Latest Gear Live Videos
Apple brings iPhone 4S to 20 more countries
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Corporate News,
Apple on Friday launched the iPhone 4S in more than 20 additional countries, including several in South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
According to a report from MacRumors, those countries are: Bahrain, Brazil, Chile, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Peru, the Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam.
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
In at least one country, the iPhone 4S carries with it a rather hefty price tag. MacRumors said due to import duties levied on electronics, the price of an iPhone 4S in Brazil starts at R$2599, or about $1,400 USD.
Click to continue reading Apple brings iPhone 4S to 20 more countries
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Microsoft releases SkyDrive app for iPhone, Windows Phone
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Storage,
Microsoft on Tuesday unveiled a version of its SkyDrive cloud service for Windows Phone and the iPhone.
The move, Microsoft said in a blog post, comes as people increasingly need access to files on-the-go.
"As devices proliferate, having a great experience on the Web is only one piece of a pretty complex puzzle," Microsoft's Mike Torres wrote. "People are choosing where to put their files based on how portable and accessible they are across the various devices they use; therefore, it's critical that we continue to extend the SkyDrive experience to the devices you use every day."
To that end, the most recent version of Windows Phone, known as Mango, included deep integration with SkyDrive via the Pictures and Office hubs, allowing for the sharing of photos via text, email, or IM, for example.
But users wanted more, Torres said. "Many still want the full SkyDrive experience from Windows Phone, including tasks like browsing their entire SkyDrive, sharing links to folders or files, deleting files, and creating folders." As a result, phones running Windows Phone 7.5 can now download the SkyDrive app from the Windows Phone Marketplace and do just that.
For those on iOS, the same app was also released in the App Store. See the video above for more.
Click to continue reading Microsoft releases SkyDrive app for iPhone, Windows Phone
Bleeding Edge TV 406: Twelve South PlugBug review
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Accessories, Apple, Features, Handhelds, PC / Laptop, Podcasts, Videocasts, Videos,
We review the Twelve South PlugBug in this episode. The PlugBug is a clever device that attaches to your MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air AC adapter, and allows you to charge both your Apple notebook, as well as a USB device (like your iPhone or iPad.) It's a neat little device that we think makes things super convenient, especially during travel, and it's one of those things that we wish we would have thought of first. We give you a look at the device, along with how it works, in this video.
Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.
Download iOS 5.1 beta 2 9B5127c 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 5.1 beta 2. If you are already running iOS 5.1 beta, you can just do an OTA update and be done with it. If not, you'll need to download the update and connect to iTunes to install the beta. You can now grab iOS 5.1 beta 9B5127c for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, alongside Xcode 4.3 Developer Preview 7 for Lion (4E57a)
Ask Andru: Apple iMessage Follow-Up
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds,
The first ever Ask Andru column featured a question about Apple's iMessage, a proprietary method the company uses to allow owners of iOS devices to send text messages, pictures, and videos to each other through Apple's servers, bypassing the traditional wireless carrier. This allows users to send as many messages as they want without having to pay a text message fee (or being docked against their texting plan if it isn't unlimited.)
We got a couple of follow-up questions from our readers, and we figured we'd address them here. First, from Rob, who had two questions:
Is there a way to force a message to go via the carrier? I was in a text messaging conversation with a friend, they went to Eastern Washington for the weekend and thus no 3G. iMessage doesn't seem to work on EDGE.
Click to continue reading Ask Andru: Apple iMessage Follow-Up
Download iOS 5.1 beta 9B5117b 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 5.1 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)
Sony and Hitachi begin to ship 4-Inch iPhone 5 displays
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Displays, Handhelds, Rumors,
Apple is still working out the kinks with its new iPhone 4S, but that's not stopping the rumor mill from generating speculation about the next smartphone due out at a time and place unknown from the Cupertino tech giant, probably known as the iPhone 5.
The next iOS handset will likely have a 4-inch display, according to Macotaraka.
Hitachi and Sony have "started to ship 4-inch LCD [displays] for [a] new iOS device," the blog reported Sunday, citing an anonymous source. And that's not all—the two companies are also shipping LCD screens for the iPad 3, according to Macotakara. Rumor has it that the next-generation tablet will be the first iPad to use Apple's high pixel-density Retina Display technology.
Click to continue reading Sony and Hitachi begin to ship 4-Inch iPhone 5 displays
iPhone 4S giveaway!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Announcements, Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds,
As we've been teasing on the Gear Live Twitter and Facebook pages, we are teaming up with Monster Cable this week to give away an iPhone 4S as part of Monster's 8X iPhone 4S Sweepstakes. We've got two prizes that you can win this week - one is an iPhone 4S with a Monster Accessory Pack included, but we're also giving away a second Monster Accessory Pack as well. The Accessory Pack is a $260 value and includes:
- Turbine In-Ear Monitors ($179 value)
- Monster iCable 800 ($19.95 value)
- Monster Mobile PowerPlug Dual USB 700 ($34.95 value)
- CleanTouch Pen ($24.95 value)
So, how do you enter to win all this good stuff? To enter to win the iPhone 4S with Accessory Pack, head on over to Monster's giveaway page on Facebook. You can enter there each week for another chance at walking away with Apple's latest smartphone. In addition, since we're also giving away a second Monster Accessory Pack here on the site, you can enter using our widget below. We've got just one requirement for entry, but we are also offering you guys a bunch of extra ways to score bonus entries:
Follow the Gear Live Twitter account and post this tweet: “Hey @gearlive hook me up with that iPhone 4S! http://gear.lv/e-monster-iphone” (Click here to tweet this now)
Let us know you did that, and grab your bonus entries, using the widget below!
Samsung Galaxy S II ad makes fun of Apple fans
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Videos,
A new ad for the Samsung Galaxy S II pokes fun at Apple fans who wait in lines for days to get their hands on a "magical" iPhone, which Samsung criticized for its lack of 4G, as well as its battery issues.
The commercial shows a line of hipster types waiting at New York and San Francisco Apple stores nine hours before the launch of the latest iPhone.
"I am so amped, I could stand here for three weeks," says one fanboy.
"Only seven people stand between us and meaning," says another.
Soon, however, one line waiter sees blog posts that describe the battery situation as "sketchy," a dig at the iOS 5 glitch that drains the battery life from some iPhones at a speedy clip.
Another questions the design choices. "If it looks the same, how will people know I upgraded?" he asks, while others discuss the lack of 4G.
Click to continue reading Samsung Galaxy S II ad makes fun of Apple fans
Introducing Ask Andru: Apple’s iMessage, explained
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, 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
