iDownloadBlog.com

Samsung confirms March 14 Galaxy S IV event

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2013

The South Korean conglomerate Samsung has confirmed that a major media event will take place on March 14 in New York, about two weeks after the currently-running 2013 Mobile World Congress wraps up in Barcelona, Spain. The company confirmed to Reuters that the press conference is a launchpad for a Galaxy S III successor, the Galaxy S IV.

Samsung Monday morning sent out invites to select members of the press to "come and meet" the next Galaxy at the March 14 Unpacked event. The somewhat reliable Jefferies analyst Peter Misek estimates Samsung's enormous build plan calls for a hundred million Galaxy S IV shipments from a March-April launch until the end of the year...

$149 MYO armband brings wearable gesture control to Macs and iDevices

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWu9TFJjHaM

Here's an accessory that looks like something straight out of a James Bond movie, or Minority Report for that matter. A company called Thalmic Labs has just launched a sci-fi gesture control for Mac and Windows PCs via its new armband called MYO. Connecting to your desktop or mobile device via low-power Bluetooth, the $149 gizmo detects the electrical activity produced by your muscles, translating finger and hand movement into user interface interactions, Kinect style.

For example, you could use a circular hand motion to control the volume of iTunes playback, scroll up and down a web page by lifting or lowering your hand, switch between running tasks by swiping to the left and right with two fingers and more. What's best, the MYO is a standalone accessory in that it doesn’t require a camera to interpret the user's gestures. The video certainly looks promising...

Apple orders Retina iPad mini screens from Japan Display and LG Display

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2013

Apple, according to a new supply chain report out of Asia, has placed orders with LG Display and Japan Display for high-resolution Retina screens for a second-generation iPad mini. Japan Display is a merger of the mobile display operations of Sony, Hitachi and Toshiba, in conjunction with the Innovation Network Corporation of Japan. Now, LG Display and AU Optronics both currently supply 1,024-by-768 panels for the iPad mini, and iDB last week heard the latter has already started mass producing Retina panels for the second-generation iPad mini.

With LG Display and Japan Display now reportedly having been added to the mix - and with leaks like this purported back shell - all signs point to Apple lining up its suppliers ahead of manufacturing, usually a tell-tale sign that the official announcement is around the corner. And if the iPad mini 2 is in fact looming, we're probably looking at a summer launch at WWDC...

Meet Apple TV’s newest competitor, the Samsung HomeSync

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

As you've probably noticed by now, we're huge fans of the Apple TV here at iDB. Apple's set-top box is inexpensive, easy-to-use, and it integrates perfectly with our iOS devices. Plus, older versions of it can be jailbroken.

The device has been doing remarkably well for Apple, despite the fact that it has several competitors. But we'll see if that hot streak can continue now that Samsung's throwing its hat in the ring with its new HomeSync...

A simple Lock screen that displays the local weather forecast

Jim Gresham ∙ February 25, 2013

The iPhone Lock screen has not changed since 2007 and it is certainly boring, even outdated. Everyone loves a good Lock screen and we wanted to give a quick how-to for a simple tweak. Getting things looking fresh on your iPhone can be a jumbled mess while plowing through Cydia, looking for the right packages. A few days ago we had users submit their favorite Lock screens, screen shots, and tweaks, which led to this post. While this initial posting is simple, we hope it inspires you to construct your own beautiful Lock screens...

Facebook improves iOS SDK with enhanced APIs and better mobile analytics

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 23, 2018

Mark Zuckerberg's social networking company last July released a software development kit (SDK) for programmers to make it easier to write apps that take full advantage of Apple’s deep Facebook integration in iOS 6. It's been updated a few times since and today Facebook announced that it is enhancing the SDK with better APIs and other improvements. This update also includes bug fixes that improve stability, is backwards compatible and can be downloaded now direct from Facebook...

Apple settles in-app purchasing lawsuit with iTunes credits and refunds

Cody Lee ∙ February 25, 2013

Apple today has agreed to settle a nearly two year-old lawsuit with a group of parents over unauthorized in-app purchases made by their kids. The parents complained that the process' lack of password requirement led to massive iTunes bills.

As part of the preliminary deal, which has yet to be finalized by a judge, Apple will pay eligible class members with a $5 iTunes gift card or the same amount in cash. And for those users who spent more than $30, it's offering a full refund...

Apple’s iPhone push in India: wider distribution, new marketing and installment plans

Ed Sutherland ∙ February 25, 2013

After describing India as having less potential than China, Apple is increasing efforts to compete in the world's second-largest cellphone market. The iPhone maker is now hoping installment payments, coupled with increased marketing can turn single-digit market penetration into a weapon against low-cost Androids.

In full-page ads in the Times of India, Apple calls its unsubsidized $840 iPhone 5 "your dream phone" available for a $93 first payment. Why the big push? The nation's smartphone market is expected to grow five-fold by 2016, setting the stage for the next battle between Apple and Google's free mobile software...

iPad 5 cases beginning to hit Chinese marketplaces

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Apple's next-generation tablet isn't expected to hit for at least another 5 or 6 months, but accessory manufacturers already seem to feel pretty confident that they know what it's going to look like.

Based on a number of reports and alleged part leaks, case-makers have begun mass-producing cases fit for a redesigned iPad 5 that is both lighter and thinner than its predecessor, with smaller bezels...

Bloomberg: Google’s music streaming service launching worldwide in Q3

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2013

Piggy-backing on last week's reports by The Wall Street Journal and Financial Times asserting Google's been looking to enhance its Music service with streaming features akin to those of Spotify, Bloomberg today learned from its own sources that the service is likely targeted for a third quarter start. What's more, Google is reportedly planning to release this as a worldwide offering from the get-go.

One of the people familiar with Google's thinking told Bloomberg the service would work on both Android and non-Android devices, without explicitly referring to the iPhone...

Sharp and Foxconn deal has all but fallen apart

Cody Lee ∙ February 25, 2013

For a year now, we've been hearing that Foxconn was going to buy a large stake in Sharp Corp. Speculation of the deal has run rampant, going so far as to implicate that the partnership was part of Apple's plans to build a TV.

But over the last several months, Sharp's business has started to falter, causing Foxconn to rethink things. Since then, the companies haven't been able to come to an agreement. And according to a new report, they won't...

Kantar: discounts help Android pass iOS in US smartphone sales

Ed Sutherland ∙ February 25, 2013

Oh, what a difference a month makes. That could be the message from new research giving Android the lead in U.S. smartphone sales during the three-month period ending in January 2012.

Apple's iOS had held the U.S. smartphones sales lead up through December. The new data gives Android 49.9 percent of domestic smartphone sales, with iOS taking second place with 45.9 percent.

The new standings means Google's mobile software added 6.4 percent of U.S. sales, compared to a year ago. Meanwhile, the lock on U.S. smartphone sales fell 4.7 percent from the same period in 2011. The flip-flop on the No. 1 and No. 2 spots was linked to a Sprint price cut for Samsung's Galaxy S3 during the final three months of 2012...