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

 

Great apps for cycling during National Bike Month

By Lory Gil on May 22, 2013

In case you haven’t heard, May is National Bike Month. The League of American Bicyclists sponsors yearly events each May to raise awareness for the environmental and fitness conscious mode of transportation.

In honor of the vélo-friendly month, we’ve come up with a list of bicycle-related apps. Whether you are a road cyclist, a back roads trailblazer, or just taking off the training wheels, we have a list of apps we think you’ll enjoy… Read More

 

Pandora updated with new Facebook sharing options, improved music details and more

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

Good news Pandora users, an update for the popular iOS client landed in the App Store this morning, bringing it to version 4.3. The update includes a handful of new features, as well as the usual bug fixes and improvements.

As far as new features go, the highlight of today’s release is the improved Facebook integration. Users now have the ability to publish their favorite tracks and stations to the social network, helping others discover new music… Read More

 

Logitech introduces new Wired Keyboard for iPad

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

Wireless Bluetooth keyboards for the iPad are a dime a dozen these days. It seems like everyone makes them, including Kensington, Targus, and Belkin. In fact, ZAGG just launched a pair of new ones yesterday in the form of the Cover and the Folio.

But what you don’t see everyday are wired keyboards for the iPad, like this one that Logitech just unveiled. The Wired Keyboard is durable, spill-resistant, doesn’t require Bluetooth pairing or batteries, and comes in both 30-pin and Lightning flavors… Read More

 

Vudu iOS app updated with ability to download movies for offline viewing

By Cody Lee on May 22, 2013

Folks who use the streaming video service Vudu will be happy to hear that it has updated its iOS client with a major new feature this week. The Walmart-owned content delivery company has added the ability for users to download movies for offline viewing.

For those unfamiliar with the service, Vudu is similar to iTunes in that it allows you to rent and purchase movies a la carte—no monthly subscription fee. Rentals typically run between $2 and $5 and can be played back on a number of electronic devices… Read More

 

Hipstamatic Oggl makes social photography fun again

By Lory Gil on May 21, 2013

As you probably already know, we love iPhone photography. If there is an app for it, we will probably try it. If there is a camera-related accessory, we will probably get our hands on it eventually. We especially love to share our snapshots in any way possible. We aren’t shy with our pictures.

Oggl is Hipstamatic’s new social networking app for the iPhone that allows users to share their hyper-filtered photo creations with others in a supercharged version of Instagram. You can only participate after you’ve been invited, but don’t worry. The cool kids at Hipstamatic are not elitist. If they let me in, they’ll let anyone in… Read More

 

TextExpander 2 for iOS is out with new features and improvements

By Cody Lee on May 21, 2013

Fans of Smile’s TextExpander, the app that allows you to type lengthy words or phrases using text shortcuts, will be happy to hear that version 2 is out for iOS. The update includes a number of new features and improvements, and brings the mobile app more in line with its highly-regarded Mac sibling… Read More

 

Xbox One unveiled: Apple should be worried

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Today’s the new Xbox day. After Sony on February 20 revealed its PlayStation 4 without actually showing anything in way of the hardware, the Windows giant during a special event at its Redmond headquarters announced a next-generation Xbox console dubbed the Xbox One. The system is billed as an “all-in-one entertainment system” which promises to “put you at the center of a new generation of the living room.”

Key features include a built-in Blu-ray drive, Skype, voice input and live TV functionality, the new gamepad and an enhanced Kinect camera sensor with 1080p resolution. On the surface, the device appears to pack in more advanced features than Sony’s PS4 while sporting useful set-top box functionality.

Digging deeper, the One wants to replace your Apple TV, Roku, Nintendo Wii, PlayStation and any similar box by becoming the only box your TV set really needs. And yes, it indeed has what it takes to become the center of your living room. Go past the fold for the full breakdown… Read More

 

Apple posts opening statements from Senate hearing on tax evasion

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Apple CEO Tim Cook, along with the company’s finance boss Peter Oppenheimer and Tax Operations head Phillip Bullock, earlier this morning took the witness table at a congressional hearing on Capitol Hill to face U.S. senators who grilled the three men on Apple’s offshore tax practices.

This also means today was the day many Apple bloggers got to become experts on tax reform. We live-blogged the whole thing, but if you had better things to do than sift through the back and forth between Apple execs and senators John McCain and Carl Levin, Apple’s got you covered.

Right on cure, the Cupertino firm has published Cook and Oppenheimer’s opening statements that detail its now widely reported stance on a comprehensive U.S. corporate tax code reform… Read More

 

Let’s Talk Jailbreak 11: Doing just dandy

By Jeff Benjamin on May 21, 2013

Let’s Talk Jailbreak lives on with its original name! Join Sebastien and Jeff as they talk about their post-iTunes life, Saurik’s new Android interests, restoring an iPhone to stock using SemiRestore, uninstalling Velox, and of course, some of the top jailbreak tweaks from the last week. It’s an interesting look into all things jailbreak. Don’t miss it.

Read More

 

Intel hires former Apple exec to head ‘smart devices’ team

By Cody Lee on May 21, 2013

Since turning down the opportunity to manufacture chips for the original iPhone, Intel has had problems breaking into the mobile industry. Go ahead, try to name a smartphone or tablet that has one of Intel’s processor inside.

But that doesn’t mean it’s giving up. In its latest move to try to break into the mobile space, Intel has hired former Apple VP Mike Bell to head up a new ‘smart devices’ team, a group tasked with turning cool technology into products… Read More

 

Pinterest update introduces more useful pins

By Christian Zibreg on May 21, 2013

Just a week ago, the Pinterest app in a major update gained a handful of new features and improvements like push notifications, user mentions and search suggestions, to name a few. Today, another update has gone live on the App Store, bringing additional improvements related to Pinterest’s new look. Specifically, your pins now have more info like pricing, availability, ingredients and movie ratings. More on that right after the break… Read More

 

Apple to add system-wide Vimeo and Flickr support in iOS 7

By Cody Lee on May 21, 2013

Details regarding iOS 7 are still fairly scarce, despite the fact that WWDC is just a few weeks away. Apple has said that it will be previewing its next-generation mobile operating system at its annual developer conference next month.

We do know a few things though. Most of the rumors suggest iOS 7 will feature a UI overhaul, in favor of a much flatter design. And according to a new report, Apple will also be beefing up social ties with Vimeo and Flickr integration… Read More

 

Badger lets users view unread notifications by tapping the app icon badge

By Jeff Benjamin on May 21, 2013

Ladies and gentlemen, after much wait and after even more debate, it’s finally here. I am, of course, talking about Badger — a tweak that we initially previewed some months back. After some very intense development and design, the final version of Badger has shipped. It’s now available for purchase on Cydia’s BigBoss repo for $0.99.

If you’ve been keeping your ear to the proverbial street, then you already know what Badger is and what it does, but let me jog your memory anyway. Badger is an iOS tweak that allows users to view unread notification alerts by swiping on the app icon displaying the badge. Once the app is swiped, a highly stylized pop-up menu containing unread notifications will appear on screen.

That’s what Badger is capable of doing in its most basic form, but as you might guess, the tweak contains quite a few hidden goodies and options under the hood. Check inside as I provide you with an in-depth look at Badger and show how you might benefit from its usage. Read More

 

Apple remains most valuable brand

By Ed Sutherland on May 21, 2013

You might have thought all the punishment Apple has taken on Wall Street would show up in how consumers view the company’s brand – and you’d be wrong. A new survey again ranks Apple as the most valuable brand, easily outdistancing its arch rival Google. Indeed, Apple is still seen as the ‘gold standard’ when it comes to brands, according to market research firm Millward Brown… Read More

 
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