Author

Jordan Kahn

Dir. Partnerships

9to5Mac / 9to5Google / 9to5Toys / Electrek.co / DroneDJ / SpaceExplored

Jordan manages the internal Partner Program for sponsorships and partnerships across the 9to5 network’s media brands including 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Electrek.co, SpaceExplored and DroneDJ.com.

Jordan also writes about all things Apple as a Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on 9to5Toys.com, and EV and solar news on Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series and makes music sometimes.

Contact Jordan with partnership inquiries and long-winded complaints:

Connect with Jordan Kahn

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Google Play Books for iOS updated with Single Sign-On support

Jordan Kahn Sep 16 2013 - 10:44 am PT

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Google has been adding Single Sign-On support to lots of its iOS apps in recent months, making it easier to sign into Google apps on their iPhone or iPad. With Single Sign-On, users can sign in once in any Google app supporting the feature and will automatically be signed into all the other apps. The idea is to eliminate having to sign-in multiple times to the same Google account for different apps. The latest app to get the update is Google Play Books, which was updated today to version 1.6.1 with support for Single Sign-On and copying selected text.

Google also recently added Single Sign-On support for its Chrome, YouTube, and AdSense iOS apps.

What’s New in Version 1.6.1

Added support for Google Single Sign-On, so that you only need to sign in once to access all of the Google apps on your device.
Added support for copying selected text, if copyright allows.
Stability improvements.

Grand Theft Auto V ‘iFruit’ companion app lets you customize in-game cars, train Chop the dog

Jordan Kahn Sep 16 2013 - 10:04 am PT

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Rockstar has released an official iOS companion app today for the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto V console title set for release tomorrow. The app, called Grand Theft Auto: iFruit, will let users stay up to date on the latest GTA news, launch other Rockstar Games apps, and sign in to the Rockstar Games Social Club. However, perhaps the most notable feature of the app is the ability to customize vehicles that will be used in the game:

Also choose from paint jobs, window tints, smoke colors, wheels, hoods and spoilers. Upgrade your engine, brakes, exhaust, suspension, and accessorize with new lights, horns, tires and body armor. Place your order on-the-go and find it waiting for you in the garage the next time you play Grand Theft Auto V, or send your order in while playing and get a call from your local mechanic to swing by. You can even create and reserve custom license plates for both Grand Theft Auto V and Grand Theft Auto Online – order your personalized plates before they’re gone!

GTA-iFruit-03 The app also includes “Chop the Dog”, a virtual pet game that can change the way Chop acts towards the character Franklin in the full console title:

Looking after Chop successfully is reflected in his behavior in Grand Theft Auto V in a number of ways:

•He will be more helpful and responsive to Franklin
•He will perform tricks such as sitting, begging and giving paw if properly trained through the app
•He will sniff out the nearest hidden items when the player takes him for a walk
•Earn enough credits through walks and proper caretaking and exchange them for new collars for Chop

The free Grand Theft Auto: iFruit app is available on the App Store now. If you’re wondering about the name, ‘iFruit’ is what Rockstar calls iPhones in the GTA game world.

Nokia’s new camera-phones cost the same $29 as Apple’s iPhone 5c ‘Crocs’ CASE

Jordan Kahn Sep 16 2013 - 7:43 am PT

10 Comments

Nokia-108-jpg

While everyone was expecting Apple to introduce its new colourful iPhone 5c as a “lower-cost” option, Nokia today announced a truly low-cost device with its new $29 Nokia 108.

Compare that with the $29 Apple is charging for just the case-– the one no one seems to like— for its low-cost offering. iLounge got theirs a little early and described it:

The silicone rubber case is lined with microfiber on the inside, and includes Sleep/Wake and volume button protection. It’s quite light, with the empty space left by a 5 x 7 grid of 5/16″ holes helping to keep the weight down, while also oddly exposing only portions of the iPhone 5c’s rear labeling.

Nokia’s camera phone does calls, text, video capture, and also includes an up to 32GB of memory, an MP3 player, FM radio, Snake the game, and battery life up to 31 days on standby. It also has colourful red, white, black, yellow and cyan back plates that can be removed and swapped for other colors.

As Benedict Evan’s wrote a few days ago, the disparity in what Apple and Nokia can get for their wares is quite striking.
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iPhone 5c shipping times slip to October 4 for some models

Jordan Kahn Sep 16 2013 - 6:05 am PT

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Screen Shot 2013-09-16 at 8.56.58 AM

Update: Apple appears to have changed shipping times once again since we originally posted this article. The blue and green unlocked 16GB models are now listed as shipping by September 25 alongside the white, pink & yellow models.

Update 2: Now including 32GB models, all unlocked, non-T-Mobile iPhone 5c units shipping Sep. 25.

After opening up preorders for the iPhone 5c through its online stores and a number of carrier and retail partners three days ago, Apple is beginning to sell out of several models and continuing to push back shipping times.

We reported last week that the unlocked 16GB version of the yellow iPhone 5c was the first to sellout with shipping times slipping to September 25, and all models of the new colourful iPhone were shipping in 1-2 weeks through Apple’s Hong Kong website. Today shipping times on several models in the U.S. have slipped from the expected Sept 20 release date to as late as October 4th.
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Apple looking to hire engineers with solar experience to work on mobile devices

Jordan Kahn Sep 13 2013 - 2:39 pm PT

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Battery life phil schiller

Update: Apple has removed the job listing from its website, but we grabbed a screenshot below.

Apple appears to be investigating the use of thin film solar technology for future mobile products with a new job listing on the company’s website looking to hire an engineer with experience in the solar industry. The thin films engineer would join Apple’s Mobile Devices group and “assist in the development and refinement of thin films technologies applicable to electronic systems.” The job listing adds some proof to rumors in recent years that Apple was evaluating the use of solar panels for future products.

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Unlocked 16GB Yellow iPhone 5c is first to sell out, available to ship by 9/25 (Update: 1-2 weeks in Hong Kong)

Jordan Kahn Sep 13 2013 - 7:33 am PT

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We have our first sellout!

Following pre-orders going live today for Apple’s new iPhone 5c, shipping times for the yellow, unlocked model of the device have just slipped from the expected delivery date of September 20 to “available to ship by 9/25.” That’s only for the 16GB model of the device, as all other colors and models are currently still listed as arriving by the previously announced Sept. 20 release date.

The device is also currently listed as shipping in 1-2 weeks on Apple’s Hong Kong website and in Canada all models and colors of the iPhone 5c are shipping between Sept. 20 and Sept. 24.

Apple is currently accepting preorders for the new iPhone 5c in the US, UK, Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, and Singapore, and previously announced that the device would begin shipping alongside the new iPhone 5s later this month on September 20. Apple is still listing a delivery date of Sept. 20 in all other launch countries for the iPhone 5c, but we’ll keep you updated if shipping times slip in other countries.

Other than Apple, a number of its carrier and retail partners are also accepting for preorders for the iPhone 5c starting today, but Apple isn’t making preorders available for the iPhone 5s before its release.

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Facebook testing silent, auto-playing videos in News Feed for its mobile apps

Jordan Kahn Sep 12 2013 - 2:25 pm PT

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Facebook announced today that its beginning to test auto-playing videos in News Feed for its mobile apps. Videos in the News Feed will automatically begin playing as users scroll, but they’ll be silent until users tap to switch to a full-screen view with sound:

Today we’re starting to test an easier way to watch videos on Facebook. Now when you see a video in News Feed, it comes to life and starts playing. Videos initially play silently, and if you want you can tap to play with sound in full screen. Scroll past if you don’t want to watch.

It didn’t mention specific platforms, but did post the image of its iOS app above. Facebook’s Instagram app, which implemented new Vine-like video features back in June, already auto-plays videos by default as users scroll.

The company’s blog post notes that the silent, auto-playing videos in Facebook will include videos posted by individuals, musicians, and bands initially, but it does have plans to “explore how to bring this to marketers in the future.”

The new feature will be rolling out as a limited test in the coming weeks through its mobile apps and “continue to roll out over time.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iCH9ReoH_I

T-Mobile offering $0 down on iPhone 5c, $99 down on iPhone 5s with monthly installment plan

Jordan Kahn Sep 12 2013 - 12:26 pm PT

4 Comments

Following announcements from Walmart, Radioshack and others, T-Mobile is the latest to announce availability of Apple’s recently unveiled iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. We already know the two devices will be landing on all of Apple’s major US carrier partners (as well as in a handful of other countries on Sept. 20, and T-Mobile confirmed today it will be kicking off preorders for the 5c on September 13, the preorder date previously announced by Apple. The real news here is that T-Mobile’s new Uncarrier plans mean that the iPhone 5c will sell for $0 down with the $528 price tag paid through 24 monthly installments of $22. It will also offer the iPhone 5s for $99 down and 24 monthly payments of $22.91 to make up the $649 retail price.

As a reminder, Apple and most of its partner will sell the new iPhone 5s for $199 on contract and the new iPhone 5c for $99 on contract (for the 16GB models). T-Mobile’s full retail price works about to around the same as Apple’s, but it’s 5c price is a little lower than the $549 Apple is listing. That doesn’t mean we won’t see lower prices on the device at launch. Walmart already announced that it will soon begin accepting preorders for the 5c at $79 on contract and the 5s at $189.

Apple’s new iPhones will also become available in Australia, China, Canada, Germany, France, Singapore, the UK, and Japan later this month on September 20.

Chrome for iOS adds faster search results, data cost savings features & voice search pronoun support

Jordan Kahn Sep 12 2013 - 12:12 pm PT

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Image (1) chrome-a_512.png for post 72530 Google is rolling out an updated version of its iOS app for iPhone and iPad today that brings a few new features including faster search results. Google says after clicking back in Chrome to return to a search results page results will now “instantly appear, ready for you to choose the next one.”

The update also adds data cost savings features, rolling out to all users shortly, that provides a view of data savings in Bandwidth Management settings. Also new is voice search pronounce support:

Try queries like: “Who is the president of the United States?” followed by “Who is his wife?”

The updated version of Chrome for iOS also includes improvements to Single Sign On for other Google Apps, bug fixes, and other performance and security improvements.

iPhone 5s/5c launch lots of parodies but who will be laughing last?

Jordan Kahn Sep 12 2013 - 9:03 am PT

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Apple parody videos are nothing new, but they often highlight how normal consumers look at new product launches and in many cases beyond upgraded internals to more superficial features like hardware design. Apple’s new colourful iPhone 5c lineup seems to be getting somewhat overshadowed by the new gold color option for the iPhone 5s, but its new iPhone 5c cases are also receiving a less than great response, mostly due to their appearance to crocs and lack of attention to detail. Head below to check out some of the other parody videos that have hit the web since Apple’s new iPhone announcements.
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Readdle releases ‘Calendars 5’ w/ new design for iOS 7, natural language input & much more

Jordan Kahn Sep 12 2013 - 7:06 am PT

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Developer Readdle has officially released the latest version of its popular Calendars app, which appears to be replacing the paid Calendars+ app that it rolled out back in May. Calendars 5 for iPhone and iPad introduces a new interface that focuses on upcoming events and a new look and feel designed specifically for iOS 7. It also adds new features including additional view modes, full offline support, natural language input for quickly creating events (much like Fantastical), and a new powerful task manager that syncs with iOS reminders.

Calendars 5 is available now on the App Store for an introductory price of $4.99 and Readdle’s free Calendar app also remains available.

A full list of what’s new in Calendars 5 is below:

What’s new:

1. Natural language event processing.

It’s the most natural way to enter an event. Everybody can understand and use it. But you can create events in Day view by tapping and holding, some might find that faster and more natural. Just try it yourself since we support it as well.

2. Clean UI focused on YOUR events.

There are no colorful bars or buttons in the elements of Calendars+5. The only elements in color on the screen are your events or buttons that need your attention. iOS 7 design philosophy is in its essence.

3. All complexity is hidden.

When you create an event in iOS calendar you see a 12-fields-dialog that confuses and disorients you. In Calendars+5 you have a single field to start with. The rest will unfold as you need it.

4. No compromises, you have ‘Day, Week, Month and List’ views of your events.

Depending on the situation you might need to see a different perspective of your schedule. We designed the best possible representation of your Day, Week and Month for the small iPhone screen.

5. Integrated task manager – syncs with iOS reminders.

Tasks and events should live in the same application while you may want to see all your tasks in your calendar when needed. At the same time a task manager should be first-class product and support everything you might ever need to successfully control your undertakings. I think we’ve done just that. And yes, you can sync your iOS reminders with the task manager in Calendars

6. Great for power users.

I know that till now I’ve been advocating for a perfect calendar for an ordinary person. But I hate compromises and I wanted to provide a remarkable tool for power users too, especially since our CEO is exactly this kind of person. Appointments, locations, notes and calendars with 10 000 events are something that you can easily manage with Calendars+ 5.

Moreover, you can create and events like “Do something every second month of the year on weekdays of the 1st, 2nd and last week”. Calendars+ 5 is the only iOS application that allows you to create custom recurring events.

7. First-class iPad app.

Calendars+ 5 is the first smart calendar for the iPad, since all other great calendar applications are for the iPhone only. I don’t get it because the iPad’s large screen is great for viewing your Weekly or Monthly schedule and enables richer interaction with events.

8. Transparent information sync between iPhone and iPad.

Your tasks and events are synced seamlessly in the background between all your devices. It just works, period.

Adobe Revel cloud service gets updated iOS app with support for video

Jordan Kahn Sep 12 2013 - 6:20 am PT

1 Comment

A Adobe-Revel dobe has updated its Adobe Revel app today, which allows users to store and access photos and videos in the cloud and sync across Mac, PC, and iOS devices. Previously only available for photos, Adobe has updated its iPhone and iPad apps today to include support for uploading, watching, and sharing videos with the service.

The Adobe Revel service provides unlimited uploads for the first 30 days for free, and 50 photos every month after that. Adobe didn’t specify if the same limits will apply to videos, but upgrading to Revel Premium for $5.99/month will provide unlimited photo and video imports.

In other app news, Apple appears to have started accepting apps compiled with the iOS 7 SDK. We noticed one of the first– Local Cloud Pro— has been updated today with full iOS 7 support including iOS 7’s Dynamic Type and other new features.

Gogo announces new Ground to Orbit network to bring 60 Mbps internet to US flights next year

Jordan Kahn Sep 11 2013 - 2:55 pm PT

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GOGO LOGO

Inlfight internet service Gogo announced today that it plans to bring new technology to partner airlines in the US that will provide more than 60 Mbps starting with Virgin America flights in the second half of next year. Dubbed “Gogo GTO” or “Ground to Orbit,” the new service offers a 20-fold increase in speeds up from the peak 9.8Mbps delivered through Gogo’s current network.

“Because we are a Silicon Valley-based airline, Virgin America guests expect a fully connected in–flight experience that enables them to remain productive even at 35,000 feet,” said President and CEO of Virgin America David Cush. “We were proud to be the first to offer Gogo’s ATG-4 product last year and we are pleased to be the launch partner for GTO, which will be another leap forward in terms of speed and performance of in–flight Wi-Fi for our guests.”

Gogo will first have to get FAA approval before rolling out next year. But when it does, this is how it will work:

Gogo will be utilizing a Ku antenna developed specifically for receive only functionality. The advantages of using satellite for reception only and Gogo’s ATG Network for the return link are unprecedented. Existing two-way satellite antennas in the commercial aviation market have limited power for transmissions so they don’t interfere with other satellites. This dynamic makes the connection from the aircraft to the ground using two-way satellite an inefficient and expensive return link compared to Gogo’s ATG Network. Gogo’s receive only antenna will be two times more spectrally efficient and half the height of other antennas in the commercial aviation market. The low profile of the antenna will result in much less drag and therefore fuel burn on the aircraft and, ultimately, greater operational efficiencies for airlines.

The best iPhone 5c (and iPhone 5s) cases already available online

Jordan Kahn Sep 11 2013 - 12:15 pm PT

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A small surprise yesterday during Apple’s introduction of the new iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s was the launch of new cases for the devices. The iPhone 5s gets a new leather case in six colors, and the 5c gets colourful silicone cases with small circular cutouts meant to show off the iPhone’s color underneath. The silicone 5c cases don’t seem to be getting the best response following yesterday’s unveiling, but the good news is there are already several reputable case manufacturers with cases available for both the iPhone 5c and 5s.

Screen Shot 2013-09-11 at 2.39.53 PM The biggest complaint (apart from comparisons to crocs) seems to be lack of attention to detail, highlighted best in the image of the “iPhone” text to the right. If Apple’s new cases won’t cut it, below we’ve put together a roundup of the best cases from around the web that are already available to order and coming soon for the launch of the device later this month.
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Microsoft/Nokia already attacking Apple’s new iPhone 5s & 5c

Jordan Kahn Sep 10 2013 - 2:11 pm PT

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5 things Apple didn’t announce today http://t.co/1X8WYrGm2H It’s #timetoswitch to the #WindowsPhone Lumia 1020 w/ 41 MP & reinvented zoom.

— Lumia (@Lumia) September 10, 2013

Following today’s iPhone event where Apple unveiled its new colourful “lower-cost” iPhone 5c and the gold iPhone 5s with built-in fingerprint sensor, the competition is already weighing in on what it thinks about Apple’s upgraded smartphone lineup. Microsoft’s Windows Phone Twitter account sent out the tweet above with the headline “5 things Apple didn’t announce today” while promoting Nokia’s Lumia 1020’s 41MP camera.

So what are the five things Apple didn’t announce according to Microsoft? The company’s link takes us to an image of the Lumia 1020 highlighting some of the device’s features including the 4.5-inch AMOLED display, the ability to personalize the device’s start screen, a 41 megapixel sensor with a “reinvented zoom,” and the Nokia Pro Cam to “control shutter speed, focus, and white balance.” While Apple’s new iPhone 5s includes the same 8 megapixel camera as the iPhone 5, Apple has made some major improvements with the addition of a a dual LED true tone flash, a new five-element lens designed by Apple, a F2.2 aperture, a sensor with a 15 percent larger active area, auto stabilization, and bigger 1.5 micron pixels. It’s also added a burst mode that will continuously take photos a rate of 10fps, and the 120fps slow mo mode. The new flash specifically is meant to improve photos taken in low lightning conditions, something Nokia has focused on in past parody ads attacking the iPhone.

Microsoft isn’t the only one commenting on today’s announcement, as Nokia’s own account also sent out the tweet below noting that it did smartphones in various colors before the new iPhone 5c and joking that “Real gangsters don’t use gold phones.”

https://twitter.com/nokia_uk/status/377483408043036672/

While Apple did pack some big shiny new hardware features into the iPhone 5s with a fingerprint scanner, much faster A7 processor, and the new “M7” motion co-processor chip, it’s yet to be seen if Apple’s upgrade will be viewed as a minor refresh by the average consumer. One thing is for sure, Apple’s competition will definitely be focusing on the fact that today’s iPhone upgrades did not include a higher megapixel camera or larger display.

Screen sizes, speed, and stunning snapshots. Those are our 5 S’s. See why it’s #timetoswitch to #WindowsPhone http://t.co/bMMiS3mv7S

— Lumia (@Lumia) September 10, 2013

https://twitter.com/nokia_uk/status/377488875075035136

AAPL Company

Apple continuing to sell the iPhone 4 in China

Jordan Kahn Sep 10 2013 - 1:34 pm PT

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Screen Shot 2013-09-10 at 4.33.05 PM

With the introduction of Apple’s new lower-cost iPhone 5c starting at $99 and its new iPhone 5s, Apple announced today that it would continue selling the iPhone 4S for $0 on contract. While the iPhone 5c is expected to be a big hit in emerging markets, it appears that Apple will also continue to sell the iPhone 4 in China. As of right now the company is continuing to offer the device on its Chinese website, although Apple has not made an official announcement regarding continued availability of the iPhone 4. Like in other countries, Apple is also continuing to sell the iPhone 4S in China.

The 8GB model of the iPhone 4 is currently selling for RMB 2,588 (approximately $420 US) in the country. That compares to RMB 3,288 ($540) for the iPhone 4S, RMB 4,488 ($800) for the 16GB model iPhone 5c, and RMB 5,288 ($865) for the 16GB model of the iPhone 5c.

Apple brings iPhone 5s & 5c to Japan’s NTT DOCOMO, consolidates models with more LTE bands

Jordan Kahn Sep 10 2013 - 1:30 pm PT

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As rumored leading up to today’s event, Apple announced today that it has struck a deal with NTT DOCOMO to bring its new iPhone lineup to Japan’s largest carrier when the device launches in multiple countries later this month. On September 20th the iPhone will launch on the carrier for the first time and Apple will also launch a single model of the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s in Japan for KDDI and Softbank. Thanks to an increase to 13 LTE bands with the new iPhone 5s and 5c— which Apple says is more than any other smartphone– it will also be able to consolidate various models of iPhones for multiple carriers in other countries.

More LTE bands means that Apple will now be offering a single iPhone 5s and 5c model for AT&T and Verizon in the US (Sprint will still get its own model), while customers in the UK will be able to use a single iPhone model for EE, Vodafone, and Three’s upcoming LTE network. Apple will also have an TD-LTE compatible version of the new iPhones, but rumors of a deal with the world’s largest telecom, China Mobile, have not yet been confirmed.

Apple does plan to launch the new iPhones in China on September 20th alongside launches in the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Singapore, UK, and Japan.

NTT DOCOMO & Apple Team Up to Offer iPhone in Japan on Friday, September 20

TOKYO and CUPERTINO, California—September 10, 2013—NTT DOCOMO and Apple® today announced that iPhone® 5s, the most forward-thinking smartphone in the world, and iPhone 5c, the most colorful iPhone yet, will be available on the DOCOMO network beginning on Friday, September 20. iPhone 5s features an all-new A7 chip, making iPhone 5s the world’s first smartphone with 64-bit desktop-class architecture for blazing fast performance, an all-new 8 megapixel iSight® camera and introduces Touch ID™, an innovative way to simply and securely unlock your iPhone. iPhone 5c features an all-new design, packed with incredible features that people know and love, in five gorgeous colors—blue, green, pink, yellow and white.

“We’re thrilled to offer the incredible new iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c to our customers,” said Kaoru Kato, President and CEO of NTT DOCOMO, Inc. “We know our customers will enjoy the amazing experience of iPhone on DOCOMO’s high-quality network.”

“NTT DOCOMO has built an impressive network, the largest in the nation with over 60 million customers,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “We’ve enjoyed tremendous success with iPhone in Japan, in fact it’s the top selling smartphone in the country, and we look forward to delivering iPhone into even more customers’ hands through NTT DOCOMO.”

With the launch of the new iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iOS 7, Apple is ushering in the next generation of mobile computing, delivering an incredible new hardware and software experience that only Apple could create. iPhone 5s redefines the best smartphone experience in the world with amazing new features all packed into a remarkable thin and light design, including the Apple-designed A7 64-bit chip, all-new 8 megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash and introducing Touch ID, an innovative way to simply and securely unlock your phone with just the touch of a finger. iPhone 5c features an all new-design, packed with features people know and love like the beautiful 4-inch Retina® display, blazing fast performance of the A6 chip, and the 8 megapixel iSight camera—all while delivering great battery life.¹ iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c both offer more LTE bands² than any other smartphone in the world and include all-new FaceTime® HD cameras.

iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c feature iOS 7, the most significant iOS update since the original iPhone, featuring a stunning new user interface, completely redesigned with an elegant color palette, distinct, functional layers and subtle motion that make it feel more alive. iOS 7 has hundreds of great new features, including Control Center, Notification Center, improved Multitasking, AirDrop®, enhanced Photos, Safari®, Siri® and introduces iTunes Radio℠, a free Internet radio service based on the music you listen to on iTunes.³

Beginning on Friday, September 13, customers can pre-order iPhone 5c at DOCOMO dealers⁴ and the first 30,000 docomo Premier Club Premier Stage⁵ customers can pre-order from DOCOMO’s website.⁶

Apple officially unveils the next-gen ‘iPhone 5S’ w/ fingerprint sensor & new gold color option

Jordan Kahn Sep 10 2013 - 10:35 am PT

20 Comments

As we were expecting, Apple just officially announced its new iPhone 5S live on stage during its event taking place now on the company’s Cupertino campus. The new iPhone 5S largely retains the same glass and aluminum design as Apple’s previous generation iPhone, but it does include upgraded internals, and a new gold color option and fingerprint sensor that we previously reported. The new iPhone 5S comes alongside the announcement of Apple’s much rumored lower-cost, plastic iPhone 5C unveiled during the event earlier today.

The iPhone 5s includes a new A7 chip, which Apple notes is the first 64-bit chip in a smartphone, something we reported previously that the company was testing. Apple says the new chip includes 2x general-purpose registers, 2x floating-point registers, and includes over 1 billion transistors on a 102mm2 die size. A7 makes the iPhone 5s over twice as fast in terms of speed, according to Apple, and also provides a 40x increase in CPU performance and 56X faster graphics. The new iPhone 5s hardware will also support Open GL/ES 3.0 and will still support 32 bit apps.

TouchID-iPhone5S-fingerprint-sensor-01 Apple is also including a fingerprint sensor in the new iPhone 5s for a new security feature dubbed “Touch ID.” Embedded into the home button, the Touch ID capacitive sensor is 170 microns thin and will not only allow users to unlock their device, but also authenticate iTunes purchases. Apple says that all fingerprints will be encrypted, stored securely and never uploaded to iCloud or its own servers. It also noted the fingerprint sensor will be able to support multiple fingerprints with the same device

The new iPhone 5s also include a new motion co-processor called the “M7” that Apple says works alongside the A7. It’s able to measure motion data continuously, as well as measure gyroscope, compass, and accelerometer data.

M7 knows when you’re walking, running, or even driving. For example, Maps switches from driving to walking turn-by-turn navigation if, say, you park and continue on foot. Since M7 can tell when you’re in a moving vehicle, iPhone 5s won’t ask you to join Wi-Fi networks you pass by. And if your phone hasn’t moved for a while, like when you’re asleep, M7 reduces network pinging to spare your battery.

The new chip will work with new CoreMotion APIs in iOS 7 that will allow developers to identify user movement. The first to take advantage of the technology is Nike with a new app called “Nike+ Move”.

Battery life: Apple says the new iPhone 5S will get 10 hours of 3G talk time, 8 hours of 3G browsing,a nd 10 hours of LTE and WiFi browsing. You’ll also get around 250 hours standby and 10 hours of video, according to Apple.

The iPhone 5s packs in a new camera system with a dual LED true tone flash, a new five-element lens designed by Apple, a F2.2 aperture, a sensor with a 15 percent larger active area, auto stabilization, and bigger 1.5 micron pixels. The camera also includes a new burst mode that will continuously take photos a rate of 10fps, and the 120fps slow mo mode that we reported about back in July. Head below for iPhone 5s pricing and availability:
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Tim Cook: Apple will sell its 700 millionth iOS device by next month

Jordan Kahn Sep 10 2013 - 10:12 am PT

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Tim-Cook-0001

Today at Apple’s iPhone event today in Cupertino, CEO Tim Cook kicked things off with the usual company updates since last checking in. After talking briefly about its iTunes festival and its latest expansion to the Stanford, CA retail store, Cook mentioned that Apple will hit 700 million iOS devices sold by next month. That’s up 100 million devices in just a few months since Apple announced back in June that it hit the 600 million device mark.

Cook also provided some numbers on the iTunes festival noting that the event is now in its seventh year and reaches 100+ countries with live streams. He also said that around 20M people applied for tickets.

IFA 2013 Roundup: Apple accessories almost stole the show

Jordan Kahn Sep 9 2013 - 12:40 pm PT

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Samsung received the most attention this year at the IFA consumer technology show with its new Galaxy Gear smartwatch and Galaxy Note devices, but Apple products still dominated much of the show floor when it came to new accessories for tablets and smartphones. Below we’ve put together a huge collection of the new and upcoming accessories for Apple devices that we came across this year in Berlin.
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Yahoo! Screen app for iOS brings TV-like remote experience for Yahoo! content

Jordan Kahn Sep 9 2013 - 9:33 am PT

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Yahoo today announced the release of a new app called ‘Yahoo! Screen’ for iOS devices that it created to a be a TV-like remote control or channel guide experience for content from Yahoo!. The app, which is available starting today for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, will allow users to browse trending content, search for shows, and even switch between channels like a traditional TV experience by swiping up and down. Users will also be able to switch between episodes for the show they are currently viewing by swiping right and left.

As for content, Yahoo! has made new deals with Viacom that will bring new content from Comedy Central and elsewhere:

To get you going, we’re proud to announce a brand new deal with Viacom to bring you clips from some of Comedy Central’s best shows, including The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and The Colbert Report. Together with the exclusive digital clip archive of Saturday Night Live, Yahoo Screen now offers you access to some of the most storied franchises in comedy history, on any device. In addition, the Fall 2013 Comedy Lineup is now live. Whether you want to get lost in the best clips of Saturday Night Live or get hooked on new shows featuring stars like Jack Black in Ghost Ghirls, John Stamos in Losing It With John Stamos, you’ll have over 1,000 hours of comedy to watch.

Yahoo! Screen is available for free on the App Store now.

Jony Ive designs one of a kind pieces for upcoming Product (Red) charity auction at Sotheby’s

Jordan Kahn Sep 9 2013 - 8:57 am PT

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Apple’s Senior Vice President of Design Jony Ive has teamed up with designer & friend Marc Newson to create one of a kind pieces for Bono’s Product (Red) charity auction scheduled for November 23 at Sotheby’s New York. Ive commented on the upcoming auction in statement today released by Sotheby’s:

“It’s been a fantastic honour to curate this collection of objects with Marc for the auction at Sotheby’s. Each piece represents the value of thoughtful design. What we create for each other is not only a comment on our culture but of course in many ways defines it. (RED) is making a difference in the lives of millions of people and we’re humbled to make this contribution to such an important and worth cause.”

Among the items to be auctioned off that were designed by Jony and Marc: a unique Leica Digital Rangefinder Camera, an aluminium desk produced by Neal Feay Studios, a Steinway & Sons Parlor Grand Piano, a 2012 Range Rover, and the rose gold Apple EarPods pictured above.

Bono said, “When you think of Jony and Marc, you think of design which is both iconic and sublime. Those two words can be applied to the unique collection of objects on the auction block this November. Each bang of the hammer will be raising critical dollars to fight AIDS… by getting medication to mothers with HIV which means they will not pass the virus on to their newborns.”

The press release from Sotheby’s says that Marc and Jony spent the last year and a half curating the collection that includes “objects from disciplines as diverse as space travel and lighting design to contemporary art and rare automobiles.”

(via MacRumors)

Photoshop CC update brings open source ‘Adobe Generator’ tool for real-time image asset generation

Jordan Kahn Sep 9 2013 - 6:05 am PT

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TRz-gNdQFg]

Updates out today for Photoshop CC (version 14.1) bring new features for Creative Cloud members including a brand new open source technology that Adobe is calling “Adobe Generator”. The new feature will allow users to automatically create image assets in real-time without the need “of copying, slicing and exporting each layer manually.” Here’s how it works:

Simply add a file extension to the name of your layer or layer group, and Photoshop will automatically create a JPG, PNG or GIF from the contents of that layer. If you make a change to that layer, the file is immediately updated. This means that you now have a folder of images that are always up-to-date with your Photoshop design. If you need larger dimension images for Retina displays, you can also quickly create those by adding a scaling factor.

In Photoshop, Adobe Generator can be turned on by navigating to File -> Generate -> Image Assets and renaming layers with supported tags. Adobe notes some examples in its blog post. For example, “200% logo-retina.png, logo.png” produces both a 2x and a 1x asset, while “heroImage.jpg10” produces a 1x asset with max quality.

Adobe noted that the new generator feature also provides “a real-time connection between Photoshop and Edge Reflow,” allowing users to bring in assets from Photoshop with a single click. Generator is an open source project, which will allow users who know JavaScript to modify or write their own plug-ins using the technology. The company posted the video below that shows developers who are using Generator to write a custom plug-in for a mobile game that allows them to “change the UI of a game in Photoshop while the game is being played.”
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Hands-on with new iPad DJ controllers from Philips & Pioneer at IFA 2013 (Video)

Jordan Kahn Sep 6 2013 - 5:36 pm PT

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Philips announced this week at its IFA press conference in Berlin that it’s teaming up with DJ and music producer Armin van Buuren for a brand new DJ controller designed specifically for the iPad and iPhone. It certainly isn’t the first controller on the market designed for iOS devices, and Philips isn’t exactly a company that comes to mind when we think DJ controllers, but its new M1X-DJ does have a few unique features apart from the celebrity endorsement. It’s also another win for Algoriddim’s djay app that Philips makes a point of noting is fully supported.

Rather than trying to mimic professional DJ controllers like the recently announced DDJ-WEGO2 controller from Pioneer (which we also got hands on time with this week at IFA), the M1X-DJ is aiming to reinvent the ghetto blaster by building in an 80-Watt speaker system underneath the controller. It’s clearly aimed at beginners with much more simplified controls compared to your standard controller (no quick looping functions and FX built-in like Pioneer’s), while Pioneer’s new model takes the other route by essentially shrinking down its higher-end professional products for the iPad. They are aimed at slightly different audiences: the Philips M1X-DJ has obvious upsides for casual, social settings, and the EUR 399.95 price tag might be a little easier to swallow when it also comes with a built-in Bluetooth speaker that packs in some serious punch. The much more capable DDJ-WEGO2 controller will sell for $429 when it goes on sale in October.

The M1X from Philips is set to launch in November.

We went hands on with the DDJ-WEGO2 at IFA today:
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