Month: January 2013

Archos unveils new ultra-slim Bluetooth keyboard for iPad

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2013

Archos, a long-time producer of tablets and media players, announced this week that it's getting into the iPad accessory space with a new keyboard called the G10XS. It's the first product of a new division in the company dedicated to sharing its technology with other platforms.

The keyboard uses Bluetooth to connect the iPad, and is largely based on the keyboard found in the company's Gen10 XS tablet. It features Smart Cover-like magnets, a built-in kickstand, and with just a 0.2-inch depth, it's one of the thinnest iPad keyboards available...

First reviews of Kutcher’s ‘jOBS’ film hit the web

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2013

Ashton Kutcher's long-awaited jOBS, a biopic on the late Steve Jobs, debuted for the first time ever last night at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. And as you can imagine, the screening was chock-full of critics and tech bloggers.

The first reviews of the movie hit the web late last night, and the overall theme seems to be "good, not great." Both Kutcher and Gad (who plays Woz) received praise for their respective performances, but the film itself didn't seem to impress.

Here's a roundup of some of the top jOBS reviews from around the web...

iPen 2: a pressure-sensitive stylus for your iPad and Mac

Cody Lee ∙ January 26, 2013

Despite Steve Jobs' public disdain for styli—who can forget the infamous 'who wants a stylus?' line—the accessory has proven to be quite popular among Apple users. And if you've ever shopped around for one, you know the market is quite crowded.

But the folks at Cregle are hoping there's room for one more: the iPen 2. That's right, the team that brought you the original iPen for iPad are back with a much-improved stylus that works on a number of devices, including your iMac and Apple Display...

How to change an iPhone 5 screen in 3 minutes

Sébastien Page ∙ January 26, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=qvsLjaW2Qbo

In the DIY category, this one might come in handy to those of you who accidentally dropped their iPhone 5 and broke the screen. In this video, we are showed how to change the iPhone 5 screen in just about 3 minutes.

Note that the iPhone 5 screen is integrated with the digitizer and is replaced with the entire front assembly. Of course, you'll need a few tools to do the job, namely a Pentalobe screwdriver, a plastic pry tool, and a suction cup, all of them available for less than $3 on Amazon. Of course, you'll also need the digitizer frame assembly as well.

Apple adds ‘App Store Notes’ to Featured App descriptions

Cody Lee ∙ January 25, 2013

It's been discovered this afternoon that Apple has quietly added a new section to the descriptions of its featured App Store apps. It's called 'App Store Notes,' and the area is used to provide a brief summary of each application.

Apple's done something similar in the past, but it appears it's now rolling out the feature on a broader scale...

iPad mini shipping times improve to 3-5 days

Cody Lee ∙ January 25, 2013

During Apple's earnings call earlier this week, Tim Cook noted that the iPad mini was constrained for most of the holiday quarter. And he was right, estimated shipping times were as high as a month in November, and still a week out in December.

But it looks like Apple's supply is catching up with demand. Today, for the first time, those estimates have dropped below a week. In the United States, in Canada, and several other countries, Apple's web store is showing ship times of just 3-5 days...

iPhone 5S said to feature upgraded camera, new iPad Mini coming in October

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Following up on this morning's report of Apple's plans for this year's iPhone and iPad updates, iLounge has posted a new article with additional information. The intel comes from a 'trusted source,' and offers product code names and other specifics.

The previous scoop claimed that the iPad 5 has been redesigned, with iPad mini-like bezels and size, and has a target date of October. Details of the iPhone 5S were less bountiful, but the site has now elaborated on it and added remarks on the new mini...

Rumor: iPad 5 to feature mini-like design, iPhone 5S to look similar to current model

Cody Lee ∙ January 25, 2013

The often accurate Jeremy Horwitz of iLounge just published a monster report with details regarding the new iPad, and Apple's two new iPhones coming later this year. Horwitz nailed the iPhone 5 last May, and has a fairly good track record, so people tend to listen when he talks.

For starters he dishes about the iPad 5, saying the tablet has been completely redesigned with virtually no left or right bezels, and less space above and below the screen. It's described as a "stretched iPad mini," with chamfered edges, and is smaller than you'd imagine possible...

The iPhone is now one-fourth of the world’s smartphone market

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Lost in all of the talk of Apple's declining profits was that the iPhone now accounts for a quarter of all smartphones shipped globally in 2012.

Although Samsung's triple-digit yearly growth-rate blinded many observers, Apple last year did eek out 47 percent growth.

It was enough to make Apple the only smartphone maker beside the South Korean firm to show any growth at all in 2012. Apple shipped 136.8 million iPhones in 2012, up from 93.1 million units in 2011, according to technology researcher IDC. Wednesday, Apple announced it shipped 47.8 million iPhones during the fourth quarter of last year...

Pressure mounts on Apple to reveal iOS source code

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 25, 2013

Samsung's first crack at cornering Apple into providing the iOS source code came in November 2011, when it argued at an Australian court it needed to take a look into the iPhone 4S firmware in order to determine the extent of an alleged patent infringement.

And on its own turf in South Korea, the Galaxy maker is putting pressure on the Cupertino, California firm to reveal the iOS 6 source code to judge whether Apple's mobile operating system - specifically, the Notification Center feature - infringes its technology patents.

To say that Apple wasn't impressed would be an understatement: lawyers for the iPhone maker called Samsung's request “insane” and argued its rival is trying to force it into revealing its “most important data”...

Are analysts responsible for AAPL decline?

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

So... Exxon passed Apple to reclaim the title of the World's Most Valuable Corporation. But how much did Wall Street's prognosticators have to do with Apple's drop in value following its earnings report earlier this week?

While investors realize the company is facing stiff competition and potentially lower profits, a number of financial observers were way off in the predictions ahead of Wednesday results. Indeed, while Apple reported $54 billion in fourth-quarter revenue, analysts had forecast between $51.7 billion and $65.69 billion.

According to Fortune, some analysts were up to 17 percent wrong, while some well-known Wall Street Apple watchers came within 3 percent of the iPhone maker's final numbers. Partially as a result of such wildly-varying forecasts, Apple is changing the way to releases its revenue guidance...

Apple lists California-based Quanta Computer plant as Mac assembler

Cody Lee ∙ January 25, 2013

Back in November, some folks started seeing "Assembled in the USA" etched into the backs of their iMacs. This obviously led to the conclusion that Apple has been quietly moving some of its assembly operations from China to the United States.

Today we learn where, at least some of, those Macs are being put together. In a recent update to its Supplier Responsibility page, Apple has named Quanta Computer Inc., in its Fremont, California plant, as a final assembler for its Mac computers...