iPad

From the latest news to the most comprehensive tutorials, learn how to get the most out of your iPad with our step-by-step guides and expert tips.

iPen 2: a pressure-sensitive stylus for your iPad and Mac

Despite Steve Jobs' public disdain for styli—who can forget the infamous 'who wants a stylus?' line—the accessory has proven to be quite popular among Apple users. And if you've ever shopped around for one, you know the market is quite crowded.

But the folks at Cregle are hoping there's room for one more: the iPen 2. That's right, the team that brought you the original iPen for iPad are back with a much-improved stylus that works on a number of devices, including your iMac and Apple Display...

iPad mini shipping times improve to 3-5 days

During Apple's earnings call earlier this week, Tim Cook noted that the iPad mini was constrained for most of the holiday quarter. And he was right, estimated shipping times were as high as a month in November, and still a week out in December.

But it looks like Apple's supply is catching up with demand. Today, for the first time, those estimates have dropped below a week. In the United States, in Canada, and several other countries, Apple's web store is showing ship times of just 3-5 days...

iPhone 5S said to feature upgraded camera, new iPad Mini coming in October

Following up on this morning's report of Apple's plans for this year's iPhone and iPad updates, iLounge has posted a new article with additional information. The intel comes from a 'trusted source,' and offers product code names and other specifics.

The previous scoop claimed that the iPad 5 has been redesigned, with iPad mini-like bezels and size, and has a target date of October. Details of the iPhone 5S were less bountiful, but the site has now elaborated on it and added remarks on the new mini...

Sentry teases video for upcoming ‘iOS MiniPlayer’ tweak

Do you love iTunes 11's MiniPlayer so much you wish you could just take it with you when you leave the house? If so, Sentry's latest concept for an iOS MiniPlayer will be a dream come true.

Sentry's iOS MiniPlayer concept is a bar-shaped widget which displays the name of the song currently playing, along with the album art and subtitles for the album and band. Tap on the title, and you've got basic playback controls for pause, fast forward, and rewind. There are even bars at the side of the MiniPlayer which you can drag to hide or reposition the widget...

Google had 5 of 6 top mobile apps in 2012

Although Apple did not make it into the top six mobile apps in 2012, Apple Maps prevented Android-maker Google from capturing all six positions, according to Internet research firm comScore. As it is, the Mountain View, California search firm captured five of the six slots, it's Google Maps mobile app falling to No. 2 after briefly being dropped by Apple.

Social media giant Facebook claimed the number one spot in a list of top apps for 2012, pushing Google Maps into second place, Internet researchers announced Thursday. CEO Mark Zuckerberg might consider sending Apple a thank-you note, as the iOS Maps debacle is now seen as the reason for Facebook overcoming its rival...

Our future connected homes

At CES, many new companies sprouted in the Connected Home category, the goal of which is to enable ordinary consumers to install connected devices without the hassle of professional appointments and labor charges. I see it as the home upgrade for dummies, a concept I can stand behind. Below, I take a quick glance at several connected home items from CES, all of which are easily installable  and operate via iOS...

Catch big airs with the ESPN X Games app

What is the best part of winter? Winter X games! I am a huge X games fan, particularly the Winter X competition, and the best way to keep up with the details is the free iPhone and iPad apps. In true ESPN fashion, the app just updated last week and the games start tomorrow. So, consider this your public service announcement...

TwelveSouth’s PlugBug goes on a world tour

TwelveSouth makes wonderful accessories for Apple devices and their charging add-on called PlugBug is the perfect epitome of their design approach: not only is the accessory useful, it's damn cute, too. For the uninitiated, the PlugBug will charge your MacBook and iPhone (or iPad or iPod touch) at the same time. The charming little red thingie piggy-backs onto your MacBook's power adapter and has a 10W USB port to connect and charge your iDevice as the MacBook adapter simultaneously juices up your notebook.

How cool is that? Today, a year and half following its debut, TwelveSouth has announced the PlugBug World, an international version with five swappable prong adapters supporting power sockets in the United Kingdom and rest of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, North America, Hong Kong, China and a bunch of other markets...

Gartner: Samsung supplants Apple as #1 chip buyer

South Korea's Samsung has another reason to crow. After enduring talk that rival Apple would drop its rival for TSMC, demand for Samsung smartphones and tablets made it the largest customer of chips in 2012, replacing the iPhone and iPad maker in the worldwide chip eating challeng, reports said Thursday.

A Gartner report on semiconductor purchases also gives a rare glimpse into how much Apple is spending on chips for its smartphones and tablet devices. According to the researcher, Samsung increased spending on chips nearly double that of the Cupertino firm...

Microsoft’s Surface Pro to land on February 9 with $899 price tag

After a bit of a delay, Microsoft today announced launch details for its new Surface Pro tablet. The device will become available for purchase on February 9, and will run $899 for the entry-level 64GB model.

The Pro's release comes more than three months after its less-capable sibling, the Surface RT. And with reports suggesting that it didn't do so well over the holidays, Microsoft is hoping the Pro will be a hit...

Apple wins 26 patents, including multitouch and more

Apple was granted more than two dozen patents today, including technology for multitouch sensors dating back to 2007, when the original iPhone debuted. Also approved by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office: Apple patents covering the iOS magnifying loupe, noise-cancellation and even product packaging.

The multitouch patent, which covers the layout of screen sensors in the first iPhone, as well as future touch devices, follows a broad patent granted earlier this year covering a wide range of potential uses for multitouch, including aircraft instruments. For some time, Apple and its chief rival Samsung have fought over patents, culminating in a $1 billion victory for Apple, which charged the South Korean company infringed upon technology owned by the iPhone maker...

More research shows Apple leads in US with 51% of smartphone market

Apple's iOS has more than 51 percent of the US smartphone market, leading Google's Android, which claims just over 42 percent of the American market share, according to new figures released Tuesday. The numbers are just the latest prior to Apple's quarterly sales report expected later this week. Handset sales research firm Kantar announced Apple gained 6.3 percent of the domestic smartphone market, fueled largely by demand for the iPhone 5. Meanwhile, Android sales in the US slowed lightly, shedding 0.6 percent from the same 12-week period in 2011...