We've still got about 24 hours or so until the iPad mini goes on sale here in the US, but the i-teardown experts over at iFixit have already scored their test subject. And they're ripping it apart as we speak.
This has become a bit of a ritual for the do-it-yourself repair site, with new Apple products, and it usually reveals some interesting things about the devices. So let's see what they've discovered thus far...
Path, a social network where people engage in limited sharing of their daily habits and photos with only a select few closest friends, later today will launch its iPad app. Focused on full-screen experience in landscape, Path puts more of your network at your fingertips with fewer taps. Images of the iPad interface are promising and new features sound interesting enough to give it a a try. My favorite: the improved home screen displaying more activities from your network than is possible on the iPhone version.
UPDATE: a new version of the original iPhone app just went live with support for native iPad experience. Simply update your existing installation to get iPad goodies...
If you've had an Android device in your hands before, you've likely noticed they usually come with widgets for just about anything. As a matter of fact, when I reviewed the Nexus 7 a few months ago, I noted that widgets were definitely one of the strong points of the tablet. Of course, jailbreakers are no strangers to widgets: Dashboard X is an example of how widgets can be implemented in a very tasteful way on iOS.
Visual and UI designer Max Rudberg recently took it upon himself to imagine another way widgets could work on iOS. The result is quite amazing, and in all honesty, I believe Apple should really take note of Rudberg's concept. Have a look for yourself...
The many layers of why Scott Forstall was ousted as Apple's iOS chief just keep peeling away. The latest wrinkle: Bob Mansfield, the company's former hardware engineering senior vice president, agreed to come out of retirement to become senior vice president of Technologies, a new group encompassing wireless and hardware tech, only after Apple CEO Tim Cook offered a boatload of cash and the promise he didn't have to talk to Forstall...
Are you worried your priced iOS or Mac gadget may be stolen? Don't fret, Apple's got your back, according to a new patent filing. Apple plans to use the accelerometer inside iOS devices to detect a theft, then sound an alarm.
Key to preventing those annoying car alarm-like false alerts, Apple's idea includes a special controller which ignores normal bumps and drops, instead listening for signals indicating a snatch-and-grab...
Note to Apple: UK judges don't get American snarkiness. The UK Court of Appeals Thursday told the iPhone maker its recent apology to Samsung was "incorrect" and required a new notice on the website "acknowledging the inaccurate comments." At issue: comments from the trial's first ruling in which the judge declared Samsung's tablet "not as cool."
Judge Robin Jacob ordered the changes to Apple's website be made within 24 hours, rejecting the Cupertino, Calif. firm's request for 14 days to make the edit. "This is Apple. They cannot put something on their website?" Jacob reportedly said...
Cygnett ranges four continents and sells product in more than 45,000 worldwide retailers across 40 countries. According to Cygnett's description, the company tries to provide mobile protection solutions that are protective, fashionable, and functional. With a diverse line up of iPhone 5 options, they are doing well in their mission and I had the opportunity to give the SecondSkin a run for about a week.
In a crowded market, it is difficult to make a product truly stand-out, but many case companies continue to press forward, taking their stab at the latest and greatest. If you just nabbed your iPhone 5 or are planning to get one soon, start taking a look at the wide selection. We are here to give you a quick glimpse at the new SecondSkin...
As most of you are aware of by now, the Northeastern part of the United States was hit by a superstorm this week. Hurricane Sandy tore through New York, New Jersey and other areas on Monday night, causing an estimated $60 billion in damages.
For those that are looking to help, Apple has teamed up with the American Red Cross to make it easy for folks to donate money to the relief efforts...
As we told you this morning, some customers started receiving their iPad minis today, despite the fact that the tablet doesn't officially launch until Friday. This gave us early unboxing photos and new details about the product.
One of those details is that on the back of the iPad mini's retail box, it says that the tablet requires iTunes 11 for sync. But, as we all know, Apple has pushed its iTunes 11 release back to November. So what's the deal?
Apple has filed its end of the year 10-K document, a performance report required of all companies by the SEC (Security Exchange Commission), and as you might expect, it contains some pretty interesting information about the iPad-makers.
Perhaps most interesting is that it names Scott Forstall's new official title at the company, following Monday's announcement that he is no longer the SVP of iOS software: Special Advisor to the Chief Executive Officer...
This is pretty cool: AT&T and T-Mobile have both announced that they will be temporarily combining their coverage in areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy on Monday night.
The deal will allow subscribers from the two carriers to roam on either network without incurring penalties, or affecting their rate plans, and it should greatly improve their service...
In a response to Motorola's motion from yesterday seeking clarification on essential wireless patents (which include both cellular and WiFi standards), Apple has formally acknowledged its willingness to accept a license at a court-determined rate of up to $1 per iPhone through a license agreement on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) terms.
The figure entails worldwide sales of covered products, the iPhone maker said. Apple's position on FRAND licensing is that the industry should set FRAND rates in order to prevent companies asserting wireless standards-essential patents against its rivals by jacking up prices.
Motorola, which is now a wholly-owned Google subsidiary, wrote in the filing that Microsoft's FRAND contract case had explicitly committed to the conclusion of a license agreement on court-ordered terms. Is there finally an end in sight to this patent mess?