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Report: iPad Air & iPad mini Retina to gain Touch ID, 8MP camera, A8 chip this year

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Rumors,

iPad AIr mini touch id

Apple may be prepping the 2014 iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display models to include Touch ID, among other new additions. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the prediction is that we'll see an expected chip bump with the Apple A8 processor, rear iSight camera resolution increased to 8MP, and the aforementioned Touch ID fingerprint recognition security feature in both the iPad Air and iPad mini with Retina display.

Kuo also believes that this year's iPads will launch earlier than they did last year, which would imply that they should arrive sooner than November. As for the long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad? Kuo says that the larger tablet is unlikely to appear in 2014.


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Microsoft Surface 2 with AT&T 4G LTE available tomorrow

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Microsoft, PC / Laptop,

Surface 2 with LTE

Microsoft has announced that it'll finally release the Surface 2 with LTE built in with 64GB storage capacity. Interested buyers will be able to pick up the updated model starting tomorrow from Microsoft Stores, Best Buy, and AT&T Wireless locations.

With the exception of the added LTE support, don't expect other changes in the Surface 2 hardware. You'll find a new SIM card slot located by the volume rocker, but that's it. Users will be able to use the LTE function as a mobile hotspot for their other devices as well. A year of free Skype calls to landline numbers and 200GB of OneDrive cloud storage is also thrown in.

You can order the Surface 2 with LTE here.

Read More | Surface 2 with 4G LTE

Apple releases iOS 7.1 beta 5 build 11D5145e to developers

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,

iOS 7.1 beta 5 download

If you've got an Apple developer account, you should know that Apple has released iOS 7.1 beta 5 build 11D5145e, and you can go and grab it right now. Of course, you can log in to the Developer Center to manually grab the file, or head into the Settings > General > Software Update section on your iOS device for the over-the-air install. As far as new changes, the release notes point to international Siri improvements:

"This seed adds new natural-sounding Siri voices for English (Australia), English (United Kingdom), Japanese, and Chinese (Mandarin – China)"

Along with the new iOS software, Apple has also released new betas of Xcode 5.1, and the Apple TV software as well.

Click to continue reading Apple releases iOS 7.1 beta 5 build 11D5145e to developers


Top 10 Gear Live stories of 2013

OS X 10.9 Mavericks

We've come to the end of another year, and as we wave goodbye to 2013, we figured it was only fitting that we share the most popular stories published on Gear Live this year, as determined by our readers (we've also got the top ten most read stories regardless of publish date, as well as the ten most popular Gear Live videos of 2013!) These are the ten stories that were read the most, and when you consider that fact, it's pretty surprising to see what made the list. Let's kick it off with our most read story of the year:

OS X 10.9 Mavericks Developer Preview 3 now available:
Anticipation for Apple's newest desktop operating system, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, trumped all other news here on Gear Live in 2013!

Click to continue reading Top 10 Gear Live stories of 2013


2013 Holiday Gift Guide: Apple iPad Air

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Women, Men, Techies, Under $500,

Apple iPad Air

Thanks to its vast ecosystem of apps, great performance, and a fantastic screen, the iPad Air earns a spot in our 2013 Holiday Gift Guide (see our iPad Air review.) Compared to the fourth-generation iPad, the iPad Air is nearly identical in terms of function, although it's much faster and also sports a better front camera for FaceTime chats. The big leap is in the design department, where the iPad Air just dominates on comfortability. The iPad Air is the best full-sized consumer tablet that you can get this holiday season.

You can pick up the iPad Air now from Apple--order now if you want to ensure that it's delivered before Christmas.

Click to continue reading 2013 Holiday Gift Guide: Apple iPad Air

Read More | Apple iPad Air

Unboxing Live 125: Apple iPad Air

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, Handhelds, Videocasts,

Apple's iPad Air is the thinnest, lightest, and sveltest full-sized tablet from Apple yet. We open up the new iPad Air at the Apple Store at Alderwood Mall in Lynnwood, Washington, giving you a look at the new thin tablet, along with the other things included in the box (in this case, just the iPad Air AC adapter and a Lightning cable.) Stay tuned for our iPad Air video review, and be sure to check out our full iPad Air review.

You can pick up the iPad Air now from Apple.

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iPad Air review

iPad Air review

Thinner. Lighter. Anyone familiar with Apple keynote events knows that these two words mean a lot to the company. In essence, Apple aims to reduce the bulks of its products, stripping away any unnecessary heft while simultaneously packing in as much power as possible. It's quite a task, really. The company has backed itself into a corner where it's now expected that anything that's a newer version of a previous thing will be smaller, thinner, and lighter.

Back in 2008, Apple did this with the jaw-dropping MacBook Air. Fully a Mac, but so thin you could slid it into a manila envelope. It was hard to believe that a Mac that thin, with a full-sized keyboard and display, was possible when PC makers were all focusing on grossly underpowered netbooks with cramped keyboards.

Now, Apple has done the same with its tablet lineup. Three-and-a-half years after releasing the original and iconic iPad, Apple has now made it almost impossibly thinner and lighter with the iPad Air. Sporting a new, slim design that borrows heavily from that of the iPad mini, the iPad Air bezel has been reduced by over 40%. Thickness has been reduced as well--20% thinner than the iPad 4 at 7.5mm. Perhaps most importantly, the iPad Air sheds almost half a pound of weight when compared against the two iPads that preceded it, all while maintaining the same impressive 9.7-inch Retina display.

So, the question now is, is the new iPad Air worth your time, attention, and hard-earned cash? Read on for our full iPad Air review as we explore Apple's latest flagship tablet.

Click to continue reading iPad Air review


Apple announces iPad mini with Retina display

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds,

iPad mini with Retina display

The one glaring hole in the iPad mini has now been fixed, as Apple has announced a brand new iPad mini with Retina display. It sports the same 2048 x 1536 display that is found on the new iPad Air, and also sports the same processor as well--the Apple A7 processor, also found in the iPhone 5s. It even has the M7 processor built-in as well. In fact, it sports all of the same features internally that are found on the iPad Air--the only difference seems to be the size of the actual display, and since the iPad mini and iPad Air share the same display resolution, the mini ends up having the more pixel dense panel. No exact launch date has been announced yet, but we know that it'll launch in late November, starting at $399 for the 16GB model--that's a $70 price increase when compared to the original non-Retina iPad mini.

Read More | iPad mini Product Page

Apple announces new iPad Air

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds,

iPad Air

Apple has announced the new iPad Air, the 5th generation and the next evolution for its 9.7-inch tablet, and it has taken on a whole new design. If you've seen the iPad mini, then you have an idea of what the new full-sized model looks like. It's rear shell is the same shape that the iPad mini has been using since its launch. The smaller bezel results in a much smaller footprint, making it 20% thinner at 7.5mm thin, and weighs just 1 pound (down from the 1.4 pounds of the iPad 4.) On the inside, you get a 64-bit A7 processor, along with the M7 coprocessor found in the iPhone 5s. No major camera upgrade, as the shooter remains at 5-megapixel, although the FaceTime front camera does see a modest update. MIMO 802.11n Wi-Fi support rounds things out.

You can pick up the new iPad Air at the Apple Store on November 1, starting at $499. LTE models are available as well for AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and for the first time, T-Mobile.

Check out the rest of the news from today's Apple iPad event!


We’re giving away a brand new iPad mini!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Apple, Handhelds,

iPad mini giveaway

In case you missed it, we are giving away an iPad mini, and you only have two more days to enter! This is a super-easy contest to enter. We have 21 questions we'd like to ask you about what you think of our Ford Fiesta Movement video content so far. Simply head on over to the survey and answer the 21 questions. At the end, select my name (Andru Edwards) and put in a valid email that we can use to contact you if you're selected as the winner. That's it!

Read More | iPad mini giveaway

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