On Gear Live: Rear plastic shell of upcoming budget iPhone leaked?

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Strategy Analytics already reported that the iPhone 5 was the best-selling smartphone in the US, but now it's saying that Apple extends its dominance worldwide as well. As such, the iPhone 5 sold an estimated 27.4 million units during the fourth quarter of 2012, as compared to Samsung's Galaxy S III selling 15.4 million units. What's more, the iPhone 4S also outsold the S3 with 17.4 million units moved. This gives Apple the two most popular smartphones on the market, with a little over a 20 percent share in the global market.

We reported earlier on how Samsung will be announcing its Galaxy S IV in March, so the tides may change very soon. Until Apple releases the iPhone 5S, that is.


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iOS 6.1.2

iOS 6.1 introduced an odd Exchange calendar syncing bug, and today Apple released iOS 6.1.2 to fix it. The issue resulted in heightened network usage that would significantly reduce the battery life of affected devices. If you use an Exchange account with your iPhone, you'll wanna grab this over-the-air update now. No word yet on if iOS 6.1.2 also fixes the lock screen bypass bug that was discovered last week as well, but we'll check on that as soon as we're updated.


OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 12D68

Apple has released OS X Mountain Lion 10.8.3 build 12D68, about a week after the release of OS X 10.8.3 12D65. The company asks developers to focus on AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, graphics drivers, and Safari. OS X 10.8.3 has seemed to be stuck in developer builds for quite a while, but as the timeframe between dev releases is getting shorter and shorter, that means that there is less and less to fix. If we find anything new, we'll let you know. Developers--grab this update in the Mac App Store.


MacBook Pro with Retina display price cut

Apple has announced an immediate price reduction on the entry-level 128 GB 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, slashing the price by $200 down to $1499. Additionally, for $1699 (the same price that the entry-level model used to be) you can now get the 256 GB version with a faster 2.6 GHz processor.

On the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro side of things, the $2,199 base model now features an upgraded 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7 processor (up from a 2.3 GHz chip,) while the top-of-the-line $2,799 model now sports a 2.7 GHz i7 with 16 GB RAM.

As an aside, Apple has also dropped the price of the 13-inch MacBook Air with 256 GB storage--it now sells for $1,399, $100 less than it sold for previously.

Click to continue reading Apple slashes pricing on MacBook Pro with Retina display, MacBook Air


TiVo Stream review

If there's one thing that was a glaring omission from the official TiVo iOS apps, it was the fact that they couldn't connect to the TiVo on your local network to allow you to watch content on your smartphone or tablet. Well, all that has changed with the release of the TiVo Stream. What is the TiVo Stream? Well, as you can probably guess from the name, TiVo Stream allows you to stream recordings from your TiVo Premiere DVR directly to up to three iOS devices on the same network (or four if you happen to have more than one TiVo Premiere box), simultaneously. Additionally, it also allows you to transfer recording to your iOS device for viewing when you are off the network. It's an ambitious device that provides a feature that many have been clamoring for, and it sells for $129. So, is it worth the additional investment? We've given you a look at the TiVo Stream hardware, now join us for our full TiVo Stream review for the answer.

Click to continue reading TiVo Stream review


Nike FuelBand iOS Android app

The Nike+ FuelBand is one of the most popular fitness gadgets out there (although the verdict is still out on if fitness gadgets actually improve our health,) but there's been a complaint from Android users since it's release regarding the lack of an app for Android-powered smartphones. Despite waiting patiently for about a year, it turns out, a FuelBand app isn't even on the radar for Nike.

To deliver the best experience for all Nike+ FuelBand users, we are focusing on the FuelBand experience across iOS and nikeplus.com, where you can sync your activity, set new goals, and connect with friends. At this time, we are not working on an Android version of the mobile app.

In other words, the company is committed to having the FuelBand work perfectly within the iOS ecosystem, and doesn't have time right now to worry about the fragmented Android mess. Of course, the FuelBand doesn't require a smartphone at all, so Android users (and anyone else) can use it, they just need to sync over USB to their computer rather than over Bluetooth like you can do with an iPhone.

Read More | Giz

iPhone 5S 6

The rumor mill is churning again, and it's saying that not just one, but two new iPhone models may see daylight in 2013. The two iPhones are rumored to be the iPhone 5S and a new 4.94-inch iPhone 6 (or iPhone +.)

This information comes courtesy of laoyaoba.com and a source claiming to have seen the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 at Apple suppliers. The source also claims the iPhone 5S resembles the iPhone 5, and that the iPhone 6 is the lightest and thinnest iPhone to date.

The report states that Apple is planning to bring the iPhone 5S to market this year, no surprise there. The larger iPhone +, however, is supposedly to be released as a backup against the rising popularity of larger Android phones.

Hit the source to see mocked images of what a bigger iPhone would look like.

Read More | Macro

OS X 10.8.3 12d65

Apple has seeded OS X 10.8.3 build 12D65 to developers just a week after releasing the 12D61 build. Apple is asking developers to focus on AirPlay, AirPort, Game Center, graphics drivers, and Safari in 12D65. The update also appears to fix the "File:///" bug that currently plagues OS X, where by typing that into a text field, you immediately crash the app you are working in. If you're a Mac dev, you can grab the update through the Mac App Store right now.


Belkin FastFit Bluetooth keyboard for ipad mini

Belkin has announce its FastFit Bluetooth keyboard case for iPad mini. Measuring in at 7mm thick, the FastFit Bluetooth case provides about three months of battery life, equating to about 150 days of active use before its 200mAh battery needs to be charge. It attached to the iPad mini magnetically, and automatically wakes the tablet when opened. Belkin also touts the TruType keyboard layout, which is says has well-spaced keys for fast and accurate typing. No word on a ship date, but it'll be available from Belkin soon for $79.99.

Read More | Belkin

iTunes 25 billion regina spektor

Apple is touting the latest milestone for iTunes, as the service has now sold over 25 billion songs. The 25 billionth track sold was Chase Buch's "Monkey Drums (Goksel Vancin Remix)" by Phillip Lüpke, who Apple will be rewarding with a €10,000 gift card. Not bad. "We are grateful to our users whose passion for music over the past 10 years has made iTunes the number one music retailer in the world." said Apple's Eddy Cue, who went on to mention that iTunes sells over 15,000 songs per minute. Who says no one buys music anymore?

Read More | Apple

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