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Apple agrees to pay $450 million to settle e-book price fixing case

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Reuters is reporting today that Apple has agreed to pay $450 million to settle its long-standing e-book price fixing federal court case with class action lawyers and state district attorneys.

As a reminder, the government alleged that Apple conspired along with five major U.S. publishers to fix e-book prices to the detriment of consumers, denying them the choice of price, while stifling competition.

$400 million of the $450 million will cover damage to consumers, with the remaining $50 million earmarked for recovery if liability must be retried...

Can’t wait for the official iPhone 6? Here come the clones!

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 2, 2017

If the very thought of waiting until September when Apple is expected to formally announce its next iPhone is making you nervous and edgy because you simply need an iPhone 6 now, your best bet is one of the iPhone 6 knock-offs that are now cropping up all over the place in China.

Granted, it's easy to make the argument that Apple should send its legal sharks after China's well-versed knock-off makers and put a stop to them.

However, these iPhone 6 lookalikes are already here and not really going anywhere, as is limned in a pair of videos embedded right after the break...

Instapaper creator launches Overcast, free podcast app for iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Following an extensive beta testing period, Marco Arment - the creator of Instapaper, founder of The Magazine and co-host of the Accidental Tech Podcast - today unveiled his latest creation, an iPhone podcast client dubbed Overcast.

Available with basic features free of charge in the App Store (advanced stuff can be unlocked through a one-time In-App Purchase), Overcast for iPhone is accessible to novice users yet packs a lot of punch to make podcast die-hards happy.

Having taken Overcast for a brief spin with our own Let's Talk iOS and Let's Talk Jailbreak podcast series, I came away pretty impressed.

I think Marco's full-featured app has mass appeal (at least in podcast circles) to win over folks who are unhappy with the existing podcast clients on the App Store with its sleek user interface, simplicity and elegance.

If not, perhaps advanced capabilities will make you a convert? I'm talking stuff like Smart Speed, Voice Boost and Smarter Playlists to help you listen to more podcasts in more places, try new shows and completely control your experience...

Logitech announces Protection+ iPhone 5/5s case, arriving next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Accessory maker Logitech on Wednesday announced a new rugged case for Apple's iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s featuring sleek appearance and offering shock absorption and protection from drops of up to six feet (works out to about 1.8 meters).

In addition, the company introduced the +Trip accessory for mounting an iPhone or just about any other smartphone to your car's air vents. The Protection+ case works with Logitec's new +Drive and +Trip attachments that let you affix your iPhone to a car’s windshield or dashboard using built-in suction cup...

Could this be iPhone 6’s improved, more durable Touch ID sensor?

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

Purported iPhone 6 parts continue leaking out ahead of the handset's assumed September unveiling. We were recently treated to a stress, bending and scratch test videos of a piece of a purported sapphire-coated iPhone 6 cover glass.

And earlier this summer, alleged leaks revealed a claimed front LCD frame, an alleged rear shell and a SIM card tray, while questionable mockups piqued everyone's interest. It's now time to turn our attention to Apple's next-generation Touch ID.

As you know, the sophisticated fingerprint scanner debuted as an iPhone 5s exclusive last September. Touch ID is expected to expand to new iPhone and iPad models this year and TSMC is said to be already building a more durable variant of Touch ID.

New images that surfaced Wednesday promise to offer a glimpse of what an improved, slightly revamped Touch ID for the iPhone 6 looks like...

iOS 8 Beta 4 could arrive next Monday

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 16, 2014

If history is anything to go by, Apple could seed the next beta of iOS 8 to its registered developers later this month. As in, precisely two weeks after iOS 8 Beta 3 dropped.

As you know, the third beta arrived on July 7, bringing Wi-Fi Calling for T-Mobile iPhones and a host of under-the-hood tweaks and enhancements.

If BGR's sources are right, iOS 8 Beta 4 should be expected on Monday, July 21. Keep in mind that BGR does not have the most reliable of sources and that the publication has been wrong before in predicting dates for iOS betas...

Jawbone’s Up fitness band app gains weight management features

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Jawbone, the maker of the Up fitness band, wireless Bluetooth headsets and a host of other mobile accessories, today pushed a major update to its iPhone and iPad app.

The refreshed software brings new calorie and nutrition tracking tools, food and restaurant logging, as well as comprehensive weight management features to the popular fitness tracker.

Other enhancements include a new food score and a redesigned food experience with brand new tools such as a dedicated water logger, restaurant menus, common pairings and frequent meals...

Macrocosm is a beautifully relaxing game

Andrew Kunesh ∙ Updated January 28, 2018

Though I do play my fair share of action games on iOS, I tend to sway more towards the relaxing side of the game spectrum; games that I can use to relax at the end of a long week. When on the hunt for more cool-down games, I came across Macrocosm, a new space-age game that was released earlier this month.

This game is based in space where you play as a blob of dark matter with your objectives being simple: get bigger, don't get killed by spaceships, and free other dark matter. To find out if this game is both relaxing and exciting, read on for my full Macrocosm review...

BookSong: make the Music app remember where you left off

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 15, 2014

BookSong is one of those jailbreak tweaks that sounds a bit silly in description, but turns out to be fairly interesting when you begin using it. It's a tweak that allows you to automatically reestablish the spot where you left off on a song even if you kill the stock Music app or perform a respring.

Without this tweak, iOS will not remember where your song left off, regardless of where you were mid tune. With BookSong, iOS remembers exactly where you left off, and picks up the jams from that exact spot. Have a look at our video walkthrough after the break to see BookSong in action.

Volkswagen to embed CarPlay in 2016 VW models

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 15, 2014

German automobile manufacturer Volkswagen is in talks with Apple on bringing CarPlay to its 2016 lineup, according to a new report. This is an important development as Volkswagen, itself notably absent in Apple's press release announcing CarPlay, files as the biggest German automaker and the second largest automaker in the world.

According to a source with knowledge of the discussions, a formal announcement is expected in the coming months...

Apple and IBM announce major enterprise mobility partnership

Cody Lee ∙ July 15, 2014

Apple and IBM announced this afternoon that the two tech giants have entered an exclusive partnership to "transform enterprise mobility." The pair will utilize the market-leading strengths of each company to bring about a whole new class of business apps to iPhone and iPad.

These apps will be for a variety of fields, including retail, healthcare, banking and travel, with some of the software becoming available by the end of the year. IBM is also working on a new 'MobileFirst Platform for iOS,' will be an end-to-end enterprise solution for iOS devices...

Hermes: a lightweight cross-platform quick reply solution

Jeff Benjamin ∙ July 15, 2014

Are you itching for a lightweight quick reply solution, and feel that existing tweaks don't work for you? What about being able to quickly reply to WhatsApp, Kik, and iMessage messages from the same quick reply interface. If you answered yes to one or both questions, then you may want to check out Hermes, a brand new $0.99 quick reply solution for jailbreakers.