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  • Judge orders Apple to alter its online Samsung apology

    The ongoing Apple vs. Samsung saga has taken yet another turn. Recently Apple’s appeal in the Galaxy Tab case in the UK was denied, and as a result Apple was ordered to post an apology on their website. Apple complied, and an ‘apology’ was posted. However anyone who’s read it will know it didn’t quite sound like an apology.

    The UK court apparently saw the post and it didn’t go down too well. “I’m at a loss that a company such as Apple would do this,” Judge Robin Jacob said. Apple requested a time period of 14 days to come up with a revised statement, a request which was slammed, with one judge saying he ‘cannot believe’ it would take so long.

    The court has given Apple 2 days to come up with a revised post that states the apology clearly. The revised statement must have an 11-point font and be displayed on the company’s website front page. The online apology will remain there for at least six months.

    Apple must have known they had this coming and it’s nice to see the UK court acting so proactively. Whether Apple will learn and will comply with the order will be known in the next two days.

  • iFixit tears down the iPad mini

    Apple announced the iPad mini a little over a week ago. It’s a beautiful little tablet that has gotten rave reviews all over the web. At $320 it’s a little pricey but in the end you get what you pay for. Apple hardware quality and an unmatchable tablet eco system. Suffice to say iPad mini is a great purchase. While it looks great from the outside, some of us like to see our gadgets torn apart with their insides hanging out. Luckily iFixit specialises in doing exactly that. Today iPad mini gets the iFixit treatment.

    ifixit1 iFixit tears down the iPad mini

    The biggest surprise is the inclusion of stereo speakers. This was previously not a 100% confirmed but now it is. That makes it the first iDevice to come with stereo speakers. Despite their differences, Samsung is still supplying Apple with displays, and it doesn’t change with the iPad mini. Repairability gets a poor 2 out of 10. The screen is glued to the case. The battery, logic board and headphone jack are also glued down. However the LCD and glass are not fused together and can be replaced independently.

    Suffice to say you won’t be sending in one for repair. Getting it replaced with a new unit would be the way to go.

  • Apple releases iOS 6.0.1 update

    Word of an iOS 6.0.1 update got out recently. Previously it was reported to be under carrier testing. However the iOS 6.0.1 update is now live. Apple issued it today and it comes with some minor bug fixes.

    • Fixes a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air.
    • Fixes a bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the keyboard.
    • Fixes an issue that could cause camera flash to not go off.
    • Improves reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted WPA2 Wi-Fi networks.
    • Resolves an issue that prevents iPhone from using the cellular network in some instances.
    • Consolidated the Use Cellular Data switch for iTunes Match.
    • Fixes a Passcode Lock bug which sometimes allowed access to Passbook pass details from lock screen.
    • Fixes a bug affecting Exchange meetings.

    The update is available for download. You can do it via OTA method by going in settings>general>software. You can also connect your device to iTunes and download from there. Download size is 47MB for iPhone 4S and it may vary from device to device.

    There are some rumours going on around regarding a 6.1 update which is said to be a lot more significant with new features. However not a lot about it is currently known at this point.

  • Samsung and LG to release 1080p display equipped smartphones in 2013

    Recently HTC stunned everyone with the announcement of HTC J Butterfly, which is a Japan-only smartphone and features a gorgeous 1080p display. While HTC is the first Android phone maker that has been able to put this high quality display in a commercial device, Samsung and LG are working hard to catch up.

    According to a recent report by MKNews, both these Korean companies are planning to release 1080p display equipped smartphones in the first half of 2013. These displays that are also known as ‘full HD displays’ were hard to fit in small display size of smartphones but that seems to be the problem of the past as HTC J Butterfly nicely fits the 1080p screen in a 5-inch screen. Samsung is said to introduce 1080p displays based on its AMOLED technology while LG will use the LCD prototype it showed to the world a while back.

    While other details about these the displays LG and Samsung are considered to be using in their future smartphones are unknown at this point of time, it is safe to assume that they will boast 400 pixels per inch. The devices with these new displays are said to debut at Mobile World Congress event of next year.

  • HTC DLX for Verizon with 5-inch 1080p display leaked

    We recently told you about HTC J Butterfly that launched in Japan a few days ago. We also told you that a similar device was poised for Verizon in the US. Now AndroidCentral has got their hands on photos of what is dubbed as HTC DLX (Deluxe). This device is reported to have a huge 5-inch 1080p display. It is going to be the first HTC smartphone to feature that kind of an enormous screen.

    HTC DLX for Verizon with 5 inch 1080p display leaked

    The specs for this unannounced device are also leaked (allegedly, of course). According to the leak HTC DLX for Verizon features a Quad-Core processor with 2GB of RAM, 5-inch 1080p display, 8-megapixel camera, 2-megapixel front camera, 16GB of internal storage, 2500mAh screen, Bluetooth 4.0, Beats Audio, Android 4.1.1 with Sense 4+ and more.

    The same device was allegedly leaked by another source that has a Twitter id with @Football4pda handle a few weeks ago. While the Twitter user’s specs were similar to what AndroidCentral has leaked, he specifically revealed that the device has a 1.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon S4 Pro processor. He also said that the HTC DLX has a 12-megapixel camera, while AndroidCentral’s reports about a 8-megapixel camera.

    HTC DLX for Verizon with 5 inch 1080p display leaked

    HTC DLX or Deluxe is said to feature physical buttons. The HTC DLX for Verizon is pretty much similar to the Japanese HTC J Butterfly smartphone when it comes to specs, the only difference is that HTC DLX has a 2500mAh battery while the Japanese phone has an inferior 2020mAh battery.

    Overall we are impressed by this new HTC device. It has powerful specs, good looks, and everything else we could dream of at this point. Now lets hope that this beauty gets an official announcement soon.

  • Verizon’s upcoming 1080p display equipped phone to be called HTC Droid DNA?

    HTC Droid DNA could be the next big smartphone the carrier Verizon. A few days ago we told you about HTC DLX smartphone for Verizon that would feature HTC Butterfly J like specs including a 5-inch 1080p display. Now new details have emerged that indicate the HTC DLX might end up as HTC Droid DNA when it will hit the markets in coming months.

    The name was confirmed by Android site AndroidCentral which reports that the HTC Droid DNA monifker appeared on Verizon’s support page listing. The device was listed among the devices with non-removable batteries available on the carrier. Along with the HTC Droid DNA name, the code ADR6435 was also mentioned which was previously associate to a device with ‘DLX’ codename confirming that the DLX and Droid DNA are both the names of a same device.

    Previously the HTC Droid DNA has been reported to have a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, and 2500mAh battery.

    While no details about its availability and pricing have been revealed yet, HTC Droid DNA or HTC DLX is expected to get released before Thanksgiving.

  • Apple stock prices drops 2.4% in wake of Management changes

    In a recent bombshell of an announcement, Scott Forstall was asked to leave Apple by the end of the year. In addition to this the John Browett, the guy in charge of the retail outlets was also let go immediately. While John was only recently hired, Scott Forstall on the other hand was a part of Apple for nearly a decade. He was responsible for making iOS the mobile OS it is today. Asking him to suddenly leave must be because of some serious managerial concerns within Apple. And the new Apple stock prices are an indication for just that.

    Apple stock price dropped about 2.4% and was trading at $589.60 this morning, which is the lowest price the stock has seen since July. Clearly the investors aren’t too optimistic about Apple’s future at this point. Forbes however reports that there might be other reasons to this. The iPhone 5 hasn’t exactly lived to the expectations analysts had and the whole Maps fiasco didn’t help. There is concern that Apple might loose its edge to companies like Microsoft, Google and Amazon.

    Stock prices are quite temperamental. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see them jump back up if Apple reports impressive iPad mini sales.

     

  • iTunes 11 release delayed till November

    If you’re an iDevice user then iTunes is most definitely part of your life. It is the software that lets your iPhone, iPad or iPod communicate with your computer. In addition to that it offers a plethora of other features. You can’t escape iTunes if you’ve invested in Apple’s ecosystem.

    Back at the iPhone 5 event Apple announced the new iTunes 11 that comes with an all new design and loads of new features and functionality. This includes the redesigned interface for the player that looks a lot slicker, a new mini player, redesigned store, tighter iCloud integration and much more. The scheduled release date for iTunes 11 was October. But October has come and gone and iTunes 11 is nowhere to be seen.

    According to Apple the new release date for iTunes 11 has been pushed back to November.

    The new iTunes is taking longer than expected and we wanted to take a little extra time to get it right. We look forward to releasing this new version of iTunes with its dramatically simpler and cleaner interface, and seamless integration with iCloud before the end of November

    While it may be a disappointment to those looking forward to get their hands on the new iTunes 11 as soon as possible, it’s still a positive sign from Apple that they’re not about to release an unfinished product. This is in wake of recent software disappointments like the unbaked Maps and the undercooked Siri. Apple simply cannot afford to let slip another bugged piece of software.

  • iPad Mini suffering with supply shortages

    Apple announced the brand new iPad mini about a week ago. Though not quite jammed with features as we usually expect from Apple products, it is still quite an impressive product. The WiFi only model was scheduled for a November 2 launch and the LTE versions 2 weeks after that. Unfortunately as it has become customary, Apple has quickly run of supplies and people who ordered their respective models are waking up to find out their shipping dates being altered.

    Initially the shipping date for LTE models was 23rd November for those who ordered it on day 1. This was already a week late than what Apple promised. Now users are finding out the release date being change to ‘mid November’ which is an indication that Apple is running into more delays with no concrete shipping date. Those ordering today might see their shipping date extending even further than November, possibly even in December which is not good.

    These delays might cost Apple in the lucrative holiday season which usually racks in impressive sales figures. Poor supply or impressive demand? Let’s hope whatever the cause of the supply shortage is, it’s resolved soon and people start getting their iPad mini as soon as possible.

  • iPad Mini reviews roundup

    The iPad Mini was upon us a little over a week ago. In a special event, Apple unveiled its foray into the sub 10-inch tablet market. iPad mini, for all intents and purposes is a shrunken down iPad 2. It’s got the same resolution screen (smaller of course), the same A5 SoC powering it and the same iOS that we have all come to love (or hate). Initial murmurings across the web were somewhat negative, with people calling it too expensive. However now that the device is out, somewhat, let’s have a look at some excerpts from iPad mini reviews from across the web.

    Verge

    • The iPad mini hasn’t wrapped up the “cheapest tablet” market by any stretch of the imagination. But the “best small tablet” market? Consider it captured.
    • There’s something endearing about the mini that makes you want to keep it on-hand and use it often
    • Battery life was — not surprisingly — everything Apple claimed it would be

    Engadget

    • This is, in many ways, Apple’s best tablet yet, an incredibly thin, remarkably light, obviously well-constructed device that offers phenomenal battery life.
    • To consider it just a cheap, tiny iPad is a disservice. This is, simply, a great tablet.
    • Colors are very pleasing to the eye and viewing angles, as ever with an Apple display, do not disappoint
    • Overall, the tablet is very comfortable to hold; its thinness and lightness are both attributes that must be perceived first-hand.

    CNET

    • it’s really shockingly nice to hold.
    • If you’re an obsessive over crisp text, you’ll notice the fuzziness. If you’re comparing the Mini to a laptop, you won’t.
    • What’s unique about the Mini? Without a doubt, it’s the design. It’s cute, it’s discreet, and it’s very, very light.

    TIME

    • If your budget’s got more wiggle room, the iPad Mini is the best compact-sized tablet on the market

    Fox

    • Despite the cheaper price, the iPad mini doesn’t feel cheap. Quite the opposite. When I picked it up, I was reminded of the first time I held a first-generation iPhone. It feels sturdy. Hand-crafted. Expertly made.

    TechCrunch

    • Apple isn’t looking at this as $329 versus $199. They’re looking at this as an impossibly small iPad 2 sold at the most affordable price for an iPad yet. In other words, they’re not looking at the tablet competition. This isn’t a tablet. It’s an iPad. People love these things.

    Click on the links to read the respective iPad mini reviews. So far the initial reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, something not many were expecting from what is effectively a small iPad 2