Month: April 2012

Court upholds ban on iCloud push email in Germany

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Earlier this year, a German court slapped Apple with an injunction, forcing the company to disable iCloud's push email service in the country. The move was the direct result of a Motorola lawsuit, who claimed Apple was using its patented technology in the feature.

Well things got worse today for the iPad-makers. The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a German regional court has upheld the previous decision of the ban on Apple's iCloud service, essentially granting Motorola a victory in the ongoing patent war...

Confirmed: French designer Philippe Starck working on Apple Store design

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 7, 2016

The Applesphere is going crazy this morning after French designer Philippe Starck revealed in an interview with Le Figaro that he's been working on a revolutionary project with Apple, a project that should see light of the day in 8 months.

The first thing that comes to mind of course is the Apple TV set that has been feeding the rumor mill for a few months now. I believe everyone has been reading too much into Starck's interview, and we actually got a confirmation earlier today that he is not working on designing a product for Apple.

So if he's not designing the next iPhone or the Apple TV set, what relationship does Philippe Starck have with Apple?

Apple working on high quality “unibody” earbuds

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Imagine that, another patent application has popped up in the United States Patent and Trademark Office database this week with Apple's name on it. The filing is entitled Ultrasonically Welded Structures and Methods for Making the Same.

But don't let the ridiculously long name scare you. The patent is part of a group of cross-referenced filings that all make up different parts of a pair of high quality unibody headphones that it seems Apple is working on in its labs...

Apple: we broke Amazon’s monopolistic grip on the publishing industry

Sébastien Page ∙ April 12, 2012

Almost 48 hours after the US Department of Justice filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five publishers over alleged ebooks price fixing, Apple decided to break the silence and go on the record about the situation.

In a comment made to AllThingsD, Apple spokesman Tom Neumayr defends the company's position, claiming the following:

Apple looking to make iOS app creation easier with new authoring tool

Cody Lee ∙ April 12, 2012

AppleInsider spotted an interesting patent application this morning entitled 'Content Configuration for Device Platforms.' The document was filed by Apple on December 15th of last year.

The patent describes a piece of software that would help non-programmers develop iOS applications. Remember the iBooks authoring tool Apple released back in January? Yeah, this is a lot like that...

‘AppMosaic’ now live on Cydia [Update]

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 12, 2012

[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtvrgWDTIT4[/tube]

AppMosaic — the App Store app discovery tool that we recently previewed — has gone live on Cydia.

The jailbreak app prides itself on providing a unique look at the top 200 paid and free apps on the App Store.

We like it, and we suggest you give it a shot. Head over to Cydia's ModMyi repo where you can download it for free. Be sure to let us know what you think about it.

Update: We've been alerted that AppMosaic has a bug preventing it from showing up properly once installed. The bug is currently being addressed.

Apple prompting users to make their Apple ID accounts more secure

Cody Lee ∙ April 12, 2012

Have you recently received a notification on one of your iOS devices prompting you to confirm your Apple ID password? If so, you're not alone. Users have been flocking to Apple's support forums to report the suspicious popup.

No, it's not a phishing scam. Apple is trying to beef up its security. TheNextWeb is reporting that over the past 24 hours, the company has started prompting iOS device owners to make their accounts more secure...

Hate Home screen badges? Take a look at this

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 12, 2012

Do you harbor an abnormal amount of hatred for the notification badges that litter your iPhone's Home screen? If so, then perhaps these new jailbreak apps will satisfy your craving for badge destruction.

No AppStore Badges, No Cydia Badges, and OTA Begone are three new jailbreak apps that will help eliminate notification badges. But as you'll come to understand, it doesn't make sense to install any of these if your aim is to simply eliminate all badges.

There's something much better already available in Cydia from a well respected developer. Check inside for the full details...

Antitrust experts say DOJ likely to lose eBook case against Apple

Cody Lee ∙ April 12, 2012

Apple has been grabbing a lot of headlines over the past couple of days, and not because of poor factory working conditions or the announcement of a new gadget. The Cupertino company is being sued by the Department of Justice over alleged eBook price-fixing.

The DOJ believes that Apple is acting in concert with several major publishers to raise eBook prices across the industry with its 'agency' pricing model. But there's just one problem: experts don't think the government has much of a case...

Psychologist enters your dreams through an iPhone app

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Few apps in the App Store can claim to be part of an experiment, but Dream:On can.

Created by self proclaimed "psychologist, author and magician," Professor Richard Wiseman, the app aims to influence a user's dreams once they fall asleep, all through the power of sound.

Whether it works or not, well, we'll just have to see...

Want to see how an iPad is made? Watch this video

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Earlier this month, Marketplace's Shanghai Bureau Chief Rob Schmitz found his way into Foxconn's Longhua facility, where many of Apple's iPads are made. He's only the second reporter ever to be allowed on to the company's factory floor.

Schmitz uploaded a video of his visit to the plant today, which included a tour of an iPad assembly line and an inside look into the lives of Foxconn's employees. Want to see how an iPad is made? Make sure to watch the clip after the break...

Meet Pebble: the iPhone-connected wristwatch you’ve been waiting for

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 7, 2016

The iPhone-connected wristwatch has been the unicorn of iOS accessories for the past few years. Folks have been asking for one, but manufacturers have yet to produce one that appeals to the masses. Then came the Pebble.

MacStories points to a brilliant Kickstarter project for a smartphone-connected wristwatch known as the Pebble. It's developed by the same folks who made the InPulse Smart Watch, and is packed full of features...