Year: 2012

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to hit iOS December 6

Last month, Rockstar announced that in celebration of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City's 10 years, it was going to be releasing a special anniversary edition of the title on iOS and Android sometime this fall.

At the time, the studio was pretty vague on details surrounding the upcoming game. But yesterday, it published a blog post confirming its release date, price and other information. Details after the fold...

Samsung adds iPad mini, iPad 4 and more to latest patent suit

Though the current US patent trial between Apple and Samsung, the one that resulted in a $1 billion verdict, is still far from over, another Stateside court battle between the two companies is already heating up.

Unlike the previous case, this new set of lawsuits pertains to more recent products from both sides including Samsung's family of Nexus devices, Apple's iPhone 5, and now the new iPod touch, iPad and iPad mini...

This case turns your iPhone into a Swiss Army knife, literally

Smartphones are often referred to as Swiss Army knives. They're digital cameras, and movie players. And with their vast app selections, there's little else they can't do — much like the popular pocketable multi-tool.

But the new TaskOne case takes the term a little more literally. With its built-in 2.5" drop point blade, bottle opener, wire cutters and host of other tools, it actually does turn your iPhone into a Swiss Army knife...

Screenshot Frame Maker makes iOS devices screen grabs easy and pretty

As a blogger, I often use screenshots to show my readers what I am reviewing, seeing, or experiencing. When words cannot accurately portray a picture, or when I don't want to write 1,000 words to describe something, the image is the best way. Taking a screen grab and tossing it into an article is all well and good, but adding the hardware frame around the image adds a nice touch, even a little flare, to the otherwise simple image.

Neoos specializes in mobile information technology with the goal to create simple applications to simplify complex tasks. As a caveat, Neoos is the company behind Doodle.com, a 10 million user per month service to simplify meeting schedules. Their new offering, Screenshot - Frame Maker, is a universal iOS app that simplifies the process implanting a grab into an iDevice hardware frame...

Judge orders Apple to reveal full HTC patent deal to Samsung

On Friday last week, Samsung asked the court to force Apple to turn over the full details of its recently announced patent settlement with HTC. It feels the terms of the deal could be useful in its ongoing legal battle with the iPad-maker.

Apple has since agreed to allow Samsung to see the pact in a heavily redacted document — leaving all of about 33 words. But tonight, a judge has granted Samsung's motion to compel. So Apple will have to reveal the entire agreement...

Facebook and Instagram to merge profiles

Don't tell me you didn't see this coming. Ever since the social networking behemoth Facebook acquired Instagram, the popular photo-sharing service, folks have been wondering if the two will perhaps merge down the road. Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg has been adamant that Instagram will be maintained separate of Facebook, but that doesn't mean the two shouldn't play nicely.

Just recently, Instagram brought us Facebook-like web profiles and previously rolled out automatic translation of Instagram @mentions to correct Twitter usernames in tweets. According to Reuters, Facebook is now proposing to combine user data with that of Instagram and is thinking about "loosening restrictions" on emails sent to @facebook.com address...

Sparrow updated with iPhone 5 and Passbook support

After Apple rejected Sparrow's iPhone 5 update earlier in the month, critics cried foul and commentators happily pointed out Apple was attempting to derail the popular email client for iOS devices and Macs. There was little hope left for new features after Google acquired Sparrow in June. Plus, the search giant acknowledged as much when it said the Sparrow team would move to Google's Mountain View offices to work on new Gmail features. It's a welcome sign, then, that a new version of Sparrow just surfaced on the App Store. Though short of features, it does bring out two major nice-to-haves: support for the iPhone 5's taller display and Passbook integration...

Samsung exec: ‘iPhone would be impossible without our patents’

Earlier this week, the ITC announced that it would be reviewing its September-decision that Apple's products don't violate some of Samsung's patents. It's a pretty big deal, as an overturn could result in a sales ban.

As you can imagine, Samsung is thrilled with the ITC's choice to revisit its previous ruling. And this morning, the company's head of mobile and IT division Shin Jong-kyun had a few things to say about the case...

Blame Apple’s crazy attention to detail for the iSpaceship delay

Apple engineers agonize over every imaginable aspect of the company's products. Their attention to detail is legendary and all-encompassing, from packaging and unboxing experience to press releases and TV commercials to screws, wires and the specific snow white paint for the home button of the white iPhone. No detail is too small, no stone is left unturned.

So why should it be any different with a massive circular structure and the 176-acre campus, dubbed by the media iSpaceship and officially named Campus 2? As Cody told you, the project has been delayed until 2016. A spokesperson for the iPhone maker just issued an official statement, basically saying the company is designing Campus 2 the same way they'd build an iPhone...

U.S. National Transportation Safety Board drops BlackBerry for iPhone

Last month, the U.S. Immigration and Customer Enforcement agency and government consultant Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. both announced plans to drop BlackBerry smartphones and deploy iPhones and Android devices instead. The Pentagon is also prepping to deploy Apple's and Google's platform.

The Defense Department is conducting search for a contractor that will build a system to manage and secure a fleet of 162,500 iPhones, iPads and Android devices. And now, rubbing salt into the wound, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board confirms it will be making the switch.

In a document posted last week to a federal website, the agency dissed BlackBerry maker Research In Motion, writing its devices have been “failing both at inopportune times and at an unacceptable rate”. Ouch!

Apple to artists: iTunes 11 ‘is about to be released within the next days’

Last we heard, Apple delayed iTunes 11 until end of November because the team needs more time "to get it right". With nine days until the deadline, Apple has now emailed record labels and artists, asking them to upload pictures and galleries of their artists to iTunes for use in the new Music Store layout that will debut with iTunes 11. The company specifically warned content owners that iTunes 11 "is about to be released within the next days", indicating it's about to hit the deadline...

Disney CEO buys $1M of Apple stock, a vote of confidence amid insane sell-off

Disney CEO and Apple board member Bob Iger earlier this week purchased $1 million worth of shares of the iPhone maker, just one week after exercising an option on a million shares for $17.9 million. The move is seen as an attempt by the Disney executive to show confidence during a period of sell-offs one analyst described as "insane".

Iger joined Apple's board of directors a year ago and is credited with healing wounds between the two companies when his predecessor Michael Eisner led the studio. The executive purchased $1 million worth of Apple stock at the time, then worth near $375 per share. Under Iger, Disney has been a loyal supporter of Apple, permitting movies on iTunes during a time when other Hollywood content owners avoided Steve Jobs...