Month: May 2013

More Evernote awesomeness: native reminders launch in iOS/Mac client

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

What started out as a simple note-taking solution is quickly becoming the Internet's favorite information management platform.

We're talking about Evernote, of course, the Jack of all trades, at least when it comes to note-taking, and I'm using the term loosely here. But if there's one feature that's been notably absent from Evernote it's the concept of time - but no more.

Thanks to a major update issued earlier today, Evernote users on iOS and OS X can now take advantage of reminders, right in their notes. With this helpful new feature, Evernote just leveled up in a major way.

Reminders sync across devices seamlessly, facilitate to-do lists, deliver in-app and email alarms, can be notebook-specific and allow for a range of interesting capabilities not possible before. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty, shall we?

New report claims budget iPhone production begins soon, 5S has dual LED flash

Cody Lee ∙ May 23, 2013

Say what you want about the idea of a 'budget' iPhone, but industry insiders seem to be extremely confident that the handset is coming. We've heard a number of reports over the past few months regarding Apple's efforts to create a sub-$300 smartphone.

In fact, another report has surfaced this afternoon claiming that the cheaper iPhone is on the way. This one comes from the folks over at Macotakara, a Japanese blog with a fair track record in Apple intel, who allege to have new details about the device...

AT&T slaps customers with all-new Mobility Administrative Fee

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2013

AT&T fanboys, beware - as of May 1, your favorite carrier has instituted a new Mobility Administrative Fee which adds an extra $0.61 per line, per month to your wireless bill.

Yes, you'll hardly notice the additional charge, but it does work out to an extra $7.32 per phone line per year, or nearly thirty bucks annually for a family account with four lines.

But multiply the figure by AT&T's nearly 70 million postpaid customers and that paltry $0.61 per-line charge quickly adds up to an additional hundreds of millions of extra dollars for the telco, each year. Wait, what's a Mobility Administrative Fee, you ask...

Angry Birds Space goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ May 23, 2013

It's pretty mind-boggling to think about what the folks at Rovio have done with the Angry Birds franchise. What started out as just a simple game has turned into a multimedia empire complete with its own clothing line, TV show, and feature film.

And for those of you who've yet to see what all of the fuss is about, I have some good news for you. Apple has just named Angry Birds Space as its 'App of the Week', meaning you can download the game (iPhone and iPad) for free for a limited time...

Apple confirms WWDC keynote to take place June 10

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

With Apple's annual World Wide Developer Conference now just a few weeks away, it's hard not to get at least a little excited. After all, the Cupertino company is expected to show off new versions of OS X and iOS during its WWDC keynote.

And it looks like we'll be seeing that keynote on Monday, June 10. In an unsurprising move this morning, Apple has confirmed that it will be making all of its big announcements on the first day of WWDC at the Moscone Center in San Francisco...

Jon Stewart on Apple’s Senate probe

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2013

Earlier this week, Apple's CEO Tim Cook came to Washington and escaped unscathed. The focus of media coverage has now seemingly moved away from Apple to the greater tactics some of the well-known corporations use to funnel their money using the world's tax havens - and perfectly legally, too.

But the hot topic isn't going away as the nearly bankrupt government seeks ways to tax hundreds of billions of dollars kept overseas. And per usual, the American political satirist and the Daily Show host Jon Stewart has jumped on the opportunity to exploit the controversy.

I don't want to spoil the fun for you, but he's asserting U.S. senators are Apple fanboys. The clip is right after the break...

Smule’s latest hit: social guitar-playing game for iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 13, 2019

Smule is among early iOS developers that have been continuously raising the bar on what's possible on Apple's iPhone. They make a bunch of social music-making applications and their latest offering is a free iPhone game called Guitar!.

Like many other Smule apps, Guitar! challenges you to play a virtual guitar on your iPhone or iPod touch and earn points based on your performance.

You can then compare your standings to your friends in global leaderboards. And as you progress, the app unlocks a range of Electric and Rock guitars that let you try out new guitar sounds. And no, you don't have to be a musician as the whole point of the game is social music making. A promo video and other highlights are right after the break...

Another Microsoft ad disses iPad’s specs, multitasking, AirPrint and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2013

Wow, that was quick. Following on yesterday's Windows 8 commercial which uses Apple's Siri to highlight the iPad's perceived flaws - such as its $499 price point versus an Asus VivoTab Smart and lack of Office (go figure), the Redmond-based software giant today release another ad along the same lines.

Suggestively titled 'Comparison: iPad vs. Windows 8 Tablet', the commercial pits an iPad 4 against an Asus Vivo Tab RT, which is based on the same ARM CPU technology like Apple's tablet. However, the software maker has been caught cheating...

After being dumped from App Store, AppGratis launches Android version

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

After great wailing and gnashing of teeth about its banishment from Apple's App Store earlier this year, AppGratis is back - for Android users. The app recommendation engine was yanked after Apple outlawed iOS apps which promoted other apps.

Now in the Google's Play store Android repository, developers claim AppGratis "is designed from the ground up" for the iOS rival. Yet, the service appears much like the AppGratis ejected from the app's first choice, the App Store...

High iPhone 5 repair costs blamed on Apple’s tight components control

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2013

Eight months into its September 2012 launch, Apple's iPhone 5 is still a pricey gadget to service.

Be it a smashed screen, an earpiece that needs replacing or its most unreliable iPhone component - the Home button - some replacement components for the handset remain pricey compared against prior iPhones.

In an in-depth piece, MarketWatch looks at the iPhone aftermarket to conclude that the iPhone 5 repair costs remain high due to Apple's tight control of Asian supply chain for components and replacement parts...

How to clear duplicates from Open With menu on Mac

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated May 30, 2017

I love my Mac but sometimes it does some strange things, such as showing me duplicate entries in the "Open With" contextual menu you get when you right click on a document. While I'm not sure why it happens, I hear it's due to the Launch Services database.

Of course, there probably is a valid explanation as to why and how it happens. Some people might even be able to convince me it's more of a feature rather than a bug, but the fact of the matter is that it drives me absolutely insane.

If like me, you are annoyed by this, I'll show you how to delete duplicates from the "Open With" menu on your Mac.

Shazam for iPad gains exclusive background television-tagging features

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

The iPad edition of the media fingerprinting and discovery app Shazam has been updated today with a couple noteworthy enhancements.

First and foremost, the app can now auto-tag the music, television shows and ads playing around you (most likely on your telly), even when the app is in the background (you'll see the red bar when auto-tagging is running).

This interesting television-tagging capability lets you surf the web, check your email and chat with your friends, for example, while Shazam dutifully identifies what's playing on the radio or your telly. You can then revisit those tags later to pick the media you're interested in.

And, a redesigned homescreen makes it easier to see what your Facebook friends have been watching and listening to, explore popular tags by continents, countries, regions, cities and towns and browse the most tagged TV shows in the past few hours...