Gone free: N.O.V.A. 3, Gangstar Rio, Pudding Monsters

By Christian Zibreg on May 17, 2013

If you’re on the lookout for not-to-be-missed price drops on premium iOS games, iDB has you covered. French games maker Gameloft has just reduced its two triple-A games, sci-fi shooter N.O.V.A. 3 – Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and Grand Theft Auto-like Gangstar Rio: City of Saints to zero bucks each. Considering these titles are respectively priced at $6.99 and $4.99, you’re looking at a cool $11.98 saving right off the bat. Both are free this weekend only so go ahead and download N.O.V.A. 3 and Gangstar Rio: City of Saints now.

By the way, both are universal – meaning they run natively on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices. Last, but not the least, fans of casual games should definitely check out Pudding Monsters from ZeptoLab, the creators of the popular Cut the Rope physics-based puzzler series… Read More

 

iOS and Android gamers spend 3X as much as handheld console owners

By Christian Zibreg on May 17, 2013

I still remember vividly how industry heavy-weights Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft initially laughed off gaming on the iPhone. It was right after Apple slashed the iPod touch to the sweet $199 price point that it became clear to me that gaming on high-end smartphones and tablets would eventually outgrow that on dedicated handheld consoles such as Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS family.

Enter a new report by research firm IDC and analytics service App Annie which reveals just how far along mobile gaming has come. According to the study, users of smartphones and tablets spend nearly three times as much purchasing games on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store as handheld device owners.

If these numbers are anything to go by, smart mobile devices will soon relegate dedicated handheld consoles to a niche market, if not eventually kill the category altogether… Read More

 

Virgin Mobile taking 15% off prepaid iPhone 4 and 4S

By Cody Lee on May 17, 2013

Apple is widely expected to unveil a new smartphone in the coming months, so it’s no surprise that we’re starting to see a flurry of specials on its older models. Verizon is knocking $100 off the iPhone 5, and T-Mobile will give you one for $0 with a trade-in.

In a similar fashion, prepaid carrier Virgin Mobile USA is hosting a promotion right now that will knock 15% off the price of the iPhone 4/4S. Now that may not seem like a very big discount, but it’s big enough to land you a no-contract iPhone for under $300… Read More

 

Departing Intel CEO says he regrets not landing iPhone deal

By Cody Lee on May 17, 2013

We have reached the end of an era. No, I’m not talking about David Beckham retiring. I’m talking about Paul Otellini stepping down as Intel’s CEO. He was at the company for more than 40 years, and was its chief executive for the better half of the last decade.

As part of his departure proceedings, Otellini sat down for a candid exit interview with The Atlantic. And while the whole thing is worth a read, there’s one part that is particularly interesting: when he talks about how he regrets not landing the iPhone deal… Read More

 

New content deal to bring CW programming to Apple TV

By Cody Lee on May 16, 2013

Great news Supernatural fans. The CW television network has reportedly struck a deal with Apple to bring the popular TV show, among other programming, to the Apple TV. It currently has applications out for the Xbox 360 and Windows 8.

The news came during the company’s annual Upfront Presentation in New York today, where CW president Mark Pedowitz announced that its TV Now application would be coming to Apple’s beloved set top box sometime later this year… Read More

 

IDC: Apple, Android own 92% smartphone volume, Windows Phone beats BlackBerry

By Ed Sutherland on May 16, 2013

Just days after rival research firm Gartner released quarterly sales for iOS and Android, rival IDC today announced similar numbers for shipments of smartphones. Combined, iOS and Android maintained their stranglehold on the smartphone market, accounting for more than an astounding 92 percent of shipments during the first quarter of 2013.

In a surprising move, shipments of the Windows Phone smartphone operating system surpassed the BlackBerry OS, putting Microsoft in third place behind Android and iOS. I bet you didn’t see that one coming… Read More

 

Tim Cook defends Apple’s offshore tax practices ahead of senate hearing

By Cody Lee on May 16, 2013

Yesterday, word got out that Tim Cook would be testifying at a senate hearing next week over Apple’s tax practices. The hearing was called after the iPad-maker took on billions in debt to fund its shareholder return plan, rather than paying taxes on its offshore cash.

The move reportedly saved the Cupertino company around $9 billion in various tax charges, bringing it to the forefront of an ongoing debate about the legality of offshore tax evasion. But in a recent interview, Tim Cook says that Apple isn’t doing anything wrong… Read More

 

How Apple and Google tabulate app downloads

By Sebastien Page on May 16, 2013

Two big numbers were coincidentally dropped yesterday. First, Google announced 48 billion applications had been downloaded from the Google Play Store. Shortly after, Apple announced that its App Store had seen 50 billion downloads so far. Big numbers indeed, but how exactly do Apple and Google count app downloads? The Next Web Managing Editor Matthew Panzarino asked both companies and this is what he found:

Both Apple and Google tabulate unique downloads of apps per user account. This means that they count only one download of an app no matter how many devices that you install that app on after you purchase it. Neither company counts updates in its app download numbers. These are purely single downloads from their stores.

Read the full article at The Next Web.

 

How to create ringtones for your iPhone using iTunes

By Lory Gil on May 16, 2013

How many times have you been sitting around with friends when their phone rings and you hear the opening theme to Knight Rider, or the subtle hum of the Starship Enterprise and thought to yourself, “Dang, I wish I had that ringtone.” Well, now you can and it won’t cost you a dime.

You can convert any song or audio clip in your iTunes library into a ringtone with a few simple steps. We’ve got a step-by-step tutorial to show you how to create awesome ringtones that will make you the envy of the party… Read More

 

Give your iPhone a gorgeous makeover with iMIUI

By Cody Lee on May 16, 2013

A few days ago, we were contacted by one of the developers of a jailbreak theme I had never heard of before called iMIUI. In the email they told us that we just had to check out their theme, saying it could be the next ayecon.

Given that Surenix’s ayecon theme is easily the most popular in the jailbreak community right now, that’s a pretty bold statement. But after using iMIUI over the past few days, I’m starting to think they might just be right… Read More

 

Another concept imagines iOS 7 running on next-gen iPhone

By Christian Zibreg on May 16, 2013

Following recent budget iPhone concept by Martin Hajek (itself based on nice iOS 7 mockups by 3D artist Dámaso Benítez), German blog Apfellike.de yesterday shared a similar rendition by Jürgen Ulbrich. Like many 3D artists before him, Dámaso is striving to envision what iOS 7 running on the next iPhone might look like. I’m liking his work a lot and have included a few images and a nice video mockup right after the break… Read More

 

DoJ says Steve Jobs email proves Apple’s guilt in e-book scandal

By Cody Lee on May 16, 2013

Things are really starting to heat up between Apple and the US Department of Justice over this e-book price fixing scandal. The DoJ filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple last year for allegedly conspiring with major book publishers to raise e-book prices.

And with the trial set to kick off in a few weeks, there’s beginning to be a lot of activity between the two. Yesterday, a DoJ filing popped up that called Apple out for facilitating the price fixing. And today, a potentially damning email from Steve Jobs has surfaced… Read More

 

iTunes 11.0.3 released with revamped MiniPlayer

By Jeff Benjamin on May 16, 2013

Apple just dropped a 129 MB iTunes 11.0.3 update and it brings quite a few new features to the iconic app. The big ticket item, if you will, is a new MiniPlayer, which is a bit ironic given the release schedule of the jailbreak version of MiniPlayer for iOS.

iTunes’ updated MiniPlayer now features a beautiful new view that shows off album artwork. The new MiniPlayer also includes a handy progress bar this time around to track the song’s playhead location.

You’ll also find an improved songs view, which allows you to enjoy album artwork in that view. Lastly, you’ll notice support for proper multi-disc albums. Check inside for the full change log. Read More

 

Upcoming app claims to allow for a fresh version of current iOS firmware

By Jeff Benjamin on May 16, 2013

We’ve probably all been there at least once. You have a jailbroken device on a certain firmware, and it’s the last firmware that’s capable of being jailbroken. What happens if you need to restore it?

In most cases, unless you’re using an older device capable of being downgraded, you would be forced up to the current firmware. The problem with doing this is that it causes you to lose your jailbreak.

That’s where a new app called Semi-Restore claims to be able to help. It will, according to its website, allow jailbroken users to refresh their devices with the firmware that’s currently on the device. For example, if you’re running iOS 6.1.2, you can clean the device and semi-restore to 6.1.2. It’s not a full restore, because doing so would force you to upgrade, but it might be the next best thing, especially if your device is having problems or is running slow. Read More

 

Try Google’s new Hangouts app now

By Christian Zibreg on May 16, 2013

Previously code-named Babel, Google yesterday announced its new cross-platform unified messaging product called Hangouts. Shortly after, the software surfaced on Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play store for Android.

In replacing Google Talk, Hangouts supports one-on-one and group chatting across desktop, Android and Apple devices and includes photos, emoji, and video calls.

In a nutshell, the app integrates messaging from Google’s GTalk, Google+ Messenger, Hangouts and Voice products. But that’s just scratching the surface as Google obviously has big plans with the product… Read More

 

More alleged iPhone 5S components surface, suggesting internal overhaul

By Christian Zibreg on May 16, 2013

BGR, the tech blog with a mixed track record, is known for occasionally leaking credible information about Apple’s upcoming products. And with the next iPhone looming on the horizon, BGR has exclusively obtained high-quality parts photos believed to depict a number of internal components for the iPhone 5S.

From what we could glean from these shots, Apple’s handset could undergo a more substantial internal overhaul than previously thought. Go past the fold for full details… Read More

 

Apple patent links iDevice cameras for ‘social flash’

By Ed Sutherland on May 16, 2013

The iPhone is quickly becoming (or already has) the hottest digital camera on the planet. Not only does it have terrific imaging power, but with its screen is able to easily compose attractive shots. Knowing the power of the iPhone and other iDevices, Apple continually tweaks its photo-imaging capabilities.

The latest evidence being a new patent application describing a way to combine the resources of multiple devices to provide what’s being called a ‘social camera flash.’ The idea isn’t new. So-called slave flashes that act on the command of a main camera have been in professional photo studios for years. However, Apple’s patent application envisions iPhones, iPads and iPods linked wirelessly to illuminate a scene… Read More

 

Apple reveals 50 billionth app download winner

By Christian Zibreg on May 16, 2013

Apple crossed a major milestone yesterday afternoon, with the official App Store Twitter channel confirming the company hit 50 billion app downloads. As part of its countdown promotion, the iPhone maker today issued a press release revealing the lucky winner who won a $10,000 iTunes Gift card, good for apps, videos, books and music. Additionally, per Apple’s rules fifty additional lucky winners will take home $500 iTunes gift cards each… Read More

 

Royal Envoy 2 is time management at its best

By Lory Gil on May 16, 2013

I secretly love time management games. I know they are silly. I should be spending my time mining asteroids or building empires. But, I can’t help but love watching those funny little men run around fixing things at my behest in the fastest possible time.

Royal Envoy 2 HD (Premium) is the iPad-exclusive sequel to the time management game of the same name. Players must repair houses, clear roads, and make life better for townsfolk within the empire. Get it done in the fastest possible time or the King will have your hide… Read More

 

Kouros clothes your devices in premium Italian leather

By Jim Gresham on May 16, 2013

On my quest to find a quality sleeve for my iPhone 5 and iPad mini, I stumbled upon many fakes or wannabe premium options. In fact, I have yet to find a sleeve to request for review. Thankfully, Kouros found me. A Portugal-based company priding itself on quality ingredients for its products, Kouros makes an exceptional sleeve for both iPhone 5 and mini.

All products are designed by the in house creative team through regular brainstorming, focusing on fashion trends that are practical for a technologically driven lifestyle. To that end, the company uses rigorous testing methods to ensure longevity, suitable look, and proper feel. For this review, I take a close look at the Essence for iPad mini and Prime for iPhone 5, both of which are simplistic, professional leather sleeves… Read More

 
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