Month: January 2012

Giveaway: GelaSkins Skins for Your iPad [Winners Announced]

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated January 31, 2016

The folks at GelaSkins emailed us yesterday to let us know that their eReader skins are now shipping in a velvety matte finish. The new skins blend with the page-like screens of eReaders and eliminate glare associated with the signature gloss finish.

This is all great news if you have an eReader such as a Kindle, Nook, or Sony eReaders. But we're iPad people over here, and we like the shiny glossy finish.

To celebrate their new finish though, GelaSkins was kind enough to provide us with two $40 gift codes to give away to our loyal readers...

How to Interpret the Serial Number of Your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ January 27, 2012

Have you ever wondered what the letters stand for in an iPhone's serial number? Whether you answered yes or no, the truth is that the code actually contains some pretty interesting information about the handset.

The folks over at OSXDaily have just published a legend of sorts that breaks down what each set of letters in an iPhone's serial number mean. You can tell what size the device's hard drive is, and even when it was made...

Is Apple Unwittingly Exchanging Stolen iPhones?

Oliver Haslam ∙ January 27, 2012

If you've ever taken a broken iPhone back to an Apple Store for repair or replacement, then you'll be well aware at just how easy the company makes it. You take your iPhone in, Apple checks its warranty by referencing its serial number and you walk out with a replacement.

But that "customer comes first" approach may also be making it easier for thieves to chop in stolen iPhones and then receive a replacement free of charge. While that may seem pointless initially, when you remember that stolen handsets can be blocked from carriers based on their IMEI number, then the whole thing makes a lot of sense.

The revelation that Apple may be unwittingly exchanging stolen goods comes via security firm McAfee, which blames Apple's "honor system" for giving thieves an easy way to get rid of hot goods...

Tim Cook Responds to Supply Chain Workers Mistreatment Allegations

Sébastien Page ∙ January 27, 2012

Yesterday the New York Times published a comprehensive piece detailing Apple’s failure to effectively pursue safer working conditions in its overseas manufacturing plants.

Although the article could apply to virtually every tech company – most of them work with Foxconn – Apple was the main target, probably because it's a company with such strong values, that you would expect more from them.

To reply to the allegations, Tim Cook sent an email to his troops, ensuring that Apple cares about every worker in its supply chain...

Steam iPhone Client Now Available in the App Store

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2012

Folks who use Steam, the popular game distribution platform for the Mac and PC, will be happy to hear that there is now an official iPhone client available in the App Store.

Dubbed Steam Mobile, the app will allow users to perform a number of tasks that were previously reserved for the desktop client, including chatting with other Steam members and browsing through Steam's Game Catalog...

Crazy Rumor: Apple Television Launch Just a Few Months Away

Cody Lee ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

There's rumors, and then there's crazy rumors. And this one definitely falls in the latter category. The folks over at TechnoBuffalo are reporting that Apple's TV set is much closer to launch than we previously thought.

Citing a "high-ranking source with a major electronics retailer," the site is claiming that the Cupertino company is looking to debut its rumored television set as early as April of this year...

iPad Takes 96% of Tablets Activated in Enterprise, iPhone Takes 53%

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 18, 2018

Apple may appear to be the biggest tablet vendor on the planet with the company selling iPads hand over fist, but it seems that end-users are not the only ones taking a shine to the tablet.

According to new figures from enterprise mobile services vendor Good Technology, the iPad made up 96% of the tablets activated at the 2,000 companies that use its services.

The iPhone is proving popular in the enterprise also, with 53% of the smartphones activated being of the Apple variety...

Patent Shows Apple Working On Universal Touchscreen TV Remote

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2017

As noted by 9to5Mac, the US Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) published an interesting patent application today with Apple's name on it.

The filing pertains to a universal touch screen controller, capable of controlling TV sets and a range of other devices, lending at least some credibility to the recent rumors we've heard that Apple has a connected television in the works...

The iPad Made Up 58% of Tablet Shipments During Last Quarter

Oliver Haslam ∙ January 26, 2012

New figures released today by Research firm Strategy Analytics suggest that Apple's iPad is still very much the top tablet for most, with Android's share growing thanks to a newcomer to the scene.

Releasing figures based on worldwide shipments of tablets during the fourth quarter of 2011, Strategy Analytics shared that 26.8 million tablets were shipped during the quarter, a 150% increase over the same period the year prior.

Apple's iPad saw 15.4 million units shipped during the fourth quarter of 2011, with Android sitting second with 10.5 million shipments...

Foxconn Looking to Start iPad Production in Brazil Soon

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2012

After a rocky start in negotiations, it appears that Foxconn, a major Apple supplier, has finally received the tax terms it needed from the Brazilian government to start producing iPads in the South American country.

Believe it or not, getting Foxconn's Brazilian factory to start producing iPads is a big deal for both Apple and Apple fans in South America — it removes the need for costly important taxes that can sometimes double the cost of the tablet...

90% of iPhones Sold in the US Are iPhone 4S

Sébastien Page ∙ January 26, 2012

When Apple announced its financial results for last quarter a couple days ago, the company said they sold 37 million iPhones within the last three months. What Apple failed to do was breaking down those sales number by device.

But that's exactly what research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) did, and without much surprise, they found out that the iPhone 4S is the top dog in the iPhone family of devices...

How to Make Siri Respond With a “Yes?”

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 26, 2012

I've received numerous questions, emails, and comments asking about one simple Siri feature. How do you make her say "Yes?"

Many have seen Siri say "yes?" on our videos after being invoked, and are curious as to how to go about replicating it.

The answer, is Hands-Free Control, a jailbreak tweak that we've covered in depth at iDownloadBlog. We've created a special video that shows you how to use this jailbreak tweak to make Siri more obedient, at least in theory; check it out...