Month: October 2012

Apple shuts down Chomp web site and iOS app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 12, 2018

Apple yesterday quietly shut down both the Chomp web site and the iOS app of same name, also shutting out existing users of the app. Furthermore, Chomp.com now points to Apple.com. The iPhone maker snapped up Chomp for its advanced discovery and recommendation engine back in February.

As first order of business, Apple pulled the Android versionin April. Now an iOS version is also a goner. We've already seen some tweaks to both the App Store search algorithm and layout, some for the worse (just one search result at a time? Seriously, Apple? Seriously?). Perhaps this move indicates plans to finally roll out better app discovery features stemming from that Chomp talent acquisition.

A man can dream, can't he?

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Size comparison of mini iPad dummy versus real Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HD hardware

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2012

With the iPad mini presser all but confirmed (think October 17) and today's report that Foxconn is now assembling the device at its new facilities in Brazil, a set of handy new images surfaced that help compare the rumored 7.85-inch iPad mini to Amazon's and Google's tablets, with size and form factor in mind.

If a series of side-by-side comparison shots depicting how an unreleased device stacks up against real tablets is to be trusted, the iPad mini should be slightly wider than Google's and a tad taller than Amazon's...

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Rumor: iPad mini production kicks off in Brazil

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2012

Apple's favorite manufacturer Foxconn runs plants in Brazil, among them facilities that churn out some iPhones, so it doesn't come as a surprise that Japanese blog Macotakara is out with a new report claiming that Apple's rumored mini iPad will be made in Brazil, just as we'd first heard back in January. The story conveniently coincides with another report from this morning calling for a media event for the iPad mini early in the second half of this month...

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The iPhone 5 WiFi bug reportedly carrier-agnostic, double-check your cellular data usage

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2012

We thought a bug with carrier settings that led to some iPhone 5 owners reporting burning through excessive cell data on Verizon was fixed when Apple pushed a carrier settings update and Verizon promised not to slap the iPhone 5 owners for unwarranted cellular data usage. According to the latest by big media, the problem could be worse than originally thought.

As an added "bonus", it doesn't appear to be contained to Verizon customers only as apparently customers of AT&T, Sprint and other carriers are experiencing the same cellular data overages stemming from this bug. It would seem that something about the iPhone 5 or perhaps iOS 6 is causing the same cellular data drain even when the device is connected to WiFi...

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Apple to issue invitations for iPad mini presser on October 10

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Echoing a report from August alleging an October launch for the mini iPad, the usually credible Fortune cites a “major Apple investor” who has it that the Cupertino, California-headquartered consumer electronics maker is set to issue invitations for an iPad mini-related media event on October 10. When the actual presser is exactly going to take place is anyone's guess at this point, but with invitations reportedly going out on October 10 we're probably looking at the official unveiling on Wednesday the following week, October 17...

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The iOS Maps song

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2012

The song-a-day man Jonathan Mann can be funny as hell, even more so considering he's been able to write a song a day for more than two years straight without ever running out of inspiration. He's back at it again with a new song about Apple's mapping woes. If you like it, check out his birthday song to Siri from last week (part one from last year is here). Joy of Tech also has a nice take on what happens when Apple Maps meet Siri...

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Devs can use the iPhone 5’s low-light boost mode in their own apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2012

The iPhone 5's iSight camera on the back features the same eight-megapixel sensor as its predecessor, the iPhone 4S, only thinner and with sapphire lens cover. In addition, the module has been improved for better low-light performance, yielding major quality improvements when snapping up your photos under artificial light or in low-light situations. And now, developer can optionally tap the iPhone 5's low-light camera mode in their own apps, which bodes well for dozens upon dozens of photography apps in the App Store...

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