Samsung successfully had the iPhone 5 added to its patent infringement complaint against Apple earlier this month, but the Korean electronics giant hasn’t quite finished there. It’s now going after Apple’s latest iOS devices, and has requested that the iPad mini, the new fourth-generation iPad, and Apple’s latest iPod touch are also brought into the case.
Happy Thanksgiving! This year to observe the holiday we asked each of our writers to tell us a bit about the things they are most thankful for in 2012: specifically, the Apple product, app, service, third-party accessory and person they most relied upon and were grateful for this year. All through the rest of the day, we’ll be posting these thanksgiving observances. Here’s Cult of Mac Social Media Editor Buster Heine’s list of the things he’s most thankful for this year. You can find the rest of our Thanksgiving Smorgasbord entries here.
After announcing back in October that it will bring Grand Theft Auto: Vice City to Android and iOS to celebrate the game’s 10th anniversary, Rockstar Games went quiet on the release, leaving us all to wonder when it would finally arrive. It even had me searching the App Store for ‘Vice City’ on a daily basis in the hope that it would suddenly appear.
The company has now confirmed, however, that Vice City will hit the App Store and Google Play on December 6, priced at $4.99.
Check this video out – it’s a developer who’s used a Siri development plugin to control his Phillips Hue IP-controllable light bulbs. While the video is short, the guy who did it, Brandon Evans, has posted the code and instructions needed to make it happen on your own iPad, assuming you know what he’s talking about.
Evan has this to say about the project:
The Philips Hue hardware was first intriguing to me because they explicitly mention that it’s a ZigBee certified product on the packaging and labels. ZigBee is a wireless technology that is different from WiFi in a few important ways: Low power, equivalent range and intended for light data mesh networks. It’s popular with DIY hardware makers (think Arduinos) for this reason, as well as that it’s much cheaper than WiFi modules. It seems like it may be the wireless standards of choice for consumer home automation systems that are coming to market. As an example, the Nest thermostat was also found to have ZigBee hardware inside, although it isn’t supported in software yet. Because of all this I wanted to see exactly what hardware Philips was using, and if it would be possible to replicate the Hue system.
Looks like a great first step to using off-the-shelf technology to control home systems. Bravo, Mr. Evans!
Source: Brandon Evans
Via: Loop Insight
Black Friday isn’t for a few more days, but that isn’t stopping Cult of Mac Deals from kicking things off early. First up is a utility bundle packaged to “supercharge” your Mac.
Parallels 8 was recently revamped to not only be faster and more powerful, but more importantly, now it plays nice with both Mountain Lion and Windows 8. If you’ve ever wanted to run Windows on your Mac, this is the way to go.
Apple Stores usually have some pretty neat display art at the front of all their stores, but this year’s holiday display is probably one of their coolest ever. We’re calling it the iWreath (for obvious reasons). It’s a holiday wreath comprised of iPod touches, Smart Covers, and an iPhone.
Okay, so they didn’t use real Apple products to form the iWreath, but it’s still pretty amazing even if it’s just a cardboard printout. If you head over to your local Apple Store sometime between now and Christmas you’ll be able to see the wonder of the iWreath for yourself.
Source: Twitter
A hacker has been found guilty of a massive security breach that exposed the emails of more than 114,000 iPad owners back in 2010. Andrew Auernheimer was one of two Goatse Security members who were arrested for exposing the major flaw in AT&T’s database, and he now faces two five-year charges.
I’ve seen the iPad morph into a lot of things, but the press release for this little trick definitely slackened my jaw: It’s an appcessory that turns the iPad into a miniature foosball table.
At long last, a full year after its iPhone debut, the Call of Duty Elite app (free) has finally made its way to the iPad. I can finally view my Xbox Live carnage on my iPad 3’s big, beautiful, retina display screen. But besides peeping kill counts, this freshly minted app also introduces some very interesting new features.
Your kid probably wants something from Apple for Christmas this year. It’s a fact. No I’m not being an ultimate fanboy who’s saying that just to make Apple look cool or spread Apple’s evangelical message of peace, love and minimalism.
Kids this year want an iPad more than anything. More than an Xbox, Wii U, computer, or even a smartphone.
Situation: You own and iPad and a perfectly good full-sized Bluetooth keyboard.
Problem: You don’t always want to use them together on a desk. After all, the whole point of the iPad is its portability, right?
Solution: a GroovBoard. Literally, a plank of wood with grooves in it.
When you walk into an Apple Store the only thing Apple wants you to think about are Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPods. Surrounded by a minimalist technology paradise, nothing is supposed to distract customers. There are no cash registers, shopping carts, shopping bags, receipts or pretty much anything.
Well actually, there is a spot for the shopping bags, cash drawers, and receipt printers, they’re just all hidden from customers. Underneath tables in the store are little secret spots (like in the picture above) that hold shopping bags for customers along with a printer and cash drawer. Next time you’re in a store, take a gander under the tables to see what kind of stuff Apple is hiding.
Source: Reddit
There’s another way to get refurbished Apple stuff, and it’s…eBay? Oddly enough, the online auction retail site has a dedicated page for Apple certified Macs, iPods, and iPads, each coming with their own one year warranty just like they do in the onlineApple Store.
All the devices on sale through this eBay page are refurbished to seem like new, and even given new batteries in the case of iOS devices. The original operating system is also installed, and the unit gets a full round of testing, just like it does on the Apple Store.
Every year Oprah Winfrey makes a list of her favorite things in life and then she gives everyone in her audience free copies of everything on her list. When you got a few billion to burn you can do that. One year Oprah said she just loooooved the iPad. Like, she said the iPad was the greatest thing ever, and middle-aged women across the country wept with joy. Now, she’s saying she’s totally off that and onto the next cool tablet – The Microsoft Surface.
Yesterday, Oprah tweeted: “Gotta say love that SURFACE! Have bought 12 already for Christmas gifts. #FavoriteThings” Thing is, Oprah tweeted about her love for the Surface from her iPad. So you know, I guess you can love an object that you never use. That’s cool. Well played Oprah.
Source: Twitter
These paper notepads are ideal. No, seriously: They’re called iDeal Notepads, they come sized to match your iPad or your iPhone, and they’re designed to be strapped to their partner device with rubber bands.
Apple’s App Store first made its debut on the iPhone 3G back in July 2008, much to the delight of iPhone owners whose only taste of third-party software prior to that was with web apps. Now, just over four years on, it has received more than 1 million app submissions.
There’s a point at which a cover becomes the main attraction. Iron Man’s suit is clearly a suit. But Ripley’s Power Loader? I’d argue that it’s a mini crane with a clever, human-shaped cockpit. And so it is with the ORA, which claims to be an iPad case but is in fact a miniature theater. A miniature theater into which the iPad can be clipped.
Everybody loves the Woz.
And what’s not to love? Steve Wozniak is a one-of-a-kind genius who invented the personal computer. He’s a millionaire who spends his money having fun, rather than trying to control the world. He’s a practical joker. He’s an iconoclast. And he’s a nerd’s nerd and a geek’s geek who believes in technology and the power of change.
But even the biggest Woz fan has to admit: The man loves the spotlight.
And the main way he grabs it is by saying what nobody expects him to say.
One of the cool unsung new features of iOS 6 is the way it doesn’t ask you for a password every single time you go to make an app purchase. Remember those days? Ugh.
The downside of this convenience is that anyone who uses your iOS device within about 15 minutes of you having entered the password–like to buy that free game app for your kid, you know, the one with the in-app purchases–they will be able to purchase other apps or (gasp!) complete in-app purchases without entering the password. No, Apple, I really don’t want $100 worth of Smurf Berries.
Short of turning off in-app purchases–which, really, you should if you have children using your iOS device often–there’s another way to protect yourself from this kind of snafu.
The biggest shopping day of the year is fast approaching. The day after Thanksgiving in the United States is Black Friday, and it’s the best time to begin you’re holiday gift shopping — if you can face the frenzy, that is. Retailers all over the U.S. will be offering big discounts on some of this year’s hottest gifts, and the Apple store will be no exception, having given Black Friday discounts to Apple Store customers for the last few years regularly.
Next Friday the 23rd is Black Friday, and while Apple hasn’t tipped its hand as to when
If you’re looking to save cash on the latest Macs, iOS devices, and accessories, then Black Friday is an ideal time to buy them. Based on Apple’s previous Black Friday deals, here’s what you can expect to see this year.
I haven’t seen an episode of Vampire Diaries before, but it’s great to know that if I ever have a hunkering for more vampire love affairs I will still be able to get my fix after this last Twilight movie comes out.
Warner Bros. released their new iOS app yesterday called “Day After US,” that allows iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad owners in the U.S. to watch all of Warner Bros. popular TV shows the day after they air.
Do you smell that? Over the intoxicating aroma of gingerbread lattes, there’s another scent. The smell of fear and anxiety.
That can only mean one thing: the holidays are upon us. And if you’re anything like me, this time of year fills you with dread… the dread of picking out the perfect present that will delight yet not break the bank.
As someone who also feels the stress of holiday shopping, let me give you some advice: if you have a special gal in your life and no ideas on what to get her, consider the Melissa cross-body iPhone bag by Knomo. It’s an excellent choice, and she’ll probably love you for it.
After settling a longstanding trademark earlier this year over the name “iPad,” Apple has seen a big increase in iPad sales in China.
Proview, a Chinese company, had “iPad” registered years before Apple unveiled the iPad back in 2010. For the last few years the two companies have disagreed on settlement terms, but Apple finally resolved the issue by paying Proview $60 million to secure the name. Since the settlement was reached in July, iPad sales have increased 80% in China according to one analyst.
Nintendo, unlike many software developers, has chosen to ignore the goldmine that is Apple’s App Store by refusing to develop its titles for iOS. It’s almost guaranteed that the Japanese company would make an absolute killing if it just brought fan favorites like Super Mario, Zelda, and Pokémon to our iPhones and iPads. But president Satoru Iwata is adamant it will only develop titles for its own hardware.
There are signs, however, that Nintendo is cracking. It just released its first paid iOS app, a mobile version of the Nintendo 3DS’s Pokédex, to customers in Japan.
Sprint has announced that it will begin selling the iPad mini + LTE and the fourth-generation iPad + LTE from today, November 16. It promises a range of “attractive” data plans that will connect customers to its super speedy 4G network, which are all available without a contract.