Author

Avatar for Mike Beasley

Mike Beasley

Site default logo image

Ashton Kutcher takes product engineering job at Lenovo, first tablets look like Apple Wireless Keyboards

upload

Actor Ashton Kutcher has joined Lenovo as a product engineer. Kutcher’s experience in engineering includes… basically nothing, although he did play Steve Jobs in the 2013 biopic Jobs, so that has to count for something, right? Right?

Kutcher’s first job at Lenovo will be using his celebrity status to market the company’s new “Yoga” tablet—an obvious first step for any aspiring product engineer (or, you know, celebrity endorser). The tablet, which Kutcher presumably had some “engineering” input on, is a flat aluminum enclosure with a rounded base that houses the power button. The Yoga is an attempt at an original body design, and it certainly wins points in that category as long as you only compare it to other tablets. When compared to other electronics, however, the originality quickly fades. The thing basically looks like an upside-down Apple Wireless Keyboard.

Clearly Kutcher’s time as Steve Jobs informed his sense of product design and influenced the hard work he did “engineering” the Yoga.  We look forward to seeing what other innovative and original ideas Kutcher “engineers” during his time at Lenovo.

iPad Air reviews go live, highlight thinner & lighter form factor, battery life, and speed improvements

Site default logo image

Apple-iPad-event-2013 2013-10-22 at 2.07.02 PM

During last week’s media event, Apple announced a new model of the iPad that is lighter and thinner than the previous generation. The iPad Air weighs only one pound and improved internals. The new tablet features the same 64-bit A7 processor found in the new iPhone 5s, support for MIMO Wi-Fi, and an improved FaceTime camera. All of this is packed into a 7.5mm case, a noticeable improvement over the previous 9.4mm fourth-generation iPad.

Tonight, tech writers across the web published their reviews of the iPad Air. The reviews are mostly positive, with much emphasis on the new form factor, battery life, and faster processor. You can find links and highlights for each review below.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple confirms iPhone 5s battery life affected by manufacturing issues in some units

Site default logo image
J3YieQBINxYUBLR3.large

<a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Teardown/iPhone+5s+Teardown/17383">Image via iFixit</a>

Apple has confirmed to The New York Times that a “very limited” number of iPhone 5s units could experience shortened battery life as the result of a manufacturing problem.

“We recently discovered a manufacturing issue affecting a very limited number of iPhone 5S devices that could cause the battery to take longer to charge or result in reduced battery life,” said Teresa Brewer, an Apple spokeswoman. “We are reaching out to customers with affected phones and will provide them with a replacement phone.”

The exact number of affected units is not clear, but the statement is said to imply that the number is in the few thousands range. Apple sold 9 million iPhones total over its opening weekend. The NYT notes that a manufacturing problem does not equal a defective battery, so it is unclear what the actual source of the issue is.

Affected users can expect to be contacted by Apple soon and will be issued a replacement phone.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Twitter for iPhone updated with in-line photos and Vine videos, quick-actions in the timeline

Twitter for iPhone was updated today to version 5.12, which includes in-line photos in the main timeline view rather than using photo links. Vine videos now show up in the timeline as well, although it seems other video services will still require you to tap a link first.

The update also adds buttons to quickly reply, retweet, or favorite a tweet without having to swipe or tap it first. The new version of Twitter for iPhone is available for free in the App Store now.

Review: Flamingo for Mac looks to improve on Messages for Mac

Site default logo image

screenshot-1

Messages for Mac may support a few different chat services, but there are still a variety of features that would vastly improve the experience of messaging on the Mac. Flamingo is a new app designed to make chatting even better with a whole host of features you didn’t even realize you were missing.

Unfortunately because Apple keeps iMessage pretty locked-down, you won’t be able to use Flamingo with that. You can still use it with your Facebook, Google Hangouts (text, not video), and other XMPP-based chat services. But should you use it for those things? Keep reading for our full review.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple faces class-action lawsuit over do-not-hire arrangements with other companies

Site default logo image

apple

A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit against Apple and several other companies can proceed as a class-action suit today after determining that a significant number of employees across the tech industry were hurt by “do-not-hire” arrangements between their employers and other companies. The policies in question were practiced by Apple, Google, Adobe, Pixar, and more as a way of keeping their own employees from defecting to competitors for higher pay. Essentially the agreements barred two companies from offering jobs to competing employees for a higher salary. Because doing so gave employees leverage with which to bargain for higher pay at their own jobs, employers were often faced with the decision to either pay any given employee more to keep them around or lose them to a competitor willing to pay more.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Apple begins selling OS X Lion and Mountain Lion via the Apple Online Store

Screen Shot 2013-10-24 at 7.43.30 PM

 

Apple has started selling older versions of OS X through the Apple Online Store. Despite the fact that neither operating system can be purchased through the Mac App Store, you can still buy them for $19.99 each through Apple’s website. Rather than a physical disc with the software, you’ll get a code that can be redeemed on the App Store to begin downloading the OS immediately.

Offering Lion makes sense for older Macs since some Lion-capable machines cannot run Mountain Lion. Offering Mountain Lion, especially for $20, seems like an odd move since the entire line of Mountain Lion-compatible Macs can also run Mavericks for free.

Either way, if you need a copy of Lion or Mountain Lion, you can grab them now from Apple’s online store.

Site default logo image

Apple issues two late-2013 iMac updates to address Power Nap and USB issues

iMac27_iMac21_Photos_PRINT

Apple has pushed out two separate updates for the late 2013 iMac. The first update, labeled “iMac SMC Firmware Update 1.1,” addresses an issue with Power Nap on flash-based iMacs that could cause the fans to begin spinning even when they weren’t needed. Instead the updates will now occur silently.

The second of the two updates is a Mac OS 10.8.5 supplemental update for late-2013 iMacs with NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M. The update fixes multiple issues with USB devices, such as the inablitly to use some USB Bluetooth adapters, or the Mac randomly ejecting some external storage devices while going to sleep.

Both updates can be downloaded through Software Update in the Mac App Store, or you can download them individually from Apple’s support page.

Site default logo image

Apple defeats Wi-Lan in wireless technology patent infringement lawsuit

WiLAN-logo-RGB-1205 x 239 px

A court found today that Apple did not infringe wireless technology patents held by Wi-Lan. The Canadian firm accused several companies, including Apple, HTC, and HP of using proprietary wireless networking tech without a proper license. Apple was the only party who did not settle out of the suit, opting instead to fight back.

Apple claimed that Qualcomm, the manufacturer who supplied the wireless components in question, was responsible for the license but that Wi-Lan was seeking a claim against Apple, not Qualcomm, due to the chance at a bigger payday—in this case a royalty from every iPhone sold with the allegedly-infringing wireless hardware.

Wi-Lan has suffered heavy financial losses over the past few quarters, mostly due to litigation costs. Apple’s attorneys argued that this lawsuit was an attempt to recoup some of those losses by… getting involved in another lawsuit. Unfortunately for Wi-Lan this absolutely foolproof plan backfired and the company is now responsible for even more litigation fees.

Mac App Store bug allows iWork trial users to update the entire suite for free (Update: Aperture, too)

Site default logo image

Screen Shot 2013-10-23 at 5.32.48 PM

Users who have previously downloaded the free 30-day iWork trial and kept it on their systems found themselves able to update to the latest version of Apple’s productivity suite for free yesterday due to what is apparently a bug with the way the store finds copies of the software purchased through other sources.

Since the Mac App Store now detects boxed copies of iWork and allows them to be updated to the Mac App Store version, it seems the trial versions of Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are perceived by the App Store as being a full purchased copy. This allows users to install yesterday’s updated apps without having to pay anything.


Expand
Expanding
Close

OS X Mavericks is out, walkthrough: iBooks, Maps, and more

Site default logo image

Screen Shot 2013-10-22 at 2.58.47 PM

Today Apple released version 10.9 of Mac OS X, codenamed “Mavericks.” The new OS includes several new features and enhancements over the previous version, “Mountain Lion.” The update is available for free for all compatible Macs from the App Store

Below you’ll find a closer look at some of the new features in 10.9.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple discontinues non-Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch lives on

Site default logo image

Screen Shot 2013-10-22 at 2.50.22 PM

 

During today’s Apple event, the company announced new versions of the 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display, but they failed to mention anything about the DVD drive-equipped MacBook Pro without a Retina Display. Now it seems we know why. Apple has discontinued the non-Retina version of the 15″ MacBook Pro, leaving only two Retina models in its place.

The 13″ version of the non-Retina MacBook Pro is still around, though, complete with a DVD drive and low-resolution display.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

BlackBerry announces 5 million downloads of BBM for iOS and Android only 8 hours after release

BlackBerry revealed via the official BBM Twitter account that in the first eight hours since launching BBM for iPhone and Android, the app has been downloaded over by over 5 million customers across both platforms. The app is also now the #1 free app on the iTunes App Store.

That number could actually be much higher, as the 5 million applies only to the number of users whose accounts have been activated for use. BlackBerry did not specify how many more users were still waiting to be activated, if any.

[tweet https://twitter.com/BBM/statuses/392474565059686400 align=’center’]

Site default logo image

Google Hangouts for iOS adds outgoing and incoming voice calls through Google Voice

The Google Hangouts app for iPhone and iPad got a significant update to version 1.3 today. The update introduces Google Voice integration that allows incoming calls to your Google Voice number and outgoing calls to U.S. and Canadian numbers. Also included in the new version is the ability to see which friends are currently online, support for animated GIFs, and a fix to keep the app from stopping your music when a message comes in.

The update is available for free to all users on the iOS App Store now.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

OS X Mavericks Server goes Golden Master ahead of launch this month

Screen Shot 2013-10-18 at 6.05.02 PM

Apple has pushed a Golden Master build of OS X Server for Mavericks to developers today in preparation for a release later this month. The Golden Master build is the finalized version of the software. Earlier this month Apple released the GM build of the consumer version of OS 10.9, which is expected to be one of the topics discussed at the company’s October 22nd event.

The OS X Server GM has a build number of 13S440 and is available in the OS X Developer Center.

U.S. Cellular to carry iPhone 5c and 5s on November 8th

Site default logo image

us-cellular-logo

U.S. Celluar announced today that they will carry the latest iPhone models starting next month. Back in May the carrier announced plans to offer Apple devices this year, but until this point, U.S. Cellular was the largest carrier in the United States that didn’t carry the iPhone, even though smaller carriers have already had it for some time.

Unfortunately, no pricing has been announced yet, and it doesn’t appear the iPhone 4S will be included in the lineup—although that’s hardly unexpected.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple releases Flash Storage Firmware Update 1.1 for mid-2012 MacBook Air, launches replacement program for affected drives

Site default logo image

Screen Shot 2013-10-17 at 7.30.04 PM

Apple has released a firmware update for the mid-2012 MacBook Air. The update attempts to resolve an issue that affects 64 GB and 128 GB models sold between June 2012 and June 2013. Apple says that the problem could lead to data loss. As this is a serious issue, the company has agreed to replace any affected drives that are unable to be updated. If the update installer detects that your drive is one of the models needing to be replaced, it will direct you to a page on Apple’s website that will allow you to obtain a replacement … 
Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

Unveiled at WWDC, Anki Drive goes on sale Oct. 23 for $200 (Update: It’s live)

Screen Shot 2013-10-16 at 9.13.15 PM

Update: Anki Drive is now available on the Apple Online Store for $199  annnnnd iFixit is tearing it down.

As we noted earlier this month, the Anki Drive iPhone-controlled cars demoed at WWDC this year will hit store shelves next week. The cars use a set of onboard sensors and AI software to steer themselves around the track and interact with one another while following behavioral paramaters set in the iOS app. The app also allows you to add upgrades to your car to change how it behaves and how other cars react to it.

The starter set will come with two cars and a track to race them on, and will cost $199. Additional cars will be available for $69 each. The app used to control the cars has been available in the iTunes Store for some time now, but has yet to be updated with the ability to actually use it with the cars. The whole lineup will be available in Apple Stores nationwide on October 23rd.

Square launches Square Cash, allowing money transfers between anyone through email

Site default logo image

Square has just launched a new service called Square Cash, which allows quick money transfers between any two parties using through an email. Contrary to what you might be expecting, you don’t need to sign up or get all of your friends onto Square Cash to share funds. Instead, you just need to link a debit card to your account.


Expand
Expanding
Close

Site default logo image

TweetDeck for Mac updated with username autocomplete, a new tweet composer, and more

screen800x500

 

Twitter updated its TweetDeck app for Mac today with a few new enhancements. The new version finally adds support for autocompletion of usernames when mentioning other users. Also new in the latest version is an in-line reply composer that allows you to create replies to tweets right in your timeline without having to open a new tweet panel.

Speaking of the tweet composer, it has been overhauled in this version. Instead of a popup window, the new composer has a column of its own with all of the usual options. The panel closes automatically as you send a tweet, but can be optionally set to stay open at all times, making composing a new tweet a much quicker process. In-line replies can also be “popped out” to the composer panel to apply additional options like scheduling. The new tweet panel also allows you to preview your tweet before you send it so that you know how it will look on the web and in Twitter’s official apps.

You can get TweetDeck for Mac for free from the Mac App Store.

Site default logo image

Seene for iPhone makes creating interactive 3D photos fun and easy

A new app called Seene popped up on the App Store last night that lets you create interactive 3D photos. If you’ve used Vine before, you’re already familiar with most of Seene’s interface. The apps are laid out mostly the same, even down to the location of the sharing options during seene creation, but the process for taking photos is a little more complicated. The resulting effect is worth a little extra effort though.


Expand
Expanding
Close

iPhone app turns your iPhone 5c (and case) into ‘Connect Four’ board

Site default logo image

Ever since the iPhone 5c launched along with a specially-designed case, people have compared the case’s design to a the game Connect Four. Now a new app has arrived on the App Store that takes that observation and turns it into a real game. The app is called Flipcase, and the idea is pretty simple: you put your iPhone 5c case on backwards, so that the holes on the back are on top of the screen, and then take turns tapping the columns to try to connect four colored dots.

The app’s description says it’s compatible with other iPhone models, including the iPhone 5 and 5s, though it’s designed specifically with the 5c in mind. Flipcase is available for free on the App Store.

… And another cool use for the 5c case:


Expand
Expanding
Close

Apple crediting eligible iOS users who paid for iWork, iLife after September 1st

Site default logo image

 

iwork

During Apple’s September event, the Tim Cook announced that all new iOS devices purchased after September 1st would be given the option to get iWork and most iLife apps for free. Some users who had purchased iOS devices after the first of the month, however, had already paid for those apps prior to the announcement, or paid for them after the announcement due to confusion about how to claim the free versions.

Today Apple began sending out emails to eligible users who paid for the apps informing them that their iTunes accounts would be credited for the software they should have gotten for free. The amount listed in the tips we’ve received varies from customer to customer, so it appears the credits are only for the apps that were paid for, not the total price of all five apps.

The refund can be claimed via an iTunes Store redeem code included in the email. You can read the full message from Apple below.


Expand
Expanding
Close