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iOS 7 user experience beats Android and Windows Phone, survey says

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

After being available for just one week, Apple's new iOS 7 is making daily headlines. The latest kudo to the revamped mobile operating system is a win for best user experience. Measuring how iOS 7 performs for everyday users, the software handily defeats Android, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10.

Apple's mobile software rated 73.25, placing it far ahead of Google's Android with 57.25. The version of Android available on Samsung smartphones ranked third, just behind Apple's previous mobile software, iOS 6...

No, THIS is the first app to take advantage of the iPhone 5s’ M7 coprocessor

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

Earlier today we ran a story about Strava Run, a fitness tracking app that tracks your runs and analyses your performances. Like many other media outlet, we believed Strava was the first app available in the App Store to take full advantage of the iPhone 5s new M7 coprocessor.

As it turns out, we were wrong. As many readers were quick to point out, Strava was not the first app available in the App Store to fully use the M7.

The first app to do bring Motion Activity M7 support to an app is Argus, an all around health and fitness tracker that has been been available for quite some time...

France probes Apple’s iPhone contracts with carrier partners

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 25, 2013

Apple is yet again under investigation. An arm of France's finance ministry is probing how the iPhone maker contracts with French cell phone carriers.The examination comes less than a week after Apple released two new smartphones, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the administrative section of the country's finance department is "investigating the terms of contracts between cellphone suppliers and French phone operators for the sale of devices such as the iPhone."...

Samsung shockingly launches gold Galaxy S4

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

It's not surprising the slightest bit that gold colorway is becoming all the rage in cellphones. That's almost single-handedly due to Apple offering its flagship iPhone 5s in gold, in addition to silver and space gray finishes.

Somewhat surprising: Samsung following in Apple's footsteps by offering the flagship Galaxy S4 in gold - after the fact. "Elegance is a touch of gold," reads Samsung's tagline for a phone "style that's uniquely yours".

Fast follower, indeed...

Microsoft to trade-in your iPhone if you switch

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 25, 2013

Microsoft has been running its #timetoswitch campaign for some time, to mixed results. The multi-pronged effort spans television, print, online and social media channels as Microsoft positions Windows Phone as the next big thing.

Part of that effort is a recent iPad trade-in campaign seeking to steal sales from Apple by inviting iPad users to trade-in their tablet for up to $200 in Microsoft Store credits. That's just the tip of the iceberg: Forbes writes today that Redmond is prepping to add the iPhone to the promotion...

Apple Maps and Siri woes again make headlines

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Just when you thought the dust has settled over Apple's digital personal assistant, Siri, and the company's Google Maps replacement software in iOS, latest reports once again pan the two services over gross inaccuracies.

Worse, these stories paint Apple Maps and Siri in a not-so-favorable light - and very publicly, too.

The first report comes from Alaska and warns about people looking for directions to the Fairbanks International Airport, only to be instructed to drive onto an airport taxiway, which is located directly across the runway where airplanes take off and land....

Uttr review: get today’s headlines without looking at your iPhone

Lory Gil ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

If you are always on the move and don’t have the time to sit down to read the day’s headlines, there is a way to find out what your favorite RSS feeds are reporting without having to take your eyes off the road.

Uttr is an RSS feed app that does the reading for you. Instead of taking the time to sit down with a cup of coffee and your iPhone, let Uttr read the headlines while you go on about your business…

Tower of Fortune 2 brings slot machine RPGs to iOS

Lory Gil ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

What is the one thing you would love to see added to a typical role-playing adventure game? I already know what you are going to say. Gambling, right?

Tower of Fortune 2 (ToF2) makes your dreams come true in this sequel of adventure gaming based on a roll of the dice, or actually a pull of the slot machine arm…

Hi-res photos of alleged ‘Space Gray’ iPad 5 shell surface

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

With the new iPhones now unveiled and shipping, the rumor mill's attention of course turns to Apple's tablet lines. It's widely believed that we'll see a media event for a new iPad and iPad mini next month.

And as with the new iPhones, we have a pretty good idea of what to expect. The new mini is said to look a lot like its predecessor, with a Retina display, and the new full-sized iPad should look like, well, this...

Echofon Twitter client redesigned in iOS 7 update

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Those keeping track of major iOS 7 app updates can add another one to the list this morning. The popular Twitter client Echofon has received a major redesign in its 7.0 update.

For the most part, the app acts and runs like its predecessor. But the UI has received a fresh coat of iOS 7-inspired paint with flat blue text and icons, and ample empty white space...

Apple reportedly moving forward with larger iPad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 26, 2016

The first time we heard that Apple was working on a 12+ inch iPad, we dismissed it as a crazy rumor. Why on earth would the company want to go larger than its current 9.7-inch tablet, which already seems to be getting eclipsed by the 7.9-inch mini?

But the more you hear a rumor, the harder it gets to ignore. And tonight, for the third time, a report has surfaced claiming that Apple is indeed moving forward with plans for this larger iPad, and it has already tapped Quanta Computer to produce it...

Strava Run app becomes first to utilize iPhone 5s’ M7 [update: NOT]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

UPDATE: Strava Run is not the first app to take advantage of the M7. Read our post about Argus for the details.

Strava, maker of fitness tracking software, has been referred to as one of the top 10 most innovative companies in fitness right now. And tonight, it proves that again with a new update to its Strava Run app.

Version 3.5.3 of the app, which uses GPS to track your runs and bike rides, features a handful of notable improvements. But the most significant, though, is the addition of support for the new M7 coprocessor...