iPhone theft results in a tragic death
We have often written feel-good stories about the quick recovery of stolen iPhones, usually with the assistance of Find My iPhone. Unfortunately, today’s story of a theft turned horrifying and tragic when a Chicago woman died after a fleeing thief shoved her down a flight of stairs.
According to the Chicago Breaking News, Sally Katona-King was standing at the Fullerton station platform on her way home from work during rush hour Monday afternoon when a thief stole the iPhone from another commuter and pushed Katona-King in his haste to flee the scene. Katona-King was hospitalized after falling down a set of stairs at the station and died Tuesday from what officials believe was a cerebral hemorrhage.
Continue reading iPhone theft results in a tragic death
iPhone theft results in a tragic death originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone theft results in a tragic death originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Softbank to replace iPhones lost in Japan’s earthquake, tsunami
In the midst of an overwhelming catastrophe, Japan’s wireless carrier Softbank is stepping up to the plate to help many of those affected by the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son recently traveled to Tamura, a city that is serving as a refuge for those devastated by the tsunami and Fukishima nuclear disaster. Son was moved by what he experienced and offered to buy food, pay for commuting costs and provide jobs for 1,200 people to relocate to Takeo, Saga.
Son also reached out to his Twitter audience and asked for suggestions on how Softbank could help additional earthquake victims. One follower suggested Softbank offer free phone service to those children orphaned by this disaster. Son embraced this idea and announced on Twitter that Softbank will provide orphaned children with a free phone and free cellular service until they turn 18. Softbank also offered to replace iPhones for customers whose handset was lost or damaged in the earthquake.
It is refreshing to see a company put aside financial considerations and use its resource to help fellow countrymen. Let’s hope this move by Softbank will inspire other companies to follow suit.
[Via Engadget]
Softbank to replace iPhones lost in Japan’s earthquake, tsunami originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Softbank to replace iPhones lost in Japan’s earthquake, tsunami originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Exclusive: yap.TV 2.5, a social TV guide
I had the pleasure of spending part of Wednesday afternoon chatting with yap.TV founder & chief marketing officer Shawn Cunningham. yap.TV is a free social TV guide that initially came out for the iPad last fall, and later for the iPhone and iPod touch. We lightly touched on yap.tv last fall when Steve Wozniak appeared on an episode of The Big Bang Theory. At the time, Woz chatted along with viewers through yap.tv, and it turns out he does more than that. He is an adviser for the app itself.
yap.TV is billed as a second-screen companion, an app that you can utilize while watching your favorite series to connect with like-minded viewers through social media. If you’re watching the latest episode of American Idol and want to see what everyone else thinks of the finalists, this app is for you. But, it’s not for anyone who wants to avoid spoilers, even though yap.TV has a system that filters tweets by time zone to try and stop this.
Cunningham took me through a hands-on demo of the software. While the first release was solid, the additions for the iPhone and iPod touch have made it better, and the UI has been overhauled to take advantage of the smaller screen. This review focuses on the iPhone version of the app.
Continue reading Exclusive: yap.TV 2.5, a social TV guide
Exclusive: yap.TV 2.5, a social TV guide originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Exclusive: yap.TV 2.5, a social TV guide originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
TUAW’s Daily App: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12
Along with the console versions released recently, EA has also dropped an iOS version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12, featuring the latest and greatest in golf simulation for the iPhone and iPad. As much as other developers may rail against EA on the App Store, there’s almost never a question of quality, and this app is no exception. This is a quality golf game that does a great job of replicating a lot of the features of the popular console series, like the controls (yes, you can spin the ball in the air, which may turn some hardcore golfers off, but you don’t have to). There’s a checklist of pro golfers to play as and against, and eight official courses like the classic St. Andrews and TPC Sawgrass.
Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 has four different modes to play through, from straightforward solo games to a full PGA Tour mode; mini-games and a “Closest to the Pin” social challenge mix things up quite a bit as well. The one real glaring omission in terms of features is Game Center integration, but EA’s eschewed Game Center lately — hopefully that’s not a growing trend.
At any rate, if you like golf and iOS gaming, you’ll enjoy this one. It’s currently US$6.99 on the iPhone and $9.99 on the iPad, but there is a free version to try out on the iPhone. If you think the prices on this or any other EA app are too high, just wait until EA has yet another sale.
TUAW’s Daily App: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
TUAW’s Daily App: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 12 originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Survey: Apple ready for big China growth
China is catching up with the Western world in many ways, and now “Wanting an iPhone really, really badly” has been added to the list of similarities. Until now, Nokia has been the most desired brand in China, largely because it’s provided cheap handsets. Now such handsets come from Chinese manufacturers, and their low-budget image has led to their desirability being drastically reduced.
These days it’s the iPhone that tops the desirability charts amongst those Chinese who say they’re thinking of getting a 3G handset. Up to 53 percent of those surveyed said they’d get an iPhone if price were no object, according to a new Alphawise/Morgan Stanley survey.
This research was carried out with the iPhone 4 now nearly a year old compared to some of the competition. The eventual arrival of the iPhone 5 can only change this situation in Apple’s favor, meaning that sales may be getting ready to take off in the land where the iPhone is actually made.
Survey: Apple ready for big China growth originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Survey: Apple ready for big China growth originally appeared on TUAW on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 04:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Vimeo’s gratis iOS video editing app punks iMovie in its own house, available now
Still waffling over that bank-shattering $4.99 iMovie purchase? We get it. Thankfully, you’ve held out long enough for the free market to come and rescue you (again) — Vimeo has just launched a legitimate alternative into the App Store today with a far, far more luscious price tag: $0.00. The official iOS app checks in at 20.1MB, and offers the ability to upload, manage, edit and watch your videos (as well as those conjured up by others, naturally). It’ll handle edits and uploads for both SD and HD footage, and there’s even support for pausing / resuming uploads, sharing via your favorite social networking website, and a view to statistics — if you’re into that type of narcissistic thing. The app’s up for grabs down in the source link below, and while we’re hearing that some folks are hitting upload snags every so often, we’re sure the v1.0 build will be refreshed in short order. Oh, and for the iPad and Android contingent? Your copy is en route, but a helping of patience is requested.
Continue reading Vimeo’s gratis iOS video editing app punks iMovie in its own house, available now
Vimeo’s gratis iOS video editing app punks iMovie in its own house, available now originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Gameloft’s NOVA 3 rumored to be built on Unreal Engine
Gameloft has announced that it has licensed the Unreal Engine for four upcoming games set to be released in 2011 and 2012.
Gameloft hasn’t announced which games will be running on the Unreal Engine, but Pocket Gamer seems to believe that one of the titles slated to be released this year is the next followup to the popular, and already impressive looking, sci-fi shooters N.O.V.A. Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance and N.O.V.A. 2.
Last year, Epic Games started dropping jaws when it released Epic Citadel as a proof of concept showing off the Unreal Engine running on iOS. Epic then followed it up in December with the stunning and widely praised Infinity Blade, a game many have claimed looked as good as current generation dedicated gaming consoles. After all, it’s the same engine that powers many blockbuster games, like Gears of War, Bulletstorm and BioShock 2, despite more limited hardware on iOS devices.
Continue reading Gameloft’s NOVA 3 rumored to be built on Unreal Engine
Gameloft’s NOVA 3 rumored to be built on Unreal Engine originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Gameloft’s NOVA 3 rumored to be built on Unreal Engine originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Pioneer demos new iPhone-powered in-dash interface
We first heard about Pioneer’s AVIC in-car units back at CES earlier this year, but earlier today, the company was kind enough to drive a Land Rover up to my curb here in Los Angeles, and I checked out the system in action. The main unit, as you can see in the picture above, is a pretty standard touchscreen in-dash interface — you can use it to flip between any in-car audio or video controls you have, and of course, it has a built-in GPS unit and can do all of the usual navigation things, like give you a route or check traffic.
But the interesting thing about this one is that it hooks up to your iPhone — you can just barely see Pioneer’s demo iPhone in the picture above, plugged into a dock cable that runs up through the glove compartment. And indeed, that’s where your iPhone stays. The idea with this unit is that it works as an interface for your phone while driving, rather than replacing it completely.
Continue reading Pioneer demos new iPhone-powered in-dash interface
Pioneer demos new iPhone-powered in-dash interface originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Pioneer demos new iPhone-powered in-dash interface originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | Comments
Report: Windows Phone to beat iPhone in market share by 2015
IDC has released its latest report on the future of the smartphone market, and according to the predictions, there’s a lot of growth in store for Windows Phone 7. By 2015, says the firm, Windows Phones should have over 20 percent of the smartphone market, placing it ahead of even Apple’s iOS handsets (Apple’s market share, according to the report, is going to fall, but not by much).
That’s not impossible, given that Android has already moved ahead of Apple, and given the growing smartphone market itself, we’ll probably see a lot more Windows Phones out and about in the next year or so. But that amount of growth seems unlikely, especially as iPhone prices are dropping and customer awareness is at an all-time high thanks to Apple’s innovations. Apple’s not really going after market share, so even if Windows Phones do see that growth, it won’t hurt the company much anyway.
As our sister site Engadget points out, however, IDC also predicted that Symbian would “dominate” the smartphone market through 2013, and this latest report has the bottom falling out of that OS, dropping down to a .2 percent share in 2015. So essentially, it’s all just crystal ball guessing anyway.
Headline corrected.
Report: Windows Phone to beat iPhone in market share by 2015 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Report: Windows Phone to beat iPhone in market share by 2015 originally appeared on TUAW on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Softbank to offer free phones to earthquake orphans, free replacement for lost iPhones
Following the catastrophic earthquakes and tsunami in Japan, surviving victims from the affected region are going to face a tough time over the coming months, if not years. Many of those who are more fortunate have been actively contributing in one way or another, regardless of distance, to help put Japan on its road to recovery. Back in the country, one such generous person is non other than Softbank founder and CEO Masayoshi Son, who’s recently visited Tamura, one of the cities most affected by the Fukushima nuclear disaster. During that trip, Son announced that Softbank will cover a year’s worth of living costs (commute and food) and provide job positions for the 1,200 people to be relocated to Takeo in Saga, the prefecture where Son originated.
Additionally, Son is using Softbank’s “Let’s Do It” campaign site — a tracker for his “Let’s Do It” tasks posted on Twitter, each accompanied by a completion status indicator — to crowdsource requests for supporting earthquake victims. So far, these requests are mainly about ways to increase efficiency for donation efforts (like publishing a live list of item shortages for each shelter, and setting up new mobile networks at the shelters), but there were two that caught our attention. Last week, one of Son’s followers suggested that Softbank should provide orphaned children free phone credit for a limited time, so that they could contact their friends and other family members. Son then retweeted this idea and announced that all earthquake orphans will receive free phones, along with call costs waived until they reach the age of 18. Another gadget-related initiative came in earlier today with Son promising free replacement for all lost or damaged iPhones due to the earthquake, with details to follow later.
Obviously, anyone providing aid to Japan in any way, shape, or form deserves just as much credit, but Softbank’s extra mileage and cunning use of social networking is certainly praiseworthy in its own right. Here’s hoping that Son’s actions will inspire others for even greater causes.
[Thanks, Tres]
Update: It’s worth pointing out that Son said he’s also happy to help pay phone bills for earthquake orphans who are already on other networks, including DoCoMo. Good on ya, sir!
Softbank to offer free phones to earthquake orphans, free replacement for lost iPhones originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 09:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.