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Tag: iPhone

  • NBA Rush Is The Weird Spiritual Successor To Space Jam You Never Knew You Wanted

    Space Jam may just be the best film of the 90s. Sure, it was pretty awful if you look at it objectively, but it’s just so much fun to watch. Michael Jordan teaming up with the Looney Tunes to take on the Monstars with a soundtrack inspired by all the best/worst music of the 90s came together to give us something truly special.

    Unfortunately, we’re never going to get another Space Jam. We’re coming ridiculously close, however, with the release of NBA Rush. The latest mobile title from RenRen Games puts players into the role of 90 NBA players as they protect the world from invading aliens with slam dunks.

    Let me repeat that – you kill aliens with slam dunks.

    Outside of this new and truly innovative gameplay concept, NBA Rush is your standard infinite runner. Players will run forward on a set path avoiding obstacles and collecting coins while killing aliens with their boom shakalaka-inducing slam dunks.

    While there’s no gameplay yet, here’s a screenshot that gives you the only reason you need to play this game:

    NBA Rush Is Weird

    NBA Rush is currently available only on iOS. There’s no word yet if this amazing title will make its way to Android, but there’s a solid chance it will.

    [h/t: Polygon]
    Image via NBA Rush/iTunes

  • Apple Refund: Company To Refund Over $30 Mil. In App Case

    As of late, this writer has seen a trend among the toddlers and young children she finds herself around; most of them are better at handling an iPhone or iPad than many adults. This is certainly not undue, at least partially, to the corresponding trend of parents loaning their tech goodies to their children so as to keep them entertained in restaurants, cars, stores, and other places that may prove boring for even the most well-behaved children. The way that the new generation is becoming so immersed in new technology, so much so that it is almost something natural, is a pretty incredible thing, but does not come without its drawbacks. Such as, oh, finding out that little Timmy spent $100 on snacks for his virtual pet dragon.

    Come to find out, stories such as that hypothetical example are not uncommon, and the parents of little Timmy and other children like him are not at all pleased. The obvious question that comes to mind is how, exactly, the children are able to make these purchases in the first place. After all, most six-year-olds aren’t running around with credit cards. The answer lies in some rather shady trickery; children download free apps and games to their parents devices, and then go to buy power-ups, snacks, jewels, or coins for their respective games. A box will pop up, asking for a password, and children hand the device to their parents so that they can key it in. Afterwards, a 15 minute window is opened, where children have free reign to download and purchase goodies without any need of their parent’s consent or unwitting help.

    What those children and parents didn’t know, though, was that by typing in their password, they were allowing the app to charge real money for virtual tokens. When bills showed up at the end of the month, parents were enraged, claiming that they had not been told of the charges and that they shouldn’t be expected to pay for goods they were never told they purchased. And those purchases certainly add up; one parent reported that her daughter had spent over $2,000 on “Pet Tap Hotel,” and others claimed to have lost over $500 on games like “Dragon Story” and “Tiny Zoo.” Enraged, parents took to complaining and making claims against Apple, looking to get their money back.

    Today, Apple reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which will include up to $32.5 million in refunds to jilted parents. Apple has agreed to provide full refunds to those effected by their children’s unwitting spending sprees, and has sent emails to people that it believes may have been effected in such a way. People who suspect that they may have lost money due to such circumstances are also encouraged to email Apple, if they have not received any word from the company.

    FTC Commissioner Edith Ramirez said on the topic, “This settlement is a victory for consumers harmed by Apple’s unfair billing, and a signal to the business community: whether you’re doing business in the mobile arena or the mall down the street, fundamental consumer protections apply. You cannot charge consumers for purchases they did not authorize.” Apple also released a statement, simply stating, “Today’s agreement with the FTC extends our existing refund program for in-app purchases which may have been made without a parent’s permission.”

    Apple also claimed that it already had programs in place to refund parents who found that their children had amounted charges without their permission, but that it would rather agree to the FTC’s conditions than draw out a long, nasty court battle over the topic. Either way, it seems like wronged parents will be getting their money back, and will probably be keeping a closer eye on their children’s app usage in the future, too.

    Image via Apple’s website.

  • Theater Says Siri Will Ruin Your Life If You Talk Or Text During Movie

    Movie theater chain Alamo Drafthouse, known for its strict moviegoing etiquette policies, is showing a humorous new message to patrons, warning them to turn their phones off. It features Siri (apparently doing a John Wayne accent) warning that use of phones is prohibited.

    Don’t Talk – Siri from Alamo Drafthouse on Vimeo.

    This comes as Alamo Drafthouse is promoting the AI romance film Her.

    [via Cult of Mac]

  • CES 2014: Thermal Imaging iPhone Case Unveiled

    This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been filled with 4K (and eve 8K) displays, but real innovations have been hard to come by. FLIR Systems, however, has shown off a new type of iPhone case that, though not particularly useful, is a demonstration of just how far technology has come in the past few years.

    FLIR this week unveiled its FLIR One iPhone case. The case is being marketed as a personal thermal imaging device for iPhone-owning consumers. The case slips over iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S smartphones and is capable of producing live thermal images through the use of its rear camera.

    Though thermal imaging has obvious value for the military and surveillance industries, FLIR believes the technology can also have practical applications for the consumer market. The company is promoting the case as a way for consumers to improve home security and energy efficiency, as well as an inexpensive aid for wildlife enthusiasts or hunters.

    “For decades, we’ve seen the possibilities of thermal imaging redefine industries that require critical awareness and heightened perception,” said Andy Teich, CEO of FLIR. “With FLIR ONE, we’re excited to extend this technology to everyday users to help them with home improvement, wildlife observation, safety, security, and to discover new ways to use thermal imaging.”

    FLIR claims that the FLIR One case will be the first consumer-friendly personal imager to sell under $350, though the company has not announced an official price. The case is expected to be available sometime this spring.

  • Apple App Store Sales Reached $10 Billion In 2013

    Are you an Apple App Store developer? Did you create a best selling app in 2013? If so, you may have contributed to the Apple App Store’s best month ever.

    Apple announced this morning that App Store sales reached $10 billion in 2013. Amazingly enough, $1 billion of that was made in December alone making it the most successful month in App Store history. As for developers, Apple notes that it has now paid out over $15 billion to the men and women that help make its App Store so successful.

    “We’d like to thank our customers for making 2013 the best year ever for the App Store,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “The lineup of apps for the holiday season was astonishing and we look forward to seeing what developers create in 2014.”

    So, which apps helped Apple make $10 billion this year? The company points to Candy Crush Saga, Puzzles & Dragons, Minecraft, QuizUp and Clumsy Ninja as some of the year’s biggest success stories. It notes that most of these apps were made by teams outside of the U.S. which helps to illustrate the international nature of the App Store.

    Back in December, Apple did a year-in-review that revealed Minecraft as the #1 top paid app of the year while Candy Crush Saga was the most downloaded free to play game. As for its own personal app of the year, Apple gave its Editor’s Pick award to Duolingo.

    If you happen to have an Android device, you can check out what Google thinks were the best apps of the year here.

    Image via iTunes

  • Merchant Case For iPhone Designed With Square Users In Mind [CES]

    Square and Griffin Technology are showing off a new iPhone case optimized for businesses using Square Reader at CES this week. It’s called the Merchant Case.

    The case fits the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5, and was designed with Square customers in mind. As the companies explain:

    The case is custom-molded to secure the Square Reader when connected. A groove in the bottom of the case aligns with the Square Reader to guide a credit card to an easy, consistent swipe time after time. Made from durable silicone, the case protects the phone from bumps and drops. The case’s non-slip sides and corners make it easier to hold the phone and to hand over for customers’ signatures. Additionally, the Square Reader can be detached and stored in the back of the case when not in use.

    “Griffin is proud to be Square’s inaugural partner in its Works with Square program,” said J. Curtis, Director of B2B Product Development at Griffin. “Our Merchant case is the first protective case designed to augment and provide storage for the Square Reader. Paired together, our Merchant case and Square Reader create the ideal point of sale solution for all businesses on the go.”

    The case is part of a “Works with Square” accessories line featuring products designed for Square merchants. Expect to see more of these in the future.

    Merchant Case works with Square Register and costs $19.99.

    Last month, Square reduced the price of its Square Stand tablet accessory to $99. It was originally $299.

    Image: Square

  • Best Smartphones of 2013: One Obvious, One Underdog

    How many people have you seen with the iPhone 5s this year? How many people have you seen with the Nexus 5 this year? Can anyone even spot an Nexus 5 quickly? Probably not as fast as you would a certain smartphone with the bitten apple.

    Despite that, the tech-friendly folks at PCWorld have compiled a list of top smartphones, and the top three on the list are: The Apple iPhone 5s, the Google Nexus 5 and the HTC One.

    The Google Nexus 5 keeps getting called out in this article because its appearance makes it such an underdog compared to the phones directly above and under it in ranking. It’s a bit bulkier than the iPhone and HTC One, but it seems that the development team concentrated more on putting more umph under the hood. More on that later.

    The iPhone 5s (not to be confused with the iPhone 5c) comes out on top this year due to its slight, but important, upgrades to an already outstanding phone. The iPhone 5s came with a faster processor, improvements to the superior camera and a fingerprint sensor in a shiny gold exterior to seal its number one ranking.

    Number two is the aforementioned Google Nexus 5. Google had the audacity to be so confident in this phone’s specs that they put it in a Chevy Nova frame for smartphones. The Nexus 5 boasts a 445 pixels per inch display and KitKat, Android’s latest powerful operating system, at an affordable price to make this phone a standout.

    Lastly, but certainly not the least of the 2013 smartphones is the HTC One. The “Quietly Brilliant” team revamped their design and introduced a new series name, but kept the giant screens that HTC is known for. HTC made sure that the One screen and camera possessed ultra-high resolutions, and enclosed it in a sturdy aluminum case. Once a user gets used to HTC software, many become brand-loyal, and the HTC One effectively pleased its old fans and gained some new ones.

    Excited to see what 2014 holds for the future of smartphones.

    Image via Youtube

  • iPhone 6 – A New iPhone Coming Already?

    iPhone 6 – A New iPhone Coming Already?

    Are you excited about opening up that new iPhone 5s for Christmas? Did you rush out to get it as soon as it was available in stores, drop big bucks and stand in huge lines just to have the latest iPhone? Well, get ready to do it all again because the iPhone 6 could be released as early as May 2014.

    While Apple has been known to release new iPhones often, they have never released two so close together. The iPhone 5s was released earlier this summer and has been a hot item ever since. By releasing a new iPhone already, Apple could be cutting into the sales of the iPhone 5s and losing money in the process.

    Many experienced sources believe that Apple is in a hurry to get the new iPhone 6 out on shelves because they are competing with Samsung in terms of screen size and new features. The iPhone 6 is rumored to have a display in the 5-inch range. While this is still smaller than the displays of Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphones, it will put Apple in the same category and giving them a more level playing field in terms of features and sales.

    To the surprise of many, neither Samsung or Apple will be releasing their new smartphones with flexible screens. Samsung is working on making curved screens and says that they may be released by the end of 2014, but not on the Galaxy Note S5 which is the phone that the iPhone 6 will compete with.

    Apple is also rumored to be releasing a new iPad in the fall of 2014. Will you be buying the new iPhone 6 this spring or the new iPad this fall or are you going to hang on to your current phone and tablet for a while longer?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • New iPhone Christmas Ad a Sad Commentary on Culture

    Worried about being criticized over the dependency on technology? How about having to give a reason for those inseparable elongated moments with your smart phone? It’s okay, for Apple knows what you’re really doing.

    In a 90-second commercial titled “Misunderstood” aired yesterday, Apple shows a family getting together with the focal point on the seemingly self-isolating teenage son; he stares at his iPhone all day. What could he be up to? What is he doing? I won’t spoil it for you. Okay I’ll spoil it. The following sentences contain *spoilers* that may take away the holiday magic of Foxconn assembled products. The teenager, despite missing out on life’s most important moments (assuming you find importance in family time) is actually capturing them via his iPhone. Surprise!


    “Wake up in the morning feeling like iPhone, got my fingers on the screen, in my home, all alone.”

    It’s normal to want to capture and document life (I am writing this on a computer and publishing it on the internet, aren’t I?), but is there a point where spending too much time with technology takes us away from everything else? Is too much a bad thing?

    Jennifer Rooney at Forbes asked, “Are we happy that this year’s Thanksgiving and Hanukkah was Instagram’s busiest ever? This commercial glorified that reality. And I don’t think it is a positive message.” Rooney went on to write that this modernity of smartphone obsession is facing a “backlash”, adding that “restaurants offering 5% off of your meal if you relinquish your devices so that you have meaningful conversation with your family at dinner. Like my friend who got so fed up with her daughter’s 11-year-old friends texting–to one another–instead of skating at her ice-rink birthday party that she confiscated their phones. Like texting-while-walking bans.”

    Jonathan Salem Baskin, founder of brand consultancy Baskin Associates and a Forbes contributor said that the ad was “really depressing”, adding that it’s “about loss, not embracing the present (pun intended). It’s also really bad advertising, insomuch that he could be staring at any phone, and the punchline — use our equipment to record all the moments in which you don’t participate — isn’t really promotional anyway.”


    Everywhere he goes, our hero is controlled by the machine. Or is it he who is control?

    The average American adult spends about an hour a day on their smartphone. For teens, Washington Post says it’s: “more than 71/2 hours a day consuming media — watching TV, listening to music, surfing the Web, social networking, and playing video games, according to a 2010 study of 8- to 18-year-olds conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation.”

    According to eMarketer, for this year, 2 hours and 21 minutes is the average time adults spent per day on their mobile phones. The phones weren’t used for talking.

    Average Time Spent per Day with Major Media by US Adults

    2010

    2011

    2012

    2013
    Digital

    3:14

    3:50

    4:31

    5:09
    -Online*

    2:22

    2:33

    2:27

    2:19
    -Mobile (nonvoice)

    0:24

    0:49

    1:33

    2:21
    -Other

    0:26

    0:28

    0:31

    0:36

    *includes all internet activities on laptop or desktop computers

    While the future may hold human rights movement for designer babies or voyeuristic glasses that glimpse into one’s life, mankind presently lives in the screen.

    This is the first time we see Captain Emo look at something other than his iPhone. Although it’s another screen he’s looking at, he has a surprise for everyone.

    “I know I’ve been on my phone forever, ignoring you humans, but I have a surprise for you. I’ve actually been…

    …watching you the whole entire time.”

    “Is that an iPhone you got me, grandson?! Please tell me it’s an iPhone! Grandson, is that an iPhone?”

    He was there during the coldest snow fights.

    The ritual sock throw is part of our family tradition; when the son decides to isolate himself from the rest of the family, we kick him out of the house.

    Suspicious or heart warming?

    “You creepy little pervert! Were you watching us make love the whole time?!”

    Apple touches our hearts with such cuteness.

    I must have “Misunderstood” you.

    Captain Emo smiles for the camera, revealing his true identity: the family’s son.

    Mom was wrong this whole time, her little boy isn’t an anti-social grease monkey after all.

    “My job here is finished… I must go now, back to my home planet.”

    Pictures via YouTube

  • Original Tomb Raider Hits iOS, Only Costs $0.99

    Earlier this year, Square Enix rebooted the famous Tomb Raider series for modern consoles with a more relatable Lara Croft that was more interested in surviving than raiding tombs and killing endangered animals. It was a fantastic game, but some were a little bummed that it didn’t have more tomb raiding. For that, there’s always the original game.

    If you don’t have a PlayStation or PC to play the original 1996 game on, Square Enix has your back with a new iOS version of the original game. First and foremost, this is a straight up port of the original PlayStation game so don’t expect any fancy visuals like in Tomb Raider Anniversary. It also brings over the complex controls of the original, while adapting it to a touch screen device, so expect to see plenty of on-screen clutter. Thankfully, the game does support gamepads for those own one.

    Here are some additional details:

    We’ve not messed about with it, so it’s the full, unedited, unadulterated experience from the classic release at a super-low price. How better to find out if you’ve still got what it takes to beat a legendary game than by taking on the lost city of Atlantis and the pyramids of Egypt? It’s probably not for the faint of heart!

    The game includes two extra chapters that were included in the game’s 1998 re-release, giving you a total play time of around 15 hours. Also supports game controllers such as the MOGA Ace Power and the Logitech PowerShell.

    What’s that about a super low price? Going against Square Enix’ terrible habit of over pricing mobile titles, Tomb Raider is priced at only $0.99. It’s nice to see that Square is finally getting the hang of this mobile pricing thing. Now if only it didn’t charge $20 for its Final Fantasy remakes.

    Anyway, Tomb Raider is available today on all iOS 7 devices, but it’s been optimized for the iPhone 5 and later. If the old Tomb Raider bores you, you can look forward to Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on Xbox One and PS4 next year.

    [Image: iTunes]

  • Top Smartphones: Which Phone Rules The Roost?

    Top Smartphones: Which Phone Rules The Roost?

    With the holiday season well underway, perhaps you’re looking into buying a popular smartphone for a family member. Maybe your current phone hasn’t been so great and you’re hoping to find a new smartphone in your stocking this year. One stand out phone seems to have the most consumers buzzing this Christmas.

    The iPhone 5S is reported to be the top-selling phone for all four major U.S. wireless carriers. The running joke with Apple has long been that just when you’ve gotten good and comfortable with your new phone, another one is released. Regardless of the inevitability of an iPhone 6, many agree that this latest effort is an improvement over the former phone. One of the major features is the ability to use your fingerprint as a passcode for accessing your phone. Talk about high tech security.

    Apple’s success dethrones Samsung stateside, as the company’s Samsung Galaxy S4 was the most popular phone in late summer. But don’t count Samsung out just yet. The company’s product did outsell Apple’s last year. Though they may be edged out by Christmas, there’s a good chance that Samsung will take this as a challenge to improve on future phones.

    Nokia is still one of the most popular global options for low-end phones, though they are struggling a bit. Rumors of an android phone release make some wonder if they’ll end up with a Blackberry type situation: Too little, too late.

    As a consumer, it’s best to not only know which phones are popular, but which phones are best. There are certain top qualities a buyer should be looking for in a phone before they shell out their hard-earned money.

    It should be fast (the newest iPhone has an A7 chip), have a beautiful high definition screen (the Samsung Galaxy S4 has the best screen resolution), and give you the best bang for your buck. That last point is highly subjective. Only you or the person you’re shopping for will know whether it was money well spent after the holiday season is over.

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • LeAnn Rimes Filmed Music Video On iPhone

    LeAnn Rimes may have come up with the coolest music video ever! When she teamed up with Rob Thomas and Jeff Beck for her latest single Gasoline and Matches, the team came up with a new inventive idea for shooting her music video…simply use iPhones and a Vine account.

    The music video was directed and filmed by Ian Padgham, and produced by Darrell Brown. The video features stop motion scenes that were made using over 8,000 still pictures that were pieced together.

    “Darrell turned me onto Ian’s Vine account, and I’d never seen anything like it,” Rimes told The Hollywood Reporter. “I was shocked that nobody had done a (music) video like that before, and I jumped at the chance to do it. My part in it took 20 or 30 minutes at the most. Ian flew to Dublin, where I was on tour, and put two iPhones up and filmed me doing two passes of the song, along with a few odd things like ‘Reach for a star’ or ‘Pretend you’re falling.’ ”

    Gasoline and Matches is the latest single off of her new album, Spitfire, which is the last album she will make with the Curb label after nearly 20 years. “This is one of those crazy transitions for me, because I’m out of my deal next week,” said Rimes. “I had never in my life made a record like this … where basically the whole album was just a creative passion project. If the single clicks somehow with radio, it would be great, but if not, it was totally fun to have a great piece of work in this video we dreamt up and continue to work with really cool people.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Bing Updates Its iOS, Android Apps

    One of the best things about Bing is how its homepage is updated with a new picture every day. One day, you have an image of a polar bear frolicking in the snow and next you have an interactive haunted house that references all the best horror films of the past four decades. Now Bing is bringing its constantly changing homepage to mobile.

    Bing announced today that its mobile apps for Android, iPhone and iPad have been updated with an option to make the daily Bing homepage image your lockscreen image. As it does on Bing, the lockscreen image would change everyday with Bing.

    So, how do you use this feature? On Android, it’s quite simple really. All you have to do is hit the arrow button at the bottom of the screen. Here’s what it looks like:

    Bing Updates Its Android, iOS Apps

    If you want to do the same on iOS, it’s a little more complicated. First, you’ll need to sign into your Microsoft account. From there, tap the same button that you see above. This will walk through the process of setting up your SkyDrive folder to save the images for later use. Finally, go to settings -> Wallpapers & Brightness -> Choose Wallpaper to set the saved image as your background.

    While an update focused solely on images would certainly be worth of an entire blog post, Bing wants you to know that it’s also added a new sync feature. When using the Bing app, you can now sync your bookmarks and saved images to your Microsoft ID. This will allow you to access said bookmarks and images across any of the Bing apps on Android and iOS.

    You can grab the new Bing app today for Android, iPad and iPhone.

    [Image: Google Play]

  • Jury Awards Apple $290 Million In Samsung Lawsuit

    Jury Awards Apple $290 Million In Samsung Lawsuit

    The AFP and the San Jose Mercury News reported an important update today on the lawsuit between Apple and Samsung: an eight-person jury from Silicon Valley has awarded Apple $290 million for Samsung’s apparent copying of iPhone and iPad designs, which it used in 13 devices.

    This latest award brings Apple’s total damages up to a staggering $900 million from the entire infringement suit against Samsung. The jury valued the Samsung Infuse 4G at $100 million, and the Droid Charge at $60 million.

    Apple’s first suit against Samsung was filed with Australian courts in 2011. Apple had requested that the country ban the Samsung Galaxy tablet computer on the basis that Samsung violated no less than three copyrights.

    Previously, Apple’s lawyer had asked for $379 million in damages for patent violations on the part of Samsung. They argued that number based on the profits Apple lost, and the profits that Samsung gained from selling the infringing devices. Samsung was portrayed as a hobgoblin that pirated Apple’s designs to keep up in the competitive smartphone and tablet markets.

    Across the aisle, Samsung’s lawyers argued that Apple was portraying their patents as more valuable than they are, and that Apple is overestimating their importance to consumers.

    Where a consumer might buy an Apple iPhone for the brand, Samsung argued, a Samsung smartphone may be purchased for: the larger screen; Android operating system; and affordability,not because it resembles an Apple product. Samsung placed the damages at $52 million.

    The dueling tech-giants are far from finished with one another. Another trial is scheduled in March over more patent violations on Samsung’s part. Unfortunately, by the time that suit goes to court, the case will have fallen even further behind the releases of new devices from both companies.

    Regardless of how the appeals get resolved, Apple and Samsung will continue to battle for their chunk of the smart-device market. According to an IDC survey, Samsung currently has the bigger market share at 31.4 percent while Apple’s share slipped from 14.4 percent to 13.1 percent.

    [Image via Wikimedia Commons]

  • Apple Seen Slashing iPhone 5C Orders

    For years Apple had maintained consistency with its iPhone releases. Each year the company would tout one new iPhone as the smartphone to have, and it worked. Apple has maintained a dominant position at the top of the high-end smartphone market for over half a decade.

    This year, with smartphone market growth slowing in established markets, Apple altered its iPhone release to include the new, less expensive iPhone that could make headway in emerging markets such as China and Brazil. To differentiate the iPhone 5C it from the still-premium iPhone 5S, Apple gave the phones colorful (some might say gaudy) case designs.

    Now evidence is mounting that this new gambit hasn’t worked the way Apple might have hoped.

    Back in October, rumors were already flying that Apple had halved its production of the iPhone 5C. This new pointed to slow early sales that may have been related to the device’s relatively high (though low, for iPhone standards) price of $549. Now DigiTimes is reporting that Apple has again slashed iPhone 5C orders from at lease one major manufacturer.

    The report cites unnamed “industry sources” as saying Apple has reduced its iPhone 5C orders from Taiwanese manufacturer Pegatron by over half. Long-time Apple manufacturer Foxconn is also rumored to have had its 5C orders reduced, with workers now transferred to iPhone 5S assembly.

    According to DigiTimes, Pegatron was to be responsible for as much as 70% of the iPhone 5C manufacturing to take place in the next year, with Foxconn making up the rest. Both Pegatron and Foxconn have denied these rumors, with Pegatron claiming that it will maintain its original production schedule.

  • Smartphone Kill Switch: Not So Fast

    Smartphone Kill Switch: Not So Fast

    “You’re a paperweight now.”

    With more than 1.5 million smartphones stolen last year in America, we are learning the hard way that thieves will do almost anything to get their hands on our devices. Because of this, some have suggested the possibility of a “kill switch.”

    George Gascon, San Francisco District Attorney, says that theft of smartphones is almost half of all of their city’s total robberies and thefts. “This is an area where a technological solution can render these phones basically worthless on the secondary market.”

    New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman agrees. Though his city is experiencing a historic dip in crime levels, there is one exception: theft of mobile devices.

    Gascon and Schneiderman are spearheading a campaign to get phone companies to better protect their customers: the Secure Our Smartphones Initiative.

    But, according to CBS News, there has been some resistance coming from the five major U.S. carriers: AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint, and US Cellular. They simply refuse to sell phones with a built-in “kill switch.” Gascon thinks he knows why.

    “We’re talking about a $60-billion-a-year industry, and about a half of that seems to be attached to the replacement of phones that are being stolen,” he said, referring to the anti-theft insurance and replacement phones that are sold by the phone companies. “So we’re talking about a lot of money here.”

    Service providers, however, are starting to work on an alternative to the “kill switch.” The Wireless Association told CBS News: “CTIA and its member companies worked hard over the last year to help law enforcement with its stolen phone problem…” then added that “one of the components of the efforts was to create an integrated database designed to prevent stolen phones from being reactivated.”

    Whether these “kill switch alternatives” will come with a price tag for the consumer is yet to be determined. Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy, said, “If carriers are in fact rejecting ‘kill switches,’ they would be doing it so that they, themselves, can monetize the feature. Carriers make a lot of money on service and feature add-ons, and a kill switch could be lucrative business.”

    Apple products were the most stolen devices in New York City and, because of that, they have already taken steps to prevent future thieves from grabbing for their brand first. Recent iOS versions have had a Find My iPhone feature as well as an Activation Lock.

    Of course, with Apple it’s less complicated. They make both the phones and the operating systems.

    “With Android, it’s a bunch of different phone makers. It’s a bunch of different companies, you’d really have to get to the level of Google who makes that operating system and have them build in the same kind of thing,” said John Miller, CBS News senior correspondent.

    Apple, Miller says, is still the clear winner for now. “…with the Apple thing, you just say, through one device to another, ‘you’re a paperweight now.’ And look, in 1994, they broke into every car and stole every radio in New York. Until the car people and the radio people got together and they said, ‘If you take the radio out of a car, it’ll never work in another car,’ this chip doesn’t match that chip, they stopped stealing radios. Never happened again.”

    In the meantime, we can only hope that the smartphone thieves of today are as dim as this guy:

    image by: Thinkstock

  • Gold iPhone Proves Profitable for Apple

    Apple has really run into a golden opportunity when it comes to their latest selection of colors for the iPhone 5S, with their gold colored option being, by far, the most popular choice for consumers. Perhaps Apple has cracked the code; perhaps consumers have all along been pining for nothing more than the irresistible glimmer of gold when it comes to their technology selections. Whatever the reason, the golden apple has hit a spike in popularity; iPhone 5S leads have improved drastically, and the golden colored iPhones are proving to be the hardest to obtain, according to Forbes.

    Among the amusing stories coming about as the result of the gold iPhone’s almost instantaneous popularity are the tales of the device selling out instantly in China and Hong Kong, and many European areas having “literally zero units” of the coveted golden smartphone. The phones are so scarce that the only place to really get ahold of one is the online market, on second-hand websites such as eBay, as Apple stores have been selling out quickly and have had to turn away customers looking to purchase one of the golden apples.

    Of course, there is always the option of customizing a non-golden iPhone to achieve that perfectly gleaming ideal. Many third party dealers offer everything from paint jobs to actual gold plating to customers willing to shell out the cash to have their techy goodies glitzed and glammed to the nines. This is, arguably, a good alternative to shelling out hundreds for a new phone featuring the golden gleam. Or, it would be, if Walmart wasn’t planning to pull some of its discounting witchcraft and offer a Black Friday deal on the coveted golden smartphone; their ad promises a $75 gift card to customers who purchase the $189 smartphone with a contract. That deal sounds pretty golden to this writer.

    [Image courtesy of the official Apple store listing for the gold-colored iPhone.]

  • Apple Also Rumored to be Developing Curved Smartphone Displays

    In the past month, both Samsung and LG have unveiled smartphones with curved displays. The technology for such displays has been touted at trade shows for years, but is just now making its way into consumer devices.

    Samsung’s Galaxy Round is curved side-to-side, while LG’s G Flex is curved top-to-bottom. Both manufacturers have attempted to explain how these curved displays are better, with limited success.

    Now, it appears that even Apple might get in on the curved smartphone trend. A Bloomberg report has stated that Apple is currently designing future iPhone prototypes with curved displays, larger screen sizes, and “enhanced sensors.” Unlike the Samsung and LG models, the Apple curved displays would curve toward the back of the device at its edges, according to the report’s unnamed “person familiar with the plans.”

    The report states that screen size is now something that Apple with catch up with Android manufacturers on. The company is reportedly working on iPhones that could potentially have 4.7-inch or 5.5-inch screens. This complements a report from August that held that Apple could be developing a larger iPad model as well.

    As for the “enhanced sensors,” Bloomber’s source believes that such sensors would be used to tell the difference between “light” and “heavy” touches. This could work in conjunction with the rumored curved display, as consumers would have to hold such a device by the screen’s edges.

  • JFK Assassination: Yep, There’s an App for That, Too

    Are you a tech savvy history buff? Can you not get enough information on the JFK assassination in the midst of all the anniversary frenzy? Well, Apple has you covered. Check out the new Grassy Knoll Report App.

    The app is an interactive tool that uses historical research and analysis with modern photography and GPS-enabled maps, in order to fully explore the conspiracy of all conspiracies that ended in the death of John F. Kennedy in 1963. It was written by Joe Williams, who is an award-winning reporter and film critic for the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

    For 99 cents, you can explore the various conspiracy theories that have been floated over the years involving everyone from the CIA to the Mafia, and virtually stand behind the fence where the kill shot was allegedly fired. You can also visit Parkland Hospital where the famous “magic bullet” was discovered, or follow Lee Harvey Oswald on his journey from Mexico City to Dallas, where his life supposedly ended in murder.

    You can also take a virtual ride out to Oak Cliff where Dallas policeman J.D. Tippit was shot to death by a mystery gunman and shadow Jack Ruby on his infamous crazy weekend that ended in murder, and view the basement where Ruby killed Lee Harvey Oswald. What a ride.

    This thing includes articles on the assassination conspiracy theory, timelines, and coverage of key locations and people. You can also see how these locations look in the present day, as well as historical photos.

    This app is awesome for those of us that just happen to be obsessed with JFK, Oswald, or conspiracies in general. Even Jimmy Fallon knows a great thing when he sees it, saying, “The Grassy Knoll Report is amazing. Everyone needs to see this.”

    Image via wikimedia commons

  • Coupons.com Adds Coupon Codes to App Update

    Heads up couponers and others who like to save money–the popular savings website Coupons.com is releasing an updated app for Apple iOS devices on Monday. The updated app offers coupon codes and offers from both national and local retailers. This works out perfectly since thousands of people will begin flocking to the stores to make holiday purchases soon.

    Version 2.0 of the Coupons.com app will include a host of improvements, but the one people are most excited about is the addition of coupon codes, something that the RetailMeNot app has offered for a long time.

    According to Coupons.com, “Thousands of coupon codes are now available for saving on online shopping at hundreds of stores…For users shopping in-store, offers are available for redemption at checkout. Just show offers on your mobile device in the physical store. Top stores include Bath & Body Works, JCPenney, Macy’s, The Home Depot, and J. Crew.”

    The app is free and available for download via iTunes, and you can register to access additional savings. Check out the new Coupons.com iOS interface below.

    Are you a couponer or have any tips for holiday savings? Respond below.

    “More and more consumers are reaching for their mobile devices to help them shop and save. In fact, during last year’s holiday season, the percent of web-based purchases made on a mobile device reached well into the double digits and one-third of smart phone owners indicated they used a mobile coupon while holiday shopping,” said Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons.com.

    “We’re continuing to invest in mobile solutions to make shopping and saving better for consumers this holiday season, and all year long,” Boal continued.

    After taking a test-drive of the updated Coupons.com iOS app, it’s easy to see how the app will become even more popular, especially as people start their holiday shopping since it offers savings from Toys ‘R’ Us. It’s a good thing that the updated app was released at the beginning of November, which will give retailers about three and a half weeks to get used to accepting codes from the app before Black Friday arrives.

    Images via iTunes

  • Jimmy Kimmel and the Ol’ Scented iPhone Gag [VIDEO]

    So, scented iPhone notifications are totally a thing – as in a real thing that exists. A Japanese company has produced what they call Scentee, a product that attaches to the headphone socket of your device and emits a scent whenever you receive a notification.

    The product works with a companion app, which tells it when to give off an odor (usually when you get a text, Facebook notification, alarm, etc.). You buy refillable cartridges of scents, and right now the options include things like cinnamon roll, rose, mint, apple, Korean BBQ, and even corn soup. Yes, corn soup.

    Here’s the thing – the product doesn’t officially go on sale for another two weeks and Jimmy Kimmel most certainly doesn’t have one.

    Don’t tell these clueless folks out on Hollywood Blvd. Damn, Jimmy Kimmel is really good at making people just incredibly stupid.

    Oh my GOD – this is a futuristic iPhone!

    Image via Jimmy Kimmel Live, YouTube