iPad

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iOS 7 includes fix for malicious charger exploit

Back in June, a group of researches discovered a flaw in iOS that would theoretically allow an iOS device to be hacked  using a malicious USB charger. Their proof-of-concept allowed them to invisibly install malware on non-jailbroken iPhones and iPads.

The results of the experiment were called 'alarming,' and brought to the attention of Apple in hopes for a quick fix. The Cupertino company must have gotten the message, because according to a new report, the exploit has been patched in the latest iOS 7 beta...

Apple ordering Retina displays for new iPad mini, contemplating colored backs: WSJ

And the back and forth continues. Hot on the heels of a report this afternoon that iOS 7 contains references to an A6 iPad mini with a non-Retina display, comes a story from The Wall Street Journal that Apple has begun ordering hi-res screens from Samsung for the tablet.

Today's clash is just the latest in a long line of conflicting reports regarding Apple's next-gen 8-inch slate, which is set to debut this fall. Previous speculation has suggested that a Retina iPad mini would be nearly technically impossible, but tonight's story says the contrary...

Apple testing non-Retina iPad mini with A6 chip, iOS 7 SDK references suggest

Despite Google's recently refreshed Nexus 7 now boasting a Retina-class 1,920-by-1,200 pixel resolution screen (check out Jeff's awesome Nexus 7 vs. iPad mini video showdown), Apple's seven-inch iPad mini by contrast remains stuck with the rather pedestrian 1,024-by-768 pixel screen.

And now, seemingly corroborating a flurry of rumors pointing to a Retina iPad mini upgrade in 2014, references a developer discovered in the iOS 7 SDK suggest Apple has been testing a new iPad mini with a faster A6 chip, but without a Retina display...

Samsung’s Galaxy S3 ‘marginally higher’ than Apple’s iPhone 5 in ACSI customer satisfaction

Imagine if you received a recommendation proclaiming you were marginally better than your competitors. Well, that's the case with Samsung, which has two smartphones that scored "marginally higher" than the iPhone 4S and the iPhone 5 in a new customer sat survey, to use Tim Cook's jargon talk.

Samsung's 14-month-old Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note II each scored 84 out of 100 - a full two points better than the nearly year-old iPhone 5 and the almost two-year-old iPhone 4S. Before you get too carried away with chants of 'yeah two points!'

Let's get to the details...

Report claiming that Nexus 7 outsold iPad mini in Japan found misleading

In January of this year, market research firm BCN posted a report claiming that the Nexus 7 outsold the iPad mini in Japan during the holidays. Google's tablet accounted for 44.4% of all tablets sold in the study's 2,400 stores during the period, besting Apple (40.1% ) for the first time.

Fast forward to last week, when Google unveiled the new Nexus 7. Google's SVP, and leader of the Android team, Sundar Pichai, took the stage and began rattling off statistics about the platform. And of course he referred to the BCN report, which we have since learned is very misleading...

Amazon updates Kindle app with free sample search, custom dictionaries and more

Folks with an iPhone or iPad invested in Amazon's ebook service will be happy to hear that it has posted a solid update for its iOS Kindle client today. The update brings the app to version 3.9, and offers a handful of new features and improvements.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is the new Free Sample Search feature, which allows you to search through Amazon's extensive Kindle library to download free samples. And the Bring Your Own Dictionary option pretty much speaks for itself...

AT&T and others supporting Apple in looming U.S. ban of older iPhones and iPads

As an August 4 ban on U.S. sales of some of Apple's most-popular products looms, the iPhone maker is picking up business support. AT&T, Verizon, Intel and other companies are asking that U.S. President Barack Obama overturn an ITC-ordered ban on the sale of some Apple products judged to infringed upon standards-essential patents owned and asserted against Apple by rival Samsung.

At issue is whether Samsung is unfairly using essential patents as a weapon to gain an upper-hand in U.S. smartphone sales. The iPhone 4, for instance, is one of Apple's best-selling handsets...

HopStop adds real-time incident reporting and more in first update since Apple acquisition

Earlier this month, Apple confirmed that it had acquired yet another mapping software company. Its name is HopStop, and it's behind the highly popular smartphone app of the same name that provides subway schedules, maps, and a slew of other useful transit data.

And this weekend, the app gets even better with its first update since word got out about Apple's acquisition. The update brings the app to version 2.6, and includes a handful of new features and improvements such as real time delay and incident reporting, and more...

Steve Ballmer admits Surface defeat

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Thursday played Captain Obvious, telling Microsoft workers the company may have overestimated demand for its Surface tablets. Really? The revelation comes only after the software giant announced a nearly $1 billion writedown after slashing Surface prices.

Not willing to take such things as a sign to go off and do something else, Ballmer and operations chief Kevin Turner reportedly told a closed-door town hall meeting a new Surface is now being tested...

Belkin’s Thunderstorm handheld home theater now available for iPad 4

Accessory maker Belkin back at January's CES 2013 unveiled a handheld home theater system for Apple's iPad, the Thunderstorm. The amplification system docks your iPad with integrated front-facing speakers and air channels for the powerful bass sounds. The speaker case was initially limited to older 30-pin iPad 2 and third-generation iPad devices. Today, Belkin announced Thunderstorm availability for iPads outfitted with Lightning I/O, namely the iPad 4...

For this analyst, Apple needs both low-cost iPhone and iPhablet to stay ahead of curve

Although Apple managed to surprise investors with better-than-expected iPhone sales, some observers see a more daunting future for the flagship Apple smartphone.

Apple's global smartphone marketshare may have fallen by some estimates to as low as fourteen percent amid increasing pressure from rivals seeking higher margins and more sales.

Strategy Analytics describes the iPhone being "trapped in a pincer movement" between Android cheapos and high-end monster phones with five-inch screens. In other words, as iPhone competitors that churn out inexpensive handsets increasingly march toward the mid-range in hopes of gaining more profit, Apple's high-end rivals are now moving toward the middle, seeking increased sales...

L.A. school district to hand out 31,000 iPads to students this year

Last month, word got out that Apple had won a bid for a colossal tablet deal with the Los Angeles Unified School District. The district, which is the second-largest in the country, agreed to buy some $30 million worth of iPads.

Today comes more details about the massive tablet rollout. According to a new report from CITEWorld, the LAUSD plans to distribute over 30,000 free iPads to students this school year in an effort to improve education...