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Poll: would you consider a larger iPad?

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2014

Tuesday, unnamed sources told Bloomberg that Apple has been gearing up to introduce a larger 12.9-inch iPad early next year.

For what it's worth, the story contradicts a March report by the mostly unreliable DigiTimes which claimed the project had been put on hold over various developmental issues.

Compared to the 9.7-inch iPad Air, the rumored device — dubbed by the press the 'iPad Pro' — would offer a significantly bigger canvas for your apps, media and content. At the same time, a 12.9-inch iPad would be just a hair smaller than the 13.3-inch MacBook Air and significantly bigger — 3 inches bigger to be exact — than the iPad Air.

So, who wants a giant iPad?

New Samsung ad positions Galaxy Tab S as thinner, lighter and brighter than iPad Air

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2014

Samsung on Friday posted a new anti-iPad commercial on its YouTube channel. First spotted by iGeneration, the ad at first blush appears to have borrowed a few cues from the South Korean firm's original anti-iPhone ad which lampooned people who'd wait in the line for a new iPhone.

Specifically, the commercial asks supposedly random hipsters on the streets of New York City to take the Galaxy Tab S for a test drive and compare it to the iPad Air.

As you could imagine, the video emphasizes the Samsung tablet's thinness and lightness while praising its bright Super AMOLED display versus the iPad Air's LCD screen.

Is this iPhone 6’s A8 processor?

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2014

If this image published on Weibo is genuine, the Apple-designed A8 processor said to power the iPhone 6 and new iPads may have been finally photographed. Serving as the engine powering the next wave of iPhone and iPad device, the in-house designed A8 processor is said to be clocked at two or more GHz per core, if Chinese media is to be believed.

Other rumors have pointed to the chip being manufactured using a new process technology which allows for smaller components, in turn yielding speedier performance and a lower battery draw.

New photos depict alleged production iPhone 6 model with color-matched antenna breaks

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2014

Following a steady stream of leaks of purported iPhone 6 components shown off on numerous photographs and depicted in video clips, French publication NowhereElse.fr Friday morning published a set of high-quality images of a claimed production model of the handset.

The curious shots offer a better look at the antenna breaks visible on the model's rear casing. Also, the casing itself appears to be a variant of Space Gray finish of the iPhone 5s while the antenna breaks are colored to match the rest of the shell.

MZR combines music and puzzles into one intense game

Lory Gil ∙ August 29, 2014

Anytime you download a game that comes with a seizure warning, it’s gotta be worth a look. That is, unless you suffer from seizures. Then, you should avoid it altogether. MZR is a Dubstep-themed puzzle game that features blinking white lights, shaky awkward camera angles, and puzzle mazes that challenge your skills in spatial recognition.

Invaders! From Outer Space is a highly stylized arcade shooter

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

I love the idea of taking a popular video game from decades ago and giving it a twenty-first century makeover. Turn flat, pixelated programs into fully realized creations and see what it looks like under today’s graphics.

Invaders! From Outer Space is an arcade shooter that uses the benefit of today’s technology on one of our most beloved sci-fi games. Stop the alien invasion before they steal all of our cows.

Apple reportedly working with NXP on NFC solution for iPhone 6

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The Financial Times is reporting this morning that Apple has tapped Dutch chipmaker NXP to produce NFC chips for the upcoming iPhone 6. Citing several people familiar with the project, the site claims the secure, short-range wireless technology will facilitate transactions in a new mobile payment service.

The report doesn't add much in the way of new details, but it does corroborate with the ongoing consensus that after shunning the technology for several years, Apple has finally decided to add NFC to its handsets. Wired and Recode had similar scoops yesterday, as did well-connected blogger John Gruber.

Apple sends out invites for September 9 event: “wish we could say more”

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 28, 2014

As previously suspected, Apple will be indeed holding a major media event on September 9, 2014. As confirmed by multiple outlets, the company Thursday morning started sending out invites for the event which is scheduled to kick off on Tuesday, September 9 at 10:00am.

In years past, Apple would typically hold media events at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco or at its corporate campus in Cupertino, California.

Curiously enough, this time around the firm has invited select members of the press to gather at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino.

September 9 invites wallpapers: “wish we could say more”

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Today, Apple sent out invitations to an event hosted on September 9, 2014 at 10:00AM PST. Per usual, there is a rush in the community to determine what Apple has hidden inside the graphic. The "Wish we could say more" line has lead many to speculate about enhanced Siri optimization or the ability to action iPhone through voice commands on a wearable device. Just yesterday, Re/code claimed the highly anticipated Apple wearable, dubbed "iWatch," should launch alongside the iPhone 6 at the upcoming event.

As with many recent Apple announcements, designers quickly put their skills to work, publishing wallpapers inspired by the invitation. Inside are a few wallpapers, for your favorite upcoming Apple event.

New reports suggest only more expensive 4.7-inch iPhone 6 to be unveiled next month

Cody Lee ∙ Updated September 26, 2016

Apple this morning sent out invitations for a media event on September 9th, where the company is expected to unveil the iPhone 6 and a new wearable device. We've heard conflicting theories on whether or not we'll see one or two new handsets on stage, but a new report out this afternoon suggests the former.

According to website GforGames, "informed sources" are telling Chinese media outlets that only the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 will make an appearance at the event, alongside a new 5s model with 8GB of storage. Apparently the larger 5.5-inch iPhone will make its debut later this year in limited quantities.

Instagram is down, it’s not just you! [update: it’s back]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

If you've noticed that Instagram isn't working properly this afternoon, it's not just you. Several users have taken to Twitter to complain that the popular image-sharing service is down, and a few of us here at iDB have confirmed the outage.

While parts of the app are still working for some folks, it seems that the Explore tab isn't loading for most users, and many are having issues getting their personal feeds to load. We're also seeing '503 Service Unavailable' in the News tab.

Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ August 28, 2014

Apple has named Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage it's App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the popular game for both iPhone and iPad for free—a decent savings of $1.

For those who aren't familiar with the game, it was created by Angry Birds hit-maker Rovio Entertainment and Nitrome. It's essentially a Cut The Rope-style physics-based puzzler, which has you rescuing vikings from blocks of ice.