Oliver Haslam

Apple Rolls Out 90 Second iTunes Song Previews Worldwide

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 30, 2011

It's taken nine months, but the world finally has the same 90 second iTunes song previews that the United States gained way back in November 2010.

The change-over to the new and improved previews is currently underway, with not all songs yet sporting the full 90 seconds, though we suspect that's more of a technical thing than Apple only providing longer previews for certain tracks.

Those tracks that have been upgraded now offer previews that are three times longer than the previous 30 seconds...

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Verizon and Apple in Talks Over 3G FaceTime Calls

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 29, 2011

Apple's FaceTime video calling technology has been a mild success at best, with many flat out not using it, or lamenting the fact that, currently, a WiFi connection is required.

Reports that Apple has been working with carriers on this issue have been circulating for some time now, and 9to5Mac has received information that Verizon may actually be the ones who aren't so keen on the idea...

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No, Your iPhone Won’t Give You Cancer

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated July 7, 2017

Cell phone use in children and adolescents does not increase the risk of either groups suffering from brain tumors, according to a new report.

In claims that fly in the face of both past research and public opinion, a report published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute answers the question we've all been wondering: Will talking on my iPhone give me cancer?

In a study that involved 1000 participants, the results suggest that the fears that children are more susceptible to radiation from phones, such as the iPhone, may be unfounded after all...

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Skyfire Launches VideoQ Flash Video Jukebox

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

Skyfire, most famous for its mobile web browsers, has announced a new iOS app that promises to finally bring Flash to Apple's mobile devices.

In bringing functionality to the App Store that Apple has been adamant that it doesn't want, the Skyfire VideoQ app is available in just the United States and Canada for now, with both the iPad and iPhone app expected to be released internationally at a later date...

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iOS 5 Takes ‘PC-Free’ One Step Further with Time Capsule and Airport Base Station Setup

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated February 6, 2016

In another step toward killing the PC, Apple's iOS 5 now allows users to set up the company's own Time Capsule and Airport hardware, according to an AppleInsider reader.

Until now, setting up either of Apple's networking solutions required a PC, but once iOS 5 is released later this year, users will be able to get online with nothing more than an iPod touch...

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How to Force Any App to Use AirPlay

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 28, 2011

Back when Apple first announced AirPlay, we all got so excited about being able to throw audio and video from our various iDevices right onto a television or audio system using an Apple TV.

The problem is, not all apps support the technology, which is a crying shame indeed. Thankfully, there is one way to get around most iOS apps' lack of implementation and force these apps to use AirPlay...

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Apple May Release a Cheaper iPad This Year

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 28, 2011

More rumors are circulating today that Apple is getting ready to launch a new, cheaper iPad later this year, with three new hardware partners joining the manufacturing chain.

The ever sometimes reliable DigiTimes believes that the three new partners have been brought on board to help drop the manufacturing costs of the next iPad, with Apple aiming to compete with a lower price point than its current model....

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BBC Begins iPlayer International Roll Out

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 28, 2011

The eagerly anticipated worldwide release of the BBC's iPlayer iPad app has arrived, but if you're outside a selection of 11 countries, you'll have to wait a little longer.

The app, which will need an accompanying subscription, is currently available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Switzerland, with the United States being added later in the year.

As with so many things, licensing is being blamed for the delay in bringing Dr Who and co. to the States...

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Introducing the iPhone 4 Personal Cooling Device

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 28, 2011

Apple is no stranger to finding fakes of its products being sold around the globe. Hell, there's even been entire Apple stores cloned.

Thankfully, the latest iPhone look-a-like isn't actually trying to be an iPhone at all, but we're fairly sure you couldn't guess what it actually is, at least from the front. This overly-thick iPhone-wannabe is actually a personal cooling device, or fan to you and me...

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Apple Investigating Solar Cells For Future iDevices

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 27, 2011

Apple and one of its main smartphone competitors, Samsung, are looking into the idea of using solar power in future devices, according to the ever (un)reliable DigiTimes.

While it will probably be a long time before this becomes a reality, the technology would let solar cells become part of iPhones, iPads and other devices...

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Android Suffering a 30-40% Return Rate While iPhone Users Remain Content

Oliver Haslam ∙ July 26, 2011

While it's generally accepted that Android smartphones sell like hot cakes, it might not all be good news for the platform. According to one report, the strong sales figures may mask an underlying problem that Android-packing smartphones face— keeping the sale.

TechCrunch has reported today that Android return rates could be as high as 30-40%. For comparison, Apple's iPhone sees a return rate in the single digits....

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