Oliver Haslam

Rumor: Leaked iPad 3 Microphone Points to Possible Redesign

If there is one thing with more leaks than a broken sink, it has to be the iOS device parts industry. No big iPhone or iPad release goes by without at least one of its various internal parts leaking out of one of Apple's manufacturing partners.

The rumored iPad 3 is no different, with photographs of one such part leaking out via Cydia Blog. The part, reportedly an iPad 3 microphone flex cable, is currently available for purchase from TVC-Mall along with two other supposed iPad 3 parts which leaked earlier this year.

Whale Trail Updated With 32 New Levels, Game Center Features, and More

Whale Trail, one of the stand-put hits of the App Store right now, has just received its first update, bringing with it some new features as well as some new levels for players to negotiate.

Bringing the version number up to 1.1, Whale Trail's developers have sought to improve upon the formula that has seen the game receive over 4,000 5-star ratings since its release. The ustwo team haven't meddled with the mechanics, but has chosen to add features to existing game modes, helping the $0.99 game live even longer.

Vietnamese iPhone Fans Set For 4S Release This Week

Another country is going to be getting its teeth into the iPhone 4S soon, with the news that Vietnamese carriers will begin offering the newest Apple smartphone as soon as tomorrow, Friday 15th of December.

The move comes as Thanh Nien News confirmed that both VinaPhone and Viettel will be offering the iPhone 4S to its customers starting tomorrow, with both locked and unlocked flavors available.

What is a little less clear is the pricing structure for the handsets, with the unsubsidized prices looking decidedly strange, to say the least.

Sega Classic Sonic CD Now in the App Store

Before we get any further than the opening sentence of this collection of words we like to call "a blog post," there is one thing that needs to be made abundantly clear: Sonic is without doubt one of the highlights of the 1990s. Furthermore, Sonic CD is probably the highlight of a series which has since lost its way in a sea of mediocre spin-offs and reboots.

That said, Sonic CD for iOS certainly appears to have what it takes to make us forget about the last 15 years or so of trash that has come out of Sega's Sonic team, and return us to the speed-filled glee that is directing a blue, spiky creature through 2D levels.

Sonic CD coming to iOS is something of a big deal, especially if you were a big fan of the original. We were, and giddy doesn't really come close to how we felt when hitting that "Buy" button on the App Store. If first impressions are anything to go by, our hopes were not misplaced.

American Airlines Pilots Given the Go-Ahead to Use iPads In the Cockpit

As of this friday, your favorite American Airlines pilot might be playing with a shiny iPad 2 while navigating through the air at 30,000 feet. That is because the airline is the first to receive the go-ahead from the FAA to use Apple's tablet as a replacement for paper-based flight documents, beginning Friday 16th of December.

The move will help American Airlines lose weight thanks to the removal of massive books and other flight documents from each flight, and if you've ever been over your allowed luggage weight on a flight, you will be acutely aware that weight equals money when in the air.

Halo Waypoint iOS App Released for Master Chief Fans

Someone at Microsoft just can't stop pushing out new iOS apps and games, with yet another release coming from Redmond showing up in the App Store.

Just hours after Microsoft's Kinectimals found its way onto iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches, another game-related app has landed, and this time it had help from Master Chief. Halo Waypoint ties right into all your Halo stats, letting players keep up to date with the competition as well as their own progress while away from their beloved Xbox 360.

Microsoft Releases Its First Game in the App Store

Microsoft is on something of a roll right now, with iOS apps rolling out of Redmond faster than you can say "Steve Ballmer." We've already had My Xbox LIVE and SkyDrive come from the mobile developers at Microsoft over the last few days, and now we've been treated to a new game.

Fans of the Xbox Kinect will know all about Kinectimals, a game that gives gamers a way to interact with virtual pets using the Kinect hands-free gaming accessory. If you are already a Kinectimals player on your Xbox 360, the new iOS app will unlock some more cubs for you to play with. You know, if that's your thing.

Nokia Exec Thinks iPhone is Boring and Android is Too Complicated

Nokia's got it all figured out. See, youths don't really want to buy an iPhone, it's just so boring. Android isn't quite what buyers are looking for, either. Teens just don't understand what Google has put in front of them. How could they?

Those are the views of outspoken Nokia director of Portfolio, Product Marketing & Sales Niels Munksgaard in an interview with Pocket-Lint. Apparently, he even managed to say it with a straight face!

According to Nokia's man, what do you think is the ideal platform for the youth of today? Windows Phone 7, of course!

Use Your iPhone to Take a Virtual Peek Inside Apple’s Grand Central Store

Apple has posted a selection of photographs showing off its new Grand Central Station Apple Store on its website. While looking at the photos may be interesting, how does being able to view a 360 degree panorama sound?

But wait, there's more!

How about viewing that panorama on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch and being able to take a virtual tour of the store using the built-in gyroscope? Sounds awesome right? Well, it is...

iPad vs. Lava Isn’t Really a Fair Fight

Some people aren't happy unless they are destroying things. We've already witnessed the various "will it blend" videos showing Apple hardware being subjected to the inside of a blending machine, but the latest method of destroying an iPad really takes the cake.

For a reason we have yet to fathom, iDevice accessory maker ZooGue's CEO thought it would be a good idea to see what happens when you dip an iPad 2 into lava. Yes, you did read that right...

Angry Birds Updated to Version 2.0 with 15 New Levels

The ever popular Angry Birds has reached yet another milestone, with the bird-flinging game now two years-old. How the time flies (awful pun intended.)

To celebrate the occasion, Angry Birds' developer Rovio has updated the team's runaway success to version number 2.0. This 2.0 release of the original game has a few new tricks up its sleeve.

One of the first things you will notice is all-new artwork. But that's not all...