Desk Phone Dock review

Gallery: Kee Desk Phone Dock Review

Continue reading Desk Phone Dock review

Desk Phone Dock review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square to add encryption to mobile card reader, skimmers put on notice

Square to add encryption to mobile card reader, skimmers put on notice originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HBO Go Comes To iPhone And iPad

Panasonic app uses AR to place your new big screen dreams

Just in time for the weekend, this is about the wackiest use of augmented reality that we've seen yet. The Panasonic Viera AR Setup Simulator is a brand new free app in the App Store that uses AR to put a virtual big screen television right in your living room, so you can see what it looks like in place before you actually buy and "install" it. The idea is that you download and print the AR market from Panasonic's site, and then install the app, and use your iPhone to "see" the TV in place.

Pretty wild. You can see it in action after the break. Once you see your future television, you can even snap a picture, and send it out via email or a few social networking services. I like the idea of using augmented reality for home improvement a lot -- this is a pretty narrow solution (only really useful if you're buying a specific Panasonic TV), but it's a cool idea. Maybe we'll see more fun uses of AR like this in the future.

Continue reading Panasonic app uses AR to place your new big screen dreams

Panasonic app uses AR to place your new big screen dreams originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Panasonic app uses AR to place your new big screen dreams originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple Tweaks Mac OS X Lion UI In Response to Criticism

IDC claims iPhone marketshare has grown 115%

The International Data Corporation reports that Apple has been taking over the smartphone market in the past few years, with its market share growing by almost 115% over the past year. Apple's still not on top of the list (as there are much more established manufacturers on there, and as we've heard, Apple has some competitors for market share as well), but the company's growth is phenomenal, and has earned it a number four spot on the top five list worldwide, with 5% of the global market.

Even more phenomenal, of course, is the fact that Apple has basically done this with one phone, rather than competitors' multiple lines and flavors of smartphones and operating systems. When the company first started selling smartphones, it said that the goal was to get at least 1% of the global market, so not only has it beaten that goal five times over, but of course it's earned record revenues to match as well.

[via MacRumors]

IDC claims iPhone marketshare has grown 115% originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

IDC claims iPhone marketshare has grown 115% originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Apple passes Microsoft in profit, Verizon iPhone slows Android growth

This year is turning out to be a big one for Apple. They recently passed Microsoft in net income earnings at $5.99 billion compared to $5.23 billion from Microsoft — mainly due to iOS devices like the iPad 2 and iPhone 4 driving sales and raising profit margins. The iPhone, iPad and iPod touch currently represent roughly 65% of overall sales for Apple, with the Verizon iPhone helping push demand even further as Android growth seems to be at a plateau.

Apple and Verizon had a very successful launch of the iPhone 4, which allowed the iPhone to expand its market share that was previously held back by its prolonged carrier exclusivity with AT&T [...] some of that growth came at the expense of Android operating system

Apple has now edged out HTC, Motorola and RIM as the third-largest smartphone maker in the US with 14% share, and they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. They just released the white iPhone 4 with reports of lines forming at Apple Stores — all for a device that’s already been on the market for 10 months, just in a different color. And with WWDC 2011 just around the corner for Apple to reveal iOS 5 to the masses, it seems they have nowhere to go but up from here.

But can the iPhone and iPad help sustain Apple’s growth given how determined the competition is at beating them in the smartphone and tablet markets? Sound off in the comments below!

[NPD, TechCrunch, Asymco]

Apple passes Microsoft in profit, Verizon iPhone slows Android growth is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Is Apple working on its own Fitness Center integration for future iOS versions?

Patently Apple has uncovered another very interesting Apple Patent application. This time it is an integrated Fitness Center app that it has been working on for quite some time. Nike also appear to have had some involvement in the development as one illustration lists “The Nike Training Club Class”.

The app covers all aspects of a workout including stats gathered from smart equipment as well as a unique social networking element that works within a particular fitness center or city limits. The app will help you find workout buddies or work as a motivational tool.

Apple’s patent describes the possibility that the iPhone will one day include a single, seamless application that will introduce new customers to a fitness center and motivate these new customers to keep returning to the fitness center as active members.

[Patently Apple]

Is Apple working on its own Fitness Center integration for future iOS versions? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Amazon Undercuts iTunes With 69-Cent Pricing on New Release MP3s

HipstaCase iPhone case perfect for Hipstamatic hipsters

The folks behind the Hipstamatic iPhone app are ready to let you take the old-school camera vibe all the way. They've introduced a Hipstamatic iPhone case called (what else?) the HipstaCase, and while it isn't quite as functional as that concept Leica iPhone case we posted the other day (it's purely cosmetic), it will still give your iPhone the feel of an old camera.

All right, so it's not quite purely cosmetic -- there is a tripod mount that attaches on the bottom, and there's a nylon wrist lanyard as well. But essentially, it's a piece of plastic that makes the back of your iPhone look like one of those cameras you carried around however many years ago. The Hipstacase is available right now for US $39.95.

[via Gizmodo]

HipstaCase iPhone case perfect for Hipstamatic hipsters originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

HipstaCase iPhone case perfect for Hipstamatic hipsters originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Microsoft launches API Mapping tool to help devs point iPhone apps at WP7 libs

Microsoft launches API Mapping tool to help devs point iPhone apps at WP7 libs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple Buys iCloud.com For $4.5 Million For Cloud-Based Service; Will Go Beyond Music

White iPhone shipping times grow in Europe

From coming soon, to coming eventually, to arrives tomorrow, to finally here, the white iPhone 4 landed on Thursday with a promising premiere.

Only one day after it became available, wait times for the pale iPhone 4 reached five days in several of Apple's European online stores, including the U.K., Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Switzerland and Ireland. Currently, customers in the U.S. and Canada must wait a slightly more modest 3-5 days before their white iPhone 4s board a delivery vehicle. In contrast, the black iPhone 4 ships within a day or two.

The iPhone 4 in white began shipping in 28 countries on April 28, delayed by about 10 months after the popular black version hit the market. The long delay for the alabaster phone, caused by various technical hurdles, created extra "mystique" and perceived "scarcity value" for the device, according to analyst Brian White with Ticonderoga Securities. The appropriately named White expects the new color to incrementally boost iPhone 4 sales by 1 million to 1.5 million units per quarter.

The sellout crowds in Hong Kong and mainland China and expanding shipping times in Europe and North America certainly support the idea that consumers were holding out for their preferred color of iPhone 4. Did you wait patiently for the vanilla-flavored iPhone 4? Let us know why in the comments below.

White iPhone shipping times grow in Europe originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

White iPhone shipping times grow in Europe originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Review: Golden Axe 2 for iPhone

HBO Go mobile app hands-on

HBO Go has been live on the iTunes App Store and Android Market for just a few short hours, but we've already put it through the paces, poking and prodding on our iPad and iPhone, to see what all the hubbub's about. We're pleased with the hefty amount of video that HBO's offering up here, and the interface is pretty intuitive as well. Still, browsing through the myriad content on the iPad's larger screen is definitely a bit more leisurely than on the iPhone's 3.5-inch counterpart. Both apps sport the same feature set, so searching for content, saving things to watch later, and blasting updates to Facebook and Twitter will work well on whichever device you choose. To make the deal even sweeter, it's free for current subscribers, so there's really no reason to not check it out for yourself -- unless you don't have HBO, in which case we have a video walkthrough embedded after the break.

Gallery: HBO Go hands-on

Continue reading HBO Go mobile app hands-on

HBO Go mobile app hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Apple Seeds New Version of Mac OS X Lion (11A444d) to Developers

VoxOx releases iPhone app

I wrote about VoxOx earlier this year when I saw the Mac app at CES, and the company has now released an iPhone version that connects up to all of the various chat protocols and connections straight from your iPhone. Just like the Mac version, the iPhone app features a unified contact list, and offers access to all kinds of services, from IM and SMS to voice calls and even faxes straight in and out of the app. There's a video demo of the app online, and it's a free download, though you'll need a VoxOx account to use it.

A few of the reviews on the app say there might be an issue with some incoming calls, but given that it's a brand new release, there may be a few hiccups that need to be fixed in future releases. That said, if you're a user of the VoxOx service, this app is a no-brainer, and even if you're not, but still looking for an all-in-one communication solution, it might be worth a look.

VoxOx releases iPhone app originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

VoxOx releases iPhone app originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HBO Go for iPhone and iPad now available

HBO Go is now available as a universal application for iPhone and iPad. If you’re an existing HBO subscriber, you will have access to over 1,400 HBO shows include HBO original programming, hit movies, sports an comedy.

• Keep up with your favorites. Watch everything you love about HBO, including HBO original programming, hit movies, sports, comedy and every episode of the best HBO shows, including True Blood®, Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire®, Entourage®, The Sopranos®, Curb Your Enthusiasm®, Sex and the City®, The Wire® and more. Plus, get bonus features and special behind-the-scenes extras!

• Take it with you. Get instant access to HBO GO whenever you want, wherever you are—and never miss a moment of your favorite HBO shows.

• Make it your own. Create a customized Watchlist to catch up on all your favorite HBO shows and hit movies at your convenience. Plus, set a Series Pass® to automatically load your list with all the HBO Original Series you love.

• Enjoy more HBO. Get even more of your favorite HBO programming with HBO GO—FREE with your HBO subscription through participating television providers.

Any HBO subscribers out there excited about this? If you pick it up, let us know what you think!

[Free, with HBO subscription through participating television providers - iTunes link]

HBO Go for iPhone and iPad now available is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

Square encryption hinders Visa deal

Square is running into some problems with its new investment partner Visa. An executive at the mobile payments company confirmed it is re-working its system to encrypt credit card data on the fly. Square now uses a dongle that plugs into a headphone jack and an iOS application to process credit card transactions. While this system complies with industry regulations, it does not take the extra step to encrypt the credit card data.

Now that Visa has joined Square as a strategic investor, the mobile payments company will be redesigning all its dongle to include this built-in encryption. Square did not comment on the financial impact of this change, but it could be costly. Square gives away the dongles for free and makes its money off a 2.75% per transaction fee. It is not clear how Square intends to absorb this extra cost.

In light of the recent high-profile security breach of the Sony PlayStation network, Square is wise to add this layer of encryption and ease customers fear of having their transaction data inadvertently compromised.

Square encryption hinders Visa deal originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Square encryption hinders Visa deal originally appeared on TUAW on Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

HBO Go app brings premium content to your iOS device