Apple

Poll: is the $799 128GB iPad a tough sell?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 29, 2013

Whenever I but a mobile device from Apple, be it a MacBook Air, iPhone or iPad, I typically opt for the most capacious model available. I know storage comes at a premium when you're dealing with Apple, but with tons of photos, music and other media, plus a bunch of apps and games, it's better to be on the safe side, at least in my experience.

I know you can store your stuff in Dropbox and iCloud, but nothing beats local storage and you still cannot run a 2GB big-budget game from iCloud, now can you? In that regard, this new 128GB iPad 4 could be the perfect buy: for just a hundred bucks more you get an additional 64GB of storage over the previous $699 64GB Wi-Fi-only model (better than just 16GB more for those opting for a $599 32GB model versus the entry-level $499 16GB iPad).

But what about you? Is $799 to high a price to pay for a Wi-Fi-only tablet with 128GB of speedy flash storage? And who is it for?

Apple TV updated: use Bluetooth keyboards, queue up songs, access purchased music

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 21, 2017

Hot on the heels of releasing the new iOS 6.1 software with iTunes Match improvements, Siri movie ticket sales and enhanced LTE carrier support, Apple just posted a matching firmware update for its $99 Apple TV set-top box.

As indicated back in December 2012, one of the biggest new features the new software brings out is awesome support for Bluetooth keyboards, making the little hockey-puck much more than a "hobby" device. Other improvements include enhanced iTunes in the Cloud and iTunes Up Next. Go past the break for the full breakdown...

Photos of alleged next-gen iPad shell surface

Cody Lee ∙ January 28, 2013

Even though it's only been a few months since Apple unveiled the fourth-generation iPad, the rumor mill is already rife with iPad 5 talk. The tablet has reportedly been redesigned to look like the iPad mini, with a thinner profile and smaller bezels.

Well if that really is the case, then this purported next-gen iPad shell fits the bill perfectly. It's dipped in the same black & slate color as the iPad mini, and features a similar design with chamfered edges and a smaller overall footprint...

Is Asia tiring of the iPhone?

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 28, 2013

Are iPhone owners going through the Asian version of the 7-year-itch? Once head over heels in love with Apple's iPhone, many consumers in Singapore and Hong Kong are straying, increasingly adopting Android devices. The iPhone could be a victim of its own success as some Asian Apple fans increasingly turn to Samsung as a way to show they are different from the crowd.

From Hello Kitty to crazy game shows, the West traditionally turns to the East for cutting-edge trends. The latest import could be a wave of anti-iPhone sentiment sweeping the Pacific Rim. One Asian nation has gone from one of the world's largest iOS markets to a doubling of Android devices. Are we witnessing the beginnings of 'iPhone fatigue?'...

iOS 6.1 restores Passbook Welcome screen, making it easier to find apps

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Apple released the long-awaited iOS 6.1 firmware this morning, and the update brought about a handful of changes. iPhones and iPads now support LTE on a number of new international carriers, and Siri can now order movie tickets through Fandango.

The new software also includes a minor change to the Passbook application. It seems Apple has restored the former "Welcome" screen in the app, making it easier for you to discover Passbook-enabled apps in the App Store...

Over 300 million devices now on iOS 6 and above

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

In addition to seeding the public version of iOS 6.1 this morning, Apple also published a press release announcing a number of interesting stats and milestones. The most notable landmark is that there are now more than 300 million users on iOS 6.0 and above.

That's pretty wild, considering that last week the company said there are now more than 500 million iOS devices in the wild. That's well over a 50% take rate in less than 6 months, which certainly bodes well for app developers. Keep reading for more details...

5 things ‘Apple TV 3,2’ could be

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 28, 2013

A firmware release is always a nice starting point to hunt for code strings referencing yet-to-be-released hardware. Apple today released iOS 6.1 and an accompanying Apple TV 5.2 software, adding more LTE carriers and improving upon Siri (iPhones, iPads and iPods) while introducing enhanced iCloud features and bringing support for Bluetooth keyboards to the Apple TV.

Watchful hackers immediately spotted references to 'AppleTV 3,2'. As the current third-generation 1080p Apple TV hardware is designated as 'AppleTV 3,1', the newly discovered string might mean a minor Apple TV update could be in the works.

How minor? That remains to be seen and we can only speculate until Apple shows its card. Here, my top five picks as to what 'Apple TV 3,2' might represent (and, please, do feel free to add your own)...

New H.265 video standard approved, when will Apple adopt it?

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 28, 2013

The International telecommunications Union (ITU) has approved the new H.265 video standard, known informally as ‘High Efficiency Video Coding’ (HEVC) and a successor to the H.264 codec that Apple and other industry heavy-weights back heavily. In fact, more than 80 percent of web video is now encoded with nearly a decade old H.264.

Little wonder that Apple due to H.264's efficiency, quality, features and modest bandwidth made it the preferred iOS and OS X video standard. H.265 builds on that by promising to deliver high-resolution video with half the bit rate of H.264...

Budget iPhone design to be a mix of iPhone 5, iPod touch and iPod classic

Cody Lee ∙ January 28, 2013

The so-called budget iPhone rumors have been really heating up over the past month. And today, more fuel is added to the fire. Following up their report last week regarding next-gen iPhones and iPads, iLounge is back with some new details on the low-end device.

Citing 'reliable sources,' the site says that the handset will be "substantially made from plastic," and design-wise, it will look like a cross between the iPhone 5, the fifth generation iPod touch and the iPod classic...

Sprint LTE coming to Boston, Fort Wayne, western Puerto Rico and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 12, 2017

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prEPa7bLDdY

Having already announced earlier this month a massive roll-out of its 4G LTE to 28 new markets, including Branson, Missouri and Columbus, Georgia, Sprint this morning has confirmed that its fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution radio technology is coming to Boston, Austin and half a dozen other markets. The nation's third-largest carrier should also start offering its Total Equipment Protection (TEP) insurance to iPhone customers later this month...

Talk about duopoly: Apple, Android ship 92 percent of all smartphones

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 28, 2013

We've said it before, and yet another analyst confirms it: the smartphone market is a duopoly of Apple and Android. The two firms control 92 percent of the market, according to Strategy Analytics researchers. What does this mean? Of the 217 million smartphones shipped during the final quarter of 2012, 200 million were powered either by iOS or Android.

The concentration of the smartphone market in two hands is just the latest indication of an industry-wide consolidation. After mobile consumers in North America and Western Europe spent 2011 shifting from simple handsets to more capable phones, global smartphone growth in 2012 slowed to 43 percent from 64 percent...

Confirmed: Apple’s new R&D center going live this summer in Shanghai

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

Earlier in the month, the major Chinese web portal Tencent claimed Apple was looking to establish a research and development center in Beijing and last week Cnet China corroborated the story, but noted that the rumored six-story facility with over 100,000 square feet of space is actually going up in Shanghai. Today, a new report from another Chinese news site give us more in way of details...