Month: January 2013

Apple confirms 128GB iPad 4, coming February 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

Just days after a new 'Ultimate' iPad SKU was discovered in iOS code strings, Apple on Tuesday launched the rumored 128GB fourth-generation iPad with Retina display. Corroborating retail sources, Apple said that the new storage option carries a $100 premium over the 64GB full-size iPad, which starts at $699 for the Wi-Fi-only version. In other words, a 128GB Wi-Fi-only iPad 4 will set you back $799, or $929 for the Wi-Fi + Cellular model. Both are available in black or white starting Tuesday, February 5, via Apple's online and brick-and-mortar stores as well as through select Apple Authorized Resellers...

The EFF clarifies legality of jailbreaking and unlocking in the US

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

The big news this week, aside from the new 128GB iPad and the impending jailbreak, has been that unlocking your phone became illegal in the US on Saturday. Law-breakers face a fine of up to $500,000 and/or 5 years in jail.

Well today, the folks over at the EFF (the Electronic Frontier Foundation) commented on the new regulations and have broken down what they really mean for us end-users. There's both good news and bad news...

iOS 6.1 patches Smart App Banner JavaScript bug

Cody Lee ∙ January 29, 2013

Last month, we reported that a JavaScript bug had been discovered involving Smart App Banners. Apple added the feature in iOS 6 as a way to help developers promote their apps and provide users with a direct link to download them.

Well as it turned out, these Smart Banners were enabling JavaScript in the iOS Settings app without user consent or knowledge. And this was considered to be a fairly serious security threat. But it looks like Apple has fixed it in iOS 6.1...

White House petition goes up to make unlocking phones legal again

Cody Lee ∙ January 29, 2013

By now, you've likely heard of the recent change in DMCA policy that makes the act of unlocking newer cell phones illegal. And even though the EFF clarified some things for us earlier today, it still sounds like we're getting screwed.

In fact, some folks feel so strongly about the new law that they've started a White House petition calling for the Obama administration to either rescind the decision, or create a new bill making unlocking permanently legal...

Why Apple rallying so much against plastic foreshadows a low-end iPhone

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 29, 2013

In the ongoing speculation surrounding Apple's intention to sell a low-cost iPhone, the word of the day is 'plastic'. Yes, the rumor is that the company will wrap iPhone 5 components and iPod design features in a plastic body. The report by iLounge is the second in two weeks suggesting an inexpensive iPhone may use plastic to keep costs down.

The blog cites only "reliable sources" to claim a low-cost iPhone would offer a four-inch Retina Display protected by the latest Gorilla Glass (see how strong it really is), among other features borrowed from the Apple smartphone, the fifth-gen iPod touch and the iPod classic.

Along with including the firm's new Lightning connector, the remainder of the device's features would follow the iPod touch design. The device's outer shape would appear like an iPod classic, the body composed of plastic...

Carriers watching closely as T-Mobile preps to offer iPhone on monthly installments

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

T-Mobile will officially sell the iconic iPhone in three to four months and when it does, the Deutsche Telekom-owned wireless carrier, the fourth-largest in the United States, will be offering Apple's handset on monthly installments. The struggling telco won't have to bet the farm by spending billions in upfront iPhone subsidy to Apple and would-be customers will get more bang for their buck in terms of voice and data.

It should be a win-win. Matter of fact, T-Mobile USA's strategy is "very intriguing" to Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam and AT&T boss Randall Stephenson applauds the idea and says that's something his company is "going to be watching" going forward.

Should the T-Mobile experiment pays off, it's entirely conceivable that the US market could finally catch up with the rest of the world by offering non-subsidized hardware and instead focus on more affordable wireless services...

Meanwhile, 128GB Surface Pro has only 83GB free storage (23GB on 64GB model)

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

So roughly two out of each three respondents in our poll say the new 128GB iPad 4 is going to be a tough sell when it arrives on February 5.

Some folks say there's no point in shelling out $929 for a top-of-the-line 128GB cellular iPad when a $70 more buys you an 11-inch MacBook Air.

And even though the entry-level Air has only half as much storage as the new 128GB iPad, it's a real computer, critics argue.

Comparing apples to oranges doesn't make sense, but what does is how Microsoft admitted - and on the day Apple announced the new 128GB iPad 4 offering, of all days - that the 128GB Surface Pro has only 83 gigabytes of free storage out of the box.

It ain't just a serious rounding error: a whopping 45GB is consumed by the Surface OS and bundled apps, Microsoft confirms...

Microsoft’s cloud-based Office 365 hits Mac and Windows without iOS/Android support

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Microsoft is at last getting into game, offering its well-known Office suite of products for consumers increasingly turning to the cloud. Office 365 Home Premium provides all the familiar Office applications - including Word, Excel and PowerPoint - along with online storage and a free hour of Skype each month. At $99 per year ($80 for students and educators) the cloud-based application suite will work on up to 5 Macs, PCs and Windows tablets. Five years after Google launched rival Google Docs (now Google Drive), Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer proclaims Office 365 a key component in a "fundamental shift" for the company.

After making billions as a software company, Ballmer is rebranding Microsoft as a devices and services firm, a move some may view as too little and too late for Redmond...

THX launches new app for calibrating your TV and home theater

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2023

THX, the company behind the high-fidelity audio/visual reproduction standard for movie theaters and consumer products, has released a new iOS application today called THX tune-up.

The app is built to help consumers calibrate, or 'get the most out of,' their HDTVs and home theater setups. And with the Super Bowl less than a week away, its timing couldn't be better...

Sprint, AT&T and Verizon confirm they will carry 128GB LTE iPad 4

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 23, 2018

Sprint, the nation's third-largest wireless carrier, wasted no time following Apple's quiet announcement of the 128GB iPad 4 earlier this morning, with multiple blogs confirming the telco will be carrying the newly announced gizmo.

Sprint's been selling iPhones and iPads since last year and today its SVP confirmed plans to sell the fourth-generation iPad with LTE, Retina display and 128 gigabytes of storage - likely beginning February 5, when it's scheduled to hit the Apple online and retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers...

Unreal’s Epic Citadel updated for Retina devices, launches on Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Remember the strikingly remarkable Epic Citadel demo? It knocked our panties off with jaw-dropping graphics! Not sure about you, but I'd never thought such detailed visuals would have been possible on mobile devices that early in the game. You can thank Epic's Unreal Engine 3 for that, actually. Arguably the best game engine, it powers some of the best iOS games, including Epic's own Infinity Blade series.

Today, the team has updated the free Epic Citadel iOS demo with nice Retina graphics on fifth-gen iPhone and iPod touch devices and iPad 4. There's also a brand new benchmarking mode and, for the first time, the demo is now available on Android smartphones and tablets, indicating future cross-platform releases.

Go past the fold for more tidbits, including a nice trailer for an upcoming iOS/Android game built on Epic's engine...

Meet Nooly, the most localized weather app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrN-SV_ZLoM

To say that I'm a big weather buff is an understatement. I think I need help because virtually every new weather app finds its way to my home screen, from free offerings like Solar and Sun to paid ones like WTHR. Weather.com, The Weather Channel and AccuWeather? So last century. It goes without saying I'd check out this latest entrant to the the crowded weather app category on the App Store.

Nooly sets itself apart from the crops of other weather apps by trying to predict the minute rain starts, the time light rain turns into thunderstorm, exactly when snow starts and at what time light rain turns to heavy rain - all tailored to your current geographical location and with each prediction accurate down to an area of 0.4 square miles, or approximately one square kilometer...