Posted 3/21/11 10:22 am EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
A new app called Stereolizer wants to take us back to the 80’s by transforming our iPad into a classic stereo cassette player! Do you remember cassettes? That’s what we used to listen to music on before CDs came out. I can remember sitting in front of my stereo for hours waiting for that one song to finally come on, only to hit the record button a few seconds late -- and I can’t wait to do it again. Read More...
Posted 3/11/11 5:26 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Gear4 already has quite the collection of Angry Birds accessories. Whether you want a case for your iPhone 4 or that new 4th Gen. iPod Touch they’ve definitely got you covered. Now, in light of Apple’s recent iPad 2 launch, it looks like they’ve designed more Angry Birds cases, and they’re looking pretty good.
The new Angry Birds iPad 2 cases come in three different designs, all of which sport favorite characters from the beloved mobile game. First up is the Family Shot, this case has the birds facing off with pigs in the same manner they are when we first launch the game. The next case is similar to Gear4’s iPhone and iPod Touch cases and is simply called Red Bird. It features an all red design with two red birds plastered across the entire case. Lastly there is the Pig King Vs. Red Bird case and I would have to say this is my personal favorite. It features a red bird facing off against the Pig King in what reminds me of the opening Vs. screen in several fighting games -- mostly Street Fighter. Those two look like they're ready to tear it up!
Posted 3/10/11 4:04 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Apple finally revealed their iPad 2 on March 2nd and to everyone’s surprise Steve Jobs himself announced the iPad 2 would be available at Apple retail stores nationwide and Apple.com on March 11th -- only a week after the reveal! Now, it looks like several other brick and mortar locations will be stocking the device too.
The iPad 2 is Apple’s follow-up to their industry breakthrough device, the iPad. It features a 9.7” touch screen display, Apple’s new A5 dual-core processor, two cameras (one on the back and one on the front for FaceTime), the same gyroscope tech you’ll find in iPhones and the iPod Touch, an accelerometer, a large rear speaker and all the apps you’ll have time to download from Apple’s App Store.
The pricing structure is the same as it was for the original iPad -- $500 will get you the cheapest model. Also, you won’t have to go through Apple to pick one up. Several other retail chains -- Best Buy, Target and Wal-Mart -- will be carrying the iPad 2 on release day for the same price. Mobile carriers, AT&T and Verizon, will also have iPad 2’s available on launch day. Sales begin at 5pm at brick-and-mortar stores and 1am pacific time online on March 2nd.
Other big news from the Apple event was the announcement that iPad 2 would bring iOS 4.3 with it. However, we all got a little surprise as iOS 4.3 is available to download now for your iPhone and/or iPod Touch. The OS upgrade brings Home Sharing to our iTunes library, granting us access to our entire music collection over WiFi -- meaning, there’s no longer a need to download the music you want to listen to on your device while you’re at home. You will, however, need to download the latest version of iTunes to take advantage of this long overdue feature. Read More...
Posted 3/10/11 12:15 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
To follow up with the iPhone 5 rumors that just made their way out, it looks like the German Mac lovers over at Macerkopf have heard from a trusted source that Apple will be revealing iOS 5 in an event scheduled for April.
The report claims a trusted source filled them in on details regarding the new iOS, saying that Apple will be holding an event in April to reveal it and show off the new MobileMe service. The timeframe is right for an announcement regarding iOS. You may remember Apple revealed iOS 4 only a year ago, on April 8th.
As far as MobileMe goes, it would seem it’s about time for an update on that too. The new facility Apple built in North Carolina is said to be a sort of hub for MobileMe and iTunes, and we really haven’t heard much from them in regards to what it is for. Their have also been rumors for some time the MobileMe service would become free for all Apple users. Read More...
Posted 3/7/11 6:04 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Apple’s iPad 2 was revealed early last week, putting an end to months of rumor and speculation. Now that we've moved past that, I guess it’s time the iPhone 5 rumors took center stage!
As many of you know, the iPhone 4 had a lot of complaints. First of all, there was the whole antennae thing, the design was just bad and caused dropped calls and a mess of crappy signals. Secondly, the iPhone 4 is made of more glass than plastic and that clearly led to some scratches for those of us who like to skip the $40 case purchase.
According to Macotakara, Apple has some big changes coming for the iPhone 5 and it may resemble the iPod Touch more than it does the current iPhone. Their sources claim to have the inside scoop saying the iPhone 5 will ditch the glass back in exchange for the aluminum back older iPhones, the iPad and the iPod Touch feature. This would also mean Apple has to change the antennae layout as there won’t be any room on the sides. Read More...
Posted 3/4/11 2:51 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
It looks like the folks over at Bloomberg may have the inside scoop on some more Apple news. They are claiming sources told them Apple is in talks with some of the major record labels in an attempt to bring us unlimited downloads of music we’ve purchased through iTunes.
This is something that would be beneficial to anyone who has multiple Apple devices they want to put there music on. According to the anonymous sources, the agreement would let us download tracks on all of our Apple devices and make it easier to recover music if our device gets lost or snatched off that park bench. Instead of syncing each device to our PC or Mac, we could just download the songs right to our device as long as they all use the same iTunes account.
This is something Apple users have wanted since day one. Right now getting our iTunes music on multiple devices is quite a hassle. The new service would make it easier for all of us by providing a back-up of our purchased tracks online that we could access and re-download whenever we wanted. This would be a big change for iTunes customers and Bloomberg’s sources say an announcement could be made later this year. Read More...
Posted 3/3/11 1:30 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Those poor pilots. I can’t imagine sitting in that cockpit with a stack of paper maps and charts on my lap. Regardless of all the technology available to them -- GPS and such -- they still have to use paper maps and charts because the FAA says so.
Looks like things are finally changing with the FAA recently approving Apple’s iPad as a replacement to that pile -- at least for one company. Charter flight provider Executive Flight Management has spent months testing the iPad under the FAA’s strict eye and they have become the first pilots able to use iPads as their key flight tool.
They have been testing a new mapping app know as Mobile TC and while the current decision only applies to Executive Jet Management, it opens the doors for the entire aviation industry. Now that they use it other companies will see that they can start entering the same testing process, turning the iPad into a full-fledged flight tool!
Now I’m sure many of you are thinking “What happens when that iPad crashes? How will the pilots navigate then?” Well, it just so happens that in their 3 months of testing Executive Jet Management did not experience a single OS or app crash. On top of that the creators of the app say that in the event of a crash the app can be rebooted within a few seconds. If you’re still worried about the iPad deciding your air travel fate you’ll be happy to know the FAA requires there be a spare onboard. Read More...
Posted 3/2/11 2:53 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
After months of eager Apple fans spreading rumor and speculation the moment has finally come. That's right everybody, the iPad 2 is officially here!
Apple held a press event today in San Francisco to announce the follow up to their uber-successful iPad. The iPad 2 features an all new design and a "dramatically" faster processor, Apple's new dual-core A5. According to Apple, the new A5 makes the iPad twice as fast and provides a 9x increase is graphics processing speed while still providing the low power consumption of their previous chip, the A4.
On top of the increased speed, the iPad will feature front and rear facing cameras. The rear camera will snap pictures and record HD video while the one up front will let us use Apple's FaceTime app for video chat with friends, family and co-workers.
The iPad 2 will feature a slightly smaller screen, 9.7” opposed to 10.1”, and will come in a somewhat smaller form-factor. The width of the new tablet is 33% thinner than the original -- it’s thinner than the iPhone 4 and a little lighter, coming in at 1.3lbs compared to 1.5lbs.
It will also come in two color schemes (something iPhone 4 users have been waiting on for some time) white and black! Apple says the white model will be available day one just as the black version. The iPad 2 will also be available on both AT&T and Verizon networks at launch and will have the same pricing structure as the current model -- $499 for the 16GB WiFi-only model and $829 for the 64GB WiFi + 3G version!
Oh that's not all -- we’ve got new accessories too! The iPad 2 will have HDMI out thanks to a new cable from Apple. The new $40 cable will connect to the 30-pin jack on the bottom of the iPad 2 and allow you to run a standard HDMI cable straight to your TV. It will also let us charge the iPad 2 while we’re watching, works with any app and provides full 1080p!
Apple also announced a new case. Well, they call them Smart Covers, which makes more sense. It uses magnets to connect to the side of the iPad and simply folds over to protect the screen. It can also be folded to act as a stand in landscape mode. When the cover is closed it puts the iPad to sleep, as soon as it is opened the iPad 2 will wake up! How cool is that!? The covers will come in multiple colors composed of leather or poly, they will cost $40 and $70 respectively. Read More...
Posted 2/28/11 3:37 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
You see that image over there? BGR claims a tipster sent it in and it could very well be Apple’s iPad 2 in all its glory! While this obviously isn’t any kind of confirmation from Apple that the iPad 2 exists, it’s still a pretty convincing shot of what we may soon see replacing the current iPad. Even if it is fake, which is very possible, someone has done a pretty good job and I can‘t imagine the iPad 2 would look much different. However, there are two things that bother me about this render. First of all there's the big speaker area on the bottom left, it's design doesn't really fit with the current iPad or other iOS devices. Secondly, unlike the current iPad there is no 16GB, 32GB, etc. rating under the iPad text. So, is this image fake? Well, only Apple knows for sure but, we wont have to wait long to find out.
Apple recently announced they’d be holding an event to announce a new product and they weren’t very shy about giving everyone a peek at what’s in store. (You can see the invitation here) It clearly shows off what looks to be the corner of a new iPad and, with that event taking place on Wednesday, March 2nd, it’s not that surprising a leak like this would come around.
Oh, that’s not all folks. The guys at 9to5Mac claim to have what appears to be a white bezel for the rumored tablet. Whether or not it is real can’t be said, but it does show signs of a front facing camera that will supposedly be appearing on the iPad 2 to support Apple‘s FaceTime application. Also, the bezel is curiously white! Could we finally see a white iOS device? Honestly my guess is we probably won’t but, who knows? Read More...
Posted 2/24/11 2:29 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Rumors have been circling the web for the past few months saying Apple will soon be unveiling a successor to their iPad tablet PC. Now, after all the hearsay and speculation it looks like the day when Apple finally announces the iPad 2 is finally coming, very soon.
Apple recently sent out invitations to a press event they will be holding on March 2nd at the same San Francisco location the previous iPad was announced. What makes us so sure they will be talking about a new iPad is a curious little image that came along with the invites. The image uses Apple’s classic iOS calendar showing a large 2 that is seemingly being pulled away to reveal what looks like a new iPad. You can see that image to your right.
Word around the web says Apple’s new iPad will be slimmer and lighter than the current model and it will feature at least one camera for use with Apple’s popular video conferencing app, FaceTime. Other rumors suggest that the new iPad will also have a camera on the back and will supposedly lack the classic home button found on current iOS devices like the iPhone, iPod Touch and current generation iPad. Read More...
Posted 2/21/11 2:57 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Most of the Apple iPad cases you see around provide protection from light impacts but if you drop that sucker on the concrete from a decent height that Kork case probably won’t be too much help. Thankfully, someone is getting serious about drop protection and they’ve recently released an aluminum case that may be up to the challenge. That is, if you can come to terms with the ridiculous price tag.
Dubbed the High Defender, or HD for iPad, this new duralumin (aircraft grade aluminum) case sports what could be the wildest design for an iPad case we’ve ever seen. It seriously looks like this was designed by Skynet AI, with only protection in mind. It even features structural support elements to make sure it’s the toughest case around. They also say the case will not interfere with your 3G or Wi-Fi signal.
Unfortunately, all this hardcore protection doesn’t come with a light-load on our wallets in mind. The case is available right now for a double-take worthy 55,000 yen! Yeah, that’s about $660 US and realistically you could get a second iPad for that price. But, if you want the best of the best in tablet protection that’s what you’ll have to spend.
You can head over to Factron to check them out, just make sure you use a browser that can translate the page. International orders are available but, the High Defender cases are coming out in limited quantities so you’ll have to act fast. Not that many people would even consider spending this much money on an iPad case, would they?
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Posted 2/18/11 2:15 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Movies, Tech
The Dark Knight and Inception are couple of pretty high-grossing films and to make a few extra bucks on their success new “App Editions” have been released by Warner Bros. Available for download in Apple’s App Store, they come packed with the film itself and bonus features to make the movie experience more fun, in an appy kind of way.
An example of something new and interesting these App Editions bring to the tablet is the sharing feature. At select points in the film viewers can share their favorite quotes through Twitter and Facebook, you can also randomly post on your Twitter and Facebook while you watch. The Dark Knight and Inception App Editions can both be used to download or stream the film. Users are able to select certain chapters just as they would on a DVD or Blu-ray and can access bonus features like photos and videos.
From the look of things we’re not really going to get any features we wouldn’t find on a DVD or Blu-ray, aside from the sharing, but the apps are free to download and let users watch the opening 5-minutes of each film. To watch the whole movie and access all the features you’ll have to lay down $10 for The Dark Knight and $12 for Inception. They can both be found in the App Store right now and can be downloaded on iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch! Watch this video to see The Dark Knight App Edition in action! Read More...
Posted 2/15/11 7:00 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Recently, Apple launched their first subscription based app in the form of News Corp.’s The Daily. Now, it looks like they are bringing the same subscription service to any app that’s interested. Just like making an app purchase, developers and publishers will set the price for subscriptions and Apple will grab their 30% from each sale.
“Our philosophy is simple—when Apple brings a new subscriber to the app, Apple earns a 30 percent share; when the publisher brings an existing or new subscriber to the app, the publisher keeps 100 percent and Apple earns nothing,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “All we require is that, if a publisher is making a subscription offer outside of the app, the same (or better) offer be made inside the app, so that customers can easily subscribe with one-click right in the app. We believe that this innovative subscription service will provide publishers with a brand new opportunity to expand digital access to their content onto the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone, delighting both new and existing subscribers.”
You may remember Sony’s Reader app recently being rejected from the App Store, this is why. Sony wanted to take users out of the app into a browser (Safari) to make content purchases. Apple clearly didn’t like that idea because they don’t get their cut of the profits when it’s done that way. SO, now that Apple has their subscription service set up, we can definitely expect a second attempt from Sony. We’ll also be seeing a lot of new apps coming from this in the coming months. One that we have been talking about for awhile now is the BBC’s iPlayer. Now that Apple can make some cash off the BBC’s required subscription there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing the iPlayer and other subscription-based apps like it hitting the App Store very soon.
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Posted 2/14/11 12:41 pm EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, Tech
Apple has been on roll in rumor mill recently, just the other day we heard news that their iPad 2 is already in productionand could making it’s debut as early as April. Now, Bloomberg reports Apple has another trick up their sleeve, and it will come in the form of a smaller, cheaper iPhone.
The new “iPhone mini” as it is being referred to, will cut costs by using the same components found in current models rather than making use of new, expensive parts found in the rumored iPhone 5. According to Bloomberg’s sources, the main goal of releasing a smaller, more affordable device is to combat the growth of Google’s uber-popular Android platform. They claim the new pint-sized iPhone will be 1/3 smaller than the current model and does not feature the home button found on current devices. As far as price goes, these unnamed sources say the new iPhone would cost about $200, but it wouldn’t require customers to sign a service contract with a mobile carrier.
Bloomberg’s report also mentions a dual-mode iPhone that’s said to feature a new universal SIM card. The universal SIM would allow users to switch between different carriers at will depending on what services are available in whatever country they happen to be in.
Although their sources said they have seen prototype devices matching these descriptions, this is all just rumor and hearsay for now. Prototypes are exactly that -- just because one exists somewhere doesn’t mean it will be released to public anytime soon, or ever. Just like every other rumor, we’ll wait to hear Apple’s official word before we get too excited.
Would you switch to an iPhone if Apple came out with a less expensive model? What features do you think the iPhone would lose with smaller form factor? Scroll down to the comments and let us know what you think of all this crazy talk!
Related Posts:
Report Claims Apple's iPad 2 Is Currently In Production!
Water-Proof Your Tablet Or Smartphone With A Vacuum-Sealed Dry Case!
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Discuss this story in our Tech forums! Follow @MTVGeek on Twitter and be sure to "like" us onFacebook for the best geek news about comics, toys, gaming and more!
Posted 2/10/11 10:28 am EST by Don Hatfield in Apple, News, Tech
Rumors of Apple‘s next-generation iPad have been flooding the web for months and now, the Wall Street Journal reports a follow-up to the industry leading tablet is currently in production. They claim the iPad 2 will make its debut in the next few months and include features iPad users have been begging for since the launch of the original, back in April 2010.
The report, from February 10th, cites “people familiar with the matter” and claims Apple’s iPad 2 has begun production at the same Foxconn manufacturing facility that pumps out most of their devices. It will feature at least one camera for video-conferencing but, they don’t say anything about a camera on the back… hmmm. Unfortunately, they also claim the new tablet won’t be getting much of a screen upgrade but, it will be thinner and lighter than the previous model. Their sources also note the iPad sports more powerful graphics and increased memory for storing more videos, music and apps. Read More...