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Roundup of Google’s new Nexus phone and tablet, Android 4.2 Jelly Bean

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

It doesn't hurt to keep tabs on what competition is doing. Hurricane Sandy may have spoiled Google's media event planned for today, but that didn't stop the search giant from launching two new Nexus devices today along an Android software update. The company announced a new four-inch Nexus smartphone, made by LG, that provides pure Android experience free of carrier junkware and user interface skins.

In addition, Google also launched a rumored ten-inch iPad contender with the world's highest-resolution mobile display. Both devices run Android version 4.2, which still carries the Jelly Bean code-name. Here's a full breakdown of Nexus news from today...

Analyst predicts Apple moving from tech titan to dinosaur within a year

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Psst. I've got a tip for ya: Apple's going down. Yep, the iPhone maker is set to become a tech dinosaur about a year from now, according to one analyst. I'd blame the whole thing on Hurricane Sandy, but the analyst opinion was released last week, just after Apple announced lower-than-expected profit margins. "Apple's time to turn from tech titan into a dinosaur will come, but we still think that we are at least a year away", Berenberg Bank analyst Adnaan Ahmad recently told investors, according to Daring Fireball and cited by Fortune...

iPhone 5 launching in India and other countries on November 2

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Echoing an earlier prediction by BGR India, The Economic Times has it on good authority that Apple is ready to launch the iPhone 5 in the 1.24 billion people market of India this coming Friday, November 2. The App Store now accepts local currency and everything is seemingly ready for the launch as Apple works to achieve its self-imposed goal of bringing the iPhone 5 to a hundred countries across 240 carriers by year's end. According to web reports, come November 2 the iPhone 5 will also land on store shelves in Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Malta, Romania and Thailand and is also expected to hit the Dominican Republic and Mexico...

The iPad mini cost concerns are overblown, analysts say

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 29, 2012

Stop your worrying. That's the message from one Wall Street analyst trying to calm investors' concerns over Apple announcing smaller margins. A wave of worrying erupted last week when company executives announced the iPad mini comes with an unwanted add-on: tighter profit margins. Deutsche Bank analyst Chris Whitmore called such concern "overblown," saying the lower-than-expected margins are "nearly entirely cyclical and not structural" as Apple ramps up production and perfects the manufacturing process. After all, we've seen this before...

First gameplay video of Angry Birds Star Wars

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yq9idnT1OM

A new Star Wars-themed Angry Birds game, part of a broad merchandizing partnership with toy maker Hasbro, is due November 8. It's currently marketed under an SEO-optimized Angry Birds Star Wars moniker and we previously showed you the original teaser and a trailer featuring Princess Leia. Today, Finnish developer Rovio is out with another amusing video depicting romance in the making between Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia.

It also lets us in on gameplay action and mechanics. Looks like birds-slinging remains the focus of the game. This upcoming puzzler will introduce a host of crazy and officially licensed Star Wars-themed characters, each with its own personality and skills. I love how one of the birds is waving Lightsabers to penetrate the thick walls...

PassHack allows you to hide stock apps directly from Passbook

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 12, 2018

We already told you about Rag3Hack, the non-jailbreak solution to hiding stock apps on iOS. Now the folks behind Rag3Hack are back with PassHack. PassHack is essentially the same thing, except for now, you can easily access the URLs necessary to hide stock apps from the convenience of Passbook.

This solution actually has no bearing on Passbook besides the fact that it contains a pass with the URL schemes on its rear. Look at it as a handy bookmark to all of your favorite Rag3Hack URLs. Take a look inside as our video shows you the details...

The Pentagon plans to deploy iOS and Android devices

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2012

In a new report from The Washington Post based on a document by the Defense Department, the Pentagon is reported as tapping contractors as it preps to deploy at least 162,500 iOS and Android devices, potentially expanding to up to eight million devices. It's another blow to Canada-based Research In Motion, which despite its single-digit smartphone share in the United States still enjoys a relatively large, albeit diminishing following amongst governmental agencies. This would mark the first time the Pentagon opened its network to iPhones and Android devices...

Hurricane Sandy: Apple closes up to 50 stores, Google cancels Nexus media event, crisis maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 2, 2016

Hurricane Sandy is piling up the water as it's on track for a historic hit on the East Coast of the United States. President Obama has declared state of emergency in New York, suspending subway and bus service, closing schools on Monday and scheduling the Holland and Brooklyn Battery Tunnel to also close at 2pm today.

When it became clear that Sandy would make landfall on the East Coast, Google cancelled its previously scheduled October 29 press conference, postponing the launch of promising new Nexus smartphones and tablets. Dozens of Apple Stores along the East Coast will likely be affected, with many outlets taking precautionary measures in order to protect the products, store space itself and staffers. Several Apple Stores have also been spotted using sandbags as a precaution to protect their storefront from damage...

The banned iPad mini promo video

Sébastien Page ∙ October 29, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Os87PLlyU4k#!

iPad mini is the future. It's the future until May, at least. Probably more like the end of May. Or more than likely, June.

iPad mini is now the future until then.

Microsoft’s Surface is more repairable than iPad 3

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2012

The repair experts over at iFixit pried open Microsoft's Surface RT tablet (model number 1516) and awarded the device a repairability score of four out of ten (ten is the easiest to repair), thanks to several components being modular and replaceable without requiring desoldering. Plus, the battery can be removed "pretty easily", iFixit notes.

This is better than a score of two out of ten for the third-generation iPad with Retina display, but lower than Amazon's Kindle Fire, which has an impressive eight out of ten repairability score. Google's seven-inch Nexus tablet is the easiest to repair among these tablets with a nice seven out of ten score. More tidbits and teardown analysis right below...

iPad mini Wi-Fi shipments delayed two weeks

Ed Sutherland ∙ October 29, 2012

If you want a Wi-Fi version of the iPad mini, you'll need to wait two weeks. That's the word this morning as both the black and white iPad mini report a two-week delay for Apple Store customers. The white model quickly went on the waiting list soon after Apple began accepting pre-orders Friday. The Wi-Fi versions of the iPad mini were set to ship Friday, November 2 with the LTE model expected in late November...

BooKase stitches Italian quality into its iPad sleeves

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

I always keep an eye open for professional grade products, when scouring the internet for review materials and products. The BooKase website is a simplistic and unsuspecting front page advertisement for what amounted to an excellent iPad sleeve. Offering several options for both iPad and iPhone, I chose to review the Colorado collection designed for iPad and quickly fell for the simplicity and quality.

BooKase products are designed in California and produced in Italy. Placing importance on design-build, the materials are eco-friendly and washable to ensure a minimal footprint while offering easy-to-use protection...