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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...

Reeder 2 is out with refreshed UI, iPad support and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

It's been a rough couple of months for Reeder, the app largely believed to be the most popular RSS client on iOS. With the shutdown of Google Reader this summer, developer Silvio Rizzi was forced to add support for other RSS services like Feedly and Feedbin.

But for whatever reason, Rizzi was only able to update the iPhone version of the app with third-party RSS support, leaving tablet users out in the cold. So Reeder for iPad essentially died alongside Google Reader. But don't worry, it's been brought back to life...

New iPhone 5s OtterBox cases built to accommodate Touch ID

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

It looks like folks hoping to find a case that offers full device protection for their iPhone 5s may not have to wait very long to get one. Popular case-maker OtterBox announced this week that it has 4 cases ready to go for the handset.

More specifically, the company says that all of its new cases are "designed specifically to accommodate the new Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor technology," and all device functionality remains uninhibited by the accessories...

iPhone 5c pre-orders to begin Friday at 12:01 am Pacific Time

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Looking to grab Apple's new iPhone 5c? Then you better keep your credit card handy. It appears that pre-orders for the new handset are set to begin Friday, September 13—that's tomorrow—at 12:01 am Pacific Time.

The information comes from U.S. carrier partners Verizon and Sprint, who have both posted pre-order info on their websites. Apple hasn't confirmed the time yet, but it has in year's past coordinated with the providers...

The best apps for getting things done

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

I am a big time list maker. If I didn’t have a list, every single day for things I need to do, I’d be sitting on the couch eating bon ons all day. I need to have practically every hour of my day planned out ahead of time, complete with a time frame and deadline.

Apple has a list of apps that will help people like me get things done in an organized and timely manner. We’ve narrowed down their list to our favorite apps…

Download the new iOS 7 wallpapers now

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 13, 2017

In addition to unveiling the new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c yesterday, Apple also seeded the Golden Master of iOS 7. It should be the final beta we see of the big software update, before it gets released to the public on September 18.

As we've already pointed out, iOS 7 GM doesn't include much in the way of changes. It does, however, feature several new wallpapers, which we went hands-on with yesterday. And since everyone seemed to like them so much, we thought we'd do something about it by posting all the new iOS 7 wallpapers for download...