Jony Ive honored with exclusive gold Blue Peter Badge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLUn7xCuQxo

Apple's head of industrial design, London-born Jonathan Ive, has been honored with the greatest accolade in United Kingdom's children TV, BBC's Blue Peter programme. First broadcast in 1958, Blue Peter is the world’s longest-running children’s television programme that educates the youngsters on craft tips, kids art and more.

Ive was honored with an exclusive golden Blue Peter badge and BBC's presenter Barney Harwood sat down with him in his design bunker in California for a quick chat. Ive, a life-long Blue Peter fan, said the show was an "inspiration to children around the world" and recalled how they reused products that you thought were no longer useful.

By the way, notice those mean CNC machines behind Ive in the above clip (sorry, Flash-only - talk to BBC!)? That's a pretty expensive piece of prototyping equipment Ive and his team use to experiment with materials and prototype various designs for future Apple gadgets...

Ousted Apple retail boss John Browett lands CEO job at fashion retailer

In today's episode of 'Where are they now?' we take a look at Apple's former SVP of retail John Browett. He began his career at Apple in January of last year, replacing the highly-regarded Ron Johnson, but only lasted about 9 months at the company.

Browett has been fairly quiet since he left Cupertino in October. But his name surfaced in headlines again last night when word got out that he has accepted the position of chief executive, or CEO, of U.K.-based retail chain Monsoon Accessorize...

Real Racing 3 hands-on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23YkqG0lG98

EA surprised us and dropped the Firemonkeys developed Real Racing 3 a few weeks earlier than its scheduled release in some territories. We were fortunate enough to be able to go hands-on with the highly anticipated sequel to iOS' darling racing game franchise.

While we're just beginning to progress through the game, some things were readily apparent. Yes, Real Racing 3 is a so-called freemium game, and EA is hoping that you will open your wallets as you make speedy progress through the game. We also found that the "online" experience is heavily watered down. In fact, I'd hesitate to actually call it online at all, as it's actually more of an asynchronous affair, which pits you against your friend's "ghost" racers instead.

Although the freemium aspect and the lack of true realtime head-to-head play may disappoint, the game tries to make up for it with its stunning visuals. This is hands-down the best looking iOS game I've ever seen or played. It's just an absolute visual overdose. The game looks wonderful on the iPad mini, and the iPhone 4, but to really appreciate its beauty, fire it up on a Retina enabled full-sized iPad. Trust me when I say this, you'll be picking your jaw up off the floor.

How to jailbreak iOS 6.1 (5.2) on the Apple TV 2

A little over a week after the evasi0n jailbreak tool for iOS 6 devices initially dropped, the hardworking folks over at FireCore have finally provided us with a tool to do likewise for our Apple TV 2's.

The big upgrade this time around regarding the Apple TV's latest firmware, is Bluetooth keyboard support. It, along with a few additional minor features certainly makes it worth upgrading to the latest and greatest. Thanks to the Seas0nPass update released yesterday, you can now enjoy those new features along with an untethered jailbreak. Take a look past the break as we show you how to jailbreak the Apple TV running iOS 6.1...

Infinity Blade goes free for a limited time

Infinity Blade is arguably one of the most popular gaming franchises on iOS (aside from Angry Birds and maybe Real Racing). First released in 2010 by Chair Entertainment and Epic Games, the action role player pulled in some $1.6 million in its first four days.

The game was popular enough to spawn at least one sequel, Infinity Blade 2, and possibly a third. Still don't get what all of the hype is about? Well now's your chance to investigate, because the title that started it all was just discounted to $0 for a limited time...

Latest Bump update turns your iPhone into a flash drive

Bump has really come a long way since it debuted in the App Store back in 2009. The app, which once only allowed users to exchange contact information, now facilitates the sharing of photos, documents and even Dropbox files between mobile devices.

But the latest update looks to take Bump to a whole new level, with a revamped 'Bump to PC' feature. Users can now move files between their iPhones (or Android phones), and any computer, effectively turning their handsets into a personal flash drive...

Apple responds to the iOS 6.1 Lock screen glitch, says a fix is underway

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDkLpj3MM-c

Earlier this morning iDB warned you of a newly discovered security flaw in the recently released iOS 6.1 software. It's not the end of the world, but it isn't dismissible either as intruders can easily gain access to your iPhone and potentially compromise your data using a simple trick.

In a nutshell, in order to exploit the vulnerability one simply has to make and immediately cancel an emergency call on the Lock screen and then hold down the Sleep/Wake button twice. But worry not, privacy buffs, says Apple. The Cupertino company is aware of the issue, a solution is being worked on and a fix will be pushed in a future iOS software update. There, feeling better now?

Apple says fix for iOS 6.1 Exchange bug is on the way

Last week, we reported that a number of users were complaining of poor device performance and battery life after updating to iOS 6.1. Apple fixed part of the problem, releasing an update for 4S users who were experiencing 3G connectivity issues.

But for many, a nasty Exchange bug still remains, causing iOS 6.1 devices to continuously loop when syncing a recurring calendar meeting invitation, thus crippling battery life and performance. The good news, though, is that a fix is on the way...

Apple patent focuses on ending blurry iPhone photos

Don't you wish you could avoid the usual routine after taking photos with your iPhone: sifting through shots to eliminate the ones where your thumb is perfectly exposed - but your special someone is blurred beyond recognition. Your worries may be over, as a new patent reveals Apple wants to make you a better camera phone photographer. The camera Apple outlined in the filing is designed to continuously capture and store images in a buffer until you release the shutter.

Your mobile device takes from there to automatically scan the buffer, rate the pictures just taken using a number of parameters and present you with the best image...

Apple said to be moving forward with iWatch project

You can call it the 'iWatch.' You can call it a 'wearable computer.' Heck, you can even call it a 'bad idea.' But after a week of hearing reports from major news outlets that Apple is working on a wristwatch-like device, it looks like it's happening.

And that certainty becomes a little more solid this afternoon, as iMore's Rene Ritchie adds his weight to the rumor. Ritchie, who has proven to be very accurate with Apple intel, reports that Apple is indeed moving forward with the project...

Mophie offers insight on Apple’s strict Lightning accessory program

When Apple introduced the iPhone 5 last fall, it turned the iOS accessory market upside down. In addition to the new handset, the company unveiled its new Lightning dock connector—a 9 pin port that instantly made millions of add-ons obsolete.

But Apple didn't just change the connector, it also tightened up the requirements for its third-party MFi accessory program. And today, Mophie, who just announced the Helium battery case for the iPhone 5, offers some insight on the changes...

Increase video playback speed with FastForward

Ever wanted to speed up video playback on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch? While it's not a thought that occurred to me, Harrison Apps (the developer behind Universal Video Downloader) says that their new tweak is great for speeding up recorded University lectures.

The tweak is called FastForward, and it alters the speed of film clips that take advantage of iOS' native video APIs. With FastForward enabled, you should be able to give your long winded professors a bit of a boost...