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Latest Gear Live Videos
Video: 30 awesome jailbreak tweaks for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Mods / Hacks, Software, Videos,
If you've never jailbroken your iOS device before and have been wondering what all the fuss is about, the video above is a great indicator of the things you can do once you free your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch from the locked up clutches of Apple restrictions. In fact, even if you're a part of the jailbreak community, you may find some great tools here as well. This video gives you a quick walkthrough of thirty different jailbreak tools that you can use to make your devices more productive and more fun. Give it a look.
Gallery: Video: 30 awesome jailbreak tweaks for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch
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Apple iTunes Match beta now available to developers
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Music, Software,
Hey iOS devs, you can now test out iTunes Match Beta. iTunes Match is a $24.99 per year service, integrated with iCloud, that stores your entire music library in iCloud, allowing you to access that content from an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or computer. It plays the tracks at 256 Kbps (iTunes Plus quality,) even if the original version is of lower quality. One big advantage that iTunes and Apple have here over services like Google Music is that you don't need to upload your entire library. Any songs that Apple has available in iTunes are automatically added to your iCloud account without the need for uploading. iTunes Match should be available publicly this fall.
Gallery: Apple iTunes Match beta now available to developers
Jawbone Jambox Software Update 2.0 includes LiveAudio
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Handhelds, Music, Software,
Jawbone has released the Software Update 2.0 for its Jambox stereo Bluetooth speaker, which adds the company's new LiveAudio technology to the device.
According to Jawbone, LiveAudio "enables a spatial listening experience previously only available through headphones for binaural recordings." It's a processing feature that applies crosstalk cancellation features to produce better and deeper imaging, letting artists better create emotional connections with their audience, the company says.
In reality, LiveAudio is a processing feature that seems to boost the high end of the Jambox. Since higher frequencies are easier to locate directionally than lower frequencies (bass), this boost can give the impression of better spatial imaging, especially when used with close walls on either side to reflect the noise. LiveAudio won't necessarily improve your listening experience, but depending on the music you play and the dimensions of the room where you listen to it, it could offer a chance you might find preferable.
The update is available on Jawbone's Web site, and is free to any user with a Jambox. You can pick one up from Amazon for 20% off.
Gallery: Jawbone Jambox Software Update 2.0 includes LiveAudio
Download iOS 5 beta 6 9A5302b now!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, 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 beta 6. If you are already running beta 5, then you can perform an over-the-air (OTA) update directly from your device, with no need to use iTunes. You can now grab iOS 5 beta 6 for iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV, alongside iTunes 10.5 beta 6 and Xcode 4.2 Developer Preview 6 for both Snow Leopard (4C5163c) and Lion (4D163b.)
Gallery: Download iOS 5 beta 6 9A5302b now!
HP getting rid of PC business, webOS devices dead
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, PC / Laptop, Software,
Hewlett-Packard on Thursday confirmed that it will acquire U.K.-based Autonomy for $10.2 billion and is looking to spin off its PC assets.
Together with its plans to stop supporting webOS devices, the announcements mark a major change for HP. They appear to represent a seismic shift in how the Silicon Valley computing giant, the world's largest tech company in terms of annual revenue, plans to conduct business going forward.
The HP board's authorization of "the exploration of strategic alternatives for its Personal Systems Group (PSG)" includes "a broad range of options that may include, among others, a full or partial separation of PSG from HP through a spin-off or other transaction." Unlike the dumping of recently acquired Palm, slipping badly in a market dominated by Apple and devices running Google's Android OS, a spin-off of the PSG means HP would be parting with a long-standing investment that has turned into the biggest PC maker in the world.
Click to continue reading HP getting rid of PC business, webOS devices dead
Gallery: HP getting rid of PC business, webOS devices dead
Mac OS X 10.7.1 Lion update now available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,
Apple has just released Mac OS X 10.7.1, the first major update for Lion, the latest incarnation of the Mac operating system. The update fixes a few bugs, improves reliability of Wi-Fi, and resolves an issue with transferring settings to a new Mac. If you are running Lion, go ahead and fire up Software Update to get this...it's only 17 MB in size.
Gallery: Mac OS X 10.7.1 Lion update now available
Mac OS X Lion now available on USB thumb drive for $69
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software, USB,
Apple is now selling its updated Mac OS X Lion operating system as a $69 thumb drive.
The device is currently shipping within one to three business days.
"OS X Lion is available on a USB thumb drive for installation without the need for a broadband Internet connection," Apple said on its Web site. "Just plug the drive into your USB port and follow the instructions to install."
Click to continue reading Mac OS X Lion now available on USB thumb drive for $69
Gallery: Mac OS X Lion now available on USB thumb drive for $69
Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader is an Apple-circumventing HTML5 browser app
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Internet, Software,
Amazon on Wednesday unveiled its Kindle Cloud Reader, an HTML5-based reading app accessible via the Web.
The feature is accessible at amazon.com/cloudreader and provides access to e-books through the browser, offline and online, with no downloading or installation required, Amazon said. Cloud Reader will automatically sync with other Kindle apps, allowing you to start reading on the Web and pick up on an iPhone or Kindle, for example. Books that you are reading will automatically be made available for offline use.
At this point, Kindle Cloud Reader works with Safari on the iPad and desktop and Google's Chrome.
Click to continue reading Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader is an Apple-circumventing HTML5 browser app
Gallery: Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader is an Apple-circumventing HTML5 browser app
Video: How iOS 5 Notification Center should really perform
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Handhelds, Software, Videos,
Have a look at the Notification Center overhaul that Jan-Michael Cart put together. iOS 5 and its Notification Center won't even be publicly available until the fall, and already this guy has made it look old and busted with his much-improved user interface. Kudos.
Gallery: Video: How iOS 5 Notification Center should really perform
How good (or bad) are apps for Android tablets?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Google, Handhelds, Software,
The following is a column sent to us by Skip Ferderber. We though it hit home on a lot of points, and decided to republish it with his permission:
Let’s start with a popular tech-talk premise especially among Apple iPad afficionados: Among the reasons Android tablets come up short is because there are only a handful of apps specifically optimized for them.
If there’s no big bucket of optimized Honeycomb apps, then it’s too soon to get an Android tablet ... not when you can get an iPad with more than 100,000 tablet-optimized apps.
The tech blogosphere (including yours truly) reported early on that only 10 apps were specifically redesigned to take advantage of the Honeycomb operating system, the Android software specifically engineered for a new generation of powerful tablets with heavy-duty processing power and bright high-resolution screens such as the Motorola Xoom and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. A March Wired article reported it had found only 50 Honeycomb-optimized apps.
Well, hold on there, buckaroos.
What happens when non-optimized apps — the same apps you use on your Android smartphone — are run on a Honeycomb tablet? What’s the user experience like? Can you live with it? I decided to find out.
Click to continue reading How good (or bad) are apps for Android tablets?
