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Apple serves iPad/iPhone inventory tracking website with a takedown notice

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

The tremendously useful iPhone and iPad inventory tracking tool is no more as Apple's legal sharks have served its owner with a DMCA takedown notice. The website would give you estimates on iPad Air and iPhone 5s availability, particularly handy for early adopters as Apple struggles to keep up with demand for these products.

Apple objected to how Apple-Tracker.com pulled data from its web store and took issue with its use of deeplinks, arguing the tool violates its Terms of Service by re-using content from the online Apple Store. Complying with Apple's request, the guy who runs the website has now taken his baby down..

This is why Apple is winning…

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

This is gold. Arden Hayes, a famous Trivia expert from southern California, may not be your typical example of an Apple buyer because he doesn't have income coming in.

And who could blame him: Arden is just a five-year-old who previously appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.

There, the youngster has demonstrated his amazing knowledge of U.S. presidents, earning himself a nickname of the 'little genius'.

In another Jimmy Kimmel appearance, Hayes flatly refuses to take a free Sony Xperia tablet because “we’re just planning to get an iPad for Christmas”.

Apple sure knows how to get them while they’re young, doesn't it?

Your video is right after the jump...

Yahoo Finance gets push notifications and all-new iOS 7 look

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 24, 2018

Since the iPhone's inception, Yahoo has been Apple's exclusive provider of weather and stock market data in iOS. While I've never been a big fan of Yahoo's Finance app for the iPhone and iPad, I prefer to keep tabs on stocks on the Yahoo Finance website, as opposed to Google Finance.

I'll be changing my mind, however, as the Internet giant has at last given the iOS app a thorough overhaul while adding new features such as notifications for stock price changes, so it now feels right at home in iOS 7...

Samsung beating budget phone vendors in China, Apple losing ground

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2013

Apple may be winning in the United States, the world's top market for smartphones, but in the 1.33 billion people market of China - which is Apple's second most-important territory revenue-wise - Samsung is beating local vendors of cheap handsets to the punch.

According to data from research firm Canalys, Samsung has overpowered rivals in China.

The company has grown its September quarter share to 21 percent, a notable jump from just fourteen percent a year earlier. The Galaxy maker was estimated to have shipped nineteen million smartphones during the third quarter ended September 30. It's worth underscoring Samsung does not disclose unit sales like Apple does, citing competitive reasons.

For the most part, Samsung's growth came at the expense of local vendors who build dirt-cheap handsets. But what about Apple?

WSJ: Apple contracts two new manufacturers to build iOS devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 23, 2017

Apple has long relied on Foxconn, the world's top manufacturer, to assemble its gadgets. In small part, Apple also taps Foxconn's rival, Taiwan-based Pegatron, on a regular basis for some orders. According to a new Wall Street Journal report Wednesday, Tim Cook & Co. have now contracted an additional two companies to help assemble iPhones and iPads amid growing demand for the products.

Mind you, it's not like Apple suddenly stopped loving Foxconn - the company will continue to build the iPhone 5s - but the report makes a passing mention of Apple apparently being dissatisfied with the high repair costs over defective iPhone 5 units and ongoing labor controversies surrounding Foxconn...

Apple hits 40.6 percent share of US smartphone subscribers

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 6, 2013

Research firm comScore is out with its new report measuring the state of the United States smartphone market for a three-month period ended September 30 and Apple's iPhone grew its share to comprise a healthy 40.6 percent of the nation's smartphone units. In other words, four out of each ten smartphones in the country were iPhones.

Samsung also gained share, LG stayed flat while HTC and Motorola both lost ground amid strong competition from Apple and Samsung devices. All told, iOS seems to be gaining ground overall, adding 0.7 percentage points to its share versus 0.2 percentage points for Android. The full reveal and charts can be found after the break...

Lost Echo review: a riveting point-and-click adventure game

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Point-and-click games are not nearly as popular as they should be in the App Store, especially for the iPad. The touch screen tablet is perfect for exploring a rich environment and finding hidden clues. The best way to find something that is missing is to touch everything.

Lost Echo is a cerebral point-and-click adventure game that puts you a short time into the future and sends you on a mission to find out what happened the day Chloe disappeared…

Luxuria Superbia explores the joy of touch on your iPad

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Considering how many endless runner, physics-based, and side-scrolling platformer games there are coming to the App Store every day, it is hard to believe that anything new and original is possible.

Luxuria Superbia is a visual abstract game that mixes music and touch to create a relaxing and zen-like experience. Unlock the colors and grow your garden with controlled strokes that turn a colorless world beautiful…

Google’s Waze app updated with voice search, event reporting and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

After months of speculation, Google bought popular social mapping startup Waze in June of this year. And following the purchase, Google's VP of Geo said the company was looking forward to bringing its search capabilities to the app.

Today, it has made good on that promise. An update just posted for the Waze iPhone and iPad app, which brings it to version to 3.7.6, that includes a handy new voice-based search option for addresses and places in over 40 languages...

Let’s Talk iOS 001: Now we’re talking

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated August 1, 2018

Welcome to the first episode of Let's Talk iOS. In this episode, we break down our feelings about the new iPad Air after a few days of intense usage. Jeff talks about his ability to use the iPad Air as a full fledged work machine, and Cody and Sebastien reiterate their plans to purchase the new iPad mini with Retina Display.

How to quickly list every app on your iOS 7 device

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

So, you’ve got apps spread out everywhere throughout your device. Some are scattered about multiple pages, and some, courtesy of iOS 7’s lax folder restrictions, are scattered throughout multiple pages of folders. How’s a guy to keep tabs on all of this activity?

One easy way to do so is to simply use iOS’ built in Spotlight search. Obviously, you can use Spotlight to search for a number of different items on your device, including apps. Inside, I’ll show you how to quickly list every installed application on your device, along with the folders that they reside in.

Getting more from the iOS 7 app switcher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

The iOS 7 app switcher is a significant departure from the previous way that app switching worked in iOS. Apple’s latest and greatest mobile operating system ditched the small app switcher that appeared near the bottom of the screen in favor of a more front and center app switching mechanism.

I don’t think you’ll find a single person out there that agrees that this new way is inferior to the app switching ways of old. Not only do we now have full screen previews of our running apps, we can also choose to eliminate them by means of a simple swipe up gesture.

But outside of the mere aesthetic appeal of the new interface, there’s more to be gained in day-to-day usage. Inside, you’ll find a couple of my favorite new, largely obvious, uses for the new app switcher.