Year: 2012

The Pentagon plans to deploy iOS and Android devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2012

In a new report from The Washington Post based on a document by the Defense Department, the Pentagon is reported as tapping contractors as it preps to deploy at least 162,500 iOS and Android devices, potentially expanding to up to eight million devices. It's another blow to Canada-based Research In Motion, which despite its single-digit smartphone share in the United States still enjoys a relatively large, albeit diminishing following amongst governmental agencies. This would mark the first time the Pentagon opened its network to iPhones and Android devices...

Hurricane Sandy: Apple closes up to 50 stores, Google cancels Nexus media event, crisis maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 2, 2016

Hurricane Sandy is piling up the water as it's on track for a historic hit on the East Coast of the United States. President Obama has declared state of emergency in New York, suspending subway and bus service, closing schools on Monday and scheduling the Holland and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to also close at 2pm today.

When it became clear that Sandy would make landfall on the East Coast, Google cancelled its previously scheduled October 29 press conference, postponing the launch of promising new Nexus smartphones and tablets. Dozens of Apple Stores along the East Coast will likely be affected, with many outlets taking precautionary measures in order to protect the products, store space itself and staffers. Several Apple Stores have also been spotted using sandbags as a precaution to protect their storefront from damage...

The banned iPad mini promo video

Sébastien Page ∙ October 29, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Os87PLlyU4k#!

iPad mini is the future. It's the future until May, at least. Probably more like the end of May. Or more than likely, June.

iPad mini is now the future until then.

Microsoft’s Surface is more repairable than iPad 3

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2012

The repair experts over at iFixit pried open Microsoft's Surface RT tablet (model number 1516) and awarded the device a repairability score of four out of ten (ten is the easiest to repair), thanks to several components being modular and replaceable without requiring desoldering. Plus, the battery can be removed "pretty easily", iFixit notes.

This is better than a score of two out of ten for the third-generation iPad with Retina display, but lower than Amazon's Kindle Fire, which has an impressive eight out of ten repairability score. Google's seven-inch Nexus tablet is the easiest to repair among these tablets with a nice seven out of ten score. More tidbits and teardown analysis right below...

iPad mini Wi-Fi shipments delayed two weeks

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 29, 2012

If you want a Wi-Fi version of the iPad mini, you'll need to wait two weeks. That's the word this morning as both the black and white iPad mini report a two-week delay for Apple Store customers. The white model quickly went on the waiting list soon after Apple began accepting pre-orders Friday. The Wi-Fi versions of the iPad mini were set to ship Friday, November 2 with the LTE model expected in late November...

BooKase stitches Italian quality into its iPad sleeves

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

I always keep an eye open for professional grade products, when scouring the internet for review materials and products. The BooKase website is a simplistic and unsuspecting front page advertisement for what amounted to an excellent iPad sleeve. Offering several options for both iPad and iPhone, I chose to review the Colorado collection designed for iPad and quickly fell for the simplicity and quality.

BooKase products are designed in California and produced in Italy. Placing importance on design-build, the materials are eco-friendly and washable to ensure a minimal footprint while offering easy-to-use protection...

Apple sells out of initial iPad mini pre-order stock in 72 hours

Cody Lee ∙ October 29, 2012

Apple has taken some heavy criticism over the past few days regarding the iPad mini's price tag. Starting at $329, a lot of folks feel that it has priced itself out of the 7-8-inch tablet market, which is dominated by $200 slates.

Well if that's the case, then someone forgot to tell consumers. Because according to Apple's website, the company has sold out of its initial pre-order stock of all Wi-Fi iPad minis during the tablet's first 72 hours of availability...

Amazon takes on the iPad mini in homepage ad

Cody Lee ∙ October 29, 2012

With the release of the 7.9-inch iPad mini this week, Apple will essentially be entering Amazon's home turf. You could argue that Apple still dominates the overall tablet market. But with two years of Kindle Fire sales under its belt, Amazon owns the 7-8-inch tablet space.

And as you may have guessed, it's not prepared to concede any of that space to Apple without a fight. Over the weekend, people started noticing that Amazon had placed a comparison chart between the iPad mini and its Kindle Fire HD, front and center on its homepage...

Apple killed the disc drive, but it’s for your own good

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Apple is no stranger to abandoning features it thinks are heading for the graveyard of technology. I guess you could say the company invented it. The new iMac without a built-in optical drive is the perfect epitome of such forward-thinking that, however, isn't without its pitfalls.

With the revamped all-in-one desktop, club Cupertino risks alienating the old-fashioned types by inconveniencing their daily computing, at least until the rest of the industry catches up. Then again, every Apple customer has always been an early adopter in every sense of the word.

The question is, will other makers follow suit and remove rotating medias from their products? More importantly, what exactly does the new iMac tell us about a Tim Cook Apple?

New app promises to remove purple haze from iPhone 5 pics

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Shortly after the iPhone 5 launched, a number of users started complaining about a "purple haze" in their photos. It's essentially a purple flare effect that comes from a bright, out-of-scene light source while capturing an image.

Apple has already addressed the issue, and a number of other smartphones and portable cameras have been proven to have similar hazes. But if it's still really bothering you, there's a new app that claims it can help...

Why a Galaxy S3 owner is moving back to a shiny iPhone

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

If you follow me on any of the social networks on which we all live these days, then you probably know that I sold my iPhone 4S some time ago, and have been living with a Samsung Galaxy S3 ever since. There were brief flirtations with an HTC One X and Galaxy Note along the way, but that Galaxy S3 has been my daily drivers since long before the iPhone 5 was announced.

As that semi-dramatic title may have tipped you off though, I'm on the verge of ditching that Android flagship handset in favor of a shiny new iPhone 5. At least, I will be once I manage to find somewhere that will sell me one! That's a whole different story though, and I digress.

So, having proclaimed the Galaxy S3 to be the best smartphone I'd ever owned just a few short weeks ago, what's changed, and why am I ready to give it up in favor of Apple's latest and greatest?

The iDownloadBlog top news stories of the week

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

A new week is coming, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on what happened last week. If you think you may have missed a few of the top stories from last week, don't sweat it, we've got you covered.

We've gathered the top 10+ most popular stories from iDB last week for you to check out. As always, make sure that you're friends with us on Facebook, Google+, and that you are following us on Twitter...