Year: 2012

Getting more out of Google Chrome

Now that Google Chrome has been out for a while on iOS, it's a good time to sit back and reevaluate its value. Should you ditch Safari for Chrome? Is Chrome good for jailbreakers? How do you get more out of Chrome?

Inside we'll take a look at various ways that you can make your Google Chrome experience more rewarding. Even if you're not a jailbreaker there are plenty of ways you can still benefit...

Drop test: iPad vs. Nexus 7

Google unveiled the Nexus 7 last month to much fanfare. And although its price and screen size don't really line up with the latest iPad, many reviewers are still using Apple's tablet as a point of reference.

You've probably already seen all of the speed and performance comparisons between the two slates, but what about durability? That's right it's drop test time. Nexus 7 versus the iPad, round one, fight!

Banners Plus: another growl inspired notification tweak for the iPad

Yesterday we brought you a preview of NotiPad, an upcoming jailbreak tweak that enables Growl inspired notifications on the iPad. Although NotiPad looks promising, it wasn't without a few quirks in my testing, and it will also cost $1.00.

Another developer, undoubtedly inspired by what he saw, has created a new tweak that mimics many of the functions present in NotiPad, and he will be releasing his tweak for free. He's calling his tweak Banners+, and we've taken it for a spin on video...

How to add a traditional refresh button to Google Chrome

The way Google Chrome for iOS handles its refresh/stop functionality is a bit unorthodox. You have to first open a menu, and then tap the refresh or stop button to perform the action.

While it may seem like a small deal, I've found that this extra step is a bit frustrating in real world usage. Thankfully, as you may have guessed, the jailbreak community has responded with an answer.

EasyRefresh for Chrome is that answer — it's a jailbreak tweak that adds a traditional refresh button to Google Chrome for iOS...

Apple rolls out Movies in The Cloud to more than 30 new countries

Apple sure has been busy today. Hot on the heels of this morning's iTunes Match expansion, it appears that the company has added movies to its iTunes in the Cloud feature for users in 30+ new countries.

Folks from the UK, Ireland, Brazil and other areas are reporting that they are now able to stream previously-purchased films to their iOS devices, using iCloud. Keep reading to see if your country made the list...

This iPhone app promises to help you detect skin cancer

Sometimes it seems like the list of things our iPhones can do is endless. Third-party apps turn our devices into heart monitors, sleep machines, scanners and more.

Apparently, there's even an app that can help you detect cancer. UMSkinCheck for iPhone promises to help you easily detect skin cancer without the need of a trained professional...

First screenshots of Firefox OS arrive

Mozilla's Firefox OS may be driven by HTML5 but it sure looks a lot like an unusual cross between iOS and Android. It's already got strong support from carriers and now the first screenshots depicting the user interface and various system apps have surfaced.

The interface looks distinct enough to stand on its own, even though Mozilla clearly borrowed some of the best design practices from iOS and Android...

The Dark Knight Rises game lands on App Store

The Dark Knight Rises, the third installment in Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to the 2005 Batman Begins and 2008 The Dark Knight, has hit the silver screen with a 87 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, a testament to film director Christopher Nolan's skills. The movie's box office success is bound to help Gameloft's officially licensed title sell well.

If you've been tingling with anticipation, you'll be delighted to know that The Dark Knight Rises the game has just landed on the App Store and can be downloaded now for your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad...

Apple’s former retail boss Ron Johnson knew Apple had a great future back in 2000

Ron Johnson just can't escape his past as Apple's widely successful head of retail. He left Apple last November to join the struggling retailer J.C. Penney and apply some Apple magic to its mid-range department stores. Johnson was interviewed by Fortune's Jennifer Reingold and of course the inevitable questions of his work at Apple popped up, among the many other topics of conversations. Here's what came out of him...

Verizon’s finance chief says the next iPhone could drop in the fourth quarter

Verizon's finance chief Fran Shammo dropped a hint concerning the next iPhone's availability during today's earnings call. Discussing the company's second-quarter results that saw Verizon activate 2.7 million iPhones for a 45 share of all smartphones sold on their network, Shammo hinted that the iPhone 5 (or whatever you prefer to call it) will arrive during the fourth quarter of this year.

The comment puts to rest rumors that the next iPhone could land in September. Conveniently enough, the latest iOS 6 beta 3 is set to expire on September 30. Conversely, Shammo's comment is also in line with Apple's annual refresh cycle. As the iPhone 4S launched on October 4, 2011, an updated model shouldn't arrive before October of this year at the earliest...

iTunes Match rolls out in Hungary, Poland and other markets

iTunes Match, Apple's scan-and-match music service (also doubling as a streaming service of sorts), is being rolled out in Hungary, Poland and several other markets, it's been revealed today. This is in addition to an expansion in late April that saw iTunes Match roll out in Greece, Portugal, Austria, Slovenia, Bulgaria and other markets...

Verizon activates 2.7M iPhones, Q2 share drops to 45% of smartphones

iPhone 4s

Verizon Wireless today announced results for the June quarter. The company activated 2.7 million iPhones, representing 45 percent of the carrier's total smartphone sales that hit 5.9 million units during the quarter. This is down from the 4 .3 million iPhones and a 55 percent share in the holiday quarter and a 50 percent share in the first quarter, when the company activated 3.2 million iPhones. For comparison, Verizon activated 2.4 million iPhones in the year-ago quarter. Blame the decline on iPhone seasonality and those pesky iPhone 5 rumors...