Month: November 2012

Libon relaunches globally with free HD calls and smart voicemail

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 29, 2012

We told you all about Libon a while ago. For those with short memories, Libon offered iOS users a way to take voicemail to the next level. Visual voicemail and customised messages depending on the caller were features that stood out, and we liked it a lot.

Now though, the Libon team has relaunched its app, this time adding in one or two features that not only improve the app as a whole, but also pitt it squarely as competition for some other well known, and highly established iOS apps.

Here's a little spoiler – it's pretty awesome...

Apple begins work on new Santa Clara campus

Cody Lee ∙ November 28, 2012

Apple has began work on a custom two-building campus on the north side of Stevens Creek Boulevard in Santa Clara, a few miles outside of Cupertino city limits. This is the company's first foray into the Silicon Valley city.

The two buildings will both be 6-stories high, and will eventually be home to more than 1,200 (or more) Apple employees. The first one will be about 188,000 square feet, and the second will be a bit smaller at 108,000...

Sharp launches a 32-inch Retina monitor that cries for an Apple HD TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Sharp, the struggling Japanese consumer electronics maker, is finally taking its low-power IGZO (indium gallium zinc oxide) panels off the ground, announcing Wednesday a 32-inch monitor built around this proprietary display tech. And with 4K resolution of 3,840-by-2,160 pixels, it's a marvel of cutting-edge display engineering.

That's four times the pixels of the current full HD standard which maxes out at 1,920-by-1,080 pixels. In addition to low power consumption, the new monitor achieves the industry's thinnest profile by adopting a specially designed edge LED backlight that's only 35mm deep...

This 3-inch Lightning cable fits on your key ring

Cody Lee ∙ November 28, 2012

Have you ever found yourself out and about with a dying iPhone and no charger? With the introduction of Apple's new Lightning port, that scenario isn't nearly as unlikely as it used to be.

That's why Kickstarters Kegan & Roberto developed the Nomad, a 3-inch USB-to-Lightning cable that fits on your key ring. That way, you'll never find yourself without an iPhone charger again...

WSJ: iTunes 11 arriving tomorrow

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 28, 2012

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is ready to finally push iTunes 11 right out of the gate Thursday, November 29. Apple delayed the software for a month because the redesigned media player was "taking longer than expected" and the company wanted to "take a little extra time to get it right". The Journal reports that the new iTunes has been delayed due to unspecified "engineering issues" that apparently required parts to be rebuilt...

Time Warner CEO speaks out about Apple TV

Cody Lee ∙ November 28, 2012

Apple's upcoming plans for the living room, and more specifically the TV space, has been a hot topic at Business Insider's IGNITION conference this week. It was the major focus of analyst Gene Munster's talk, and it was brought up again today with Jeff Bewkes, the CEO of media conglomerate Time Warner...

Google’s Chrome iOS browser gains Passbook support, better PDF handling

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 12, 2017

Hot on the heels of rolling out the improved Drive app with spreadsheet editing capabilities, Google today also refreshed its excellent Chrome browser for the iPhone and iPad. Google Chrome version 23.0.1271.91 (seriously? what's up with the versioning scheme?) is now available for download, bringing with it support for Apple's Passbook app on iOS 6 devices, better handling of PDF documents in external applications, new text encoding setting and more. Jump past the fold for your changelog and more tidbits...

China could soon top US as the largest iOS and Android market

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated March 12, 2018

If the global picture of mobile devices were a soap opera, it would be called "As the World Turns". A constant stream of numbers show how demand and usage is shifting away from the U.S. and to China. The latest figures show the Asian country will soon top the United States with the most active iOS and Android smartphone users.

While China's 167 million iOS and Android users currently puts the nation slightly behind the US at 181 million, that ranking will change in early 2013 as China's triple-digit growth rate easily outpaces America's maturing smartphone market, according to a new report released Wednesday by a mobile analytics firm...

Apple guaranteeing iPad mini deliveries before Christmas

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 28, 2012

Just spotted an interesting notice over at the online Apple Store, where Apple promises to deliver your iPad mini by Christmas if orders are placed by midnight December 5. "Order iPad mini by midnight December 5 for guaranteed delivery before Christmas", reads Apple's holiday shopping page.

A lot of kids' faces in the U.S. are gonna light up after unwrapping their Christmas gift. Over in the United Kingdom, however, shoppers must order the gadget by midnight today, or by December 4 in Canada. Apple's also sweetening the deal with free shipping and laser engraving. Hopefully, Santa won't say you've been a naughty boy...

Google Drive app gains native spreadsheet editing

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 28, 2012

Google's cloud-storage iOS client has received a nice little update today which brought out useful editing capability to Google spreadsheets. Google Drive version 1.2 arrives a little more than a month after the previous release brought us native Docs support and collaborative editing.

What's more, the software now finally allows for rich text copy-paste within a document and registers itself as a system-wide handler for uploading to Drive from other apps using the “Open in…” prompt.

The Android client was also refreshed with the ability to edit text within tables in documents and add a shortcut on the homescreen of your device to any specific file in Drive...

Angry Birds Star Wars updated with 20 icy Hoth levels, AT-AT walkers and pigtroopers

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_t_PAs9eh0

If you've played Angry Birds Star Wars through and are yearning for more, check out the first content update, now available for download. Expanding on the initial levels on planet Tatooine and the Death Star, this content update contains new levels set on the icy planet of Hoth. Another surprise: Pink Bird debuts as Princess Leia. Also, looks like there are some AT-AT walkers to take down and pigtroopers to fight, too...

Apple’s tablet lead over Android could be shrinking faster than earlier thought

Ed Sutherland ∙ November 28, 2012

Remember the days when analysts and Wall Street observers believed the iPad would continue to lead tablet sales for years, and Android competitors still needed work? Funny how time flies. Although Apple isn't laughing, there is talk Google could overtake Apple in 2013. The problem is the iPad's lead over a pack of Android alternatives is shrinking to that when the Apple tablet was introduced in 2010.

Also, remember all those non-Android slates from HP and RIM? Yeah, neither does anyone else. That's the other problem...