Apple

IDC: iPhone 4’s triple-digit growth boosts Apple’s China share to 9%

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 20, 2013

More indications Apple's efforts offering flexible pricing are paying off. Sales of the iPhone 4 in China grew at a faster pace than the overall market during the first quarter, research firm IDC announced Thursday. Per data, the iPhone has a cool nine percent of the Chinese smartphone market, putting Apple in fifth place.

Demand for the iPhone 4 grew by 211 percent, outpacing the market's overall 117 percent growth rate. By comparison, Korean smartphone rival Samsung has nineteen percent of the smartphone market in China. However, the company has shifted from growing its share of the high-end market to simply hanging on to what it now has...

Rovio Stars releases Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Finnish Angry Birds maker Rovio back in May announced its new publishing label dubbed Rovio Stars that focuses on “the best new games from talented and innovative developers” and files as Rovio’s first foray into including third party titles in its game line-up.

Thursday, Rovio Stars released its inaugural iOS game on the App Store, Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage from UK-based studio Nitrome. The game combines dynamic ice-slicing mechanics with an offbeat sense of humor. More details right after the jump...

Apple patent describes fingerprint sensor encapsulation tech

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 20, 2013

Is Apple preparing to offer fingerprint reading as part of its rumored iPhone 5S? That question returned Thursday after a patent from Apple describing a fingerprint-reading structure of sorts was approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

A number of theories exist on when a new iPhone will appear and what might be the key features. Today's patent approval could solve both. The technology giant seems to have also cracked the question of how to scan a fingerprint while although protecting the delicate circuitry required to identify the owner...

A closer look at smarter keyboard in iOS 7

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 24, 2018

The iOS virtual keyboard has seen little changes since the iPhone's inception six years ago. Apart from a few baby steps here and there, each new major iOS release has brought little in terms of improving the typing experience on iPhones, iPads and iPods.

In turn, developers have readily stepped up their game with a number of keyboard-focused tweaks for jailbroken devices in order to, you know, just keep pace with Android. Virtual keyboard in iOS 7 is of course translucent and like other frosty panels seen throughout the system shows heavily blurred content underneath to an arguably stunning effect.

Apart from the visual updates, we have noticed a few under-the-hood improvements in iOS 7 seemingly aimed at making the iPhone's predictive keyboard smarter. Go past the fold for the full breakdown...

XCOM: Enemy Unknown lands on the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

If you thought casual mobile entertainment were becoming a tad too boring lately, how about something completely different? Something along the lines of a triple-A action strategy that has a long history and loyal following, a direct port of a massively popular PC hit?

Developer Fireaxis and publisher 2K Games have been trumpeting the forthcoming release of XCOM: Enemy Unknown for Apple's iOS platform for quite some time and now it's finally arrived. The universal binary supports iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices and apart from touch-based controls, this is the full XCOM: Enemy Unknown experience you'd expect from the popular PC and console franchise...

Pegatron CEO says Apple’s budget iPhone won’t be ‘cheap’

Cody Lee ∙ June 20, 2013

Speaking at his company's shareholders meeting on Thursday, Pegatron CEO T.H. Tung made some interesting comments on Apple's often rumored 'budget iPhone.' He said don't expect the handset to be inexpensive, as the "price [on it] is still high."

For those unfamiliar with Pegatron, it's a manufacturing company and one of Foxconn's biggest rivals. The CEO's comments seem to confirm earlier reports that Apple has chosen the company, over Foxconn, as its primary budget iPhone maker...

Apple posts video of WWDC keynote to YouTube

Cody Lee ∙ June 20, 2013

Apple finally posted this year's WWDC keynote to its YouTube channel tonight. The media event, which has been one of the most talked about in recent memory, saw Tim Cook and company show off updated Mac hardware, a new version of OS X, and the biggest update to their mobile platform since its inception with iOS 7.

Most people prefer YouTube over any other video delivery service because of its versatility. So if streaming the keynote through Apple’s website isn’t your thing, and you don't feel like watching it on your Apple TV, you'll be happy to hear you can now watch the presentation from virtually any desktop or mobile device via YouTube...

Previously unseen 1994 video has Steve Jobs talking legacy

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

A rare, never-before-seen footage has been uncovered on the Interwebs, dating as far back as 1994. In it, a young Steve Jobs talks about his legacy. It's peculiar in how back then Jobs thought he would be forgotten by history (go figure).

And who could blame him: the interview was conducted during Jobs's wilderness years, at a time when he'd been running NeXT, his other startup. The clip amusingly shows us a young Jobs wearing a beard without looking like an axe murderer...

Readdle’s premium Calendars+ app goes free for 48 hours

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Eagle-eyed readers will remember Readdle back in March released a free version of its awesome Calendars+ application on the App Store. Naturally, the free download omits several major features present in the more advanced paid version.

For example, multiple event reminders, recurring appointments, event invitations and a few other biggies meant for power users remain the exclusive realm of the paid Calendars+ app.

If you wanted to take the plunge but were put off by the app's high asking price of seven bucks, good news: Readdle has decided to drop the premium Calendars+ app to zero bucks. The promotion runs over the next 48 hours only so download Calendars+ now before the price goes up back again...

Apple’s IP chief leaves for patent troll Technicolor

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

After sparking its long-running patent war with Samsung, Apple's intellectual property chief has left to head a similar job at a French media company. Boris Teksler, who in 2012 testified Samsung was copying iPhone technology, left his job of four years Wednesday.

Teksler had no immediate comment on why he left to become president of the Technology Group for Technicolor, a media and entertainment company based in France.

Technicolor's CEO said the former Apple IP chief was well-suited to the firm's plans for expanding use of patents...

Default iOS hotspot passwords can be cracked in under a minute

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2013

You may want to reconsider using a default password iOS provides for hotspot functionality as researchers at a German university warn of the weaknesses that let attackers crack any default iOS hotspot password in under a minute. Although Windows Phone uses even weaker passwords and some Android vendors weaken their device's security by modifying the Wi-Fi-related components, Apple's problem is that iOS generates "random" hotspot passwords using a dictionary of only 1,842 different entries...

In a blow to Microsoft, Apple wins $30M LA school iPad contract

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 19, 2013

Apple again is flexing its muscle in classrooms. Every student in the Los Angeles Unified School District will receive an iPad, a contract worth $30 million. Apple has received the nod from the nation's second-largest school district as students and teachers overruled Microsoft, which argued its tablets better prepared school kids for the workplace.

In a unanimous vote, the LA school district board approved the contract to pay $678 per Apple tablet, one member telling The Los Angeles Times newspaper that the deal is "as big as they come." The contract is just the latest sign schools with tight budgets are opting for less-expensive tablets over traditional PCs for the classroom...