How to create an OS X Mountain Lion USB installation drive

Creating a USB install drive is one of the simplest ways to ensure that a fresh clean installation of OS X Mountain Lion is only a few steps away. Gone are the clunky days of using CDs to reinstall an OS.

Inside, we'll show you how to setup your very own OS X Mountain Lion USB installation drive, using an easy to follow video walkthrough.

T-Mobile reportedly has iPhone 5 response in the works

T-Mobile USA, the nation's third-largest telco and the only major U.S. carrier with no official iPhone offering, is allegedly looking to counter Apple's rumored September 12 introduction of a sixth-generation iPhone and the subsequent September 21 availability.

The word on the street is that the carrier is putting in motion its mysterious "iPhone Response — Phase 2" plan, scheduled for September 21 through October 1. If true, this new intel points away from a T-Mobile iPhone, just as Sanford C. Bernstein’s analyst Craig Moffett opined back in July...

Bubblin floats to iPhone for soapy fun [sponsored]

I am a big fan of pick-up-and-play iOS games. If gaming is done on my iDevice, I am not interested in building up my character or going through training levels. Most popular iOS apps are simple, intuitive, and intriguing enough to keep users coming back for more. Bubblin fulfills all of those criteria.

Since downloading it a few days ago, I have forced family members to watch me play or try their hand at the fun themselves. I really cannot argue with a fun and free addicting app for iPhone...

Google readying 3G Nexus 7 as mini iPad slowly crawls into view

Google on June 27 entered the tablet race with a seven-inch slate named Nexus 7, but only the WiFi model was initially made available. The decision to pass on cellular connectivity was met with criticism by some reviewers who pointed out that WiFi-only capability severely cripples the tablet's usability, even if one can just as easily use their mobile phone's cellular data as a wireless hot spot for the device.

Google was likely governed by cost considerations (it sells the Nexus 7 below cost and makes up with content purchases on its Google Play digital store). Just as we expected, the Internet giant appears to be ready to offer a 3G variant of its slate. The 3G Nexus 7 is said to arrive in mid-October, just in time for the holidays and to conveniently counter Apple's rumored October unveiling of the iPad mini...

Sharp reportedly to agree to sell shares to Foxconn at a lower price

Following reports of contention between Apple's favorite contract manufacturer Foxconn and the struggling Japanese electronics giant Sharp over the stake-sale price, The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Sharp may agree to a lower price after all.

A new round of talks is reportedly focused not only on the sale price, but also on broadening the two companies' business alliance, which includes the future of Sharp's television assembly plants in Mexico and China rumored to be part of the Foxconn deal...

Super Smash Bros. arrives on jailbroken iPhones, but it’s obviously not the real deal

Super Smash Bros. has arrived on iOS in the form of Super Smash Bros. Mobile, but outside of the name, and a few somewhat recognizable characters and levels, it plays almost nothing like the entries in the popular Nintendo franchise.

That probably has a little something to do with the fact that "Super Smash Bros. Mobile" is a completely unauthorized — and certainly trademark infringing — game created with a tool called Game Editor. The game is available for free on Cydia's BigBoss repo, so it's not like Apple has any control over removing it from public availability.

Game Editor is a tool that, according to its official website, allows users to "Create 2D games with little or no programming knowledge" — a fact becomes instantly apparent once you fire up Super Smash Bros. Mobile for the first time.

Bruce Willis goes after Apple over iTunes music ownership (update: wife debunks)

Die Hard trilogy star Bruce Willis is reportedly considering legal actions against Apple over iTunes policy which governs the ownership of digital music files. The actor has amassed a music collection worth thousands of dollars that is being accessed via "many, many iPods".

The action hero is keen on handing his vast digital music collection legitimately to his daughters Rumer, Scout and Tallaluh upon his death. Conversely, Willis has eventually discovered that under Apple's pesky rules one does not actually own the tracks and instead borrows them under a non-transferable license.

Deciding enough is enough, the 57-year-old actor is reportedly prepping to unleash legal sharks on Apple in order to break Cupertino's restrictive digital content policy, which could have major repercussions given Apple's choke-hold of the music market...

Attention-seeking Chinese popstar pictures himself with a purported iPhone 5

File this one under the WTF category. If you believe a recent trending topic that blew up on social media channels, apparently popular Chinese pop singer Jimmy Lin has an iPhone 5. Also known as Dreamer Jimmy, Lin published a series of photos on his personal blog which depict him holding what resembles an upcoming sixth-generation iPhone in his hand. Lin commands nearly 14 million strong following on Chinese social networking site Weibo so it's not like he's hungry for publicity, though one can never be certain of celebrities' motives...

New mini iPad mockups show the skinner side bezels and thin design

Building upon a mid-August report calling for a smaller iPad with an iPod touch-thin profile and smaller bezels on the sides of the display, case makers have begun producing physical mockups of what they believe Apple's rumored iPad mini might look like. Granted, case vendors have been wrong more often than right (hint: last year's teardrop-shaped iPhone cases), but a pair of new mockups do align nicely with claimed iPad mini schematics and other tidbits circulating around the web lately...

Reports of low 3GS stock surface ahead of new iPhone event

If previous reports hold true, Apple will unveil its next-generation smartphone at a media event on Wednesday, September 12. It's expected to feature a larger screen, and a number of other improvements.

In addition to the new handset, it'll also be interesting to see what Apple does with the rest of its iPhone lineup. According to a new report, Apple Stores are starting to see very low stock of 3GS models...

Rovio teases upcoming Angry Birds spinoff game

After three years, countless episodes, and more than a billion downloads, some say Angry Birds is getting long in the tooth. Sure, the game gets updated with new levels and themes, but you're still essentially flinging birds at pigs.

Good news though, it looks like Rovio is getting ready to flip the script a bit with its long-rumored spinoff. The studio recently set up a pair of 'Bad Piggies' Facebook and Twitter accounts, and just uploaded this teaser trailer...

The iDownloadBlog top 10 news stories of the week

A new week is coming, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out on what happened last week. If you think you may have missed a few of the top stories from last week, don't sweat it, we've got you covered.

We've gathered the top 10+ most popular stories from iDB last week for you to check out. As always, make sure that you're friends with us on Facebook, Google+, and that you are following us on Twitter...