Items tagged with (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Apple has famously eschewed any industry standardization with its device connectors in favor of proprietary options, including when it rolled out the new Lightning connector and sucker punched an entire side industry’s worth of iOS accessories that weren’t compatible with new iPhones and iPads. Frank Nuovo, Nokia’s phone design guru, is on record as saying that Apple needs to get with the program and switch to a standard micro USB connector as essentially the rest of the mobile industry has done. “I think that the world is frustrated that you have to have a proprietary connector at this point of maturity in the mobile phone world, we have reached a point where these phones...
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It's been a long time since we've seen a dreaded "blue screen of death" (BSoD), but it's back and in the in the unlikeliest of places. Oddly enough, some Apple iPhone 5S owners are reporting BSoD errors, though they're a little different from the ones you may remember seeing on Windows desktops. Rather than spit out an obscure error code with a generic description, some iPhone 5S devices are suddenly turning blue before automatically restarting. The Numbers app in Apple's iWork suite, a free program with new iPhones, seems to be the primary cause, though BSoD behavior has also been observed in other applications, according to complaints in Apple's support forum. Here's a demonstration of the...
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Apple doesn't increase screen sizes on its iPhone line very often. In fact, the Cupertino company has only done it once, going from a 3.5-inch display on the original iPhone up through the iPhone 4S (five generations of iPhones), to a 4-inch display on the iPhone 5 and recently introduced iPhone 5C and 5S models. That's seven generations of iPhones and only one relatively minor bump (half an inch) in screen size. Don't worry if you've been clamoring for an even bigger iPhone model though, the biggest bump in display size is yet to come. So says Peter Misek, an analyst with Jefferies. Misek wrote in a note to investors that Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 device will sport a 4.8-inch screen, CNET reports....
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Here in the U.S., we love our smartphones, as evidenced by 145 million people owning one for a nearly 61 percent penetration rate, according to the latest data by market research firm comScore. That represents a 3 percent spike compared to last quarter, and just as interesting is the fact that Apple's gaining ground on the competition. As far as OEM manufacturers go, Apple is the top handset maker in the U.S. with a 40.7 percent share of the market, up 1.5 percent sequentially. Samsung gained nearly as much ground, improving from 23 percent to 24.3 percent, though remains a somewhat distant second to Apple. After that, HTC (7.4 percent), Motorola (6.9 percent), and LG (6.7 percent) all scrap...
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The drama surrounding Apple's second generation iPad mini tablet and whether or not it will sport a Retina-class display continues as rumors of a supply shortage come to light. Plan and simple, people working in Apple's supply chain are saying that it's not feasible to introduce an iPad mini with a high resolution display this month. This puts Apple in a bit of a pickle. The Cupertino company could roll out its second generation iPad mini this month as planned and let customers deal with the shortage of devices. Alternately, Apple could forgo a Retina-class display and save that upgrad for another time, a decision Google and Amazon would be thrilled with. There's also a third option -- delay...
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It's widely expected that Apple plans to follow up the launch of its iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C handets with new iPad and iPad mini tablets, though it's still a bit of a mystery as to when those products will be announced. Based on leaked info and rumor mill chatter, most analysts believe Apple is on pace to announce a fifth generation 9.7-inch iPad later this month, and for a time, some also expected a new iPad mini would make a simultaneous debut. That no longer looks to be the case. While the iPad 5 may still have an unveiling in October, it's looking more and more like the next iPad mini device, which is expected to sport a Retina class display, will be pushed back into next year. "The Regina...
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As much as Apple would love it if every iPad owner purchased a new model every time it came out with a new version, not everyone has that kind of disposable income. That means there are people out there who are still using the original iPad launched back in 2010, and those who opted for the 3G model may be getting some financial compensation for broken promises. There was a class action lawsuit filed against Apple and AT&T due to the wireless carrier's promise and subsequent cancellation of unlimited data on iPad 3G models. A proposed settlement that's already been approved by a U.S. District Court judge in San Jose would have Apple cut a check for $40 to everyone in the U.S. who bought or...
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For the past 13 years,Coca-Cola has sat at the top spot of Interbrand's annual Best Global Brands report, which recognizes the 100 most valuable brands around the world. Coca-Cola's time at the top has finally fizzled as Apple rose to No. 1 on the list in its 14th year, followed by Google in second place, pushing the soda maker back to No. 3. IBM (No. 4) and Microsoft (No. 5) round out the top five spots. "Every so often, a company changes our lives—not just with its products, but with its ethos. This is why, following Coca-Cola’s 13-year run at the top of Best Global Brands, Apple now ranks No. 1," said Jez Frampton, Interbrand’s Global Chief Executive Officer. "Tim Cook has...
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Rumblings earlier this week suggested Microsoft was going to make a full court press on Apple, offering a buy-back incentive program for old iPhone users to trade-up for a new Windows Phone 8 device. The move makes sense. Lots of iPhone users were probably disappointed with Apple's recent iPhone 5S and 5C unveiling, wishing instead the Cupertino company had simply increased the display size of the device. Apple's performance play is enticing for power users but mainstream iPhoners jonesing over their friend's significantly larger Android and Windows Phone devices, like the Samsung Galaxy S4 or Nokia Lumia 1020, may have been left a little flat. A 64-bit platform sounds just kinda cool for...
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Apple has a new indoor mapping feature in iOS 7 called iBeacon, and Major League Baseball has wasted no time in leveraging the feature to enhance the gameday experience at ballparks. The MLB’s At the Ballpark app will use the feature to create “micro-locations” within stadiums and offer information on points of interest as you walk past them, a virtual hole punch for food vendors at the stadiums, team store discounts, locate your seats, and more. Credit: Mashable The MLB’s iOS app developer, Marc Abramson, told Mashable, “We've been looking at customizing the app based on where you are within the stadium, but GPS is notorious for not working indoors, especially when...
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Apple's update to iOS 7 is the most drastic change to its mobile platform in a long time, and for some users, it's downright sickening. Literally. If you've noticed that any of your iPhone wielding friends are looking green around the gills lately, it could be due to the subtle movements and zoom effects introduced in iOS 7, which some users have complained are making them nauseous. "I thought I was going crazy today after I updated my phone and I noticed I was feeling queasy every time I used it. Now I see I am not alone! I just used my phone for about 20 minutes and now I feel like I'm going to vomit. There has to be a way to turn this off!," an iPhone user wrote in a thread on Apple's support...
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It doesn't quite answer all of the lingering questions, but it sure sheds a lot of light on what Apple's doing behind the scenes. As the wearables market explodes, fitness gadgets have found themselves in the spotlight. Startups are coming out of the woodwork to sell health-minded bands, while Google has found a market for an expensive computer / eyeglass device dubbed Glass. The future of computing involves computing devices that are on one's person, and while Apple didn't beat everyone to it (see: Samsung's Galaxy Gear smartwatch), it won't be sitting it out entirely. The company has just hired one of Nike's lead Fuel Band designers, presumably to join yet another Nike hire from a few months...
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Apple has issued an update to iOS 7 to stomp out a bug that could allow intruders to effectively bypass the iPhone's Lock screen passcode and snoop around recently used applications, a user's photo gallery, and more. Also rolled into the iOS 7.0.2 update is the reintroduction of a Greek keyboard option for passcode entry. The Lock screen bug is the primary reason to grab the update straight away. Without it, an intruder need only swipe up on the Lock screen to enter the control center, open the alarm clock, and hold the phone's sleep button to bring up a prompt asking if they wish to shut down. From there, it's just a matter of hitting the cancel option and then tapping the home button to access...
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Boy, math sure can be a buzz kill sometimes. For example, what a boon to the U.S. economy it would be if Apple suddenly decided to start building its iPhones stateside rather than outsourcing production to China. Unfortunately, if you crunch the numbers, such a move is cost prohibitive, even for a company that makes as much money as Apple. Tim Worstall over at Forbes wore out his calculator adding up the various costs of moving production to the U.S. based on some rough and not so rough estimates, and the final figure is in the billions. Before we get there, let's have a look at some lower numbers. Using figures borrowed from Motorola's stateside production, it costs about $4 extra to produce...
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Even after listing fees and various commissions are factored in, eBay user "papakar" just scored a big payday, assuming the buyer of his unlocked Gold iPhone 5S 16GB ponies up the cash. The winning bid came out to $10,000 plus an additional $44.95 for one-day shipping (seems like at that price, the seller could foot the bill for shipping, but whatever). Why so much? One explanation is that the winner bidder is full of bologna. However, out of the 51 bids the seller received, the winning bidder is one of just a few with feedback well above zero. The winning bidder, shown only as "y***9" to protect his identity, has a feedback score of 226, which seemingly indicates he's not a new account holder...
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Microsoft recently unveiled its Surface 2 and Surface 2 Pro products, both of which feel like premium upgrades over the original (we were on hand at the event and got to play with these devices). They're leaner, faster, and generally better equipped than the original Surface tablets, but if there's one area consumers will inevitably knock, it's the price tag. The Surface 2 starts at $449, and with the plethora of Android tablets selling for hundreds less, that could become a hurdle. One solution is to release a smaller version of Surface. It's been rumored before and it's happening again. Rhoda Alexander, director of Tablet and Monitor Research at IHS iSuppli, tells CNET that Microsoft is considering...
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Microsoft's Corporate VP of Surface, Panos Panay had his work cut out for him at the company's Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 launch event on Monday. Microsoft needed compelling product demos to showcase their new hardware against the current backdrop of stiff competition of alternative platforms and products from Google and Apple. So, obviously, the first thing they did was call upon their old friend Intel way back at the design stage, empowering their Surface Pro 2 slate with a dual-core Haswell 4th generation Core i5-4200U processor. The Surface 2 Pro is essentially a hybrid tablet-notebook device, weighing in at 2 lbs. with a 10.6-inch full HD display and starting at $899 with 64GB of...
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Good news, soccer fans -- you can practice your "Gooooooooooaaaaal!" celebration because FIFA 14 from Electronic Arts is now available for iOS and Android devices. Even better, it's a free download, though if you're insistent on lighting the load in your wallet, you can make in-app purchases for FIFA points. One thing to keep in mind is that you'll need at least 1.35GB of free space available, so check your storage beforehand and make any necessary adjustments. Once installed, you'll have access to 33 leagues, over 600 licensed teams, and more than 16,000 players. "From the English Premier League and La Liga to the German Bundesliga and beyond. March toward glory in 34 authentic stadiums. Plus,...
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The iPhone 5c is little more than a repackaged iPhone 5; the internals are essentially the same as those found in last year's flagship, while the rear is constructed from plastic instead of aluminum. The iPhone 5s, on the other hand, cements a consistent pattern for Apple. The company has shown no intentions of reinventing the wheel (or, the phone) every year. Instead, they seem content doing so every other year, with the in-between years offering up an enhanced "s" version of last year's phone to tide consumers over. It's almost akin to Intel's "Tick-Tock" manufacturing model actually, though semiconductor architecture is a whole different ball of wax versus mobile consumer products, obviously....
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For a time, Apple's annual tradition involved the unveiling of a new iPhone at WWDC. Then, things changed, and the iPhone's annual coming-out party began to happen a lot closer to the all-important holiday shopping season. But perhaps the most interesting change of late is how the iPhone line is evolving. At this year's gala, two new iPhone handsets were unveiled, marking the first event where more than a single new device was given the spotlight. The first weekend that they were available, Apple saw record sales, proving that the fire is still burning bright within their customer base. The iPhone 5c is little more than a repackaged iPhone 5; the internals are essentially the same as those found...
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Apple may be smitten with mobile products like its iPad and fancy new iPhones, but it hasn't completely turned its back on systems. Just the opposite, the Cupertino company today announced that it updated its iMac line with Intel's 4th Generation Core processors (Haswell), new graphics, the latest Wi-Fi technology, and faster PCI-E flash storage options. "iMac continues to be the example that proves how beautiful, fast and fun a desktop computer can be," said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. "Inside its ultra-thin aluminum enclosure, the new iMac has the latest Intel processors, faster graphics, next generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and faster PCIe flash storage."...
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Apple’s walled-garden approach to mobile is legendary, and rarely was the company’s control over the entire iPhone/iPad, iOS, and apps ecosystem more evident than when it changed its proprietary 30-pin connector to the new Lightning interface and effectively punched an entire industry of iOS accessory makers (and customers who suddenly owned products incompatible with their new iPhones) in the neck. Makers of iOS accessories have to go through Apple’s MFi program in order to ensure that their products are up to Apple’s rigorous standards, and in the case of Lightning connectors, ensure that Apple has given them authentication chips that go into each Lightning cable. Credit:...
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