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Download iOS 5.1 beta 9B5117b now!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software
Apple has been busy updating their Dev Center with another iOS 5 beta update, and today developers can go and grab iOS 5.1 beta. Even if you are already running iOS 5 or later, you'll still need to connect to iTunes to install the beta. You can now grab iOS 5.1 beta 9B5117b for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, alongside Xcode 4.3 Developer Preview 7 for Lion (4D1002)
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Black Friday 2011: Apple
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Handhelds, Hot Deals, Music, PC / Laptop
Apple is set to discount some of its most popular products for Black Friday 2011. No word yet on if the stores are opening early, but you can get all the deals online as well as in-store, which is nice. Discounts on items like the iPad 2, iMac, MacBook Air, and iPod touch are just the tip of the iceberg, as Apple is also discounting a bunch of third-party accessories, including the Jawbone Up. We've got the best of the sale listed after the break, along with links to take you directly to the products!
Click to continue reading Black Friday 2011: Apple
Introducing Ask Andru: Apple’s iMessage, explained
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds
I'm a big fan of GeekWire, so when one of my Twitter followers suggested that I start a regular Q&A column for the site, focusing on consumer electronics and gadgets, I figured "Why not?" I talked with the crew, and the result is Ask Andru. In case you're curious about what qualifies me to answer your nagging questions about the devices that have become such an integrated part of our lives, well, I've been running Gear Live for over seven years now. If you're unfamiliar, Gear Live is one of the top gadget news and review sites in the world, and I absolutely love what I do. If you've got a question you'd like me to answer, drop me a line at askandru@gmail.com, and I'll throw it in the queue.
Our very first question deals with iMessage, a new feature introduced to iOS devices with the release of iOS 5:
After upgrading to iOS 5, sometimes I see an iMessage reference in my text-messaging app, and sometimes not, and it doesn't seem to be correlated to whether or not I'm on WiFi or 3G. I also see different colors. I know the idea is to be able to send text messages without going over the wireless carrier's network, but how the heck does this work and what's actually going on?
Click to continue reading Introducing Ask Andru: Apple’s iMessage, explained
Black Friday 2011: RadioShack
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Music, PC / Laptop, Video Games
RadioShack's Black Friday 2011 sale looks enticing, and we rarely say that kind of stuff about The Shack. Doors open at 5:30 am the day after Thanksgiving, but you can get the Black Friday prices a day early by shopping on radioshack.com. We've got the highlights of the sale for you after the break, which include a $300 15-inch Toshiba laptop, a $99 7-inch Velocity Micro Cruz tablet, 20% off Beats by Dr. Dre Solo headphones, and more.
Click to continue reading Black Friday 2011: RadioShack
Black Friday 2011: Toys R Us
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Music, Video Games
Black Friday 2011 is near, and we've been collecting the best ads we can find, highlighting the good stuff. Here we've got the best from what Toys R Us will have to offer. Interestingly enough, Toys R Us isn't even waiting for Friday to arrive, as their sales start at 9:00 pm on Thanksgiving, three hours before other stores will be kicking off their midnight Black Friday sales. Some highlights include a free $50 gift card when you buy an iPod touch, as well as great discounts on games for Xbox 360, Nintendo 3DS, DS, PS3, Wii, and Kinect.
Click to continue reading Black Friday 2011: Toys R Us
Black Friday 2011: Walmart
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Hot Deals, Peripherals, Video Games
Walmart's Black Friday 2011 ad is live, and for ambitious shoppers who venture out at midnight, the store will have a number of deals on TVs, PCs, and gaming consoles. We've listed the highlights after the break.
On the TV front, Walmart will have discounts on Emerson, Samsung, and LG sets. Samsung LCD TVs will start at $98 for a 19-inch 720p model, followed by a 32-inch 720p version for $278. The 40-inch and 46-inch 1080p models will retail for $428 and $598, respectively. Finally, a 51-inch 720p Samsung LCD TV will be on sale for $498.
Looking for a PC? Walmart is offering a 15.6-inch, dual-core HP laptop with a 320GB hard drive and 3GB of memory for $248. An HP laptop with a 500GB hard drive and 17.3-inch screen will be $388. An HP dual-core 500GB desktop with 18.5-inch monitor, integrated speakers, mouse, and keyboard will also be available for $298. A 15.6-inch Compaq Presario laptop with a 250GB hard drive will be on sale for $198.
For the gamers, an Xbox 360 4GB console bundle with Gears of War 3, Xbox Live three-month membership, and a $50 Walmart gift card will be $199. An Xbox 360 4GB bundle with the Kinect sensor, Kinect Adventures, and a one-month Xbox Live Gold membership will be $199.96, while a Kinect bundle with Kinect Adventures, The GunStringer, and Fruit Ninja will be $99.96. An Xbox Live three-month subscription card will also be $12, while an Xbox 360 wireless controller will be $49.96.
Click to continue reading Black Friday 2011: Walmart
Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, fixes iPhone battery life issues
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software
Apple has just released iOS 5.0.1, which is aimed primarily at fixing the battery drain bug introduced in iOS 5. Many iPhone 4S owners have been complaining of extremely poor battery life (here we were seeing the battery drain as much as 10% per hour,) and we can confirm that 5.0.1 fixes that right up. Here are the rest of the release notes:
iOS 5.0.1 Software Update
This update contains improvements and other bug fixes including:
- Fixes bugs affecting battery life
- Adds Multitasking Gestures for original iPad
- Resolves bugs with Documents in the Cloud
- Improves voice recognition for Australian users using dictation
Click to continue reading Apple releases iOS 5.0.1, fixes iPhone battery life issues
2011 Holiday Gift Guide: iPod touch 4th generation
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Techies, Teens, Under $250, Under $500
Apple's focused on the iPod touch as being the "funnest iPod ever" for a while now, but the introduction of the fourth generation model put it over the top. You've got the Retina display, FaceTime video chat, high definition video capture, and built-in gyroscope all packed into the thinnest iPod touch ever--and now it's available in white. Of course, you need great software running on hardware like this, and the App Store fits the bill with over 200,000 apps available. A great gift for teens who don't need an iPhone, or anyone who wants a mobile iOS device that isn't a phone. Prices start at $199 (or $189 on Amazon, a 5% savings):
Be sure to check out the rest of the stuff in our 2011 Holiday Gift Guide, we're adding new suggestions every day!
Apple releases iOS 5.0.1 beta 2 to developers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Software
Just two days after releasing iOS 5.0.1 beta, aimed primarily at fixing the battery drain bug found in iOS 5, Apple has released iOS 5.0.1 beta 2. This is obviously something it's aggressively trying to fix, and releasing quick beta updates certainly helps in that process. For what it's worth, we installed the original beta yesterday, and noticed an immediate and significant improvement in the battery life on an iPhone 4S. Apple plans on releasing the update publicly within the next two weeks.
iPhone hackers get Siri working on iPhone 4, iPod touch
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Cell Phones, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks
Hoping to get Siri on your iPhone 4?
We have previously highlighted the exploits of the iPhone hacking community in its attempts to break Siri's exclusivity to the iPhone 4S. And while various device modders have been successful at getting the application itself ported over to devices like Apple's iPhone 4 and iPod touch, they didn't manage to address the elephant in the room: How to get Siri to work with Apple's servers, which don't seem to allow requests from unauthorized (non-iPhone 4S) devices.
Two hackers have since discovered the secret Siri sauce, but neither has spilled the beans as to exactly how their non-iPhone 4S Siri app works. According to Steve Troughton-Smith, however, the tweak was built using a single line of code and "a ton of filesystem changes." And as long as a user first jailbreaks his or her device before installing the to-be-released tweak, Siri is unlocked with no restrictions on its use: It works with the same speed and speech recognition as its iPhone 4S counterpart.
Click to continue reading iPhone hackers get Siri working on iPhone 4, iPod touch
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