Cult of Mac

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Everything you need to know about how Intel wants you to see them was summed up in a bizarre Ken Burns-style documentary that aired at the beginning of their CES presser, in which Intel compared their new ultrabook and tablet initiatives to Notre Dame’s use of the forward pass back in 1913 to utterly dominate the Army Cadets, a team considered much superior. The odd, old-timey documentary ended with a virtual CGI football hurtling at the screen, only to explode in a nuclear fireball just before it hit the camera. “WELCOME TO THE NEXT GAME CHANGER,” Intel blared.

If you know anything about the game in question, though, you know that Notre Dame didn’t actually invent the forward pass, though. They just swiped it from another team and popularized it.

So according to this analogy, who is Intel? They’re clearly Notre Dame, stealing another team’s moves. And that team is obviously Apple. Some game changer.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – I don’t care how battered and beaten the backs of my devices get. In fact, I kind of like the scars – they add character. But even the tiniest scratch on the screen drives me crazy. So I’m pretty stoked about Corning’s brand new Gorilla Glass 3, which promises to shrug off sharp stuff even better than before.

A new Apple corporate job listing suggests that future Macs will have ultrafast 802.11ac wireless tech, more commonly known as “5G Wi-Fi.” Apple is looking for a new System Test Engineer to “develop, design and execute tests for compatibility of Apple hardware and software projects” relating to 802.11 wireless.

It was recently reported that Apple was working with Broadcom to put 802.11ac chips in upcoming Macs. This job listing seems to all-but-confirm Apple’s plans.

While current Macs are already 802.11n compatible, 802.11ac is the next-gen wireless standard that offers nearly 3x faster speeds and 1.3 Gbps down on a triple-antenna setup. The new chips could very well make their way into Apple’s 2013 Macs and even iOS devices, but no one knows for sure at this point.

Source: Apple

Via: Apple Bitch

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Apple accessory powerhouse iHome unleashed a mighty avalanche of products last night, the lion’s share of which was Bluetooth in nature. Highlights from the deluge include a Bluetooth version of the perennially popular iMH series portable speakers and the quirky iBT44, a Bluetooth boombox — not simply a Bluetooth-equipped speaker that some marketing guru has slapped the term with, but an honest-to-goodness, FM-equipped stereo circa 1983, only covered in rubber. Oh, and there was also a double-Lightning clock-dock. And Bluetooth headphones. And more Bluetooth speakers. And regular speakers.

When you’re designing an app for iOS, you need to take into account what specific devices you’re building for, whether it be just the iPhone, iPad, or both. There are several Retina and non-Retina screen resolutions to remember, and then there are other nerdy elements like PPI and color temperature.

User interface designer Ivo Mynttinen has published an updated version of his handy iOS Design Cheat Sheet, “a collection of useful data about iOS devices and things you have to keep in mind when designing something for iOS.”

Whether you’re a novice iOS dev or a seasoned pro, this cheat sheet is a handy thing to bookmark for future reference. There’s a clean chart for all of the iOS device resolutions, display stats, icons, and common design elements.

Source: Ivo Mynttinen

John Browett didn’t last long at Apple. He was brought on by Tim Cook at the beginning of last year to lead Apple’s retail division and then he was fired 9 months later. The former Dixons CEO didn’t mesh well with Apple’s culture, and he caused unrest among Apple Store employees.

Since legendary retail guru Ron Johnson left Apple for JC Penny, Apple hasn’t been able to find the right executive to fill his shoes. Now that Browett is gone, who should Apple give the reigns of Apple retail to?

Izik is a new web search app from the makers of Blekko, a web search engine for people who are looking for a change from Google.

You could be forgiven for saying “Blekwhat?” there. Although it’s been around for a few years now, Blekko isn’t what most people think of when they go looking for somewhere else to search.

But that doesn’t mean you should dismiss it without trying it. Blekko does search pretty well in your browser, and this app is a decent attempt to do search differently on your iPad too.

Ballistic is at CES in Las Vegas this week showing off its latest lineup of iPhone 5 cases, the Aspira series. Decorated with bright and pretty patterns, the new selection delivers sleek, “sexy protection” for Apple’s latest smartphone, but it’s not all about looks. The cases are made from a combination of soft rubber and hard plastic to ensure protection against drops and dings.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Wooden speakers apparently make the sound that issues from them seem warmer and more appealing. Maybe so, but in the $99 headphone range there are probably other cost-based design factors that make more difference. Still, these WoodTones headphones from Griffin certainly look warm and appealing.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 –

No, it’s not really a toast rack, but it would totally work as one if you wanted to stack a few slices without letting steam making them go soft.

The PowerDock 5 is in fact Griffin’s new five-way charging station for, well, for anything. It works great with your iDevices, but also your Kindle, Android device, or anything that hooks up to USB.

You might laugh, but here at CES we’re constantly overloading the nearest power outlets whilst keeping our iDevices juiced. Well, all apart from Leander, who seems to forget that his iPad 3 needs to be plugged in for more than five minutes before he leaves the hotel room.

The only thing I don’t like is the non-portability – it’s not exactly carry-on friendly. Then again, I guess you could just use any old powered USB hub for most devices anyway.

Available very soon, for $100.

Source: Griffin Technology

Ever wonder how long it’s going to take to charge your iPhone up all the way? Would it be helpful if your iPhone made some type of sound if it was ready to be taken off the charging cable?

Cleverly named iOS app, Battery, can help you with both of these things, and it’s free to boot. Check it out.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – The Canopy Sensus case puts a multi-touch surface on the back and the right edge of the iPhone. It recognizes all of your fingers at once, and in my brief time trying it out, it works great. But who the hell is going to buy it?

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 –  LG’s mission for 2013 is to help you “touch the smart life.” At least, that’s what CEO Wayne Park claimed when he jumped on stage at CES this morning. They make a lot of products that are smart, and LG just wants your life at home to be simple and stress-free.

LG makes everything for your home. I mean literally everything. Yeah, they make smartphones and TVs, but they also make ovens, refrigerators, robot vacuums, microwaves, washing machines – EVERYTHING.

Nearly every major appliance that you have in your house could probably be replaced by an LG version. If any company could make a Siri-controlled iHome before Apple, then it’s LG. But because they’re trying to do so much, their version of the smart home still sucks, and it gives Apple an advantage to become the company that controls your home.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 –

The Nectar fuel cell is yet another attempt at freeing our devices from their relationships with power outlets. And technically, it looks great – compact and easy to use with a simple USB socket.

But unlike charging your cellphone via the mains, which is so cheap that a single charge is virtually free, the Nectar costs a buck a pop.

At CES in Las Vegas, Madfinger Games just announced Dead Trigger 2, the sequel to its mobile first-person shooter Dead Trigger, to be available on iOS and Android in the second quarter of this year.

We’re in Vegas! That’s right, team Cult of Mac has descended on Las Vegas to attend the Consumer Electronics Show, the largest and in-chargest technology show in North America. And to bring you the best and worst tech we’re seeing here at the show, we’re releasing a brand new episode each night until Thursday.

On our newest episode (#51), discover some of the cool tech we’ve seen so far at the show, and our why we think Apple is gunning to transform your house into an all-connected iHome.

All that and more on our CES 2013 special edition CultCast! Stay caught up on the best of the show, subscribe now on iTunes or easily stream new and previous episodes via Apple’s free Podcasts App.

Lego Mindstorms has just evolved. The latest announcement from the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from the Denmarased toy company is that their popular robotics hardware and software, Mindstorms, is getting a new command module, the EV3. It will be iOS and Android compatible from the start, letting even more kids and the young at heart program and control their robots from mobile devices.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – What do a four-rotor, remotely-piloted vehicle, touch-screen car audio and a little, Bluetooth-armed facsimile of a plant stem have in common? Not much. Yet they’re all concoctions from French-based Parrot; the latter is their newest gadget, a sensor-laden gardening device they’ve named the Flower Power.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Withings has now added a heart-rate monitor and an air-quality sensor into their WiFi Body Scale, which previously just measured weight and body-fat percentage. In fact, their scale now has so many sensors, they’re not even calling it a scale anymore.

According to mobile industry analyst, Bernie Evans, Facebook reported a huge growth in mobile app Facebook use, with Android users growing from 66 million users in September 2011 to 175 million users this past September. iPhone users also increased greatly, with the number of users of the iPhone Facebook app growing from 91 million last year to 140 million this year.

Lunatik’s new Taktik Extreme case for the iPhone 5 heads a lineup of rather overprotective phone prophylactics. If cases were condoms, the Taktik extreme would be the extra-strength safety model, the Seismik would be the ribbed version, and the Flak would be the ultralight, “natural feel” member of the group.

Apple is one of just two smartphone makers currently seeing any kind of growth in the United States at the moment, and together with Samsung the company is slowly but surely clawing away at the market share held by the likes of LG, Motorola, and HTC. One analyst believes, however, that the Cupertino must make big changes if it wants that growth to continue.

Apple’s either has to dramatically reduce its iPhone profit margins and make the handset cheaper, or face losing valuable market share to cheaper smartphones.

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Here’s a question for you: it’s CES, the world’s largest electronics trade show. So where the hell are all the Lightning accessories?

LAS VEGAS, CES 2013 – Party rockers were in the house last night at CES. Ion unveiled several new products from their 2013 catalog. Two in particular caught my eye.

Hyundai is set to showcase a number of new vehicles at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, and the company has announced that they’ll all include Siri Eyes Free technology. The feature allows iPhone owners to perform a whole host of tasks using the intelligent assistant — such as taking calls or creating Reminders — without taking their hands off the wheel.