Facebook is the world's foremost social hunt, and as such, is a great place for people to discover new music, movies and other such content. Sensing this, Mark Zuckerberg's company has teamed up with Apple to add iTunes digital gift certificates to its roster, and as well as allowing users to buy iTunes Store credit for friends, said user can also make recommendations as to what the recipient should spend that credit on.
Apple has just seeded the first beta build of OS X 10.8.3 Mountain Lion to developers. As is always the case with beta software from Apple, the initial build is only available to those who are enrolled on the official OS X developer program and can be downloaded directly from the Mac Dev Center immediately.
The Black Friday shopping extravaganza has been and gone, and while a number of high profile retailers were offering significant price savings across a wide range of products it was ultimately the consumer electronics industry that consumers were looking to for those Thanksgiving bargains. Microsoft and Apple are two companies that find themselves sitting at the top of that particular food chain, and while we have already seen reports showing that certain Apple Stores saw a lot more customers than their Microsoft counterparts in the same area, we are now seeing some statistics to back up that claim.
Thanksgiving weekend may have been enhanced by the Black Friday savings on offer, but as many of you will be aware, the deals have not yet ceased. After Black Friday comes Cyber Monday, and with so many big-money savings, it can be hard to keep track. Here, we run through some of the best offers from the companies you like to purchase from, so if you have any money left, check out the Cyber Monday options after the break.
Prior to the release of the iPhone 5, Samsung promised the smartphone would be added to the ongoing patent dispute, and since that point, both companies have taken it in turns to name as many of the other's devices as possible. With this weekend being Thanksgiving and all, you might think both companies would take a break, have a little turkey, and enjoy watching the customers flock to stores to grab the limited deals. Apple is not known for taking anything lying down when it comes to intellectual property, though, and in viewing Friday as just another day, took the opportunity to add more of Samsung's devices to the ever-increasing list of claims.
Both LG Display and AU Optronics are currently supplying the displays for Apple’s new iPad mini tablet, but with AU reportedly having some production issues, it's looking as though LG is carrying much of the burden. The report surfaces from the hit-and-miss DigiTimes citing the usual "sources familiar with the matter," and although the two companies are considered the “main display suppliers," it would seem the vast majority of iPad minis are packing a screen manufactured by LG.
The dismissal of iOS SVP Scott Forstall at Apple, which has led to Jony Ive taking the helm in the future direction of the company's mobile software, has brought a whole new impetus on the prospect of iOS 7. With Ive said not to be a fan of the skeuomorphic designs throughout iOS, they'll likely go the way of the dodo, but it's not just the faux leather and paper expected to be updated when the next generation of iOS software eventually arrives next year.
Apple and Samsung's bitter war takes on new dimensions today, with the report from China Business News that Apple has switched battery suppliers of its iPad and MacBook ranges. Hitherto, Samsung SDI, the battery-making subsidiary of the South Korean outfit, has been providing the batteries for some of the Cupertino's most celebrated products, but now Apple is thought to have replaced the Galaxy maker with two Chinese companies, Amperex Technology Limited and Tianjin Lishen Battery.
With Thanksgiving day, followed by Black Friday, and inevitably, Christmas, the consumer electronics market will be abuzz with savings, as each vendor and retailer looks to attract additional custom at this most lucrative time of year.
For the majority of the world, the Black Friday sales have yet to commence, but thanks to the varying time zones, some countries have already begun to see one-off discounts on a range of products. Naturally, we're focusing on the savings in the technology field, and although the sales have yet to begin in the USA and other nations, those in Australia and New Zealand are already capitalizing on Apple's Black Friday offers.
