Apple accused of pushing users to download HD movies on non-HD devices

With the September 2008 release of iTunes 8, Apple along with introducing a slew of new software features started upgrading resolution of movies and television shows sold on the iTunes Store to high-definition 720p. One Apple user has now taken the company to court over what in his view files as fraud, unjust enrichment and violation of consumer protection laws.

A Florida user took issue with iTunes movie downloads, alleging Apple tricked him into buying a pricier $4.99 high-definition version of the Big Daddy movie although his iPhone 3GS did not support playback of HD content. Claiming he was unaware an SD version was available for $3.99, he argues Apple should compensate the "millions" of owners of older hardware who paid a buck more to download HD versions of movies and TV shows...

Twitter updates iOS and Mac app with DM syncing

The most annoying thing about Twitter's iOS and Mac client has finally been fixed: your DMs now sync properly across devices and platforms. This means reading a DM on iPhone will mark it as read on desktop, and vice versa. In fact, Twitter will now properly sync your read/unread DMs in all official Twitter apps, including the web interface at twitter.com, the mobile UI at mobile.twitter.com, Twitter for Mac, Twitter for Android and TweetDeck, another Twitter-owned property...

Company selling Android handsets based on budget iPhone design

Over the weekend, a small electronics company named Techdy posted several photos and high quality video of, what is believed to be, the shell of Apple's long rumored budget iPhone. Similar to previous reports, it described the device as a cross between the iPhone 5 and first-gen iPod touch.

Interestingly enough, folks who want to see what the phone looks like for themselves can actually order it. Techdy has announced that it is now selling an Android smartphone, the 'Basic Bear,' for $199 that has a 4-inch Retina display and features a hardware design based on the the budget iPhone...

Freemium Candy Crush game smashes revenue records at $633K per day

Candy Crush Saga could become the legal Crack of the app world. Initially belittled for its close resemblance to Bejeweled, Electronics Arts' addictive freemium game, Candy Crush is now the poster child for the freemium model, raking in a record $633,000 per day, according to one estimate. The key is simple: get players addicted to the game, then charge for larger and larger fixes. Theoretically, the company behind Candy Crush could pull in $230 million in annualized revenue from this single app, even turning the game loose on Wall Street...

5 Years of the App Store live on iTunes

With just two days until the official fifth anniversary of Apple's App Store, the company last week conveniently delivered a celebratory poster highlighting key moments in the application's store five-year history. A few hours ago, Apple slashed a number of premium apps and games to zero bucks and now a new anniversary section has just gone live on iTunes. Titled '5 Years of the App Store', it's accessible both from desktop iTunes and via the stock App Store app on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices...

Preview: StatusHUD

StatusHUD is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that promises to integrate the iPhone's volume HUD with the status bar. This allows you to view the volume level meter from within the confines of the iOS status bar, keeping the middle of the screen free from the stock HUD.

Scheduled to touchdown on Cydia's BigBoss repo in the near future, StatusHUD works on all jailbroken iOS devices, including the iPad. Developer, Alan Yip, the same developer behind tweaks such as Tap to Widgets and Overview, has allowed us to go hands on with a finished copy of the tweak. Check out our preview video after the break...

Apple closes gap with Android in May, thanks to T-Mobile

Apple may want to thank its newest U.S. carrier partner, T-Mobile USA, for helping narrow the gap between iOS and Google's leading Android smartphone software. According to a newly-released market survey, Android had 52 percent of the domestic market in May 2013 while Apple scored 41.9 percent, a 3.5 percent gain over the same end of May period in 2012.

The figures are slightly encouraging to Apple, which held 39 percent of the U.S. smartphone market according to another research firm in June. Remarkable about today's numbers is how the iPhone accounted for more than half of T-Mobile smartphone sales, enticing a higher-than-average percent of feature phone owners to upgrade to the Apple handset...

Instagram update adds front-cam stabilization, landscape support

Like it or not, video on Instagram video is here to stay. And with five million videos uploaded to Instagram in the first 24 hours and given the Instagram brand strength, small wonder that Vine shares on Twitter have plummeted since Instagram video debut.

Not resting on its laurels, just this past weekend Instagram received a small update adding support for the Cinema video stabilization feature for your iPhone's front camera, previously available on the rear camera only. Not only that, you can now shot video holding the Instagram camera in landscape orientation...

Preview: ayra

Looking for a beautiful way to access toggles directly from the Lock screen on iOS 6? What about an improved "slide to unlock" design? All of that, and more, is possible with an upcoming jailbreak tweak by the name of ayra.

Designed by Surenix (ayecon), and developed by bensge (Velox), ayra is a tweak that's high on design and features solid functionality. I won't spoil all of the features just yet, as I've saved that for the full review. But, in order to wet your appetite, I've put together a brief preview video which lends a peak at some of the things you can expect to see when the tweak releases later this week.

DigiTimes: iPad 5 with optimized battery in September, Apple ‘still adjusting’ new iPad mini

According to the supply chain sources who spoke to DigiTimes, the Taiwanese trade publication infamous for its mixed track record, Apple will release a fifth-generation 9.7-inch iPad in September. As for the second-generation iPad mini, the company is "still adjusting" that device.

What this means is that iPad mini 2 specs have not been decided on yet. Its bigger brother may sport a longer battery life than the usual ten-hour rated performance iPads are known for due to an optimized battery design...

Apple moves up 36 spots in Fortune’s Global 500, lands as #19

Each year, the Fortune Global 500 chart ranks the world's most powerful corporations based on their revenue. The 2013 edition of the rankings is now out and, based on 2012 revenue, Apple moved up 36 spots, soaring from 55th to 19th place. In fact, Apple previously cracked the Fortune 10 for the first time based on its 2012 revenue of $157 billion.

In terms of market capitalization, Apple is second only to the oil giant Exxon Mobile, in spite of ongoing woes concerning its share price...

Keep your Lightning cable handy with Nomad [review and giveaway]

Running out of the house with an empty iPhone battery can be catastrophic. We have all been there, stuck in the office, out of town, on a long car ride, when the low battery indicator pops up begging for more juice. Despite many 21st century successes, smartphone batteries still weigh us down. Unfortunately, this causes me to keep a Lightning cable near my nightstand, at the iMac, around the office, and in my car.

To prevent such problems, Kero developed the Nomad cable. Cleverly designed as a keychain, Nomad is a 3", fully Apple certified lifesaver. The seemingly simplistic resolution to an everyday problem prevents charging headaches...