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iDB holiday gift guide 2013: Jim’s picks

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated March 14, 2018

The second annual holiday gift guide is taking submissions from the iDB editing team. Looking back, there are quite a few items that made my list this year, most of which were released in 2013. Also, as the hardware review editor, many of the items were reviewed on the site.

Last year I took a look at bargain priced items, but I threw pricing to the side this year. Why limit the excitement to items under $30? Take a look below for my suggested gifts for the gear head in your life. In no particular order, genre or category, let's dive in...

Give your iPhone the power of wireless charging with the iQi Mobile

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

Despite a number of rumors and patent filings, Apple has yet to give any of its iOS devices the power of wireless charging. While many manufacturers have built the technology into their handsets, iPhones continue to use the plug-n-charge approach.

Luckily, for those looking for wireless charging, there are a handful of third party options available. And today, we're going to talk about a new one called iQi Mobile. It's a Qi standard wireless charging receiver, with a unique, ultra-thin flexible design...

EU lawmakers drafting legislation that could force Apple to change its Lightning plug

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 9, 2016

EU lawmakers agreed yesterday to draft legislation that will force all mobile phone manufacturers to consent to the use of a common standard for battery chargers which can fit any device. The draft could be voted on by the EU Parliament as early as March 2014.

While many see this as a huge win for consumers, who would no longer have to purchase new charging accessories for different devices, it would be a huge blow to Apple. The company uses a propriety plug, the Lightning connector, in all of its iOS product lines...

You can now get iDownloadBlog push notifications on your Mac

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 24, 2017

With the release of OS X Mavericks, Apple has introduced a way for readers to be alerted via push notification every time a new article is published on one of their favorite sites. Today, I am happy to announce that iDownloadBlog is able to deliver these push notifications to your Mac.

Showing as a banner in the upper-right corner of your Mac, these push notifications will allow you to instantly know when a new article is published on iDB, even if Safari isn't currently running.

Here is how you can subscribe:

République review: an episodic stealth game in a dystopian world

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Until this past Thursday, I’d never heard of the “stealth” genre. At least, I didn’t think I had. It turns out, games like Metal Gear and Castle Wolfenstein are part of the stealth genre. I just didn’t know it had a name. I guess you are never too old to learn something new.

République is a stealth game that sprinkles in a bit of action with the hide-and-sneak mechanics. In this game, the protagonist’s only hope is to escape the oppressive control of the Headmaster and your job is to help her...

Nintendo warming up to idea of producing content for mobile devices

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Industry watchers have been making the case for Nintendo to bring some of its storied games over to mobile for years now. The Wii U isn't selling very well, and many think that focusing on software—particularly for smartphones and tablets—is the answer to its struggles.

And up until now, the company has responded to the idea with a resounding 'no, never going to happen.' But it would seem that the tide has begun to turn. In a recent interview, the Nintendo America President said they're experimenting with smartphone and tablet content...

App Santa: deep discounts on 15 popular iOS apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

With less than 24 hours until the annual App Store holiday freeze, developers are pushing out last-minute app updates like crazy.

But more importantly, 'tis the season when not-to-be-missed promotions and discounts become available as an early Christmas present.

Cody yesterday covered a bunch of notable iOS games discounts from the likes of Disney, Warner Bros and others and today a brand new holiday deal on iPhone and iPad apps goes live to help your wallet.

App Santa, a collaborative effort by high-profile developers, is offering deep discounts on fifteen popular iPhone and iPad applications, including 1Password, Tweetbot 3, Launch Center Pro, Screens, Clear+ and more. You can grab these fine apps with as much as 60 percent discount. Your download links are right after the break...

Samsung said to develop Galaxy Band wearable device, headed by Apple’s former Siri engineer

Christian Zibreg ∙ December 20, 2013

The Galaxy Gear smarwatch may have failed to meet Samsung leadership's expectations in terms of sales, with the reported less than million units shipped (not sold), but that doesn't mean the South Korean conglomerate is giving up on its new wearable brand. Quite the contrary, a report alleges Samsung would soon expand the family by unveiling a new wearable device, tentatively-named Galaxy Band.

What's more, a former Apple engineer who worked on Siri is reportedly overseeing this project. But what exactly would this presumed Galaxy Band device be capable of?

According to a story by Seoul-based Digital Daily, it's a fitness type of device which packs in a flurry of sensors, including a power-sipping motion sensor akin to Apple's M7 motion coprocessor inside the iPhone 5s...

New concept dreams up iOS 7-ified OS X 11

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Some pundits continue to call for the merging of OS X and iOS into a monolithic operating system that would simplify app development and allow Apple to engineer consistent user experiences across its desktop and mobile platforms.

I'm not so sure the time is right for an iOS-ified OS X.

That, however, hasn't stopped designer Andrew Ambrosino from envisioning what the future of OS X might look like. Introducing Andrew's OS X 11 concept, which brings Apple’s desktop operating system in line with the flattened appearance of iOS 7...

Disney, Warner Bros. and others join EA in holiday game sale

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Following the lead of Electronic Arts, a number of game publishers and developers have heavily discounted their most popular iOS titles for the holidays. They're hoping to take advantage of all the new iPhones and iPads set to be gifted in the next week.

Disney and Warner Bros. are among those participating in the big sale, as are Square Enix, Activision and many others. And many popular games like Modern Combat 4: Zero Hour, Deus Ex: The Fall and Infinity Blade III have been heavily discounted...

BlackBerry: upcoming BBM app update to add Voice, Channels and more

Cody Lee ∙ December 20, 2013

Good news out there for the handful of you that are using the iOS BBM client. BlackBerry has announced that it is working on a major update for the app that is going to add a number new features and improvements.

Among the new features are BBM Voice, which will let you make free voice calls to any contact, anywhere in the world, and something called Channels, which are like little mini chatrooms. More details after the fold...

Weak iPhone 5c demand possible factor in missing China Mobile deal

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

The entire tech world let out a simultaneous gasp when China Mobile launched its 4G network on Wednesday and made no mention of the iPhone. Up until then we had seen a flurry of reports and evidence suggesting that Apple had finally reached a deal with the carrier.

But clearly that's not the case, and the big question now is: what's the holdup? Well according to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the deal may have been slowed by unexpectedly weak demand for the iPhone 5c versus the iPhone 5s among China Mobile customers...