Apple

iPad Air reviews are in…

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Apple's iPad Air is scheduled to land on store shelves in the United States and a few dozen countries worldwide this coming Friday, November 1, and online shoppers should be able to order theirs with in-store pickup option starting at 3am Eastern, midnight Pacific.

As we inch closer to the big day, a number of big media outlets and respected bloggers have now published their reviews which mostly focus on the device's thinner and lighter appearance, the new design and the powerful innards, though some mention the free iLife/iWork apps and the supreme app ecosystem.

We've compiled the best review quotes for your reading pleasure, so you could make an informed purchasing decision...

Apple admits some iPhone 5s units exhibit battery woes due to ‘manufacturing issue’

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2013

In a rare but not entirely unprecedented response, Apple's gone on the record Tuesday with The New York Times (of all publications) to admit that a fairly limited number of iPhone 5s units may be plagued with lower than expected battery life and slow charging issues due to what the company attributed to an unspecified "manufacturing issue".

This isn't your typical teething problem fixable in software: Apple has said it will provide owners of the affected phones with a replacement unit. Here's Apple's full statement on the matter...

New ways to awesomize your Google+ Photos

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 26, 2017

Photography fans are in for a nice treat as Google today rolled out a series of photo-related announcements. iDB already told you about full size uploads and background sync, coming soon to Google+ for iOS, and the new HDR Scape effect in Google-owned Snapseed app which can deliver results comparable to high dynamic range imaging, but working from a single photo.

But Google's only warming up. The company has also unveiled scheduled Hangouts On Air and rolled out a bunch of enhancements to Google+ Photos on the web such as Auto Awesome Movie, Auto Enhance Action and Eraser and much, much more.

I've got a quick rundown for you ready right after the jump...

Southwest Airline and Dish launch iPad 2 loan program ahead of holiday travels

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated December 23, 2017

Just in time for the maddening holiday travel rush, one U.S. airline has announced plans to provide flyers with a loaner iPad and satellite programming. The 'DISH Anywhere' offer by Southwest Airlines and the satellite television network is available to passenger flying between Denver, Oakland and Chicago.

The iPad 2 loaner program follows Southwest's earlier Watch on the Fly service, bringing free DISH programming to airline customers owning an iDevice...

Snapseed update brings out Shadows slider and HDR Scape filter

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2013

Snapseed, the popular mobile image editing application Google acquired in September 2012 (making it a free download) is quite a piece of work.

As our resident iPhoneographer Emil wrote recently, with just a few simple steps, Snapseed can turn your dull and boring iPhone shots into beautiful and lively Fall photographs that dazzle with just the right amount of color, saturation, emphasis and detail.

As part of its 'A Morning With Google+' event which revealed interesting developments on the Google+ iOS front, the Internet giant just started shipping a new version of Snapseed which comes with a cool new filter and the 'Shadows' image tuning option.

Important caveat: avoid this update if you're not running iOS 7...

Facebook previews new-look Messenger with phone number integration

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 23, 2017

We were told last month Facebook had been working on a new version of its iPhone client with Graph Search and testing a major rethinking to the standalone instant messaging software, Facebook Messenger (a free download from the App Store).

Today, the social networking behemoth announced a new Messenger experience is now available for limited testing on Android and coming soon to iOS. Representing a major refresh, Messenger has undergone a substantial facelift and now lets folks instant-message each other using only their phone numbers, putting Messenger on a collision course with WhatsApp...

Google+ iOS app to get full-res uploads, background sync

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2013

The Internet giant's 'A Morning with Google+' event is underway and the company's just made it official: the Google+ app for the iPhone and iPad will soon be updated with the ability to upload full resolution images to Google+ Photos, previously Picasa Web Albums and now part of Google's social thing.

Another new feature being mentioned is support for Background Refresh in iOS 7 which will allow the application to automatically synchronize your photos in the background, even when it's not running.

Currently, background photo sync only works if you have the app open...

iPhone captures one-third of smartphone market in Japan

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

Apple is having great success in Japan. Not only is the iPhone maker surviving one of the most competitive tech markets on the planet, but breaking sales records. The company's smartphone now has 34 percent of the country's market, new research shows.

The figure - more than double that of just months ago - shatters a sales record that's stood for ten years. Apple's success in Japan even overshadows the world's largest market, China...

Amazon releases Cloud Player app for Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

After releasing its native Cloud Player app on the iPhone back in June 2012 and adding the iPad edition eight months later, the king of online retailing, Amazon, today announced that the software is finally available to Mac owners as a free download.

Amazon Cloud Player lets you access your Amazon cloud storage for music and manage your music library, whether it's saved locally or in the cloud.

You can use the app to play your Amazon and iTunes music all from one place, even when offline, and even buy new tracks from the integrated Amazon MP3 Store with a catalog of more than 25 million songs...

Steve Jobs’s Los Altos home is now a protected historic site

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 29, 2013

The house in Palo Alto where Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs spent much of his childhood years since the seventh grade has now become a protected historic site, according to a report Tuesday by the San Jose Mercury News. The house is also famous for the fact that Steve along with his sidekick Steve Wozniak co-founded Apple and built the first hundred Apple 1 computers there.

The Los Altos Historical Commission voted unanimously to add the ranch-style property at 2066 Crist Drive in Los Altos, California to its list of historic resources due to its association with Apple's charismatic leader and famous inventor...

Disney to unveil new cartoon spaghetti western series on tablets before cable TV

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 3, 2018

Disney is after your kids' tablets. The entertainment megalith will unveil a cartoon spaghetti western series on tablets before cable. 'Sheriff Callie West,' a female animated character (pictured top of post) the Mickey Mouse house hopes will become the next Hello Kitty merchandising bonanza, will be unveiled on the Watch Disney Junior app November 24.

The series will then appear later in 2014 on cable's Disney Junior. The move is a recognition that children increasingly are turning to the iPad and other tablets for entertainment. Both Disney and Apple have deep ties. Not only is the entertainment giant's CEO Bob Iger on Apple's board of directors, but the Steve Jobs trust has a large stake in Disney...