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How secret China flights bring iPhones to Apple Stores

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 12, 2013

Apple's fine-tuned supply chain is legendary, but we are just now getting a glimpse into its inner workings. As supply side wonk turned CEO Tim Cook Tuesday unveiled a new line of iPhones, an intriguing report revealed the coordination required to get the handsets to your local Apple store.

Using mammoth chartered jets and schedules so elaborate they almost make D-Day seem like a Girl Scouts delivery route, iDevices designed in California and built in China arrive in the US without a second to spare. A former FedEx executive likens it all to a Hollywood movie premiere...

Surprise! Samsung’s future smartphones will feature 64-bit processors

Sébastien Page ∙ September 12, 2013

Kim Yoo-chul reporting for the Korea Times:

The co-CEO implied that upcoming Samsung Galaxy-branded smartphones will be more powerful and faster by confirming that they would have 64-bit processing capability. [...]

“Not in the shortest time. But yes, our next smartphones will have 64-bit processing functionality,” Shin said, adding he followed the media coverage of Apple’s new iPhone.

Notice the "not in the shortest time." Of course, it will take them a minute to adapt to the new standard Apple just set.

Apple allegedly working on Maps car-finding feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 12, 2013

Apple hasn't talked much about its new M7 motion coprocessor that was specifically designed to work alongside the A7 chip inside the iPhone 5s to improve battery life by offloading some tasks that don't require the full power of the main A7 processor.

Some of these tasks include polling motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass sensors without waking up the A7 chip

According to a new report, Apple has bigger plans for the M7 chip and could use it to enable new geolocation Maps features in a way that won't bring a significant hit on the battery...

How to quickly move between the first and last page of your Home screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

SBPageSwipe is an interesting new tweak that was recently released on Cydia. It allows users to quickly scroll between the first and last SpringBoard page by swiping on the page dots that reside above the Home screen dock.

As you would imagine, this is a very simple and straightforward tweak with zero options to configure. Though it's simple in nature, I did find it pretty handy to have. It's almost like using the Home and End buttons on a desktop keyboard. Take a look inside.

Stronger battery inside iPhone 5s/5c detailed

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2016

Apple's marketing honcho Phil Schiller noted during Tuesday's iPhone 5s/5c keynote that both new iPhones feature a slightly bigger battery though he stopped short of giving us specifics. Now, Apple's specs page would have us believe that both new iPhones feature essentially the same battery, though that's not true.

Per Apple's stats, both devices provide ten hours of talk time on 3G, 250 hours standby time, 8 hours of Internet use on 3G (10 hours on LTE or Wi-Fi), 10 hours of video playback and 40 hours of audio playback.

What Apple didn't tell us is how it's managed to boost the iPhone 5s battery capacity by as much as ten percent. The iPhone 5c battery life gains are more modest at a respectable five percent compared to the iPhone 5...

Apple patent shines new light on potential iDevices made of sapphire

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 12, 2013

A newly-published patent suggests Apple is serious about bling. Not for diamond-encrusted gadgets, but iDevices made of sapphire, the second-hardest material on earth. The iPhone maker envisions smartphone screens able to resist scratches and breakage with bodies tough enough to withstand drops and spills.

Although up till now sapphire has been used for smaller items, such as the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s, the patent application outlines much wider application, according to a Thursday report...

Jumbo-sized ‘iPhad’ would be huge in China, but…

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 12, 2013

In astronomy, it is known as the 'Goldilocks Principle,' where Earth is located not too close to the Sun but not too far away. The 'just right' thinking needs to be applied to calls for a larger-screen iPhone, according to one analyst. While an iPhone with a larger screen is needed to increase demand in China, anything larger than a five-inch display risks creating an 'iPhad' that's part iPhone and part iPad...

Walmart to sell new iPhones with a discount, take iPhone 5c pre-orders tomorrow

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Just as Apple's U.S. carrier partners Verizon and Sprint announced iPhone 5c pre-orders beginning Friday at 12:01am Pacific, the U.S. retail chain Walmart said Thursday it too will start taking pre-orders for the device tomorrow.

The retailer typically carries iPhones at prices lower than other stores and new iPhones are no different: an iPhone 5s with sixteen gigabytes of storage will cost you $189 after a two-year contract, which is $10 cheaper from standard $199 downpayment...

Apple’s Find My iPhone helps recover 5-year-old in stolen SUV

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 12, 2013

Here's a use for the iPhone Apple may not have considered: do-it-yourself lojack. Thanks to the company's Find My iPhone app for iOS devices, Houston, Texas police Monday night recovered a five-year-old boy. Police say the father used his iPad to track the Apple smartphone that was in a stolen SUV which held the child. According to ABC 13, Houston police then used the information to track the family vehicle, stolen while the father went into a Houston liquor store Monday...

Apple stock takes a hit after Wall Street hammers iPhone 5c ‘iPhlop’

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Wall Street is a curious bunch. Apple shares dropped by five percent Wednesday morning after analysts piled on with disappointment over the iPhone 5c.

Expecting an inexpensive smartphone costing $400 without a contract, Apple instead unveiled a device priced at $549 unsubsidized.

The departure from the expected script caused some industry observers to downgrade Apple's shares, citing worries the iPhone maker may have shot itself in the foot when it comes to inexpensive Android alternatives selling in places like China...

R-Round lets the music tell the story

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Whenever a sweet indie song comes on the radio, my boyfriend groans and says he feels like he is in an Apple commercial or something. He hates those charming jangly pop songs.

R-Round is a casual arcade game for the iPad that is jam-packed with the cutest, jangliest, catchiest pop tunes you can think of. Plus, it features a unique style of gameplay that is fun for everyone…

Never lose your iPhone in the dark with glowing Slickwraps cases

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

I find myself fumbling around in the dark looking for my iPhone, while trying not to wake my wife. Black iPhone, dark room, black side table are all my enemies when trying to get my late night Twitter fix. Not that Slickwraps designed a case to encourage bed time iPhone junkies, but I find the glowing aura of this case helpful in similar situations.

When I first offered to review the Slickwraps glow series case, I figured it was a novelty item that children might find in a $.25 grab machine at the local bowling alley. After using the case for more than a week, I am happily surprised to believe quite the opposite of my original impressions...