Audience, the company behind the EarSmart technology used to power Siri in the iPhone 4S, has issued a statement insisting it is “unlikely” Apple will use its technology in the iPhone 5. It helped Apple develop part of the A5 chip that enables the iPhone to filter out background noise while you’re using Siri, but it seems Apple no longer needs its help.
The new iPhone 5 is almost among us, dear friends, and on this episode of the CultCast, we’ll tell you everything we know about it, ponder what Apple will actually be naming it, and tell you how to hang on to that unlimited data plan your carrier wants to move you out of.
Plus, looks like there’s a new HD tablet in town, and this one is looking pretty fern good, partner. We’ll tell you why Amazon’s Kindle Fire HD is one tablet that could actually give the iPad a run for its money.
Hit the subscribe button and let’s get this party rollin’!
Show notes ahead!
Apple has begun prepping the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco for the iPhone 5’s grand unveiling on September 12. Now that the Cupertino company has sent out invitations for the much-anticipated event, it has started decorating the venue with its logo, while exterior banners are expected to go up later today.
Apple cut its order for memory chips slated to go into the upcoming iPhone 5, according to a report at Reuters this evening. Citing a “source with direct knowledge of the matter,” the report says that while the South Korean chip manufacturer is still on the list as an initial supplier of memory chips for the new iPhone model, but that Apple continues to decrease its reliance on Samsung as a chip supplier.
Apple will be holding its highly anticipated iPhone 5 event this coming Wednesday, and the new iPhone is expected to go one sale Friday, September 21st. According to a new rumor, Apple will finally drop the iPhone 3GS and make the iPhone 4 its cheaper, entry-level model.
The 3GS was introduced back in 2009, and the phone is still offered 3 years later for free with a two-year carrier contract. With the introduction of iOS 6, the 3GS will be so outdated that it only makes sense for Apple to give it the boot.
Whether you love her delicious looking meat dresses or not, there’s no denying that Lady Gaga is one of the biggest names in music right now with a bevy of singles that have launched her into superstardom.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Lady Gaga wants to do something new with her next album that she’s working on. Earlier today Lady Gaga revealed that her next Album, Artpop, won’t just be a couple of tracks burnt onto a cd, but it will be a “completely interactive” experience because she will be releasing it as an iPhone and iPad app.
First, AntiSec leaked a ton of iPhone and iPad UDIDs to the public, claiming they hacked them off an FBI laptop. The FBI responded and said there was no way the UDIDs came from them. Then Apple jumped in and said that they totally didn’t give anyone 12million UDIDs. But 12million UDIDs were still leaked and people are still wondering how the heck AntiSec got them.
A few theories have been bouncing around the web this morning, but the most plausible theory of how AntiSec got all the UDIDs is that a network of free apps were keeping track of UDIDs and AntiSec hacked them off the publisher’s laptop.
Subatomic Studios has released a massive update for the original Fieldrunners iPhone game. The App Store tower defense classic has been updated with Retina display support, a new soundtrack, and other improvements. To celebrate the update, the game is also on sale now for $0.99 in the App Store.
Apple has all but confirmed it will be announcing the iPhone 5 on September 12, and if recent rumors are correct, it’ll start shipping around a week and a half later. But according to a leaked training manual produced by Sprint, Apple’s next-generation iPhone may not be making its debut until at least October 15, or it’ll be launching with different carriers at different times in the U.S.
That’s if this training document actually means anything. And we don’t think it does.
IStabilizer’s Monopod is just that – a monopod. Only instead of being optimized to work as a disabled tripod, a camera stand with one leg instead of three, it is made to be used with lightweight cameras like the iPhone to snap pictures from more than arms’ length.
When I first saw the PR blurb for the Quicam app, I thought “What could possibly go wrong?” After all, who could ever foresee a problem with an app that lets you snap photos and immediately send them to Twitter and Facebook, automatically and without a single extra button press.
Really, what could possibly go wrong?
It took Apple a long, long time to bring customizable wallpapers to the iPhone, so who knows when — or indeed if — the Cupertino company will make them scrollable. But rather than waiting, why not install the WS Wallpaper tweak on your jailbroken device and add scrollable wallpapers yourself?
Apple seeded another new OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.2 build to registered developers through the Apple Dev Center. This one, with build number 12C35, comes just one week after the last build, suggesting Apple is moving quickly to bring this update to the public. Of course, this is the update that will bring Facebook integration to the Mac.
Grove, maker of quality bamboo cases for the iPhone, has just begun pre-orders for its new iPhone 5 case. The design of this case is milled from a solid block of bamboo and sanded/oiled by hand. You have the option to get a custom engraving too.
Apple devices currently account for over half of all mobile web traffic in the U.S. and Canada, according to Chitika. During August 2012, Apple’s share of web traffic on mobile devices grew from 63.75% to 65.03%. Samsung trails behind at a distant second place with a 12.47% share.
“With the iPhone and iPad, Apple dominates the mobile market when it comes to web usage,” reports Chitika. “The company had another stellar month, and now its devices generate over 65% of all mobile traffic.”
Let’s be honest, finding apps on the App Store sucks. There isn’t a great way to find new apps, other than looking at the top of the charts and seeing which apps are most popular. Even though Genius support is coming to the App Store in iOS 6, we’re not getting our hopes up that Apple will be able to fix app discovery on their first shot.
There are a couple websites out right now that focus on discovering new apps, but one of the more exciting startups right now is Ooomf, which offers a set of tools for both developers and app users, to find new apps or promote current content.
In the days leading up to an Apple product announcement, the rumor mill goes into full swing. This year’s iPhone 5 is definitely no exception. We’ve already seen dozens of part leaks of the new hardware, and the latest series of hi-res photos to surface reveal an assembled iPhone 5 next to the current iPhone 4S.
Today’s pics show just how much thinner the iPhone 5 will be.
Yes, I’m reviewing another iPhone wallet case. But this is the last one on my pile of things to review — at least for now. Built by NutKase, this particular model is manufactured from thick leather that comes in black or red, and it boasts three card slots and a “hidden” cash pocket.
If you buy the black version, you get an elasticated band that keeps the wallet closed while its not in use; while the red version features a more elegant leather button clasp.
Both models come with a unique selling point that I’m yet to find in another wallet case: a built-in magnetic stand that allows you to elevate your device for FaceTime calls, typing with an external keyboard, or watching movies — wherever you may be.
Yesterday, AntiSec leaked over 1million Apple UDIDs that they claim came from a FBI laptop they hacked. What was the FBI doing with all those UDIDs, and who gave them to them? Well the FBI says that they totally didn’t get hacked so it’s not their fault.
Apple has been quiet the entire time about the whole thing, until this morning when they released an official comment stating that they never gave the FBI anyone’s device IDs.
Wouldn’t it be cool if you could drop your iPhone or iPad on top of your speaker and have it charge as it pumps out the tunes? That’s the promise of TDK’s Wireless Charging Speaker, a product with a name about as self-evident as it gets.
We know the iPhone 5 is going to be huge for Apple. With its rumored 4-inch display, a new dock connector, LTE connectivity, and more, it will be the most significant iPhone upgrade since the device made its debut back in 2007. It’s going to be so big that one analyst believes Apple will sell a staggering 10 million new iPhones in the week after its launch.
Did you ever check to see which carrier offers the best coverage in your town? Or – worse – did you ever wonder which carrier’s pre-pay SIM you should buy when you go on vacation? It’s hell, right? Those maps are so deeply hidden in the carriers' sites that it’s almost like they didn’t want you to find them.
Enter OpenSignalMaps, which is not only an independent map showing you the 2G, 3G and 4G coverage in much of the world, but is also just about the sleekest and slickest map/info site we’ve ever seen. And it works just great on iOS devices.
Apple is pretty much the most cryptic company on earth, so everything related to Apple is heavily scrutinized, including the media invites it sends out to select members of the press. An Apple invite is like a confirmation from above — months of speculation and wishful thinking is confirmed or shot down in a single moment.
Apple event invites are often read like magical tea leaves; hints are usually contained in the invite itself that foreshadow what to expect.
Today Apple sent out invites for its iPhone event next Wednesday, September 12th, 2012. We thought it would be as good a time as any to take a look back at Apple’s past iPhone and iPod invites from the last several years, starting with the original iPhone.
If you’d shown me the Hi-Call a few years ago I would have ridiculed it and moved on, probably forgetting that this stupid Bluetooth glove even existed. Now, though, in a world infected with “sanitation engineers” so in-demand that they have Bluetooth headsets wedged permanently into their ears, and idiots wander the streets holding their in-line mics up to their mouths as they speak, the Hi-Call from Hi-Fun doesn’t seem so dumb after all.
The Phiaton PS 210 BTNC ($129) earphones—yes, they named them all that—have all the same functionality as your white Apple earbuds; you can chat with ’em, listen to tunes with ’em, even control your iPhone with ’em. But unlike your white-wired buds, they do all that wirelessly via Bluetooth, and include some sparkly noise-canceling technology that deliver audio to your ears sans a world of ambient sounds.