Month: October 2012

Consumer Reports says nice things of Apple Maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

Consumer Reports, an influential U.S. magazine published monthly since 1936 by Consumers Union, gave Apple's iPhone 5 a thumbs-up recently but initially slammed iOS 6 Maps navigation ("we were disappointed"). Melted bridges aside, the publication known for its reviews and comparisons of popular products took both Apple Maps and Google Maps for a spin, concluding that Apple's offering is "certainly more favorable than comments and articles that we've been reading online"...

Lawsuit against Apple’s Passbook is Lodsys redux

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Apple is again in the sights of a company with patents and an itchy trigger finger. The iPhone's Passbook feature, which allows consumers to store tickets, loyalty cards, coupons and such digitally, is the target of San Diego-based Ameranth. The company is seeking triple damages, claiming in the lawsuit that the Cupertino, Calif. technology giant willfully infringed on Ameranth patents on wireless mobile payments.

The company has already sued the likes of Hilton, Marriott and Ticketmaster and gotten 14 other companies to ink licensing pacts. TechCrunch spoke to the CEO of one of the companies who'd rather pay than suffer some long drawn-out legal fight. The interview is enough to send cold shivers up Apple developers who survived the 2011 patent uproar from Lodsys...

New jailbreak app integrates Facebook and Google Chat into iOS

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

QuickIM is a new jailbreak tweak that allows you to quickly send Facebook messages and Google chat messages from anywhere within iOS.

Seeing as this feature is totally relegated to standalone apps on non-jailbroken phones, QuickIM is an app that's sure to catch the eye of fans of either of the aforementioned instant messaging services.

How exactly does it work? Check inside for a brief video explanation.

iPad mini parts: Nano SIM tray, anodized aluminum, headphone jack at the top

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 15, 2017

With two weeks left until the rumored October 17 presser, we're again beginning to see parts thought to belong to Apple's mini iPad. An Ukrainian publication today published four images said to depict the iPad mini chassis featuring a SIM tray, suggesting the device will come in both WiFi and WiFi + Cellular varieties, like its 9.7-inch sibling. Additionally, the images show front and back panels, display assembly and strangely no change for the headphone jack which remains on the top...

Study: Android tablets catching up on the iPad

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

We can deride the quality and culture of Android tablets, but the once ginormous lead Apple's iPad had is shrinking amid the rise of tweener tablets.

In a bit of a two-edge sword, a new study finds 25 percent of Americans own a tablet, with Apple's device claiming just over half of the US tablet market. A year ago, more than 8 out of 10 tablets purchased bore the Apple logo...

NYT introduces news web app for iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

The New York Times today announced a new web app to read news, optimized for Apple's iPad and written using common HTML5 web technologies. The paper cautiously deems the app "an experiment" of sorts, though it looks and feels superb. The web-based software reminds us a lot of the Fortune 500+ and Financial Times web apps.

There's no denying these have effectively set the stage for what a decent web-based magazine / newspaper experience should be like. NYT's web app requires a subscription to NYTimes.com with tablet access and is available free of charge to home delivery subscribers who link their account for digital access...

Forbes runs ‘Untold Stories About Steve Jobs’, here are your highlights

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 2, 2012

Hailed as the master of catch phrases, Apple's late mercurial co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs was and continues to be a remarkable source of memorable quotes. Forbes shares some previously unknown tidbits about Steve Jobs life, leadership style and provides insight into some of the moves that marked his life in a featured article titled "Untold Stories About Steve Jobs: Friends and Colleagues Share Their Memories". Here are a couple of highlights...

Nest launches sleeker thermostat, CEO says he’d never compete with Apple

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

We covered the sexy Nest Learning Thermostat before , with Jeff saying calling it "the thermostat that Cupertino would have created if they were into that sort of thing". Today, the company took the wraps off a new version of the Nest thermostat which has been re-engineered for smaller footprint and now looks even more futuristic. Also, company founder Tony Fadell, a former Apple engineer who worked on the iPhone and iPod projects, explains why he doesn't plan on competing with Apple, despite hiring former Apple engineers on his 130-people team...

Apple could have wireless Lightning adapter in the works

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple's new, miniaturized dock connector that debuted on the iPhone 5 under the Lightning moniker so far proved an annoyance as customers with legacy 30-pin dock accessories are required to purchase Apple's pricey adapter. Worse, as Apple's cable has an authentication chip, it has been concluded that third-party alternatives offered by places like Alibaba.com won’t work.

But as a patent filing indicates, Apple is researching an interesting solution that could help ease Lightning woes with a universal adapter for iOS devices which facilitates, as Apple wrote, "the transmission of wireless data to any accessory"...

Samsung gets even, sues Apple over the iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

The Apple vs. Samsung legal spat is far from over. Apple started this war but Samsung is determined to win in the long run. Making good on its promise and multiple threats to sue Apple over 4G wireless networking technology used in the iPhone 5, the South Korean conglomerate filed suit against Apple over the alleged patent infringements in the iPhone 5...

Apple to post Q4 results on October 25, update us on iPhone 5 sales

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Club Cupertino is set to release fiscal 2012 fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday, October 25, 2012. Data covering the three-month period ending September 30 will also include the first iPhone 5 update since the five million opening weekend sales milestone. Apple's fourth-quarter guidance calls for revenues of about $34 billion and diluted earnings per share of about $7.65. Also, this...

Why Square buying design shop 80/20 matters

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 6, 2018

News made rounds earlier today that Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey's another startup, Square, just snapped up design shop 80/20. Square makes an awesome iPhone and Android payment solution based on a credit card dongle and it recently teamed up with Starbucks on micro-payments.

Headquartered in New York, 80/20 is renowned for its design work on user interfaces. They did a dashboard for the electric vehicle company Better Place and a sexy fitness-tracking watch for Google's subsidiary Motorola.

Here's why Square and 80/20 are a natural fit, why the deal makes in a greater scheme of things and why you should care...