Apple

Rumor: iPhone 5S in August, new iPads possibly as early as next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 5, 2013

If a new report from a fairly accurate source is to be believed, Apple could be gearing up to launch next-generation iPads as early as next month, with both a fifth-generation 9.7-inch model and a second-generation 7.9-inch iPad mini apparently being considered for April, and each rocking Apple's high-resolution Retina display.

As for the iPhone 5S - a seventh-generation iPhone and a specs upgrade over the current iPhone 5 - Apple is looking to release this phone in late-summer, approximately around August...

Analyst doubles down: iPhone 5S with fingerprint sensor coming this summer

Cody Lee ∙ March 5, 2013

Back in January, KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo revealed, what he believed to be, Apple's product roadmap for 2013. Kuo is known to have well-placed sources in Apple's supply chain, and has been accurate in the past, so his predictions tend to carry more weight than others.

The report claimed, among other things, that Apple is planning to release an iPhone 5S—complete with faster processor, improved camera and built-in finger print sensor—alongside the long rumored budget iPhone, this summer. And today, Kuo doubled down on his claims...

Ferrari in talks with Apple to broaden their in-car entertainment partnership

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

This is kind of interesting. Ferrari unveiled its latest hybrid supercar today, the "LaFerrari." And not only does it come with support for Siri's Eyes Free feature, it also includes two iPad minis for your passenger's entertainment.

But the automaker's love for Apple runs even deeper than that. In addition to its new car, Ferrari also announced today that it plans to strengthen its partnership with the Cupertino company over the next several months...

Google Maps for iPhone updated with faster local search, Google Contacts integration and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 5, 2013

Google Tuesday morning pushed a new version of its native Google Maps application for the iPhone and iPod touch. It's the first update since the Internet giant released a standalone Maps software for Apple's platform in December 2012, racketing up ten million downloads in just two days and becoming the App Store's top free iPhone app in no time. New features in Google Maps version 1.1 for iOS include integration with Google Contacts, local search icons that make finding places of interest faster and easier and more...

Apple researching squeezable iPhones

Ed Sutherland ∙ March 5, 2013

Consumers are used to poking and swiping to interact with touch screen devices, such as Apple's iPhone and iPad. But a new patent could turn your entire future iDevice into a control surface - even for small gadgets such as the much-rumored iWatch.

Apple was granted a patent Tuesday on squeezable technology of sorts that might enable iPhone use while wearing gloves, permit screen bezels to shrink and theoretically enable the company to sell devices with much smaller screens...

Tablets may consume one-third of mobile traffic in 2013

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

The tablet is taking an increasingly larger bite out of smartphones' share of mobile content. Devices such as the iPad consumed a respectable eighteen percent of mobile traffic in 2012. By the end of this year, tablets are expected to hit nearly one-third of all mobile device traffic, cutting into the dominant position now held by iPhones and similar smartphones.

According to mobile ad network Jumptap, tablets will consume 29 percent of mobile traffic this year, lowering the percentage of content delivered to smartphones to 70 percent, a drop from 2012's 78 percent...

Apple says iBooks has been downloaded over 130 million times

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Following this morning's release of iBooks 3.1, which brought about expanded Japanese book support, Apple has posted a press release to make its move into the country's e-book game official.

The announcement includes further details about the Japan iBookstore launch, as well as quotes from Apple's SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue and various publishing firm executives...

Freemium YouTube music streaming service reportedly in the works, due later this year

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Rumor mills have been churning out stories calling for a Google-branded subscription music service for some time now and today an exclusive report by Fortune sheds more light on the matter as the Internet giant is allegedly looking to tap its popular YouTube video sharing service to take on the likes of Spotify, Rdio and Pandora.

In capitalizing on the power of YouTube, Google presumably is hoping to draw its younger audience that typically streams high-quality music videos from YouTube's VEVO channel for free. The YouTube-branded product is said to be ad-driven and therefore free. It is also separate of Google's another music subscription service rumored to be coming to Android devices via the Google Play content store...

Former Apple ad man says iPhone could have been called the ‘Telepod’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Former Apple ad man and creator of the famous 'Think Different' campaign Ken Segall has been garnering a lot of headlines in the Cupertino blogosphere lately. Last week, he published a blog post on why Samsung's anti-Apple marketing has been so effective.

And this week he was spotted at an event for the University of Arizona’s Marketing Department, again talking about his former employer. Among other tidbits, Segall divulged that Apple considered some silly names for its smartphone before calling it iPhone...

iBooks gains Japanese iBookstore support, including manga and light novels

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 5, 2013

Apple this morning released iBooks 3.1, a minor update containing improvements for reading Asian language books and supporting paid books from the Japanese iBookstore representing many of the large publishers in the country, with content such as fiction, manga, light novels and more.

Previously, the Japan iBookstore only offered public domain content so it couldn't compete with local content stores from the likes of Kobo, Amazon and Sony.

Bloggers report iBooks 3.1 renders paid Japanese e-books nicely, along with the full character set and iOS Dictionary support, allowing users to highlight a word and pull its definition. Additionally, the books open right-to-left as they should so you can swipe right to advance through the pages.

Apple says the iBookstore in Japan now has "hundreds of thousands of books" available for purchase. This bodes well for Apple as to date, much of the e-book market in Japan has centered on graphical novels, such as manga...

iPod touch being used as a friendly ticketing system at Walt Disney World

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 5, 2013

Walt Disney World is piloting a trial program which replaces the old turnstiles with something more in line with the 21st century: Apple's iPod touch. The media player is being used at the Central Florida theme park as a friendly ticketing system as the resort's costumed staff members use the device to scan the tickets of visitors as they arrive, a new report has it.

They are using a special accessory case and accompanying software similarly to how Apple Store employees have phased out the good ol' cash register by using the iPod touch to scan people's credit cards. A Disney representative warns the program is in its trial stage so the company may or may not deploy it on a large scale...

It’s not just iPhone 5S: budget iPhone also could come in colors

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 4, 2013

If the latest chatter coming out of Apple's Asian supply chain is to be trusted, Taiwanese contract electronics manufacturer Pegatron - which produces some Apple products alongside primary gadget builder Foxconn - has been commissioned to build a rumored less-pricey iPhone that the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters and other high-profile publications previously reported on as a done deal.

It's been thought the device has a hybrid plastic/metal design, with the polycarbonate part of its body being similar to what Apple used on the now discontinued white plastic MacBook. And now, latest reports add colors to the mix...