Archive for May, 2012

Apple released iOS 5.1.1 (build number 9B206) for iPad, iPod touch, and iPhone. This is a small update with several bugfixes and small improvements. Here is the official list of changes:

• Improves reliability of using HDR option for photos taken using the Lock Screen shortcut.
• Addresses bugs that could prevent the new iPad from switching between 2G and 3G networks.
• Fixes bugs that affected AirPlay video playback in some circumstances.
• Improved reliability for syncing Safari bookmarks and Reading List.
• Fixes an issue where ‘Unable to purchase’ alert could be displayed after successful purchase.

And download links:

Read the rest of this entry »

Joanna Stern from ABC News claims that not only the MacBook Pro family but also the iMac line is set to gain ultra high-resolution "Retina" displays.

The laptop will see the introduction of the “Mac Retina Display,” which is said to have a very high resolution. ABC News has similarly heard from its own sources that both the next MacBook Pro and the iMac would be getting very, very high-resolution displays. Apple refreshed its new iPad with a Retina Display in March.

It seems natural that Apple wants to move all its displays to the retina standard. But, it’s unclear, how Apple will implement the increased resolution given that most Macs already approach Retina resolution at typical viewing distances.

Read the rest of this entry »

Apple released the new iOS firmware 5.0.1 (9B206f) for both Apple TV 2G and latest Apple TV 3G. The software update is said to bring fixes to AirPlay, Netflix, Home Sharing, and more. New firmware also includes HD previews for movies and TV shows on the iTunes Store.

You can find the download links below, or you can just hit the update version on your Apple TV.

• Apple TV 2nd Gen
• Apple TV 3rd Gen

Following a string of complaints across the globe (especially in Australia and the United Kingdom) regarding Apple’s branding of the 4G-LTE compatible iPads, Apple has tweaked the name of their cellular-connecting iPad in some regions. The new name is simply “iPad WiFi + Cellular” and this is a shift from the former “iPad WiFi + 4G” branding. The source of the criticism of the 4G third-generation iPad models is the fact that the 4G LTE only functions in the U.S. and Canada, on a total of five carriers.

Apple did not simply make this iPad name change in the affected Australia and UK regions, but they changed it in the UK, Australia, the U.S., Canada, UAE, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore, New Zealand, Malaysia, Ireland, and Hong Kong.

Read the rest of this entry »

Apple's much-rumored 15-inch MacBook Pro will reportedly receive a new design that will be considerably thinner than the existing MacBook Pro due to the removal of the optical drive.

While many have speculated that the new 15-inch MacBook Pro will pickup the design from the late-2010/mid-2011 MacBook Air, sources familiar with the prototype units say that this is untrue. Instead, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro is described as being an ultra-thin version of the current MacBook Pro. Basically, the prototype design is a thinner, yet more robust, version of the late-2008 design. It has no tapering like the MacBook Airs.

Read the rest of this entry »

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple plans to announce an upgrade to its iCloud service at Worldwide Developers Conference next months. The refreshed service will allow iCloud users to share photos with each other and comment on them. Now, users can only store photos via a Photo Stream feature that is capable to sync photos with other Apple devices, but not to share them.

Read the rest of this entry »

AppleInsider’s source claims that Apple is said to be negotiating to acquire Loewe AG, a manufacturer and distributor of televisions, audio components and integrated entertainment systems. Loewe "has been advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012."

This person said Apple is confidentially offering 87.3 million euros (about $112 million U.S.), a slight premium over the firm's last closing share price of 4.519 euros (giving it a market cap of 58.79 million euros or $76 million U.S.). Loewe's primary shareholders currently include Sharp (28.83 percent) and LaCie (11.17 percent).

Loewe entered the TV market in 1929, and now employs around 1,000 workers worldwide in 50 countries. The company has seen its sales fall by 11 percent over the last year, generating a loss of 10.5 million Euro ($13.57 million USD) in 2011.

Gossip site TMZ.com published photos of actor Ashton Kutcher wearing Steve Jobs' iconic black turtleneck, jeans and sneakers outfit. Kutcher is preparing to act in the independent film about the late Apple co-founder.

Everybody knows that Jobs so liked the black turtleneck that he reportedly owned hundreds of them. Mona Simpson, Jobs' sister, remarked at his memorial service last October that he had probably owned enough copies of the shirt for everyone in attendance.

Read the rest of this entry »

The website of parts supplier SW-Box posted photos of the parts claimed to be from Apple's sixth-generation iPhone. The components are said to be a headphone jack, earpiece and Wi-Fi cable. The purported iPhone parts suggest the device will have a significantly different internal design, as the headphone jack is attached to the earpiece and Wi-Fi components.

That's a major departure from the current design of the iPhone 4S and iPhone 4, in which the headphone jack is included on a component with the handset's volume buttons and mute switch, all of which are located in the upper left corner of the device.

Read the rest of this entry »

iMore reports that Apple indeed plans to launch its 7-inch iPad in October. The device will be priced in the $200-$250 range

According to our source, which has proven reliable in the past, the reason for such aggressive pricing is to do to the tablet market what Apple did to the MP3 market in 2004 with the expansion of the iPod product line -- leave absolutely no space for competitors.

Read the rest of this entry »

HP attracted a considerable amount of attention when it initially wanted to find its niche in the tablet market with webOS, which was acquired along with Palm in 2010. HP introduced its TouchPad running on webOS in early 2011 and launched it on July 1 last year only to exit the smartphone and tablet business six weeks later.

Read the rest of this entry »

Adobe Collage app that was previously available for Android platform today was also released to iPad users. This app allows users to assemble moodboards using content that can be imported from Adobe Creative Suite programs or uploaded to 2GB Adobe Creative Cloud space.
Read the rest of this entry »

Google Maps (left) and mockup of Apple's 3D mapping mode (right)

According to 9to5Mac, Apple is going to move away from Google Maps in iOS 6 by implementing an in-house mapping service with 3D views. The report notes that Apple’s purchases of mapping companies Poly9 and Placebase are ready to pay off, with the recent acquisition of 3D mapping company C3 Technologies complementing the suite of services.

Read the rest of this entry »

Face.com just released version1.0 of its facial recognition app for iPhone KLIK with a new learning mode and filters. The previous “testing” version of the app launched in January. However the latest version features face-friendly filters similar to Instagram and improved face-recognition capabilities allowing to Facebook-tag people.

Read the rest of this entry »

Facebook announced the launch of a new App Center that will offer Facebook users Android, iOS, desktop, web and mobile web apps. Facebook said that it is not directly competing with Google and Apple as the App Center will forward users to both the Android and iOS platforms. So, for example, if you are visiting the App Center from an iPhone, and enter Words with Friends, or other Facebook-compatible games, you will be sent to the corresponding app’s page on the App Store for installation.

Read the rest of this entry »