Year: 2012

New iPhone gamepad flaunts Bluetooth 4.0 and solar power

The iPhone gamepad space is starting to get a little crowded these days, mostly thanks to Kickstarter. It seems like every week now we see a new controller pop up on the crowd-funded site promising to be better than the last.

But so far, none of them have managed to go mainstream — outside of maybe the iCade line — meaning it's still anyone's game. And this week, Justice Frangipane and crew decided to throw their hats into the proverbial ring...

Samsung sues Apple over Notification Center in Korea

Samsung has reportedly filed a new lawsuit in its home country against Apple regarding its iOS Notification Center. It says that the feature, which Apple introduced last year in iOS 5, infringes on one of its active patents.

Of course, patent lawsuits have become commonplace between the two tech giants in recent years. Typically, however, Samsung has used its standards-essential, hardware-related IP to go after Apple. But this time it's software-related...

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week – Dec 23, 2012 edition

Like every Sunday, we bring you the stories that were the most popular on iDB during this past week. Whether it is a news piece, an editorial, a tutorial, a new jailbreak tweak, or an accessory review, we sum it all up in one convenient place.

If you like what you're reading, please make sure to spread the love by sharing our posts on your favorite social network. We're usually hanging out a lot on Twitter and Facebook, more rarely on Google+...

JavaScript bug found in iOS 6’s Smart App Banners

This is kind of weird. A new bug has been discovered in iOS 6 that has to do with the Smart App Banners feature. It seems that the banners, which websites can implement to give users a direct link to apps, will turn on the JavaScript setting in Safari without warning.

On the surface, this may not seem like a very big deal. After all, most folks don't mess with the JavaScript settings on their iOS devices because a lot of web sites require it. But the fact that these Smart Banners are turning it on, unbeknownst to users, is a bit troubling...

White balance: the iPhone photographer’s little secret

I hope you have enjoyed the last few weeks exploring the creative possibilities of exposure. I wanted to continue on our adventure back to the basics of photography. Something I'm sure you have seen at some point in your photographic pursuits is a dial, slider, or some other control annotated with a cloud, sun, flash, shade, and light bulb. Although, camera companies have done a great job researching the iconography that best represents 'it', they really don't explain what 'it' is. In today's lesson we will quickly learn what 'it' is and then explore creative ways to use 'it' to our advantage!

Microsoft’s Wordament lands on iOS with Xbox Live integration

Good news Xbox users, there's finally a way for you to pad your Live stats from your iPhone or iPad. Microsoft has just released its popular Wordament word game, which has been on Windows Phone for a while now, for iOS, and it has full Xbox Live integration with friends lists and achievements.

For those not familiar with it, Wordament is a highly addictive word game. Players get two minutes to find the most words in a 4x4 grid of letters, competing in real-time, on the same board, against everyone else currently playing. Each board is unique and bonuses are given for longer words...

Best Buy taking 20% off all iTunes gift cards today

Believe it or not, Christmas is this Tuesday, meaning you have less than 72 hours to finish up your last-minute holiday shopping. Unfortunately, it's too late to order gifts like the iPad mini or iPhone 5, as they won't ship on time.

But there's still plenty of time, though, to pick up an iTunes gift card. And wouldn't you know it, national electronics retailer Best Buy is having a sale on them today, knocking 20% off all denominations between $15 and $100...

The Daily Recap – Dec 21, 2012 edition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL41d1RSLMI

Welcome to The Daily Recap for December 21th, 2012. Watch our video for a quick look at some of the top stories from the day in less than two minutes. If you missed out on any of today's big news, this is a great way for you to get caught up fast.

For your convenience, you'll also find links to all of the stories listed in today's recap inside...

Apple airs new “I’ll Be Home” iPad commercial

Apple has tonight starting airing a new holiday-themed iPad commercial entitled "I'll Be Home." With Christmas now just a few days away, the Cupertino company is obviously hoping to snag a few last-minute shoppers. As usual, we've got the video embedded for you after the break...

Nielsen publishes list of top 10 iPhone apps for 2012

Nielsen, a highly regarded information and measurement firm, released its "Digital Tops of 2012" lists yesterday, which included topics like the top 10 Internet brands, and the top 10 iOS apps for the year.

The apps were picked based on average unique users from Q1 of 2012 to Q3, and as you might have guessed, four of the top 10 chosen are (were) native iOS apps like Maps and YouTube. We've got the full list after the fold...

Apple alters MFi guidelines following Kickstarter project fiasco

Earlier today, we told you about the unfortunate story of POP, the portable power station. In just a few short months, the accessory went from a popular Kickstarter project with over $100,000 in funding, to essentially deadweight due to Apple denying their request for a MFi license.

The problem was, the POP's use of other charging cables in conjunction with the new Lightning connector violated Apple's Made For iPhone terms, thus leading to the license rejection. Well today, following the story, Apple has updated its MFi guidelines and released a statement...

Google reportedly building ‘X Phone’ to rival Apple and Samsung

Android may be winning the smartphone war right now against Apple due to the sheer number of mobile devices available using the open-sourced OS, but Google's not content with that. It wants to take the Cupertino company and its popular iPhone head-on.

A new report is out today claiming that engineers from Google's recently purchased Motorola Mobility arm have begun work on what is being called the 'X Phone,' a sophisticated handset due next year whose sole purpose is to annihilate the competition...