RadioShack dropping subsidized price on 16GB iPhone 5s to $100

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

Folks still in the market for an iPhone 5s may be interested to know that RadioShack will soon be offering a significant discount on the handset. Starting tomorrow, the nationwide retailer will begin selling the 16GB model of the 5s for just $99.99 in-store with a qualifying 2-year contract.

That's $100 cheaper than most carriers and third party sellers have the entry-level iPhone 5s priced at, and is among one of the best deals we've seen on the smartphone. Additionally, RadioShack says it's offering a $100 credit for folks trading in an eligible iPhone 4s, making the 5s free...

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Patent filing reveals Apple’s work on gesture-based passwords

Cody Lee ∙ April 17, 2014

 The US Patent and Trademark Office published a pair of interesting Apple patent applications yesterday. The filings are titled 'Gesture entry techniques,' and together they describe a device-unlocking feature that involves a user drawing a custom pattern on a screen by connecting illuminated dots.

Apple filed for the patent in late 2012, several years after Google introduced a very similar feature in Android. It would appear, though, that the iPad-maker's version of the gesture-based password is at least slightly more advanced, as it can account for swipe speed, use of invisible dots, and more...

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Horn goes free as Apple’s new App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2014

I sincerely hope that you've downloaded last week's Free App of the Week, Warhammer Quest, a triple-A role playing game from Rodeo Games and Games Workshop set in the famous Warhammer world.

Apple does not always highlight premium apps and games in its ongoing promotion, but this one has definitely rightfully earned every avid gamer's attention.

So, how about another not-to-be-missed freebie?

Your prayers have been answered: enter Horn for the iPhone and iPad, Apple's latest Free App of the Week. Normally a $6.99 value, Horn is free until next Thursday, April 24.

This premium third-person action adventure game has you playing as Horn, the young blacksmith's apprentice who must fight monstrous creatures - actually your fellow villagers transformed into dark creatures by a curse.

Released in August 2012, Horn is set in a lush and beautifully rendered fantasy world. The game received some rather raving reviews due to its wonderful graphics, precise controls, Zelda-like appeal, great voice acting completed by Austin Wintory's soundtrack and an addictive combination of puzzle-solving and sword slashing action.

Best you act now and grab it free in the App Store, lest you forget about it later...

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Auxo 2 gains iPad support

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

As promised, a3tweaks has released Auxo 2 version 1.1, and it comes with full iPad support. I've been playing with Auxo 2 1.1 for a while, and I can confirm that the iPad support is well-done.

To be honest, Auxo 2 feels more suited for the iPad than the iPhone. I noted in our Auxo 2 review that the tweak's Multi-Center view, a mode that combines both Control Center and the App Switcher, felt a bit cramped on the small 4" screen of the iPhone 5s. It's the complete opposite on the large screen of the iPad.

From a pure functionality standpoint, everything is pretty much the same as the previous version of Auxo 2. The big deal here is addition of iPad support, and it's well-warranted. 

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Apple officially endorses CarPlay aftermarket kits by Alpine and Pioneer

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2014

Apple on March 2 took the wraps off CarPlay, its in-car solution formerly known as iOS in the Car. The company said the feature would premier with only three premium brands - Mercedes-Benz, Volvo and Ferrari - while naming two dozen additional manufacturers who pledged their support for the software.

Outside these launch partners, only Hyundai has thus far gone on the record officially confirming that CarPlay functionality will be available on its new mid-size 2015 Sonata sedan that will be available to buy at dealerships. Toyota initially said it would add CarPlay to select 2015 vehicles, but quickly changed its mind.

Realizing there's money to be made from CarPlay, makers of in-car electronic systems Alpine and Pioneer both announced aftermarket CarPlay kits for older vehicles. We wondered whether these kits were Apple-sanctioned. Looks like we've gotten our answer as the iPhone maker has now added Alpine and Pioneer's upcoming kits to its CarPlay webpage...

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LG launches AirPlay-like SDK to stream media to multiple TVs, Apple TV support incoming

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

LG is hoping to make it easier for users to beam media to their televisions, with a new SDK it's making available to developers to integrate into apps on iOS and Android.

Smart TVs have historically been one of the most closed platforms out there, with manufacturers developing features for only their own TVs and set-top boxes, and not the broader market - example being Apple's AirPlay. LG is changing this with its new Integrate Connect SDK, a standard to place into mobile apps to beam media across multiple platforms onto the big screen.

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Dropbox acquires cloud-based photo management service Loom

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Following the debut of its new Carousel photo and video management app last week, Dropbox announced today that it has acquired Loom, a cloud-based service for storing your photos. The move should surprise no one, as both companies have very similar goals, but it will affect end users.

Starting today, Loom is no longer accepting new users, and the service will officially shut down on May 16. Current users have until then to act if they wish to save any of their photos/videos by either exporting them to Dropbox, with no interruption in service, or downloading them via a zip file...

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JailbreakCon 2014 mini talks now live on YouTube

Sébastien Page ∙ April 17, 2014

This year's edition of JailbreakCon saw the introduction of mini talks, short presentations by various actors of the jailbreak community on different topics. Talks were between 5 and 20 minutes and were the occasion for speakers to share some of their knowledge with the audience, without necessarily taking up a whole lot of time.

I was actually one of the mini talk speakers. I actually believe that I went way over the 15 minutes I was allotted. Check inside for all videos of all the mini talks...

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GoogolPlex will ‘unleash the power of Siri’ with Nest, Philips Hue, Spotify commands

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Siri within iOS 7 can be limited sometimes, thanks to Apple's "walled garden", but a new tool called GoogolPlex wants to change that by opening the voice assistant to new commands.

Self described as the "App Store for Siri", GoogolPlex opens Siri to work with Spotify, Philips Hue, the Nest Thermostat and more, just by an iOS user changing a few proxy settings...

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Retina iPad mini refurbs now available

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2014

Apple's iPad mini with Retina display is great until the reality hits you in your face with a lofty price tag of four hundred bucks for the entry-level model with just sixteen gigabytes of storage and no cellular connectivity. From time to time, Apple makes good-as-new gear such as iPads and MacBooks available for purchase at reduced prices via the refurbished section of its Online Apple Store.

And now, for the first time the company's iPad mini with Retina display is available refurbished, too, starting at $419 for for the Wi-Fi model with 32 gigabytes of storage. That's sixteen percent off for a cool $80 savings over the list price. The 64GB Wi-Fi refurb costs $509, or $90 less versus standard pricing for brand new models...

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Facebook launches its own Find My Friends feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 17, 2014

Social networking giant Facebook is bound to stir controversy all over again as it's just introduced a new friend-tracking feature. Similar to Apple's free Find My Friends iOS app, Facebook's Nearby Friends basically notifies you when your friends are nearby.

It's a rather radical idea, one Facebook said Thursday was designed to encourage people to "meet up and spend time together" in real life. Go figure. Learn more about Facebook's Find My Friends right below the fold...

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