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.

Siri gets new male and female voices in iOS 7 beta 2

Cody Lee ∙ June 24, 2013

Earlier today, Apple released the second beta of its next-generation mobile operating system, iOS 7, to developers. The update comes exactly two weeks after the original beta of iOS 7 was released, and brings with it a number of new features and improvements.

One of the more prominent changes we've seen has to do with Siri, Apple's snarky digital assistant. Not only has it gotten smarter, but in beta 2 the virtual secretary received new voice templates. You can now choose from a male or female voice in several languages...

Gartner: tablet shipments to jump 68% in 2013 amid PC slump

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 24, 2013

Research giant Gartner Monday released new figures confirming the growth of tablets and the decline of PCs are set to continue through 2013 and into 2014. However, the numbers point to a changing market for tablets and a potential rescue for ailing PC and laptop demand.

While the overall shipment of PCs, mobile phones and tablets is expected to rise by just 5.9 percent this year, PC shipments of both desktops and notebooks will slide lower by more than ten percent. Worldwide mobile phone shipments should increase a modest 4.3 percent while tablets lead consumer demand for mobility, shipments jumping by 67.9 percent this year, according to the research firm...

Facebook reportedly working on Flipboard-style reader for iOS

Cody Lee ∙ June 24, 2013

According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, Facebook has been quietly working on a new service for the past year that displays content from users and publishers in a format, tailored for mobile devices, similar to Flipboard.

We've seen a number of new products this year from Zuckerberg's team, as the company continues to try and evolve from being 'just a social networking service.' There was the search graph, then Facebook Home, and now there's Reader...

Semi-Restore now available for Mac and PC

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 11, 2018

Over the past month or so, we've been bringing you coverage on Semi-Restore, a new utility that allows you to restore your iOS device back to nearly stock status without losing your jailbreak. It can remove everything from settings to jailbreak tweaks, and even App Store apps.

The last time we mentioned the software, it was still in beta, and the developers said that it was only about 85% complete. Well we have some good news for you today: it was finished this weekend, and is now available. You can now download Semi-Restore for the Mac or PC...

FAA rules set to change, may allow iPad and other tablet use pre-flight

Cody Lee ∙ June 22, 2013

Good news air travelers, you may soon have to quit pretending to turn your iPads and other electronics devices off before takeoff. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the FAA is expected to relax the ban on using some types of personal electronic devices at low altitudes.

Devices like iPads, e-readers and other tablets may see the rules relaxed to the point where they are usable throughout your entire flight—from takeoff to landing. However, cell phones, and more specifically cell phone calls, are expected to remain off limits due to the scope of the changes...

Food Network brings its top TV shows to iOS

Cody Lee ∙ June 21, 2013

Great news this afternoon for all of you Chopped and Iron Chef fans, you can now watch your favorite TV shows on your iPhone or iPad. Food Networks released a new iOS app today called Watch Food Network and that allows you to watch some of its top programming on the go.

The app support the streaming of some of the Food Networks' most popular shows—including Diners Drive-Ins and Dives and Restaurant Impossible—as well as AirPlay, so you can stream content to your Apple TV, and iCloud sync, so you can always pick up where you left off...

Safari Upload Enabler finally updated with support for iOS 6

Cody Lee ∙ June 20, 2013

Folks who have been around the jailbreak community for a while will likely remember a popular tweak called Safari Upload Enabler. Before Apple added the ability in Safari to upload photos and videos in iOS 6, it was one of the only ways you could natively upload files from within the mobile browser.

Well we have some good news today for all of you jailbreakers, Safari Upload Enabler has finally been updated with support for iOS 6. Developed by H. Samara and N. Bassen, the new version of the tweak is out in Cydia now with a number of improvements, including a new Dropbox API and more...

AT&T installing solar-powered charging stations around New York

Cody Lee ∙ June 19, 2013

This is quite interesting. It appears that AT&T has begun installing charging stations in parks throughout New York to help keep smartphones and other mobile devices up and running. The stations are solar-powered and capable of charging a wide range of gadgets.

The carrier says that the new Street Charge project was born out of its work during the recovery from Superstorm Sandy. After the hurricane ripped through most of the eastern US, AT&T setup charging stations in the blacked out areas. And now it's expanding on the idea...

In a blow to Microsoft, Apple wins $30M LA school iPad contract

Ed Sutherland ∙ June 19, 2013

Apple again is flexing its muscle in classrooms. Every student in the Los Angeles Unified School District will receive an iPad, a contract worth $30 million. Apple has received the nod from the nation's second-largest school district as students and teachers overruled Microsoft, which argued its tablets better prepared school kids for the workplace.

In a unanimous vote, the LA school district board approved the contract to pay $678 per Apple tablet, one member telling The Los Angeles Times newspaper that the deal is "as big as they come." The contract is just the latest sign schools with tight budgets are opting for less-expensive tablets over traditional PCs for the classroom...

Video claims to show off iOS 7 running on iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 18, 2013

A video is making rounds on the web claiming to depict iOS 7 running on an iPad. iDB was recently tipped of its existence and although we couldn't verify its authenticity, we've decided to post it for the sake of discussion. The clip runs one minute and 32 seconds long and looks genuine, showcasing what running the iOS 7 user interface and stock apps on a bigger canvas looks like (at least in the early stage of development).

We're unsure whether YouTube user Rozetked who posted video evidence has managed to hack iOS 7 to run on the device or if he got hold of an actual iPad build of the software. We'll let you be the judge, the clip is right after the break...

New Apple patents granted, covering multitouch, iPhone 5 and Lightning

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated February 9, 2016

Among the nearly 40 Apple patents granted today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) are ones covering multi-touch technology, as well as designs for the iPhone 5 and the Lightning connector. The widest-ranging group of patents involves the multi-touch technology for the iPhone 5 and latest iPads and iPods.

Meanwhile, Apple's Senior Vice President of Design, Jonathan Ive, is given lead credit for designing the iPhone 5...

Mailbox app updated with support for portrait orientation on iPad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated February 13, 2018

Folks who have taken a shine to the popular Gmail client Mailbox will be happy to hear that the app was updated today. The new version, which is marked as 1.3.1, brings about the usual bug fixes and one significant new feature: support for portrait mode on the iPad.

The Mailbox team tweeted out word of the update this afternoon, which will finally allow Mailbox users to view and compose email in portrait mode on the iPad. In previous versions, these two functions (as well as others) were limited to landscape mode on the tablet...