After the US Court of Appeals reversed a proposed sales ban on Samsung's Galaxy Nexus this past October, Apple requested that the ban be reconsidered. The request was a long shot and it didn't swing in Cupertino's favor, as Reuters reports that the ban has been shot down by the court yet again.

The initial ruling to ban sales of the Galaxy Nexus came just prior to the courtroom battle that ended in a $1.05 billion verdict against Samsung. In October 2012, the Court of Appeals sided with Samsung, stating that the feature at the center of this particular legal skirmish -- a device-wide search function -- did not "drive demand" of the device, and therefore wasn't important enough to lead to a sales ban.

[Via: The Verge]

Apple fails to get Galaxy Nexus sales ban reinstated originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Given that Apple is well-known for its iconic, glass-heavy store designs, the fact that the company has been attempting to trademark its look shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Now, Mashable reports that as we approach the three-year anniversary of Apple's attempt to trademark the design, the US Patent & Trademark Office has finally granted the company its request.

"The store features a clear glass storefront surrounded by a paneled facade consisting of large, rectangular horizontal panels over the top of the glass front, and two narrower panels stacked on either side of the storefront," reads the trademark application. "Within the store, rectangular recessed lighting units traverse the length of the store's ceiling. There are cantilevered shelves below recessed display spaces along the side walls, and rectangular tables arranged in a line in the middle of the store parallel to the walls and extending from the storefront to the back of the store. There is multi-tiered shelving along the side walls, and a oblong table with stools located at the back of the store, set below video screens flush-mounted on the back wall."

With Apple's habit of becoming entangled in legal disputes over its hardware designs being duplicated elsewhere, it'll be interesting to see if the ownership of its store layout spawns any further courtroom battles. We won't likely have to wait very long to find out.

Apple scores trademark for store design originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Yesterday, Apple rolled out a trio of firmware updates for MacBook users to help address a rare issue that can cause the batteries to malfunction. The update targets the System Management Controller in the MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, which can run into issues as the computer ages. As Apple explains, "This update addresses a rare issue on some Apple notebooks where a battery that has accumulated more than 1,000 charge cycles may unexpectedly shut down or stop functioning."

You can download the fix for your computer of choice straight from Apple's support page, or click the links above.

[Via Macworld]

Apple rolls out firmware update to revive old, troubled batteries originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 03:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

When it became clear that Apple Maps was quickly falling flat on its face, everyone waited with bated breath to see what Google had up its sleeve for its own standalone maps app. By all accounts, Google Maps for iOS is indeed the cream of the crop, and Engadget recently sat down with Daniel Graf, Director of Google Maps for mobile, to get the inside scoop on its creation.

The interview focuses on just how Google took its curated Maps experience for Android and improved upon it for iOS. If you're at all interested in a behind the scenes look at iOS's most popular navigation app, give it a read.

Engadget interviews Daniel Graf about Google Maps for iOS originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 30 Jan 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The embattled photo sharing service 500px has returned to the App Store after being pulled last week due to concerns over adult content. The app carries the same 17+ age rating that all internet-capable apps are required to carry, but now features a new reporting feature to quickly flag inappropriate content for removal. But as TechCrunch points out, the app still features a separate section for nude photography, as long as you're logged in.

Perhaps Apple was so distracted by Vine's recent promotion of graphic sexual content that 500px managed to slip under the radar. Or maybe the company just realized that you can find as much pornography as you want using its own Safari mobile browser, and by comparison 500px is on the mild side. Either way, it's back, and can be downloaded once again for free from the App Store.

[Via MacRumors]

500px returns to the App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A new update to Microsoft Office 2011 for Mac has rolled live, and it fixes several issues for PowerPoint users, as well as a calendar bug for Outlook. The full change log reads as follows:

• Meeting invitation times are displayed inaccurately in Outlook for Mac: Fixes an issue that causes meeting invitation times from non-Exchange calendar servers to be off by one hour during certain times of the year.
• Slides in collapsed sections cover other slides in Slide Sorter view in PowerPoint for Mac: Fixes a display issue that involves collapsed sections in Slide Sorter view.
• Hashtags (#) in hyperlinks aren't saved correctly in PowerPoint for Mac: Fixes an issue in which hyperlinks that contain hashtags (#) aren't saved correctly.
• Crash occurs when you use Paste Special with a partial table in PowerPoint for Mac: Fixes an issue that causes PowerPoint to crash when you use the Paste Special option to copy and paste part of a table.
• RTF text that's saved in PowerPoint for Windows can't be pasted into PowerPoint for Mac: Fixes an issue in which RTF text that's saved in PowerPoint for Windows can't be copied and pasted into PowerPoint for Mac.

Office 2011 update fixes PowerPoint, Outlook issues on Mac originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After struggling to find its niche in the modern consumer electronics landscape for many years, Philips has thrown in the towel. The company went from offering TVs and MP3 players to focusing on accessories such as iPhone docks and stereo headphones. According to the Wall Street Journal, the remainder of the company's consumer-focused lines have been sold to Funai Electric of Japan.

Philips will focus on medical equipment and lighting, as those have recently made up the majority of the company's business. So if there's a Philips iPad-compatible alarm clock that you've had your eye on, now is the time to pick it up.

[via iLounge]

Philips departs consumer electronics market; Funai to carry on Apple accessory line originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you were to ask me for a few tips on starting a new video-centric social app, I would probably be able to offer you very little advice. That said, one thing I can guarantee I wouldn't recommend is to push grotesque porn to every users' feed just as they're having their morning coffee. That's just what Vine did -- allegedly due to "human error" -- and TechCrunch reports that it was enough to get the app yanked from the Featured section of the App Store.

As you might imagine, Apple wasn't the only one a bit upset by Vine's untimely adult content, and many early adopters have openly declared that they will never use the app again. Twitter, which owns Vine, has apparently taken this incident as a sign that it needs to take the porn problem seriously, and will begin a more aggressive approach to filtering it out. Whether that will help the app regain its place in Apple's hallowed promo section remains to be seen.

Apple yanks Vine from Featured Apps section after porn debacle originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the wake of Instagram's recent woes and aided by a well-received redesign, Yahoo saw use of its Flickr iOS app jump by a whopping 25 percent. As TNW reports, the update was definitely catered to Instagram expatriates, adding more than a dozen photo filters as well as the ability to use Facebook credentials to log into the service.

The updated Flickr app is just part of Yahoo's recent mobile push, and the company has aggressively targeted iOS users in its strategy. Last year, Yahoo launched its Axis mobile browser as well as a native Yahoo Mail app, both of which have helped set up a very mobile-centric 2013 for the company.

Yahoo's Flickr iOS app sees renewed popularity following redesign and Instagram woes originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 29 Jan 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've enjoyed the ability to send voice messages to your Facebook contacts through the company's Messenger app, you'll be pleased to learn that a new update to the main Facebook app adopts the feature as well. Along with audio messaging, the update adds in-app video recording and sharing, which should ensure that your news feed becomes peppered with obnoxious videos from loved ones who may or may not understand how little you care about the trick they just taught their dog. Version 5.4 of the app is available now for download from the App Store.

[Via: Engadget]

Facebook app gets video recording and voice messages in new update originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The iOS app Timehop offers you a glimpse into your social networking past, but with its newest update, it also lets you take a peek at antiquated news stories as well. TNW reports that Timehop has partnered with USA Today to offer the top news stories from years past that were published on whatever date it happens to be. Think of it like a "this day in history" experience, but with a social twist.

Another new feature that has been added to the app is called "Friendversaries." As the name implies, the new feature notifies you of the exact day you befriended certain people on your various social networks. The update is now live on the App Store, and as always, Timehop remains free. The nostalgia-centric app made our Friday Favorite list recently.

Timehop partners with USA Today to bring old news back to life originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're in the market for Apple's slimmest notebook, Best Buy has a rather enticing deal going on for January 25 and 26 only: $200 all models of the MacBook Air. All four 2012 models of the Air (11-inch and 13-inch with either 64GB of 128GB of storage) are now $200 cheaper, lowering the overall entry point to just $799 for a 64GB, 11-inch model.

It's worth noting that Apple also has a full selection of refurbished MacBook Airs on offer, for between $150 and $180 off the regular retail price. But for now, you can score brand-new versions of the same notebooks for even cheaper through Best Buy. Christmas in January, anyone?

[Via: CNET]

Best Buy cuts $200 off MacBook Air for two days only originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Late last year, International Trade Commission Judge Thomas Pender recommended that the commission ban the sale of certain Samsung smartphones found to have infringed on Apple patents. But now, Reuters reports that rather than move forward with a full ITC review of the ruling which could result in a product ban, the commission has asked the judge to take a second look at the patents in question before moving forward.

Apple, of course, would consider a ban on the infringing products -- including the Acclaim, Intercept, Indulge, and Transform smartphones -- a win. However, it appears that the company will just have to wait and see if the judge's original feelings remain the same as he reviews the case yet again.

Trade commission decides not to ban Samsung devices in the U.S. before further review originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

After Apple's earnings call yesterday the company's stock took a sizable hit. This, of course, was due in large part to the company underperforming analysts' revenue expectations. But rather than rail on Apple, Fortune argues that Wall Street's Apple analysts performed worse than the company itself, and it's worked up a rather handy chart to prove its point.

Ranking a whopping 68 analysts based on how close their predictions came to hitting Apple's true numbers, the chart shows just how dramatically earnings predictions can vary. For example, Apple reported revenue of $54.51 billion, but analyst predictions ranged from $51.70 billion to $65.69 billion. Take a look at some more failed predictions, ranging from insanely optimistic to depressingly dismal, on Fortune.

Fortune ranks the Apple analysts originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

During Apple's earnings call today, Apple SVP and CFO Peter Oppenheimer announced a small change to how the company reports its revenue from Asia. Rather than lumping China into the "Asia Pacific" category as has been done up to this point, a new "Greater China" category has been added.

"Beginning this fiscal year, we are reorganizing the presentation of our results to provide greater transparency," Oppenheimer explains. "First, we have established a new operating segment of Greater China given the very significant contribution of that region to our overall business. We define Greater China to include Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan."

While the edit to the company's revenue data sheet may be minor, it's a sign of something much larger: China's smartphone market could become Apple's most important battleground. Apple's year-over-year iPhones sales in China more than doubled last quarter, with revenue jumping an astonishing 67%. This puts China in third place in terms of contributing to the company's overall bottom line, but China's smartphone war is just heating up.

Last year, China surpassed the United States to become the largest smartphone market in the world. This year, the Chinese market could grow to be twice that of the U.S., so it's relatively easy to see why Apple would want to focus on the region.

Apple has already had a great deal of success with the iPad mini in China, and the company even went so far as to publish a Chinese New Year gift guide. But those are just small steps towards declaring victory, and Apple's actions in 2013 will be infinitely important to whether China remains a revenue boon for the company.

China is becoming increasingly important to Apple's bottom line originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 22:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We already know that iOS devices had a record-breaking quarter according to Apple's most recent earnings report, but that figure alone isn't enough to impress Wall Street. Unfortunately, while the company dodged a year-over-year loss in overall profit, the company's profit margin took a sizable hit, down 6.1 percentage points to 38.6% from a year earlier.

This, combined with worries that current iPhone sales have flattened off considerably, helped to contribute to an after-hours hit to Apple's stock price. Currently, shares are down just over 10% (roughly 51 points) since trading closed.

Apple's profit margin down, shares take a hit originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to Apple's earnings call, iOS devices are selling like hotcakes. You probably didn't need me to tell you that, but here we are, talking about it anyway. Now, how fast did the Apple-flavored hotcakes sell? Approximately 10 per second for the entire last quarter of 2012.

47.8 million iPhones and 22.9 million iPads landed in the hands of happy consumers last quarter, which is a rate of 6 iPhones and 3 iPads per second. The remaining sales were made up by the diehard iPod Touch. All told, over 75 million iOS devices were sold during the timeframe, which just so happens to be a new record.

Apple sold 10 iOS devices per second last quarter originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 23 Jan 2013 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You may already be familiar with the 500px photo sharing service, both in its web form and the official iOS app. If you're a fan of the latter, you'll be dismayed to learn that the app has been pulled down from Apple's App Store over concerns that it allows users to search for nude photos too easily, according to TechCrunch. Another 500px browsing app called ISO500 -- which 500px just acquired, as a matter of fact -- has also been removed today for the same reason.

In speaking with TechCrunch, 500px COO Evgeny Tchebotarev explained that after submitting a recent update to its flagship app, Apple rejected it due to its search feature allowing the user to query for nude images. Both the website and the app do (or "did") allow users to search for and browse nude photos, though anything deemed blatantly pornographic is removed from the service as soon as it is flagged.

Many art lovers enjoy artistic nude photos, and as 500px is a service for photography and art buffs, the fact that the company allows these works is understandable. It's also important to keep in mind that just about anyone can open the default Safari mobile web browser and find explicitly graphic pornography in a matter of seconds.

500px is working on a new update to the app that will hopefully allow the apps to return to their place in the App Store.

500px yanked from App Store over nude photo concerns originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We already know Apple's hardware was a hit in China during the last part of 2012, and new data from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech shows that Japan felt the same way, at least when it comes to the iPhone. According to the firm's most recent data from the end of 2012, the iPhone holds an astonishing two-thirds of the Japanese smartphone market.

Kantar's figures also show that Windows Phone is beginning to gain a foothold in Europe, but it remains far behind iOS and Android in the US and China. Android remained in first place on a global scale, though iOS does currently hold the crown in the states and Japan.

[Via: The Loop]

iPhone number one in Japan for the holiday season originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

This review is a little over a week late. Well, not "late" per se, but about a week later than I had intended to write it. Normally this is something only my editor would need to know, but in the case of Airendipity, it's a good way to explain my experience with the app.

The concept behind Airendipity is that you write your feelings, quotes, questions or encouraging words in a short message and send it out to the world as a virtual paper airplane with complete anonymity. The main app screen features dozens of similar airplanes zooming all over the screen which you can capture, read, comment on and then send back into the fray. You can track the path of your messages and see what cities or countries it has landed in, which really helps to offer a human aspect to the whole experience.

Now, regarding the timeliness of my review (or lack thereof), I held off on penning my impressions of the app for about a week after first using it. To be honest, it didn't impress me at first. Most of the messages I read were famously overused quotes that I had seen a thousand times before, and my own messages didn't seem to really go anywhere other than Colorado (seriously, every single message I sent off ended up in Colorado after 24 hours, and refused to move).

At that point, I pretty much gave up. Writing about my rather unremarkable experience with Airendipity took a backseat to more pressing topics. Then, a few days ago, I pressed the Airendipity icon on accident when attempting to launch a different app I was reviewing. Rather than just close it out and get on with my life, I decided to check on the messages I had sent over a week earlier, and to my surprise, I spent the next half hour using the app.

My own paper airplanes had broken free of their Colorado chains and traveled the world while I was ignoring their very existence. Other Airendipity users had been reading my words and passing them on to others in South America, Hungary and even Saudi Arabia. Some of the readers "Loved" my posts by tapping the heart icon that appears on each note, while some simply read them and tossed them on to the next recipient.

There are some things that my brief hiatus didn't fix, however, including the insistence of many Airendipity users to snag quotes from famous individuals and pass them off as original, but that's a minor niggle in what is now a pleasant daily habit for me. Airendipity is free on the App Store, and I highly recommend you give it a look. In fact, give it several looks over the course of a week. You'll be happy you did.

Airendipity: The app that took 10 days to win my heart originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 22 Jan 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If Facebook thought its Poke app would quickly dominate the timed messaging scene and make Snapchat a thing of the past, its plan appears to be off to a rocky start. As Mashable reports, after debuting in the No. 1 slot on the iOS free apps list, Poke has experienced a precipitous drop in popularity, and is now more than 700 spots back after just one month.

Both apps allow users to send messages to their Facebook friends, which automatically delete after a set time. Unfortunately for Facebook, Poke doesn't really do much to set itself apart from Snapchat, and the app doesn't appear to have resonated with its intended user base.

Poke is still in version 1.0, so it's possible that the company has some new and exciting features in the way to revive its already waning popularity. But even if Facebook lets it fade into obscurity, we can chalk it up to a learning experience.

Facebook's Poke app becomes unpopular in a hurry originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Jan 2013 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you find your youngsters are spending a bit too much time on a WiFi-capable iOS device, Macworld might have the solution. In response to a reader searching for a way to curb his childrens' Apple habit, Macworld's Christopher Breen proposes a rather elegant remedy using WiFi access timers in AirPort.

By setting up time windows in which the devices can connect to AirPort, access to the internet is restricted accordingly. It's certainly easier than physically collecting the offending iPod or iPad, and while the restriction might not be met with cheers, it seems preferable to most other options.

Of course, if your offspring have an Angry Birds addiction, limiting their online time probably won't do much to help. But if social networking is their drug of choice, the system should work well. You can read more on just how to set up the wireless access windows on Macworld.

[Via: The Loop]

Macworld shows parents how to limit iOS time for kids originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 21 Jan 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In the face of mounting pressure from Net Neutrality groups and threats of FCC complaints, AT&T recently unblocked use of Apple's FaceTime for some of its user base. Unfortunately, customers on unlimited data plans are still unable to use the popular chat feature over AT&T's cellular network. In response, Free Press has launched an initiative to allow customers to speak out against the practice.

The site, which carries a banner boldly declaring "AT&T: Your World. Blocked," allows users to submit their name, email address and zip code to the growing list of disgruntled web denizens. At the time of this writing, the site already has more than 6,600 comments in the name of Net Neutrality.

Free Press launches petition site against AT&T in the name of Net Neutrality originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're fan of Evernote on your desktop and mobile devices, but prefer the browsing experience of the third-party Dolphin app for iOS, today is your lucky day. In a new update to the popular browser, Dolphin is adding Evernote Web Clipper integration, allowing you to capture and annotate practically any chunk of web content with a single tap. Users will be able to save web pages directly to Evernote from Dolphin, making it the first mobile browser to offer such compatibility.

The update also adds a new feature called Dolphin Connect which can capture tabs, web images, and other content from your desktop browser and sync it with your mobile device. Dolphin, as always, is still free to download from the App Store.

[Via: Engadget]

Dolphin web browser becomes the first to integrate Evernote Web Clipper originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The support for iPad versions of traditional print publications might not have been enough to save The Daily from extinction, but magazine publisher Hearst isn't ready to throw the towel in just yet. In fact, quite the contrary: The Loop reports that the company is pushing an all-new initiative to heighten its digital subscriber base by promising to publish new issues of 20 different magazines on iPad before print.

Hearst's offerings include publications such as Car and Driver, Popular Mechanics, Redbook, Cosmopolitan and Good Housekeeping, just to name a few. You can browse all the magazines offering early issues on a dedicated page on Apple's Newsstand within iTunes.

New Hearst magazine issues will debut first on Apple's Newsstand originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

A new job listing on Apple's online career portal details what the company envisions for the future of Siri. As 9to5Mac reports, the details of the employment opportunity reveal Apple's desire to turn Siri into a more well-rounded virtual character, adding more dialog and refreshing Siri's current responses.

"We're looking for a uniquely creative individual to help us evolve and enrich Siri, our virtual personal assistant," the listing reads. "Siri's known for 'her' wit, cultural knowledge and zeal to explain things in engaging, funny and practical ways. The ideal candidate is someone who combines a love for language, wordplay and conversation with demonstrated experience in bringing creative content to life within an intense technical environment."

Siri's quirky responses to random questions are already well-documented, but if you've already worn out her wit, it appears we won't have to wait long for some snarky new banter.

[Via: 9to5Mac]

Apple job listing points to more Siri dialog options originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you're a Sprint customer with an iPhone, it appears as though you'll soon get the opportunity to insure your device using the company's Total Equipment Protection program. Engadget reports that an anonymous tipster has provided internal documentation pointing to a January 25 launch date for the new add-on option.

If this information indeed pans out, customers will have the opportunity to add the protection plan to their accounts for US$11 a month. However, the monthly fee won't completely cover the cost of a new iPhone should your device meet an untimely end; There will be two deductible tiers based on the cost of the device itself. A $150 deductible will be applied for iPhones ranging from $549.99 to $599.99, and a $200 fee is applied for phones priced above $600.

Sprint to offer Total Equipment Protection for iPhone starting January 25 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 17 Jan 2013 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook's Messenger app for iPhone has undergone a number of facelifts in the past year or so, but a new feature was added today that may completely change the way you use it: free calling over a data connection. The Verge reports that the new feature began rolling out to users today, and doesn't require you to update the app itself.

The new calling option is a rather streamlined affair: Simply open up a conversation with one of your Facebook friends from the app's menu, select the "i" icon in the corner and then hit the "Free Call" button. The recipient will get an alert window letting them know that you are calling.

The calls won't count against your phone's minutes, but it will eat up some mobile data if you're not connected to WiFi, so while the call may be free as far as Facebook is concerned, it's important to keep an eye on your data usage. The new feature is currently only available to US-based Facebook users, and no word on an international release is available at this time.

Facebook Messenger offers free calling for iPhone users originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Orca Health's HeartDecide app is now powered by data from Harvard Medical School, thanks to a newly formed partnership. As AllThingsD reports, the new union has already yielded a wealth of new content for iOS devices.

The app, which is designed to help educate users, is offered free of charge. A litany of heart ailments can be simulated using the app's 3D heart model, including rheumatic heart disease, atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. You can also use the app's directory to find heart specialists and browse tips on staying healthy.

The partnership between Orca and Harvard doesn't end there; A total of four iBooks from the pair are also now available covering various topics -- angina, angioplasty, atherosclerosis and cardiac catheterization -- in greater depth. However, unlike the free app, these interactive tomes will set you back US$4.99 each.

Harvard Medical School content to be part of HeartDecide originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 16 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

At this point, we practically expect to see a new legal charge brought against Apple every day of the week, and oftentimes that is indeed the case, but this one is particularly interesting: TechCrunch reports that Russian Railways is charging Apple with trademark infringement, seeking 2 million roubles (roughly US$65,000) in damages.

The suit itself is rather vague and avoids citing exactly where Apple is allegedly in the wrong. The statement notes that Apple has infringed on Russian Railways' RZD trademark and used it in pictures on one of its digital marketplaces.

TechCrunch points out that this could be due to the use of RZD images on third party apps available for iOS, though it hardly seems appropriate to attack Apple rather than the apps creator. At this time, Apple hasn't issued an official statement on the case.

Russian Railways levies trademark infringement against Apple originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The WiFi versions of Apple's tablets have already proven their selling capability in China, with the iPad mini in particular selling faster than supplies can be replenished. Tim Cook already teased that WiFi + cellular versions would hit China sometime this month, and it looks like January 18 is indeed the magic day. Cellular-capable versions of both the iPad mini and fourth-gen iPad with Retina will be offered at Apple retailers and on the web via the Apple Online Store.

With such a feeding frenzy on its hands, it's clear that Apple wants to do everything it can to satisfy demand for its wares in China, especially given the notorious counterfeit scene in the country. Launching the cellular models of the latest tablets in the country is definitely a wise move, and will likely help Apple's genuine goods grab and even better foothold.

WiFi + cellular fourth-gen iPad and iPad mini arrive in China on January 18 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Tue, 15 Jan 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If you've watched any amount of television in the past month or so, you've probably seen plenty of ads for the Microsoft Surface tablet. But while the brightly colored keyboards and techno music of the advertisements might be inseparable from your must-see TV time, the device itself isn't nearly as present in homes. Business Insider reports UBS analyst Brent Thill puts sales of the Surface at just 1 million in Q4 2012, which is roughly 5 percent of estimated iPad sales for the quarter.

Thill notes that the iPad is partly to blame for the Surface's lack of impact, as well as a less-than-optimal distribution model on the part of Microsoft. Apple, for its part, is estimate to have sold as many as 26 million iPads during the same time period, taking into account both full-sized and iPad mini models.

Analyst: For every 20 iPads sold during the holidays, Microsoft sold one Surface tablet originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

While it might seem logical that, since tablets are better suited to web tasks than smartphones, data consumption would be skewed towards slates. But new data from Arieso suggests the opposite. According to the firm's lastest figures, smartphones including the iPhone 5 handily trumped tablets when it comes to data usage, suggesting that users' data habits don't scale along with the size of a device's screen. The report followed the habits of 1 million mobile users over a 24-hour period in November 2012.

According to the report, iPhone 5 users best all other smartphone and tablet demographics in terms of downloaded data, while Samsung's Galaxy S III takes the top spot for data uploads. The iPhone 5 accounts for 50 percent more data usage than the iPhone 4S, and roughly four times as much as the iPhone 3G.

"For the first time, smartphone users are consistently consuming more mobile data than tablet users," the report notes. "Out of the top 10 most voracious devices (excluding dongles) six were smartphones, three tablets and one a 'phablet'. Tablet users placed fourth, eighth and ninth."

Another interesting figure points to a small segment of users consuming massive amounts of data compared to the rest, with 40 percent of all data being consumed by just 1 percent of users.

[Via TechCrunch]

iPhone 5, other phones are consuming far more data than tablets originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Drexel University in Philadelphia has created a solution for students who need to use a computer on campus but don't have immediate access to one of their own: A free MacBook vending machine. Ok, so it's not exactly a vending machine, and the computers are only loaned to the students for free 5-hour intervals, but it's still a rather interesting system.

The kiosk scans each student's ID before allowing them to take one of the dozen 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks from its stock. The computers can be used for a total of five hours at no charge, with each additional hour costing $5. The MacBooks are equipped with security sensors to ensure they don't go missing. If the program proves beneficial for students, the university is considering adding iPad kiosks as well. Where were these when I was in college?

[Via: Gizmodo]

Drexel University intros MacBook Pro vending machine originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

You may have already pre-ordered FreedomPop's almost-too-good-to-be-true iPhone accessory back in May, but it seems the FCC is still in the process of approving the device. FreedomPop CEO Stephen Stokols told FierceWireless that the agency is taking issue with the sleeve's design, noting that the snap-on case places the built-in WiMAX radio right next to the iPhone's own cellular radio. Stokols added that the company has 5,000 of the new sleeves waiting at US Customs, and will begin shipping them as soon as the FCC gives the go-ahead.

FreedomPop's powerful accessory will offer customers 500 MB of free mobile data over Clearwire's 4G WiMAX network, with Sprint's 4G LTE network joining in sometime in 2013. Additional tiered data plans will also be available. FreedomPop expects the FCC to be finished with its approval process within the next few weeks.

FreedomPop's WiMAX iPhone sleeve hits an FCC snag originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple has enjoyed a recent burst of success in China, with the new iPad mini selling out faster than supplies can be replenished, but rather than sitting back and enjoying the regional boom, the company is going on the offensive with a new Chinese New Year Gift Guide. M.I.C. Gadget reports that the new buyers guide is included in Apple's online store in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia.

Not surprisingly, the iPad mini is featured prominently in the guide, along with both first-party accessories like the Smart Cover and third-party wares from the likes of Logitech and Plantronics. Prices are displayed in the appropriate regional currency, and each Apple gadget on the page is accompanied by a bounty of related products. Apple is also promoting free shipping and gift wrapping as part of the holiday guide.

Apple publishes Chinese New Year gift guide originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

We've been hearing rumors of a cheaper iPhone for longer than we'd care to remember, and while everyone from the Wall Street Journal to Bloomberg is trumpeting the budget iPhone horn, Apple's own Phil Schiller is doing his best to put an end to it. TNW reports that in an interview with China's Shanghai Evening News, Apple's SVP of Worldwide Marketing adamantly denies that the company is considering an iPhone with a lower price point.

"Despite the popularity of cheap smartphones, this will never be the future of Apple's products," Schiller bluntly states. "In fact, although Apple's market share of smartphones is just about 20 percent, we own the 75 percent of the profit."

And that's what it really comes down to: profit. The iPhone 5 sold more than 5 million units in the first weekend of availability. That doesn't sound like a product line in need of an economy-minded addition. The iPhone is Apple's biggest cash cow, and with new, full-priced models consistently selling out at launch, there's absolutely no reason for the company to consider producing a budget model.

The older models of the iPhone drop off in price each year, and you can currently get an iPhone 4 for no cost through Verizon, and for US$0.99 through AT&T. So if you're looking for a cheap iPhone, there are already plenty of options on the table. Until Apple sees iPhone popularity wane, we don't expect to see a budget-tier option materialize.

Update: Reuters has rescinded its story, noting that the "Shanghai Evening News report [was] subsequently updated with substantial changes to its content." The updated post ends by saying, "No replacement story will be issued." Here we go again.

Phil Schiller: No cheap iPhone in the works (Updated) originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 10 Jan 2013 16:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Sometimes you just need to talk on your iPhone right NOW, and even the tedious task of fetching the device from your pocket or purse is just too big of a delay to handle. If this sounds like you, then you're going to want to pay very close attention to the following video, as it may change your life forever.

As you can see, the inventive Japanese man in the clip exhibits unbridled ingenuity in creating an iPhone quick-draw system capable of getting your smartphone into your grasp within just fractions of a second. The video shows several versions of the quickdraw device as its inventor experiments with all manner of frantic flailing gestures.

If the homemade masterpiece looks a bit familiar, it may be due to its similarities to rig used by Robert De Niro's character in the film Taxi Driver. Of course, the protagonist in the film used his creation to produce a handgun on demand, rather than the decidedly less dangerous Apple smartphone.

Japanese guy makes an iPhone quick-draw system, Taxi Driver style originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 23:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple may not have a presence at CES, but that's not stopping the company from introducing a new goodie in its online store. 9to5Mac reports that the Apple Thunderbolt Cable, which was previously only available in a length of 2 meters, is now available in a new 0.5-meter variation.

The new cable is priced at US$29.99, and on top of that, the familiar 2-meter version of the cable has received a $10 price cut, from $49.99 to $39.99. Both cables are currently in stock in Apple's online store. More speed for everyone!

Apple reduces Thunderbolt cable price, introduces new shorter option originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The built-in microphone on your iOS device is fine for conversations, but when it comes to recording high-quality audio, it's somewhat inadequate. Rode's new iXY 30-pin plug-in microphone changes that, offering true stereo recording and companion apps that boasts a litany of audio customization options.

Two versions of Rode's iOS app are available: A free version with limited options and a fully-featured version for US$5.99 that includes a full equalizer, high- and low-pass filters, and one-touch sharing via Dropbox, email and more. The iXY is now available for $199, and is only compatible with 30-pin devices, so iPhone 5 owners are unfortunately out of luck.

[Via: Engadget]

iXY Microphone brings high-quality stereo recording to 30-pin iDevices originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Wed, 09 Jan 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.