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Latest Gear Live Videos
Are the Steve Jobs death watch fears unwarranted?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Editorial, Features, Rumors,
A story broke late yesterday about Steve Jobs being seen attending the Stanford Cancer Center in Palo Alto, California, the same center where actor Patrick Swayze sought treatment before his death. The source: The National Enquirer.
Given the source, the claim is questionable, though the Enquirer has been right about matters surrounding secretive public figures before (as former presidential candidate John Edwards can attest). Radar Online says it has confirmed the story, but it didn't say how.
Given that we know Jobs is currently on medical leave from Apple, and that he's had cancer before, the report that Jobs may be seeking treatment at a cancer center isn't surprising. The Enquirer even has photos of what it says is Jobs, supposedly looking extremely thin. A few sites have posted some of the photos, though it's hard to tell how thin the person is, or if he's just wearing baggy clothing.
The Enquirer report takes some big leaps, however, on the scant evidence. Enlisting two doctors, who have never even met Jobs, to make a diagnosis based on what's in the photos, the Enquirer says Jobs may have lost large portion of his muscle mass and probably has just "weeks to live."
Click to continue reading Are the Steve Jobs death watch fears unwarranted?
Gallery: Are the Steve Jobs death watch fears unwarranted?
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Motorola Xoom tablet priced: $799 on Verizon, $600 for Wi-Fi model
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Rumors,
Well, after a bunch of false starts, we've finally got a price for the Motorola Xoom. Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha was quoted by Reuters as saying that the 32 GB Android 3.0 Honeycomb tablet will sell for $799 unsubsidized from Verizon (although we're sure Verizon may offer their own subsidized price,) and there'll also be a Wi-Fi-only model for $600. No launch date has been given yet, but signs are pointing to it happening at some point next week.
Read More 
| Reuters
Gallery: Motorola Xoom tablet priced: $799 on Verizon, $600 for Wi-Fi model
Best Buy lists Motorola Xoom at $1,200, then pulls it
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Rumors,
Motorola seems to be readying its forthcoming Xoom tablet to take on the dominant device on the market, Apple's iPad. But on Sunday, a pre-order page on Best Buy's Web site showed a staggering $1,199.99 price tag for the Xoom.
That's about $400-$500 more than the rumored price for the 32 GB tablet, and much more than a $729 iPad with similar specs.
Unveiled early last month at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the Xoom is the first tablet to run on Google's tablet-optimized platform, Android 3.0 "Honeycomb." PCMag analyst Tim Gideon said the Motorola Xoom is "perhaps, the first tablet truly armed to take on the mighty iPad."
It's not a comparison that has happened by accident. Motorola has pitted itself against Apple in ads for the Xoom. In Motorola's one minute Super Bowl ad titled "Empower the People," a young guy commutes to work surrounded by fellow travelers who are all dressed in white jumpsuits, plugged in via Apple's familiar white earbuds. The man uses his Xoom to create an animation for his office crush, who is inspired to remove her earbuds and presumbly join the real world.
Click to continue reading Best Buy lists Motorola Xoom at $1,200, then pulls it
Gallery: Best Buy lists Motorola Xoom at $1,200, then pulls it
Apple set to launch smaller, cheaper iPhone alongside MobileMe revamp
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Rumors,
Late last week Bloomberg reported that Apple was prepping a smaller, cheaper iPhone. Now the Wall Street Journal has chimed in, saying Apple is readying a device that's about half the size of the iPhone 4 for a summer release.
The new phone would be added to the existing line of iPhones and it would be about half the price, WSJ said. A 16GB iPhone on either Verizon or AT&T costs $199 with a two-year contract.
The Journal says according to "someone who saw a prototype of the phone late last year," the smaller iPhone is "significantly lighter than the iPhone 4 and has an edge-to-edge screen that could be manipulated by touch, as well as a virtual keyboard and voice-based navigation."
Apple is also planning an overhaul of MobileMe, its cloud-based storage service. The Journal said the company will ditch its one-year $99 subscription model in favor of a free service. MobileMe would "serve as a 'locker' for personal memorabilia such as photos, music, and videos."
Click to continue reading Apple set to launch smaller, cheaper iPhone alongside MobileMe revamp
Gallery: Apple set to launch smaller, cheaper iPhone alongside MobileMe revamp
The iPad 2 rumors have been going ever since the current iPad hit stores. If you've been looking for something solid though, the Wall Street Journal is now reporting that the next iPad is currently in production. They say the new iPad will be thinner and lighter than the first model, and will support Facetime with a camera on the front of the device. Those hoping for a Retina display will be disappointed though, as WSJ is reporting that the resolution of the display won't be changed. It will also have more memory and a more powerful graphics processor, according to insider sources.
Click to continue reading Apple iPad 2 now in production
Read More | WSJ
Gallery: Apple iPad 2 now in production
Best Buy and The Source make room for white iPhone 4
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,
We know that the white iPhone 4 has pretty much been like a unicorn by now, originally promised by Apple almost 8 months ago, and still nowhere to be found. However, it looks like that's about to change, as big box retailers like Best Buy and Canada's The Source have actually started making space on store shelves for the elusive smartphone. When they delayed the white iPhone 4 for the third time, Apple said it would appear this Spring. It started showing in Best Buy and AT&T inventory a couple of weeks ago, and the fact that stores are making room give some credence to the rumors that we might be seeing the white model finally available to anyone who decided to wait this long--but seriously, if that's you, you may wanna just wait for the next iPhone to drop in a few months.
Read More | Engadget
Gallery: Best Buy and The Source make room for white iPhone 4
iPad 2 to sport carbon fiber, NFC, and a 7-inch option?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Rumors,
Our friends at iLounge got a few new tidbits relating to the iPad 2, which are interesting to say the least, but should be taken with a grain of salt. First, Apple has been toying with the idea of using carbon fiber for the casing of the next iPad. Carbon fiber is strong, but also very lightweight, and this would be a move to make the iPad much lighter than the original (which was a complaint from many.) Second, Apple is considering throwing NFC technology into the iPad 2. We think this one is pretty much a lock, as it will allow Apple to tap into a huge revenue stream. Last, Apple is reportedly still tossing around the idea of a 7-inch version of the iPad. Steve Jobs recently trashed this idea, saying that all the 7-inch tablets out there were pretty much dead on arrival because they were too small. We don't buy that, because, well, look at the iPod touch. It's pretty much a 3.5-inch tablet. Still, we aren't gonna hold out hope for a 7-inch iPad to roll around this April.
Read More | iLounge
Gallery: iPad 2 to sport carbon fiber, NFC, and a 7-inch option?
The future of Apple’s NFC mobile payment strategy
Posted by Reza Malayeri Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Editorial, Rumors,
There is no question that mobile phone payments are very popular, and that many of us can operate our entire financial lives from our mobile phones. Apps from PayPal, and Square can turn our iPhones into portable financial centers, allowing us to exchange money quickly and easily. These new applications are creating opportunities and benefits that will shape the future of mobile payments.
Predictions about the iPhone 5 and the iPad 2 are beginning to heat up, and much of the talk has been about the implementation of NFC (near field communication) technology. What we haven't heard about so far, is anything about native intergration of mobile payment solutions from Apple and Google.
Click to continue reading The future of Apple’s NFC mobile payment strategy
Gallery: The future of Apple’s NFC mobile payment strategy
According to an inside source, the Nook 3G is being discontinued by Barnes & Noble. The company cites lack of bulk demand for the device, and is now filling orders until the stock is depleted. The Nook is one of the strongest Kindle alternatives out there, but we think it's fairly obvious that there isn't really that much of a need to have your ebook reader perpetually connected to the Internet through 3G. Anyhow, if you've been thinking about getting a Nook with 3G built-in, now's the time.
Read More | Engadget
Gallery: Barnes & Noble phasing out Nook 3G
White iPhone 4 appears in ATT, Best Buy inventory
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Rumors,
Last we heard from Apple on the white iPhone 4, it had been delayed for a third time, set to debut this Spring. However, the mythical phone has finally started appearing in the inventory management systems of places like Best Buy, Vodafone Germany, and AT&T. With AT&T, customers can even log in right now and see the white models listed in the model picker in the account management area. This is likely a sign that Apple is finally ready to unleash the white model upon us, but really, who wants to buy a white iPhone 4 now when iPhone 5 is right around the corner? Anyone?
