Thursday, 25 September 2014

Developer claims Apple was warned of iCloud security issue in March


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A software developer in London warned Apple of iCloud's vulnerability to a brute-force attack months before the service was implicated in the leaks of hundreds of explicit photos and videos of celebrities. As reported by The Daily Dot, Ibrahim Balic brought the security hole to Apple's attention in a series of emails that began this past March.

Balic provided emails to an Apple official as evidence that the company knew well ahead of the photo scandal. In the correspondence, Balic notes the ability to bypass the account lockout feature which is supposed to kick in after a large number of incorrect login attempts. Without this safety feature in place, Balic's testing attempted over 20,000 password tries in rapid succession. This type of attack is a common way to gain access to user accounts on a variety of platforms, which is why many companies place a hard restriction on the number of times a login can be attempted before the account is locked.


Balic's emails didn't fall entirely on deaf ears, as a response from Apple notes that they investigated the vulnerability and determined that "it would take an extraordinarily long time" to breach an account in this way. Balic also submitted a formal bug report using Apple's developer portal.


In the wake of the photo leaks, Apple tweaked its security to patch brute-force vulnerability, and expanded two-factor authentication. For the record, the company's carefully-worded statements on the matter deny that a breach of any Apple service occurred, or was to blame for the celebrity photo leaks.





This dog has no patience for your stupid iPad games


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Everyone's gotten a little bit heated over a rough game of Candy Crush Saga, but if you think your iOS gaming temper is bad then you've never met Violet. Violet is a greyhound that loves her iPad, but doesn't take kindly to being bested by a game that's made for cats. As you can see in the video below, sometimes her temper gets the best of her.



Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Quickly Dominate Japanese Smartphone Sales [iOS Blog]

Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets are dominating the Japanese market in their first week of sales, reports Forbes , which cited weekly sales rankings provided by Japan's BCN. iPhone sales were boosted by carrier Softbank, which edged out KDDI and NTT DoCoMo as the top wireless provider and accounted for 42.9 percent of weekly iPhone sales. According to the tracking, individual iPhone models took the top 18 spots in sales for the week.

APPLE-BCN-3-CARRIERS-AND-6-VS-6-PLUS

The iPhone 6 was the most popular iPhone version, displacing competitors and the company's own the iPhone 5s and 5c handsets, which previously topped the list for the month of August. According to BCN, the relative split between iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models was roughly 82 percent to 18 percent, with the smaller iPhone 6 seeing much greater sales than the larger model.



BCN tracks smartphones on a weekly and monthly basis, and in its latest weekly rankings the iPhone 6 took 8 of the top 10 spots with the iPhone 5s taking 5th and 8th place. The iPhone 6 Plus’ highest ranking was 11th and it has a fairly strong showing taking 5 of the next 7 spots.


Apple’s success compares to the month of August where the iPhone 5s took the 3rd and 4th positions and the 5c captured the 6th, 7th and 10th positions.



A similar dominance of the iPhone 6 was observed in US metrics with the iPhone 6 far outpacing the bigger iPhone 6 Plus. Much of this disparity may be the result of supply constraints affecting the availability of iPhone 6 Plus handsets, making it much harder for customers to find the models in retail stores and online.

Apple began selling the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on September 19 and sold a record-breaking ten million handsets in the first weekend of sales. Demand for the handset remains high with minimum ship times of seven to ten days for most iPhone 6 models and three to four weeks for iPhone 6 Plus versions.


Related roundup: iPhone 6


Predict and win with Champions League Predictor


Champions League Predictor screenshots

The first set of matches in this year's UEFA Champions League competition are underway across Europe. Now you can keep on top of all the action and by predicting the outcome of the upcoming games earn the crown as the top predictor by using the new app Champions League Predictor. This free universal app requires iOS 6.0 or later.


The Champions League features all the top club teams of Europe including Barcelona and Real Madrid from Spain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and English sides Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. With Champions League Predictor you can follow all the games and news updates plus utilize your soccer knowledge and insight to predict the outcomes of the matches. Each user,once they are registered, receives a bankroll of 900 units. You can also earn an additional 500 tokens by reviewing the app. They you enter your prediction for the final score and the game result. Each correct score and result earns you one point and that translates to 100 units. Users can use the units to pay for available downloads inside the app.


Champions League Predictor screenshots


Champions League Predictor also features a list of stories about the teams competing in the competition and some of the special players such as Ronaldo from Real Madrid, Lionel Messi of Barcelona, and Diego Costa of Chelsea. These stories feature not only their efforts in the Champions League but also how they are doing with their respective teams in their home leagues such as the English Premier League, Serie A in Italy and La Liga in Spain.


Champions League Predictor screenshots


The first round of matches are the Group Stages and then the top two teams in each group advance to the knockout stage. Finally the winners advance and the top two teams meet in the Champions League final to be held this year in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin on June 6th. UEFA will crown its champion and you could be the top predictor amongst all the users of this app. As you are successful with your match and score predictions you will rise in the ranks and could end up on top of the list if you can use your knowledge in picking winners.


Champions League Predictor screenshots


You will find other apps that duplicate much of what is included in Champions League Predictor such as fixtures, scores, and news feeds. This app does offer some downloads such as team wallpapers and ringtones for your favorite team competing in this year's event. The new wrinkle in Champions League Predictor is the the competition it offers by making correct predictions. So you can have some fun and earn bragging rights along with staying on top of the competition.





Apple Offers Fix for iPhones Affected by iOS 8 Problems


As many of you probably already know, Apple pulled the iOS 8.0.1 update after some users reported serious issues. Now they have issued a fix via their official website. This is a process that the company doesn't typically officially endorse but it looks like they haven't had a choice in the matter.


Apple posted an official fix for iPhone users affected by the problems with Wednesday's iOS 8.0.1 update. There were lots of reports of total loss of cellular service as well as issues with Touch ID. Apple pulled the update after complaints about these issues quickly spread via social media. For users however, it was too late as they had already applied the update. Apple's fix is essentially a way to revert affected iPhones back to iOS 8.0.0, a process the company doesn't officially endorse. Here's what their official site tells users to do to reinstall iOS 8.0.


Make sure you are using the latest version of iTunes and then connect your iPhone to iTunes. Back up your iPhone in iTunes on your Mac or PC as iCloud backups won't restore to earlier versions, including iOS 8.0. When you have done this you will need to download the correct file to correspond to your device whether it's the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus. When you have completed this you then need to select the file you have just downloaded by doing one of these things in iTunes: for Mac users press the Option key and click Check for Update. For Windows users press the Shift key and click Check for Update. Press update to install iOS 8 on your iPhone. Apple go on to say that the Health App won't work in iOS 8 after completing these steps but it will be fixed in their upcoming iOS 8.0.2 software update.


The iOS 8.0.1 problems only see to affect the new iPhone 6 an the iPhone 6 Plus devices and we are delighted to see that Apple have responded so quickly and created a resolution. It does make us wonder though, if these issues will have any affect on the sales of these models or on Apple in general. What do you think? Would it put you off wanting to purchase an Apple device? Let us know your thoughts in the comments and if you have experienced any issues with iOS 8.



Apple Reportedly Aware of iCloud Flaw Six Months Before Hacking of Celebrity Accounts

icloud_icon_blue Apple knew about an iCloud security flaw six months before it was utilized to hack celebrity accounts on the service, reports The Daily Dot. The company was notified of the exploit by independent security researcher Ibrahim Balic, who shared emails between himself and members of Apple's product security team.

In an email from March 2014, Balic told Apple that he was able to bypass the security of any iCloud account by using a "brute-force" hacking method that was able to try over 20,000 password combinations. Balic recommended to Apple that it should implement a feature in iCloud that prevents log-ins after a set number of failed attempts, and even reported the exploit through Apple's Bug Reporter. Balic was also the developer said to be behind the extended outage of Apple's Dev Center last year.


In May 2014, Apple emailed Balic and questioned the validity of the exploit, stating that it "would take an extraordinarily long time" to find a valid authentication token to get into an iCloud account using the flaw. Balic states that Apple continued to ask him about the exploit and how it would be utilized.


On September 1, 2014, hackers breached the iCloud accounts of many well-known actresses, downloading and leaking private photos and videos. While it was not initially known what caused the breach, The Next Web linked to a Python script on Github that may have been used for the hacking. The script utilized a brute-force like method which allowed hackers to keep guessing passwords without being locked out.


Apple acknowledged later in the day that it was investigating the breach, ultimately leading to comments from CEO Tim Cook along with new security implementations. Those implementations included automatic emails when iCloud accounts are accessed via web browsers, automatic two-factor authentication for iCloud.com, and mandatory app-specific passwords for third-party apps accessing iCloud.



Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Apple Says iOS 8.0.2 Update is in the Works, Directs Users to Reinstall iOS 8

Earlier today, Apple released iOS 8.0.1, which ended up disabling cellular service and Touch ID on many iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices. Apple said that it was investigating the issue this afternoon, and it has now released a support document confirming that an iOS 8.0.2 update is in the works with a fix.

In addition to announcing the upcoming update, the document also points users towards an interim fix involving reinstalling iOS 8 via iTunes.


noservice

The document offers the same advice Apple support representatives have been giving to customers since the issue first surfaced, directing users to download iOS 8 and reinstall it on their devices using iTunes. Apple's specific steps are as follows:



Follow these steps to reinstall iOS 8.0.


1. Make sure that you're using the latest version of iTunes.


2. Connect your iPhone to iTunes.


3. Back up your iPhone in iTunes on your Mac or PC. iCloud backups won't restore to earlier versions, including iOS 8.0.


4. Download the file below that corresponds to your device:

- iPhone 6

- iPhone 6 Plus


5. Select the file you just downloaded by doing one of these in iTunes:

- Mac: Press the Option key and click Check for Update.

- Windows: Press the Shift key and click Check for Update.


6. Press Update to install iOS 8 on your iPhone.


The Health app won't work in iOS 8 after these steps. It will be fixed in our upcoming iOS 8.0.2 software update.



Apple has pulled the iOS 8.0.1 over-the-air update, but the software was available to customers for approximately an hour and fifteen minutes, leaving many users with broken devices. According to the Apple, iOS 8.0.2 is already in the works with a fix and will be ready "in the next few days."

iOS 8.0.1 originally fixed a significant HealthKit bug that popped up just ahead of the public release of iOS 8. Apple pulled all HealthKit enabled apps from the App Store due to the issue, and iOS 8.0.1 fixed the original bug, allowing the apps to be redistributed. The update also included fixes for third-party keyboards, Reachability, Photo Library, SMS/MMS messages, and more.


Related roundups: iOS 8, iOS 8 Features


Apple A8 teardown reveals big processor power in small iPhone 6 package


quad-core GPU is found on the A8 processor


A teardown of the Apple A8 processor inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus reveals that Apple has indeed moved away from Samsung, fabbing their second-generation 64-bit system-on-a-chip on TMC's new 20nm process. That's what lets them get 2 billion transistors onto a package 15% smaller than the one that came before. They've also gone with a PowerVR GX6450 GPU and crammed 4 MB of L3 cache inside the application processor. All this, and more, according to Chipworks and expanded upon by AnandTech:



Overall, Chipworks' analysis points to A8 being fabbed on TSMC's 20nm process. This makes A8 among the first SoCs to receive the 20nm treatment. Thanks to this smaller node Apple has been able to build in additional features to the SoC while simultaneously shaving off around 15% of their die size. Chipworks estimates the final die size of A8 to stand at 89mm2, versus the 104mm2 for the Samsung 28nm based A7. Chipworks notes that if this were a straight shrink that one would expect the A8 to be closer to 50% the size of A7 (though not all logic can shrink quite that well), which indicates that Apple has spent quite a bit of die size on improving performance through more complex CPU and GPU architectures and miscellaneous feature additions.



A8 compared to A7 processor


All of this lines up with what Apple announced at the iPhone event earlier this month. Where the Apple A7 was about power and performance, the Apple A8 is about efficiency and battery life.


If you've got an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, how's the Apple A8 been working for you?



Vector 59: Our new iPhones


Vector is a news and analysis show focusing on the biggest stories, hottest trends, and most important issues in technology and popular culture. On this week's show, we talk about how we chose our new iPhones — except for Guy who just downloaded iOS 8 — and what we think of them, iPhone scalpers and questions of racism, U2's supposed plans to bring back albums and fight piracy, Apple's new security and privacy policies and possible government backlash, and which of us secretly wants a gold Retina MacBook Air...


Brought to you by: Go to GoToAssist.com and use promo code GoToAssist3030 to save 30%. Go to drobostore.com and use promo code vector50 to save $50 off your next Drobo. Go to VARIDESK.com and tell them Vector sent you!



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Question, comment, recommendation, or something you want us to follow up on for the next show?




How to easily add secure FileVault passcode to your Keychain


Verbatim drive next to penny for size comparison


Since I have a terrible habit of losing things, I decided to encrypt my Verbatim "Tuff-N-Tiny" USB drive. This was a simple matter of control-clicking the drive name in Finder, choosing "Encrypt" and then setting an encryption password. I also decided to use 1Password to generate a nice, secure, long, random password:


1Password's Password Generation Screen


I copied that password from 1Password and pasted it into the password field in Finder, and made a note in the "hint" field that it is stored in 1Password:


Encryption Password


I clicked "Encrypt Disk" and Boom! done. I considered myself quite clever for being such a good practitioner of security practices...


...until I plugged the USB drive into another computer. As expected, the password prompt appeared. I switched over to 1Password, copied the password to the clipboard, and tried to paste it in to the prompt.


OS X would not allow me to paste into the password field.


I thought I would solve the problem by using Keyboard Maestro and have it simulate typing into the Secure Input password field, which is how I usually get around the "Can't Paste Here" problem. For some reason, it did not work, despite repeated attempts.


Suddenly I felt extremely stupid for making such a long, random, hard-to-type password. I was definitely not looking forward to re-typing it on each Mac that I might want to use with the drive. A less... peculiar ... person would have just changed the password to something simpler. But I wanted to know if there was a way to use the secure, long, random password without having to type it all in manually.


The drive can be mounted easily (and without requiring me to enter the password) on the Mac where it was first configured because the information is immediately stored in the Keychain. That gave me the hint I needed to figure out how to configure it on my other Macs.


I went to the Keychain Access.app in /Applications/Utilities/ and searched for "Transport" (the name I had given the USB drive) and found this:


Keychain Information Window


Aha! Now that I knew the correct information to put in the Keychain, I went to my second Mac (but did not put the USB drive in yet), launched Keychain Access.app and chose File » New Password Item... from the menu.


New Password Window


Put the name of the drive into the first two fields, and then put the password into the password field. Click Add. Then find the new entry in Keychain Access, and double-click on it. Change the "Kind" to "encrypted volume password" and copy the drive UUID to the "Where" field. Click Save Changes and quit Keychain Access.app.


Pro Tip: If you forgot to copy the volume UUID from the first computer, you can get it from the System Information.app under Hardware » USB and then select the drive. You will see the UUID in the information window.


Now you can plug in the USB drive, and when you do, you will see this prompt to allow access to the entry you created in keychain:


Prompt to Allow Keychain Access


Be sure to click "Always Allow" unless you want to be prompted every time.


Whew! It might seem like a lot of steps, but it's pretty easy, and much easier than trying to type 8vphs/tEUX7FH'w9Td>tO]Qoq7ob6]W0+!BN_9J2o.Uh}jGz98 without making a mistake.




Apple Launches Yosemite 'AirDrop Test Fest' For AppleSeed Members [Mac Blog]

Apple has sent out invites to multiple AppleSeed testers to invite them to participate in a "AirDrop Test Fest" to fix any potential bugs in the file sharing service ahead of the launch of OS X Yosemite.

airdroptestfest



AppleSeed and the AirDrop engineering team would like you to join us for an AirDrop Test Fest. What's a test fest? At Apple we often hold test fests when we want to focus our efforts on a new feature or enhanced function of OS X. Now we want to bring that experience to our seed participants. We would like you to help us test the new AirDrop in OS X Yosemite.



According to 9to5Mac , invited users will see a notice located in the Feedback Assistant app bundled with the public beta of Yosemite. Testers are given guidelines for testing the feature, including two Macs running Yosemite.

What do I need? To participate in the AirDrop Test Fest you will need at least two Macs from the following:


- 2012 Mac or later for new AirDrop


- Any Mac for Legacy AirDrop (old Mac to Mac only)


The Macs will need to be running the latest seeded build of OS X Yosemite. If you also want to test with your iPhone or iPad you will need device with a Lightning connector running iOS 7 or iOS 8.



Apple's "AirDrop Test Fest" will last from today, September 24, until Sunday, September 28. Apple has set up a special discussion topic for the event, inviting testers to contribute observations and results, and the company will be providing a "special AirDrop survey" that guides users through usage scenarios the company would like to explore.

Booq Cobra Brief offers space, protection and good looks




Booq Cobra brief laptop case


Booq makes a lot of really beautiful high-end bags for a variety of Apple products, many of which I've had the pleasure to review over the past few years. Today I'm taking a look at the Booq Cobra brief (US$295), a sweet-looking laptop bag with the MacBook Pro-toting frequent traveler in mind. Check out the review, and then enter to win this briefcase that will be your constant companion on the road.


Specifications



  • Exterior Dimensions: 17.3 x 13 x 4.9 inches (440 x 330 x 125 mm)

  • Interior Dimensions: 15.7 x 11.8 x 1.4 inches (400 x 300 x 35 mm)

  • Weight: 3.4 pounds (1.54 kg)

  • Fits: 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display

  • Materials: Exterior is 1680 denier nylon with water-repellent coating, Interior is 420 denier nylon twill, genuine leather trim, YKK waterproof zippers


Design


The Cobra brief has very clean lines, with very few protuberances to catch on things as you're running through the airport. The bottom is trimmed with leather backed by waterproof ballistic nylon so it's not an issue if you accidentally set the case down in a puddle.


The main compartment zipper wraps all the way around the case, making it simple to open and find what you're looking for. There's a separate compartment for your MacBook Pro, then a big lined compartment with pockets for chargers, your iPhone, your wallet, and pens. Seriously, there's a lot of room in here for anything you may want to carry. You can also choose to put your iPad and iPhone in the open exterior pocket for fast access.


What's nice about this case is that while it's good looking, it's not ostentatious. Sure, there are a lot of really high-end cases that are probably even more good-looking, but that could act as an attractant for thieves.


The materials are top-notch. I've had several bags (not made by Booq) that use the same ballistic nylon and they are impressively tough.


Functionality


Among the functional features of the Booq Cobra brief that I like the most are the following:



  • Those YKK zippers are wonderful and smooth-running

  • Leather zipper pulls on all of those zippers

  • Leather grips on the carry handles

  • Detachable keychain inside

  • Foam padding in the MacBook pocket

  • Terralinq Serial Number for return in case of loss or theft

  • Removable shoulder strap with a removable pad

  • A tube of zipper wax is included. Zipper wax. Think about it.

  • There's a loop for attaching the Cobra brief to the handle of a roller bag


Other than that, the Cobra brief does what it's supposed to do - carry your laptop and a pile of accessories while you're traveling. It may be expensive at $295, but it's probably the last laptop case you'll need for a long time thanks to the quality of the build.


Conclusion


Booq has created a wonderful laptop bag for the road warrior in the Cobra brief. It holds a surprising amount of stuff, with more pockets and places to stow gear than you can imagine. The old adage "you get what you pay for" is certainly apt here, as the high price may put off some potential buyers. Those who are willing to open their wallets will have a laptop bog that will last a long, long time.


Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible


3-1/2 star rating out of 4 stars possible


Giveaway


For one TUAW reader, the Booq Cobra brief is closer than you think. TUAW and Booq are giving one away, and all you need to do is enter for a chance to win this amazing laptop bag. Here are the rules for the giveaway:

  • Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.

  • To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button.

  • The entry must be made before September 28, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.

  • You may enter only once.

  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing and will receive a Booq Cobra brief laptop bag valued at $295

  • Click Here for complete Official Rules.




Macs claim 25 percent of back-to-school PCs sold


Macs claim 25 percent of back-to-school PCs sold


Though the day's news was filled with iOS 8.0.1 update glitches, there is good news for Apple as the company's more traditional OS X-based Macs garnered over a quarter of the PC shipments sold for the back-to-school season. Apple managed to earn 26.8 percent of the PCs sold between Independence Day and Labor Day, up from 24.2 percent a year ago.


A study conducted by the NDP Group suggests that while Apple has been picking up sales in its more traditional PC business, consisting of iMac, Mac Mini, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Pro with Retina Display, rival systems running Windows have been losing market share dropping from 72.3 percent of the back-to-school sales a year ago to 68.4 percent.



Apple notebooks were one of the star performers this year with sales up 16 percent over last Back-to-School with the most significant increase over the last three weeks of the period growing 27 percent. Windows notebook ASPs fell over the last three weeks to just $441, which was 8 percent lower than last year, but the price cuts lifted units by 4 percent. Entry-level Windows Notebooks priced under $300 increased by 37 percent as prices dropped from $271 to $242. 2-in-One Windows devices accounted for 13 percent of Windows sales as volume increased 6x over 2013.



Another emerging contender is Chrome OS, which is also growing from 3.3 percent to 4.5 percent this year.


Did you buy a Mac for the back-to-school season? What are your thoughts?


Source: NDP



The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)



































































Macs account for more than 1/4 of all back-to-school PC sales


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 03:00 PM PDT


Numbers from the NPD Group's Weekly Tracking Service show that Macs reached an all-time high percentage of back-to-school PC sales this year, with 26.8 percent of all personal computers sold in the U.S. between Independence Day and Labor Day coming...



RoboRun Space: Run robot run!


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 02:30 PM PDT


Players tap on a little robot to make him jump and hover to avoid the obstacles in RoboRun Space. Frantically try to avoid running into vertical pipes and electric wires called plasma in a space station. You are probably thinking this sounds a lot...



Daily Deals for September 24, 2014, featuring the Complete iOS 8 + Swift Developers Course


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 02:00 PM PDT


It's time to save some of that hard-earned cash with our Daily Deals, featuring exclusive TUAW Deals, a handy list from Dealnews and our own handpicked iOS and OS X selections. All prices are USD and subject to change. Some deals may expire quickly....



Jonathan Mann has already written a wonderful song about the iOS 8.0.1 bug


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 01:30 PM PDT


Today's problems with the release of iOS 8.0.1 may have put a damper on your afternoon, leaving you with Touch ID not working or the inability to call people. You could probably use a pick me up. Thankfully YouTube video songster Jonathan Mann is...



Adobe updates Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements with great results


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 01:00 PM PDT


Another year passes, and we get new versions of Adobe's consumer photo and video apps, Photoshop Elements and Premier Elements. We're at version 13 for both in this new release. Significant changes include Retina display support on Macs and very cool...



DxOMark: "Apple sets gold standard for smartphone image quality"


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 12:00 PM PDT


Another voice has been heard from in the chorus of those praising the cameras built into Apple's newest smartphones. DxO Labs, a French-based software company that maintains a website of technical measurements of lenses and cameras, has given the...



Apple tops ACSI personal computer list for 11th straight year


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 11:00 AM PDT


This shouldn't come as surprising news to anyone who has watched Apple's sales figures over the past decade or so, but the company has just ended up at the top of the American Customer Satisfaction Index list for personal computers, laptops and...



Warning: iOS 8.0.1 seems to be breaking iPhones


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:32 AM PDT


iOS 8's first update appears to be breaking both cellular service and Touch ID on iPhones, and restarting the devices doesn't fix it. Multiple users on social media are reporting the bugs and our own Steve Sande has fallen victim to the unfortunately...



iOS 8.0.1 update now available (Updated -- Don't update!)


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:15 AM PDT


Update: There's a bug in iOS 8.0.1. After updating, many users are reporting loss of all cellular service and Touch ID. I can verify this personally. We'll be posting instructions on how to revert to iOS 8.0 soon. In the meantime, do not...



LAPD warning iPhone owners not to microwave their handsets


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 10:00 AM PDT


A hoax viral marketing scam advising iPhone owners to microwave their phones is ubiquitous enough that the communications department of the Los Angeles Police Department has decided to publicly debunk the advertisement. As reported by the LA Times,...



iPhone 6 vs. the world trying to destroy it


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 09:30 AM PDT


Some people can't stand gadget destruction experiments, especially when the device being obliterated is brand new and hard to find. The iPhone 6 has spent the week or so since its debut getting destroyed by everything from water to power tools, all...



Apple cleverly advertises actual iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sizes in Rolling Stone Magazine


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 09:00 AM PDT


Apple's current marketing campaign for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is focusing on the sizes of the new handsets, which are larger than earlier iPhone models. To help consumers get a feel for the size of the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple is cleverly...



The oversized iPhone 6 Plus needs an oversized thumb to match


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 08:30 AM PDT


Did you order an iPhone 6 Plus only to find that the phone was far too big when it finally arrived at your door? I mean seriously, the thing is practically a coffee table. But that's ok, thanks to Japan's Thanko Inc., which has come up with an...



YouTube Find: Andy Ihnatko humorously unboxes the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 08:00 AM PDT


Chicago Sun-Times technology journalist Andy Ihnatko unboxes both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus as part of his YouTube series The Very Least I Could Do. Ihnatko spends 20 minutes covering the features of the two phones and how they compare to their Android...



Fuel Burner hovers and lands


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 07:30 AM PDT


Fuel Burner is a free game for currently available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch and is optimized for iPhone 5. The goal of the game is to land all the helicopters in each level on landing pads marked with an "H" and landing on roofs in between to...



iPhone 6 camera quality compared to all other iPhone models


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 07:01 AM PDT


Size aside, the bevy of camera enhancements Apple has baked into the two iPhone 6 models really make both devices extraordinarily compelling. While there's nothing wrong with admiring the stunning photos made possible by the new iPhone cameras, one...



Apple reportedly acquiring digital magazine startup Prss


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 06:30 AM PDT


According to TechCrunch, Apple may be acquiring Dutch startup Prss. Prss was founded in 2013 by Jochem Wijnands and Michel Elings of Trvl magazine, which was one of the first iPad newsstand magazines and received accolades in 2010 for its...



Tocomail for Gmail puts parents in control of teens' email


Posted: 24 Sep 2014 05:30 AM PDT


Tocomail for Gmail is a kid-friendly Gmail client designed specifically to make emailing a simpler and safer experience so that parents don't have to worry. The vibrant, colorful UI and fun tools is sure to grab the attention of young ones while the...



iPhone 6 Plus + cheap folding Bluetooth keyboard = little laptop


Posted: 23 Sep 2014 05:00 PM PDT


I love the combination of small computers and Bluetooth keyboards. Back in the day when I was using a Palm IIIc, I remember using a Stowaway keyboard (non-Bluetooth) to make my device into a really small "laptop". It was great for taking meeting...



Amazing Brick is amusing, but not amazing


Posted: 23 Sep 2014 04:30 PM PDT


Amazing Brick is a puzzle game that involves repeated tapping to maneuver a diamond shape (assumably, the brick) past obstacles.The app is available for the iPhone and iPad. I played the version optimized for iPhone 5. To play, you tap multiple times...



Perfectly Clear migrates from iOS to Mac


Posted: 23 Sep 2014 04:00 PM PDT


I first got a look at Perfectly Clear when it came out for iOS. It was a nice, quick and easy, one-touch solution for improving photos without a lot of editing pain. Perfectly Clear now works on the Mac as a plug-in for Photoshop or Lightroom and...