Apple

The iPhone 5: super-glued on one of the busiest squares in Amsterdam

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2012

Human nature is generally tricky, sometimes odd and quite often hard to fathom. One of the more awesome ways of observing us mammals and our peculiar interest in valuable objects is the classic dollar-bill-on-a-string trick.

Surely you remember this one from your childhood: some joker attaches a string to the underside of a dollar bill and hides behind a corner. Then, when you reach down for it, the person yanks it away. But that's so last century.

A more contemporary take on that classic formula: stick an iPhone 5 to the pavement in one of Amsterdam’s busiest squares and watch what happens…

And here comes Mapgate

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 11, 2018

Here, in case you've been wondering why Apple shipped buggy iOS Maps... Come on, you knew this was coming. I'd bet my shirt that Conan O'Brien will be next to diss Apple's crappy maps. Can you say Mapgate?

T-Mobile’s iPhone-friendly 42 Mbps HSPA+ coming to Las Vegas on Monday

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

T-Mobile USA, the nation's fourth-largest carrier and the sole major U.S. telco without Apple's iPhone, announced at the GigaOm Mobilize conference that it will be rolling out its iPhone-compatible HSPA+ network in Las Vegas on Monday, September 24, 2012.

The carrier's HSPA+ network runs in the much more common 1900MHz spectrum, allowing unlocked iPhone owners to finally access the fastest 3G network in the country, T-Mobile's dual-carrier HSPA+...

Limited manpower blamed for crappy Apple Maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

In case you haven't already known this yet, the Apple-designed iOS 6 Maps app is off to a slow start amid reports of inaccurate data sets, missing or incorrect places, lack of built-in transit data and lacking navigational features in general. Simply put, Apple Maps have a long way to go before taking Google Maps head on.

According to one cartography expert, much of the woes with Apple Maps could be traced back to Apple's lack of qualified engineers and spatial data teams. The company should also look into acquiring major mapping data providers and be more active in crowdsourcing via a dedicated service to allow people to more easily improve the quality of data, akin to TomTom's MapShare service...

Thanks to unibody design, the iPhone 5 is likely the most durable iPhone yet

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2012

Just hours after the iPhone 5 went on sale, electronics wizard have pry opened Apple's brand spanking new phone and analyzed its innards. It's now time for a drop test. As evident in a clip by iFixYouri, the iPhone 5 has significantly more scratch resistant front glass. Matter of fact, you could say that the iPhone 5 is one durable phone as it outperformed all other previous phones...

Sprint nearly sold out of the iPhone 5

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2012

Oh my! The iPhone 5 has officially gone on sale this morning at 8am in the United States and eight oversea markets and already U.S. carrier Sprint has burned through its initial allotment of devices. The company just reported it sold out of the iPhone 5 at many of its retail stores on East Coast, just hours after the device went on sale. The stores will remain "seriously constrained" until Sprint receives additional devices from Apple...

Black iPhone 5 susceptible to ugly scratches?

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2012

"Is that a scratch on your iPhone", a friend of mine asked, much to my horror and surprise. I'd only had this iPhone 3GS for a couple hours and already pesky scratches were beginning to show on its shiny plastic back. The glass back on my iPhone 4/4S has proved far less prone to wear and tear, perhaps partially due to past experiences which taught me to handle my pricey devices with utmost care.

You'd be pressed to think there was no difference in how black & slate and white & silver iPhone 5 models withstood wear and tear stemming from daily use. That said, you're in for a surprise as some folks apparently have discovered that both the anodized aluminum back and the chamfered edges of the black iPhone 5 are conspicuously more prone to wear versus its white counterpart...

iPhone 5 user guide

Cody Lee ∙ September 21, 2012

After months and months of rumors, and waiting, the iPhone 5 is finally here. The handset, which Apple unveiled last week, is now on sale here in the US and around the world.

While the new iPhone might share some design elements with its predecessors, there's no question that it's a completely different beast. So if you just purchased the phone, or want to learn more about it, we recommend checking out the official iPhone 5 user guide...

The iPhone 5 goes on sale, are you ready for it?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

As expected, Apple's sixth-generation iPhone is today on sale in the United States and eight international markets (Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore). The handset comes in 16/32/64GB flavors, priced at $199/$299/$399 with a two-year contract with your wireless operator.

In addition to AT&T, Verizon and Sprint, regional U.S. telcos C Spire and Alaska’s GCI and Appalachian Wireless announced plans to carry the iPhone 5, in addition to prepaid carrier Cricket Wireless.

As was the case with past launches, contract-free versions are expected to be available at a later stage in the U.S., unlike some international markets where carriers either choose or are mandated by law to provide contract-free alongside subsidized units. Here are some nice launch day photos...

How you can help make the new Maps app better

Cody Lee ∙ September 21, 2012

As you've probably noticed, Apple has been taking a lot of criticism over the new Maps application in iOS 6. Google Maps has been replaced in the software, in favor of Apple's own in-house mapping solution. And for most people it's just not up to snuff.

The company commented on the criticism yesterday, telling AllThingsD that because it's a cloud-based solution, Maps will get better as more people use it. But if you aren't buying that, or just want to speed the process along, here's what to do...

iFixit gives the iPhone 5 the teardown treatment

Cody Lee ∙ September 20, 2012

Though we've still got a good 8 hours or so before the iPhone 5 officially goes on sale here in the US, due to the time difference, the handset has already launched in Australia.

And wouldn't you know it, the i-teardown experts over at iFixit were on hand to pick one up and have already started ripping it apart. More on their findings inside the fold...

Apple updates iCloud for Windows to version 2.0

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 20, 2012

A fan of Apple's iCloud but happen to be tied to Microsoft's Windows? No problem, because Apple has just updated its iCloud for Windows app to version 2.0, just in time for the iPhone 5.

With iCloud offering syncing capabilities across iOS devices as well as Macs, Windows users need not be left in the cold thanks to Apple's software which seeks to bring the iCloud features to those not sporting a Mac.

The release, bringing iCloud for Windows up to version 2.0, brings iOS 6 compatibility to the game just in time for the next generation iPhone to be unleashed upon the masses...