While Google is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to search, Apple is becoming increasingly flirtatious with Microsoft's Bing. While it wasn't necessarily clear during Monday's keynote, Microsoft has since confirmed that Bing will be the default...Apple picks Bing over Google to power Spotlight search on OS X Yosemite and iOS 8
While Google is the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to search, Apple is becoming increasingly flirtatious with Microsoft's Bing. While it wasn't necessarily clear during Monday's keynote, Microsoft has since confirmed that Bing will be the default...Apple May Replace Near Me tab with Explore and Introduce new Search Options to App Store
With its revamped spotlight, Apple aims to make discovery better not only systemwide and on the Web, but also in the App Store. We mentioned earlier that Apple is exploring new search options, but now that iOS 8 is here, Apple’s efforts are revealed by the first beta of its forthcoming mobile OS (via MacStories ).
With more than 1.2 million apps in the App Store, discovery is an issue Apple is working to solve. It has started investing in curation efforts and has hired editors who hand pick the best apps, organize them into thematic collections, etc.
With iOS 8, that’s going to change: Apple will add a brand-new Explore section to the App Store, in which it will combine curated app collections with new sub-categories. The new section will replace the Near Me tab of the App Store, and will likely be strongly related to the quick lock-screen access to apps based on the user’s location.
It is my understanding that Explore will feature a mix of the curated app collections Apple has been building for the past couple of years and new filters for app types. Starting with the basic list of App Store categories, you’ll be able to drill down into more specific sub-categories with multiple levels of depth, such as “Music > DJs” or “Productivity > Task Management > GTD”.
Combine the App Store’s 24 existing categories with dozens of respective sub-categories, and you’ll get hundreds of micro-sections showcasing apps with similar purposes or solving similar problems. It’s a notable change for App Store organization and a welcome restructuring of collections that used to be forgotten, half-baked, and scattered across the App Store.
While this seems to be a plan that will materialize by the time iOS 8 exits beta, what captured our attention are the new search options in iOS 8, as well as the new Siri and Preview tabs appearing near the usual Wish List.
Apple May Replace Near Me tab with Explore and Introduce new Search Options to App Store is a post from: iPhone in Canada Blog - Canada's #1 iPhone Resource
Accessory Makers Ramping Up for 5.5-Inch iPhone 6, Sparking Speculation of September Launch
While rumors have pointed to a late 2014 or early 2015 launch of Apple's rumored 5.5-inch iPhone 6 model, several months later than a 4.7-inch model, Cantor Fiztgerald analyst Brian White points out in a new research note that companies are already beginning to ramp up their production of accessories for the larger device. Based on this observation, White believes the larger-sized iPhone 6 model may in fact debut this fall alongside the 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and his note follows a recent report that Apple has solved its battery issues with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and is planning to manufacture 20 million units by the end of the year.
White bases his prediction on observations he made during his recent tour of Computex, which is being held this week in Taiwan and is Asia's largest technology show.
According to White, manufacturers are also showing a "much broader ramp" of accessories compatible with the rumored 4.7-inch iPhone 6. The 4.7-inch version is widely believed to be launching in September and will headline Apple's fall product lineup, which Apple executive Eddy Cue claims is the best product pipeline he has seen in his 25 years at Apple.
Based on his previous reports, White does not have a particularly solid track record in predicting Apple's plans, and thus his speculation of a simultaneous launch of both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models should be taken with a grain of salt considering other rumors of a gap of up to several months between the two releases. White does, however, frequently tour Asian suppliers and trade shows and is in a position to observe momentum shifts in the supply chain and accessory maker activity.
While the expected overall form factors of the two rumored iPhone 6 models have been circulating for several months, leading to physical mockups from accessory makers and others, actual claimed part leaks for the new devices have remained fairly rare. We've seen a few parts such as an alleged front panel, a display backlight and just last week a rear shell, but typically a number of internal components have leaked by this point in the year and we have yet to see much in that regard.
White bases his prediction on observations he made during his recent tour of Computex, which is being held this week in Taiwan and is Asia's largest technology show.
Also at Computex, we noticed that a few vendors had already started work on accessories for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and the pieces were available at the show. Given the lack of data points in recent months around progress with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and growing skepticism in the media around a 2014 launch, we view this as a positive development. Based on today's research, we believe the timing of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 launch appears to be in sync with our expectation around the unveiling (i.e., September) of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
According to White, manufacturers are also showing a "much broader ramp" of accessories compatible with the rumored 4.7-inch iPhone 6. The 4.7-inch version is widely believed to be launching in September and will headline Apple's fall product lineup, which Apple executive Eddy Cue claims is the best product pipeline he has seen in his 25 years at Apple.
Based on his previous reports, White does not have a particularly solid track record in predicting Apple's plans, and thus his speculation of a simultaneous launch of both 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models should be taken with a grain of salt considering other rumors of a gap of up to several months between the two releases. White does, however, frequently tour Asian suppliers and trade shows and is in a position to observe momentum shifts in the supply chain and accessory maker activity.
While the expected overall form factors of the two rumored iPhone 6 models have been circulating for several months, leading to physical mockups from accessory makers and others, actual claimed part leaks for the new devices have remained fairly rare. We've seen a few parts such as an alleged front panel, a display backlight and just last week a rear shell, but typically a number of internal components have leaked by this point in the year and we have yet to see much in that regard.
YouTube Find: iPhone-wielding prankster crashes other people's phone conversations
It takes some courage along with some craziness to brazenly crash other people's cell phone conversations. Armed only with an iPhone and a sense of humor, the husband and wife team at Mediocre Films recently set out in Beverly Hills to see how people...How we react during every major Apple announcement
This video hit close to home. It's almost as if they were monitoring the TUAW newsroom during this year's WWDC keynote. Thankfully we're not being bugged, this is just a dead-on recreation of how Apple fans react during every major Apple event. The...Daily App: Juxtaposer provides powerful editing tools to precisely combine images
Juxtaposer is a compositing tool that allows you to the take the best elements of one image and combine it with a second image to create a whole new scene. Pocket Pixels has been steadily updating the app since it launched in 2008 and has turned it...Razer Unveils 'Junglecat' Gaming Controller with Slide-Out Design, Companion App [iOS Blog]
Razer has unveiled its Junglecat iOS gaming controller for the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5, bringing a number of hardware features that attempt to make games easier and more natural to play on a mobile device.
The accessory features a slide-out unibody design that contains a Lightning connected upper enclosure for the iPhone, and boasts console-style controls such as a D-Pad, ABXY face buttons, and shoulder bumpers. The Junglecat includes open access to the iPhone's hardware features including the sleep/wake button, volume buttons, home button, headphone jack, and front/rear cameras.
Razer is also shipping a companion app with the Junglecat, allowing users to remap face buttons and adjust sensitivity on the controller. The app will also include a list of games optimized for controller play, as the app's interface displays both purchased apps and featured games.
It is unknown if Razer's Junglecat is a more final version of the company's "Kazuyo" controller that was leaked earlier this year, however the latter featured a slim hard-shell case design and was rumored to come with full-sized analog sticks. A previous report also indicated that Razer would be shipping a companion app for the Kazuyo as well, perhaps indicating that the company chose a different design for its first iOS controller.
The Razer Junglecat joins a growing market of iOS game controllers, which includes the SteelSeries Stratus, Logitech PowerShell, MOGA Ace Power and Mad Catz’s C.T.R.L.i controller. While all current controllers have attempted to impress consumers with unique designs and buttons, it has been reported that Apple's strict guidelines have hampered product quality.
Currently, an increasing number of games are offering iOS 7 controller support, including titles like 2K Drive , Dead Trigger 2 , and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas . The number of iOS games supporting controllers is expected to grow as more accessories become available to consumers.
Razer's Junglecat controller will be available in white and black for $99 when it ships this summer.
The accessory features a slide-out unibody design that contains a Lightning connected upper enclosure for the iPhone, and boasts console-style controls such as a D-Pad, ABXY face buttons, and shoulder bumpers. The Junglecat includes open access to the iPhone's hardware features including the sleep/wake button, volume buttons, home button, headphone jack, and front/rear cameras.
Razer is also shipping a companion app with the Junglecat, allowing users to remap face buttons and adjust sensitivity on the controller. The app will also include a list of games optimized for controller play, as the app's interface displays both purchased apps and featured games.
It is unknown if Razer's Junglecat is a more final version of the company's "Kazuyo" controller that was leaked earlier this year, however the latter featured a slim hard-shell case design and was rumored to come with full-sized analog sticks. A previous report also indicated that Razer would be shipping a companion app for the Kazuyo as well, perhaps indicating that the company chose a different design for its first iOS controller.
The Razer Junglecat joins a growing market of iOS game controllers, which includes the SteelSeries Stratus, Logitech PowerShell, MOGA Ace Power and Mad Catz’s C.T.R.L.i controller. While all current controllers have attempted to impress consumers with unique designs and buttons, it has been reported that Apple's strict guidelines have hampered product quality.
Currently, an increasing number of games are offering iOS 7 controller support, including titles like 2K Drive , Dead Trigger 2 , and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas . The number of iOS games supporting controllers is expected to grow as more accessories become available to consumers.
Razer's Junglecat controller will be available in white and black for $99 when it ships this summer.
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