Year: 2012

Rumor: Walt Disney World testing iPads with RFID-based Fast Pass ticket system

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 11, 2017

Walt Disney World, the world's most-visited entertainment resort located in Orlando, Florida, is allegedly testing iPads with a custom-designed, RFID-enabled ticket system.

The two work together to let guests schedule their visiting times from the comfort of their couch, well in advance of the actual visit.

Upon arrival, guests simply wand their RFID band by a sensor to interact with a nearby iPad-toting employee. The iPad itself is not used to scan the cards, as many sites incorrectly reported. If all goes well, a custom app will be likely born out of this test project...

91% of tech moms want an iPad for Mother’s Day instead of flowers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 31, 2016

Still trying to figure out what to get your mom for Mother's Day? Well you could always opt for the traditional bouquet of flowers. But a recent survey shows that it's not blossoms moms are after — it's iPads.

Techbargains, a bargain-hunting site that points users to the best deals on consumer electronics, recently polled a number of female users on what they'd most like to receive for the upcoming holiday...

Steve Jobs channels Franklin Delano Roosevelt in ‘1994’ sales video

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2012

From the depths of the Interwebs comes this little gem with young Steve Jobs playing Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The amusing and charming scene is actually part of a never-before-seen morale-boosting internal film entitled '1994', in a nod at the iconic television commercial that launched the Macintosh craze 28 years ago.

It depicts a World War II tale of good (Apple) vs. evil (IBM) and cost about $50,000 to make which, back in 1994, was a lot of money for a company video. Apple produced this footage to rally up troops at their international sales force meet up in Hawaii...

Opinion: why Apple forced Target to boot Kindle over “conflict of interest”

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

As you probably know by now, this morning's big news has Target dropping Kindle hardware from their retail stores. The story has been officially confirmed by a spokesperson for the nation's second-largest discount retailer, after Walmart. The resulting finger-pointing, largely centered around Apple and its iPad, is based on an unnamed source mentioning a "conflict of interest" as Apple apparently put the arm on Target...

Shipping times for the new iPad drop to 3-5 days

Cody Lee ∙ May 2, 2012

During Apple's most recent earnings call, Tim Cook cited constrained supplies for the new iPad as a reason its tablet sales were a little off. But that doesn't seem to be the case any more, as availability continues to improve.

Just two weeks after we saw iPad shipping estimates drop to 5-7 business days, shipping times have once again decreased. It looks like folks wanting to order a new iPad online will now only have to wait a measly 3-5 days...

Kanex outs AirPlay mirroring adapter for legacy projectors lacking HDMI ports

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 27, 2016

AirPlay, a wireless content streaming technology from Apple, has become indispensable in my daily computing. Whenever I feel like watching movies, enjoying my photos, listening to some music and even playing certain games, I usually AirPlay whatever is currently displayed on my iPhone 4S or iPad 3 to my plasma TV, through the Apple TV.

But what about presenting in conference rooms equipped with old-school VGA projectors lacking HDMI port? Apple makes the $29 VGA adapter, but who wants to walk around the room holding an iPad hooked up to a projector via the cable?

Enter ATV Pro Adapter, a nice little dongle from Kanex that connects to your Apple TV's HDMI port on one side, converting digital output to analogue signal fed to your legacy projectors' VGA port...

iOS boss cashes in shares, pockets $38.7 million

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Scott Forstall, who heads the team behind the software that powers iOS devices, by far Apple’s most profitable division, has recently sold 64,151 shares worth roughly $38.7 million, a new filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange (SEC) commission has revealed.

Cook, identified as Apple's CEO-in-waiting in Adam Lashinsky's Inside Apple book, still holds nearly $2 million worth of shares plus retention bonuses worth over a quarter billion dollars provided he stays with Apple and the company does emerge as the world’s first trillion dollar corporation...

Report: TSMC has a “good chance” of winning Apple’s chip biz in 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 27, 2017

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has long been rumored to become an alternative supplier for Apple-designed processors powering iOS devices. However, yield issues and manufacturing difficulties with the foundry's 20-nanometer process pushed back those plans.

Meanwhile, Samsung continues to make the Ax-series of processors for the latest iPhone and iPad. Per chatter from Asian supply chain, TSMC is working hard to ramp up 20-nanometer production “ahead of schedule”, apparently in a bid to win over Apple’s chip business from Samsung by 2014...

Android holds 51% of US smartphone market, iOS at 31%

Cody Lee ∙ May 2, 2012

ComScore is out with a new report this week regarding US smartphone platform marketshare for the March quarter. And the highly-regarded marketing research firm provides an interesting look at the current smartphone landscape by OS.

Google, as you might have expected, is still in the lead with its Android operating system. Apple's iOS is in a [comparatively] close second, and RIM and Microsoft come in at a distant third and fourth. Keep reading for a full breakdown...

Spotify hits iPad, get downloading

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Music-streaming service Spotify has finally released their native app for Apple's iPad so get it while it's hot. It packs in Retina graphics and high-definition album art to really take advantage of the new iPad's gorgeous display.

It also does AirPlay, features the brand new full-screen view and lets you search for playlists, users and music, all from the same view. The interface looks great in both portrait and landscape, especially high-res cover artwork in full screen.

Put simply, it's been worth the long wait: Spotify for iPad is a must-have and a prime example of an iPad music app done right...

Rumor: familiar-looking ‘iPhone 5’ SIM tray surfaces

Cody Lee ∙ May 2, 2012

For the second time in the last two weeks, a parts vendor has leaked a purported 'iPhone 5' component. Last Tuesday we saw some Home buttons surface that reportedly belonged to Apple's next-generation handset, and now we've come across a SIM card tray.

As noted by MacRumors, SW-BOX.com has posted some information on a claimed 'iPhone 5' SIM card tray that it's apparently just obtained from one of its parts suppliers. And, as the site points out, it looks nearly identical to its iPhone 4/4S counterpart...