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Luke Dormehl - page 353

Blue’s Nessie USB Microphone Is A Monster In The Best Sense Of The Word [Review]

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Nessie by Blue Microphones
Category: USB Microphone
Works With: iMac, MacBook
Price: $99.95

A seriously condensed condenser mic, Blue’s Nessie (named after the famous Loch Ness monster) advertises itself as one of the premier USB microphones out there, a device capable of capturing studio-quality recordings for everything from polished music demos to broadcast-standard voiceovers.

Apple Devices Will Account For 11% Of Corporate & Government IT Spending By 2015 [Analyst]

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apple_office1-550x408

Speaking to Apple employees who worked at the company during its first decade, the people who seemed most frustrated were the ones tasked with getting big business to buy Apple computers, instead of the IBM units they were used to. What a difference a day several decades makes.

Although Windows is still the operating system system you’ll find in most corporate and government offices today, a new study by Forrester Research shows how the popularity of iDevices is prompting corporate tech managers to change their traditional buying habits.

Finsix Is The Only Laptop Charger You’d Carry In Your Pocket [CES 2014]

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(Credit: Time)
(Credit: Time)

CES 2014 bug

From multimedia robots to genuinely stylish smartwatches, there’s a lot of tech at CES that falls into the “would like to have” category. There’s relatively little, however, that classifies as a genuine “must have.”

That may have changed with the appearance of the Finsix laptop charger, which used a high frequency switching technology developed at MIT to impressively shrink the size of a standard laptop charger to something that could charge your iPhone.

Pegatron Could Manufacture Half Of iPhone 6 Handsets

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Pegatron-factory

According to a new report, Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron could be responsible for assembling as many as half of Apple’s next generation iPhone 6 units.

The company is currently assembling the iPhone 5c and iPad mini, but if this news is to believed (it does cite an unidentified source) Apple’s reliance on Pegatron will grow in 2014 — with a new plant planned in Shanghai satellite city Kunshan in anticipation of an iPhone 6 manufacturing deal.

Adult Swim’s Castle Doombad For iOS Puts You In The Villain’s Shoes

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Particularly if you grew up in the 1980s, you’ll be familiar with games like the Castlevania series which ask the player to invade a villain’s lair.

Adult Swim’s new strategy game Castle Doombad cleverly turns that concept on its head: with gamers taking on the role of the princess-kidnapping Dr. Lord Evilstein, tasked with defending his tower against the various heroes who try and save the day.

This Is The World’s First Apple-Approved MFi Air Conditioner [CES 2014]

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Haier

CES 2014 bugChinese appliance maker Haier has announced that it has become the first company of its kind to be accepted into Apple’s MFi licensing program, guaranteeing ease-of-use and compatibility with iOS devices.

“Haier’s Tianzun [cabinet air conditioning unit] is the first air conditioner and white good that is authorized by Apple’s MFi program,” noted the company’s official press release — going on to claim that, “Haier will use this technology in the other Haier products, such as water heaters, ovens, intelligent home accessories and the like.”

iRing Is ‘First Motion Controller For Your Music Apps’

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According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White earlier this year, Apple’s busy working on an “iRing

According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White earlier this year, Apple’s busy working on an “iRing" finger ring we’ll use to control our Apple devices with. The suggestion was so preposterous that even the usually poker-faced Tim Cook cracked a joke about it.

The reality is that much of the “digital hub” functionality that an iRing would have brought will likely be carried out by the iWatch when it finally surfaces. For those who really wanted this rumor to be true, however, never fear: several companies have created their own third-party iRings to bring this rumor to life.


Remember those Topeka Capital Markets reports from last year about how, by this time, we’d all be using finger rings to control our newly launched Apple televisions?

While those predictions may not have come to fruition just yet, music technology company IK Multimedia is launching an iRing of its own that will allow people to perform specific tasks on their iOS devices using gestures.

Staples Now Selling The iPad In Its Physical Stores

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Apple Pay is killing it at Staples.
Apple Pay is killing it at Staples.

In news to be filed under L for “late to the party” Staples is finally selling the iPad Air and iPad Mini on its physical store shelves.

Phone up your local Staples, and you’ll hear a message informing you that the iPad is available both online and in the chain’s brick-and-mortar outlets. Prior to this, the tablets were only available through Staples’ online ordering service.

New E-Commerce Channel Will Help Apple Reach Growing Number Of Chinese Shoppers

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chinese in Apple store

Apple has opened an official online store on popular Chinese e-commerce gateway Tmall.

Run by Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., Tmall was launched in 2008 and hosts more than 70,000 merchants — including global brands such as Nike and Gap.

While Apple hasn’t officially commented on its Tmall store opening, an Alibaba rep has confirmed that this is an official Apple page and that it opened recently.

Polaroid’s New C3 Action Cam Is A Retro-Styled Throwback To Its Glory Days [CES 2014]

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CES 2014 bug

Okay, thanks to buyouts and changing leadership it’s not the same company that once inspired Steve Jobs, but Polaroid’s newly-unveiled C3 is still a retro-styled throwback to the brand’s glory days.

Taking the form of a cube-shaped 35mm machine, the C3 combines a wide angle lens that can take still images at 1.3-, 3- and 5-megapixels, as well as recording high-definition video.

Apple Celebrates Chinese New Year With Sale In Select Asian Countries

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(Credit: CNET)
(Screenshot credit: CNET)

Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales may be over for most of us — but lucky Apple fans in China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Taiwan can pick up a cut-price iPad Air, iPhone 5s or other devices thanks to the company’s annual Chinese New Year online sale.

The sale, which lasts for one day only, takes place January 10.

Nifty Bluetooth Necklace Lets Your iPhone Control Its Color Scheme [CES 2014]

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(Credit: CSR)
(Credit: CSR)

CES 2014 bug

What if you could control the color of your jewelry (provided you wear some, that is) using your iPhone?

This thought is behind the development of a new line of Bluetooth smart jewelry from UK-based chip maker CRS — able to connect to mobile devices so that wearers that customize the color and brightness to suit their mood, or match a particular outfit.

MakerBot’s New 3D Printers Include Entry-Level Replicator Mini [CES 2014]

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CES 2014 bug

We called it a “badass” product when MakerBot announced their Replicator 2X at last year’s CES, and now the company is back with three new 3D printers — including the Replicator Mini, which is being pitched as an affordable desktop unit for beginners.

“This is fifth-generation technology that’s setting the standard for reliability, quality, and connectivity,” MakerBot CEO Bre Pettis said of the new Replicator printer. “It’s our fastest and easiest 3D printer to use.”

Apple’s Upper Ranks Dominated By White Males, Say Shareholders

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Apple board

Apple has too many white men in its upper ranks, say shareholders who are pressuring the company to add more female and minority directors to its board.

In response, Apple has added new language to its board charter claiming that it will consider more candidates who meet this criteria — noting that, “The nominating committee is committed to actively seeking out highly qualified women and individuals from minority groups to include in the pool from which board nominees are chosen.”

Razer’s Nabu Smartband Is Like A Fitbit Crossed With A Pebble [CES 2014]

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Razer Nabu

CES 2014 bug

We wrote yesterday that CES 2014 is all about the wearables, and Razer is yet another company jumping on the bandwagon: choosing CES as the location at which to announce its new (and unexpected) class of Nabu smartbands.

While smartbands are absolutely everywhere these days, Razer hopes that the Nabu — designed to work with Bluetooth 4.0 devices — can set itself apart thanks to its open software platform and unique features. Think smartwatch meets fitness tracker.

ION Wants To Bring Cassettes Back By Adding Bluetooth [CES 2014]

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cassette

CES 2014 bug CES is all about the groundbreaking, cutting edge technology, which is why ION chose the event to debut their, err, Cassette Adapter Bluetooth technology.

Enabling your car’s cassette player to become its own wireless Bluetooth receiver, the Cassette Adapter Bluetooth lets you stream music from your iPhone or other Bluetooth device without the need for cables or complicated installation. “Just pop it in and it automatically turns on,” reads the company’s press release.

Feel The Need For Speed With Jet Car Stunts 2 [Review]

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jetcarstunt3

The original Jet Car Stunts rocked the App Store back in 2009 — blowing away our memories of fiddly pre-iPhone racers with a colorful speedster of a game that took full advantage of the device’s touch interface and accelerometer to create something truly addictive.

Jet Car Stunts 2 by True Axis
Category: iOS Games
Works With: iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch
Price: Free w/ in-app purchases

Four years later the game has received a sequel-sized overhaul and we’re back for another dose of fast-paced, rocket-powered action. The original’s innovations may no longer be new, but our love of a good high-octane racing game hasn’t gone anywhere in the intervening years.

So have developers True Axis delivered?