Author

Élyse Betters

Apple’s 20-megawatt solar farm near NC data center gets NCUC approval

Élyse Betters May 17 2012 - 9:54 am PT

The North Carolina Utilities Commission approved (PDF) Apple’s proposal to build a 20-megawatt solar farm today. Early filings suggested Apple aimed to position the farm by Nov. 1 across the street from its Maiden, N.C., date center, with operations starting Dec. 21. According to MacRumors, the official proposal filed on Feb. 15, and then it underwent to staff review, a public notice/comment session, and feedback from the State Clearinghouse. The NCUC officially approved the proposal on Monday and completed the certificate issuance Thursday:

The Public Staff presented this matter to the Commission at its Regular Staff Conference on May 14, 2012. The Public Staff recommended that the Commission approve the application and issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity for construction of a 20 MW solar photovoltaic electric generating facility to be located at 6028 Startown Road, Maiden, North Carolina.

After careful consideration, the Commission finds good cause to approve the application and issue the attached certificate of public convenience and necessity for the proposed 20 MW solar photovoltaic electric generating facility.

According to Reuters, Apple confirmed today that it is constructing two solar array installations in Maiden, with the potential to annually supply 84 million kWh of energy through streamlined solar cells and a state-of-the-art solar tracking system. A 5-megawatt fuel cell installation will support the solar farms, which will open later this year, powered-by 100 percent biogas. Apple also confirmed plans to construct a third biogas fuel-cell plant in 2012.

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Sprint to give $100 toward iPhone 4S during trade-in promo (Update)

Élyse Betters May 17 2012 - 8:46 am PT

UPDATE: Sprint confirmed the promotion today with an email to 9to5Mac:

Beginning today, May 18, for a limited time only, customers can bring in their current iPhone from any other carrier to a Sprint store (or online and telesales) and receive at least $100 off the purchase of a new iPhone 4S (excludes upgrades) with a new line of service and two year agreement. Below are the two ways people take advantage of this limited time offer:

Save in store:

Reserve your iPhone 4S online at www.sprint.com (excludes upgrades)

Bring your old iPhone with you to a Sprint store

Save $100 instantly when you activate a new line of service!

Save Online

Go to sprint.com/iPhone to buy your iPhone 4S through our online store and open a new line of service (excludes upgrades)

After you receive your new iPhone, visit sprint.com/buyback and click Trade in my device to receive a shipping label via email. (Note: If your Buyback value is less than $100, we’ll make up the difference with an additional account credit. You’ll need to activate your new phone by 7/3/12 and trade-in by 8/14/12.)

Receive a credit on your bill within 2 to 3 billing cycles. Your credit may be spilt into 2 payments. Please wait the full 3 month billing cycle to receive your full $100 credit.

TechnoBuffalo reported that an upcoming Sprint trade-in promotion will allegedly give existing iPhone owners at least $100 toward an iPhone 4S—if they sign a two-year contract and open a new line of service. The deal will supposedly run between May 18 and June 30:

If you’re an iPhone customer considering jumping ship to Sprint, the Now Network’s upcoming promo just might be enough to influence your decision. A trusted source has shared with us that starting on May 18th Sprint will begin offering a minimum of $100 on any iPhone trade-ins towards an iPhone 4S.

T-Mobile offered a similar deal earlier this month, where the carrier promised $200 trade-ins for any iPhone.

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Report: Retina MacBook displays to cost Apple more, but will it affect the customer?

Élyse Betters May 16 2012 - 11:08 am PT

9to5Mac first revealed that Apple is readying Retina displays for its computer lineup (MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs, and iMacs) that were previously only available to iOS devices, but new reports claim those high-resolution displays within the supply channel will debut on Apple’s notebooks at an increased cost.

According to DisplaySearch Senior Analyst Richard Shim (via CNET), the panels are becoming a “premium feature” that will cost the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company. The analyst further explained that including a 2,800-by-1,800-pixel display in the 15.4-inch MacBook pro would cost about $160. Apple currently spends $68 on its current models. Meanwhile, he said adding a 2,560-by-1,600-pixel display in the 13.3-inch model would cost $134, versus the current $69 expense.

According to CNET:

“What’s unclear is if consumers will end up paying more for the improvements. When Apple made the jump to Retina Displays in its iOS devices, the cost of the device stayed the same. The scale was a bit smaller though. For instance, according to a bill of materials from IHS iSuppli, the price of the third-generation iPad’s display was $87 versus the iPad 2’s $57, just a $30 difference.

As it stands, Apple already offers one such screen resolution upgrade on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, but customers need to pay for it. For $100 more, users can go from the 1440 by 900 pixel display to one that’s 1,680 by 1,050 pixels, or a 36 percent increase in the number of pixels.”

Whether or not the super-resolution displays cost more, it is highly unlikely that Apple will raise prices. As the publication noted above, adding Retina displays to the iPhone 4 and third-generation iPad, for example, did not increase Apple’s asking price.

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Samsung loses $10B market value due to Apple order rumor

Élyse Betters May 16 2012 - 8:30 am PT

Samsung’s shares dipped more than 6 percent yesterday, erasing $10 billion from the manufacturer’s market value, due to a rumor that claimed Apple ordered large amounts of chips with rebounding Japanese chipmaker Elpida.

According to Reuters, Taiwan tech website DigiTimes reported that the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company requested huge orders for dynamic random access memory chips with Elpida’s Hiroshima, Japan plant. Unnamed industry sources said the order fastened about 50 percent of the factory’s total chip production.

Samsung is the world’s foremost DRAM manufacturer, but its shares subsequently fell 6.2-percent to around $1,100 USD after the piping hot rumor circulated the blogosphere. The abrupt plunge is the stock’s 9-week low and sharpest daily fall in almost four years. SK Hynix is the second-largest memory chipmaker after Samsung, and its shares closed down 9 percent, which is a 20-week low and steepest slump in nine months.

Two things to note here:

1. Digitimes is about 20% right at best on its calls so their reporting is hardly a done deal

2. Anyone who follows Apple knows that a). they never only have one supplier – they choose multiple suppliers and b). they are shrewd negotiators and probably bought the RAM for just above cost which won’t yield much profit for Elipida.

Read the full story at 9to5Google.

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Time Warner Cable’s CEO is oblivious to AirPlay tech that will disrupt his industry

Élyse Betters May 14 2012 - 9:50 am PT

Time Warner Cable’s CEO Glenn A. Britt said in an interview on Friday that there is no simple way to stream Internet-based content to a television screen. Obviously, the top executive forgot about AirPlay—ya know, that little software tool included with Apple’s devices that is likely to disrupt the entire cable industry.

According to The New York Times:

“’I’m not sure I know what AirPlay is,’ he said, though he noted that he was an enthusiastic Apple customer. ‘Today we want to be on every screen. Today it’s a little bit clunky to get programming from the Internet onto the TV — not so hard to get it on your iPad. What’s hard is the plumbing, what wires do you connect, what device do you use. So the current Apple TV, the little thing, the hockey puck, really doesn’t do anything to help enable you to get Internet material on your TV.'”

Britt further noted that he hates set-top boxes and views smart TVs as a better method of viewing Internet video on a television, because they does not require an additional piece of hardware.

…Yeah.

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Intel plans to make chips Apple ‘can’t ignore,’ for iOS devices, says CEO [Video]

Élyse Betters May 14 2012 - 9:00 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV8Nhh6l_20]

Intel’s CEO Paul Otellini wants to make his company’s silicon “so compelling” that Apple will use it in iOS devices.

The chief made these comments during a Q&A session at Intel’s annual investor day in Santa Clara, Calif., Thursday. Otellini was frank when discussing Intel’s potential to manufacture chips that Apple cannot ignore (video clip above):

“Our job is to ensure our silicon is so compelling in terms of running the Mac better or being a better iPad device, such that as they [Apple] make those decisions they can’t ignore us.”

The full story is at Forbes, or watch more Intel 2012 Investor Meeting webcasts [here].

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Rumor: Foxconn exec says ‘iTV’ preparations are underway

Élyse Betters May 11 2012 - 7:16 am PT

A Foxconn executive allegedly claimed that his company is “making preparations” for an Apple television, but development and manufacturing has not begun. English-language daily newspaper China Daily (via How To Arena) quoted, well, summarized Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou on Friday:

Gou said Foxconn is making preparations for iTV, Apple Inc’s rumored upcoming high-definition television, although development or manufacturing has yet to begin.

iTV reportedly features an aluminum construction, Siri, and FaceTime video calling […]

Foxconn’s recent 50-50 joint venture factory with Sharp in Japan is one of the preparations made for the new device, Gou added.

The report refers to the device as “iTV,” which is a common name circulating for the Apple television set. Despite no official confirmation from Apple, rumors persist that the product is edging closer and could feature a host of appealing characteristics, such as the ones mentioned in the excerpt above.

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Apple to judge: Samsung intentionally ‘spoiled’ documents

Élyse Betters May 11 2012 - 5:27 am PT

Apple filed a motion in the Northern District of California on May 1 that claimed Samsung ruined documents it needed to submit for the discovery process in a “spoilation of evidence,” according to the legal jargon that described the act. NetworkWorld elaborated:

In effect, Apple wants the Judge to instruct the jury as follows:

1. Samsung had a duty to preserve relevant evidence, failed to do so, and acted in bad faith in failing to meet its legal duty.

2. The jury may infer that documents Samsung failed to produce would have been advantageous to Apple’s position.

3. If the jury finds Samsung liable for infringement, they may presume that the infringement was “intentional, willful, without regard to Apple’s rights.”

Apple’s motion doesn’t pull any punches, accusing Samsung of spoilating “vast quantities of relevant evidence in blatant disregard of its duty to preserve all such evidence.” Consequently, Apple writes that strong adverse inference instructions are required.

A hearing on Apple’s motion is scheduled for June 7, with Samsung’s reply brief due by May 15. However, Samsung said the claims are without merit, and it wants the due date extended to May 29. It is also seeking to have the matter’s hearing pushed to July 10, 2012, but Apple wasted no time and quickly filed a reply on May 7 that asked Samsung’s motion to be denied.

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RadioShack is offering $50 discount on iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S

Élyse Betters May 10 2012 - 4:19 pm PT

RadioShack is having a $50 discount sale on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S on all carriers until June 30. The deal is valid at every RadioShack location and can combine with trade-ins through the company’s Trade and Save program. Target is also offering a similar $50 price cut on the iOS smartphones. That means the 8GB iPhone 4 is $49, and the 16GB iPhone 4S is $149, etc., at both retail stores.

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Facial recognition app KLIK comes out of testing with v1.0, debuts filters and learning mode

Élyse Betters May 10 2012 - 9:47 am PT

Face.com’s facial recognition iPhone app, KLIK, just released version 1.0 today with filters and a new learning mode.

The app’s previous “testing” version, as Face.com’s co-founder and CEO Gil Hirsch described it to 9to5Mac exclusively, debuted in January. However, the latest flavor exhibits face-friendly filters akin to Instagram and improved recognition capabilities that also Facebook-tags people, while remembering those features for future occurrences in case the social network cannot (some Facebook users’ privacy settings do not allow for photo-tagging).

“We looked at the photos people were taking and chose filters suitable for people’s pictures,” explained Hirsch to 9to5Mac. “Our filters are face-friendly.”

Hirsch detailed how KLIK’s artistic filters compliment faces due to their subtle colors and saturations, while other apps’ filters are more generalized for pictures of animals or objects and are often too harsh. Meanwhile, the face-learning software not only tags friends in images, but it quickly trains itself to remember them. The team behind KLIK noticed Facebook users do a lot of uploading, but not much tagging, and that decreases the amount of sharing. Therefore, the facial recognition may not always be on par, but the app’s new learning mode quickly corrects this lapse.

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Google plans to copy Apple and develop Game Center-like app

Élyse Betters May 10 2012 - 8:00 am PT

Apple introduced Game Center, an online multiplayer social gaming network, in 2010 that allows app users to invite friends, start multiplayer games, track achievements, and compare scores on a leader board, and now reports claim that Google is looking to copy Apple by creating a similar system for Android.

While not naming any sources, Business Insider claimed Google is developing a native Android app similar to Game Center, but the publication detailed Apple’s offering as “an app on the iPhone that connects players in most of Apple’s iOS games.” However, that description is selling the network short. Game Center comes standard with the current iOS, and Apple announced in February that the service would soon integrate with Mountain Lion, which is set for a late summer 2012 release (image, above).

Google’s flavor will allegedly include a social-based achievement system, as well as a leader board. The similar client would poise Google as a legitimate contender in the exploding mobile games market. Developers who build Android games use a variety of third-party solutions, like the iOS-compatible OpenFeint, but Google wants to create its own native app in the wake of Apple’s popularity with gaming.

Read the full story at 9to5Google.

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Apple, Foxconn to share costs of improving factories

Élyse Betters May 10 2012 - 6:50 am PT

Apple plans to improve work conditions at its iPhone and iPad-assembling Chinese factories, and Foxconn executives announced today that it would share the initial price of that venture with the Cupertino, Calif.-based Company. According to Reuters:

Foxconn chief Terry Gou did not give a figure for the costs, but the group has been spending heavily to fight a perception its vast plants in China are sweatshops with poor conditions for its million-strong labor force. It regards the criticism as unfair.

‘We’ve discovered that this (improving factory conditions) is not a cost. It is a competitive strength,’ Gou told reporters on Thursday after the ground-breaking ceremony for a new China headquarters in Shanghai.

‘I believe Apple sees this as a competitive strength along with us, and so we will split the initial costs.’

It was unclear if the split would be 50/50 or in some other ratio.

Apple and Foxconn began bettering conditions for workers earlier this year by raising wages in mid-February from 16 percent to 25 percent, and then they hired thousands of new laborers the next month to reduce overtime in the factories.

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Facebook announces App Center for all platforms and devices

Élyse Betters May 9 2012 - 2:15 pm PT

Facebook just announced that it is launching a new App Center—but it is not just for Facebook apps.

9to5Mac reported for months that Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg and company were planning a web-based alternative store to Apple’s App Store and Android’s Google Play dubbed “Project Spartan.” Speculation said the project is a framework for apps that would use social hooks, while working inside of Facebook’s ecosystem.

It seems those reports are ringing true, because the highly-anticipated HTML 5-based App Center will give Facebook users access to iOS, Android, web, mobile web, and desktop apps. Interestingly, Facebook reiterated that it is not competing directly with Apple or Google, because the App Center will send users to both the iOS and Android platforms. For example: If you are visiting Facebook’s App Center on an iPhone, and then enter Words with Friends, or one of the many Facebook-compatible games, you will soon beam to that app’s App Store page for installation. The same holds true for Android users.

“In the coming weeks, people will be able to access the App Center on the web and in the iOS and Android Facebook apps. All canvas, mobile and web apps that follow the guidelines can be listed. All developers should start preparing today to make sure their app is included for the launch,” explained Software Engineer Aaron Brady in a Facebook Developer’s blog post.

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HP addresses Apple-like laptop design, tells fanboys it didn’t copy

Élyse Betters May 9 2012 - 7:57 am PT

HP’s Vice President of Industrial Design Stacy Wolff discussed his company’s current design philosophy in Shanghai today and claimed its laptop styles were developed by research centers across 11 different cities. Despite his anecdotes, Engadget said one journalist asked Wolff if he feared being sued, because the new Envy Spectre XT looks strikingly like Apple’s MacBook Air.

The V.P. simply replied:

“I would go back to the TC1000 [Tablet PC] from about 10 years, and that’s a tablet. I think if you look at the new Spectre XT, there are similarities in a way, not due to Apple but due to the way technologies developed. Apple may like to think that they own silver, but they don’t. In no way did HP try to mimic Apple. In life there are a lot of similarities.”

Oh, but it does not end there: Wolff even addressed fanboys’ reaction to HP’s Apple-esque design approach:

“Yeah, fanboys are wonderful, right? You guys gotta be my fanboys, come on. [Laughs] I think the big thing for me is that we’re doing what’s right for the customers, so one of the things is by going with the isolated island style of keyboard, there’s only so many ways to do it, right? If I put it on a black surface you’d go, ‘Oh you didn’t copy.’ If I put it on a silver surface, ‘Oh you’re copying.” How can that be? You know, it’s a change of color, there’s no intent to mimic or to follow. What you have is a common theme of island style keyboard, use of silver, wedge design. So if I measure things on a macro level, well, you know, maybe you can judge it that way. I don’t.”

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Apple’s nano-SIM design modified to ease concerns, standard decision looms

Élyse Betters May 9 2012 - 7:05 am PT

The Verge met with SIM manufacturer Giesecke & Devrient at the CTIA Wireless trade show to get an update on the 4FF standard, also known as the “nano-SIM,” which caused Apple and Nokia to duke it out in recent times. The firm is exhibiting Apple’s design at the show (above), a 3FF micro-SIM expansion that iOS users are familiar with, while none of Nokia’s competing design was present. When questioned if that suggested the company is going with Apple, G&D said, “We work with everybody,” and then elaborated:

The company tells [The Verge] that the ETSI vote on the 4FF standard that had been delayed back in March is actually now underway. Voting began for ETSI members in mid-April and wraps up in mid-May, mere days away. G&D is a voting member, though it wouldn’t tell [The Verge] which way it’s leaning — needless to say, the presence of Apple’s design here signals that they’ll almost certainly put their votes in that direction and away from Nokia’s more radical design that limits backward compatibility with micro-SIM and mini-SIM slots on older phones.

The delay in the vote had been due largely to Nokia’s vocal displeasure in Apple’s design, saying in March that Apple explicitly violated ETSI’s design guidelines for 4FF — guidelines that specified that a nano-SIM should be shaped in such a way that it would be difficult or impossible for a customer to accidentally jam it into a micro-SIM slot. G&D noted to [The Verge] that Apple’s design has now been modified: a small amount of plastic has been added around the edges of the electrical contacts, making the new nano-SIM just long enough so that it can’t be forced lengthwise into an incompatible socket. (The tradeoff, of course, is that the revised design is even less different than the micro-SIM it’s designed to replace, saving relatively little room inside the phone for other components.)

G&D also mentioned the micro-SIM took roughly five years before it introduced in the iPhone, but that same time frame is not expected now, because “adoption is being driven by a supplier […]we’ll see a product very soon after ratification.” Therefore, it is assumed we would see a nano-SIM in at least next year’s iPhone, as long as the ETSI passes the tech this month.

AT&T hints at family/data sharing plans on the horizon

Élyse Betters May 8 2012 - 7:32 am PT

AT&T’s variant of the family data plan is on the horizon.

The company’s CEO of Mobile Business Ralph de la Vega told CNET on the sidelines of the CTIA Wireless trade show that the upcoming shared plan would allow consumers to buy one package of data to split among multiple devices, which is a forward-thinking step that could encourage tablet sales.

“I’m very comfortable with the plan that will be offered to our customers,” revealed de la Vega.

Just a few months ago, the executive seemed to doubt family plans due to IT, billing, and device subsidization issues. He even remarked his goal to “get it right”— instead of unveiling the strategy prematurely.

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RIM announces new COO, CMO following anti-Apple ‘Wake Up’ reveal

Élyse Betters May 8 2012 - 6:45 am PT

[youtube=http://youtu.be/Ldq2tNLRDwA]

The big May 7 uncloaking that revealed Research in Motion is behind the seemingly anti-Apple “Wake Up” flash mob from last week occurred on schedule, but not too many people appeared to care as the steam from the confusing campaign already ran its quick course.

The “Wake Up. Be Bold” marketing scheme unveiled yesterday at wakeupbebold.com by BlackBerry Australia & New Zealand, and it included a Star Wars-like running script read aloud by a narrator prompting viewers and listeners to “Wake up.” Now, less than 24 hours after the brains behind the campaign came to light, RIM announced a newly appointed Chief Operating Officer and Chief Marketing Officer—Kristian Tear and Frank Boulben, respectively.

Tear joins RIM from Sony Mobile Communications, where he served as Executive Vice President, and Boulben is the former Executive Vice President of Strategy, Marketing, and Sales for LightSquared.

More information about the fledging company’s new executives is available in the presser [here].

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NPD: iOS plummets to 29 percent of total US smartphone sales in Q1

Élyse Betters May 7 2012 - 11:44 am PT

Apple’s iOS United States smartphone market share slide 12 percent in the year’s first quarter, which helped Google’s Android to capture nearly two-thirds of the market.

According to CNET, market research firm NPD Group placed Android’s U.S. market share at 61 percent, which is a dramatic gain from the holiday quarter’s 49 percent.

Meanwhile, Apple’s iOS slid from 41 percent in Q4 2011 to 29 percent in Q1 2012. It is assumed Apple’s October iPhone 4S launch boosted the holiday sales, but Android eventually reclaimed its Q3 2011 crown once the new year settled.

It is worth mentioning that advertising research company Neilsen measured the two smartphone OS manufacturers in March and placed Android at 49.5-percent and iOS at 32 percent for Q1 2012.

This article is cross-posted on 9to5Google.

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Amtrak ditches hole puncher for iPhone, new service tool scans tickets (Photos)

Élyse Betters May 7 2012 - 7:57 am PT

Government-owned railroad service Amtrak is set to use Apple’s iPhone and a new app as an electronic ticket scanner.

The New York Times reported that train conductors have been training to use the tech during select routes since November. The addition allows passengers to load a specific bar code on their smartphone screens that the conductor can scan for tracking purposes. Of course, passengers can still print their tickets per usual for Amtrak’s iPhones to scan.

Amtrak said 1,700 conductors would use the iPhone on routes across the country by late summer. The iOS device will come with a case containing an extra battery and a bar-code scanner. It will also come equipped with an app for scanning and indicating special conditions, such as whether passengers are disabled— and when and where they are departing— for coordinating a wheelchair lift. The app will even enable conductors to report the train’s mechanical failures.

The NYT article does not mention it, but 9to5Mac discovered mobile and emerging technologies developer Übermind claims to be the brain child behind the app’s shiny, new features. It’s website provided a few images (below) that depict what Amtrak described when detailing the iPhone’s case, battery, and app:

“Paper tickets are so 19th century. We ushered Amtrak’s conductors into the 21st century with our workforce automation solution. The bottom line for Amtrak: better customer service, better labor relations, and real-time business intelligence. Riders, taking the train just got fun again. [..] We worked with Amtrak to design and implement the engaging Digital Passport feature within Amtrak’s passenger iPhone app. With the personalized passport, riders can earn stamps for travel, share achievements to social networks, and view a map overlay of personal ridership stats. Train Masters, wanted.”

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Caught on camera: ‘iThief’ steals 100 iPads across Texas (Video)

Élyse Betters May 4 2012 - 1:02 pm PT

[vodpod id=Video.16465430&w=525&h=450&fv=allowFullScreen%3Dtrue%26bgcolor%3D%23000000%26autoPlay%3Dfalse%26screensLayer.startScreenOverId%3DstartScreen%26screensLayer.startScreenId%3DstartScreen%26]

O.K., here is another Walmart-based story: The retail giant’s asset protection team has captured an unidentified woman stealing iPads on surveillance video. Sure, theft is commonplace at the supercenter, but police said this woman has stolen roughly 100—or $57,000 worth of— iOS tablets.

According to ABC News’ Dallas-Fort Worth affiliate, WFAA:

She usually strikes in the early hours of the morning. Police say she does the same thing every time, leaving groceries at the counter and walking out of the store with two or three iPads. Her latest hit came last week at a Sherman Wal-Mart.

The video above shows how the Wally World thefts occur. The woman allegedly hit 36 cities in Texas, including 28 Wal-Mart stores and eight Targets. The crook’s dubious habits in the Lone Star state even earned her a new nickname: “The iThief.”

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SquareTrade now covers jailbroken iPhones

Élyse Betters May 4 2012 - 10:23 am PT

Third-party warranty firm SquareTrade now covers jailbroken iPhones, unlike Apple’s own AppleCare service program.

A jailbroken iPhone simply means it is freed from the limitations imposed by Apple for safety measures. It gives users extensive access to the internal system with options to install non-App Store third-party software. The procedure, however, voids Apple and carriers’ warranty offerings.

SquareTrade’s Vice President of Strategy Vince Tseng told 9to5Mac exclusively that jailbroken iPhones are eligible for coverage, but the firm does not cover issues that occur as a result of jailbreaking. When jailbreak-related software mishaps occur, Tseng said SquareTrade will only provide support options. Moreover, iPhones with jailbreak-related hardware mishaps are not eligible for coverage, and such situations will void any SquareTrade warranty.

The warranty offered through SquareTrade covers when a “techie” jailbreaks an iPhone, and then drops or breaks it. At that point, the coverage guarantees a replacement or repaired smartphone—depending on a user’s preference and case. The inclusive change affects both existing and new coverage holders.

“The warranty service is for all iOS devices,” Tseng further elaborated, “and it covers four claims, where as Apple only covers two claims.”

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Updated: Walmart iPhone sale was a mistake

Élyse Betters May 4 2012 - 9:13 am PT

.

UPDATE: Walmart just responded to 9to5Mac’s inquiry and said the retail chain “experienced a pricing error in limited stores” yesterday. The company spokesperson said the issue has been addressed and normal prices are now in effect: 16GB iPhone 4S for $188, iPhone 4 for $88, and iPhone 3GS for $0.97.

Cult of Mac reported that an Edmond, Okla., Walmart is offering the 16GB iPhone 4S for $114. The Verge followed-up the claim and reported an Austin, Texas Walmart store is providing the same deal; although, four other stores in the United States said the discounts are not in place.

The select stores are apparently selling the latest iOS smartphone at a $74 discount. Wal-Mart’s Web site lists the price of the iPhone 4S at $188, but the price comes with a “store pricing may vary” at select stores note. The 8GB iPhone 4 price tag is also cut by $34 at the two participating Walmart stores, according to the reports.

9to5Mac directly called 17 Wally World stores around the U.S., but we could not find similar deals offered at any of the stores. We also called the only two Walmarts in Edmond to confirm the reports. However, we were told the stories were wrong for the West Danforth Road store, because the iPhone 4S is still selling at its normal price.

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IDC: iPad’s all-purpose functionality allows it to trump content consumption Android devices

Élyse Betters May 3 2012 - 9:00 am PT

The iPad is more than just a content-yielding eReader, and consumers are finally making the distinction.

Analytics firm IDC released new data today illustrating Apple’s global tablet market share having increased dramatically from 2011’s holiday quarter. The firm accredited the iPad’s success to its all-purpose functionality that outshines Android devices’ content.

The iPad rose to 68 percent in Q1 2012 from 54.7-percent in Q4 2011. Apple’s 13.3-percent gain is attributed to the Kindle Fire’s staggering 12.8-percent drop to 4 percent in Q1 2012.

IDC’s Mobile Connected Devices Research Director Tom Mainelli explained the market share differences:

“Apple reasserted its dominance in the market this quarter, driving huge shipment totals at a time when all but a few Android vendors saw their numbers drop precipitously after posting big gains during the holiday buying season. […] Apple’s move to position the iPad as an all-purpose tablet, instead of just a content consumption device, is resonating with consumers as well as educational and commercial buyers. And its decision to keep a lower-priced iPad 2 in the market after it launched the new iPad in March seems to be paying off as well.”

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Amazon releases Cloud Drive desktop app for Mac and Windows

Élyse Betters May 2 2012 - 9:11 am PT

Amazon just launched its Cloud Drive app for Mac and Windows.

The Amazon Cloud service unveiled last year, but now users can play with the desktop app counterpart, rather than their browser, to manage files in the cloud. Folders and files can transfer in the background, but the service does not support syncing or a native desktop browsing client like Google Drive, Dropbox, SkyDrive, and SugarSync.

Cloud Drive offers all customers 5GB of free online storage with unlimited access from any computer. Additional storage plans start at 20GB and extend to 1,000 GB. Unlimited music space is currently available with any paid Cloud Drive storage plan for the duration of an existing plan term. Click here to start installing the free Mac app now.

The install is easy, as seen in the gallery below. There are a few ways to get a file or folder into Amazon’s Cloud once the app is installed: Just drag and drop to the new Cloud icon (looks similar to iCloud) in the Menu bar, or right-click/control-click on files and folders to see a new menu item that allows uploading.

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