Month: April 2011

Toys R' Us to Begin Selling the iPad 2 Next Month?

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

The iPad 2 has been quite the success story. The device that had to live up to the name "magical," continues to do so with analysts predicting iPad 2 sales beyond 40 million units.

It appears like Apple is looking to meet the high expectations by making the device available almost anywhere. The iPad 2 has been sold in several retail chains so far, such as Target and Walmart. It even turned up at RadioShack late last month.

Now Apple could be looking to target a younger demographic by offering the iPad 2 at Toys R' Us retail stores across the country. ModMyi is reporting that they received a tip a few days ago from a Toys R' Us employee that the chain had been training its entire staff on the device.

The employee even sent the blog a picture (see below) of the iPad 2 training material as proof. The move would certainly be a logical one on Apple's part. Toys R' Us already sells iPod products, this would be a way for Apple to market their tablet to a different audience.

As the iPad 2 story continues, we will keep you updated on the latest place to buy the popular tablet, as we all await a jailbreak solution.

Have you snagged your iPad 2 yet?

Start Up Looking to Change the Way the iPhone 4 Shoots Video

Cody Lee ∙ Updated August 10, 2017

If you've been looking for a way to shoot 360-degree videos with your iPhone 4, get out your checkbook. The start up company EyeSee360 has a working prototype of a lens that will fulfill all of your multidirectional photography needs.

The company isn't just hoping to change the way we shoot videos on the iPhone, they want to change the way we interact with videos completely. EyeSee360 has decades of research in robotic vision and image rendering under the hood of their GoPano micro concept. Their lens not only lets you capture 360-degree videos, you can manually pan around the video during playback...

More iPhone 5 Rumblings From the Wall Street Journal

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 8, 2011

Surprise! The Wall Street Journal posted some more gossip about the iPhone 5 this morning, and I think it's safe to say that at this point, no one really knows when the iPhone 5 is going to launch.

Will it be June? Will it be September? Anyone's guess is as good as mine, but be rest assured that Apple has a plan in place at this point in the game

In fact, one analyst quoted in today's Wall Street Journal tidbit seemed to reiterate the fact that no one really knows. Due to a variety of factors, including the recent launch of the Verizon iPhone 4, Apple is holding its cards tightly this go round...

Clorox Employees Prefer the iPhone By a Wide Margin

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 8, 2011

If this isn't telling about the state of the smart phone industry, I don't know what is. It's particularly bad news for the folks at RIM -- the company behind the BlackBerry brand.

Sensing that his employees were unsatisfied with their company issued BlackBerry smartphones, Clorox CIO Ralph Loura decided to give his employees a choice.

They could choose between three different smartphone brands: the iPhone, Android, or Windows Phone 7.

Guess which platform the smart folks at Clorox selected en-masse?

‘MT Gestures’ is an Easy Way to Add Multi-Touch Gestures to iPhones Running iOS 4.3.1

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 8, 2011

Well perhaps I should have restated that. MT Gestures will (hopefully soon) be an easy way to add multi-touch gestures to your iPhone 4 running iOS 4.3.1. That's because the developer, although they tout iPhone 4 compatibility within Cydia alongside the iPod touch G4, has admitted that the iPhone 4 compatibility isn't exactly working yet.

I can attest to this assertion, it isn't working yet. But I will say that it has plenty of promise for those of you who shy away from manually editing .plist files in order to enable multi-touch gestures on your iPhone 4.

What is working, however, is the new iPad-esque mute switch assignment options in the Settings.app. That's a pretty decent consolation prize while we wait for the developer to iron the bugs out for iPhone compatibility...

iOS Expected to Trail 30% Behind Android by Next Year

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 13, 2019

We reported a few days ago on IDC's claims that Windows Mobile OS market share would one day overtake iOS. Now Gartner, a world leader in information technology research, is making similar predictions. But they've got Google's Android OS on top by a long shot.

The numbers are quite staggering. The firm predicts that in 2011, smartphone sales will reach 468 million units worldwide. That would be about a 50% increase from the 300 million units that analysts believe shipped last year. Why is Gartner predicting Apple's smartphone will only snag 19% of that market?

Time Warner iPad App Controversy

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

The app has already been out for a few weeks, but Time Warner's iPad software is still making headlines. Although at first it offered most of the content available to their TV customers, they have recently been forced to pull several channels due to complaints.

Broadcasters Viacom and News Corp. have led the charge against Time Warner's new streaming application, Viacom even has a pending lawsuit with TWC, seeking damages.

"Viacom has made clear that it is willing to discuss extension of similar rights to others - including TWC. What Viacom cannot do, however, is permit one of its contracting partners, TWC, to unilaterally change the terms of its contractual relationship."

Viacom intends to block Time Warner Cable from distributing its content on new devices, from tablets to Smart TV apps, until additional payments have been negotiated. Time Warner Cable recently posted on their blog regarding their disagreement.

They claim that the networks are simply imposing new "artificial limits" on the screens its subscribers use. Apple Insider quotes the TWC blog as saying:

"Instead of rowing down the river of history and into the future, Viacom, FOX, and Discovery have chose to sit on the bank and kick rocks."

But TWC seems to have brushed off the quarrel. Shortly after removing programming, they added new channels including ABC, Disney, and A&E.

Time Warner Cable's free app has seen over 300,000 downloads since it was introduced in late March. It allows TWC subscribers to watch TV inside their homes and requires Wi-Fi.

It seems like the iPad would just be considered another TV in a household. If the app only works in subscriber's households, why are networks like Discovery and Fox so upset about it?

What do you think?

‘AlertArtist’ Lets Digital Picassos Spruce Up Their iPhone Notifications

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 5, 2011

I've never been a big themer; in fact, even though it's jailbroken I take pride in the fact that my iPhone looks pretty much stock most of the time.

Besides a few obvious omissions from my iPhone's Home screen, I try to keep it as clean as I possibly can.

With that in mind, it's no surprise that I'm not really big into WinterBoard, and other apps that allow you to customize the look of your iPhone.

There's a new exception to that rule, though. A new jailbreak app by the name of AlertArtist piqued my interest, and I've been hooked ever since...

Atari’s Greatest Hits Arrive in the App Store

Guest Author ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

If you're a hardcore gamer that's into retro gaming, then we've got some good news for you. Atari has released Atari's Greatest Hits, a universal app that brings 100 Atari games, along with the original cabinet and box art, reformatted for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.

The app includes 18 classic arcade games and 92 Atari 2600 games available as in-app purchases. Best of all, the app comes pre-installed with the classic Pong game!

iCade Turns Your iPad Into a Mini Arcade Machine

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 12, 2019

Most of us remember going to the arcade as kids. But gaming has changed a lot since those old coin operated machines. Now most of our video games can fit in our hands and pockets.

If you've been longing for a way to relive the good old days, iCade might be just what you are looking for. What started out as an April Fools day joke last year has become a must have accessory for any iPad-toting arcade fan.

ThinkGeek is well known for their offerings of goofy gadgets. Their products range from wrist chargers to light sabers, and everything in between. They could be on to something though with one of their latest inventions, the iCade.

Essentially the product looks like a mini arcade system. It contains a joystick and 8 buttons, as well as a place for your iPad to sit vertically. iCade pairs with your iPad via bluetooth and allows you to play games via the arcade controls.

The product is currently listed as shipping in early June for $99.99. The iCade will initially only be able to work with select games inside the Atari iPad app, but the code will be available to developers for future implementation. Check out the video below to see the iCade in action at CES earlier this year.

What do you think of the iCade?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VShbi-hSjhQ

Apple Patent Hints at Possible Hybrid Electronic Paper Display in iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 2, 2018

Patents are extremely interesting. They tend to show what a company's capable of. We generally don't get to see this in consumer products, as they are derived from marketing research and cost effectiveness calculations. But it would certainly be interesting to see all of the crazy ideas that get flung around Cupertino's campus and never hit retail stores.

Luckily, Apple's patent filings give us a glimpse of what they've been working on. Their latest filing, uncovered by Patently Apple, describes a display that can switch between high resolution color and electronic paper for reading books. This would certainly entice iDevice hold-outs that just couldn't ditch their e-reader's ink print...

Google Search Term “Tilt” Actually Tilts iPhone Search Results

Guest Author ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Google has been known for quite a few pranks (no, Android is not one), and their latest joke took nearly five days to uncover.

When you use your mobile device to search Google for the term "tilt" or "askew," as pictured above, the search will return with the results tilted ever so slightly to the right. The trick works on both iOS and Android devices.