News

Everyone knows what FaceTime is for: face to face communication. But what happens when you put an iPhone behind the eyepiece of an astronomical telescope and make a FaceTime call? Delightful, remote viewing of the moon and planets. ______________________ I have a friend, Michael Weasner, who is an amateur astronomer near Tucson, Arizona. On Sep…

Apple CEO Tim Cook joined Twitter and sent out his first tweet on Friday, September 20th. That was enough to start the Twitter ball rolling, and he already has more than 187,000 followers. That tweet Visited Retail Stores in Palo Alto today. Seeing so many happy customers reminds us of why we do what we…

It's always a guess on how much inventory Apple will have for an iPhone (or iPad) launch, but carriers are saying they will have little inventory for Apple's launch. One carrier source characterized inventory levels for launch day to AllThingsD as “grotesquely low.” Another carrier said it was extremely disappointed in Apple's inventory deliveries. Apple…

Apple's technology is everywhere, but a photograph of an iPad being used on the front lines in the civil war in Syria is garnering media attention. The photograph shows a member of the Free Syria Army using an iPad to eyeball-aim a mortar. The image comes from a Reuters story about Russian comments on forcing…

Twitter, Inc. announced on Thursday that the company has filed a confidential (i.e. secret) filing with the SEC to go public. The company has been valued at US$10 billion, but so far Twitter has not announced what kind of valuation it will shoot for in its initial public offering (IPO). Fittingly, Twitter made the announcement…

Just Mobile has added to its line of battery chargers with the introduction of the Gum++. This charger, which offers a 6000 mAh battery capacity, is encased in a glossy, “hard-wearing” ABS plastic shell and is available in black, silver and white. Gum++ battery charger The battery will recharge a smartphone up to three times on…

Apple is one of the major tech companies under huge pressure to reveal what it knew about the U.S. National Security Agency's PRISM spying program (as revealed by British newspaper The Guardian) and what information they handed over to the NSA and other security agencies. Despite all the assurances given by Apple, the introduction of…

I am thrilled today to welcome Many Tricks on board as this week's sponsor here at TMO, especially so because I get to tell you about Moom, their window-managment-enhancement software for OS X. Are you ever frustrated by how much effort it takes to get, say, your Safari window to just the right spot, only to close it…

Apple introduced space gray as the new black for the iPhone 5s on Tuesday, and the not-so-black black is making its way to the iPod lineup, too. The company quietly updated the color options for the iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod shuffle. Apple's iPod line, now available in space gray In addition to space…

Apple's dual media events—one in Cupertino and one in China—start on Tuesday. Most speculation has focused on what Apple will announce. The iPhone 5S and 5C? Yes. New Apple TV features? Likely. iTunes Radio? Duh. iOS 7? Double duh. A distribution deal with China Mobile and Japan's DoCoMo? Hopefully and maybe, in that order. Forget…

It's time for Microsoft to think differently. The company announced earlier this week that it was buying Nokia. That's certainly thinking differently, but Big Redmond needs to go much further. In today's unsolicited advice column for Microsoft's board of directors, I'm suggesting that Microsoft turn to Communist China for inspiration and become one company with…

There are few things lonelier than a bass player without a band. Guitar players can strum around a campfire, keyboard players are always sliding onto piano benches to entertain at parties (and what’s not to love about an instrument that doubles as a resting place for your drink?) And drummers — well, drummers look at…

Amazon announced an interesting and important program this week called Matchbook. This program allows customers who purchase some physical books to also download a Kindle Edition version of that book at a discount, or for free. This is the sort of thing I have long wanted physical book stores to offer to remain relevant in…

Samsung's new Galaxy Gear smartwatch may have had a longer life as a rumor than it will as a shipping product. Samsung jumped the gun to beat Apple to market with a serious contender in the smartwatch game, and the company made several compromised and a fatal flaw: the Galaxy Gear is a US$300 accessory.…

Samsung's Galaxy Gear, the smartwatch that has been rumored for about half as long as Apple's iWatch. The company announced it today, and the biggest thing I get from it is that it should have been called the Galaxy Fear. Samsung Galaxy Gear Smartwatch Specs and Features First, the low-down. It's a smartwatch. A ginormous…

A German Appeals Court has given back some of iCloud's functionality in the country by lifting an injunction blocking the email push delivery feature. The injunction was part of a Motorola patent infringement lawsuit that alleged the email push notification feature Apple offers iOS users relied on technologies that weren't properly licensed. Motorola Mail push…

The Earshots portable stereo speakers From Kubxlab, available in silver or red, are designed for use with mp3 players, mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops. The speakers measure 1.4 x 1.3-in (35 x 33-mm) and connect to your devices via a standard 3.5mm stereo cable for stereo sound. A stereo cable is included in the…

Apple has added a new online chat option for AppleCare support, as noted by CNet. The option allows you to get one of Apple's support staff in a text conversation right in your browser. Here's how to find it. If you visit Apple's Support page, you'll find lots of options for manuals, videos, downloads, tech…

Our culture has been, for a long time, immersed in war, weaponry, and computer-aided death, both in reality and in our entertainment. In the midst of that, Apple has come out with ads that remind us what we ought to be doing with our fabulous technology. One reaction to that has been dismay and derision.…

Apple released an update for Find My iPhone on Thursday that updated the app's icon, but also temporarily blocked access to its features unless you had an Apple Developer Account. The issue was fixed relatively quickly, but it highlighted why the soon to be released iOS 7 needs a way for users to prevent some…

I've been asking a basic question about Android for quite a while: what the heck are they doing with all those Android devices? Thanks to a couple of recent studies from Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), we're starting to get some color on that question. Lagging Usage At issue is the discrepancy between the gagillions…

Apple has hired a top executive from Levi Strauss and Co. to fill a position in its U.S. retail leadership ranks. Citing unnamed sources and a LinkedIn profile, 9to5Mac reported that Apple hired Enrique Atienza as a “top director” in its U.S. retail operations. His Facebook page also lists Apple as his employer. Mr. Atienza…

The Mac Observer's Chuck La Tournous and John F. Braun both hit the podcast circuit this week to talk about the controversy between open and closed tech ecosystems, how consumer apps fit in the iCloud world, the just released Steve Jobs biopic, and more. Chuck spent his time talking on The Mac Jury, and John…

We all know the story about how Apple disrupted the mobile phone market with the iPhone, but have you heard about the startup that wants to disrupt the bra industry using the iPhone? That's ThirdLove, a company using in-house imaging technology to turn two 2D, self-shot images of a woman's breasts to make a 3D…