IDC: tablets to overtake laptops this year, all PCs in 2015

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated February 28, 2017

It was not long ago that people dreamed of providing a PC for every child on the planet. Well, the vision needs to be updated. Tablets - particularly  those in the iPad mini size range - are outselling laptops now and soon will overtake all PCs, research firm IDC reported Tuesday.

Some 229.3 million tablets are expected to ship this year for a 58.7 percent growth rate, compared to 2012. By contrast, PC shipments are down for the second year in a row, dropping 7.8 percent in 2013, the company announced.

The key takeaways: tablets are becoming smaller and cheaper, while at the same time being increasingly able to accomplish tasks once done by PCs...

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Apple patents auto iPhone volume based on proximity

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 28, 2013

Wouldn't it be great if the iPhone could detect when you are holding the handset to your ear or sitting on a desk, automatically adjusting the volume? Apple thought so, as well. Tuesday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office granted the iPhone maker a patent on a way to adjust the speaker volume based on proximity.

The patent, filed just a year after the iPhone was unveiled, uses the smartphone's many sensors to detect the device's proximity from a user. Just as a proximity sensor is used to detect when the phone is at your ear (thus turning off the touch screen), sensors could also adjust speaker volume...

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Still renting discs? Blockbuster has an app for that.

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Remember Blockbuster? The once popular video and game rental chain got pushed to the brink of relevancy as the likes of Netflix, Hulu, iTunes and Amazon took over.

But if you're stuck in the old age and still rent movies on discs, Blockbuster's re-written iOS app could come in handy for managing your physical rentals on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices.

Some of the welcome features include the ability to scan your membership card for in-store checkout and check movie availability on a per-store basis. And for those of us that have long moved on, Blockbuster earlier this month released a brand new On Demand iOS streaming app...

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EU suggest clamping down on tax havens

Ed Sutherland ∙ May 28, 2013

European nations must stop offering incentives aimed at attracting companies seeking a haven from the U.S. government's 35 percent tax on repatriated money. The European Union's Tax Commissioner Algirdas Semeta Tuesday called on EU member nations to halt "specific incentives" aimed at attracting international corporations such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Coca Cola and many others.

Semeta's comments in Brussels follows a week of high-profile discussion of ways Apple and other tech giants filter income through EU nations such as Ireland to avoid paying heftier taxes back home...

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Crazy rumor calls for 12.9-inch ‘iPad maxi’ in early-2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

Sorting through the ocean of rumors today, I stumbled upon a Chinese report suggesting a twice as sharp Retina display on the next iPhone. While there's some chance we could see Apple develop a higher-resolution iPhone at some point, another sketchy report claims that the company is also working on a much larger iPad with a 12.9-inch display.

If true, this would put the rumored 'iPad maxi' in the range of netbooks and notebooks and appeal to niche market verticals, such as digital photographers, pro video editors, designers, content creators and so forth...

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Let’s Talk Jailbreak 12: We had a wonderful time!

Jeff Benjamin ∙ May 28, 2013

Today we discuss whether or not Cydia developers should charge for updates to their tweaks. We also talk about the latest update to MiniPlayer, a new tweak called App Activate, and an updated Backgrounder app for iOS. We also discuss the hotly debated iLex RAT along with the long awaited Badger. It's a show that's filled with jailbreak goodness. We also lend you a sneak preview of AltKeyboard, an upcoming jailbreak tweak that allows you to use swipe gestures to type alternate keys on your keyboard. Needless to say, you don't want to miss this.

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Apple rumored to double iPhone 5S Retina resolution

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Apple's Retina display may still be the best mobile display on the market, but not so much anymore in terms of the sheer pixel count and clearness.

Case in point: Samsung's five-inch Galaxy S4 with its full HD 1,920-by-1,080 resolution screen at a whopping 441 pixels per inch easily outperforms the iPhone 5's four-inch 640-by-1,136 Retina display at 326 pixels per inch. Another example: HTC's flagship One smartphone and its 468 pixels per inch display.

Now, a new rumor out of China alleges that Apple's next iPhone will have an upgraded Retina display with twice as much pixels as the current-generation...

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AirPlay streaming, HDMI out and web UI coming to Infuse media player

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

I was quite excited about Infuse, a versatile and nice-looking iOS media player by FireCore, the team behind the aTV Flash Black. The one and only major gripe I had with the software is its absence of AirPlay streaming, which is quite a limiting factor if you want to watch your media on the big screen TV through your Apple TV. While AirPlay support is definitely coming in a future update, the team yesterday issued a small update fixing minor inconsistencies and tweaking a few features...

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WhiteLine HD: a gorgeous minimal theme for your iPhone

Cody Lee ∙ May 28, 2013

We've seen some pretty cool themes over the past few weeks. There was FlatIcons, iMIUI, and more recently Motif—all of them are worth checking out if you haven't already. And we're going to add to that list today, with WhiteLine HD.

WhiteLine HD is a new iPhone theme by Xavier32. It's lightweight, and looks great, as long as your into the whole minimalism thing. But don't let its simplistic design fool you. It includes over 800 icons, countless UI elements, and more...

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New iPhone 6 concept has a 4.8-inch edge-to-edge display and 3D camera

Cody Lee ∙ May 28, 2013

With this year's iPhone release expected to look and act very similar to its predecessor, concept designers have already set their sights on the next version of the handset. Earlier this month we saw mockups for a waterproof iPhone 6 that could charge wirelessly.

And today we've got another one for you. This one comes from the folks over at ConceptiPhone, the same team behind yesterday's iOS 7 concept, and it features a sleek new contoured design, a 3-dimensional iSight camera, and an edge-to-edge display...

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Make sure your iPhone keeps quiet with The Mutator

Cody Lee ∙ May 27, 2013

The behavior of the iPhone's Mute switch has long been a topic of debate. While switching it off will silence most of the handset's sounds, it won't keep alarms and other system functions quiet, which as you can imagine can make for some embarrassing moments.

And that's where the Mutator comes in. The tiny accessory fits in your iPhone's headphone jack, and promises to ease your mind when in meetings, movie theaters and other 'please silence your cell phone' situations by ensuring your handset won't make a sound...

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