Year: 2012

Bird’s-eye view of Oregon’s upcoming iCloud

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 12, 2017

After taking up to the skies early-August to grab high-quality aerial photos of Apple’s 100-acre solar farm and a mysterious tactical data center - both located in Maiden, North Carolina - Wired now has dispatched its "iSpy Plane" in order to take a closer look at Apple's enormous data center site in the middle of Oregonian high desert. The facility is located right in the neighborhood of another insanely massive data center run by the social networking giant Facebook.

In fact, Facebook already operates twin data centers in the area whereas Apple less than two months ago started construction on the first of two 338,000 square-foot buildings planned for the site. Though construction just got started, a mysterious "tactical data center" is already up and running...

Apple slips to sixth place in China smartphone market

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 7, 2012

Apple's standing in the growing China smartphone market has taken another hit, slipping to #6 during the third quarter, research firm IDC announced Thursday. The drop comes as the iPhone maker faces concerns its iPhone could lose ground to other smartphone makers, such as Samsung and Nokia, whose handsets cover a wider range of price points. Apple share of smartphones shipped to China fell below ten percent during the quarter, a drop which coincides with Chinese smartphone shipments topping 60 million handsets, a new high...

Transloader: download files remotely to your Mac via iOS

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 14, 2018

Transloader is a new Mac app available on the Mac App Store, which allows you to remotely download files to your Mac via an iOS app. The two apps speak to each other via iCloud, with the iOS app acting as a means to forward a download URL for the listening client running on the Mac.

If you're like me and always on the go, Transloader is a great way to save time by downloading files while away from the home or office. Take a look at our video walkthrough inside for a glance into how it works.

USPTO preliminary invalidates key Steve Jobs iPhone patent

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2012

The ultimate smartphone patent which covers the intricacies of the iPhone's touch screen heuristics has been preliminary invalidated by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), reveals the FOSS Patents blog which covers intellectual property and litigation in the technology industry.

That's bad news as USPTO in October also invalidated the famous rubber banding patent, Apple's other prized iPhone invention. Now, all is not lost because many patent claims that are rejected at the early stage do ultimately survive, though the prospect of loosing the iconic multitouch patent is without any doubt a major concern for Apple, even with plenty of other multitouch-related patents the company now holds...

Baldur’s Gate: Enhanced Edition launches on iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86NLGVQ6Iaw

I'd spent countless hours playing BioWare's Baldur's Gate back when I was a little younger so it goes without saying I'm pretty excited about a re-worked, enhanced edition landing on my favorite tablet. Developer Beamdog did a nice job updating the classic role-playing game with a bunch of new characters, weapons, adventures and maps. Even more content is available via the in-app purchase method.

The game includes the original Baldur’s Gate and the Tales From the Sword Coast expansion pack, in addition to new content like a monk character named Rasaad yn Bashir, a new adventure called The Black Pits and more. Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition can be purchased immediately from the App Store provided you're willing to plunk down ten bucks...

Apple ‘more in tune’ with TVs than set-top box biz

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 7, 2012

Wall Street investors are among those intensely interested in Apple CEO Tim Cook's remark that the iPad maker has "intense interest" in doing something about television. One observer believes Apple wants its logo on the king of the hill, top of the heap when it comes to consumer electronics: the television set. The company has never been one to work around the edges of an industry.

That's why a Wells Fargo Securities analyst expects Apple to forgo a predicted set-top box and instead go for a full-blown Apple TV, calling it the "centerpiece of the living room"...

The iPhone 5 hits Samsung’s home turf

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2012

As promised, Apple on Friday rolled the iPhone 5 out in Samsung's home turf of South Korea, home to population of 50 million people. Today's launch will be augmented by the global roll-out to an additional 50 countries later in the month as Apple works on fulfilling its self-imposed schedule of having the device available in a hundred countries and across 240 carriers by year's end.

The Cupertino firm appears to have caught up with demand as the online Apple Store now quotes 2-4 business days for online deliveries. The previous two-per-customer limitation has also been lifted so people can now order as much iPhones as they wish...

Apple’s return to US could be led by Foxconn

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 7, 2012

Remember when foreign auto makers such as Honda opened manufacturing plants in the United States? The same likely will be true for Apple in 2013 when the Cupertino, California-based iPhone maker relies on its Chinese manufacturing partner to hire U.S. workers to build gadgets - then increasingly exported to other nations. I'll pause while you try to follow that convoluted logic.

When Apple CEO Tim Cook recently told interviewers his company intends to spend $100 million in 2013 to produce a line of Macs in the U.S., unsaid was the fact he'll likely have to rely on its Taiwan-based go-to manufacturer, Foxconn, one analyst notes Friday morning...

Final Fantasy IV hitting iOS on December 20

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2012

Square Enix announced it will be bringing Final Fantasy IV to both iOS and Android. Apple's platform will enjoy a preferential treatment with the Final Fantasy IV release on Thursday, December 20, just days before Christmas. As for the Android build, it's gonna arrive some time in 2013. Final Fantasy IV is a remake of the 2008 Nintendo DS game, with visual improvements and a few nice mini-games, among other perks, which should be enough to keep fans of the franchise glued to their devices...

Best Buy offering a $25 gift card with iPhone 5 purchase

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Best Buy, a specialty retailer of consumer electronics, has just sweetened the iPhone 5 deal by throwing in a $25 Gift Card with every purchase. You can select any iPhone 5 model with a two-year activation on Verizon Wireless, Sprint or AT&T to receive your $25 credit. And should you choose in-store pickup, your gift card will be provided in store when the phone is activated. For online orders, Best Buy will send an electronic gift card within 3–5 days of the phone ship date...

Judge calls for ‘global peace’ between Apple and Samsung

Ed Sutherland ∙ December 7, 2012

Call it a Rodney King moment, or a holiday Hail Mary, but one California judge is asking long-time judicial combatants Apple and Samsung to play nice. Apparently, the idea went over like last year's fruitcake. Judge Lucy Koh Thursday made the plea as the two rivals met for an appeal hearing where the South Korean smartphone maker objected to its $1.05 billion patent-infringement fine and Apple argued the penalty should be increased...

No new 27-inch iMac for you this Christmas

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 7, 2012

So, you've been a good boy and are now keeping your fingers crossed that Santa will deliver your brand spanking new 27-inch iMac in time for Christmas? Not so fast. According to the online Apple store, deliveries of Apple's top-of-the-line iMac model have just been pushed back to as far as January of next year. So, you're looking at a minimum three-week delay, likely even more.

It's not clear whether Apple is facing production difficulties such as low yields or perhaps it underestimated demand for the all-in-one computer, but clearly there will be no 27-incher for you this Christmas. Of course, you could be better served visiting one of Apple's brick-and-mortar stores or retail outlets of Apple's authorized distributors who may have a few 27-icnhers in stock...