BBC launches iPlayer Radio streaming app

BBC has previously made available its fine (I'd dare say, the finest) television programming, documentaries and news channels on the iPhone and today the London, United Kingdom-headquartered public service broadcasting corporation revealed a new radio streaming app.

The BBC iPlayer Radio app allows you to stream live shows and download already-broadcast shows. It sports a nice dial interface akin to Apple's Podcast app, letting one quickly scan available shows and enjoy BBC's radio programmes on the go, even if it's limited only to UK residents (there's a way to bypass that)...

Apple’s Lightning authentication already cracked?

Apple's new Lightning connector, currently utilized on the iPhone 5 and the new iPod touch and iPod nano, features an authentication chip, also found inside the Lightning cable. The chip, along with tightened 'MFi' terms, exists to ensure that only Apple-authorized Lightning accessories (like the Lightning to 30-pin adapter) function with Lightning-equipped iOS devices.

Some folks suspect it also serves to prevent third-party alternatives offered by places like Alibaba.com. I guess Apple won't be too pleased realizing that cracked chips which bypass its authentication functions are now reportedly available...

Poll: should Apple fear Google’s upcoming flagship 10-inch Nexus tablet?

As we told you earlier today, Google is thought to have teamed up with Samsung on a new flagship tablet. The device is believed to feature a ten-inch display with a greater resolution and pixel density than the iPad 3's Retina display.

The search company reportedly feels so confident about the upcoming tablet that it's gonna adorn it with the Nexus branding. With Amazon having recently unveiled an 8.9-inch high-end tablet and now Google eyeing the same market segment, rivals are taking the fight for tablet supremacy to Apple's own turf, where the iPad dominates. Should Cupertino be concerned?

Apple awarded second patent for a two-step screen unlock

An interesting patent grant surfaced in the United States Patent & Trademark Office's (USPTO) database this morning related to a two-step screen unlock feature. This is Apple's second patent grant for the feature, with first patent issued in June 2012. One of the inventors listed on the second grant for a dual slider locking approach is Apple's iOS chief and Senior Vice President Scott Forstall...

The iPhone 5 reportedly hits India on Friday, October 26

The iPhone 5 hit the United States, Canada and seven international markets on September 21 and a week later rolled out in 22 new countries. Notable absent was India, a 1.24 billion people market. According to a new report, Indians will be able to get their hands on the sought-after smartphone on Friday, October 26...

Taiwan demands that Apple Maps obscure missile defense system images

Trashing Apple's iOS 6 Maps has become a norm these days, so it's good to know that some people are quite concerned by the precision and quality of satellite imagery Apple's using for the feature. According to a new report, The Taiwanese government wants Apple to blur the images of its brand spanking new early warning radar station, located near the Hsinchu Airbase in northern Taiwan and worth $1.4 billion...

Apple is now shipping orders of the new iPod touch and iPod nano

Some buyers reported today that Apple has begun shipping orders of the fifth-generation iPod touch and seventh-generation iPod nano. The company yesterday started shipping the new Lightning to 30-pin adapter which allows people to use most of legacy accessories with the iPhone 5, as well as the new iPod touch and iPod nano, all featuring the Lightning connector. In addition, Apple this morning published the iPod touch user guide as a free iBookstore download...

Lodsys: more than 150 developers have licensed our patents

A little over a year ago, a patent licensing company by the name of Lodsys started going after app developers with its claimed in-app purchasing patents, threatening legal action if they didn't agree to licensing deals.

The company went on to file infringement suits against a handful of developers, and eventually Apple got involved. And we haven't really heard anything since then, until today, when Lodsys published a new blog post...

Google and Samsung said to be working on 10-inch iPad contender

Nearly three years after breathing new life into the space, Apple has remained largely uncontested in the field of tablets. We've seen slates from RIM, the now defunct Palm, and countless Android manufacturers, and none of them have been able to take the iPad head-on.

But it looks like Google is looking to change that. According to a new report, the search giant is teaming up with Samsung to create a high-end, 10-inch tablet aimed squarely at Apple's iPad. And one of its headlining features is said to be a stunning 300 PPI display...

Check out this concept for a more useful iOS app switcher

Since Apple introduced multitasking in iOS 4, the app switcher has remained relatively the same. The jailbreak community, of course, has found dozens of uses for the pop-up app menu, but Apple, for the most part, has left it untouched.

With that in mind, you can understand why mockups that offer a new take on the app switcher create so much commotion. And such is the case with a concept that recently surfaced called "Rethinking the App Switcher for the iPhone 5..."

New iPod touch benchmarks surface as Apple posts user guide

Folks who pre-ordered, or are thinking about ordering, the new iPod touch might be interested to hear that some screenshots containing purported benchmarks for the device have surfaced.

If the images are legitimate, then they offer up a few new details about the fifth-gen iPod touch. For example, it appears it has an A5 chip with CPU speeds on par with last year's iPhone 4S...

The Lance Daypack helps you organize your mobile life while on the go

To begin, I will start with a disclaimer. I love backpacks, own five of them. Each of the packs has a specific purpose and I'm always on the lookout for another specific bag to fit an individual need. When approached to review the ECBC Lance B7103 daypack, I jumped at the opportunity because I was looking for a workhorse backpack for my electronic gadgets.

Catching a glimpse of the internal pocket system in the B7103, it was love at first sight, but it faded quickly. After spending a weekend on the road, some very excellent features of the bag made mobile life more organized, but some specific features seemed to be missing...