Month: July 2011

7-Day App Return Policy Gets Official in Taiwan, Apple’s TOS Updated

Cody Lee ∙ July 16, 2011

The App Store's lack of a trial process or refund policy has been one of the few downfalls of an otherwise successful venture. Though some 3rd party developers offer refunds under special circumstances, it's not a bet you'd ever be willing to make.

But if you recall last month, there were reports going around that Apple was making a change to its App Store policy. Word on the street was that the Cupertino company was going to implement a 7-day app return policy for the folks in Taiwan to comply with a government mandate...

Dumb Burglar Leaves iPhone at Crime Scene, Inevitably Gets Caught by Police

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Here's a little lesson to all the would-be criminals out there: If you are going to break into your ex-girlfriend's house, don't leave your iPhone behind as evidence. While most of us consider that common sense, that doesn't seem to be the case with Mr. Jason Scott Davis.

The 34-year-old Northern Californian is in custody as the prime suspect of a late-May home invasion. Authorities arrested Davis after discovering his iPhone in his girlfriend's bathtub the night of the robbery...

Should Apple Fear Android’s Growth?

Guest Author ∙ July 16, 2011

In the last quarter, Google activated more than 50 million new Android devices, with a growing rate of 57%. In comparison, Apple is expected to announce the sale of only 29 million iPhones during the same period, with a disappointing 2% growth rate. Without any intention of being unfair to Google, if the iPhone 5 had launched in June, Apple's growth would have been more impressive.

Sales figures speak for themselves. Each day, more than 500,000 new phones running the Android OS are activated. Google's strength lies in the fact that their OS is available on different devices and carriers, providing the consumer a wider selection to choose from...

App Store Download Numbers Now Larger Than Music Store

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 15, 2011

With Apple announcing that its App Store had reached the impressive 15 billion downloads mark, research company Asymco has crunched the numbers and, as it turns out, the App Store has now surpassed the iTunes music store in download rankings.

This conclusion comes after a bit of detective work based off Apple's announcement a month ago that it had served 15 billion songs. Asymco believes app sales have now overtaken song sales- an impressive feat...

The AppBlaster: Taking iPhone Gaming Accessories to the Next Level

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 18, 2018

Though we've seen quite a few gaming accessories hit the iOS scene, we've never come across anything like this. The appBlaster has to be one of the most innovative gaming add-ons that's ever made it to market.

Although it may look like a souped-up Duck Hunt Zapper, the appBlaster utilizes cutting-edge technology. The accessory uses the iPhone's camera and accelerometer to create an immersive first-person shooter. And the result, I must say, is awesome...

Check Out This Awesome Guitar Video Taken With the iPhone 4

Guest Author ∙ July 15, 2011

We're all quite aware of how amazing our iPhones are, but they still continue to surprise us every now and again. One guitarist has posted a mesmerising video on YouTube in which he demonstrates how the iPhone 4 captures guitar strings as they are strummed.

The video isn't a true representation of the way in which guitar strings actually oscillate; instead, it's a fascinating example of how the effects that can sometimes be achieved with the iPhone 4's rolling shutter...

Amazon Planning Tablet Computer to Battle the iPad

Alex Heath ∙ July 15, 2011

Amazon is preparing its own consumer tablet for an October release, according to The Wall Street Journal. Reportedly, the online mega-merchant is going to introduce a 9-inch, Android-based tablet to go head to head with Apple's iPad.

With different Android tablets hitting the shelves left and right, it's interesting to see a company like Amazon enter the mix. Will Amazon's tablet be the iPad killer?

Apple Releases iOS 4.3.4 with Fix for JailbreakMe Exploit

Alex Heath ∙ July 15, 2011

Apple has released iOS 4.3.4 for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. This update is now available in iTunes and has been released to fix the PDF exploit uncovered and distributed by Comex in the latest addition of JailbreakMe.

iOS 4.3.4 can be applied to your iDevice by updating your software in iTunes.

‘CustomGrid’ Brings More Rows and Columns Than Your SpringBoard Can Handle

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Looking for an interesting way to customize your iPhone's springboard? CustomGrid is the latest such jailbreak tweak that allows you to do just that.

As its name alludes to, CustomGrid allows you to customize the SpringBoard's grid on your iPhone's Home screen.

The stock SpringBoard grid is very simple and easy on the eyes at 4x4, not including the dock app icons. With CustomGrid, you can get downright ridiculous with a 12x12 grid if you're feeling particularly froggy. Full video details on the app icon madness inside...

Add Custom Boot Sounds to Your iPhone With ‘iStartupSound’

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated December 17, 2017

Let's face it, the iPhone's lack of boot jingles is a bit on the boring side. Every phone that I can ever remember has had some sort of nifty boot jingle, but the iPhone? Nada.

That's about to change with the advent of the upcoming iStartupSound, which will be a free jailbreak tweak available soon on the ModMyi Repo.

Want to hear it in action? Check inside for the audible goodness...

Money Reader App Counts Your Money for You

Cody Lee ∙ Updated November 13, 2019

Some of the things the iPhone can do never cease to amaze me. Thanks to Apple's strong developer community, it seems like folks are always coming up with new ways to use the device.

One of the more recent innovations we've seen involving Apple's popular smartphone is a new application that actually counts your money for you. While we've seen object recognition software in the past, we've never seen it used like this...

AOL Launches PLAY Music App for the iPhone

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 19, 2018

AOL, the very company that owns popular tech sites like Engadget and TUAW, has launched a new music app for the iPhone, called "PLAY." This app is described as, "an application that lets you share musical moments with friends," and it can best be seen as AOL's attempt at Apple's own social network, "Ping."

With other services, like Spotify, offering paid music streaming in the US, PLAY offers a free catalog of popular music for playback at any time on the iPhone.