Year: 2012

Studios see Amazon as Netflix alternative

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Amazon, hot off of Thursday's Kindle Fire HD announcement, is downplaying a report the Internet retailer is being courted by some studios to take on Netflix. Studios would love Amazon to spin-off the video-streaming portion of Amazon Prime, according to one report.

"Some content owners I've talked to say they like the idea so much that they'll compel Jeff Bezos to do it whether he wants to or not," reports All Things Digital's Peter Kafka. However, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is playing hard-to-get...

New iPods: 8 colors, new touches and tweaked nanos

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 1, 2017

With fall just around the corner, Apple is expected to refresh its entire iPod lineup, per tradition. Of course, we've yet to see whether the company choose to announce new models at next week's event related to the next iPhone or during a rumored October unveiling of mini iPad or perhaps at a separate media event.

Now, a new report out this morning offers a bunch of interesting tidbits regarding the direction the venerable iPod brand may be taking in 2012. The crux of the story includes a tweaked iPod shuffle, new iPod nano, and new iPod touches and here are the details...

Fox says new iMacs are “imminent”, but will they go Retina?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

The iMac, Apple's ultimate all-in-one desktop, could be refreshed alongside the next iPhone five days from today, or perhaps in October alongside a rumored smaller iPad or maybe even later - but quite possibly by Christmas the latest.

Regardless of a launch date, new iMacs are said to be "imminent", if you believe Fox News reporter Clayton Morris who issued a report based on unnamed sources that signified Apple's next-generation iMac lineup is ready to go. Be that as it may, I'm wondering whether Apple plans to throw in an all-new Retina iMac model to make things a tad more interesting...

Wall Street: Amazon’s new Kindle Fire unlikely to hurt iPad Sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Should Apple be nervous following Amazon introducing the Kindle Fire HD Thursday? No, says Wall Street. However, Google and Microsoft could be sweating bullets, analysts are telling investors Friday.

"Apple still rules the tablet world," writes Brian White of Topeka Capital Markets. Indeed, the expected release of a 7.85-inch 'iPad mini' will expand the the company's customer base, "potentially even surpassing sales of the regular-sized iPad." In short, Apple investors should relax...

DisplaySearch: Apple re-engineering the iPad’s Retina Display around thinner IGZO tech

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Apple's "resolutionary" iPad 3 brings with it the company's best Retina Display yet, featuring an astounding resolution of 2,048-by-1,536 pixels. Because so many pixels are crammed up on the same 9.7-inch canvas, much stronger backlight is required in order to push the light through the pixels, taxing the battery and adding up to the device's overall thickness.

A new report cites a prominent display expert who claims that Cupertino is working on an improved Retina tech for an updated third-generation iPad. The new display is thought to be thinner and consume less power, allowing for a new iPad stock-keeping unit (SKU) with a slightly better battery life and lower heat dissipation...

FedEx expecting Surge Volume event coinciding with the iPhone 5 launch weekend

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 7, 2012

Apple yesterday started dressing up the Yerba Buena Center building with banners for the next week’s iPhone 5 presser. If you believe Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster, the event will mark the biggest consumer electronics launch of the year as the analyst on multiple occasions likened the launch of Apple's next iPhone to "the mother of all upgrades".

Adding up to the excitement, the global logistics services company FedEx issued a note to employees to brace themselves for a "surge volume" event during the period of September 21-24. The three-day period coincides with the expected launch weekend for the iPhone 5...

Smart App Banners spotted at the online Apple Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

iOS 6 comes with a handful of nice little Safari tweaks that one discovers and learns to appreciate over time. Among them, so-called Smart App Banners that let web sites display an interactive banner at the top of Safari to promote their associated App Store apps.

The new feature does require some work on part of web developers who will need to add code to tap the app launching UI and functionality portion of Smart App Banners.

Conveniently enough, with just five days until the iPhone 5 unveiling next Wednesday, Apple has turned on Smart App Banners on its online store...

Apple said to be reducing iPhone 5 part orders from Samsung

Cody Lee ∙ September 7, 2012

Given the ongoing legal battle between Apple and Samsung, it wouldn't surprise anyone if Apple started reducing its dependency on Samsung components. The S. Korean company makes a number of parts that go into products like the iPhone and iPad.

Well according to a new report, that's exactly what is happening. Apple has been seen significantly reducing its next-gen iPhone part orders from Samsung. Oddly enough, however, it's said that this move has nothing to do with the patent disputes...

Apple starts readying Yerba Buena Center for next week’s event

Cody Lee ∙ September 7, 2012

Earlier this week, Apple sent out media invitations to an event to be held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco on September 12. It's widely expected to unveil a new iPhone.

We're now just 5 days away from the gig, and, like clockwork, Apple has started to prep the venue. You can see several cherrypicker machines out front, and Apple's unmistakable logo in the window...

Report: Malware targeting Russian smartphones 40 times more than US

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated February 22, 2018

All smartphones are not created equal -- at least in the eyes of malware authors. A smartphone in Russia is 40 times as likely to be infected by malware than the same iPhone or Android handset in the U.S., according to security researchers.

Product manager Derek Halliday of mobile security expert Lookout tells All Things Digital the 40-to-1 difference represents "a pretty massive gulf."

WSJ: Apple working on Pandora-like music streaming service [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ September 6, 2012

As next week's iPhone event draws nearer, and rumors of an October gig continue to swirl, the tech world is scrambling to figure out what Apple will announce. We know new hardware is on the menu, but what about software?

Obviously iOS 6 is about to launch, and we continue to hear talk of an iTunes refresh. But according to a new report, Apple has something else up its sleeve: a custom-radio service, similar to Pandora, that will stream music...

Judge approves publisher settlement offers in Apple e-book suit

Cody Lee ∙ September 6, 2012

Earlier this year, the US Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Apple and 5 major publishers for allegedly conspiring to fix e-book prices. The trial is set for June of next year.

Apple maintains that the lawsuit is ridiculous, and vows to fight the allegations. But not everyone is so sure. A federal judge just approved settlements from three of the publishers...