Oliver Haslam

iDB 2012 holiday gift guide: Oliver’s picks

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

It's that time of year again, when we're all scrambling around trying to find that perfect gift for the loved ones in our lives.

If you're anything like me, you revert to type and try desperately to find something with a technological bent. Be it earphones, an iDevice stand or some fancy software; gifts are hard enough to buy at the best of times, let alone when you know nothing about the subject matter.

Here I'll showcase a handful of handy gift ideas across the world of tech and specifically, Apple. Some are cheap. Some not so much. But hey, it's Christmas...

Apple TV to see Bluetooth support, courtesy of iOS update

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

The Apple TV may just be a hobby (or is it?) but that doesn't mean that it isn't still receiving some new features as new versions of iOS are released. The latest beta release of iOS for the Apple TV is a prime example of Apple's intent to push the device forward, and one particular new feature is one we've been begging for.

If you've ever sat and entered a long iTunes or Wi-FI password using the Apple TV's remote control, then you'll probably have asked why the little black box doesn't support Bluetooth keyboards. Nobody really understood the decision but, thankfully, it appears that it's all about to change.

That's right folks, the current iOS beta endows the Apple TV with support for Bluetooth keyboards! Finally...

Review: the MobileMount universal kickstand

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated February 27, 2017

Holding iPhones and iPads just where you want them is something of a dark art. There are more than enough docks, stands and foldable cases out there that claim to do the job and while most do just that, we've always hankered after something a little different.

When we saw the MobileMount on Kickstarter quite a while ago, we had a sneaky suspicion that we had found it. At first glance it was a car holder for a phone. Looking a little harder though suggested it could be much more than that. We were intrigued.

Since then, the Kickstarter project has come to fruition, and you can now pick up your very own MobileMount for just under $40. But should you? Let's find out...

Facebook starts rolling out Photo Sync for everyone

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 30, 2012

We told you a couple of weeks ago that Facebook had begun rolling out its new Photo Sync feature which, predictably, lets the Facebook app automatically upload your photos, ready for viewing on the Facebook website or inside any of the company's apps. Turns out Facebook was rolling it out to a select few, testing the feature with plans to roll it out to everyone at a later date. That date is today.

Announcing the move on its blog, Facebook today said that its Photo Sync feature will be available to all, with all the magic already built right into the existing Facebook app for iOS. The social giant needs to activate your account on their end, and voila, you've got a new feature.

Pretty nifty indeed...

Android apps revenue now growing quicker than iOS apps revenue

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 29, 2012

Owners of iPhones and iPads have historically pointed to the App Store's plethora of quality produce as the reason for the platform's dominance. It's always been the reason many have chosen iOS devices over those powered by Android, but things may be beginning to shift in a whole new direction.

While app developers have always suggested that getting Android users to buy apps is an exercise in futility, a new report claims that things are changing, with Android developers now finding a much improved landscape, as revenue from Android devices grows quicker than that of the App Store.

And not just by a little bit, either...

Libon relaunches globally with free HD calls and smart voicemail

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 29, 2012

We told you all about Libon a while ago. For those with short memories, Libon offered iOS users a way to take voicemail to the next level. Visual voicemail and customised messages depending on the caller were features that stood out, and we liked it a lot.

Now though, the Libon team has relaunched its app, this time adding in one or two features that not only improve the app as a whole, but also pitt it squarely as competition for some other well known, and highly established iOS apps.

Here's a little spoiler – it's pretty awesome...

Scuffed iPhone 5? Make it unique by scuffing it even more

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 12, 2012

As always seems to be the case when Apple launches a new smartphone, the iPhone 5 has suffered something of a dent to its reputation, at least in its early weeks post-launch. We are of course talking about scuffgate, the claimed issue of handsets suffering from paint chips around the phone's antenna, especially on the black and slate version.

Some noticed the issue right out of the box, while others have found paint missing after days and weeks of ownership. While many have succeeded in getting Apple to swap out handsets with just this issue, one forum-goer decided to take a different route, and we have to say it's pretty awesome.

Faced with a prematurely paint-less iPhone 5, MacRumors forum member travis.hansen decided to take matters into his own hands by actually polishing the remaining paint off, leaving a funky shiny metal finish that looks absolutely terrific...

Apple customer loyalty rate falls for first time, but why?

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

A report by Strategy Analytics yesterday claims that Apple's customer loyalty fell for the first time since records began, which may come as a surprise with huge lines and waiting lists abound for the latest releases of the iPhone and iPad.

The report tells that when asked, 88% of US customers said that they were likely to buy another iPhone at upgrade time, which is down from the 93% that claimed the same thing last time around. It's a similar story in Europe, with a result of 75% being well down from the previous year's 88%.

While any company should be happy with a loyalty rate of 88%, why is Apple seeing a reduction in customer loyalty? That's the real question I think we should be asking...

Apple dodges its taxes outside the United States

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 29, 2017

The subject of large companies paying their taxes is something of a hot button topic in the UK right now, which is why the likes of Starbucks have already found themselves thrown to the wolves over their accounting practices. Today, the latest multinational firm to be on the rack is Apple, with the news that it paid just 2% tax on its profits outside the US last year, leaving international taxmen considerably out of pocket.

Paperwork filed in the United States shows that Apple paid around 2% tax on its pre-tax earnings of $36.8B outside the US. That's down on the 2.5% paid the year before.

Oddly though, it's all perfectly legal...

Why a Galaxy S3 owner is moving back to a shiny iPhone

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

If you follow me on any of the social networks on which we all live these days, then you probably know that I sold my iPhone 4S some time ago, and have been living with a Samsung Galaxy S3 ever since. There were brief flirtations with an HTC One X and Galaxy Note along the way, but that Galaxy S3 has been my daily drivers since long before the iPhone 5 was announced.

As that semi-dramatic title may have tipped you off though, I'm on the verge of ditching that Android flagship handset in favor of a shiny new iPhone 5. At least, I will be once I manage to find somewhere that will sell me one! That's a whole different story though, and I digress.

So, having proclaimed the Galaxy S3 to be the best smartphone I'd ever owned just a few short weeks ago, what's changed, and why am I ready to give it up in favor of Apple's latest and greatest?

The iPad mini and what it means for the iPod touch

Oliver Haslam ∙ October 22, 2012

As time has progressed of late, it has become increasingly clear that Apple will announce a new, smaller iPad at tomorrow's press event. Dubbed the iPad mini, the new device is, we believe, going to offer much of the current iPad experience, but this time in a more diminutive form.

This iPad mini has been rumored for what feels like forever, with the tablet almost as fabled in Apple rumor circles as that Apple-branded television we are still waiting for. With less than twenty-four hours to go, it seems we need not wait much longer. But where does it sit in Apple's product line?

If you're not someone who wants to buy an iPhone, then the obvious choice right now is an iPod touch. If you don't want something quite so large as an iPad, then the current choice is to plump for that same iPod touch, or something a little more Android-y. But what about post iPad mini? That's a whole different story indeed...

Poll: How is your iPhone battery on iOS 6?

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 24, 2012

It's a fairly simple question isn't it? But if you remember the furor that surrounded the release of iOS 5 and the subsequent battery-gate shenanigans, you'll know only too well what software can do to a phone's battery.

Back in the ill-tempered days of iOS 5, we covered the situation extensively and even offered a spot of advice that seemed to help a great many people. Today though, we want to know how iOS 6 is treating you all, and whether Apple may finally have gotten the iPhone's battery to last like it did pre-iOS 5.

So, let's begin...