News

The debate about web filtering, and what a government should be able to do to prevent child pornography, and children stumbling onto adult images, has been raging in the UK in recent days. Prime Minister David Cameron has said that he wants to make search engines and ISPs block images of child abuse and add filters.…

iPhone sales are up, iPad sales are down, and everyone is buying at the App Store. Apple brought in US$4.3 billion from iTunes sales during its third fiscal quarter, topping the $4.1 billion its retail stores brought in, and showing that despite what nay sayers may spout about Apple losing its luster, it's still the…

Apple's retail stores brought in US$4.1 billion during the company's third fiscal quarter for 2013 through its 408 stores around the world. That, along with customer traffic numbers, show shoppers are still seeking out the company's retail stores for their iPhone, iPad, and Mac purchases. Apple retail stores are still drawing in customers, add $4.1B…

Samsung announced its own developer conference for the end of October. The company said it will hold the event at the Westin St. Francis Union Square in San Francisco, though it's not yet clear what the conference will focus on. My question is, why? The company made the announcement by launching a website that would…

The Hone device attaches to your key or keychain and can be activated through a free iPad or iPhone app, activating a beep, letting you know where your key can be found. The device works within a 160 foot (49 m.) range.   A look at the size comparison of the Hone This device works…

Apple's support for business and government goes deeper than one might think. That's because Apple's business webpage is very hard to find. Scouring Apple's home page and site map won't reveal what you need. One might think of it as extraordinary stealth marketing. Once found, however, it's a gem. ____________________ The history here is that…

The Duracell PowerSnap Kit which provides backup power and wireless charging for the iPhone 5 works in concert with the Duracell Powermat charging hub to provide extended life for the iPhone 5 battery.  Each is sold separately. The Case & Battery The PowerSnap Kit includes an AccessCase which serves as the iPhone 5 case and a SnapBattery…

[Warning: This article includes profanity, as quoted from lawsuit documents – Editor] A lawsuit has been filed against Apple asking for damages because Apple didn't protect an idiot from porn. AboveTheLaw reported that a Nashville man named Chris Sevier is suing Apple for not installing filters on the company's Macs that would prevent him from…

So get this: there's a ceramic developed from a rare mineral that makes our smartphones and tablets touch-sensitive. The mineral used to make that substance is rare, and known sources could run out in the next ten years. According to GigaOM, the search for a replacement involves new nanomaterials developments. The mineral is indium, and…

Amazon is in the process of updating its Kindle Fire line of media tablets in time for the holidays. Citing unnamed sources, BGR reported that Amazon is planning on upping the specs and introducing new industrial design concepts to its tablets. Amazon's 2012 Kindle Fire Family (Kindle Fire HD 8.9″, Kindle Fire HD, Kindle Fire)…

“I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” — E.B. White There was a time, during the PC Wars, when Apple customers had a special passion for Macs. It was derived from the industrial design…

Japan's SoftBank cell service provider expects to complete its US$21.6 billion deal to buy 78 percent of Sprint on July 10, 2013. The deal was first announced last October and finally won FCC approval last Friday and originally included a 70 percent stake in Sprint. Sprint is creating a new company called New Sprint as…

Douglas Engelbart, the man who invented the computer mouse, died on Wednesday. Mr. Engelbart was 88 and died of kidney failure, according to The New York Times. Douglas Engelbart in 2008 Source: Published Under Wikimedia Creative Commons The mouse was first envisioned in the early 1960s, and it was shown to the world—or at least…

Apple is facing another patent infringement lawsuit, although this time it's from Boston University instead of a company. The University is alleging that the iPhone 5, iPad, and MacBook Air use a semiconductor it received a patent for in 1997, and is asking for a ban on selling some Apple products as well as a…

“It is not so important to be serious as it is to be serious about the important things. The monkey wears an expression of seriousness which would do credit to any college student, but the monkey is serious because he itches.” — Robert M. Hutchins ________________________________ It's our technical life and times. A surfeit of…

Steve Ballmer A Ballmerism Gone Mad Every once in awhile, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer outdoes himself with a doozy of what I call a Ballmerism. That's when he makes a statement that departs so far from known facts that we just shake our head and wonder who buys the nonsense. Recently, as reported by CNET,…

Staying on task while every distraction the Web has to offer is just a mouse click away might not be difficult for some of you, but for me it's a challenge. It's especially bad if you're a student or a knowledge worker whose office isn't shared with others who are also getting things done, so…

The ISO in-ear, active noise canceling Bluetooth stereo headphones from Antec Mobile Products weigh 24 grams, including the control unit. It includes a lapel clip, internal Lithium-ion battery and charging cable. While the sound is crisp, the noise cancellation is less than spectacular. The reasons to have a pair of headphones like this are many.…

You've heard it threatened for more than a year, and now it's here—the first Firefox OS-based “smartphone” will be released on Tuesday in Spain. The ZTE Open will be priced at €69 (roughly US$90), and that includes €30 (roughly $39) in pre-paid credit. Is this something Google and Apple should be concerned about? Yes and…

Mac Geek Gab listener Chad sent us a note on Friday with a joke. It's a funny one about Werner Heisenberg and Erwin Schrödinger, chock full of nerdy humor. Two physicists speeding in a car? What could go wrong, right? In any event, the joke: Heisenberg and Schrödinger are driving, and get pulled over. Heisenberg…

If you use the Terminal for troubleshooting, you probably know that you can press the Up Arrow key to see your recently used commands. At the prompt, you'll just keep tapping that key until you see the command you'd like to execute again, and then press Return. Apparently, that was the last command I used.…

The BtX350 wireless Bluetooth stereo speaker system from Kinivo streams music from Bluetooth-capable smartphones, tablets, and computers. It includes a Class-D amplifier, bass boost; and volume controls and forward/reverse buttons within easy reach of users. There are two drivers inside for stereo music. Kinivo BtX350 Wireless Bluetooth Speaker This unit is powered by a built-in…

Apple released iTunes U 1.3.1 for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch on Tuesday. The update for the iTunes U online course management app added a pull-to-refresh gesture for checking for course updates, and also fixed an issue related to updating course information. iTunes U makes course updates easier with pull-to-refresh gesture The version 1.3.1…

South Korean electronics giant Samsung is in talks with European Union regulators to settle patent abuse charges. The EU charged that Samsung violated EU antitrust rules when it tried to win injunctions against Apple using standards-essential patents. The European Commission launched its complaint against Samsung in December of 2012. Unnamed sources told Reuters that Samsung…