Viber hits desktop, iOS app gains video chat, live call transfer, new stickers and more

By Christian Zibreg on May 7, 2013

Viber, the popular instant messaging service and WhatsApp’s chief rival, has fallen behind a bit in the past year or so. Not only did WhatsApp take the lead – the service claims to handle an astounding eighteen billion messages every day – but the search monster Google is getting ready to unify its many chat services under a new Bable IM brand.

Small wonder then that Viber in a major move on Tuesday announced a brand new desktop application for Mac and Windows PCs. Available as a free download from the Viber’s web site, Viber for Mac lets you send free messages as well as make free calls to other Viber users.

The much-welcomed software release now enables one to keep their communication in sync across mobile and desktop devices because in addition to desktop, Viber is now available on iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Nokia and Bada platforms.

Moreover, Viber – which was founded by American-Israeli entrepreneur Talmon Marco – has revamped its mobile iOS/Android client with video messages, an improved voice engine said to help improve call quality and lots more. Go past the fold for an introductory video and more tidbits… Read More

 

The MAUZ turns your iPhone into the ultimate computer mouse

By Cody Lee on Jan 8, 2013

Thanks to the introduction of the App Store, we’ve had the ability to turn our iPhones into computer mice for quite some time now. Off the top of my head I can think of several apps that do this, including Mobile Mouse and Touch Mouse by Logitech.

But none of them can do what the team at Spicebox is claiming their new MAUZ accessory can do. The peripheral connects to your iPhone via the dock connector, and gives you motion and gesture-based control over computers and other gadgets… Read More

 

Few are buying an iPad mini as an iPad replacement, survey claims

By Ed Sutherland on Nov 14, 2012

In another edition of our long-running ‘quit your worrying’ series, we present why the iPad mini won’t take a bite from larger Apple tablet sales. You may recall, when the smaller iPad was introduced, experts offered wide-ranging estimates on how many sales the 7.9-inch tablet would cost the original iPad. A new survey suggests the number of cannibalized iPad sales will be very, very small. More than half of people who intend to purchase an iPad mini within the next 18 months have never owned a tablet, according to a survey conducted before Apple’s new device hit stores.

Of that group, roughly 17 percent said the mini would replace another device, according to the Cowen and Co. numbers. Of the portion of people intending the mini as a replacement, 29 percent said it would be the iPad. However, 42 percent of the replacers were targeting their Windows PC… Read More

 

iPad growth puts breaks on PC replacement cycle

By Ed Sutherland on Nov 13, 2012

Memo to PC makers: Your best days are over. That’s the word from one Wall Street observer who says tablets such as Apple’s iPad are reducing the need to regularly replace laptops and other computers. Indeed, the PC replacement cycle relied upon by computer makers will be one to two years longer, resulting in a loss of 50 million to 100 million PCs shipped annually, by 2015. By contrast, tablet sales are expected to skyrocket from 182 million in 2013 to 300 million by 2016 – with Apple the major beneficiary… Read More

 

Tablets now comprise 1 out of every 4 PCs sold

By Ed Sutherland on Nov 5, 2012

Should tablets be considered computers? While experts debate the tech equivalent of how many angels dance on the head of a pin, consumers are voting with their wallets. Tablets sales increased nearly 50 percent during the third quarter while computer purchases are on life support.

Today’s numbers from IDC reflect a continuing trend away from PCs and toward mobile devices. Globally, 27.7 million tablets were sold during the third-quarter. This follows last month’s numbers which showed PC sales declined 8.6 percent to 87.7 million during the same period… Read More

 

Apple will also live stream today’s iPad mini event via its home page

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 23, 2012

Apple earlier today updated the Apple TV interface with a new Apple Events section which contains a link to a live stream of today’s iPad mini press conference. The move prompting somewhat unusual speculation that the company will only provide a live stream as a courtesy to Apple TV owners. We provided some workaround solution at the bottom of this post and now Apple has made it official: you will be able to enjoy the live stream on either your Apple TV or by opening a page on Apple’s web site using the Safari browser on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac or Windows PC… Read More

 

AT&T confirms Mobile Share plans, launching on August 23

By Christian Zibreg on Aug 6, 2012

U.S. carrier AT&T, the nation’s leading telco by subscribers, today shed more light on its upcoming shared data plans available to new and existing subscribers later this month. The new plans are designed to help folks share their cellular data across up to ten smartphones, tablets and other devices while enjoying unlimited voice minutes and text messages domestically. First hinted at in mid-July, the new plans will be officially put into effect on Thursday, August 23… Read More

 

iPad’s popularity pushes Apple to 19 percent share of global PC shipments

By Christian Zibreg on Aug 1, 2012

If you count iPads as PCs, as research firm Canalys does, Apple had the biggest single impact on growth rates in worldwide PC shipments during the second quarter of this year, surging to a cool 19 percent global market share. In fact, if it weren’t for Apple’s tablet, shipments of desktops, netbooks, notebooks and tablets would have probably experienced a decline rather than a solid twelve percent year-on-year growth.

Strong sales of the new iPad, which went on sale mid-March in the U.S. and nine additional countries, along with a $100 price decrease for the 16GB WiFi iPad 2, were cited as major growth drivers for the whole PC market… Read More

 

AT&T announces shared data plans, available in late August

By Christian Zibreg on Jul 18, 2012

The nation’s #2 carrier, AT&T Mobility, today announced shared data plans, in response to Verizon’s shared data option which became available June 28. And just like the Big Red carrier’s Share Everything plans, new plans from AT&T allow new and existing subscribers to share cellular data across smartphones, tablets and other devices, plus get unlimited talk and text.

According to a media release, current customers, including business users, won’t be required to switch to the new plans. Should they decide to switch, they can do so without a contract extension. More importantly, AT&T says there will be no changes to its device upgrade policy… Read More

 

Barnes & Noble launches Nook for Web, iPad support coming soon

By Christian Zibreg on Jul 17, 2012

Barnes & Noble today introduced Nook for Web, a cloud platform that strives to make e-reading easier by providing browser access to electronic books without needing a download, a Nook account or a Nook device for that matter. The overdue move follows in footsteps of Amazon which last August introduced Kindle Cloud Reader, a service that lets you access Kindle books instantly in a web browser (works great on iPad), no Kindle device required. UPDATE: the article is updated with a simple fix to run Nook for Web on your iPad… Read More

 

Cook at D10: Why I’m not big on marrying iPad with MacBook

By Christian Zibreg on May 30, 2012

One of the inevitable subjects technology columnists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher pressed Apple’s Cook on during yesterday’s D10: All Things Digital opening-night talk touches upon the post-PC world and the convergence dilemma. As you know, Cook’s predecessor Steve Jobs was a huge proponent of tablet computing.

Jobs used to passionately defend the tablet with all his heart and soul, insisting on the post-PC revolution spearheaded by the iPad. So, here’s Cook’s take on tablets displacing PCs, the iPad, the assumed convergence of tablets and PCs and more… Read More

 

Record iPad Sales Make Apple the World’s Largest PC Manufacturer

By Cody Lee on Jan 31, 2012

A week ago Apple announced record-breaking results for its latest quarter, selling more iPhones and iPads in the three month period than ever before. In fact, its iPhone sales made Apple the number one smartphone manufacturer in the world (by volume).

And apparently, the company’s tablet sales had a similar effect on its position in the computer industry. According to a report by The New York Times, the company that proclaimed the “post-PC” era — Apple — is now the biggest maker of PCs in the world… Read More

 

How to Push Links from iOS to Your Desktop

By Nick Prokesch on Oct 24, 2011

How many times have you realized you needed to continue your iPhone browsing session on your laptop or desktop PC? What about when you come across an app for your Mac that you want to download to your PC, not your iPhone?

Sure, there are plenty of options for downloading something to your iPhone or iPad, or even to Dropbox , but there is an unparalleled advantage to seamlessly transferring a link or webpage to your Mac. Whether you want to send a DMG, an installer package, a torrent, or a website that only supports Flash, your options are limited when you try to view them from an iOS app.

Luckily, there are several solutions that have sprung up over the past year. Pushing from a browser to an iPhone has been relatively simple for quite some time, but one-tap solutions to go from iOS to Mac are finally available. Read on for our list of creative services that offer you just that… Read More

 

The iPhone is Not the Underdog

By Alex Heath on Jun 24, 2011

In our second installment of the, “What are they putting in the water at PCMag?” series, we take a look at an article titled, “Is the iPhone Now the Underdog?” by PCMag’s Editor-in-Chief, Lance Ulanoff.

Sebastien grilled Mr. Ulanoff over his last article on the proposition of Apple selling unlocked iPhones in the United States. This time, we’re going to take a look at Mr. PCMag’s idea that Apple needs to make “drastic improvements” to the iPhone to “maintain market share and mindshare.” Read More

 

OTA Updates and Backups in iOS 5, No PC Required

By Alex Heath on Jun 6, 2011

Apple just dropped a bombshell. As the rumors correctly predicted, Apple will be bringing over-the-air iOS updates. And instead of having to plug your device into iTunes on a PC to initially register, you will be able to active an iDevice from the device itself- out of box.

OTA firmware updates and backups will be introduced in iOS 5, and you can now say that you’ve officially “cut the cord.” Read More

 

The Best of AirPlay: Getting the Most From Streaming

By Nick Prokesch on Jan 20, 2011

It seems that AirPlay, Apple’s revamped AirTunes technology, has been catching on and rapidly expanding in the last few months that iOS 4.2.1 has been around. There are now many ways to stream media to and from devices, with functionality mimicking that of the Apple TV (and beyond).

With new solutions emerging on both the desktop and the iPhone, modern technology and innovative development have taken the legwork out of streaming and sharing. Here are the best ways to take advantage of this amazing technology and choose where YOU want to see your content… Read More

 

Omnio Reveals the “WOWKey” Keyboard With iPhone Integration

By Alex Heath on Nov 9, 2010

Does an iPhone-integrated keyboard for your Mac or PC sound interesting? The Korean tech company, Omnio, thinks so.

The WOWKey device is a desktop keyboard that boasts iPhone integration through a built-in dock. This “made for iPhone” keyboard is the first of its kind, offering extensive integration with iOS. This inventive gadget opens up a world of possibilities…

Read More

 

Napster App Comes to the iPhone

By Guest Author on Sep 20, 2010

I remember it to be about 10 years ago when a few buddies and I used to be huddled over a PC with Napster open. Wasting hours for low quality pirated music never felt so cool.

9 to 5 Mac reports that  you can recapture some of the nostalgic vibe above by adding the Napster application to your iPhone. Once held as the top source for downloading music, Napster has watched its importance come and go since 1999 and is now gracing the virtual shelves of the App Store… Read More

 

How to Transfer Music From iPhone to Computer

By Sebastien Page on Oct 22, 2009

Lately, I have been working on getting my iPhone ready for our long trip beginning in about a week. I started a few weeks ago by moving my contacts and calendars to the cloud with Google Sync. The next step was to move some of my music from my computer to my netbook.

I could just sync my iPhone before leaving and load it up with music but if something wrong happened (ie if I had to restore), I would lose all my music, which is why I think it is wise to move the music I want to my netbook.

There are many iPhone to PC softwares out there. My favorite is Lenogo (for Mac and PC). I use it on my everyday computer to copy music from iPhone to computer. Tansee is another solution but I like the UI of Lenogo better.

All these softwares cost money though and I didn’t want to have to buy another license for my netbook so I had to go the good old way about transferring my music to my computer. Read More

 

How to Jailbreak iPhone 3GS 3.1 on Windows Tutorial

By Sebastien Page on Oct 3, 2009

This step-by-step guide and tutorial will show you how to jailbreak firmware 3.1 for iPhone 3GS using a Windows PC. If you have a Mac, you might as well follow this tutorial.

This guide is just a workaround as there is no official iPhone 3GS 3.1 jailbreak tool for Windows yet. We are going to get a custom firmware cooked on a Mac machine and install it on your iPhone 3GS on a PC. This is a safe and simple way to update your iPhone 3GS to a custom jailbroken 3.1 firmware. Read More