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Nokia accuses Apple of recalibrating Siri to name iPhone the best phone

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2012

You've probably seen reports on how Siri was telling the world that Nokia's Lumia 900 was the best smartphone ever.

She was simply relaying a response provided by the Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge engine which averaged customer reviews across the web.

But Apple has taught Siri better so she now replies with "You're kidding, right?" or "The one you're holding in your hand" or somesuch response.

Needles to say, Nokia wasn't too happy and was quick to accuse Apple of recalibrating Siri, tarnishing her credibility in the process. As if Nokia didn't have other worries on its mind, mind you...

iOS 6 evidence pops up in developer’s app log

Cody Lee ∙ May 15, 2012

According to a new report from 9to5Mac, developers are starting to see iOS 6 code strings in their app logs, signaling that Apple is currently testing the software's compatibility with App Store applications.

This would seem to confirm earlier reports that the company is set to unveil the latest iteration of its mobile operating system during a keynote presentation at its WWDC event next month...

Delusional Hearst CEO claims dull print replicas beat interactive e-magazines

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Duncan Edwards, the CEO of Hearst Magazines International, was speaking at The World e-Reading Congress in London today. Offering his take on a number of subjects concerning digital magazines and newspapers, Edwards shared candid words for the iPad and Apple’s contributions to mainstreaming e-publications on smartphones and tablets.

Surprisingly, Edwards doesn’t think interactive content is the way to go. Instead, consumers are better served with boring digital replicas of static print content, he said.

I’m not sure I agree. Being a print die-hard, Edwards was probably trying to make the case for a single common denominator concerning digital publishing. After all, creating interactive content tailored for the iPad requires focus on excellence and admittedly costs more compared to simply converting print files using Adobe's Digital Publishing Suite, which also received an update at today's event...

List of supported devices for the upcoming iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

The days are now being counted for the release of pod2g's iOS 5.1.1 untethered jailbreak, and though the hacker has already been announcing sporadically what device would or would not be supported, he has come up with a formal list.

The good news is that Apple's most popular devices will all be supported by the untethered jailbreak. The bad news, if you have an older device, you might be out of luck...

Google takes aim at Safari, allegedly readying Chrome for iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Color me skeptical, but I'm still scratching my head over over a surprising report by Macquarie analyst Ben Schacter which has it that Google's Chrome browser is coming to iOS some time during the June quarter of this year or, if not, then "definitely this year".

If true, this would be a big news as Chrome ended 2011 within spitting distance of market-leading Internet Explorer. Heck, it even overtook Microsoft’s product to become the world’s most popular browser for a day and is certainly expected to become the top browser this year.

The big question is, will Apple allow Chrome into the App Store and let Google own all the searches? Bear in mind that the search giant currently pays Apple an estimated 60 percent revenue share for the searches done through Safari's search box...

Apple winding down production ahead of a sixth-generation iPhone refresh, says analyst

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2012

According to one analyst, Apple has begun reducing iPhone orders, another indication that a sixth-generation model is looming on the horizon.

Based on checks with suppliers, Sterne Agee’s Shaw Wu wrote in a note to clients on Tuesday that Apple has drawn build plans for the current-gen iPhone models by up to 25 percent compared to the 35.1 million iPhones sold during the first quarter of this year.

As a result, Apple may ship no more than 28 million iPhones during the June quarter...

Wolfram Mathematica coming to the iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2012

UK-born scientist and researcher Stephen Wolfram, best-known as the chief designer of the Mathematica software application and the Wolfram Alpha computational knowledge engine, hinted yesterday that his company might bring the Mathematica application to Apple's iPad tablet.

As part of the 10th anniversary of his book entitled A New Kind of Science (NKS), Wolfram has also published select articles reflecting the future of scientific research (here and here).

Additionally, the company made a visual tweak to its Wolfram Alpha engine that replaces the circling dots that appear when it searches for answers with so-called cellular automatons which form a key part of NKS's arguments...

Une Bobine – Kickstarter’s answer to the humble iPhone stand

Oliver Haslam ∙ May 15, 2012

Kickstarter is home to all manner of cool and funky little gadgets. We've been known to lose hours just perusing the offerings of the clever people who put together Kickstarter projects, and sometimes we find one or two that tickle our fancy. Today, we found another to go alongside the many we have brought you already.

The latest specimen is the Une Bobine which, we are told, means "a coil" in French. When you check out the photos of what the thing is, then all will immediately make sense.

Basically, we are dealing with a new type of iPhone stand, but it is so much more, and incorporates a handy USB cable just for good measure. Awesome...

Pod2g confirms untethered jailbreak works on iPads 1 and 2

Cody Lee ∙ May 14, 2012

We've got some more good news on the iOS 5.1(.1) jailbreak front this afternoon. Pod2g just announced that his untethered exploit works on both first and second generation iPads, in addition to the newer model.

Earlier today, the hacker noted that the jailbreak should be available within the next couple of weeks. And that certainly seems to be the case, as he's bound to be running out of devices to test it on...

Samsung posts first Galaxy S III advert, 100 percent devoid of Apple bashing

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

South Korea-headquartered Samsung, now the top smartphone and cell phone vendor in the world, just posted on its YouTube channel the first official advertising for its latest would-be iPhone-killer, the flagship Galaxy S III handset unveiled less than two weeks ago.

Unlike last year's Samsunged campaign, this high-profile advert is free of any direct or implied Apple spoofing. Even though it does ignore some pretty important marketing basics, the commercial is kinda cool (if I wanted to be cynical about it, I'd call it a typical agency bulls**t).

If anything, one's gotta appreciate Samsung's focus on establishing an emotional connection with the viewer in a manner that resembles Apple's Siri advertising. Have a look and tell us whether this Galaxy commercial is a match for the world's greatest marketing machine...

Check out this interactive 3D mockup of a taller iPhone with a four-inch display

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 26, 2016

Our friends over at MacRumors did it again. Remember a recent iLoungue report describing a taller iPhone rocking a four-inch display that Apple may or may not have been prototyping for some time?

Tapping proven design talent of Federico Ciccarese, the publication published a pair of gorgeous-looking renditions depicting such a device sitting next to an everyday 3.5-inch iPhone 4S.

I wasn’t sure about a larger iPhone, but have definitely changed my mind having seen this image. Also, if you use a WebGL-based browser such as Safari on OS X or Google’s Chrome, you can play with an interactive 3D model of the mockup...