on a prerelease model and am impressed with the new features… Read More

 

Disney’s Watch ABC live streaming app launches

By Christian Zibreg on May 14, 2013

After major networks such as Time Warner and CBS (and even Blockbuster) in recent weeks enabled live streaming in their respective iOS apps, Disney-owned television network ABC has followed suit. I recently called the development a potentially disruptive move on Disney’s part and Cody likened it yesterday to a mini-revolution of sorts. Call it what you will, but it’s here. Disney basically took its existing ABC Player iOS software and re-branded it under the more suggestive Watch ABC moniker.

The big news is a new Live button that gives you access to ABC’s live television programming in select local markets. You can also stream full episodes of the previously aired shows. Not that live TV functionality requires a subscription with an eligible TV provider. Unfortunately, the Watch ABC app doesn’t have DVR functionality. Additional tidbits right below… Read More

 

Apple patents ways to waterproof iDevices

By Ed Sutherland on May 14, 2013

Into each iPhone, iPod or iPad a little moisture must fall – and when it does, Apple’s got you covered. Or, at least that’s what a pair of patent filings indicate. The two patent grants detail how to build consumer electronics in ways to prevent moisture entry and then alert users. Both were granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and appear to be part of the iPhone 5, which has scored well in moisture-handling tests… Read More

 
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