The numbers for App Store downloads are “jaw-dropping,” Apple CEO Tim Cook told the audience Tuesday at Apple’s special event. On the verge of the iPad mini’s official unveiling, over 275,000 iPad apps are available in the company’s app store. Overall, customers have downloaded 35 billion apps across all iOS platforms. Mr. Cook revealed that…
Jim Tanous
Articles by Jim Tanous
Third-Party Lightning Authentication Chips Begin to Appear
Image via BGR. The hardware authentication of Apple’s new Lightning interface has been broken, and third-party chips are starting to appear in Asia, according information and images obtained by Boy Genius Report Monday. The images of the purported third-party Lightning authentication chips support statements made two weeks ago by Chinese company iPhone5mod, which claimed it…
iOS App Sizes Increase as Device Capacities Remain the Same
The average iOS app increased in size by 16 percent, to 23 megabytes, between March and September of 2012, according to a report released Tuesday by technology research firm ABI Research. The release of the third generation iPad with its Retina display, which allows for far more detailed graphical elements in applications, and Apple’s decision…
Investigation Confirms Underaged Workers at Foxconn Facility
Underaged interns were found working in a Foxconn manufacturing facility, the company admitted after conducting an internal audit. An undisclosed number of workers, aged 14 to 16, worked on site for about three weeks before management took action, according to statements made by Foxconn to Bloomberg News. Labor rights organization China Labor Watch initially reported…
5th Gen iPod touch Benchmarks Reveal Slower A5 Processor
Now that the fifth generation iPod touch is reaching the hands of customers, some users have begun to post benchmarks. These benchmarks reveal that, while the iPod touch may share many physical characteristics with its iPhone 5 cousin, it falls far behind the iPhone in terms of performance. Japanese tech site Macotakara used the System…
iPhone 5 Virtual Keyboard Screen Flicker Plaguing Some Users
A screen flickering issue is affecting some iPhone 5 devices, according to a large and growing thread at Apple’s Support Communities. Some users report a distortion-like flicker on their screen, but only when the virtual keyboard is visible. First reports of the issue appeared as early as September 21, the launch day for the iPhone…
Angry Birds Star Wars Leaves Hyperspace on November 8
One of the most popular mobile games is about to meet one of the most popular film franchises of all time. Angry Birds Star Wars, first hinted at last week, will launch November 8 on iOS, Android, OS X, and Windows, the game’s trailer, released Monday, revealed. Created in 2009 by Finnish game studio Rovio…
Lightning Accessories to Remain Scarce as Apple Tightens Rules
Apple’s new Lightning interface for its iDevices may not easily reach the same level of robust third party support as its 30-pin Dock Connector predecessor. Sources speaking with iLounge Wednesday indicate that the Cupertino company is making significant changes to its “Made for iPad/iPhone/iPod” (MFi) policies that will make it more difficult for third parties…
Street View Returns to iOS as Part of Google Maps Web App
Street View is now available in most areas via the Google Maps Web app. The return of the popular feature, which was sacrificed for iOS users as Apple made the transition from Google’s mapping service to its own, will allay the fears of some iOS users who have struggled to find a suitable replacement since…
How to Use Spotlight & Launchpad for More Efficient OS X Search
Spotlight, the handy system-wide search tool first introduced in OS X 10.4 Tiger, is a quick and easy way for Mac users to find files and settings on their Mac. Many users have also come to rely on the feature to search for and launch applications, replacing the Dock and Finder. As Spotlight has gained…
Tim Cook: Apple Will Strive to Make Maps App World-Class
Apple CEO Tim Cook published an open letter to customers Friday, addressing concerns over the company’s new Maps application that was introduced as part of iOS 6. Mr. Cook reiterates the point that the service will improve over time as Apple receives corrections from users and internally updates data, but he suggests that alternative mapping…
Did Google’s Motorola Fake an Ad Critical of Apple’s Maps? Nope
Reports Thursday that Google's Motorola Mobility faked an advertisement comparing Google Maps to Apple's Maps app in an effort to artificially embarrass Cupertino’s new service are only partially correct. An examination of the issue shows that, while Motorola may have configured the comparison to act in its favor, the advertisement was a valid comparison, for…
Survey: iOS 6 User Satisfaction is Down for First Time
User satisfaction of Apple’s new iOS 6 mobile operating system is down slightly from that of iOS 5, according to a new poll conducted by mobile research firm On Device and revealed by TechCrunch Wednesday. The drop in satisfaction is small but notable as it represents the first time that iOS user satisfaction has decreased upon…
Sources Claim Apple is Seeking Carbon Fiber for Future Products
Many companies sell carbon fiber covers for current Apple products. Apple may be working on products made from carbon fiber, according to sources close to suppliers in Asia, Macotakara reported Wednesday [Google Translation]. The strong yet ultra-light material would allow the Cupertino company to continue its quest to reduce the weight and thickness of future…
Retina MacBook Pro: How to See All External Monitor Resolutions
Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display (rMBP) is a marvel of engineering and performance, but its unusually high resolution, 2880-by–1800, and the way that Apple scales it to lower “equivalent” resolutions means that the Cupertino company had to change the way that it presents resolution options to users. Instead of an extensive list of all…
Introducing the Mac Geek Gab App for iOS
The Mac Observer is pleased to introduce the new Mac Geek Gab iOS App! Available now from the App Store, the MGG App is the best way to listen to, and interact with, your two favorite geeks. All new and recent episodes, including Premium episodes for Premium subscribers, are available in a beautiful streamlined interface.…
Safari 6.0.1 Restores Access to Search-Specific Addresses
OS X 10.8.2, released last Wednesday, updated Apple’s Safari Web browser to version 6.0.1 and fixed an annoying issue introduced in the first version of Safari 6. Apple’s new unified search and address bar now allows users to access and copy the link of a Web search, giving users the option to save and share…
Final Builds of 10.8.2 and 10.7.5 Maintain OS X Battery Life
Earlier this month we conducted extensive testing on OS X battery life from Snow Leopard through the developer builds of Mountain Lion 10.8.2. The results of our tests showed that both Lion and Mountain Lion decreased battery life upon their release, with Mountain Lion notably causing a painful 30 percent reduction in running time that…
iPhone 5 Lines 83% Longer, 8M Sales Expected First Weekend
Lines for the launch of the iPhone 5 Friday contained 83 percent more customers compared to the launch of the iPhone 4S, according to Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. This increase in customer demand will lead to 8 million unit sales during the phone’s first weekend on the market. Customers in Glasgow, Scotland wait for…
Time for Irony: Apple Accused of Stealing Swiss Clock Design
Apple may soon be facing a legal challenge from the Swiss Federal Railway, SBB, for using a design nearly identical to that of the railway’s station clocks as part of the new Clock app for iPad in iOS 6, Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported Thursday [Google Translation]. The design of the clock is licensed by SBB…
Microsoft's New Office Subscription Model: Good for Some Users
Alongside the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft has announced a major shift in Office pricing and packages for small businesses and consumers. With Office 2013, slated for release in November, Microsoft is shifting its primary focus from traditional, “perpetual” licenses to a yearly subscription model. Depending on users’ individual usage models and needs, and Microsoft’s…
Virtual Teardown Estimates iPhone 5 Part Cost at $199
Prerelease iPhone 5 Parts Leak via Nowhereelse.fr Apple’s new iPhone 5, set for release this Friday, carries a bill of materials (BOM) of US$199 for the low end model, according to an analysis and virtual teardown by IHS iSuppli Tuesday. With an estimated $8 manufacturing cost, Apple’s total cost to build a 16 GB iPhone 5…
iPhone 5 Geekbench Results Show 150% Increase Over iPhone 4S
The iPhone 5 has over twice the overall processing performance of any previous iOS device, including the third generation iPad, according to Geekbench results revealed by Primate Labs Sunday. The results, if authentic, show that the iPhone 5 is powered by a dual-core ARMv7 processor with 1 GB of RAM. Despite the iPhone 5’s relatively…
iPhone 5 Lines Begin, But Not Everyone is There for a Phone
Continuing a trend dating back to the first iPhone, customers have begun lining up days early outside of high profile Apple Retail Stores for the launch of the iPhone 5. According to Fortune Tech, however, not all of the early arrivals are eager customers; many are there for promotional purposes, hoping to take advantage of…