Apple

Smart TV alliances reportedly being formed over iTV rumors

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 21, 2012

Rumors that Apple is eyeing HD TV set making biz have persisted for a couple years now, but no solid iTV evidence surfaced thus far apart from Jobs' vague "I finally cracked it" quote from Walter Isaacson's bio book.

But even a mere idea of Apple setting its sights on the television market has baffled incumbents undertaking precautionary measures.

As indicated in a report out of Asia yesterday, some makers have started making smart TV alliances out of fear that Apple might take the television market by surprise just as it's done with the music market and, to a certain extent, with high-end smartphones...

Australian airline to serve up in-flight entertainment via iPads

Cody Lee ∙ July 21, 2012

This is pretty interesting: Qantas, an Australian airline, is now handing out iPads to passengers on all of its B767 airliners. The tablet is being used to provide an in-flight entertainment service, called QStreaming, which features more than 200 hours of on-demand content.

QStreaming is free, and offered to all Qantas Business and Economy class customers. Here's a brief overview of the new service:

Siri-like voice assistant turns up in latest BlackBerry 10 alpha update

Cody Lee ∙ July 21, 2012

No matter what your opinion of Siri is, you have to admit that it has really sparked an interest in digital assistants. Voice commands and recognition obviously existed long before the feature, but not like this.

And you don't have to look any further than the competition for proof. Shortly after Apple unveiled its Assistant last fall, other manufacturers started beefing up their voice technology. Samsung, for example, now has its S-Voice, LG has Quick Voice, and there are several others bubbling up...

Opera says iOS is still top platform for mobile advertising

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Opera (yes, the browser people) published its first ever State of Mobile Advertising report this week, a study regarding the effectiveness of advertising on different mobile platforms.

As you might have expected, Apple's iOS came out on top. Despite Android's lead in overall marketshare, users seem to browse the web and click on ads more on Apple's mobile OS...

Users around the globe reporting App Store outage

Cody Lee ∙ July 20, 2012

If you've been experiencing problems with the iOS App Store this evening, you're not alone. Users from around the world are reporting that they are having issues with downloading applications.

At the moment, we're having trouble getting the App Store to even load on our devices. And even when we are able to get apps to populate, trying to download them results in the above error...

Google re-invents patent system, says iPhone inventions belong to everyone

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 20, 2012

Google is feeling lots of heat lately as Apple, Microsoft and Oracle show some notable progress with Android lawsuits. Apple in particular holds a number of patents that cover trademark features the iPhone popularized, like slide to unlock and other multitouch gestures.

The Internet giant should also beware of the latest Apple patent grant which covers virtually all of the iPhone's user interface innovations. Perhaps in realization of its defensiveness, Google has changed tactics.

The company is now arguing that because the iPhone has become so popular, Apple's proprietary and patented inventions should really become industry essential patents. Seriously?

Foxconn wants a seat on Sharp’s board

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 20, 2012

The world's largest contract manufacturer Foxconn is allegedly aiming to acquire board seat at Sharp, a report out from Asia claims.

Foxconn in May acquired an eleven percent ownership stake in Sharp in exchange for $844 million. It also bought a 46.48 percent stake in Sharp's sister company Sharp Display which makes display panels for iPad 3 and is thought to be readying big-ass IGZO panels for a rumored full-blown television set from Apple...

Reuters takes an inside look at iPad smuggling in China

Cody Lee ∙ July 20, 2012

After nearly five months of cutting through red tap, Apple finally launched its third-generation iPad in mainland China today. To much surprise, the tablet made a quiet landing, with only a handful of shoppers in lines spotted around the country's signature Apple Stores.

The lack of noise can probably be attributed to Apple's pre-registration system. In an effort to avoid the chaotic scenes of previous product launches, the company restricted new iPad purchases to pre-order only. But it could also be because many fans already have the tablet...

Apple targets Android cheapos, re-prices iPhone 3GS below $200 unsubsidized

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

In case you've been wondering, the three-year old iPhone 3GS still has life left in it and should live on through the release of the next iPhone. Matter of fact, the handset has just been slashed on India’s seventh-largest Aircel network to just Rs 9,999, which works out to approximately $180 with an advanced commitment of ~$55 for a year, for a total upfront cost of $235 for an unsubsidized device.

Apple of course recently began offering the iPhone 4/4S through a bunch of regional U.S. carriers, most notably Cricket and Virgin Mobile, on a pre-paid basis with month-to-month plans. But with iOS 6 coming this fall to the iPhone 3GS, Apple's entry-level iPhone is now working its way down to the low-end of the market dominated by Android cheapos...

Apple says in-app purchasing exploit will be fixed in iOS 6

Cody Lee ∙ July 20, 2012

Apple has started emailing developers today, with more information regarding the recently-discovered in-app purchasing exploit. Earlier this month, news broke of a hack that allowed users to acquire paid in-app content, for free.

The email contains a link to a new support page, posted on Apple's developer website, that provides devs with information on the issue, and offers up a temporary fix. It also states that a permanent patch is coming in iOS 6...

Samsung to unveil new Galaxy device on August 15th

Cody Lee ∙ July 20, 2012

All eyes are on Apple this fall, as rumors of a revamped iPhone and an all-new iPad persist. If the speculation materializes, this October could bring one of the company's biggest media events in recent memory.

And between now and then, don't be surprised if the competition manages to steal the spotlight away with new produce releases and announcements. Samsung, in fact, is already making a move in that direction...

Tricky content deals may push Apple television back to 2014

Cody Lee ∙ July 20, 2012

Bad news for folks who were holding out on buying a new TV in anticipation for Apple's set. A new report is out today that claims it could be 2014 before we see a full-blown television from the Cupertino company.

Chatter regarding Apple building its own HDTV has been around for years now. But talk of the set has significantly tapered off over the past couple of months amidst rumors of other upcoming Apple products...