Year: 2014

Path jumps on the private messaging bus, releases new Talk for iPhone app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Path, the private social network for families and close friends, is jumping on the messaging bandwagon with launch of a new privacy-focused, standalone messaging software for the iPhone.

Available free in the App Store, Path Talk is basically a spin-off of Path's in-app messenger. For starters, your message exchanges get automatically wiped out from the servers after 24 hours.

And, Path Talk has a nice Ambient Status feature that automatically lets your friends know when you’re in transit, in the neighborhood and even low on battery, possibly helping reduce some misunderstandings in online communication...

T-Mobile confirms signing up more than 12,000 people to take home a free iPhone 5s for a week

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 20, 2014

The nation's fourth-largest wireless carrier, T-Mobile, is close to getting acquired by Japan's Softbank-owned Sprint in a deal valued at $40 billion, but that's not stopping them from solving customer pain points.

At last week's ‘Uncarrier 5.0.’ event in Washington, the Deutsche Telekom-owned company has announced a pair of new initiatives - ‘Music Freedom’ and ‘Unradio’.

More importantly, it's launched a new program called ‘Test Drive’ which borrows would-be switchers an iPhone 5s for a seven-day period to test-drive its LTE network. And believe it or not, the carrier has already seen more than 12,000 sign-ups for Text Drive ahead of June 23, when the service actually opens.

Note to Legere: call Apple for more iPhones...

Sega discounts Sonic games to 99 cents

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Encouraged by strong response to April's 99-cent sale of Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and Sonic the Hedgehog 2, the Japanese games maker Sega has put in effect a massive Sonic games sale.

Valid for a limited-time only, as many as seven Sonic releases have been slashed from a few bucks to just 99 cents, including Sonic Jump, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing and Sonic CD, to mention a few.

Go past the fold for the full list of discounted games along with their download links...

Today only: PayPal offering $10 iTunes Gift card for $5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 2, 2016

Last December, PayPal started selling iTunes gift cards and other digital vouchers through its new Digital Gifts Store.

It's perhaps the most convenient and hassle-free option to quickly top up your iTunes credit via PayPal, provided you're in the United States.

The problem is, every now and then other retailers discount iTunes vouchers.

Typically, 20 percent off is the best deal you can find and 30 percent or more off is pretty rare, but we've never seen a discount of 50 percent or more on iTunes Gift cards.

Good today only and while supplies last, PayPal is now offering a $10 iTunes Gift card for just five bucks...

DockWare: access the iOS dock from anywhere

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

DockWare is a brand new jailbreak tweak that brings an interesting idea to the table: it lets you access your iOS dock from anywhere, even while within apps. DockWare uses Activator gestures to accomplish this feat, allowing you to both display and hide the iOS dock while on the Home screen or while within apps.

We've taken DockWare for a spin on video in order to show you how it works in action. It's an interesting tweak, but at $1.99 on Cydia's BigBoss repo, it probably won't be for everyone. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside to see what we mean.

Yo hack compromises your phone contacts, but fix is underway

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

Yesterday, I told you about Yo, a ridiculous new messaging app which lets people exchange two-character "Yo" messages. Some like Stephen Colbert have eviscerated Yo for being utterly useless and plain dumb while others point out the fact that it's received more than $1 million in VC-backed funding as a proof that the mobile messaging space is booming with innovation.

Be that as it may, turns out the controversial software poses something of a security risk as a pair of college students have found a vulnerability allowing them to compromise any Yo user’s phone number, spam them with unsolicited messages and more.

Yo founder Or Arbel has confirmed that the app was “having security issues” and has promised to deliver a fix “in next few hours”...

Air Stylus turns iPad into pressure-sensitive drawing tablet for your Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2018

Both FiftyThree's Surface Pressure technology coming to its Pencil stylus this Fall and Adobe's new Ink stylus offer a glimpse of iOS 8′s variable touch sizing technology that allows these accessories to vary the pressure, thickness and width of lines you create.

Say you're an artist in a desperate need of a drawing tablet. Sure, you could pick up a dedicated Mac drawing tablet from the likes of Wacom, Intuos and others.

But why spend hundreds of dollars on a dedicated drawing surface when you already have one in your home - your iPad? All you need to turn your beloved Apple tablet into a pressure-sensitive drawing tablet for the Mac is Air Stylus, a $19.99 app from Avatron...

iWatch to come in multiple designs with more than 10 sensors

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Hot on the heels of a report from Reuters yesterday regarding the iWatch, The Wall Street Journal has published a scoop of its own on Apple's oft-rumored smartwatch. The outlet agrees with some previous speculation, and offers up some new details on the device.

Citing sources familiar with the project, the site says Apple is planning multiple versions of its smartwatch. It's working on different designs, and sizes, in an effort to appeal to various tastes in fashion. It also adds that the watch will feature more than 10 built-in sensors...

Warner Bros. releases ‘LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril’ for iOS

Cody Lee ∙ June 20, 2014

In a somewhat surprising move, Warner Bros. has released a new game from its popular Lego franchise for iOS called 'LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril'. The title, which landed on PCs and consoles last year, is now available on both the iPhone and iPad.

Like most LEGO games, Marvel Super Heroes: Universe in Peril falls in the action adventure genre. Players take control of Iron Man, Spider-Man, the Hulk and other Marvel characters in an effort to stop villains from building weapon capable of destroying the world...

Divoom Voombox-Travel is an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker for the outdoorsman

Joe Rossignol ∙ June 20, 2014

When I went to the Consumer Electronics Show last year, I was surprised at just how many companies in the iLounge Pavilion were showcasing wireless Bluetooth speakers. I've always questioned the purpose of these speakers, since I have a surround sound setup in my office or simply consider my MacBook Pro speakers to be good enough when I'm out and about.

A recent outdoor event in which I only had my iPhone on me quickly changed my perspective. If you've ever tried listening to music through the iPhone speakers, you probably agree that the smartphone sounds pretty awful. Thankfully, I had packed an ultra-portable Bluetooth speaker in my backpack. It's called the Divoom Voombox-Travel, and I offer a full review ahead…

Apple rolls out new design for its Support Communities website

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Following a report yesterday regarding incoming improvements to the AppleCare program and its customer support tools, Apple has rolled out an update to its Support Communities website that includes a fresh new design.

The new look is cleaner and more streamlined than its predecessor, which makes for easier navigation, and it extends throughout the portal. It even reaches the forums, where users congregate to resolve various problems...

Apple seeds OS X 10.9.4 build 13E19 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Apple has seeded the third beta of OS X 10.9.4 to registered Mac developers this afternoon. The update comes almost a month after Apple released OS X 10.9.3 to the public, which included improved 4K display support and more.

Today’s new 10.9.4 build is available to developers via an update in the Mac App Store or as a download on Apple’s online developer center. It does not, however, appear to be out in Apple’s new public Mavericks Beta Seed program yet…