Apple

T-Mobile testing LTE in major U.S. cities ahead of official launch later this month

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2013

With all the necessary regulatory approvals concerning T-Mobile’s merger with MetroPCS under its wings, the Deutsche Telekom-owned carrier is expected to accelerate its 4G LTE plans. It's a tad surprising that T-Mobile has put itself in a position where it remains the sole major U.S. telco without high-speed LTE cellular radio technology.

Be that as it may, its LTE situation is about to change later this month. Just last week, a curious user spotted super-fast data speeds on T-Mobile's network in Astoria, Queens, a New York City suburb.

Shortly after, the carrier officially confirmed that it will begin providing 4G LTE service by the end of this month and now more LTE spots have been discovered in as much as nine major U.S. cities ahead of the official launch...

Major security hole compromises your Apple ID, enable two-step verification now

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 2, 2017

The Verge claims to have discovered a major security hole which allows attackers to reset your Apple ID password using only your email address and date of birth. Yes, you read that right. The scary part is that it doesn't take a genius to harvest these two pieces of information from Google and your social media accounts or by analyzing your online identity per se.

Exploiting the vulnerability basically lets attackers take over your Apple ID account, and with it all your purchases, iTunes credits, email messages, contacts, your Photo Stream and pretty much any personal data residing up in the Apple cloud.

Apple's iForgot page went down "due to maintenance" shortly after the incident, presumably to prevent exploits until Apple plugs the security hole. Conveniently enough, the company just recently rolled out a new (and way overdue) two-step verification process to protect your Apple ID using not only your password, but also by tapping your trusted devices and a recovery key.

With this exploit making the headlines, you should enable two-step verification now (Cody has a timely tutorial on that)...

Apple adds ‘in-app purchase’ warning to freemium apps

Cody Lee ∙ Updated December 16, 2022

Apple today has added a new 'Offers In-App Purchases' warning in the description of App Store apps that utilize the feature. The new disclosure can be seen in the App Store, located just beneath the Buy/Free button of pertinent applications.

The move comes amidst multiple reports of children running up monster iTunes bills, unbeknownst to their parents, via in-app purchases. Earlier this month, a young boy from the UK racked up $1,300 in charges buying virtual donuts...

New free to play Warcraft game coming to iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdXl3QtutQI

Blizzard, the maker of the enormously popular Warcraft RPG series, today announced it will be bringing out a new iPad game set in the Warcraft universe. And, in following recent trends, Blizzard has made a welcomed decision to make Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft free to play. It's a strategy card game akin to Magic: The Gathering, one which sports "quick and lively duels that evoke the spirit of a friendly match played beside a crackling tavern fire." I've included more details right past the fold...

Nokia boss throws interviewer’s iPhone on the floor

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=owvtKGlYFVA#!

Wow, this has got to be a new low for the ailing Nokia and its boss, former Microsoft exec Stephen Elop. With everyone trashing Apple these days, from investors to big media to analysts, the Nokia CEO apparently thinks piggy-backing on the trend is the way to go to score a few coolness points.

After an interviewer on a Finnish television said he had an iPhone in his pocket, a petulant Elop - unable to control his manners - nervously quipped "how embarrassing, I'll take care of that" before throwing the device on the floor as if it were a piece of useless junk. That's the first time a big name CEO has exercised such an utmost disrespect for a rival, at least to my knowledge...

iPhone and Galaxy owners are not that different

Ed Sutherland ∙ March 22, 2013

While iPhone and Galaxy S3 owners are often viewed as fans of rival teams, the two groups have more in common than Apple or Samsung would care to admit.

A new report finds owners of the two smartphones follow the same usage patterns, while maintaining some distance on hardware and carrier choices.

Based on surveys conducted in January and February, both iPhone and G3 owners follow a trend away from voice calls and emails to texting. Before anyone thinks the two will for a mutual admiration society anytime soon, there are some striking differences, as well...

Google said to be working on its own smartwatch

Cody Lee ∙ March 22, 2013

A year ago, the smartwatch space didn't really exist. I mean it did, but it consisted of just a handful of lackluster products from the likes of Sony and Motorola. But if rumors are true, it'll serve as the next battlefield for the 3 biggest names in tech.

Hot on the heels of reports that both Apple and Samsung are hard at work developing smartphone-connected wristwatches comes a new one from The Financial Times claiming that Google's Android unit is working on a smartwatch of its own...

Cable-free access to HBO Go app is ostensibly under consideration

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2013

Not sure about you, but cable operators sure bother the hell out of me by not letting me watch shows on iDevices unless I subscribe to their terrestrial television offering. Why do these companies presume everyone owns a TV? While the App Store hosts a bunch of apps from the likes of ABC, HBO or CBS, you must be a paying TV subscriber to stream shows (you already paid for) to your devices.

I like Time Warner-owned HBO's shows and am subscribed to them through my cable TV provider and now we're hearing that the company is considering reversing its stance and reportedly offer online subscriptions to cable-cutters in the not-so-distant future...

Apple blames high Aussie iTunes prices on content owners stuck in the old ways

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Why does digital content in Australia cost more than elsewhere? It's not our fault, one Apple executive told a government panel investigating the pricing disparity.

The company (rightfully) blamed "old-fashioned notions" held by content owners for markups as high as 61 percent on music and other digital media sold in the region.

Apple's Australian Vice President Tony King told the panel the company would prefer to offer music, movies, TV shows, along with hardware at lower prices, hinting that movie studios, record labels and other content owners are forcing the company's hand...

LG developing own iWatch and Google Glass-like wearable gizmo

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2013

Apple's unreleased iWatch is already inspiring a bunch of me-too products from big name tech giants (nothing wrong with that, mind you). Bloomberg recently quoted a Samsung executive who went on the record to confirm that his company has been "preparing the watch product for so long.”

Then, the Financial Times newspaper shared knowledge of Google’s Android team working on a smartwatch product to act as an extension to the smartphones using Android.

And now we're hearing that the South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation better known as LG is also developing its own iWatch contender, in addition to a wearable gadget akin to Google's Glass eyewear...

Analyst: budget iPhone won’t have Retina display

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2013

Apple's rumored less-expensive iPhone aimed at emerging markets won't just shave costs by having a polycarbonate body instead of Unibody aluminum design, it is bound to have a standard-resolution screen rather than Apple's Retina display, like other iDevices. That's at least what one analyst wrote in a note to clients Friday, based on the often unreliable supply chain checks.

He's also calling for a June or July launch for both the budget iPhone and the iPhone 5S (a specs upgrade to the iPhone 5), which is the time frame that was mentioned previously in a few other recent reports...

EU scrutinizing Apple’s ‘unusually strict’ iPhone contracts with carrier

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 22, 2013

The cost of selling the iPhone is anything but cheap - just ask Sprint. Because Apple makes the iconic smartphone which helps sell pricey wireless contracts, carriers typically agree to Apple's way of doing biz that entail committing to large-volume iPhone purchases costing billions of dollars in upfront payments.

Sprint, America's third-largest carrier, for example, bought an astounding $15.5 billion worth of iPhones to be sold over the course of four years. The New York Times reported Thursday that European Union regulators are taking a closer look at Apple's iPhone distribution agreements with European carriers, who remark that these contracts are "unusually strict" and assert that Apple's behavior could be viewed as anticompetitive...