Google today released a brand new iOS app which allows owners of its Chromecast media streaming dongle to manage their $35 gadget from their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad devices. Available now on the App Store, the free Chromecast app lets you set up a Chromecast device to work with your Wi-Fi network and manage your Chromecast settings such as changing your device name, Wi-Fi password and so forth....
The introduction of numerous media devices - from your television to DVD player and stereo - coupled with the growth of smart homes would seem to cry out for Apple-like simplification. It just so happens, there is a patent for that. Apple has patented a way to control your home media collection right from your iPhone.
The patent, filed a half-decade ago by the creator of the iTunes Remote app, uses "scenes" to adjust your home multimedia to fit settings like "Romantic Movie Night", "Dinner," or simply "Relax."...
We've suspected for some time Apple will be holding its big iPhone event on September 10, with sources claiming a Gold Master iOS 7 build for developers will get released that same day. That's Apple's standard modus operandi as past Gold Master (GM) builds were seeded to the company's registered developers either at WWDC or at iPhone press conferences.
Alleged email communication Siri partner Nuance sent to devs now indicates iOS 7 GA will also be released the same day, on September 10. GA? GM?
There are some caveats here...
Earlier this month a reliable blogger asserted Apple would be making changes to its support website. The new experience was to be focused on a simpler and cleaner design that's iOS-friendly so customers could access the many support materials and browse the various sections comfortably from their iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Sure enough, and right on cue, Apple this morning has started rolling out a redesigned Apple Support website with non-stop live chat support.
The redesign calls for large thumbnails providing easy access to the product hubs, such as Macs, iTunes, iPods, iPhones, iPads and more, with each section containing a wealth of related support materials, like downloads, manuals, frequently asked questions and lots more...
Don't you just hate that Facebook won't let you create a shared album where everyone invited could upload their event photographs? Well now you can as the social networking giant this morning announced a self-explanatory new capability dubbed Shared Photo albums. Facebook's Bob Baldwin took a rather uncharacteristical step of formally launching the new feature in an interview with Mashable, here's what you need to know...
You've seen the supposed photos of the upcoming iPhone 5S’s chassis and watched a video depicting the scratch-resistance of the plastic iPhone 5C. Now what? Well, how about the ultimate video hands-on showing off the rumored gold/champagne iPhone 5S and a blue iPhone 5C variant next to an iPhone 5?
Your prayers have been listened to: you're in for a treat as one blogger has posted exactly such footage, and it's been making the rounds this morning...
Once again, Apple has tweaked its digital personal assistant Siri to give the "right" answers when asked about a competitor's product.
This time around, Apple has re-calibrated her to give amusing responses to the "Okay Glass" prompt Google Glass owners use to issue commands to their Android-driven eyewear.
Though playful, Siri's responses disparage Google Glass, with one response calling Google's head-worn accessory "half empty" and telling users they've "got the wrong assistant". We have all the responses and a nice video right after the break...
A number of Android security problems pose a threat to law enforcement officers using the Google mobile operating software.
According to an unclassified government report, 44 percent of Android users continue to use older versions of the software, opening themselves to numerous security threats, including malware infestation and malicious text messages.
According to the report, obtained from a group promoting public access to government data, Android is the "primary target" of security attacks, with 79 percent of threats...
When Apple or Samsung score a win, leading the cheering section may be all the parts manufacturers building components for the popular smartphones. A case in point: mobile display manufacturers, who saw a 55 percent jump in profits between 2012 and 2013.
Increased demand for iPhone and Galaxy handsets meant revenue of $33.3 billion for the mobile display device industry in 2013, according to researcher NPD Display Search. The two handset makers are also driving demand for more complex mobile device technology, including AMOLED screens predominantly used on Samsung devices and TFT LCDs found on iOS devices...
If you were not among the first 5,000 people to sign up for Feedly's lifetime account, you were left out in the cold. Well, I may be exaggerating because anyone could get a free Feedly account. But if your daily productivity depends depends on RSS and your needs go far beyond a basic set of features, passing on that once in a lifetime opportunity, in hindsight, was a bummer.
The Feedly team has always maintained they're building their web app for scale and today they announced that Feedly Pro accounts are now available to anyone interested...
Bloomberg in June asserted that Apple was gearing up to launch a trade-in program for iPhones at its own retail stores. While the company has been accepting trade-ins through its Reuse and Recycle program for quite some time, this would mark the first time it's made trade-in offers first hand, via its rumored partnership with the recycling firm Brightstar.
More details have surface Monday on the long-expected initiative designed to allow would-be buyers to earn instant credit for their old iPhones as a way of driving upgrades to newer models. According to one source, Apple will refurbish traded-in iPhones and potentially resell them, while clearing up Genius Bar to focus on non-swappable devices.
Jump past the fold for the full reveal...
There's a trouble in Russia so Apple dispatched its high-ranked executives to revisit how the company sells iPhones in the country, according to a new report. There's no denying that Apple has dropped the ball in the important 143 million people market. As we told you recently, the last of Russia’s big-three carriers stopped selling the iPhone.
Russian carriers complain about too onerous conditions, leaving it up to resellers and Apple’s new Russia online store to meet demand. With the new iPhones now looming on the horizon, Apple is now reportedly re-thinking its strategy in the country. That's good news because Russia is part of BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China), a group of emerging markets that are expected to overtake the United States as the world's top smartphone sellers by 2018...