Month: January 2013

T-Mobile now hosts 1.9M iPhones, first LTE market goes online by February

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8B3A2hcU5c

T-Mobile's iPhone-friendly service rolled out in fourteen new metro areas to close out 2012. The high-speed HSPA+ service on the 1900MHz band, which is compatible with the iPhone, now covers more than a hundred million people in the United States. Though it still doesn't officially carry Apple's iconic smartphone, the Deutsche Telekom-owned wireless company has nano SIMs for your iPhone 5 and provides free support to unlockers willing to bring their iPhone and sign up for T-Mobile's unlimited 4G data.

While this won't be enough to prevent customer defections that are now hurting its bottom line, it seems iPhone owners are increasingly coming to T-Mobile as its HSPA+ becomes available in more markets. Just in December, the carrier hosted 1.7 million iPhone devices on its network, but the figure has now surged to 1.9 million iPhones...

Steve Ballmer crashes CES keynote and other Qualcomm tidbits

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 27, 2016

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn_XI3dU-kU

Though Microsoft passed on this year's CES keynote, that didn't stop the company's boss Steve Ballmer from making his trademark entrance to last night's keynote by Qualcomm CEO Paul Jacobs. His running out on stage wasn't on par with the previous bigger than life entrances and the now famous 'developers' chant and was in fact a prearranged surprise, but it's still kinda noteworthy. Ballmer basically praised Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors that power new Windows 8 and Windows Phone devices. Qualcomm made a number of announcements at the show and the company's keynote wasn't short on celebrities...

Retinafied Firefox 18 browser released

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

Mozilla, the non-profit organization behind the Firefox browser, on Tuesday released a new version of the software that finally brings out Retina support. Firefox 18, now available for download from Mozilla, adds support for Apple's high-resolution Macs nearly six months after Google's Chrome browser. In addition to the crisp UI elements on Retina Macs, Firefox 18 also enables significant speed gains for JavaScript web apps. Firefox 18 is compatible with OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard or later, and requires at least 512 megabytes of RAM and 200 megabytes of hard drive space...

Samsung delays Galaxy tablet suits with iPad invalidation claims in Spain

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

In an effort to minimize the impact of last year's ruling by a Dusseldorf court which issued an EU-wide ban on Samsung’s flagship Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet over Apple's design patents pertaining to the iPad, Samsung thinks it's found a nice way to weasel its way out of this mess. And

Samsung's answer to this is simple, really: instead of fighting Apple's re-asserted claim that its Galaxy tablets "slavishly" copy the iPad, Samsung figured it could delay the lawsuits in Germany by filing an invalidity bid in in another country, Spain. As a result, the German suits over the design of the products are scheduled to be put on hold until the process in Spain is completed. If all venues are used, the process can take as long as four years...

CES 2013: Sharp talks IGZO display tech

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

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

Sharp, one of Japan's three struggling consumer electronics giants (the other two are Sony and Panasonic), showed off its IGZO panels at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Last we heard, Apple was hoping to use IGZO tech in upcoming products. It's interesting Sharp's demonstration included Corning, the maker of the iPhone's cover glass that in its third-generation boasts 40 percent higher scratch resistances and 50 percent better overall strength. Sharp's IGZO technology requires only a fraction of energy compared to traditional LCD screens and provides richer, livelier colors, deeper blacks and overall sharper images while maintaining the thinness of in-cell display tech featured on the iPhone 5...

Disney brings augmented reality to toys via iDevices

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 8, 2013

It's a familiar story. You buy your children the hottest toy, which soon loses its magic and ends up in a pile of the other overly-priced and unused items. Disney is hoping its found the solution via your iPhone or iPad camera, an iOS app and augmented reality. The goal: extending the life of toys - especially those with the Disney logo.

Instead of just playing with a Disney piano or a licensed Little Mermaid doll, children can point the camera of their Apple or Android device at a specially-designed toy and watch as cartoon characters interact with the item. The media firm's DreamPlay technology was unveiled Tuesday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas...

Translucent mod kit for the iPhone 5 arrives

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5jUBKMkg_M

Modders are gonna have a field day with this new kit from iPhone5mod, the accessory firm that brought you cheap (and unofficial, of course) Lightning cables and adapters, docks, iPhone 5 backplate replacements and what not. So, if you're afraid of dings and scratches appearing on your brand spanking new iPhone 5 the instant you look at it the wrong way - but dislike cases and sleeves for their bulk and because they hide the beauty of your 'Rolex of smartphones' - you should check out iPhone5mod's new mod kit for the iPhone 5.

That is, assuming you're okay with voiding your warranty as you should look to pros who are adept at disassembling gadgets because half a dozen parts need replacing with their scratch-proof, anti-fingerprint, see-through counterparts. As a bonus, replacements for the top and bottom panels on the back come in seven interesting colors so you can mix'n'match them for some unique styles. Oh, once pimped up, your device will be even lighter...

Amid swirling iPhone mini rumors, Tim Cook meets China’s high-level officials

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Apple CEO Tim Cook is fast becoming a frequent visitor to China. Cook's meeting with that country's Industry and IT Ministry to discuss the near doubling of Apple Stores follows an early visit to quiet critics of Foxconn and rumors of iPhone sweatshops. China's Ministry of Industry and Information announced Cook met with the agency's Miao Wei.

The subject of talk: Apple's business goals for China, as well as global communications. Since a trip to China in March 2012, the number of Apple Stores there have increased to 11 from 6...

Rumor: larger, inexpensive iPhones heading to emerging markets in late-2013

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

One analyst earlier in the week noted Apple will simply have to recognize the untapped segment of inexpensive prepaid handsets, an area that could boost it beyond its chief rival Samsung.

Conveniently enough, now comes word that such a device is in the works and could be released to emerging markets in the second half of this year.

But here's the kicker: the so-called iPhone mini, as the media affectionately dubbed it, is anything but small. According to a rumor out of Asia, the device has a new design and larger display and is specifically being targeted at China and other emerging markets, where Apple's market share has been declining amid the onslaught of inexpensive Androids and local brands...

AT&T confirms ‘best-ever’ sales of iPhone and Android smartphones

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2013

Ahead of its earnings call pertaining to calendar 2012 fourth-quarter results scheduled for January 24, carrier AT&T just announced, reporting 'best-ever' sales of Apple and Android smartphones. The Dallas, Texas wireless company sold a record ten million smartphones powered by Apple's and Google's platform during the holiday quarter of 2012 as Android and iPhone sales hit all-time highs. The figure beats the year-ago quarter when AT&T moved 9.4 million smartphones, 7.6 million of them being iPhones.

The “best-ever quarterly sales of Android and Apple smartphones”, according to AT&T Mobility President and Chief Executive Officer Ralph de la Vega, came down to an average of 110,000 smartphone sales each day. “These are the industry’s most valuable postpaid subscribers with average revenues twice that of non-smartphone subscribers", he noted...

Microsoft actually applauds Windows RT jailbreak

Cody Lee ∙ January 8, 2013

This is kind of interesting. Earlier this week, Microsoft's new Windows RT was jailbroken for the first time. The operating system was hacked to run unsigned, arm-based desktop applications using a memory exploit.

Surprisingly, the Redmond-based software company commented on the news yesterday, saying that it actually applauded the efforts of those involved in the jailbreak, and all of the work they did to document it...

The MAUZ turns your iPhone into the ultimate computer mouse

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 23, 2018

Thanks to the introduction of the App Store, we've had the ability to turn our iPhones into computer mice for quite some time now. Off the top of my head I can think of several apps that do this, including Mobile Mouse and Touch Mouse by Logitech.

But none of them can do what the team at Spicebox is claiming their new MAUZ accessory can do. The peripheral connects to your iPhone via the dock connector, and gives you motion and gesture-based control over computers and other gadgets...