If you needed proof that Apple is actively researching a wearable device akin to a smartwatch, look no further than a Japan Patent Office filing from early June for an ‘iWatch’ trademark. As discovered by Bloomberg, the filing specifically mentions a “watch device” and a “handheld computer”. While this by no means such a product will see the light of day, it certainly fuels speculation that an Apple-branded smartwatch is in the works...
As BlackBerry continues on its downward spiral, more and more of its government clients are jumping ship. And it's no secret that pretty much every other handset manufacturer out there is looking to lure the RIM refugees into their respective mobile platforms.
At least it seems that Apple is working hard to earn their business. Just a few months after receiving Level 1 FIPS 140-2 certification—a security standard developed by the US government for use in its computers, comes word that it's gained Level 2 compliance...
Here we are, nearly 3 weeks after Apple took the wraps off of iOS 7, and folks are still talking about the drastic redesign. The overall consensus seems to be that most people like it, but many are hoping that Apple will do some serious fine-tuning before its public release this fall.
In fact, rumor has it that the software isn't nearly as far along as previous versions have been in their initial betas. So even the folks that are unhappy with iOS 7's current state are optimistic that it will see big changes. But if this new trademark filing is any indication, it won't...
On this day six years ago, the original iPhone went on sale at Apple and AT&T stores in the United States - following six months of unbelievable hype and media frenzy that I suspect won't repeat anytime soon. It's somewhat hard to grasp that it's been six years already and that the original Jesus phone, as the media nicknamed it, was so rapidly obsoleted by subsequent models that it's now become a piece of history itself.
A lot has changed since June 29, 2007. The iPhone back then didn't have the App Store and was pitched as three devices in one: a "widescreen iPod with touch controls," a "revolutionary mobile phone" and a "breakthrough Internet communicator".
Today, it's anything you want it to be thanks to smart developers who pour their heart and soul into their apps, and there are now 900,000+ of them in the App Store. It's fair to say there's a world of difference between 2007 and 2013 in terms of mobile technology, here's why...
You have a whiz-bang idea for an iOS app, but want to know how much effort it will take to get into the top 10 list? On general, it requires 4,000 daily downloads for an app to reach the top 10 paid apps, and it requires earning $47,000 per day for paid apps to reach rank 10 in the grossing charts, a new study finds. For the bean-counters in the audience, that translates to $32 in purchases per minute or $1,920 per hour.
Another tip: never try to break into the top 10 during weekends. Instead, you'll have better luck on Thursdays. If you want little competition, try Google or Amazon, where all you hear are crickets chirping, according to an app analytics firm...
Following up a scoop from DigiTimes earlier this week, The Wall Street Journal is reporting this afternoon that Apple has finally inked a deal with TSMC, or Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., to produce chips used in the company's iPhone and iPad products.
The two sides reportedly signed the deal, which has been in the making for a few years now, earlier this month after TSMC met Apple's requirements for speed and power usage. And it signifies yet another move by the Cupertino firm to distance itself from Samsung...
Apple's iPhone isn't just the nation's top smartphone brand, it's also the most profitable product in America, according to a Friday report. Despite having around just one-fifth of the overall smartphone market globally, or nearly 40 percent in the U.S. alone, the handset enjoys the industry-leading 40 percent operating margin, producing more than half of Apple's $156.5 billion in 2012 sales. That profit margin is almost double that of the iPad, which grossed "only" $32.4 billion, according to MarketWatch...
If anyone needed confirmation, the U.S. smartphone market can be summed up in two words: Apple and Samsung. Those are the findings by measurement firm comScore, with Apple increasing its lead as the nation's top smartphone brand. The iPhone maker had 39.2 percent of the domestic market at the end of May, growing its share 0.3 points.
Samsung also improved on its February second-place showing, growing 1.7 percentage points to capture 23 percent of the American market. Meanwhile, Google's Android remains the No. 1 smartphone platform in the U.S., although Apple's iOS inched up during the three-month period which ended in May...
As you know, Apple gives its iOS developers the freedom to choose pricing of their wares on the App Store, keeping 30 percent of the proceeds to itself. But rather than let a developer price an app at fifteen cents, for example, Apple offers a bunch of tiers. This also means localized versions of apps carried on international App Stores are priced differently to reflect a rough conversion of the U.S. prices.
Seeking to better align with the pricing structure in the U.S. App Store, Apple has now introduced alternate tiers for international App Stores so developers can price their software in .99 increments in the country’s native currency...
Netflix today announced that PlayStation 3 users can take advantage of its new feature, a goofy recommendation engine dubbed Max.
Kinda a crossover between iTunes Genius and Siri, Max is designed to help you find something great to watch in a fun, conversational way (Netflix rather confusingly calls it "the child of Siri and HAL 9000").
Tapping Netflix's extensive database of tags and your viewing history, the engine recommends movies and television shows it thinks you might be interested in watching. And when it doesn't feel confident enough about its predictions, Max may ask you a question or challenge you to play a "ratings game"...
Apple's iOS 7 aims to delight through subtle use of lively user interface animations and effects, employing physics, translucency, smoked panels and other visual tricks to achieve its multi-layered appearance. Among them is the so-called parallax effect that creates a sense of dimension by putting your Home screen icons onto a layer separate from your background image.
It comes to life when moving your device around, which tilts the wallpaper behind the icons slightly. The effect is also observable in a few other places throughout the system and is coming to your favorite apps via new APIs in iOS 7. If you've ever wondered about the science behind the magic, here's your answer...
Samsung's latest smartphone, the Galaxy S4, won top honors in a series of tests conducted by a UK-based consumer research organization called Which?. The organization found that Samsung's Galaxy S4 topped Apple's iPhone 5 and other competitors when it comes to speed, call time and Internet use.
Apple's nine-month-old handset led in just one test: time required to recharge...