iDownloadBlog.com

Q: Has Apple stopped innovating? A: No

Sébastien Page ∙ June 3, 2013

As often, MG Siegler hits the nail about Apple's nonexistent lack of innovation:

One question during the D interview was about if Apple had stopped innovating. After all, it’s been so long since the last truly innovative product, the iPad, came out. Um, the iPad came out three years ago. Three years! Guess how much time there was between that product and the last “truly innovative” product, the iPhone? Three years. Guess how much time there was between that product and the last “truly innovative” product, the iPod? Five and a half years.

Newsflash: true innovation takes time. Apple has by far the best track-record in recent history when it comes to such products. But how quickly we forget how long each one took to come to market. There needs to be a Turn so we can appreciate the Prestige. But screw that. We want more, better, faster. Cue Louis CK.

Belkin launches new Grip Power Battery Case for the iPhone 5

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 13, 2017

Belkin, a California-based maker of consumer electronics and accessories, today announced its first entry into the iPhone 5 battery case space with the Grip Power. Similar to Mophie's popular Juice Pack line, the Grip Power is a case that has a built-in backup battery.

The Grip's power block is of the 2000mAh variety, which Belkin says is good enough to double the battery life of your late-model iPhone. And with its shock-resistant outer shell and anti-glare camera ring, it makes for a decent case in terms of protection as well...

Bloomberg: Apple’s iAd team gearing up for new iRadio service

Cody Lee ∙ June 3, 2013

This weekend was chock-full of iRadio news, with multiple reports claiming that Apple reached a deal with the Warner Music Group on Sunday in an effort to wrap up negotiations involving its Pandora-like music service in time for WWDC next week.

And that trend continues today with a new scoop from Bloomberg regarding the service. The outlet is reporting this afternoon that Apple is revamping how it sells mobile ads to better cater to businesses that apparently can't wait to advertise on iRadio...

Apple squares off with the government in ‘bizzare’ e-book lawsuit

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

As I reported earlier this morning, Apple today squared off with the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) in a Manhattan courtroom in a "bizzare" case (Tim Cook's words, not mine) that some watchers say will set the rules for Internet commerce. Here's what both sides emphasized in their opening statements, including an upcoming testimony by Apple's Internet services lead Eddy Cue...

Reeder to add Feedly and Feed Wrangler support as Google Reader shuts down

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

When Google announced earlier this year that it would be shutting down Google Reader this summer, Feedly stepped up and said it was working on a clone of Google's RSS API that would help make user transition from Reader to Feedly "seamless."

Today, the cross-platform news aggregator offered up more details of the clone—codenamed Normandy—by way of a new blog post. Apparently it already has a number of apps on board for the project, including popular Google Reader client Reeder...

Apple now offering in-store $149 replacement screens for iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

A recent MarketWatch article has blamed high iPhone 5 repair costs on Apple’s tight control of the supply chain, which in turn dictates aftermarket prices.

Perhaps responding to the criticism, the company has reportedly started selling a replacement screen component for the iPhone 5 for $149.

Tipsters claim that the replacement display is offered in-store only, with or without AppleCare+.

Although $149 is notably higher than the corresponding iPhone 4S screen assembly which costs about $95, Apple's asking price undercuts the repair wizards over at iFixit who offer an iPhone 5 replacement screen for $200.

And in response to Apple's competitive pricing, some service shops are now starting to tweak their repair rates accordingly...

Photos of alleged iPhone 5S SIM tray and various buttons

Cody Lee ∙ June 3, 2013

Although we won't likely see a new iPhone at WWDC next week, it is on the way. The handset is reportedly scheduled to go into production this month, and is expected to be unveiled during a September or October event.

We know little about the device, believed to be the iPhone 5S, outside of the fact that it is going to look like its predecessor. We have seen a number of minor part leaks though, with a few more turning up this morning...

Satechi releases 7 port aluminum USB 3.0 hub that matches your Mac [giveaway]

Jim Gresham ∙ June 3, 2013

Satechi just released a new USB 3.0 hub for the Mac enthusiasts. Long have we waited for a quality USB port extender that would match the design and look of the brushed aluminum. The new 7 port hub is smooth and compact, offering ample high speed connections for your various devices. As a powered unit, it offers up to 5Gbps over the 3.0 connection and comes in either black or white options...

Twitter’s Vine reaches 13 million users on iPhone, lands on Android

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 9, 2018

Twitter's Vine debuted in late-January exclusively on Apple's iPhone so you could easily spam the web with a few seconds worth of "viral" clips. While we knew it would eventually land on Android, its somewhat slow adoption had prompted Twitter to go back to the drawing board and add more features.

Less then five months later, Vine for Android is a reality. And reminding us that Vine still exists, Twitter has proudly announced that the iPhone edition now has thirteen million users - hardly what you'd call a successful iPhone app.

Perhaps a bit unsurprisingly, many features from the iOS app are currently missing in the initial Android release. On the other hand, the Android version happens to include a feature Twitter says isn't possible on the iPhone...

Google Drive iOS app gains commenting and swipeable galleries

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 3, 2013

If you use Google Drive to keep your files safely backed up in the Google cloud, pay attention as the Internet giant has just pushed an interesting little update making its iOS client a whole lot more useful for collaborative work than before.

Google Drive for the iPhone and iPad has been bumped up to version 1.4, adding swipeable images while viewing them in full screen, in addition to comments for your Google Docs files.

The first feature lets you swipe through the images stored in your Drive as you would in Apple's stock iOS Photos app. The latter capability supports viewing, creating, replying to and resolving comments in Google Docs files.

Commenting was previously available via the web interface, but not on mobile devices. The free application is now live on the App Store so go ahead and update it if you haven't already...

Chrome 27 for iOS is out with conversational voice search, faster reloading

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Boy, today must be the day to update your iOS apps. Hot on the heels of major updates for both WordPress and Google Drive comes a new version of Chrome. The update, which brings the app to version 27, includes conversational voice search and other improvements.

We knew Google was planning on bringing its Siri-like conversational voice search feature to iOS—it said so shortly after it added the option to its desktop browser. Now you can perform voice searches in the mobile browser, and get both visual and audible results...

Chrome rises as Android loses ground in mobile web usage

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 3, 2013

Next to email, a mobile browser is often the most-used app on a smartphone or tablet. Although Safari still rules the iPhone and iPad crowd, there is a bit of internecine warfare within the Android camp. Google's Chrome is increasingly the default browser on Android mobile devices as usage declines for the stock Android browser.

The gains in May by Chrome against the stock Android mobile browser coincide with Google's decision last year to replace the stock Android browser with Chrome on all Android devices...