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OS X 10.9 said to feature tabbed Finder with tags, iOS style multitasking and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 29, 2013

OS X 10.9, the next major revision to Apple's operating system for Macs internally codenamed 'Cabernet', is up for introduction later this year, according to a well-informed writer. Specifically, Apple is apparently bringing more of core iOS features to its desktop operating system.

This entails stuff like iOS style multitasking that should prove functional by allowing background tasks to pause like on the iPhone and iPad. Finder, the Mac's long-standing default file manager, is understood to gain power features such as tabbed browsing modes and tags.

An enhanced Safari browser is thought to include a redesigned backend for improved page loading, speed and efficiency, which reminds us a lot of Turbo browsing mode from the Opera mini browser...

LockscreenToggles lets you access your toggles directly from the Lock screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 29, 2013

LockscreenToggles is a brand new way to toggle various functions directly from the iPhone's Lock screen. It works by using swipe gestures. For instance, a simple swipe from right to left on the Lock screen clock reveals the toggles. A simple swipe down on the toggles reveals a list of available toggles.

With LockscreenToggles, you are required to have five toggles configured to display at once on the Lock screen, and these can be selected from a list of ten different toggles. Take a look inside for more insight...

Donald Trump urging Apple to build jumbo-sized iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 29, 2013

Donald Trump, in his own words, owns "a lot of Apple stock" and misses Steve Jobs terribly, but that's not stopping him from demanding that Apple releases an iPhone with a bigger screen. The 66-year-old billionaire, magnate, president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts is publicly urging Tim Cook & Co. to think beyond the iPhone 5's four-inch screen because "I like the larger screen" and because Apple will "lose a lot of business" unless it gets an iPhablet right...

Review: Belkin Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

As someone who's relegated the full sized iPad to the back burner, it's admittedly a bit awkward to pull this thing back out. But the folks at Belkin have a new product for me to try, and it looks cool enough to convince me to dust off my iPad 3.

Belkin is no stranger when it comes to iOS accessories, but this — the Ultimate Keyboard Case for iPad — is perhaps its most thoughtful. The case, which officially launches in May, was created for people who want to get things done on their full sized iPads. It works with any currently available full-sized iPad, including the iPad 2, iPad 3, and iPad 4. It's not the prettiest keyboard case on the block, and perhaps not the most durable, but it screams functionality.

Belkin sent me a product sample about a month ago, and I decided that I was going to put this thing through the paces. Instead of using it for a few days and reviewing it, I wanted to see if the case actually lived up to its moniker.

Report offers inside look at undercover police operation to disrupt stolen iPhone trade

Cody Lee ∙ April 29, 2013

Earlier this year, it was reported that mobile phone thefts had climbed to 300 per day in London, with the iPhone accounting for over half of them. And we've heard similar numbers here Stateside, in major cities like New York and Chicago.

But police forces are beginning to fight back, setting up undercover units to try and disrupt the stolen smartphone trade. And a new report out this weekend offers an inside look at such an operation by the San Francisco Police Department...

Windows Phone ad sees iPhone and Android owners trading insults at wedding

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 22, 2017

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19vR1GldRI

Despite the massive marketing blitz, Microsoft's Windows Phone platform has managed to regain but a fraction of market share lost to iOS and Android in years past. Figuring it could take a page from Samsung's marketing handbook, Microsoft on Monday published on its YouTube channel a new Windows Phone commercial which takes a mandatory jab at Apple's iPhone and its Siri digital personal assistant while also poking fun of Gorilla-sized Android devices from Samsung. The funny ad is aimed at boosting Microsoft's and Nokia's stagnant sales of Lumia handsets in the United States...

LSScrubbing allows you to scrub music from the Lock screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ April 29, 2013

LSScrubbing is a recently released tweak that does something so obvious, you'll wonder why it was never there to begin with. The tweak allows you to scrub audio from the Lock screen, which is basically a fancy term for moving forward or backward through a song manually.

The stock Lock screen music controls allow you to skip tracks, go to a previous track, pause, play, or adjust the volume. They also allow you to tap and hold on the previous/next buttons to rewind or fast forward, but there's no scrubbing to be found. LSScrubbing fixes that glaring omission, but you'll have to pay up to do so.

Alleged leaked Japanese carrier document claims iPhone 5S pre-orders start June 20

Cody Lee ∙ April 29, 2013

Tim Cook caused quite a bit of commotion last week when he told investors that Apple "has some amazing new hardware, software, and services coming this fall." Most folks took it as we aren't going to see anything new from the company until then.

But that may not be the case, according to a purported leaked document from Japanese wireless carrier KDDI. The internal note, meant for sales floor staff, offers up plan pricing information and some details about the upcoming iPhone 5S smartphone...

Cash cow is dying as messaging apps overtake SMS by volume

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

For the first time, more messages are being sent via applications such as iMessage, WhatsApp and Viber than traditional texting. That's the message of a new study which found that messages sent using such apps outnumbered those sent through carrier-based SMS in 2012.

That lead is expected to widen this year as chat apps send twice as many messages as texting. The study by Informa suggests the lucrative business of text transmissions could be winding down for carriers.

Although traditional SMS has a larger user base, iMessage, WhatsApp or other chatting apps are sending more texts per user, giving them the momentum...

Google’s iOS Search app, now available with Google Now

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 29, 2013

Boom, just like that Google has issued an update to its excellent Search app for the iPhone and iPad which enables some of the most popular Google Now features on the iOS platform. At least initially, Google Now on iOS devices doesn't support some of the features Android users have come to love.

Boarding passes, activity summary, events, concerts, Fandango and Zillow cards aren't included in the update.

All told, 22 of the 29 card types found in Android have made their way to the iOS edition, including weather, traffic, transit schedules and sports scores. Also: Google Now doesn't have Push Notifications, which makes the feature less useful than on Android, where Google Now can notify users via alerts of their upcoming appointments, changes to their flight schedule, weather and more.

Your promotional video, screenies and additional details are after the break...

Low-cost iPad mini mulled, seen competing with Android cheapos

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 29, 2013

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a very strong track record, having previously predicted a number of Apple products.

For example, he correctly assumed the MacBook Pro with Retina display would be offered alongside the existing models and called for the phasing out of the 17-inch MacBook Pro.

You'll recall that Tim Cook during last week's conference call advised against major hardware announcements until Fall. Be that as it may, Kuo now thinks Apple could at its upcoming five-day conference for developers refresh the MacBook notebook lineup with upgrades mostly revolving around a speedier Intel Haswell chips.

He is also expecting a new low-cost iPad mini model - the budget iPad mini, if you will - which should help the company fend off the onslaught of cheap Android tablets on the low-end...