iPod Touch

US Department of Defense said to be ordering 650,000 iOS devices

The United States Department of Defense has a pending purchase order for more than half a million iOS devices, according to a new report. 'Well-placed sources' say the government plans to purchase in upwards of 650,000 iPhones, iPads and iPod touches as part of an ongoing effort to update and mobilize its technologies...

Walmart expands iPhone scan-and-checkout option to 200+ more stores

It is an idea that was just waiting to be implemented: using your iPhone to scan product barcodes at retailers. Apparently, the world's largest chain of retail stores agrees. Walmart announced Wednesday it will offer the feature across more than 200 stores in twelve additional U.S. markets, stretching from Seattle to Oklahoma.

Although the move triples the size of the retail chain's Scan & Go program, Walmart said it still wants to get customer feedback before rolling out iPhone-based price checks in all stores...

iOS 6.1.3 is out with fixes for Lock screen vulnerability, Japan Maps improvements

Apple has just issued iOS 6.1.3 (build 10B329), an incremental update to its mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPads and iPods. This particular update brings fixes to the widely reported Lock screen vulnerability, first discovered a month ago, which lets people with access to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to easily bypass your passcode and get to your personal information on the device.

Today's firmware also contains Maps improvements for Japan. If you're jailbroken, you'll want to stay away from this update until we collect more information...

BatteryDoctorPro: power management, NC settings toggles, app switcher and more

Every once in a while, a good jailbreak app or tweak sneaks past our radar. We feel we do a pretty good job of covering most new notable Cydia packages, but every now and then, one slips through the cracks. And that's exactly what's happened with BatteryDoctorPro.

For those who aren't familiar with it, BatteryDoctorPro is a jailbreak app that monitors your iPhone or iPod touch usage to essentially lengthen your battery life. But it also has Notification Center settings toggles, a multitasking bar and several other handy features...

XBMC updated with iPhone 5 support and other improvements

Popular open-source media player XBMC has been updated today, bringing the app to version 12.1. The update improves the experience across all of Apple's platforms, including the Mac, iOS and Apple TV.

For most users, the iOS update will be the most welcomed change, as it brings about support for the iPhone 5's larger 4-inch display. And Apple TV2 users will be similarly pleased with further support for iOS 6...

Evernote gives its Food app OpenTable reservations, Foursquare ratings, recipe sharing

Evernote's Food app debuted in December 2011 as a must-have for both the epicures and everyday folk alike.

Though the initial download was painfully short on features, today's 2.1 update addresses some of the initial omissions by adding three new capabilities which make Evernote Food a whole lot more useful, starting with a reservation system built on OpenTable.

That's right: like Siri, Evernote Food now lets you book a table at an OpenTable-friendly restaurant right within the app. Coupling that feature are user ratings supplied by Foursquare. And, you can now share clipped recipes on Twitter, Facebook or via email. Go past the fold for more details, screenies and a video demonstration...

Potentially disruptive live-streaming app from ABC in the works

After CBS last week unveiled its free iOS app that gives you access to the network’s popular shows 24 hours or more after they air, we learn now that ABC is working on its own app for tablets and smartphones, one potentially making ABC the first of the American broadcasters to provide a live Internet stream of national and local programming, potentially very disruptive given the incumbent's existing business models. Of course, you won't get to stream premium ABC programming free of charge as a paid cable or satellite subscription will be required to use the app.

Nevertheless, the ability to watch such ABC shows as 'Good Morning America' and 'Nashville' on your iPhone or iPad as they broadcast could finally blur the artificial line between mobile devices and the traditional venues through which content providers distribute their linear programming...

Facebook for iOS updated with cover photo, group messaging improvements

Facebook has released another update for its iOS app this afternoon, bringing it to version 5.6. This is the app's third update in as many months, as the social network continues to improve its mobile experience.

Today's update brings about a handful of improvements, including an easier process for updating your cover photo from inside the app and multiple changes to group messaging. Full change log after the fold...

New iOS 7 concepts: actionable Notification Center, better Safari

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

What better way to sign off as my weekend starts than a fresh batch of iOS concepts which imagine the capabilities Apple should have long implemented? Above is Shaik Imaduddin's mockup of a more interactive iOS Notification Center with actionable alerts where you could, say, delete email messages, mark them as read and send new ones, all without ever leaving your iPhone's Notification Center.

Very doable and frankly, even Android isn't currently doing that. He's also envisioning making phone calls, responding to text messages (existing tweaks address this) and setting alerts in Reminders to call back a person. The latter makes me wonder how on Earth Apple missed combining Reminders with the Phone app. I've also included a nice iOS 7 Safari mockup right past the fold...

Duke Nukem II coming to iOS in April

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ZJc2W8SBE5U

Duke Nukem II side-scroller, which celebrates its 20th anniversary, is coming to Apple's iPhone and iPad in April, Interceptor Entertainment and 3D Realms announced. The universal binary will be priced at $1.99 and include all of the 32 level from the original levels, enhanced with multitouch controls, a new soundtrack, refreshed graphics, online leaderboards and more. Above is the launch trailer above for a look at Duke Nukem 2 iOS in action and I've included a few more details right after the break...

How to bring your Google Reader feeds over to Flipboard

Some of us are adamant that a bright future lies ahead of RSS. Though the majority of my news discovery happens on Twitter and Facebook these days, I still rely on RSS feeds every now and then. In fact, you could say I am a regular Google Reader user.

But with the impending shutdown of the service, loyal fans like myself have no other choice but find a new home for their feeds.

Cody has put together a useful list of the ten most popular Reader alternatives and there's also that upcoming Digg Reader app. People who happen to manage their news sources in the excellent Flipboard app can bring their Google Reader feeds quite easily, here's how...

CBS releases free iOS streaming app

Eager to watch episodes of CSI or Survivor on your iPhone, iPod or iPad? Now you can, as CBC this morning released a major new streaming software which gives Apple's iOS devices free access to the network's popular shows like The Late Show with David Letterman, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Survivor, Catch NCIS, How I Met Your Mother, The Young and the Restless and Elementary. Some of the shows will stream via the app 24 hours after they air, but most of the shows are being offered eight days following their initial broadcast...