Apple reportedly moves A6X chip production from Samsung to TSMC

According to a new report, Apple has tapped Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (or TSMC) to start manufacturing its A6X chip, which  it introduced in its 4th gen iPad, with trials expected to begin as early as this quarter.

The move has been a hot topic in the media for several months now, as it will help Apple further reduce its reliance on Samsung. Tensions continue to grow between the two companies, who are involved in patent suits around the globe...

Over $1 million in goods stolen from Paris Apple Store in New Year’s Eve raid

While much of the world spent yesterday recovering from dehydration and hangovers, Apple was dealing with a different kind of headache. You know, the type of headache you get when someone steals over a million dollars in merchandise from you.

That's right, in what sounds like a rejected Ocean's 11 plot, the Apple Store in Paris's Opera district was robbed at gunpoint on New Year's Eve. And the masked thieves are believed to have made off with more than a million dollars in stolen products...

NPD: consumers find current ‘smart’ TVs a little too smart

The year is now 2013, and according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, Apple is going to release a new television product in the next 6 months. Of course, you can't always believe what analysts say. But you can't always ignore them either.

The 20+ year senior researcher believes that Apple's TV device will feature a completely rebuilt remote control and a UI that makes finding content a lot easier than current solutions. And judging by data from a new NPD survey, it would be a hit...

Upcoming tweak puts customizable app shortcuts to your iOS lock screen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9MuVquYUUA

The iPhone's lock screen has got to be the source of endless inspiration for jailbreak developers and conceptual artists who are constantly coming up with new ways to broaden functionality of your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. UI designer @Sentry_NC of the Auxo fame thought long and hard about juicing up the iPhone's lock screen and came up with this concept showing how the iOS lock screen pulley grabber could be for more than just the camera app.

What's best, we heard that jailbreak developer Rudolf Lichtner is already working on turning his idea into a reality. As always, our own Jeff Benjamin will be monitoring the progress of this tweak and sharing his hands-on impressions as soon as the finished code hits Cydia...

Samsung’s upcoming TV has ‘an unprecedented new shape’. Is it translucent? Frameless? Retina?

Say what you will about Samsung of South Korea, but the company is leading the Smart TV revolution at a time when the once mighty Japanese consumer electronics giants like Sony, Panasonic and Sharp are struggling to stay afloat. Last week the firm teased an upcoming TV launch with a charming video suggesting that "all the TVs are rushing to see Samsung’s new TV" at CES.

If you haven't seen it yet, the clip closes rather dramatically with a shot of a large TV set hidden behind a white sheet. Following up, Samsung has now shared an intriguing image via its official blog that raises more questions than it answers...

Intel might launch own Apple TV competitor and cable service at CES

The world's leading chip maker Intel, which supplies processors for Apple's Mac notebooks and desktops, is reportedly prepping to launch its rumored virtual cable TV service and set-top box because the company was frustrated with “everyone doing a half-assed Google TV so it’s going to do it themselves and do it right”, according to sources that spoke with TechCrunch.

Intel allegedly "has a plan to overcome licensing hurdles" that Apple reportedly has been facing for some time in its attempts to woo big-budget Hollywoood studios. The semiconductor giant will apparently roll out the service on a city-by-city basis rather than nationwide, opting to cut content deals on a per-market basis.

Apple, of course, has long been rumored to be testing prototypes of a full-fledged 46 to 55-inch television sets as the living room remains "an area of intense interest" for the Cupertino giant...

Ironically enough, Apple airs iPhone 5 commercial highlighting Do Not Disturb mode

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLJN_d2sVjk

Talk about ill-timed advertising! Apple's first new television commercial in 2013 which highlights a Do Not Disturb mode on the iPhone 5 has been spotted in the wild. We reported earlier that some folks were irked to wake up this morning to muted alerts for incoming calls and messages despite their iOS Do Not Disturb mode being outside its scheduled time.

I guess Apple's ad agency wasn't keeping tabs on tech news today. The 30-second clip above features tennis celebrity Serena Williams and her sister Venus. The ad can also be found on Apple's official YouTube channel in its high-def glory...

iOS 7 begins showing up in developer logs along with new iPhone

With 2012 officially behind us, it's time to start really looking towards the future with regard to the iPhone and its ubiquitous operating system. And what do you know? Developers are beginning to see references to iOS 7 and a new iPhone in their app usage logs.

According to The Next Web, one developer in particular has contacted them about the logs, and they report seeing references to both iOS 7, and a new iPhone model with an iPhone 6,1 identifier.

No New Year greetings? Blame your iPhone’s Do Not Disturb mode

No, it's not the post-party hangover - your friends' New Year greetings and best wishes sent via SMS, email and iMessage to your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad may have been silenced despite your iOS Do Not Disturb setting being outside its scheduled time. In what appears to be a repeat of the old iPhone clock bug, some people reported their devices misbehaving on January 1, 2013, leading to muted alerts for incoming calls, messages and more.

Depending on your settings, the Do Not Disturb feature should have probably been automatically disabled on New Year Day's morning. The problematic behavior hasn't been observed by everyone, though it is surprising Apple hasn't sorted out time-related bugs in iOS fully yet...

Happy New Year from iDB!

It’s now 2013 here in the U.S., and the iDB team would like to wish you, our readers, a very happy New Year! Thank you for continuing to allow us to do what we love every day, as none of this would be possible without your support.

2012 was a big year for us, as it was once again for Apple. It refreshed several products, introduced new ones and made some major internal changes. And while we're sad the year has come to an end, we're very excited for 2013...

iDownloadBlog heads to CES 2013

Boasting more than 40 years of experience, the International Consumer Electronic Show (CES) is the largest event of its type across the world and this year is no exception. As we head to January 8, the whole tech world is preparing for the largest trade show in global history, with a show floor of 1.86 million square feet. Thousands of companies, techies, press, and gadgets will be huddled together at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada.

I will be heading to Vegas to cover all of the action focused around iOS devices, which includes everything from third party hardware to software. Representing iDownloadBlog as an an official member of the press, I will have access to preshow events and additional after hours meetings with some of the big names surrounding iOS compatible products. To keep everyone in the loop, this article is an opportunity to give our readers a preshow look at what to expect from an attendee's perspective...