Month: May 2013

New Apple Television concept surfaces

Will Apple's long rumored television set ever see the light of day? Who knows. But Sam Beckett's new concept video shows off some of the awesome things that might be possible with a full sized Apple TV. It shows off scheduling recordings, swiping between channels, and of course, Siri integration. The best thing about it all? It's fully controlled using an iPad mini...

LSFlatAlerts improves single Lock screen notifications

I don't know about you, but I've never been fond of the singular pop-up alerts that show up on the Lock screen when you receive a notification. It's singular, weird, and way too imposing for my tastes.

The thing is, once you receive a second notification, the view switches to a more attractive flat list view. I much prefer this multiple notification view over the solo view. Considering this, I was intrigued when I saw a new tweak — LSFlatAlerts — make its way to the Cydia store. It's a jailbreak tweak that makes all notifications, even single ones, appear in the more attractive flat list view.

U.S. Air Force could save $50M using 18,000 iPads

Taking a lesson learned by civilian airlines, the U.S. Air Force has purchased 18,000 iPads expected to save more than $50 million over the next decade. The move from bulky paper flight manuals to tablets should save nearly $6 million each year in fuel and printing costs.

In an interview, the airlift arm of the U.S. military said the switch to 32GB Wi-Fi Retina iPads as electronic flight bags would reduce aircraft weight by 90 pounds per aircraft - up to 490 pounds for huge C-5 transports. In 2012, American Airlines received FAA go-ahead to use iPads in the cockpit...

Pentagon clears iPhones and iPads

As expected, the Pentagon has finally approved Apple's iPhone and iPad devices for use on the United States military networks, Bloomberg learned Friday. The clearance sets the stage for Apple to compete with Samsung and BlackBerry for military sales. According to the report, the Defense Department today approved the use of Apple’s portable products running the iOS 6 software...

Apple reportedly cuts back on iPad mini screens ahead of next-gen model

The hit-and-miss DigiTimes, a Taiwanese trade publication, Friday reported that Apple is expected to cut back on iPad mini display orders in the third quarter of 2013 as it gears up to manufacture a second-generation iPad mini.

According to the publication's supply chain sources, AU Optronics' (AUO) shipments of panels for the iPad mini are expected to decrease from four million units in the first quarter of 2013 to 2.5-2.8 million units in the second.

AUO is also expected to see more order cuts going into the third quarter - not due to weak demand, but because it's facing manufacturing issues so Apple is now expected to buy its iPad mini panels mainly from rival LG Display, which is also a rumored supplier of Retina-grade screens for the second-generation iPad mini...

Corning launches Lotus XT Glass ahead of next-gen iPhone

Corning Glass, Inc. made a name for itself when Steve Jobs chose the Kentucky-based company to supply cover glass for the original iPhone because he wanted the device's touchscreen to ooze premium quality. Nowadays, Corning glass is found protecting mobile screens used on the vast majority of smartphones and tablets out there.

Although the company unveiled the ultra-slim Willow Glass last June, that product is aimed at mobile devices that incorporate flexible displays and could theoretically be used for a rumored iWatch. Ahead of CES, the firm launched its 40 percent more scratch resistant and 50 percent stronger Gorilla Glass 3.

And just yesterday, they announced the commercial launch of Corning Lotus XT, a second-generation glass substrate aimed at high-performance displays...

BlackBerry Messenger will be iPhone-only at launch

If you've been looking to enjoy BlackBerry's upcoming Messenger app on your iPad, bad news. Blackberry’s software portfolio chief Vivek Bhardwaj tells Trusted Reviews that the app will only target the iPhone and Android smartphones, at least initially. Although he wouldn't ruled out the possibility of an iPad edition down the road, he didn't specifically mention it either.

That's hardly surprising given BlackBerry's lackluster PlayBook tablet and the firm's general failure in the tablet space, though it's hard to escape the feeling that BlackBerry Messenger for iPad would make sense for the business types who've come to depend on their Apple tablet for work...

Can Knockdown 3 smashes into the App Store

The series (Can Knockdown, Can Knockdown 2) saw over fifteen million downloads and is still going strong - for a good reason, too. The game is just a blast of fun to play because its execution and gameplay offer the same can-smashing carnival experience you've come to love.

I still turn to the first two installments in the series every now and then, whenever a few minutes need killing.

And now, Polish-based development studio Infinite Dreams (they're behind an awesome ceramics-making app (Let's create! Pottery HD, Let's Create! Pottery HD Lite) is out with Can Knockdown 3. The sequel will challenge your aim and hone your precision to new heights and I guarantee you won't be able to put the game down so easily...

Impossible Road: a game that redefines minimalism

Casual arcade games offer a great way to pass the time. They are usually simple games that you can pick up and play and not feel bad about setting back down at a moment’s notice. When you are in the mood for a casual game, the simple ones are the best.

IMPOSSIBLE ROAD is a simple casual game that requires very little thought, but might drive you mad. Although minimalistic in design, this game is anything but easy…

Gone free: N.O.V.A. 3, Gangstar Rio, Pudding Monsters

If you're on the lookout for not-to-be-missed price drops on premium iOS games, iDB has you covered. French games maker Gameloft has just reduced its two triple-A games, sci-fi shooter N.O.V.A. 3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and Grand Theft Auto-like Gangstar Rio: City of Saints to zero bucks each. Considering these titles are respectively priced at $6.99 and $4.99, you're looking at a cool $11.98 saving right off the bat. Both are free this weekend only so go ahead and download N.O.V.A. 3 and Gangstar Rio: City of Saints now.

By the way, both are universal - meaning they run natively on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices. Last, but not the least, fans of casual games should definitely check out Pudding Monsters from ZeptoLab, the creators of the popular Cut the Rope physics-based puzzler series...

iOS and Android gamers spend 3X as much as handheld console owners

I still remember vividly how industry heavy-weights Sony, Nintendo and Microsoft initially laughed off gaming on the iPhone. It was right after Apple slashed the iPod touch to the sweet $199 price point that it became clear to me that gaming on high-end smartphones and tablets would eventually outgrow that on dedicated handheld consoles such as Sony's PSP and Nintendo's DS family.

Enter a new report by research firm IDC and analytics service App Annie which reveals just how far along mobile gaming has come. According to the study, users of smartphones and tablets spend nearly three times as much purchasing games on Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store as handheld device owners.

If these numbers are anything to go by, smart mobile devices will soon relegate dedicated handheld consoles to a niche market, if not eventually kill the category altogether...

Virgin Mobile taking 15% off prepaid iPhone 4 and 4S

Apple is widely expected to unveil a new smartphone in the coming months, so it's no surprise that we're starting to see a flurry of specials on its older models. Verizon is knocking $100 off the iPhone 5, and T-Mobile will give you one for $0 with a trade-in.

In a similar fashion, prepaid carrier Virgin Mobile USA is hosting a promotion right now that will knock 15% off the price of the iPhone 4/4S. Now that may not seem like a very big discount, but it's big enough to land you a no-contract iPhone for under $300...