News - page 1397

At an RRP of $200, the Solarpad isn’t the cheapest solar charger for your iPhone, but it does aim to be the best. Every detail has been tweaked to squeeze the last drop of juice from the Sun’s photons, from the battery itself (the same kind as Tesla uses in its cars apparently), through the efficient charge controller (form Maxim) to the cables themselves (fatter, to let the current flow more easily, says the blurb).

What’s more, you can pitch in early on Kickstarter and get a full setup for just $158 (right now anyway – the campaign only just launched).

I’m a terrible DJ (unless you count success by the number of people you can force off the dance floor with one track, in which case I’m a total mix master), but I’ve worked with enough DJs to know the tricks of the tracks. And one of those tricks is the old left-it-at-home routine.

When somebody requests a song you don’t want to play, you say “Excellent song! I love that one.” Then you pause and say “I think I left it at home.”

Now, Djs will have no excuse, becasue the new Pacemaker app will let you spin and mix tunes from Spotify’s huge gazillion-song library.

Unread is an iPhone alternative to the king of iPad RSS readers, Mr Reader. Not that it works the same way, or looks anything like Mr Reader, or has anything to do with it at all. No, the thing that the new super-minimal, gesture-based Unread has in common with Mr Reader is sharing.

Mirror mirror on the wall, who is the greenest tech company of them all? Not Apple, at least according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s list of the Top 30 tech and Telecom companies that run on green power. But they weren’t far from the top.

According to the EPA’s ranking, Intel is the greenest tech company there is, having used over 3 billion kWh of green power in 2013. Next up, Microsoft, who took second place at just under 2 billion kWh. Google came in third with a distant 737 million kWH, and Apple came up in fourth place with 537 million kWH.

There is a consolation prize for Apple, though. While they may only be fourth greenest company in the EPA’s eyes, they did at least source more providers for that power than any other company on the list.

Via: BGR

Today, Facebook released an incredible new app called Paper that is a total reimagining of what Facebook on a mobile device means. As I wrote over on Fast Co. Design, it’s the opening sentence in Facebook’s next 10-year plan that puts mobile first.

It’s a great app, but there’s just one problem: the name. There’s another widely known drawing app called Paper by developers FiftyThree Inc. FiftyThree’s not happy about their name being lifted. Facebook’s response? Basically, “tough noogies.”

North Korea is a bizarre place, in which DPRK dictatorship denies its population any interaction with the West, even as the government’s elite drinks Cristal with Dennis Rodman. In such a regime, you might not be surprised to know that there’s not a lot of Mac users.

However, the North Korean government has released its own operating system, and the latest version looks decidedly familiar. It’s basically a Linux distro skinned to look like OS X!

Apple is starting to crack down on apps that request a user’s unique advertising identifier, but not actually show any ads within the app… and Apple may be doing it to put its own iAd network on better competitive footing.

After Apple’s Super Bowl ad — which we summarily declared to be so good that it won the Super Bowl without even trying — Apple has posted a behind-the-scenes video to its YouTube channel, showing how the ad was shot.

And how was it shot? On January 24th, Apple directed 15 camera crews across 10 countries armed with several iPhone 5s’s, who were all in communication with one another over FaceTime to stay in sync.

The developer of 10000000–pronounced “ten million”–is working on a sequel, and to celebrate that fact, he’s dropped the price on the Mac and iOS versions of the first game (still pronounced the same way).

For $1.50 on Mac or $0.99 on iOS, you can get one of the coolest mashups I’ve played in recent memory. 10000000 is a delightful and engaging mix of endless runner, match-three, and RPG, and it’s super fun to play.

The new game, called You Must Build A Boat, has a pretty interesting story behind it, as well.

After rumors swirled that it’s going after Flipboard, Facebook has made its new storytelling/reader app, Paper, available on the App Store starting today.

Paper allows you to explore and share stories with friends the same way you’ve always been doing on Facebook, except the app also brings in news curation on topics of interest, and it features an immersive new design with less distractions and more natural navigation movements.

Whether the app will actually kill Flipboard remains to be seen, but after playing with it a bit this morning there is one app it’s certain to kill, the original Facebook app.

Here are the release notes:

Apple was notably absent from the Super Bowl ad slots Sunday, but a new video touting the Mac’s transformative power is quickly making Cupertino the most talked-about company the morning after the big game. The impressive clip continues the Mac’s 30th-anniversary celebration, and it was shot entirely on iPhones in 15 locations across five continents.

Apple’s much-anticipated iWatch could use solar power and wireless charging technology to prolong battery life and make juicing up as painless as possible, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans who have been speaking to The New York Times.

One of the biggest challenges Apple faces in perfecting its smartwatch is ensuring it offers enough power to get us through the day. Its goal, according to earlier reports, is to provide at least four to five days of use before a charge is needed, but that’s no easy feat for a device that must be small enough to wear on your wrist.

Gross is an iPhone app that’ll tell you just how lazy you’ve been for the last week. And believe me, unless you’re managing to get out an exercise in the middle of this icy winter, then the first time you fire up the app you’ll probably find yourself saying it’s name out loud.

Question: Why do we go to restaurants?

If you answered: To eat a delicious meal and not have to wash the dishes afterwards then you get zero points. Go to the back of the class etc. The real reason we go to a restaurant these days is to “play games, view the company story, and so much more.” Luckily, the Padholdr Tablet Stand is on hand to make this modern-day dream a simple reality, by putting an iPad on every table.

Have you switched over to an iPhone full-time for your photography, and yet you desperately miss your Lensbaby or other tilt-shift lens setup? Then take a look at this great DIY project from Maciej Pietuszynski that turns an old CCTV lens into a grungifying lens for any smartphone.

To be honest, you could probably leave your new Mac Pro on the floor next to your desk and any office burglars would just mistake it for a rather small trash can. But if you want a little more security, you might consider adding something Apple didn’t provide for: a Kensington-style lock. A new security bracket from MacLocks features a design as clever as that of the computer it protects.

You know what’s cool? Armbands that hold you iPhone while you’re jogging. And you know what’s cooler than cool? Fanny packs. So it seems obvious that a gadget that combines these two into one would be pretty much the best thing ever. Better, even, than a choc’n’bacon flavored lightsaber.

And here it is, the Tunewear JOGPOCKET for Smartphones.

Rumors surrounding iOS 8 and the iWatch are starting to heat up, including details of a new “Healthbook” app. Apple is particularly focused on fitness for its smartwatch, according to a pair of reports from yesterday.

This week in Cult of Mac Magazine: drive smarter, with a little help from the app store.

Your iPhone. Great apps. Your car. What could be better? Well, maybe an Apple-designed  driving system.

We’re all eagerly awaiting for release of iOS 7 In the Car, you know, what Apple is calling the “best passenger ever.” (We bet it won’t need to pull over for the pit stop. Or tell you to stop and ask for directions, either.)

Until then, you may find yourself like our games editor Rob LeFebvre with a clunker that could use a bit of future-proofing. Rob discovers out the joys – and limits – of what you can do with about $20 and the best the iTunes store has to offer. Turns out, your old ride may be more of a smart car than you think. The mag also brings you the best from the apps store, books, movies and music in iTunes plus advice from an actual Apple retail Genius.

As always, if you hit any speed bumps with the app, please write to me directly or hit the “send” tab top right. We’ll fix it!

Cult of Mac Magazine

This time on The CultCast: iBras make the world a better place; Apple TV is your tele’s next gaming console; iPhone 6’s get huger screens; Net Neutrality and why you should care; and Erfon pitches the best Fave N Rave pick EVER…

Chuckle your way through this week’s best Apple stories! Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let the audio adventure begin.

Thanks to Ting for sponsoring this episode! Ahh, Ting, the straight forward wireless carrier who doesn’t overcharge. With Ting, you only pay for the data, minutes, and text messages you use. Plus, no contracts! See how much could be saving on your wireless bill at cultcast.ting.com.

When should you take your iPad and when should you take your MacBook?

If you use your iOS devices for work on the move, and often find yourself wishing that your tablet came with a built-in physical keyboard so you didn’t have to haul your laptop everywhere, you’re most likely the perfect target audience for M-Edge’s nifty keyboard case — the 10-inch Tablet Universal Stealth Pro Keyboard Case (to use its full and slightly Tom Clancy-sounding name).

Want more details? Read on.

Daniel Hjelm has a pretty nifty game on his hands here: Loot Hero.

It’s the essence of RPG games, distilled down for the mobile platform. You tap on the left and right sides of the screen, and mow down enemy bad guys with your upgradeable weapon.

Here’s a quick video of my impressions and play through.

Tyler Fisher is not an Apple employee. In fact, I’m pretty sure the guy doesn’t know the difference between an iPad and an iPod Shuffle, but that didn’t stop him from dressing up as an Apple Specialist, going to work at his local Apple Store, and recording the entire prank as he sprayed customers with misinformation on everything from iPhones having retina scanners, to MacBooks with so much cloud it melted into a puddle that’s perfect for storing your naughty pics.

Not only did Tyler educate Apple Store customers to the “fact” that polio, lyme disease, and syphilis were invented by Apple thanks to the chemical mishmash that goes into MacBooks, but he also offered customers a 75% discount if they knew someone that had the diseases – an apology on Apple’s behalf.

Check out the reactions in the video below:

Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson ruffled some fanboys’ feathers earlier this month when he said Google is outpacing Apple on the innovation front. Pointing to the Nest acquisition as evidence, Isaacson says the greatest innovation is coming out of Google.

During an appearance on Bloomberg TV this morning Isaacson stood by his comments but clarified that while innovation is great, the most important trait for tech companies to acquire is the ability to execute, and no one executes better than Apple.

Asked about Apple’s problems coming out with a great low-end device, Isaacson responded that Apple won’t ever be good at low-end because it makes “insanely great products” so it will have to come out with a new disruptive device.

Listen to Walter’s full comments in the video below:

Tim Cook has made a journey over to Ireland this week to visit with staff at the company’s Cork offices. Along with addressing the 4,000 employees responsible for assembling the MacBook Pro, Cook also met up with the country’s prime minister, Taoiseach Enda Kenny today to talk about Apple’s presence in the country, and the Irish tax laws that help it avoid paying billions extra.

The Irish Prime Minister denied claims that the Irish government courts multinational companies like Apple to give them special deals on their corporate tax rate. According to a report from theJournal.ie, Edna Kenny said the tax issue came up during his conversation with Cook and told him they’re in discussions with the OECD about an international response, but the country’s statutory rate of 12.5% applies to all companies.