Apple patent outlines proximity iPhone-to-Mac file transfers

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 17, 2013

If you have some media content on your iPhone that needs to get to a Mac, the transfer can be cumbersome. Apple appears to be tapping wireless technologies to smooth out such operations, simply by having your mobile device near your desktop or portable Mac computer.

A patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office outlines a way for Macs to sense when a mobile device is nearby. Your iPhone can then transmit that great vacation photo to the Mac, which then inserts the image into an email, or even photo manipulation application… Read More

 

Apple offers third-gen Apple TV replacement program over Wi-Fi issues

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 15, 2013

Is your Apple TV acting up lately? Specifically, is the set-top box exhibiting issues related to Wi-Fi networking? If so, Apple may have a brand new unit for you, free of charge, up to two years after the device’s purchase date.

According to a new report, the iPhone maker has opened a replacement program for owners of the third-generation Apple TVs plagued with problems related to locating or joining Wi-Fi network, dropped connections and more.

Only a small number of units have been affected and Apple has specified which serial number pairs are eligible for the replacement program… Read More

 

AT&T and Boingo team up on free Wi-Fi roaming

By Christian Zibreg on Apr 9, 2013

U.S. carrier AT&T and Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless Tuesday announced a new partership to provide the telco’s customers with free access to Boingo’s network of global Wi-Fi hotspots in major international airports. Los Angeles-based Boingo provides global Wi-Fi services at more than 600,000 hotspots worldwide, including hundreds of airports, thousands of hotels and tens of thousand cafes and coffee shops… Read More

 

Apple patent hints at Street View-like mapping

By Ed Sutherland on Apr 5, 2013

Is Apple preparing to take another chunk out of Google’s mapping franchise? A patent filed in 2011 and entitled “3D Position Tracking for Panoramic Navigation,” discovered Thursday, suggests the iPhone maker is considering adding street level navigation to its own iOS 6 Maps technology.

By virtue of the description, the invention suggests using movement sensors built into the iPhone and iPad to make it easier for mobile users to move within virtual maps. Currently, Google’s Street View feature makes use of mouse movements and touchscreen input for navigation. A key difference between Apple Maps and Google Maps may also include the ability to navigate within structures… Read More

 

Seagate dominates the mobile storage competition with 1TB Wireless Plus

By Jim Gresham on Mar 14, 2013

After meeting with Seagate at CES, I was excited to get my paws on their new Wireless Plus, which is big brother to the recently retired and previously reviewed GoFlex Satellite. We all need our digital content on the go and, often, our iOS devices do not have enough room. I know my 16GB are carefully utilized on both iPad mini and iPhone. Toting around a Wi-Fi enabled 1TB Seagate drive prevents the need for choosing which media to bring along. Just drag and drop your media file to the Wireless Plus and walk out the door… Read More

 

Apple confirms 128GB iPad 4, coming February 5

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 29, 2013

Just days after a new ‘Ultimate’ iPad SKU was discovered in iOS code strings, Apple on Tuesday launched the rumored 128GB fourth-generation iPad with Retina display. Corroborating retail sources, Apple said that the new storage option carries a $100 premium over the 64GB full-size iPad, which starts at $699 for the Wi-Fi-only version. In other words, a 128GB Wi-Fi-only iPad 4 will set you back $799, or $929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Both are available in black or white starting Tuesday, February 5, via Apple’s online and brick-and-mortar stores as well as through select Apple Authorized Resellers… Read More

 

Our future connected homes

By Jim Gresham on Jan 24, 2013

At CES, many new companies sprouted in the Connected Home category, the goal of which is to enable ordinary consumers to install connected devices without the hassle of professional appointments and labor charges. I see it as the home upgrade for dummies, a concept I can stand behind. Below, I take a quick glance at several connected home items from CES, all of which are easily installable  and operate via iOS… Read More

 

Carnitine allows you to activate Wi-Fi for select apps only

By Mike Schnier on Jan 21, 2013

We’ve seen clever jailbreak utilities for enabling toggles in the past, but I really think the developer behind Carnitine are onto something special. Carnitine, in this case, is a jailbreak tweak that can enable Wi-Fi while select apps are open and not the biological compound.

Carnitine is brilliant because it enables Wi-Fi not from the command of a gesture, a timer, or a GPS location, but from right when you open any set app. The idea is Wi-Fi is there when you need it. Though the implementation in the initial version isn’t perfect, for reasons I will soon explain, I would love to see Carnitine expanded into a larger tweak… Read More

 

Job ad indicates Gigabit Wi-Fi due on Apple gear

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 7, 2013

A report last week hinted Apple might be working with chip maker Broadcom to outfit upcoming Macs with faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi chips and now a new piece of evidence has surfaced supporting the claim. The new Wi-Fi 802.11ac standard, also known as Gigabit Wi-Fi, is currently undergoing revisions.

It promises to substantially boost data transfer speeds between compatible devices. Looks like Apple is on the lookout for a System Test Engineer in 802.11 Wi-Fi who is required to have technical knowledge of the new 802.11ac standard… Read More

 

Apple bringing Broadcom’s Gigabit Wi-Fi to 2013 Macs, AirDrop file sharing in iOS 7 next?

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 2, 2013

The inability to wirelessly share documents directly between Macs and iOS devices using Wi-Fi Direct, a feature Samsung’s Galaxy S III and some other devices supports, is one of the top complaints on the minds of folks of all stripes. Yes, it is possible to share files through the iTunes jukebox program.

You can also share files via iTunes wirelessly, provided Wi-Fi iTunes Sync is enabled. On the downside, the feature requires a running copy of the iTunes app on your Mac and the experience leaves a lot to be desired due to a pretty slow and unreliable connection.

Meanwhile, the popular Dropbox service Steve Jobs once dismissed as “a feature” is gaining more traction with each passing day, winning crucial support from the ever growing number of third-party apps. Apple may be stuck in the old ways, but under the surface the company’s been quietly putting the pieces of the file sharing puzzle in place… Read More

 

Seagate’s GoFlex Satellite touts 500GB of mobile wireless storage [review and giveaway]

By Jim Gresham on Nov 27, 2012

Moving toward a more connected world, we need our digital stuff more frequently and certainly when we are on the go. Whether you are a jet setter that hops around the world or a family man that needs to share the family pictures with dear old mom, size and portability matter greatly. Combine that digital need with the post-PC era, where the jet setter sized down to an iPad for space, convenience, and weight, and dear old mom just cannot figure out how to use a computer. Shake that up and you get a USB-less conundrum and, oh yeah, optical drives are out now too – check out Christian’s article to approve it.

That leaves us with a need to move large quantities of data with us, including documents, movies, photos, music, and other digital necessaries in a small device that connects wirelessly. After reviewing a competing Wi-Fi enabled external hard drive, you, the readers, called out for a larger, yet similarly mobile storage option. Today, I am happy to review the Seagate GoFlex Satellite Mobile Wireless Storage 500GB external hard drive. And, because I aim to please, I teamed up with Seagate to give one away… Read More

 

Apple puts a price tag on Motorola’s wireless patents: $1 per iPhone

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 31, 2012

In a response to Motorola’s motion from yesterday seeking clarification on essential wireless patents (which include both cellular and WiFi standards), Apple has formally acknowledged its willingness to accept a license at a court-determined rate of up to $1 per iPhone through a license agreement on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.

The figure entails worldwide sales of covered products, the iPhone maker said. Apple’s position on FRAND licensing is that the industry should set FRAND rates in order to prevent companies asserting wireless standards-essential patents against its rivals by jacking up prices.

Motorola, which is now a wholly-owned Google subsidiary, wrote in the filing that Microsoft’s FRAND contract case had explicitly committed to the conclusion of a license agreement on court-ordered terms. Is there finally an end in sight to this patent mess? Read More

 

Report: iPad mini is WiFi-only, Apple to update iPad 3 with UK’s 4G LTE and Lightning

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 9, 2012

We may have been exposed to a surprising amount of leaks pertaining to the looks and hardware features of a smaller iPad Apple is thought to be introducing later this month. One important feature has remained a mystery thus far: the device’s price point.

With both Amazon and Google selling their seven inchers for just $199, Apple’s mini iPad cannot and shouldn’t cost substantially more in order not to ruin its chances in the marketplace.

Among the possible tricks Apple could employ in order to keep the costs down: re-using some of the iPad 2 components and yes – skimping on some features, including cellular networking… Read More

 

The iPhone 5 WiFi bug reportedly carrier-agnostic, double-check your cellular data usage

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 1, 2012

We thought a bug with carrier settings that led to some iPhone 5 owners reporting burning through excessive cell data on Verizon was fixed when Apple pushed a carrier settings update and Verizon promised not to slap the iPhone 5 owners for unwarranted cellular data usage. According to the latest by big media, the problem could be worse than originally thought.

As an added “bonus”, it doesn’t appear to be contained to Verizon customers only as apparently customers of AT&T, Sprint and other carriers are experiencing the same cellular data overages stemming from this bug. It would seem that something about the iPhone 5 or perhaps iOS 6 is causing the same cellular data drain even when the device is connected to WiFi… Read More

 

Carrier update for iPhone 5 pushed to Verizon subscribers

By Jeff Benjamin on Sep 30, 2012

Have you noticed Verizon cellular data usage increments on your iPhone 5 while connected to Wi-Fi? If so, then you definitely want to apply a recently released carrier settings update, which was issued to Verizon subscribers to fix the issue.

The update will change the Verizon carrier settings from 13.0 to 13.1. Although, under most circumstances, cellular data should not be used while connected to a Wi-Fi network, that appears to be exactly what has been happening for some customers. Read More

 

Where’s my iOS Wi-Fi Plus Cellular toggle?

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 25, 2012

Apple in early-August seeded iOS 6 Beta 4 to its registered developers. With it came a new feature in Settings, called Wi-Fi Plus Cellular. As Jeff explained in a lengthy post the following day, this toggle basically ensures that apps having trouble with WiFi can automatically switch over to cellular data. But why go implement and then remove this handy capability from iOS 6? Read More

 

Experiencing Wi-Fi problems in iOS 6? We’ve got a fix

By Cody Lee on Sep 19, 2012

Like other sites, we’ve been getting a lot of tips this evening that Wi-Fi in iOS 6 is acting up. Several of our readers have informed us that their Wi-Fi quit working after attempting to connect to a faulty Apple page shortly after updating to the latest version of iOS.

Don’t worry, the problem has been pinpointed. As explained by developer Steve Streza, iOS devices are programmed to ping a test URL upon connecting to a Wi-Fi network to see if it’s protected by a “captive portal.” And that test page has been down all afternoon… Read More

 

A complete breakdown of iOS 6′s new Wi-Fi Plus Cellular feature

By Jeff Benjamin on Aug 10, 2012

As we told you yesterday, Apple has incorporated a new Wi-Fi Plus Cellular option in iOS 6 beta 4. This new setting allows apps to use cellular data when there are issues with the Wi-Fi connection.

You can find the Wi-Fi Plus Cellular toggle in the General > Cellular panel, which is within the Settings app.

Once iOS 6 is formally released to the public, should you enable this option? Is there a risk involved when it comes to racking up extra cellular data charges with your wireless provider? We’ll answer these, and other questions inside… Read More

 

iOS 6 beta 4 adds Wi-Fi Plus Cellular data switching option

By Cody Lee on Aug 9, 2012

The latest beta of iOS 6 was released this week with a handful of changes. We’ve already mentioned a few of these differences like the new Bluetooth Sharing menu, and the missing YouTube app. But another one has been discovered.

In beta 4, a new option can be found deep in the Settings application, under the Cellular tab, called Wi-Fi Plus Cellular. When enabled, it allows apps that are having trouble with Wi-Fi to automatically switch over to cellular data… Read More

 

Broadcom outs new chip that could give 2013 iOS devices Gigabit WiFi

By Christian Zibreg on Jul 25, 2012

Broadcom today announced a new wireless chip that features support for WiFi 802.11ac standard, also known as fifth-generation WiFi and promising theoretical wireless transfer speeds of one gigabit per second.

The Broadcom BCM4335 module also includes Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio and software on a single chip using a 40-nanometer process. As Apple is extensively using Broadcom chips in iOS devices and Macs, this is a likely candidate for 2013 iPhones and iPads. The chip provides for some interesting possibilities… Read More

 
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