Year: 2012

Watch pod2g, MuscleNerd and others in HITB iOS panel discussion

Cody Lee ∙ October 19, 2012

Earlier this month, we told you about an interesting panel discussion that was going to take place at the Hack in the Box conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The panel consisted of MuscleNerd, pod2g, and other well known hackers. And they were going to be discussing iOS security.

But if you missed the live stream, never fear. The folks over at HITBSecConf have uploaded a video of the entire 30 minute long discussion and we've got it posted for you after the break. If you haven't seen it yet, it's really worth watching. There's a lot of interesting jailbreaking info...

Does your iPhone 5 have the time-shifting bug?

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

In what appears to be a repeat of the DST software bug - and we've been here plenty of times before - some owners of Apple's new iPhone 5 report that their handset is showing incorrect time and/or day. Several people on Apple's discussion forum decribe their device as displaying times and dates that are days, even weeks, ahead or behind actual ones. The issue appears to manifest itself on devices that have automatic date and time setting feature enabled. Specifically, owners of a Verizon iPhone 5 appear to be affected the most...

Display pro debunks a 1080p iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

The Android camp has long insisted on pushing massive screen sizes to the point where even Apple felt compelled to respond by making the iPhone's screen taller. Excluding Gorilla-sized devices such as the Galaxy Note phablet, smartphones typically have displays between four and five inches diagonally and settle with the native 720p resolution (1,280-by-720).

But as HTC's upcoming J Butterfly shows, device makers aren't standing still and are now pushing 1080p smartphone screens. President and CEO of DisplayMate Dr. Raymond Soneira knows a thing or two about displays and he thinks packing twice as much pixels onto essentially the same surface area is marginally beneficial as your eye can hardly tell the difference between 720p and 1080p on a typical smartphone display...

A $40 Android tablet wants to conquer schools in India

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Yesterday, I wrote about Apple's laughable iPhone market share in India that, according to IDC, was only 1.2 percent of all handset sales during the second quarter of this year, half the level a year earlier. It's hard to justify a $800+ phone in a country where folks make an average of $200 a month, if they're lucky. Meanwhile, cheap Android handsets have taken India by storm and now enjoy a commanding 50+ percent market share.

Though it remains to be seen if Apple's inexpensive smaller iPad fits the big picture in the 1.24 billion people country, a new report out today by The New York Times makes the case for a sub-$50 Android tablet specifically made for students in India...

More sources chime in confirming November 2 iPad mini availability

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

A smaller iPad has gotta be one of the industry's worst kept secrets in 2012. It will also be competition's worst nightmare. Now, Apple last week issued invites for a media event scheduled to take place next Tuesday, October 23 in San Jose’s California Theatre rather than the usual venues, San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts or Apple’s own campus in Cupertino, California. We've heard whispers that general availability was already scheduled for November 2 and now more credible sources are chiming in to confirm the date...

Smaller iPad may be competition’s worst nightmare, analysts agree

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Analysts are almost busting their buttons to tell investors just how big a deal they expect is a smaller iPad, widely thought to be up for an introduction next Tuesday. One well-known Apple watcher foresees huge headaches from rival seven-inch tablet makers, describing the so-called iPad mini as "competition's worst nightmare."

Shaw Wu of Sterne Agee writes the iPad mini will come on the scene as Apple's competitors are already running hard just to keep up with the larger iPad 2.

The Cupertino, Caliornia gadget designer may even phase-out the $399 iPad 2 in order to focus attention even more strongly on the leading brand. Add a 7.85-inch iPad mini expected to sell for under $300 - and rival tablet manufacturers lose both the size advantage as well as the lower price tag...

Scuffgate? Here’s your iPhone 5 backplate replacement

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

When it comes to the iPhone 5, yours truly is one to suffer from a severe case of panic disorder stemming from Scuffgate. I, for one, happen to believe that it's real. And even though Scuffgate has definitely been blown way out of proportion, I can't shrug off fear that my iPhone 5 will arrive with nicks and scuffs out-of-the-box or scratch itself if I look at it the wrong way.

As a rule of thumb, I more often than not attempt to mitigate the scuffing issue by opting for white gadgets because scratches from "normal" wear and tear are less visible (by the way, what's your color of choice for Apple gear?). Still, the fact remains that the iPhone 5's anodized aluminum casing is arguably the worst choice from the wear and tear standpoint.

Chances are you too at some point will no longer be able to stand dings and scratches on your brand spanking new iPhone 5. Luckily, there's a solution. Remember those backplate parts that had been leaking in the weeks and months preceding the iPhone 5 announcement? That's right...

Apple could phase out the iPad 2 for the iPad mini

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 19, 2012

Apple will discontinue the iPad 2 in order to simplify product choices ahead of next Tuesday's introduction of a smaller tablet, one analyst predicts. Friday, Rob Cihra, analyst with Evercore Partners, told investors the move would be part of Apple's goal of providing "clearer product tiers."

The Cupertino, California-based company uses its engineering prowess in both hardware and software to overcome an otherwise soft technology market. The iPhone maker has increased its revenue by thirty percent this year at a time when demand for PCs has dropped by four percent...

New Angry Birds Star Wars trailer features Princess Leia

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOBFUksIU1k

Rovio's so far teased Angry Birds Star Wars twice (here and here). This brand new mashup resulting from a partnership with toy maker Hasbro could be a smash hit, if previous Angry Birds games are anything to go by. Today, the Finnish developer behind the franchise released a new trailer that features Princess Leia and the pig-ified Storm Trooper helmet, have a look.

I'm a big fan of both the Angry Birds series and Star Wars. It goes without saying that I cannot wait to see what Rovio's been up to with this one. The game arrives November 8 to iOS and Android, in addition to versions for Windows Phone, Kindle Fire, Mac and PCs running Windows 8. Say what you will, but Rovio sure knows how to milk the franchise, but not at the expense of gameplay creativity...

Poll: is your Apple gadget black or white?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

I stumbled upon an interesting study the other day which got me thinking. Long story short, it claims nearly three out of four buyers prefer black Apple gadgets over white ones. It must be because Apple has branded the iPhone as a black device from the onset, I reckoned. The real-world supports survey findings: I bet you tend to meet far more people with black iPhones, iPads and iPods than white.

While the Italians and French seem to prefer their mobile devices in the more elegant white, the rest of the world predominantly opts for the more sinister (and just as stylish) black look. I myself am a white iPhone man. We're eager to learn what color our readers prefer for their iOS devices, so here's a quick poll as we head into the weekend...

HTC has the world’s first five-inch 1080p phone

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 19, 2012

According to Apple, a display deserves the Retina moniker if its pixel density is so high that your eye is unable to discern the individual pixels. In the case of a smartphone, Retina means at least 300 pixels per inch. The Retina display on the iPhone 4/4S/5 has 326 pixels per inch.

Now, imagine a five-inch phone that packs 440 pixels per square inch, featuring the native full HD resolution of 1,920-by-1,080 pixels. That's exactly what the ailing handset maker HTC set out to create with a new upcoming phone dubbed the J Butterfly...

Apple starts construction on enormous Oregon data center

Cody Lee ∙ October 19, 2012

Apple purchased a 160 acre plot of land in Prineville, Oregon from Oregon's Crook County back in February of this year for $5.6 million. And it immediately built a 10,000 square foot modular data center on the property.

Well this morning, reports are coming in that Apple has started work on its main data center at the Oregon location. It's begun clearing and flattening land to make room for one of two, 338,000 square-foot buildings...