Year: 2012

Rare earth elements, another reason why Apple has its heels stuck in Chinese mud

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

We explained earlier today how producing millions of iPads that'll eventually be discarded negatively affects our environment.

And even though Apple is doing what it possibly can to forgo toxic materials in iPad manufacturing, green technology requires a significant amount of difficult-to-mine elements.

And these green earth elements are yet another reason why Apple cannot pull out of China and move manufacturing to other countries.

True, some iPhones are being made in Brazil. The problem for Apple and other electronics makers is the fact that companies can only be exempt from China’s rare earth export quotas by manufacturing within the country...

How the iPad affects our planet

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2017

Since Apple unveiled the first iPad back in January of 2010, it has completely dominated the tablet space. In just two years, the company has sold more than 50 million slates, garnering more than 60% of the market.

But with great power, comes great responsibility. Producing 50 million tablets, which will eventually be discarded, can have seriously negative effects on our environment. Want to know more? Keep reading...

On carriers putting iPhone in its place, Apple doomsayers and crazypants analysts

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 3, 2017

Today's first-quarter earnings from Verizon include 3.2 million iPhone activations. That's down 1.1 million units, or 24 percent, from the 4.3 million iPhones they activated in the holiday quarter, when Apple sold a whopping 37 million iPhones.

Still, iPhones continue to make up over half of Verizon’s smartphone sales, easily beating the 2.1 million 4G LTE smartphones the carrier shipped.

Now, finance boss Fran Shammo hinted during a conference call with investors that Verizon could reconsider the iPhone subsidy and said they are "fully supportive" of Microsoft because the industry needs a third mobile platform.

It was enough for naysayers to come out of the woodwork and spell doom for the iPhone, the Apple stock and the company itself. You too must have seen sensationalist headlines lately that disseminate an anti-Apple sentiment.

So... Should Apple really be worried? And what the heck is up with Apple doomsayers and their crazypants analyst peers?

Here are my two cents...

Apple Stores see 17 times more sales than the average retailer

Cody Lee ∙ April 19, 2012

We've always known that Apple's retail stores see crazy amounts of foot traffic. In fact, all it takes is a quick glance in your local Apple Store to see that. It seems like they are always busy.

Well today, research firm Asymco published an interesting report regarding the performance of the Mac-maker's worldwide retail chain. And the results are staggering...

Snapseed update brings iPad Retina display support and Instagram sharing

Sébastien Page ∙ April 19, 2012

I've really gotten into iPhoneography within the last couple months and my most used app for processing images is without a doubt Snapseed. Available as a universal download in the App Store, Snapseed hadn't been updated for the iPad Retina display until today.

But Retina display support isn't the only new addition in this updated version...

The iPad isn’t a true desktop alternative for me until it has this feature

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 19, 2012

Make no mistake about it, the iPad is a wonderful desktop alternative for some. I know plenty of people who use it as their main computing device, which makes it live up to Apple's Post-PC billing.

But there's still one gripe in my mind that is holding the iPad back from true greatness. It's a missing feature that's inherently obvious when you're blogging, or doing anything else that calls for true multitasking.

The iPad needs a way to view two or more apps simultaneously.

Rumor: next iPhone likely to drop in October with new Qualcomm LTE chip

Cody Lee ∙ April 19, 2012

In a note to investors this morning, Piper Jaffray's senior Apple analyst Gene Munster said that Qualcomm is facing supply issues with its new 28-nanometer LTE chips. Munster believes that this cements an October launch date for Apple's next iPhone.

It's widely believed that the Cupertino company's next handset will feature the above-mentioned Qualcomm MDM9615 LTE chipset, as it allows for both voice and data connections over LTE networks. It's also smaller and much more power-efficient...

Shazam Player updated with iPad support, puts lyrics on your TV via AirPlay

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Shazam Player, a cool music player software that landed on the iPhone and iPod touch last month, has been updated today with new features and native support for the iPad.

The program now takes advantage of the iPad's 9.7-inch canvas so the user interface feels less cluttered and it supports the new iPad's Retina display.

The biggest addition that'll do wonders for your home karaoke sessions is support for AirPlay via the Apple TV, allowing you to beam those lyrics to your big screen telly...

‘ClearLockNotifications’ updated with pull to clear functionality

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 19, 2012

About 5 months ago we reviewed ClearLockNotifications, and it was pretty good. Now the developer has updated the tweak to make it even better, more intuitive if you will.

ClearLockNotifications now features 'pull to clear' functionality right from the Lock screen. This means that you can clear all of your Lock screen notifications by simply pulling down on the list of notifications.

For a sneak preview of how it works, take a look at our video walkthrough...

Verizon activates 3.2M iPhones in Q1, unveils shared data plans mid-summer

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2012

Verizon Wireless, the nation's top carrier, announced quarterly earnings this morning, with finance chief Andrew Davies telling Wall Street analysts on a conference call that the company activated 3.2 million iPhones during the first quarter.

The figure accounts for more than half of the 6.3 million smartphones Verizon sold throughout the quarter, echoing a similar ratio in the previous quarter.

Verizon also sold 2.9 million LTE-enabled devices that now account for an impressive 9.1 percent of their wireless user base...

Apple Stores reportedly readying local iCloud backups for iOS devices requiring replacement

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2012

A new report out yesterday alleges that Apple is working on an interesting new solution for Geniuses at its retail stores that would bypass the need for tethered desktop iTunes or wireless iCloud backups for people seeking iOS device replacements.

The solution would let Geniuses to quickly and effortlessly backup your entire iPad, iPhone or iPod touch prior to the device exchange process. Likewise, Geniuses would later on be able to easily move that data back onto the replacement devices.

The solution is reportedly being prototyped at Apple’s top-secret Apple Store labs near the company’s Cupertino, California headquarters...

Student behind awesome logo tribute to Steve Jobs lands Coke ad gig

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 19, 2012

The name Jonathan Mak Long may not mean much to you, but you've probably familiar with the above image he put together shortly after Steve Jobs passed on October 5 of last year.

The unique tribute to Apple's late CEO cleverly combines the Apple logo with Jobs’ familiar silhouette. The image went viral, earning the young Hong Kong student of design Internet fame and recognition.

Matter of fact, his recognition was so global that he surfaced on the radar of advertising agency Ogilvy China, which contracted him to design Coca Cola's new social campaign...