When the Apple and Samsung legal wrangle first began, it was new and exciting for those watching from the outside. Keeping an eye on the situation and seeing how events unfolded turned into something of a technology based voyeuristic sport, but that was a long time ago. Although it hasn't been publicized as much of late, the bitter legal battle is still continuing, with the latest twist seeing the ITC ruling in June that Apple were guilty of infringing on Samsung's patents, with the potential punishment being a total ban on the sales of offending iOS devices in the United States.
There are many vendors battling for supremacy in the mobile market. Nokia and BlackBerry are both trying to reinvent themselves on new and overhauled ecosystems, while the likes of LG and HTC continue to plug away on Google's Android. All these companies have enjoyed varying levels of success over the years, but they all have one thing in common in today's market - they're all playing in the shadows of Apple and Samsung. Two of tech's biggest names, they sell devices in the tens of millions every quarter, and the Q2 mobile device revenue figures once again illustrate how far ahead the bickering titans are when compared to the chasing pack.
Apple recently dropped a pretty significant update to its official Apple Store app, and one of the key implementations made was its ability to distribute free content to users for promotional purposes. Far from being an empty feature, the freebie mill has already been kicked into action, with the usually 99 cent app Color Zen now available for free via the Apple Store app.
If you're looking to expand your current supply of Apple gadgets, you'll be more than aware that the costs involved can be something of a stumbling block. iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and such are among the priciest in their respective fields and as such, heading over to Apple.com and picking up a brand-new device or machine isn't always an option. For those looking to save a little on used products, Apple runs a refurb program designed to sell off products that aren't gleaming new but still fully operational and covered by warranty, and if you want to keep track of these deals, well, there's now an app for that!
The rumors surrounding the existence of a lower-cost, budget based iPhone simply won't seem to go away and have even accelerated to the point where a number of sources are suggesting that the device is already in production. Although the alleged hardware is yet to be confirmed - or strenuously denied - by any official source, a number of leaked components that are said to be from the device could potentially give an insight into the expected specification.
Back in June of this year, it came to light that a small bunch of security researchers had managed to find a way of injecting unwanted code into iOS devices by using a malicious USB charger. That revelation may have caused concern to a lot of users, but it seems that the latest beta of iOS 7 has resolved the security flaw, as promised by Apple in a recent statement.
As you will probably be well aware by now, an indie flick loosely documenting a portion of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' life and tenure at the helm of the Cupertino company is almost set for release, and stars Ashton Kutcher as the man himself. The Two and a Half Men star has already spoken of his passion of technology and respect for Jobs in a recent interview, and now, an extended Jobs trailer and commentary on the movie offers even further insight into the soon-to-be-released flick.
We should all know by now that when it comes to pre-release versions of iOS there is generally no stone left unturned by those investigative minds that love nothing more than ripping through the internals to see what they can find. The latest iOS 7 beta SDK release is no different, and this time it seems that a keen-eyed developer has cottoned on to Apple testing out an enhanced iPad mini, evidence of which is located deep inside of a hidden file within the SDK.
After what seems like an age, due to the unforeseen downtime of the Apple’s Dev Center, the Cupertino company has released the latest iteration of their in-development software, iOS 7. The latest seed, beta 4, has been a highly anticipated release as the bugs and issues with iOS 7 beta 3 were prevalent. That being said, it's clear Apple has taken everyone's feedback aboard when it comes to the bugs and usability issues, because beta 4 seems to be a very stable build.
Apple TV was once looking like a forgotten device. Once famously dubbed a "hobby" by then COO Tim Cook, the little black box has not seen much love inside Cupertino, let alone outside. Yet, while the talk of a more strenuous connected TV effort remains on the lips of many an analysts, the fruit company is pressing ahead with updates and improvements to the current generation, and now, enhancing its functionality looks to be squarely on the agenda. The latest Apple TV beta suggests music purchasing will soon become a native feature, and with Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity facilitating new setup features via iOS 7, there still appears to be plenty of life left in the set-top streamer.
