Apple executives don't often sound off or even hint at future products until they've been announced, but on Thursday, CEO Tim Cook went on record to state that his company is currently working on some "really great stuff" in the category of new products. Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, he didn't go into any specifics, but with 2014 having already been outlined as a significant year in the company's growth by the head honcho, the interest of the tech world has been well and truly piqued.
Flappy Bird Is A Huge Indie Success: Over 50 Million Downloads, Generates $50K Per Day In Ad Revenue
Forget Angry Birds, for 2014 is all about the juggernaut title that is Flappy Bird, and the way things are going for the game that everybody's addicted to right now, this one-man effort could even eventually hit the dizzy heights of Rovio's legendary series. Having already amassed more than 50 million downloads, Flappy Bird is currently generating a whopping $50,000 per day through its banner ads, and with hundreds of thousands of reviews on both the App Store and Google Play Store, is right up there with the likes of Google's Gmail in terms of feedback.
Yesterday, it emerged that Samsung, a partner of the 2014 Moscow Winter Olympics, was giving away free Galaxy Note 3 handsets in goody bags handed to each and every participating athlete. Only, instead of being a genuine gift with the hope of a little ad coverage if the Olympian was snapped using the device, it was also reported that the Korean company was trying to exercise some kind of jurisdiction over what the athlete could then use (or indeed, not use) with regards to rivaling devices during the opening ceremony. However, official correspondence from the IOC (via MacRumors) has refuted the claim, so while it did make for an entertaining (and strangely plausible) story, Samsung's give away looks a genuine, no-strings gift to the stars after all.
Apple's iOS is renowned for being among the most secure platforms out there, but even with the Cupertino company’s reputation for keeping things water-tight, security issues still frequently flare up. In the latest, it has been learned that a user can, without even needing to type in a password, disable the Find My iPhone feature, which essentially renders it useless since the device is then obscured from being tracked by iCloud.com. More details to follow.
Firefox is widely recognized as one of the best browsers in the game. Despite the incredible rise of Google's Chrome over the past few years, the Mozilla team has continued to push the updates to ensure that Firefox enjoys a decent market share. More recently, we've seen the Firefox creator attempt to branch out with the development of its very own mobile operating system, and while that particular project remains in the works, Mozilla has now gone ahead and built a home launcher for Android.
Rumor has it that the iPhone 6 will benefit from - among other things - a robust, Sapphire glass display. With the shield in place, the days of shattered displays and slivers of glass catching our fingers as we swipe and tap around the cracks should be long gone, and if there was ever any doubt as to the credentials of this material, the video seen below dispels them with aplomb. The clip, which you can see after the break, shows how an iPhone 5 is able to withstand a fair amount of punishment from a concrete block thanks to a Sapphire Crystal Screen Protector by Aero-Gear.
Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak may no longer work at Apple, but he has acquired something of a reputation for scrutinizing products released by the company he helped to build - and not always in a good way. But while the Cupertino outfit can usually take on board the musings of the Woz with an element of seriousness, his latest suggestion will perhaps go down as the most bizarre idea Apple has ever heard. For Wozniak believes that Apple could benefit from creating a smartphone running on - wait for it - Google's very own Android OS, and while Woz's position as a co-founder means that whatever he says re Apple is going to make the headlines, it's quite staggering that he would make such a suggestion.
Sony's VAIO computer business is to be sold off, the Japanese company has announced, citing the changing face of the global PC industry as the main factor behind its decision to offload the iconic brand to an investment firm. The news comes as the PlayStation maker reneged on its initial forecast of full-year profit to instead announce that it expects to make a $1.1 billion net loss in the year leading up to March 2014.
Square Enix's Final Fantasy VI for mobile devices was teased all the way through December, and having hit the Google Play Store back in January, has just become available to those on Apple's iOS. Full details can be seen after the break.
We've seen an abundance of weather-based tweaks since the Evad3rs team broke through iOS 7 with its Evasi0n jailbreak tool, but a new entry to the Cydia Store by the name of Weatherboard offers a distinct twist. For, instead of helping you actually ascertain the current temperature, wind speed, precipitation, or any other climate-related info, this tweak simply lets you enjoy the undeniable beauty of mother nature in all its glory. With a total of more than 80 animated wallpapers, you can set your lock and home screens to any condition you like, so whether you find the visuals of lightning to be therapeutic or wish to dream about the summer clouds drifting by, this tweak is definitely for you.
