Gregs Tech Blog

iPad 3 Announcement in the 1st Week of March?

2012-02-09T19:21:00.001-05:00

According to All Things D, Apple will be announcing the iPad 3 within the first week of March. This rumor comes curtesy of a reliable source at All Things D, who has a decent track record of being correct about Apple announcements. This means sometime between March 1st and 9th, Apple will reveal the next iPad. It will most likely be released at the end of March or early in April.

The NY Times has also reported that the iPad 3 is going to get a huge speed upgrade, and a new HD display. Their source described the screen as "truly amazing". On the outside, it won't look much different than the iPad 2. Which isn't too surprising, as the iPad hasn't changed in design too much since the first generation.
via arstechnica and MacTrast

A Reminder: Apple isn't the only Company Overseas

2012-02-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Apple products are primarily manufactured by Foxconn. If you're been reading the news lately, you might have read about poor working conditions in Chinese factories, or how our economy would improve greatly if some of that manufacturing was brought back to the US.

Foxconn alone can include Acer, Samsung, Dell, Microsoft, Nintendo, Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, HP, Nokia, Motorola, Asus, Sony, and many more as customers. You probably haven't read too much about that lately though. Odd, isn't it?

Read the rest of this post »

Before & After the iPhone

2012-02-08T20:33:00.004-05:00

Sometimes, a picture is all you need. To the left, phones and smartphones before the iPhone. To the right, phones after the iPhone. It's not too hard to figure out where they got their inspiration from.
via CultOfMac

Will Siri Change the Search Business?

2012-02-07T21:52:00.003-05:00

In 2010, Steve Jobs was venting about the way that Google had copied iOS for Android. He said that Google's "Don't be evil" mantra was "bullshit". He also pointed out that Google had gotten into the phone business, Apple didn't get into the search business, that they had broken the trust between the two companies, not the other way around.

Fast forward to late 2011, and Apple has, in a way, gotten into the search business. No, you can't search the web from Apple.com, but you can search the web with nothing more than your voice using Siri, and that's going to change a lot.

Read the rest of this post »

Soul Calbur 5: A Quick Glance

2012-02-03T07:50:00.002-05:00

I wasn't too excited about this release of Soul Calibur. I had counted down to the day that the original Soul Calibur would be released for iOS. But the new Soul Calibur 5? Not so much.

Mostly because they've gotten rid of a number of characters, including the character/style I've been using for years: Cassandra. For a game series that requires memorization, practice, and strategy, this was a very dumb move. It's expected that each new game in the series would change the move sets slightly, but not this much. All other characters that were replaced have a viable alternative with a very similar move set... all but Cassandra. Her fighting style is completely gone. There's no one left that even resembles her. Sophitia fans will notice she's missing, but her children (especially her daughter) carry on her style. The story also seems to revolve around these two characters.
Cassandra was a popular character, and the developers decided to screw over long time fans of the series by eliminating her style completely. I'd probably give this game a much better review if not for this one fact.
Read the rest of this post »

Say Cheese to the iPad Nano

2012-02-01T19:58:00.001-05:00

The rumor of the iPod Nano getting a camera has been around for a while now, spurred by spy shots of a prototype last year. Now, new shots of an iPod Nano with a built in camera are surfacing. Could Apple release the smallest iPod with a camera yet?

via CultOfMac

iPad 3 Specs Spied

2012-02-01T19:54:00.001-05:00

Someone who had access to the iPad 3 posted some device info obtained through iBoot. The specs show a new iPad model, as well as a new serial number for the processor. This points out the obvious, but the iPad 3 will have a new processor, which will most likely be called the A6. It will make the iPad 3 the fastest iOS device to date, as it's going to be powered by Apple's new quad core chip.

Are you looking forward to the iPad 3 as much as I am?
via CultOfMac

iPhone 5 Ready for a Summer Launch?

2012-01-31T19:27:00.000-05:00

According to a "reliable source" within Foxconn, the next version of the iPhone is ready for production. That means it could be ready for a release this summer.
The iPhone 4S was released in Fall, but before that, every other generations of the iPhone were released in the summer. However, it's thought that Apple may have been delaying the release of the iPhone 4S. This year, they might just get back on the summer release track.

So if the iPhone is close to being ready for production, what does it look like? That much is uncertain still. The source claims that there are a few prototypes being passed around, and each one looks fundamentally different. They claim that each one has a 4 inch screen, and that they don't look like the iPhone 4/S.

The Apple rumors are just heating up. It's like the beginning of the holiday season in stores. Exciting, and of course, just a little too early.
via MacTrast

iPad 3 Could be Released in March

2012-01-30T21:40:00.001-05:00

Bloomberg reports that a reliable source has told them that the iPad 3 will be released in March. The iPad will also have the rumored HD (retina?) display. They also report that both the iPad 3 and the iPhone 5 will be equipped with 4G LTE. It's also expected that they'll have quad core processors.

They point out that the iPad 3 could have LTE before the iPhone because the iPad has a much bigger battery. It could stand the strain of the 4G chipset. One of the biggest drawbacks of 4G LTE right now is that it drains the batteries of the phones it's on. Right now, it's almost better to go without 4G on a phone due to the limited availability of 4G. Still, that's going to change in the future, and with the massive battery life on the iPad, it's a good start for Apple.

If the iPad is to be released in March, expect Apple to reveal it later this month. Also, expect many Apple rumors in the near future.
via iPhone Life

HP and Samsung Have a Lot in Common

2012-01-30T20:57:00.002-05:00

Quick, guess what HP and Samsung have in common? If you guessed "they copied from Apple", you're absolutely right. Although, to be fair, what tech company hasn't? The photo up top isn't of a MacBook and a cheaper MacBook with a weird trackpad. On the right, the original aluminum beauty: the MacBook. On the left is the HP Envy. Rightly named, because it's quite obvious who HP is envious of.

Read the rest of this post »

iPhone #1 Smartphone on Verizon and AT&T

2012-01-26T21:06:00.000-05:00

Verizon customers sure are happy to finally have a new iPhone. Verizon sold 4.3 million iPhones during the fourth quarter of 2011. Overall, they sold 7.7 million smartphones. That's nearly 56%.
But the sales figures for AT&T iPhones were even better. A whopping 81% of all smartphones sold on AT&T were iPhones. Out of 9.4 million smartphones sold, 7.6 million were iPhones.

If the iPhone retains this popularity, expect the iPhone to be the dominant smartphone in no time.
via tuaw and the next web

Zynga Called out for Stealing Game Design

2012-01-25T21:40:00.002-05:00

Nimblebit created Tiny Tower, which Apple named as the game of the year in 2011. Now, Zynga is working on Dream Heights, which looks suspiciously like tiny tower.

Actually, except for the charming 8-bit graphics of Tiny Tower, it looks just like it.

Instead of a lawsuit, they made the image below. I thought it was worth a share.

Read the rest of this post »

Anonymous Strikes Back

2012-01-19T21:52:00.000-05:00

I feel like I'm watching the Star Wars trilogy (the good one). First, many sites, including Wikipedia, Google, Reddit, and Greg's Tech Blog, did a "blackout" in protest of the oppressive SOPA and PIPA bills. A small but great victory for the rebels... erm.. US citizens. Earlier today, the government (empire) stuck back by taking down Megaupload (and Megavideo). But just a few minutes later, Anonymous responded by taking down a few key websites. So far, the RIAA, MPAA, FBI, Department of Justice, EMI, Universal, US Copyright office, and even French copyright authority HADOPI. Sacrebleu! Who will they go after next? (My recommendation is the websites of SOPA/PIPA backers).

Read the rest of this post »

Apple Shows New Focus on Education

2012-01-19T20:30:00.001-05:00

Today, Apple revealed a number of products targeted towards education. They did this with a new version of iBooks, iBooks Author, an update to iTunes, and a new iTunes U iOS app. Together, they'll help students get their hands on highly interactive digital books, create new textbooks, watch lectures, and sync it all between their devices.

Read the rest of this post »

GTB will "blackout" tomorrow as well

2012-01-17T19:56:00.000-05:00

Sure, this isn't the biggest site in the world, but I'll be joining in tomorrow's protest of SOPA and PIPA. The site will be "blacked out" quite literally. Black background with black text. The blackout will begin tonight, and go into tomorrow.

I encourage everyone to boycott these two oppressive bills tomorrow, in any way that you can. If you can't find a public way of protesting, perhaps giving all the greedy SOPA supporters an annoying robo call tomorrow. Let our senators know that campaign contributions from greedy corporations won't allow them to get elected after destroying fundamental American rights.

Wikipedia Will Go Offline in Protest of SOPA

2012-01-17T19:40:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow, Wikipedia will go completely offline in protest of SOPA and PIPA, as will Reddit. These two similar acts try to prevent piracy, by making it a serious offense on the level of assault or breaking and entering, as well as censor the internet. Instead of the online encyclopedia you know and love, tomorrow you'll see a page that looks like the image above
.
Google will be joining in the protest as well, although unfortunately, without the same level of dedication. Google will post a banner advertising the affects of SOPA and PIPA. Seeing as there hasn't been a huge outcry over these bills, perhaps a little education into the matter would be very beneficial for Americans, as well as detrimental to the senators' agendas (and wallets).
via Gizmodo

Soul Calibur Coming to iOS

2012-01-17T19:26:00.002-05:00

Soul Calibur has been my favorite fighting game series for some time. But, I'm sure my love for the series isn't the only reason Namco has finally decided to bring the game to iOS. This Thursday, January 19th, the first Soul Calibur will be released for iOS.

Namco has apparently put a lot of work into making sure the controls are translated to the touch screen well, as fighting games in the past have had difficulty with this. Also, expect to see all the fighters and game modes from the original.

As long as Namco doesn't charge an arm and a leg, I'll be getting this game the day it's released. You know, because I'll at least need two arms to play.
via appadvice

iOS Marketshare Increases at the cost of Android

2012-01-12T21:27:00.001-05:00

Between Quarter 3 2011, and November, Apple saw a 17% increase in marketshare, up to 43%. Android marketshare has decreased by 13% in the same time period, which leaves Google's OS at 47%. Mind you, this is only cell phones, it's not including all iOS devices. All other mobile operating systems showed a decrease in marketshare during the time period.

These results don't even cover the increase in iOS marketshare over the holidays. On Christmas day, iOS saw 4.2 million activations, 1.6 million more than Android activations. Although, it's uncertain just how many of those iOS devices were iPhones.

Still, as you can see from the graph above, the trend is clear. iOS is becoming more popular every day.

via AppleInsider

Apple Event Announced for Next Thursday

2012-01-12T20:53:00.001-05:00

Apple has sent out invitations for an education themed event for next Thursday. It's unlikely that this event would mark the reveal of the iPad 3, as it seems Apple is focusing primarily on education.

The event will be held at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. Apple could announce a deal involving textbooks on the iBook Store, or perhaps a deal on iPads for schools and students.

via Gizmodo

Quad-Core, HD iPad 3 Coming Soon

2012-01-06T16:14:00.003-05:00

It's the time of the year for iPad rumors, and they're coming in as expected. Developers poking around in the latest iOS 5.1 beta found references to quad core processors for the iPad and iPhone. The reference was to a sting with the text "/cores/core.3" referring to the processor. In the past, "/cores/core.1" meant dual core, and "/cores/core.0" was for single core processors.

It's believed that the iPad 3 will be released in March, with improved cameras, and an HD screen. The form factor isn't expected to change much, although it could become 1mm thicker.
via BGR and 9to5 Mac

Soon Apple will have Stores within Target

2012-01-06T15:56:00.002-05:00

Hundreds of Best Buy stores across the US have a dedicated Apple Store-like area. Here, Macs, iPads, iPhones, and accessories for Apple products are sold. Sure, it doesn't have the same magic or customer service as an Apple store, but for those without a nearby Apple Store, it's the next best thing.

Apple will be entering a similar deal with Target. 25 of the larger Target stores in the US will be getting a dedicated Apple Store within a store. Apple may just focus on iOS devices now, but in the future, Macs could be sold in Target stores.

Originally, Apple created Apple Retail stores because normal retail stores weren't nice enough, and didn't have dedicated and knowledgable staff. But, with Apple's "store within a store" option, they may have finally found a solution that's almost as good as a dedicated Apple Retail Store. Expect to see these popping up this year.
via AppleInsider

Now Samsung has Ripped off the iPhone 3G

2012-01-05T15:45:00.002-05:00

Samsung must have gotten bored with new Apple products, and they've decided instead to move their focus to the much older iPhone 3G. Above, you can see the Apple iPhone on the left, and the Samsung Galaxy Ace Plus on the right (someone's been using the random Android phone name generator).

It seems Samsung really hasn't employed a single creative person.
via CultOfMac

Windows Phone 7 Still Suffers from Messaging Bug

2012-01-05T10:42:00.002-05:00

I first reported on a massive security hole in Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 back on December 12th. The bug would cause a phone to crash, and lock the user out of the messaging hub if the user received a message with a specific string of characters. The message could be through nearly any messaging service, including text messages and Facebook messages. The only way to fix the problem was to wipe the device of all data, and reset it to factory settings.

On December 28th, a full 14 days after the bug was discovered, Microsoft claimed they were working on a fix for the problem. It's now January 5th, and 24 days have passed since the bug was revealed to the public (no one knows if Microsoft knew about it sooner). Yet, there is still no public fix from Microsoft. Yet, according to the developer who first found the bug, Microsoft is currently testing a possible fix.
It seems like a serious problem, but apparently it's just not serious enough for Microsoft.
via BGR

Call All the SOPA Supporters

2012-01-05T00:36:00.001-05:00

Want to show your distain for SOPA, but don't want to send out hundreds of emails and phone calls? Simple, use a robocalling service just like the ones companies and politicians use to flood your voicemail inbox! For $25, your recorded message will be phoned into every supporter of SOPA, politicians and companies alike.

To send the calls out, head over to Reverse Robocall. A mass boycott made GoDaddy change their stance on the piracy bills (too little, too late). Perhaps mass phone calls will do the same.
via Gizmodo

.06% of Android Users on the Latest Version

2012-01-05T00:11:00.002-05:00

Android fragmentation is a serious problem for Android users. It's one of the bigger reasons for Android's lack of big app developers. It's also the reason few people run the latest version of Android. Many Android devices are outdated at launch, and even those that aren't don't expect them to be running the latest version of the OS a year after release. Compare that to iOS 5, which still works on the 2+ year old 3GS.

Ice Cream Sandwich, the latest version of Android, is currently on .06% of devices. That's 6 in 10,000 people. Most Android users are actually using a version of Android 2, which is two generations old. In comparison, one month after iOS 5 was released, it was on 40% of iPhones, and even available on the much older iPhone 3GS. Thanks to Android fragmentation, you're guaranteed to be behind the technology curve, either as soon as you buy the device, or soon after.
via Gizmodo and cnet

Samsung Even uses Child Actress from Apple Commercials!

2012-01-04T22:22:00.002-05:00

It's becoming increasingly obviously obvious that Samsung wants nothing more than for consumers to mistake their products for Apple products. It's especially obvious with their Galaxy line of products, both the tablets and phones. They use an Apple-like interface placed sloppily over Android. It looks like Apple's iOS, but once you use it, you'll find it's anything but iOS.

Compare the two videos in this post. The one at the top is from a Samsung commercial. The one just above this paragraph is from Apple. Not only are they made to be similar, but Samsung even used the same child actress in their commercial. Exploiting a child? Have they no shame?

It goes well with Samsung's sales strategy: confuse consumers. If they get customers or sales representatives to think the Samsung line of products is "like the iPhone" then they've succeeded. Fortunately, there are laws in place to prevent misleading advertising. Unfortunately, Samsung has been at least somewhat careful to create campaigns that dodge many of these laws. Of course, they've also had plenty of mishaps, and they haven't gone unnoticed. Products from Samsung's line of mobile devices have been banned all over the world, and for good reason.
via CultOfMac

Ditch GoDaddy Tomorrow!

2011-12-28T15:36:00.000-05:00

December 29th is the day to ditch GoDaddy. Why would you leave GoDaddy behind? There are a number of reasons. The biggest of which has been their support of SOPA, but others have sited poor service, high prices, sexist advertising, or annoying phone calls/emails.

GoDaddy has since removed their official support of SOPA. However, they neither support nor stand against SOPA. Seeing as the bill is already going through, if they don't stand against SOPA, they may as well support it.

If you need help leaving GoDaddy, you can check out Lifehacker's guide here. There are plenty f better, less expensive alternatives out there. Most have not supported SOPA in any way. In fact, if you move your domain or hosting to one of these services with an Anti-Sopa coupon code, you'll get a huge discount.

iOS Beats out Android this Christmas

2011-12-28T15:07:00.000-05:00

On Christmas day, Apple saw 4.2 million new device activations. That's a whopping number of new customers on just one day. Android saw 2.6 million device activations on Christmas. That means this Christmas, iOS saw 1.6 million more new users than Android.

Of course, this only accounts for Christmas day activations. I know many people were probably too busy with their families on Christmas to activate their new devices. Still, it's a good estimation of holiday sales of iOS and Android devices.

via AppleInsider

Merry Christmas, Readers!

2011-12-25T11:32:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you got everything on your list: presents, family, and food! And, a happy 5th day of Hanukkah! And to get it out of the way a day early, have a festive first day of Kwanzaa tomorrow!

iOS Tips: How to Copy/Paste ANYTHING in iBooks

2011-12-24T15:12:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay

One complain many users have about their ereaders is that they prevent users from copy/pasting anything. It's thanks to anti-piracy measures, but really, it's not possible to select multiple pages of text, so who's really worried about sharing an excerpt from a book?

iBooks actually has a workaround, and fortunately it's incredibly simple.
First, just highlight the text that you'd like to copy. You'll notice that "Copy" isn't one of your options. But, "Search" is...
Select "Search". When the search dialog comes up, the text you've selected will be in a standard search box. Just copy it from there, and paste it wherever you'd like.

I doubt anyone will use this to share an entire book, page by page. But for sharing an excerpt from a book? It's incredibly useful. Happy reading (and sharing)!

The iPen: Best iPad Stylus?

2011-12-24T14:42:00.001-05:00

iOS was designed to be used with your fingers. Everything was specifically created to be easy to direct input with nothing but your fingers. Steve Jobs even pointed out that one of the big problems with other touch screen devices was the stylus, and since then, most have moved to capacitive touched based technology. However, the Cregle iPen looks like it could be the best iPad stylus yet, and there are some tasks that are best done with a pen-like input device.

For example, drawing or taking handwritten notes is easier to do with a pen or stylus than with your finger. Current styli aren't really accurate enough. It's hard to tell exactly where the lines will be drawn, you can't rest your palm on the device, and they're not pinpoint-accurate.

But, the iPen looks to change all that.

Read the rest of this post »

Steve Jobs Awarded Posthumous Grammy, Statue in Hungary

2011-12-24T13:46:00.001-05:00

The Recording Academy announced this week that Steve Jobs would be the recipient of a posthumous Grammy. The award will be the Special Merit Grammy Award.

They haven't yet announced the reason behind the award, but it's most likely for the drastic revolution the iPod and iTunes had on the music industry.

Also, a statue of Steve Jobs was revealed at Graphisoft, an architectural software company. Apple had contributed computers and money to help Graphisoft get it's start in the 1980s. Steve Jobs discovered the company at a conference in Germany. Apple helped them when they were a small company in a (then) communist country. For that, they've always appreciated Steve Jobs, and decided to create a tribute at their office.

There's no doubt Steve Jobs had an effect on many people's lives. And, for more than one company, even helped them get off the ground.
via AppleInsider

iOS Tips: How to Calibrate your iOS Home Button

2011-12-24T13:25:00.001-05:00

It might seem like a strange idea. Calibrating a button? But, some iPhone users have noted that their iPhone have started showing their age. Over time, physical buttons begin to wear, become easier to depress, or less sensitive.

But, don't go out and buy a new home button or iPhone just yet, there's a software solution! It's very simple and the 3 step guide is below, and it will work on any iOS device.
Read the rest of this post »

These are the Vile Companies Supporting SOPA

2011-12-23T17:38:00.000-05:00

Gizmodo has released a list of all the companies who support the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). SOPA would enable the government to censor the internet, much in the same way China and Iran do. The list, along with contact information for each company is below.

Also, if you'd like to fight SOPA, you can sign the official White House petition here. You can also email any of the companies below. GoDaddy recently withdrew support of the bill due to outrage from US citizens, although it may already be too late, as many are participating in "Leave GoDaddy Day" on December 29th. Send emails and complaints to the other companies, and maybe they'll withdraw their support as well.

Read the rest of this post »

iPad 3 in Time for Steve Jobs's Birthday (Feb 24th)

2011-12-23T17:24:00.002-05:00

According to Economic Daily News, Apple is rushing production of the iPad 3 to release it on Steve Jobs's birthday, February 24th. This is the first time a specific date has been given for the release of the iPad 3. However, until now, the new iPad was expected to be released early in 2012, so this isn't too farfetched.

Economic Daily News has an off-and-on track record with Apple rumors. They were right about the wireless chip used in the iPhone 4S, but they were wrong about the glass backing (they expected aluminum). You can take this rumor with a grain of salt.

Apple could be targeting February 24th though, because it coincides with the normal iPad release schedule. Also, being able to release the latest version of a product that revolutionized computing would be a good tribute to Steve Jobs.
via AppleInsider

The Siri Horror Movie

2011-12-21T20:06:00.001-05:00

This holiday season, don't worry about what presents you're tearing into, beware of the presents tearing into you.
via CultOfMac

Apple Granted Patent that will Hurt Android

2011-12-21T19:47:00.000-05:00

Things aren't looking so good for Android. Many of the features of the OS were originally suspected to have been copied from iOS. Android was very different before the release of the first iPhone. Also, Google's Eric Schmidt was a board member at Apple, and had an early look at the iPhone. It has been reported that he then went back to Google to get them working on a touch based version of Android, with plenty of features inspired by the iPhone.
Now that Apple's patents are finally getting approval, they're building up an arsenal to use in legal battles against Android manufacturers, and even Google itself.

Read the rest of this post »

Apple Replacing 1st Gen. iPod Nano with Latest Version

2011-12-21T19:22:00.001-05:00

Apple recalled the first generation iPod Nano over concerns involving the battery overheating. At first, they were simply replacing customers' iPod Nanos with brand new first generation iPod Nanos. Although Apple hasn't been pro ducting the first generation iPod Nano for some time. Eventually, they ran out of stock. So, to make up for it, Apple has begun replacing the incoming
first generation iPod Nanos with the latest version, which is arguably the best iPod Nano yet.

Not a bad deal for any iPod Nano owners, turn in your old tech, get the latest version of it. If you're the owner of an iPod Nano, you can check to see if your Nano is part of the recall here. Apple recommends that anyone with a recalled iPod Nano should stop using it, and turn it in for a brand new one.
via Gizmodo

Conan Roasts the Kindle Fire (Literally)

2011-12-21T18:38:00.003-05:00

Kindle Fire users have reported a number of usability issues, security issues, speed issues, and heat from their new devices. On Conan O'Brien's show, they had a few jokes to fire at the the Kindle Fire. My favorite new feature is the one click upgrade at the end.
via CultOfAndroid

App Store Downloads Exceed Android Marketplace Downloads

2011-12-21T17:52:00.001-05:00

It's a well known fact that the number of apps on the iOS App Store far exceed the number of apps on the Android Marketplace. But are users downloading those apps, or are they mostly not worth downloading?

As it turns out, iOS users really love the App Store. The App Store sees more downloads for the iPad alone than all Android devices on the entire Android Marketplace. The iPhone accounts for 4 times more downloads from the App Store and all the Android devices download from the Marketplace. With all those active users, it's no wonder most developers prefer iOS.

The iOS App Store is larger, growing faster, and iOS users download far more apps than Android users. On top of that, the App Store doesn't have malware or security issues, as the Android Marketplace does. All things considered, the App Store is better than the Android Marketplace in almost every way, both for users and developers.
via MacObserver

Man Gets Year in Prison for Uploading a Movie

2011-12-20T13:27:00.000-05:00

Piracy laws in the United States are completely absurd. It's the perfect example of everything that's wrong with this government. Those who can afford lobbyists and huge, anonymous campaign contributions get whatever legislation they want.

Gilberto Sanchez uploaded X-Men Origins: Wolverine online. However, he did draw attention to himself by uploading the video an entire month before the theater release of the actual movie. He bought the leaked copy from a street vendor in the Bronx, and then uploaded it for everyone to see.

It probably wasn't a bright idea to upload an unreleased movie, but it seems the real criminal here is the one who leaked the pre-production copy of the movie. That, or the street vendor who made a profit off of it. But certainly not the one who made it available for free. Sending a man to prison for an entire year over a single movie? That's absurd. Anti-piracy laws are only going to get worse in this country, proving that it takes money to influence law.
via Gizmodo

Apple Buying Flash Maker Anobit

2011-12-20T13:05:00.002-05:00

Photo via iFixit

Apple has reportedly purchased Israeli flash chip manufacturer Anobit for $500 million. The flash chip manufacturer already supplies flash memory chips for a number of Apple products. Not only are they able to produce cheap flash memory, but it's also on the cutting edge. The chips use the latest technology, to decrease costs and improve reliability. Now that the company is owned by Apple, Apple will see a competitive edge, being able to offer products with more storage space, and better reliability than their competitors.
via CultOfMac

Bejeweled Free on App Store

2011-12-20T12:30:00.002-05:00

Bejeweled is an internet classic. And, while it used to be free as a flash game, it's now 99¢. But, Apple is offering the game for free again. All you need to do is go to their Facebook page here (like the Apple Store for future freebies and the code). You can download the game straight from your iOS device or on your computer.

Bejeweled is a classic for a good reason: it's addictive. If you haven't bought it yet, here's your opportunity to get it for free.
via CultOfMac

Apple Sues Samsung for Copying Smart Cover Design

2011-12-20T12:03:00.003-05:00

Apple's filed for another lawsuit against Samsung. This time, it's for copying the design of the smart cover. When looking at the two products, it's obvious that Samsung blatantly copied Apple's design. Above, you can see that the "Smart Case" from Samsung copies the functionality of the Smart Cover. It even copied the name! Below, the Samsung covers on the left, and the Apple Smart Cover on the right. If you didn't know, the Smart Cover from Apple came long before the "Smart Case" from Samsung.

Read the rest of this post »

AT&T-Mobile? Not Going to Happen.

2011-12-19T19:22:00.001-05:00

AT&T has dropped out of the T-Mobile deal, citing pressure from federal regulation committees. Although there won't be a merger, they did come to an agreement involving roaming, although the details of that agreement haven't been made pubic. Could that deal have been the cause of iPhone owners on T-Mobile finally getting 3G? It's unknown.
One thing is certain. Thanks to a deal AT&T had with T-Mobile, by backing out of the merger, they owe T-Mobile 4 billion dollars. Ouch.
via AppleInsider

ITC Bans HTC Phone Imports due to Patent Infringement

2011-12-19T18:52:00.001-05:00

In March of 2010, Steve Jobs said, "We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We’ve decided to do something about it". Today, the International Trade Commission finally ruled on a patent case against HTC regarding an Apple patent. As of April 19th of 2012, HTC won't be able to import any phones that violate Apple's patent.

Read the rest of this post »

T-Mobile iPhones Getting 3G

2011-12-19T16:06:00.003-05:00

It seems as though some people using unlocked iPhones on T-Mobile's network are reporting that they're finally getting 3G. If you're unaware, the technology T-Mobile uses for 3G is incompatible with the iPhone. However, it looks as though T-Mobile has broadened their spectrum.

Users in Nevada and Northern California are reporting the speed boost. T-Mobile isn't ready to roll out the change nationwide just yet, but they could be in the process of it. If T-Mobile supports this spectrum, there's no reason they shouldn't be able to get the iPhone next year. I'm sure this will make a large number of T-Mobile customers happy, as they have over 1 million iPhone users on their network, despite no official support for it.
via CultOfMac

Facebook iOS App Updated with Timelines

2011-12-18T17:38:00.001-05:00

Love them or hate them, the new Facebook profiles, called timelines, are here. Friend's cover photos show up, and users have access to their friends entire timeline. Some may end up liking the mobile version more, because the news feed isn't split up into columns. If you or your friends haven't started using the new profile yet, the profile will show up in the classic format.

Every new Facebook feature gets plenty of hateful comments, but it seems that so far, the new timeline profiles are popular. Although some critics have pointed out that the timeline makes allows users to easily look back through the lives of other users. Things that used to be buried are now easily available. Now, Facebook should add a new security feature: forbidding friends from looking past a certain year in your life. Of course, this is Facebook, don't expect new Facebook privacy settings anytime soon.

As I said, you may or may not like the new timelines, but they're here to stay. As far as Facebook updates go, at least this one looks good, even if it does compromise privacy by a small amount. Now if you or your friends have enabled the new profile, you can get those timelines on your iOS device.
via Engadget

Samsung Galaxy Nexus has Multitouch Issues

2011-12-18T17:18:00.000-05:00

Android phones were always behind iOS when it came to multitouch (or touch in general). But this issue can't be chalked up to Android, it's an issue with the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. After watching the video and reading up on it, it seems to be a firmware issue, which means a future update could fix the problem. The issue could be more serious, but because the bug disappears for a short time after the screen is turned off then on, it's most likely related to the firmware.

If you were considering a Galaxy Nexus, hold off until this bug is resolved.
via Engadget

Santa and Siri

2011-12-18T14:54:00.002-05:00

Apple's Christmas commercial this year features Santa using his new iPhone 4S. One has to wonder, how did Santa get along without Siri?
via CultOfMac

OnLive iPad App in Limbo

2011-12-17T15:17:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since the OnLive App was submitted to the App Store for approval. If you're unfamiliar with the service, OnLive allows customers to buy games, and have them streamed to your device. This means your local computer doesn't need to be very powerful, it just needs a decent internet connection, and the ability to display full screen video. So far, OnLive is on Macs and PCs, as well as TVs. But, they're looking to get into the tablet market as well, with iPad and Android apps. Unfortunately, the iPad app has been in limbo since being submitted, and OnLive is unsure of when the app will be approved.

Read the rest of this post »

Siri Can Help you Shop at Best Buy

2011-12-16T18:06:00.000-05:00

WolframAlpha just got an update that allows it to search through Best Buy's catalog for prices and items. How does this relate to Siri? WolframAlpha is one of the search engines Siri uses to produce results. If WolframAlpha gets an extension, Siri also gets that that extension immediately.

You're so lucky, iPhone 4S users. Siri is awesome, and it's getting better.
via CultOfMac

New iOS Backgrounds in 5.1 Update

2011-12-16T17:54:00.002-05:00

Apple will be releasing 4 new wallpapers for iPhones, iPods, and iPads with the iPS 5.1 update. As usual, they're beautiful, nature-like settings.

Over to the right, I've included smaller versions of each wallpaper. They look a lot better in their fill resolution glory.

Can't wait for the update to get your hands on these wallpapers? Head over to 9to5Mac to download them for iPad or iPhone. I know I snatched up the grass one.

via CultOfMac

iPad Mini in the Works?

2011-12-16T17:45:00.001-05:00

According to DigiTimes, Apple is working on a new, smaller version of the iPad for the third quarter of next year. DigiTimes claims their evidence comes from Apple suppliers, who are supplying Apple with 7.89 inch screens. If they're right, Apple will still release the iPad 3 early this year, saving the iPad Mini for a fall release next year.

Read the rest of this post »

Google Co-Founder: US Piracy Laws on Par with China

2011-12-15T21:35:00.001-05:00

Google's co-founder Sergey Brin recently stood up against the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect IP act, which would allow websites to be taken down without legal discourse. He said the act would put the United States right up there with China and Iran in terms of censorship. The government will be able to take down sites, hijack DNS domains, and even file lawsuits without ever going before a court.

The problem is that this isn't just about piracy. Companies could easily fight piracy through the free market, but they'd rather control pricing and distribution, as well as how their customers use their purchased content.

But, these bills aren't just about piracy. Recently, Universal Music proved just why this act will enable internet censorship. Universal Music had a video taken off of YouTube because the video featured various celebrities speaking in favor of MegaUpload. Rather than allow celebrities speak in favor of a tool use for file transfers (and occasional piracy), they had the video taken down for "copyright violations".

Did the video violate any of Universal Music's intellectual property? No, but it had a message they didn't like, so they had it taken down. But they didn't stop there. They also had a news story covering the takedown removed from the site.

In China, censorship protects a corrupt government. In the United States, it protects the businesses that fund our politicians. No wonder so many of our politicians are in favor of SOPA and Protect IP.

But you can warn them. Tell them you won't stand for it. You can head over to AmericanCensorship.org and tell your politician you won't support censorship in America. They're spreading word about these bills, and have already gotten recognition from over half a million people. They've also been supported by Mozilla, the EFF, Creative Commons, Wikimedia, and many more.

AmericanCensorship.org also makes it incredibly easy to tell your politician that you're not happy. You can send an email, or you can even call your representative through them. They'll give you talking points, as well as facts about the bill, so you can give your representative an argument against censorship based in fact (rather than rambling).

With enough support, politicians won't have to worry about getting campaign funds from their "anonymous donors", they'll have to worry about your vote, which is the way it should be.
via NPR, Gizmodo, Ars Technica, and AmericanCensorship.org

Grand Theft Auto 3 out for iOS

2011-12-15T11:51:00.001-05:00

Rockstar is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the release of Grand Theft Auto 3 by releasing it for iOS. The game has some (slightly) updated graphics, and has been made specifically for the high definition retina display. The game will work on iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads alike. Whether you wan't some nostalgia, or you're new to the Grand Theft Auto series, this game looks to be just as good as the console version. You can download it from the App Store here.
via CultOfMac

Samsung Banks on Apple Lawsuit

2011-12-15T11:42:00.002-05:00

What do you do if another company has tried to block the sale of your tablet? Create an ad telling people about it. That would make it seem as though the other company was frightened of the competition, right?
Of course, Samsung doesn't acknowledge that Apple sued them because they infringed on a number of their designs and patents. But hey, if Samsung was honestly advertising the Galaxy line of products, how would they sell a single one?
via CultOfMac

Want a Top-Ten App on iOS? It takes 30,000 Downloads per Day

2011-12-14T18:35:00.001-05:00

That's no mistake in the title. According to research done by Distimo, in order for an app to make it into the top ten list, it takes an average of 30,000 app downloads per day. On busy days, it could take as much as 80,000! Want to get in the top three spot? It's going to take over 200,000 downloads per day. The App Store sees over 1 billion downloads per month, that's an average of over 33 million apps downloaded per day. Which means, in order to get in the top ten, an app needs about 6% of daily app downloads.

The App Store is huge, with the most mobile users. Because of that, all apps on the store see a decent number of downloads, and the most popular apps see an insane amount of daily downloads. No wonder the app development industry is booming.

via Gizmodo

1 Billion Downloads on App Store per Month

2011-12-14T18:18:00.001-05:00

iOS users are downloading over 1 billion apps every month from the App Store. On top of that, the App Store still is the largest source of mobile apps, with over 500,000 different apps available to iOS users.

The iOS App Store is far larger than the Android Marketplace, Blackberry App World, or Windows Phone 7 Marketplace. On top of that, iOS is the most popular mobile operating system, with iOS taking up over 55% of all mobile users. Combine a large user base with a huge selection of apps, and you've got a highly active app market. That's what makes the App Store so attractive to developers, and the reason behind Objective-C becoming the fifth most popular programming language. If you didn't know, Objective-C is the native programming language for Macs and iOS devices.

The App Store has been around since 2008, and it's changed the mobile market. Developer interest for the App Store is very high, making the App Store the largest source for mobile apps, and a rapidly growing one at that. But no one expected downloads on the App Store to be over 18 billion, with 1 billion additional downloads a month. Happy downloading!
via CultOfMac

Steve Jobs is the #1 Book of 2011 on Amazon

2011-12-14T17:48:00.002-05:00

There's no doubt that Steve Jobs made a huge contribution to this world. He once said "We're here to make a dent in the universe", and he certainly did. Walter Isaacson's biography on Steve Jobs is the most detailed look into Steve's life that any book or documentary ever has.

Write an incredibly detailed book about an incredibly important person, and you're going to have an incredibly popular book. Despite the fact that the book was only released late in October, it's already become the top selling book of the year on Amazon. In less than two months, it beat out books that had been out all year. It's an impressive feat.

You can download the Steve Jobs autobiography on the iBook Store, or buy it in hardcover or Kindle edition through Amazon.

Windows Phone Crashes from Special Text

2011-12-12T21:43:00.002-05:00

Bad news for Windows Phone 7 owners, a bug has been discovered that causes the messaging functionality to be completely disabled on the phone. Basically, if the phone receives a special message, either through text, Facebook, or any other messaging source, the phone will crash. After being rebooted, it won't be able to launch the messaging feature again. The only way to remedy the problem if you've been affected is to wipe the phone, and set it back to factory settings. It's quite a nasty attack, and it can be initiated just by sending a simple message to a Windows Phone 7 user.

It's a pretty huge bug, but it should have a relatively simple fix. Microsoft will surely have an update before too many users are affected. Otherwise, this could be a public relations nightmare for Microsoft.
via 9to5Mac

iPad 10, iPhone 10 on the way! ...Huh?

2011-12-12T16:31:00.001-05:00

Often, hints of new products are revealed by new iOS betas. It seems as though Apple decided to pull a fast one on tech news bloggers, by including some fake products in the plist files of the most recent iOS 5.1 beta.

That, or Apple's planning on jumping the gun and releasing an iPad 10, iPhone 10, and Apple TV 8 soon...

via Cult Of Mac

Rumor: iPad 3 Released in 3 to 4 Months

2011-12-12T16:27:00.002-05:00

According to iPad suppliers, components for the next iPad are coming in to manufacturers. Also, according to Citigroup analyst Kevin Chang, FoxConn will begin production of the iPad 3 in January. By February, production of the iPad 3 will be in full swing. They also went on to say that the iPad 3 would be released in February.

Hopefully, Apple releases the next iPad early next year, rather than later, as previous rumors have suggested.
via AppleInsider

iOS 5.1 Beta 2 Features Photo Stream Deleting

2011-12-12T16:12:00.001-05:00

Photo Stream is a feature of iCloud that allows users to access their photos on any device. Snap a photo on your iPhone, and it's instantly available on your Mac or iPad. However, I don't use the service, and that's all because of one big problem. Fortunately, Apple's removing the biggest restriction to Photo Stream. With iOS 5.1 beta 2, users can delete individual photos in Photo Stream.

Without being able to delete photos in your Photo Stream, the stream gets filled up pretty quick. I often quickly snap a number of photos of a subject, comparing them later. If you're not quick, however, all those photos end up on your Photo Stream, and you can't delete them without cleaning all the photos in your Photo Stream.

Now that Apple's adding the ability to delete photos in the iCloud Photo Stream, it's going to become a very useful part of iCloud.
via AppleInsider and Apple

Infinity Blade 2 Suffering from Substantial Bug - UPDATED

2011-12-10T16:12:00.001-05:00

Infinity Blade 2 was released December 1st, and while my first review of it was very good, I've since changed my mind about this game. I can no longer recommend buying Infinity Blade 2. At the very least, wait for version 1.0.2.

The bug that made me change my mind about this game? Data loss. It seems most users are experiencing it in one way or another. Either their game file will occasionally be deleted, or it will happen constantly. For me, playing the game is like playing an NES game, every time I stop playing, I lose my data. I've since stopped wasting my time with this game.

Read the rest of this post »

You Can Own a Pet or an HP Computer, not Both

2011-12-09T19:07:00.001-05:00

Own a pet? Better find a farm for it to go live on if you're planning on buying an HP computer. Why? Because HP considers pet ownership an action that voids your warranty. No, seriously.

Chris sent his HP EliteBook in for repair. HP was quick to get back to him, telling him the repair wouldn't be covered by his warranty. They wouldn't even allow him to speak with a supervisor. Cat hair had gotten into the computer through the exhaust ports. Dust, hair, even spiders get into computers. It's actually something that every computer has (although spiders are very rare). If your computer is more than a few weeks old, it has plenty of dust in it, and, if you have pets, even some pet hair. The amount of hair in this case wasn't all that bad, as you can see by the photo below.
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Samsung Thrown out of French Court

2011-12-08T16:21:00.001-05:00

Apple is suing Samsung for the Galaxy line of smartphones and tablets, which have copied off their hardware and software designs. Samsung decided to try to delay the proceedings by countersuing Apple. The French court wasn't too happy about that. They threw the case out, and have made Samsung pay for Apple's legal fees, which come to €100,000 (about $133,900).

It's good to see at least one court taking a stance against frivolous lawsuits.

via CultOfMac

iPad 3 in February?

2011-12-08T15:51:00.001-05:00

Good news for those holding off on an iPad purchase this holiday season. Apple is thought to be preparing for an early iPad 3 release, if Citi analyst Richard Gardner is to be believed. In the past, the iPad was updated in April and then March, so it seems as though Apple is marching that release date earlier into the year. It would be a good idea for Apple to eventually start moving up the release date until they can smoothly transition to a pre-holiday season launch.

Beyond that, it's expected that the iPad 3 will be the first with a retina-class HD display. It may also have a new A6 processor. However, besides that, it's unknown what the iPad 3 will include.
via CultOfMac

Flipboard Released for iPhone

2011-12-07T20:11:00.001-05:00

Flipboard has been a longstanding favorite news reading app for iPad users. The app presents the news in an interesting and yet easy to use interface, that feels more like reading from a magazine than from the web. It can even do the same enhancements for your Facebook or Twitter feeds.

Today, Flipboard finally made the app available for iPhones and iPod Touches. Many were worked that the interface, which was so well done on the iPad, wouldn't translate well for a smaller screen. Fortunately, those fears were put to rest after using the app for just a few minutes.

But first, a bit of a story. I first spotted a news story about Flipboard coming to other iOS devices this morning. I quickly downloaded it, only to find that the app just wasn't working. A quick look on the developer's site, and I found the problem. Apparently, many people have been anxiously awaiting the iPhone version of this app, because Flipboard's servers were down. I was checking the progress all throughout the day. Finally, they're back online now, and Flipboard has begun to slowly accept new users. It seems as though it may be worth a try now, as it should work for most users.

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Official Xbox Live iOS App Released

2011-12-07T16:56:00.001-05:00

Personally, I've found my life to be mostly Microsoft-free. It's not about any sort of animosity towards Microsoft, just I like the competitors products more: iWork instead of Office, Mac OS instead of Windows, etc. But, not every iOS user has done the same. In fact, I'm sure there are many iOS users out there who are very happy about this...

Read the rest of this post »

Apple iBooks Updated

2011-12-07T12:24:00.001-05:00

Since iBooks was released for iOS, it's been my favorite way to read books. It's only gotten better with the addition of iCloud book & bookmark syncing. Last night, Apple released an update to iBooks adding a few new, welcomed features.

Updates include a new nighttime theme, full screen layout, more fonts, classic covers for public domain books, and a redesigned annotation palette.

The night mode works well, and it seems as though switching fonts is quicker than it was before. Full screen layout removes everything but the "book" itself. To toggle it, just tap the page in the middle.

You can download iBooks for your iOS device here.

Never Buy Another USB Cable

2011-12-06T20:44:00.001-05:00

Micro? Mini? Dock Connector? What kind of USB cable do you need? This nifty cable comes with adapters to work for Micro or mini USB, as well as Apple's Dock Connector. Fortunately, it's about the same price as the price of other overpriced USB cables. But at $20, for a USB cable and two adapters, it's not a bad deal.
You can buy one here at innergie.com.
via CultOfMac

Check out the Android Phone Name Generator

2011-12-06T20:38:00.001-05:00

Android phone names have always been much like the Android OS: convoluted, larger than they need to be, and full of words to make them look as though they're high-tech.

Well, someone just made it much easier for Android phone manufacturers to create new phone names. The Android Phone Name Generator does just that. It'll take random buzzwords that are often used for Android phones, and generate a random phone name.

This is going to save HTC, Samsung, Motorola, and others so much money!
via Engadget

Why Android Feels Laggy, and Always Will

2011-12-06T15:50:00.001-05:00

One thing iOS users are surprised by when using an Android device is the lag experienced in the user interface. After doing a gesture, tapping an app icon, or tapping a link, you'll notice some lag between the time the touch was done, and the action was performed. On iOS, you notice that touches are interpreted immediately. It's so quick, I've already accused my iPhone of mind reading. So why does Android lag behind, where iOS excels?

Read the rest of this post »

Kindle Fire Users Reporting WiFi Issues

2011-12-05T23:12:00.001-05:00

Users of the Kindle Fire are reporting issues connecting to their WiFi networks. Apparently, the device will either be unable to find a network, or, once found, it won't be able to connect.
This is a huge problem for Kindle Fire owners. The Kindle Fire only has 8GB of ob-board storage. This makes access to the cloud incredibly important. Without it, users have access to only a fraction of their content.

There is a potential fix, however. Users can download the latest version of the Kindle Fire OS (6.2) on their computer. Then go out and buy a USB to Micro USB cable (the Kindle Fire doesn't come with one), and update the Kindle from your computer. For most users, this seemed to fix the problem, although it's not a convenient fix.

Also, as pointed out by Gizmodo, it's pretty strange that Amazon decided to start their Kindle OS with the version number of 6.0. It's a brand new OS based on Android, why would it start at version 6? The only reason I could think of is to be able to create some brand confusion... "iOS 5? Come on, we've got a version 6!".
via Gizmodo

iPhone 4S Has 96% Satisfaction Rate

2011-12-05T17:32:00.001-05:00

The 'S' is for "Satisfied"

The iPhone 4S wasn't just the most popular iPhone ever, it also has the highest customer satisfaction level out of any iPhone. With 96% of iPhone 4S users satisfied with their iPhone 4S, it beats out the iPhone 4 by 3%.

Not only that, but a higher percentage of users said they were "very satisfied". The improved camera, data speeds, and processing speed of the iPhone 4S are probably the cause. I'm sure Siri also won over the hearts of many iPhone users. Also, the iPhone 4S has half the reported dropped calls of the iPhone 4, thanks to the new advanced antenna in the iPhone 4S. Only 2.5% of users reported a dropped call. With the iPhone improving by so much with each generation, it's only expected that iPhone users would like the newest model more than the last generation.

Apple has the highest customer satisfaction in tech. With each device and OS being better than the last, and the best customer support around, it's no wonder why. Apple customer satisfaction blows Android manufacturers out of the water, just as it has with PC manufacturers.

via CultOfMac

Sprint's Data Speeds Fail to Impress

2011-12-05T16:58:00.001-05:00

Sprint offers an "Unlimited Everything" plan for $99. Similar plans on AT&T or Verizon cost more, or don't come with unlimited data. But, do you get what you pay for on Sprint?

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Some Android Phones Don't Enforce Permissions

2011-12-05T16:46:00.001-05:00

"I've got your permissions right here!"

One of the security features Android uses to allow users to protect themselves is to create permissions for apps. When an app is downloaded, you can look at what permissions it has, and allow or disallow the app to use them, much like you can do with location settings in iOS.

Unlike iOS, however, it seems as though these permissions can be bypassed on some Android phones. In doing so, a malicious Android app could gain access to the internet, record phone calls, or send SMS messages, even if the user has specifically blocked it from doing so.

Read the rest of this post »

Infinity Blade 2 Released

2011-12-01T17:46:00.001-05:00

No screenshot can really show off just how good this game looks.

Infinity Blade 2 was released today. It's a fantastic game. After getting lost in it for a while, I decided I should write an article about it.
The game improves on everything that players loved about the original. Gorgeous graphics, fast and addictive gameplay, and an intriguing storyline make this a must have iOS game. The story is more in depth than the first Infinity Blade, you'll find yourself watching every cutscene that you may have skipped in the original. Not only do they reveal more of the story, but they look simply fantastic.

Weapons, shields, armor, and items have been improved greatly as well. The game breaks up weapons into three classes, light, heavy, and dual. Light weapons are quick, and can be paired with a shield. Heavy weapons deal more damage, but are slower. The fastest option, and the best way to deal out damage quickly, is to wield two swords. The problem with doing this, is that you lose the ability to block, although you can now duck.

Also added is the idea of gems. Gems allow you to add effects to your weapons. This adds more strategy. Going up against an enemy that specializes in fire? Equip a water gem to deal massive water based damage. Other than that, combat and leveling up will feel familiar.

The game is available on the App Store for $6.99. That might seem like a bit much for an app, but after playing it a bit, I would have been willing to pay a lot more. Go download the best looking, and one of the most fun mobile games ever created. You'll find the game looks best on the iPhone 4S or iPad 2, but it works on the iPhone 3GS, 4, and 4S, as well as the first and second generation iPad. iPod Touch users with a 3rd or 4th generation can also join in on the fun. iOS 3.2 or higher is required. If you have an iOS device, get this game.

Update: iOS 5 Doesn't Use Carrier IQ

2011-12-01T15:51:00.001-05:00

Apple issued a statement regarding Carrier IQ, saying they have stopped supporting it with iOS 5. Not only that, the software was only used for diagnostic technical data, even when Apple used it. Their official statement is below.

We stopped supporting CarrierIQ with iOS 5 in most of our products and will remove it completely in a future software update. With any diagnostic data sent to Apple, customers must actively opt-in to share this information, and if they do, the data is sent in an anonymous and encrypted form and does not include any personal information. We never recorded keystrokes, messages or any other personal information for diagnostic data and have no plans to ever do so.

Way to go, Apple. It looks like iPhone users don't have to worry about privacy in the least. Android users, on the other hand, are still in danger. Even if Google forbids the use of Carrier IQ in future versions of the OS, they still won't be able to remove it from many Android phones. Thanks to Android fragmentation, many Android phones, even ones that are a year old, may not receive another update ever again.
via MacRumors

Trapster 4.5 Released

2011-12-01T12:01:00.001-05:00

Trapster has released a huge update to their iOS app. With version 4.5, which currently only runs on iOS 5 devices, many new features have been added. The app now recognizes what road you're on, rather than simply checking your GPS location. Because of this, it can give you the speed limit, as well as live traffic reports. It still has the great speed trap and road hazard reporting features.
The map itself is also more appealing to the eye, and won't cause as much eye strain at night.
The new features make Trapster a must have app, even if you're not prone to speeding. By giving you the speed limit, even on roads that are poorly marked, as well as alerting you of road conditions and upcoming traffic, this has become the ultimate driver's app beyond navigation apps.
You can download Trapster from the App Store here.
via CultOfMac

More on Carrier IQ, the Phone Tracker

2011-12-01T10:29:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Carrier IQ (CIQ) was demonstrated on an Android handset. The software allowed your carrier to collect everything their users did with their phones, from sending and receiving texts, phone calls, the keys people pressed, usernames and passwords, and even encrypted searches (without encryption). You can find the original story, as well as the demonstration video here.
Now there have been a few updates to this story. Not all phones have it, some unexpected ones do, and as it turns out, Carrier IQ isn't the sole bad-guy here.

Read the rest of this post »

The Problem with Mobile Sites

2011-11-30T22:38:00.001-05:00

The mobile version of Cult Of Mac.
The banner and ad follow the user.

This has been a growing annoyance. I've noticed that mobile sites often aren't just reformatted websites that make are easier to navigate on a small screen, but they're also incredibly crippled. For example, Cult Of Mac is one of my favorite sources of Mac news. However, the mobile site is an atrocity. The title bar follows you whole navigating, blocking the article and comment section. Plus, they've recently added an ad section that also follows your view. They've cut down on the usable space, and that's exactly what you shouldn't have on a mobile device. They already get money from a page view on the ad, why does it need to follow the user? As for the title bar, why does it need to follow you, when tapping the bar at the top of an iOS device brings you to the top of a page? Worst of all, you can't actually turn off the mobile version, even if you select the full site.

It doesn't stop with Cult Of Mac, many mobile sites have dumbed down interfaces that are overly simplistic. Gawker sites don't allow users to log in or comment when they're using a mobile device, and not all the comments are visible. Their desktop interface is horrible on computers, and especially bad on a mobile device.

Not all websites do this wrong though. Engadget, for example, allows user to read stories and comment, just as they could when browsing from a computer. Yet they've still designed an interface that works for a smaller screen. The blogger service, which I use here, allows users to view stories and comment. I actually like using it on my iPhone, which is more than I can say about most mobile pages.

With the growing popularity of smartphones and tablets, perhaps website owners will wake up and put a bit more effort into the design of their mobile sites. Right now, most of them are, without a doubt, terrible. Hopefully, this changes soon.

Android Phones Track Everything You Do

2011-11-30T12:38:00.001-05:00

You thought location tracking was a big deal? Wait until you hear this. Android, Blackberry, and even Nokia phones have software, called Carrier IQ, built into the OS, and on every phone. The developer who discovered it described it as a rootkit. It tracks everything from the numbers you dial, the messages you send or receive, and even the encrypted web searches you do. Even https requests are stored without encryption to your carrier. If you used your phone to do something, that information is available to anyone. The software then takes all this collected data and sends it back to the companies' servers. Imagine that, your carrier has every text message you've ever sent. Suddenly those sexts don't seem like a good idea, huh?

There's no way to remove or opt out of the software. The only thing you could possibly do is root your phone, and install a rom that doesn't have the software. But good luck with that. You'd have to find a stabile rom, one that works on your phone, and one that has specifically removed this software. Not to mention the difficulty of applying a rom. Even experienced Android users occasionally brick their phones trying to find a working rom. Buying a new phone every time something goes wrong is very expensive.

So, if you don't like the idea of sending your carrier everything on your phone, don't get an Android, Blackberry, or Nokia phone. On the other hand, if you're the kind of person who walks around naked, keeping a journal that you share with strangers, and you don't mind sending out all your text messages, phone numbers, web searches, and personal data, then you're probably fine with an Android, Blackberry, or Nokia phone. Big Brother's watching you through your Android, Blackberry, and Nokia phones.
via CultOfMac

iPhone Most Popular Smartphone

2011-11-29T16:46:00.001-05:00

A recent study done by the Nielsen Company revealed that the iPhone is still the most popular smartphone. However, despite this, there are more smartphones running Android than iOS. This is because Apple is the only distributer of iOS, whereas Android is on a variety of manufacturers and carriers.

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New iOS Hardware Shows Up in iOS 5.1 Beta

2011-11-29T16:10:00.001-05:00

Apple released the iOS 5.1 beta to developers just a few days ago. Some developers look to make sure their apps work correctly with the new OS, other dive into it, looking for hints of future Apple hardware. One of the first signs that new Apple hardware is in the works is from these betas. What did they find? New iPhones, iPads, and an Apple TV update.

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The American Internet Censorship Bills

2011-11-29T11:32:00.001-05:00

If you want to do something, go here: http://americancensorship.org/.
An info graphic is below, with more updated information.

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How Apple Uses Location Tracking to Improve Retail

2011-11-28T16:10:00.001-05:00

If you preorder an item at an Apple Retail Store from the iOS Apple Store app, you may find employees are already fetching your item as you walk in the store. It might seem creepy at first, but it really cuts down on the time you're waiting to have your preordered item fetched, and it's actually pretty cool.

When you order through the iOS App, it uses iOS 5's new check-in feature to wait until you're at the Apple Store. It then tells the employee assigned to your order that you've arrived, and what you ordered. Within a few minutes of arriving, they may already have your item, without you even needing to ask for it.

Those concerned about privacy don't need to worry. All this does is help employees be prepared to get your products to you faster. But, if you don't like the feature, you can disallow the Apple Store app from using your location. Honestly though, it's a cool feature of the app, and it makes picking up preordered items easier and quicker than ever.
via CultOfMac

Modified iPhone 4 Spontaneously Combusts

2011-11-28T15:38:00.001-05:00

The media is frenzied over the story about an iPhone 4 spontaneously combusting on a plane. Apparently, the phone heated up, and a spot began to glow red on it. It also smoked. It was extinguished immediately.

It's a scary idea, but they continually omit the most probable reason for the phone combusting: it was modified. Leave it to the media to overhype an iPhone related story to get page views.

As you can see from the photo above, the iPhone 4 in question had the rear glass panel replaced by one that had the Steve Jobs Apple Logo. Therefore, it's easy to see the explosion was caused by the owner's tinkering. Either he broke something internally while adding the new case, causing the battery to short, or the new back panel didn't allow heat to dissipate like the Apple case, causing it to overheat and burst.

It's most likely the first cause, so if you decide to replace the back panel on your iPhone, be very careful while your phone's innards are exposed. You may also want to either order direct iPhone components, or avoid materials that could trap heat, like wood or thick plastics. Metal back panels can interfere with the signal, so glass is probably the best option after-all. It's possible that the material of the back lent to the iPhone overheating, but it's more likely that in replacing the panel, the user touched something he shouldn't have. Let this be a lesson, always be careful when tinkering with your electronics.

via MacRumors

Update:
After looking at the phone more, I'm not sure it was a modified iPhone. Most tribute backings I could find had "Steve Jobs" written under the Apple logo. So, it's possible this was a normal iPhone 4. We'll have to wait until we get more info to be sure.

Suppliers Shipping 4-inch Screens for Apple

2011-11-28T11:26:00.001-05:00

A counterfeit iPhone said to look like the next iPhone model

Before the release of the iPhone 4S, there was a lot of hype surrounding the idea of a new design for the iPhone, one that features more screen space on the front of the device. By reducing the amount of space on the front of the phone that isn't the screen, they'd be able to increase the screen size to 4 inches without increasing the size of the device by much.
However, Apple released the iPhone 4S instead of a completely redesigned iPhone. But that doesn't mean the rumor must die.

Now people believe that the iPhone 5 that had been described in leaks was actually the next generation iPhone. To add some truth to that, a source has claimed that Hitachi and Sony have begun shipping 4 inch displays for an iOS device, as well as displays for the new iPad 3.

There are issues with using a larger screen. The resolution would change, meaning developers may have to update the graphics in their apps, as they did when Apple switched to retina displays. Also, if Apple's not careful, they risk falling into the same problems Android phones face.

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Nokia Lumia Has Strange Battery Issue

2011-11-27T14:28:00.001-05:00

A few iPhone 4S users have reported diminished battery life with the new phone. Most had the issue resolved with Apple's last update, and the rest will be fixed with the next one. The issue was a rare one, and related to software, and yet it received plenty of media attention.

But that's nothing compared to the battery issues of Nokia's new Lumia 800, which runs Windows Phone 7. Engadget mentioned in their review of the phone that it would shut down occasionally, even when it still had over half of it's battery life remaining. Worse yet, a writer at Gizmodo discovered that the phone would have trouble booting up after it shut down, and would eventually become bricked.

Nokia has said they're preparing an update that should fix the phone. But how do you install an update on a bricked phone? If you were considering buying this phone, you're going to want to wait for the update. That, or just consider another phone... I'm sure you know what I'd recommend.
via Gizmodo and Engadget

Apple's Siri vs Microsoft's TellMe

2011-11-27T14:21:00.001-05:00

Microsoft recently claimed that it had beaten Apple to the voice recognition punch. Of course, they ignored that voice recognition has been a part of iOS long before Windows 7 made it to the table, and they were only talking about Siri. So, how does Siri compare to Microsoft's TellMe?
It's laughable to even consider them competitors. Check out the video above where TellMe fails miserably, often with hilarious results, while Siri works perfectly every time. The comparison starts with the first command about 30 seconds in, and the very first example shows that not only is Siri far better with voice recognition, it's also a lot smarter when taking your commands.
You were saying, Microsoft?
via CultOfMac

Apple's Weather Widget Has More Info

2011-11-25T17:06:00.001-05:00

I discovered this the other day, and I thought I'd share. The weather widget in the Notification Center in iOS 5 has more information than you'd know. Just swipe across the widget to show a 6 day forecast. Pretty cool!

Dell's Misleading Customers

2011-11-25T16:32:00.001-05:00

I've pointed out in the past that Microsoft and PC manufactures often use deception to sell their products. Dell's always been one of the biggest offenders, but their latest method of tricking buyers into upgrading their graphics card is just downright evil.

The above image was used on their site to sell an upgraded graphics card. It tells buyers "get this card or your screen will be blurry!". Is this the case? Of course not, and Dell knew that. Arguably, most people would be fine with the standard graphics card, but Dell's methods made it seem as though the default card would create a blurry screen, even on the desktop with no programs running. They did this with the sole intention of tricking unknowing customers into paying more for features they wouldn't need. Why else would they have used the graphic?

Dell has since pulled the image from it's website, but one has to wonder why thy thought it was acceptable to use in the first place. If you need deception to sell your products, maybe you simply make better products.
via Gizmodo

iPhone Customer Loyalty Surpasses Competitors

2011-11-25T12:01:00.001-05:00

According to Market research firm GfK, no other smartphone operating system commands the loyalty of iOS. This came from a survey of 4,500 people from all around the world. According to the study, 84% of current iPhone owners say that their next phone will be an iPhone. Only 60% of Android owners want an Android phone, and just 48% of Blackberry owners wish to continue with Blackberry.

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Half off All Mac Grand Theft Auto Games

2011-11-24T19:02:00.001-05:00

You can now get any of the Grand Theft Auto games available on the Mac App Store for just $6.99 each. They're normally priced at $14.99, so get it 50% off now, while you can.

Grand Theft Auto III

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City

Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas

Enjoy!

via CultOfMac

"Share the Fun" iPod Touch Ad

2011-11-24T18:59:00.001-05:00

Apple released the ad above today. It shows off the gaming, sharing, FaceTime, and photography possibilities of the iPod Touch. Enjoy (or watch it on TV).

Apple Pulls Big Fish Game Rentals

2011-11-24T18:24:00.001-05:00

It looks as though Apple isn't ready to allow game subscriptions on the App Store just yet. They've pulled the rental versions of developer Big Fish's apps.

Apple hasn't said why they pulled the app. Either they're not ready, or they'd rather the rentals done by a standard system, which would be available to all developers. It's most likely a mix of the two. Apple would rather announce this feature with a number of developers at a later date. If they actually do want to add a feature like this to the App Store, they'd also want it to be a uniform interface across multiple apps from a variety of developers.

If you were looking forward to app subscriptions, you'll have to wait a bit longer, possibly indefinitely.
via Gizmodo

Check Out this Infinity Blade II Video

2011-11-23T17:11:00.001-05:00

The first Infinity Blade was (and still is) incredibly impressive. I often use it as an example of the kind of awe inspiring gaming iOS can do that Android cannot. It's a fun, addictive RPG with stunning visuals. Next month, Epic Games will be releasing Infinity Blade II, which looks more beautiful, has a larger, dynamic world, and plenty of new weapons, armor, and gameplay options. It looks fantastic, I could see this game being the one that makes people say "I need an iOS device". Games like Infinity Blade, Real Racing, Rage HD, and many, many more show that games can be beautiful, fun, realistic, and portable.

The original Infinity Blade is on sale now for Black Friday for $2.99. If you haven't played it yet, you're missing out. It works on the iPhone 3GS, iPad, and third generation iPod Touch and newer. The second Infinity Blade will be out December 1st, and will work for all iOS devices featuring an A4 processor or better.
via CultOfMac

Samsung Galaxy Nexus Won't do in-car Entertainment

2011-11-23T17:01:00.001-05:00

Want to be able to hook your phone up to your in-car entertainment system to both play music and charge it? Then you'll want to stay clear of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Google's flagship phone for Android 4.0 will not allow direct access to the files via USB, like other phone manufactures do. The only system it will work with will be Ford's Sync, which, instead of accessing the filesystem directly, syncs with it like a computer would. In doing so, it finds a workaround to get to the files. If you don't have a Ford with Sync, you won't be able to use this phone with your entertainment system.

Other Android 4.0 phones should work with your car's entertainment system, as well as most other phone manufactures, like Apple. But Samsung's Galaxy Nexus? That will not work with your in-car entertainment system.
via AutoBlog