Apple has poached an Amazon exec to take over its Siri department, according to a new report from AllThingsD’s Kara Swisher. The move brings William Stasor, a former AltaVista executive who was in charge of Amazon’s independent A9 retail search subsidiary to Cupertino, and indicates we’ll see Siri get some stronger search chops as a result, especially with regards to online retail. → Read More
Many of my Kickstarter dreams have come tumbling down in disappointing or non-shipping products, which isn’t a knock against the site; that’s a risk I fully accept and take with every project. But without a doubt, the Hidden Radio Bluetooth speaker was one I was really looking forward to. Now, I’ve spent some time with it, and I find myself with mixed feelings about this portable audio accessory. → Read More
Apple and Samsung depend heavily on one another, despite the fact that they’re also at each other’s throats in intellectual property legal disputes around the world. But Apple is looking to reduce Samsung’s role in the manufacturing and design side of its business, in a move that could have greater long-term repercussions for the Korean electronics giant than for the iPhone maker. → Read More
Rumors around the iPad mini are understandably reaching a fever pitch now that an announcement seems likely for Oct. 23, and a new one over the weekend claims to have a breakdown of iPad mini unit pricing. While it seems unlikely that Apple would release pricing info to retail partners ahead of a new product launch, it isn’t entirely unprecedented. But are the costs in line with Apple’s margins? → Read More
We’ve got some new and interesting numbers to share about iOS 6 adoption three weeks after launch, from a couple of different sources, both of which show users continue to update to the new mobile OS from Apple. There are also some interesting differences depending on region, with some countries lagging far behind the U.S. in terms of adoption and some surging far ahead. → Read More
It’s easy to forget that the iPod touch didn’t even include a camera until 2010. While such a key feature has been standard on the iPhone since its initial unveiling in 2007, Apple apparently didn’t think it was one of the must-have features of the touch. That changes this year.
With the new iPod touch (the fifth generation, for those keeping score at home), which was unveiled a few weeks ago… → Read More
Apple’s iPad mini event was rumored to be happening sometime around October 17, but this week brought no invite. Now, however, there’s a very good sign that we could see it on October 23, thanks to a report from AllThingsD and a confirmation from one of the best-connected bloggers in the Apple ecosystem. → Read More
Late last month Apple was accused of copying the design of the iconic 1940s Swiss Railway Station Clock owned by SBB (Swiss Federal Railways) for the clock design used in iOS 6. Now Cupertino has agreed to license the design from SBB “for use on devices like iPad and iPhone”. → Read More
It was inevitable. Smartphone displays have gone from a standard 4 inches to ~5-inches in a short time, and the truth is that phones can only get so big before being too big. And so, as the tide ebbs and flows, so do smartphone design trends, and it would appear that “small” displays are so in.
Now, to be perfectly clear, I have no problem with big phones like the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note… → Read More
I’ve not had great results when using Apple’s iOS 6 Maps app, in fact, my fiancee has banned me from using it completely after Siri tried to send us over a cliff. Clearly we didn’t follow the directions, which quickly recalculated. → Read More
After stating that a California district court “abused its discretion,” the U.S. Court Of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has officially reversed a previously-issued sales injunction on the Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Reuters reports.
This whole kerfuffle is centered on one particular patent — #8,086,604 to be specific — which deals with a pretty broadly-defined universal search mechanism. → Read More
A brand new iPod touch has ascended from the depths of Apple HQ, and as sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, iFixit has torn the thing apart with heat guns and spudgers. If you kindly recall Apple’s iPhone/iPod/iTunes announcement last month, you know that the fifth-gen iPod touch has quite the spec bump, but unfortunately is more difficult to repair than the fourth generation… → Read More
If iPods could dance, it would look a lot like this new commercial Apple has just posted to its website. The ad shows a plethora of colorful iPod touch, iPod nano, and iPod shuffles bouncing around.
In fact, the ad itself is called “Bounce.” → Read More
When Apple first announced the 5th-generation iPod touch, the only timeframe given for shipping was October. And here we are, receiving word that the first orders for the new iPod touch with a four-inch display have already begun shipping. → Read More
Following its story last week that suppliers to Apple had kicked off production of a smaller iPad — the so-called ‘iPad mini’ — the Wall Street Journal is now reporting Apple has ordered more than 10 million units for the fourth quarter of this year. The figure comes from Asian component suppliers to Apple — also the source of last week’s iPad mini story. → Read More
With Apple and Samsung still duking it out in the patent courtroom, a survey of U.S. consumers conducted by Morpace has taken a look at how the dispute is playing out among the gadget-buying public. Apple, it found, comes out pretty rosy, but ultimately the survey delivers some discouraging conclusions about where cases like these are taking the mobile industry overall. → Read More
Editor’s note: Scott Rafer is CEO of Lumatic, a company that believes Cities are Humanity’s Future so they must be easier to love.
Maps are really hard, but the industry aspects are even rougher than the technology. That’s why it’s time for mapping people to quit apologizing and go for the throat. → Read More
Because we just experienced the one-year anniversary of Steve Jobs’ passing, I began to think about how technology has impacted my life, and how different it is for today’s children. I thought about my first computer, what computing was like back then and what it’s like now. And it hit me: stories where people recount tales of their first computer will become something only the old people talk… → Read More
Plenty of digital ink has been spilled about the iPhone 5 camera’s occasional tendency to capture purple flares (even though it’s not an issue exclusive to Apple’s latest handheld), and Apple released an official response to the issue earlier today. The company’s advice? → Read More
Apple’s iOS 6 adoption got off to a quick start, but now, two weeks on, it looks like it may be evening out. New data from Chartboost today, covering the time between iOS 6′s launch and Wednesday, suggests that user uptake of Apple’s latest mobile OS might be levelling off after an initial rush. Adoption looks to be plateauing shy of 50 percent in the last week. → Read More
Some interesting new stats from a study shared with us by Russian consulting firm Empatika provide a picture of how some of the most popular apps in Apple’s App Store are reviewed, and what strategies seem to work best in securing positive feedback. App reviewers rating the top apps seem to want to share only positive things, and often, a review’s words don’t match its star rating. → Read More
The new iPod touch, with its 4-inch Retina Display and new multi-colored aluminum backs is reportedly preparing to ship out, reports claim. First, MacRumors reports that pre-order customers are seeing their order status turn to “Preparing for Shipment,” and separately, Macotakara reports that Apple will begin selling both the new touch and iPod nano starting October 9 in Japan. → Read More
Apple has posted a video on its homepage today, with footage of Steve Jobs over the years speaking at keynotes and Apple events, showing images of him and the products he created that changed the way we think about and use computers and mobile devices. The video begins with the famous Wayne Gretzky quote that defines Jobs’ career: “I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.” → Read More
A new patent application uncovered by AppleInsider today shows that Apple is working on ways to make hybrid headphones that work via both Bluetooth and a wired connection, and can switch seamlessly between the two. It’s a system designed to come in handy during physical activity, complete with the ability to recharge directly from the attached device. → Read More
Google has yet to publish a native Google Maps app for Apple’s iOS devices (although we hear it’s coming soon), but in the meantime it continues to beef up the experience on its iOS-focused web app, today adding its popular Street View functionality, which allows users to see actual images of a location or route. → Read More
Apple posted multiple job ads today, and one in particular is interesting given the company’s recent decisions. The posting is seeking an “SoC Modelling Architect / Lead,” or in the words of the job description, an individual who will be “at the center of a chip design effort interfacing with all disciplines, with a critical impact on getting functional products to millions of customers quickly.” → Read More
Apple’s iPad mini is now the subject of a bumper crop of fall rumors, and the stakes are higher now that the Wall Street Journal has chimed in with a report that production is underway on the smaller-sized tablet, and in fact began in September. Already this week we’ve also seen leaked parts in photographs, too, and word press invites could go out as early as next week. But what does it all mean? → Read More
Carlos Rosillo, the CEO of Bell & Ross, has built and maintained one of the most interesting and recognizable watch brands in the world. His watches – angular, dark, and designed for rough treatment – are an homage to the military watches of the past and he uses very specific materials in very specific ways to build watches that can withstand nearly anything.
In light of Apple’s claims that… → Read More
In a new piece today that cites multiple current and former Apple employees as sources, Bloomberg Businessweek asks the question of whether Apple’s maps fiasco would’ve happened under Steve Jobs. The report reveals that Jobs had “come to loathe” Google, not only for copying iOS, but also for “withholding” turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation from Google Maps on Apple’s mobile platform. → Read More
There are over 40,000 Apple retail employees out in the world, and if the rumors from MacRumors are true, at least some of them are working tirelessly to improve iOS 6 Maps.
If you’ve been living under a rock and perchance haven’t updated any of your Apple devices in the past few weeks, you may not be aware that Apple’s iOS 6 Maps are inaccurate enough and ugly enough for CEO Tim Cook to make… → Read More
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