Apple

Report: The iPad Will Get Split-Screen Multitasking in iOS 8

Split-screen multitasking is coming to the iPad iOS 8 when the new iteration of Apple’s mobile OS is announced next month at WWDC, according Mark Gurman at 9to5Mac. The new feature would allow you to divide you iPad home screen in half and use different apps on each side of the screen partition. According to…

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

There you have it folks, the work week is done. Throw on your sunglasses and ride your smartphone off into a glorious sunset with these, our favorite apps of the week. Multi-Platform Updates Google Maps This week’s update to the ubiquitous nav app brought a whole host of nice additions. Now, turn-by-turn navigation tells you…

The First Thing Apple Should Do With Beats

Apple wants to buy Beats? It’s one of the stranger Apple rumors we’ve ever heard and it would be Apple’s most expensive acquisition ever by a long shot, but you better believe it’s good business. And for regular folks, the deal has enormous potential to improve one of Apple’s most flawed products: The EarPod. The…

Beats Sale Seemingly Confirmed by Dr. Dre in Facebook Video

Yesterday’s news of Apple’s plan to buy Beats for $3.2 billion seems to have been confirmed by Dr. Dre himself, if this video, posted to Facebook by actor Tyrese Gibson, is anything to go by. The video was posted to Facebook overnight, and shows Dre celebrating in his studio. At one point, Dr. Dre describes…

The iPhone Camera May Be In for a Revamp With Help from a Lumia Engineer

Today we learned that Ari Partinen, former Lumia Photography Lead over at Nokia, was hired away by Apple. The move could indicate that Apple is pouring resources into developing a next-generation iPhone camera. Partinen was with Nokia since 2007, through the rollout of the 41 megapixel 808 PureView camera and subsequent incorporation of the technology…

Report: Apple Is Getting Ready to Buy Beats for $3.2 Billion

According to the Financial Times, Apple is closing in on an acquisition of Beats, the headphone manufacturer turned streaming music service. The $3.2 billion deal would give Apple control over a powerful brand, but at the same time, it would be puzzling and uncharacteristic of Apple. The FT points out it would be Apple’s biggest…

How Design Fanfiction Became One of the Internet’s Favorite Games

The redesign. It’s a word that’s only entered our lexicon in earnest over the past year or two, thanks to the hundreds of products reinvented by designers who don’t work for the companies that make them. When did it become so cool to do free work for major corporations? The answer is since internet. You’ve…

Siri Exploit Lets Anyone Skip the Lockscreen to Text or Call Contacts

The iPhone lockscreen has never been completely secure. Past exploits allowed random people to access your photos or to make callswith a few choreographed swipes. The latest, however, can grant access to your full contact list through Siri and let a stranger call, text, or email anyone they want from your number. Discovered by Egyptian…

Boosted iPhone Battery Life, Retina iPad Minis, Cheap Storage

Been complaining about your iPhone’s battery life? Today’s the day to do something about it. Get the uNu DX iPhone 5/5S MFi Battery Case for 50 bucks. It comes in multiple colors, greatly improves battery life while staying slim, and has a stack of great reviews to its name. [Groupon] It’s a good day to…

Reminder: Apple vs. Samsung Is Just a Professional Fanboy Fight

Yesterday, a verdict came down in the long, long line of Apple vs. Samsung patent disputes. But before you go thinking this is some huge deal, it’s important to note that nothing’s really solved and nothing will change. And that’s fitting, since this is just a giant fanboy fight. The accusations are big… This is…

Another verdict has been reached in another Apple vs Samsung patent battle in the courts. This time Samsung was found to have infringed on two Apple patents and owes nearly $120 million to Apple. Apple, on the other hand, infringed on one Samsung patent but only owes Samsung $158,000.

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

It’s the weekend. And it’s getting spring-ish out there! You worked hard all week, and so did your smartphone. Time to kick back and relax, and treat yourself—with apps. Multi-Platform Updates SmartAsset You’re probably using some kind of budgeting app to keep tabs on your daily/weekly/monthly expenses, so why not use one to help with…

A Remote Control for Your Smartphone Camera, Built Right Into a Case

A remote shutter release for your smartphone’s camera can help you get better photos, but they’re not terribly useful unless you’ve got one with you when it’s time to take one. iLuv’s new Selfy offers a clever solution to the problem of carrying one around everywhere by building one right into a case. Selfy’s remote…

The Next Version of OS X Might Be a Radical Change Like iOS 7

Last year at WWDC, we got a huge overhaul of Apple’s mobile operating system. And this year, it looks like OS X could be in for the same treatment. According to 9to5Mac, the upcoming OS X 10.10 is going to be a major overhaul, maybe the biggest in OS X history. 9to5Mac reports that OS…

Is There Such a Thing as a Sonic QR Code?

There are at least two things that Sony Pictures marketing executives did not consider when preparing a cross-promotion between its new Spider-Man film and the song-identification app Shazam. I first read about this promotion this morning on io9.com, because pretty much the first thing I read every morning is Morning Spoilers on io9.com. The film…

26 Inspiring Instagrams

Love it or hate it, Instagram is the photographic platform of our era (mixed with a bit of Facebook and Snapchat, of course). Here are 26 reasons why maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all. Winner: ByWard Market Shooting this last Thursday at ByWard Market in Ottawa, I was in trip with few…

Apple’s Updated Macbook Air: Faster Processors, $100 Cheaper

Apple has refreshed its MacBook Air lineup today, with the super-slim laptops now sporting Intel’s latest Haswell silicon to boost their speeds—and selling for $100 less. Both the 11- and 13-inch entry-level Airs now feature a 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, compared to the previous 1.3GHz chip. They still both come with 4GB of…

Why Smartphones Are About to Get Tacky as Hell

If you haven’t seen Samsung’s new teaser for its Galaxy S5 “Crystal Collection,” shield your eyes now—this thing has enough reflective power to blind the sun. And judging by the shape of the smartphone market, phones dripping with crystals will soon be the status quo. Get ready for an army of handsets that shine so…

Our Favorite Android, iOS, and Windows Phone Apps of the Week

It’s the weekend! We know you worked hard all week, and you’re ready to chill out, max, and relax all cool. Make sure your smartphone’s ready too, with our favorite apps of the week. Android Opera Browser Updated this week for smoother swiping and more stable navigation, Opera’s browser is fast and smooth. “Off-Road” mode…

Apple Will Fix Your iPhone 5’s Sleep Button for Free—If You Qualify

Is your iPhone’s sleep/wake button finicky? You might be in luck. On Friday, Apple announced a new program to fix a small number of iPhone 5s with faulty buttons. Just input your phone’s serial number on this page to see if you qualify. And if you do, be prepared to be without your phone for…