Poll: which would you rather wear, an Apple iWatch or Google’s Glasses

Silicon Valley giant Google rightfully trusts tech enthusiasts will be falling over themselves to adopt its Android-driven Glasses, going as far to commission a pro to take a series of fashion photographs featuring beautiful, smiling models. Apple, on the other hand (pun intended), is said to be entering the wearable computing space with a smart watch-like gizmo believed to be conceptualized as your most intimate computer yet.

Google's bet is that advanced augmented reality features are enough to talk people into putting up with the unusual glasses dancing on their nose. And if iWatch talk is for real, then Apple must be thinking its users won't have a problem wearing a curved-glass watch around their wrist like some Dict Tracy copycat.

The truth is probably somewhere in the middle: some folks will readily adopt these wearable devices and others will wave them off as a function over form. Which brings me to today's poll: if you were forced to choose between the two, which one would you rather wear in public - Google's Glasses or Apple's iWatch?

Is Apple putting Podcast out to pasture?

Apple’s Podcast app was released alongside iOS 6 in September 2012 and soon after drew the ire of design conscious users who saw it as a prime example of how skeumorphism devalues usability. That was only tip of the iceberg because users kept on hammering the software in iTunes ratings over its user unfriendliness, slow performance, lack of basic features and a whole host of other issues that go far beyond just teething problems.

And with just 1.5 stars based on nearly 6,000 ratings in the App Store, Podcast is the worst iOS app Apple has ever made, period. Venting his frustration with Apple's seemingly ignorant handling of the app, John Herrman in an article on BuzzFeed titled “Apple’s Podcast Disaster” raises some valid concerns regarding Apple and the future of podcasting...

How to enable still captures while shooting video on the iPod touch 5th generation

If you own both an iPhone 5 and an iPod touch 5th generation, you might find it strange that you can capture still photos while shooting video on the iPhone 5, but not on the iPod touch. Regardless as to why Apple made such a decision, it doesn't really matter if you're jailbroken. That's because a new jailbreak tweak recently appeared on Cydia enabling the function.

Still Capture Enabler is the tweak that allows your iPod touch 5th generation the ability to take still capture photos in the midst of a video shoot. Does it work as you would expect? Have a look at our video walkthrough inside for all of the pertinent details.

Despite financial roller-coaster, Apple brand value tops Samsung

It's hard to describe a company worth billions as 'scrappy,' but that's the image Apple has gained recently. To emphasize the point, a brand rating service Monday announced the iPad and iPhone maker was able to top rival Samsung despite a string of financial and competitive reversals. Apple's brand value rose to $87 billion, up from $70 billion.

And according to Brand Finance, the Cupertino, California company also saw its brand rating slip from AAA+ to AAA. In addition, Ferrari - not Apple - was named the word's most powerful brand...

China now largest global market for smart devices

It wasn't long ago we were writing that China was on the verge of passing the United States as the largest market for mobile devices, namely smartphones. That time apparently is now. By the end of February, China will have 246 million active smart devices, just ahead of the U.S., which will have 230 million installed Android and iOS devices, one analytics firm announced Monday.

That ranking is unlikely to change, according to Flurry, which tracks mobile devices sessions around the world. Why? Simple math: China has 1.3 billion residents, while the U.S. population is around 310 million. The U.S. smart device base is still five times that of the United Kingdom, according new data points...

Star Wars Pinball landing late-February

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOajo2uBvbE

If you can't get enough of Star Wars and have been yearning for something a bit more challenging and entertaining than Rovio's Star Wars-themed Angry Birds, here's some good news. Zen Studios Games has been hard at work putting finishing touches on their officially licensed pinball game dubbed Star Wars Pinball.

The trailer above highlights the Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back table which takes place - you guessed right - on the main deck of a Star Destroyer. Clearly inspired by the events of the film, it includes such memorable characters as Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader, plus the inevitable battles with AT-AT Walkers and Tie Fighters...

How hi-tech curved glass could be used for an iWatch

Even though there certainly is no shortage of iWatch rumors these days, we're kinda short on new mockups. Thanks to the United Kingdom's The Guardian newspaper which yesterday published this detailed mockup, there's something to chew on on this slow news Monday (it's Presidential's Day holiday in the United States).

We already reported on how former Apple exec Jean-Louis Gassée thinks the iWatch is an intimate computer rather than a smart watch with a twist. We also know from Bloomberg that Apple reportedly has a 100-engineer strong team working on the project. Taking it all in, The Guardian newspaper thinks Apple's take on the Dick Tracy watch takes advantage of recent developments in hi-tech curved glass, cheaper sensors and better voice recognition software...

Apple’s iPad in vogue with fashion industry

Apple has always produced fashionable devices, its sleek iMacs making multiple television appearances, for instance. Now comes word iDevices such as the iPhone and iPad are revolutionizing the fashion industry itself, altering how designers, publications and catwalk producers operate.

According to fashionistas, the iPad and iPhone screen are rapidly replacing the desktop computer display as how fashion is viewed. Additionally, iPad apps are all the rage for fashion designers and editors of industry publications...

Sprint starts deploying LTE in San Francisco

Sprint's implementation of the fourth-generation Long Term Evolution radio technology has been spotted being deployed in certain parts of San Francisco, New York City and Washington, D.C., all major metropolitan markets. Apple added an additional 36 LTE carriers with the January 28 release of the iOS 6.1 software for iPhones, iPads and iPods.

Sprint on its part during January 2012 lit up LTE towers in 58 markets (here and here). This is a notable improvement because previously only those in neighborhoods in San Francisco could see Sprint's LTE signal, although coverage in San Francisco is spotty because Sprint has just begun deployment...

iTV could use LG Display’s OLED panels

LG Display, a major Apple supplier that makes high-resolution screens for the iPad mini, fourth-generation iPad, 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and redesigned iMacs, plans to allocate more than 706 billion won, or approximately $656.7 million, toward building organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens for high-definition television sets by the end of June 2014, according to The Wall Street Journal. The investment will allow LG Display to make some 26,000 sheets per month for customers seeking 55-inch or larger television screens.

It was recently revealed that Apple hired LG Display's OLED expert Dr. Jueng Jil Lee. Another clue: Apple already holds several patents involving flexible OLEDs, OLED based BLUs for LCDs, OLED control schemes and others...

HTC to host huge media event tomorrow morning

HTC has sent out invitations for a huge media event tomorrow morning. How huge? Huge enough to spread across two continents. The handset-maker will be hosting simultaneous keynotes in both London and New York.

What's on the menu? Well, it's no secret that the company has a new flagship handset in the wings. And word has it that it's readying a new version of its 'Sense' Android shell. But the real question is: does anyone care?

Likely doctored photo claims to depict iPhone 5S motherboard with A7 processor

A web site with an unestablished track record when it comes to Apple reporting has posted a claimed photograph of the iPhone 5S motherboard with Apple's A7 system-on-a-chip. Of course, the A7 silicon is widely expected to power the next-generation iPhone, the iPhone 5S, but the authenticity of this particular blurry image couldn't be confirmed at post time.

What's more, one credible publication has challenged the authenticity of the photograph by zooming in on the chip label to spot some unnatural looking pixels that give it away...