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Best Buy offers 50% off iPhone 5 for Labor Day

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 17, 2017

Next Monday is Labor Day, a national holiday in the United States, and the nation's top electronics retailer Best Buy is hoping to counter Apple's upcoming iPhone trade-in program by offering the iPhone 5 half price. That's right, you can get a brand new 16 or 32GB iPhone 5 for at least half of its normal asking price, by trading-in your iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S in good condition (no water damage or screen cracks).

Of course, you're expected to commit your soul to AT&T, Verizon or Sprint for two more years. This is obviously becoming a thing for Best Buy: just two weeks ago, they were offering a $200 credit in exchange for your iPhone 4S in working condition...

Cut the Rope is Apple’s Free App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 17, 2018

If you're a sucker for physics-based puzzlers as I've always been but really can't stand Angry Birds anymore, Cut the Rope is a much-needed refreshment from Rovio's bird-slinging franchise. On the surface, the concept seems dull: you're tasked with feeding candy to a little green monster named Om Nom while collecting stars.

But it's how developers executed the super-realistic physics gameplay and paired it with colorful cartoonish visuals that blows mind.

Tens of millions of players can't be wrong and I'm also guilty of falling in love and getting addicted to Cut the Rope. Already downloaded more than 300 million times around the world, the game's never been free on the App Store so it's kinda big deal that Apple's just made Cut the Rope its Free App of the Week...

Another Android exec leaves Google nest as Silicon Valley romance rumors swirl

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 29, 2013

It's not often that Silicon Valley gets to mix tech with romance, but there appears to be a full-blown soap opera erupting in the executive suites at Google.

Hugo Barra, who as product manager for Android was the face of Google's mobile software, is moving to China and smartphone maker Xiaomi.

But what's got tongues wagging is that Barra's departure comes amidst news that he leaves a Google romance. Google's co-founder - who just split with his wife - is on the rebound: with a Google employee. Confused? Don't worry, we'll explain it all below, as well as what the product chief's new job may mean for Android and Apple...

It seems iTunes Match subscribers will get unlimited iTunes Radio skipping

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2013

The song-skipping feature that long stalled Apple's iTunes Radio talks with record labels could get a boost when iTunes Radio, which was announced at June's WWDC, launches this Fall as part of the iOS 7 refresh and iPhone 5S/5C launch.

Apple on its part hasn't definitely confirmed whether the free ad-driven service will in fact impose a ceiling on the number of song skips akin to Pandora and other digital radio services.

For what it's worth, iOS 7 Beta users currently can't bypass the song-skipping limit. In my testing, for example, iTunes Radio wouldn't allow me to skip more than six songs each hour per a specific station. But according to a new report, things could change come this Fall as Apple could enable unlimited song skipping for iTunes Match subscribers...

Pioneer launches DDJ-WEGO2, cool DJ mixing console for iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

The App Store offers some of the finest apps for DJing on any mobile platform and makers of specialized accessories have taken notice and been adding support for Apple's iPhone, iPod and iPad devices. Take Pioneer, for example, and its brand new DJ controller for iOS devices that got announced today.

The DDJ-WEGO2 console is very cool: it's portable (has handles), compatible with your fav apps, and appeases to aspiring DJs by providing all the hardware mixing sliders plus the Jog FX/Pulse control and lets you access and mix tracks on your iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices...

Apple invention lets you change brightness of UI elements independently of content

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Although Apple already permits owners of Mac, iPhone, iPod and iPad devices to adjust the user interface in a global way, a newly-published patent application describes how certain elements of the UI could be adapted. The application details a method to filter certain areas of the user interface, permitting users to adjust certain areas of the interface while leaving other locations untouched.

Along with giving us more control of an application's user interface, the adjustments outlined in the application titled 'User Interface Contrast Filter' could help improve such things as battery life...

Extended AppleCare+ warranty said to launch in Europe soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 29, 2016

AppleCare+, Apple's extended warranty coverage for iPhones and iPads, could soon launch across Europe, if there's merit to a report published yesterday by the French blog iGen. AppleCare+ is currently available only to customers in the United States, Canada and Japan, and can be activated in-store or online within 30 days of a device purchase.

The $99 extended coverage gives you a piece of mind by providing repair or replacement coverage, both parts and labor, from Apple-authorized technicians for AirPort wireless appliances as well as your iPhone and iPad, its battery and the included USB cable and power adapter...

Apple researching automatic FaceTime camera selection

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 29, 2013

With the growing number of handsets - including the iPhone - which include both front and rear-facing cameras, there is that decision during FaceTime calls and videoconferencing on where the focus should be: the caller or the subject? Now comes word Apple wants to automate that question, using cues to switch between the two video streams.

In a just-published patent application, the iPhone maker proposes software that can select the front or rear camera by watching for moving lips or listening for speech. The invention could come in handy for the growing denizens of news people becoming their own photographers, as well as creating better family vacation flicks...

Yahoo gives Flickr iOS app live filters and pro editing tools

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 29, 2013

There has never been a better time to dive deep into iPhone photography. With Twitter's Vine popularizing impulse sharing of short video clips, Instagram ruling the photo sharing space and having acquired the video startup Luma, it may seem as if the outcome of this rivalry will be determined between Facebook/Instagram, Twitter/Vine and Google and its Google+ Photos.

But people seem to be forgetting about Yahoo and its Flickr photo sharing service. After being neglected for so many years, the awoken Internet giant under Marissa Mayer's leadership has made some notable strides in the mobile photography space.

And with today's major update, Yahoo's Flickr iOS app has gained some interesting mobile photography features that instantly make it on par with the aforementioned giants. Here's the full breakdown...

iOS remains developers’ first choice, report shows

Ed Sutherland ∙ August 29, 2013

Despite all the chatter about Android and other smartphone platforms trying to entice developer, when it comes to picking their first choice, developers opt for iOS. In addition, 27 percent of developers chose the iPad as their second priority compared to a fifth for Android tablets. The survey by researcher Forrester shows that while Android has the numerical lead, when it comes to developer unveiling a mobile product, iOS is considered first...

Abyss Attack review: a traditional vertical shooter game

Lory Gil ∙ Updated March 14, 2018

A few days ago, I told you about the vertical shoot-em-up (shmup) game M.A.C.E. As a follow up for fans of games like the Raiden series of long ago, we’ve got another vertical shmup for you, only this time it’s underwater.

Raiden takes place on the ground, M.A.C.E. takes place in space, and Abyss Attack takes place in the dark recesses of deep sea…

Test your memory with The Impossible Line

Lory Gil ∙ Updated March 14, 2018

Do you remember playing the game of Memory? There would be a bunch of cards, face-down, on the table and you had to remember where each one was in order to find its mate and make the match.

The Impossible Line is a casual puzzle game that tests your ability to remember where objects are, but this is not your kid’s card-flipping memory game. You’ll be bouncing off of walls if you don’t remember where they are…