How to have iOS screenshots automagically appear in your Mac’s Finder

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 27, 2013

I’ve always loved the simplified iOS approach to screenshot taking just by pressing the power and home button simultaneously. This oft-used feature works in absolutely any app and, as an added bonus, iOS stores my screenies in the Camera Roll as crisp, lossless PNG files.

An indispensable part of my daily blogging workflow, I grab app graphics on a daily basis for use in reviews, news articles and guides such as this one. The old-school approach to syncing iOS screenshots (along with your photos) entails connecting your device to a Mac or PC via USB. But if you’re anything like me, you’ve long cut the cord to enjoy the benefits of wireless sync.

Now, iCloud makes photo sync a no-brainer: that is, unless the very thought of firing up iPhoto or Aperture on your Mac just to access your Photo Stream drives you nuts.

There must be a better way to bypass these resource-intensive apps and have the screenshots taken on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch automagically appear just a mouse click away in your Mac’s Finder. Read on for the full breakdown… Read More

 

Stanford’s free iOS developer’s class returns to iTunes U

By Mike Schnier on Jan 24, 2013

Want to get started coding apps for iOS? Stanford University is relaunching their class ‘Coding Together: Developing Apps for iPhone and iPad‘, with new material for iOS 6. We previously reported on the class in 2011. Since enrollment in the class is free on iTunes U and on Piazza, all you really need to participate is enough familiarity programming in C to get you through a couple first-year computer science credits. Over the course of the program, the class will teach students to program in Objective C.

The class is short, running from January 22nd to March 28th. While the class has already started, you can still sign up for enrollment on iTunes U and on Piazza as late as February 1st. You can also peek at the free lectures on iTunes if you are curious… 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

 

New concept spices up Lockscreen with widgets and new unlock action

By Cody Lee on Jan 23, 2013

Users have been voicing their disdain for Apple’s decision to stay the course with iOS for years. The operating system, albeit the addition of the App Store and a few new features, has remained largely unchanged since its introduction.

That disdain has sparked a number of iOS-related concepts, and we’ve just come across a new mockup. In an effort to change things up a bit, it adds widgets, toggles and a new unlocking mechanism to your iPhone’s Lockscreen… Read More

 

Apple job posting hints at new API/framework in iOS 7

By Cody Lee on Jan 23, 2013

This is kind of interesting. A new job posting has been spotted on Apple’s website that calls for a Frameworks QA engineer that will help develop the “very first iPhone/iPad app that uses a new API/framework in the next version of iOS.”

Now, Apple always adds new APIs/frameworks to new versions of iOS. But the interesting part here is that it directly refers to the development of a new iPhone/iPad app that directly depends on whatever this new API/framework is… Read More

 

Pebble smartwatches shipping to Kickstarters as iOS app lingers in approval limbo

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 23, 2013

As promised, the Pebble E-Paper smartwatch (actually, it has a memory LCD screen) is now shipping to Kickstarter backers around the world, albeit initial volume is limited over some paperwork complications. As you know, the smartwatch device works in conjunction with a free iOS or Android app.

Pebble Technology today updated its Kickstarter page with a note acknowledging that Apple unfortunately has not yet approved the software even though Pebble submitted it two weeks ago. A version for Android devices is scheduled to go live on Google’s Play Store tomorrow, January 24… Read More

 

Netflix and YouTube working on an open AirPlay alternative

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 23, 2013

AirPlay, a wireless media technology from Apple featured on the Apple TV, iPhones, iPads, iPods and newer Macs running OS X Mountain Lion, is a major selling point because it allows users to seamlessly beam their photos, music and video from their computer or iDevice to a TV set via an Apple TV set-top box. However, Netflix teamed up with Google’s YouTube on an AirPlay alternative and today the two have released official details.

DIAL, as it’s called (an acronym for DIscovery And Launch), is an open second screen protocol which automatically discovers compliant devices to stream media. The new standard has impressive support from key content owners and consumer electronics makers, including the likes of BBC, Sony, Hulu and of course Samsung… Read More

 

Microsoft launches free natural disaster helper app

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 16, 2013

Available now as a free download on Windows Phone, Android and iPhone, HelpBridge is Microsoft’s new mobile app that everybody should have on their handset, just in case. Should you, God forbid, ever find yourself at the epicenter of a large scale natural disaster like Hurricane Sandy, the software will help you connect with those that matter to you most.

As a bonus, you can also use HelpBridge to rally everyone around one cause – that is, donate your money, time and resources to support relief and rebuilding efforts. The above clip shows off the Windows Phone version of HelpBridge, but you get the idea… Read More

 

ChangeWave destroys all blabbering of supposedly weak iPhone 5 demand

By Ed Sutherland on Jan 15, 2013

If you’ve been watching Apple’s stock price rise and fall as analysts debate whether it’s the end of the world or simply a bad day for the iPhone 5, you’re forgiven for feeling like a a yo-yo. However, to add to your confusion comes another set of charts illustrating everything’s fine with iPhone 5 demand.

Indeed, according to a new ChangeWave survey based on a poll of 4,061 consumers in North America, demand for Apple’s handset is as strong as ever. Specifically, 50 percent of respondents said they are planning to buy the iPhone 5 in the next 90 days, which jives well with Apple’s previous iPhone launches. In fact, the iPhone 5 interest was higher than the iPhone 4S peak.

A series of charts also prove that iPhone interest, though flattening six months following the launch, remains high and even above rival Samsung. It all comes down to whether your cup is half-empty or half full… Read More

 

PC marketshare to drop to 65% in 2013 as tablets take over

By Ed Sutherland on Jan 12, 2013

The days when PCs ruled the computer market are quickly coming to a close. The familiar battle between PCs and Macs is quickly morphing into an iOS versus Android landscape. As consumers opt for tablets over PCs, shipments of Wintel devices will drop to 65 percent in 2013 amid double-digit tablet growth.

After PC shipments fell 10 percent during the holiday fourth quarter of 2010, the 2013 PC marketshare will drop to 65 percent, down from 72 percent last year, according to researchers at Canalys. The reason: PCs – be they desktops, notebooks, or netbooks – are no longer needed for common computing tasks, such as reading e-mail and browsing the web… Read More

 

Can AutoRip, Amazon’s answer to iTunes, also revive the music CD?

By Ed Sutherland on Jan 10, 2013

Amazon is taking another run at Apple, this time targeting iTunes. The online retail giant is hoping to increase its digital music market share by offering consumers free digital copies of purchased CDs. Hoping for a trifecta of sorts, the company looks to improve the fate of its Amazon MP3 service, increase exposure of it Cloud Player, while also chipping away at iTunes’ 50 percent marke tshare.

Amazon AutoRip stores digital copies of among 50,000 eligible CD titles in the cloud. Music CD buyers automatically can play or download the digital versions using Cloud Player. The move, which seems similar to an earlier attempt to revive DVD sales, is now viewed as potentially reviving physical CD sales which iTunes essentially killed… Read More

 

CES 2013: $150 Pebble smart watch starts shipping January 23

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 9, 2013

The Pebble project has gone a long way since its early Kickstarter days. In fact, last April it became Kickstarter’s most highly funded project to date. Nine months later, the customizable electronic-paper watch gets its release date as the company just confirmed in a media conference that the E-Paper Watch will be shipping to its backers on January 23… Read More

 

CES 2013: Bluetooth Smart-enabled Cookoo watch launches with iOS compatibility

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 6, 2013

Among the many exhibitors vying for your attention at the CES show room floor are makers of connected smart watches. Pebble, the most highly funded Kickstarter project to date, already teased “big news” at CES as it readies to finally launch its Android and iOS connected E-Paper Watch.

You can now put Cookoo on your list of CES smart watch announcements. Another Kickstarter project, the Cookoo watch just launched worldwide as an iOS and Android connected accessory supporting low-power Bluetooth Smart (Bluetooth 4.0) networking.

In the case of Apple’s platform, the scratch and water-resistant Cookoo watch supports the iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad mini, iPad 3/4 and fifth-gen iPod touch and uses a button-cell battery so it doesn’t need to be recharged like typical smart watches do… Read More

 

Why iOS Do Not Disturb failed

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 4, 2013

Do Not Disturb (DND), a nifty new feature in iOS 6, has garnered quite a lot unwanted attention when folks on New Year’s Day realized it failed to turn off outside its scheduled time, causing them to miss alerts for phone calls, text messages and more.

As the problem persisted and news of another seemingly time-related iOS glitch made the headlines, Apple carelessly added to the controversy by airing the unfortunately-timed iPhone 5 ad, starring tennis celebrities Serena and Venus Williams and centered around the flawed feature.

Apple in a support doc acknowledged the bug and said it will fix itself  on January 7. But why DND failed in the first place and how will the bug just miraculously fix itself next week? Read More

 

Apple passes LG for second U.S. spot as iOS-Android duopoly tops 90%

By Ed Sutherland on Jan 3, 2013

Lots of interesting data points to chew on in the latest comScore survey pertaining to cell phone sales in the United States during a three-month period ending November 2012. According to data, having knocked LG out of the position it held, Apple rose to become the second cell phone maker in the United States, despite only making smartphones.

Furthermore, nearly one out of each five mobile phone owners in the country is now using an iPhone. Looking just at smartphones, more than one in three U.S. subscribers now own a ‘boring’ iPhone. And as Apple and Samsung remain the only two smartphone vendors seeing growth in the U.S., no wonder iOS and Android now hold 90 percent of the country’s market for smartphones. Talk about duopoly! Read More

 

Apple moves to patent iOS Notification Center it cribbed from Android

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 3, 2013

We’re not sure this was the right move on Apple’s part, but the company has in fact filed for the iOS Notification Center patent with both the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization. While the document tries to outline the feature in excruciating detail, even the most ardent Apple fans would have to admit that the feature is way too similar to Google’s Notification Bar in Android.

To make matters worse, Google got there first as its Android software had the Notification Bar in place before Apple introduced Notification Center in iOS 5, which was released in June 2011.

Maybe Apple hastily moved to file for this patent because Samsung last month filed a lawsuit in its home country against Apple regarding the iOS Notification Center, arguing the feature infringes on one of its active patents? Read More

 

Ubuntu to join crowded mobile OS market in 2014

By Cody Lee on Jan 3, 2013

Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android OS have dominated the mobile space for quite some time now, but the third place spot is still up for grabs. Both RIM and Microsoft are currently vying for the spot, and we’ve heard that Amazon and Mozilla will soon be joining the race.

Today, we’re adding another name to the list: Ubuntu. On Wednesday Canonical offered up details regarding its new Ubuntu mobile OS, an Android-based operating system that it says is more immersive, less cluttered, and easier to navigate than its Google counterpart… Read More

 

It was a very appy holiday season for iOS, Android

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 2, 2013

Good news for developers: iOS and Android together accounted for a massive 1.76 billion app downloads around the world between Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, per research by ad firm Flurry. That’s more than a marked improvement compared to the 1.2 billion apps that were downloaded last year across both Android and iOS. Think about it, 1.76 billion downloads in just seven days.

In fact, a number of weeks since late November delivered more than a billion downloads. It wasn’t that long ago that a billion downloads was considered a remarkable achievement throughout the span of the entire year, let alone weeks or months.

And if that data point didn’t give you a pause, consider this: based on historical data, Flurry expects app downloads to regularly hit the one billion milestone each week going forward. Doing a quick math in your head, at that rate both iOS and Android should account for at least 52 billion downloads in 2013… Read More

 

Apple: DND bug scheduled to auto-fix itself Monday, January 7

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 2, 2013

Apple has just acknowledged that a time-related bug which on New Year’s Day caused the Do Not Disturb feature to fail to disable itself despite being outside its scheduled time. The iPhone maker writes in a support document it just published that the bug will automatically fix itself by next Monday, January 7, 2013. The company did not say whether it planned on fixing the glitch once and for all – we don’t want to miss our notifications on the next New Year’s Day… Read More

 

Upcoming tweak puts customizable app shortcuts to your iOS lock screen

By Christian Zibreg on Jan 1, 2013

The iPhone’s lock screen has got to be the source of endless inspiration for jailbreak developers and conceptual artists who are constantly coming up with new ways to broaden functionality of your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. UI designer @Sentry_NC of the Auxo fame thought long and hard about juicing up the iPhone’s lock screen and came up with this concept showing how the iOS lock screen pulley grabber could be for more than just the camera app.

What’s best, we heard that jailbreak developer Rudolf Lichtner is already working on turning his idea into a reality. As always, our own Jeff Benjamin will be monitoring the progress of this tweak and sharing his hands-on impressions as soon as the finished code hits Cydia… Read More

 
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