Month: January 2013

FTC drops Google antitrust inquiry as it agrees to license essential patents

Cody Lee ∙ January 4, 2013

Good news out of Washington this week. The FTC has announced that it's reached a settlement with Google regarding its antitrust investigation. The Federal Trade Commission was going after the search giant for several reasons, including patent abuse.

But not anymore. Google has agreed, among other things, to license several of its standard-essential patents — many of which it picked up in its recent acquisition of Motorola — to its competitors under FRAND (fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory) terms...

The Daily Recap – Jan 3, 2013 edition

Jeff Benjamin ∙ January 3, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKLIN6mY2DY

Welcome to The Daily Recap for January 3rd, 2013. Watch our video for a quick look at some of the top stories from the day in less than two minutes. If you missed out on any of today's big news, this is a great way for you to get caught up fast.

For your convenience, you'll also find links to all of the stories listed in today's recap inside...

Pod2g calls for Apple to open up iOS for tweaks and themes

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Well known iOS hacker pod2g went on a bit of a rant on Twitter today regarding the current state of iOS. The security expert says that he's seeing a lot of his 'geek friends' migrate from iOS to Android, and he wants to see Apple open up its mobile platform to help stop the bleeding.

He points out that there are no technical issues preventing Apple from allowing developers to submit tweaks or themes — it would just need to enlarge its API/SDK. And it would be able to review them just like they do with App Store submissions before approving them for iOS...

Patent gives a peek into Apple’s retail prowess

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 3, 2013

No matter if you are in Syracuse, NY or Singapore, when you step into an Apple Store, you're likely to be greeted in a singular manner. That's no mistake. In fact, the 'brain' of Apple's retailing success is part of a patent filing for a centralized floor plan management. It's entitled "System and method for planning layout of a retail store" and details, well, everything.

Starting from how the tech giant uses the iPad and centrally-controlled in-store displays to offer customers a unified appearance, no matter which Apple Store around the globe you happen to waltz in. Indeed, if tech retailing were part of the Star Trek universe, Apple locations would be manned by the Borg - seeming to operate with one mind...

Minimalistic puzzler Hundreds from Canabalt makers now available for download

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 3, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aM0Vo7neVpw#at=17

If you're a fan of iOS puzzlers with a twist, don't miss out on Hundreds, an unusual puzzle game for the iPhone and iPad from the guys that brought you Canabalt, the popular side-scrolling platformer with retro graphics. Pitched as a game "about the space between you and the serene", its premise involves growing floating bubbles by tapping them until they add to 100. The only problem: the bubbles turn red when touched and if they collide when red, it's game over. If you'll excuse me, I've got some bubbles to grow...

Corning announces Gorilla Glass 3 ahead of CES

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

With just a few days left until the Consumer Electronics Show kicks off in Las Vegas, Corning, a Kentucky-based glass-maker, has announced the third iteration of its popular Gorilla Glass line.

As most of you know, Gorilla Glass is a high-strength, thin sheet of glass used as a protective cover in many touch screen devices, including Apple products. And version 3 is a lot more durable...

Ashton Kutcher’s ‘jOBS’ will hit theaters in April

Cody Lee ∙ January 3, 2013

Great news movie buffs, it's just been officially announced that the jOBS film starring Ashton Kutcher will hit theaters in a few months. The movie, which has garnered a lot of attention from the media, takes a biographical look at Steve Jobs' life.

Last month, we heard that the flick was going to debut at the Sundance Film Festival later this month. And today we've learned that Five Star Feature Film and Open Road Films are teaming up to distribute the film, and it's coming in April...

How to create a custom carrier logo without jailbreaking using Windows

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 14, 2018

A few days ago we showed you how to add a custom carrier logo to a non-jailbroken cellular iOS device. The app to enable the hack — CarrierEditor — is a Mac only app, so only Mac users were able to take advantage of the feature.

Now it's your turn, Microsoft faithful, as developer Dany Lisiansky steps up to the plate to provide a custom carrier logo solution for Windows users

If you read our original post on CarrierEditor, then you'll be happy to note that the process for adding a custom carrier logo using a Windows machine is virtually the same as it is on the Mac. Take a look inside as we break down the entire process in our full video walkthrough...

No Apple/Waze deal happening after all

Cody Lee ∙ January 3, 2013

Yesterday, news broke that Apple was looking into buying Israeli start-up Waze Mobile, creators of the popular GPS app. Obviously, with all of the trouble Apple's had with its own mapping software, and the fact that the two companies are partners, the deal made sense.

But according to a new report today from the well-connected MG Siegler, there is no deal. The TechCrunch columnist wrote this morning that though there have likely been several meetings between Apple and Waze due to their partnership, there's nothing more going on...

Amid iWatch talk, Pebble teases ‘big news’ at CES

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 3, 2013

Pebble, the company behind the upcoming smart watch of the same name, is telling its Kickstarter backers that "it's time" for some "big news" as the company promises to livestream its CES news event January 9 at at 12pm ET. For those unaware, their Pebble E-Paper Watch has been long in the making and last April became the most highly funded Kickstarter project to date, which tells you there's certainly some demand for such a product.

Should the company finally releases its iOS and Android smart watch, it could breathe new life into the product category that cries for a sprinkle of Apple magic. Or perhaps Pebble Technology figured it better release its gizmo ahead of a rumored iWatch Apple's reportedly been collaborating on with Intel? Either way, looks like 2013 will be the year of smart watches...

Apple passes LG for second U.S. spot as iOS-Android duopoly tops 90%

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 3, 2013

Lots of interesting data points to chew on in the latest comScore survey pertaining to cell phone sales in the United States during a three-month period ending November 2012. According to data, having knocked LG out of the position it held, Apple rose to become the second cell phone maker in the United States, despite only making smartphones.

Furthermore, nearly one out of each five mobile phone owners in the country is now using an iPhone. Looking just at smartphones, more than one in three U.S. subscribers now own a 'boring' iPhone. And as Apple and Samsung remain the only two smartphone vendors seeing growth in the U.S., no wonder iOS and Android now hold 90 percent of the country's market for smartphones. Talk about duopoly!