Harman Kardon’s MS 150 speaker dock supports multiple devices, $600 pricetag (video)
Some folks get along just dandy with an iPod and a speaker dock, but if you need a rig that’ll handle more sources, Harman Kardon hopes to have you covered with MS 150 — which bears more than a passing resemblance to the Zeppelin Mini. This stereo system comes loaded with an iPhone dock, CD drive and FM tuner, along with a flood of auxiliary connections not limited to its headphone jacks and subwoofer output. It’s even sporting an LCD display so you’ll know what’s pumping out of its 30 watt drivers. The MS 150 is available now from Harman Kardon, but all of its functionality will cost you — it’s priced at a whopping $600. Hey, at least it comes with a remote. You’ll find full details in the PR and video demo below.
Harman Kardon’s MS 150 speaker dock supports multiple devices, $600 pricetag (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone 5 cases and realistic unibody dummy show off incredible slimness
While we’re only five days away from finding out the true appearance of the next-generation iPhone, our good friends over at BENM.AT went ahead and crafted their very own unibody dummy using CAD drawings, CNC tools and a block of aluminum — seriously, that’s how they roll! Granted, this work’s only based on various data and rumor gathered across the web, but it’s still a pretty convincing presentation — the ultra slim teardrop design and elongated home button from previous reports are taken into account, and the mute switch has been relocated from the top left to the top right. BENM.AT told us that this dummy fits nicely into the supposed iPhone 5 cases that they obtained. Speaking of which, we also found some of these cases too — read on to find out what they’re like.
Gallery: “iPhone 5″ cases hands-on
Continue reading iPhone 5 cases and realistic unibody dummy show off incredible slimness
iPhone 5 cases and realistic unibody dummy show off incredible slimness originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone 5 to have 21Mbps HSPA+ data? China Unicom says so
We know that Apple won’t be unveiling its next superphone for a few more days, but we may have a tasty tidbit about the iPhone 5 ahead of schedule. So the story goes, China Unicom’s Deputy Director Huang Wenlian was making a presentation at Macworld Asia, and stated that the new iPhone would utilize the company’s HSPA+ 21Mbps network. Now, we aren’t saying it’s a sure thing, but it appears that Tim Cook could deliver a handset with thrice the data speeds of its predecessor next week. Fingers crossed, ya’ll.
iPhone 5 to have 21Mbps HSPA+ data? China Unicom says so originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Double Fine releases Psychonauts app
The great game developer Double Fine has released an app for the App Store, and it’s related to their very popular game Psychonauts (which recently arrived on the Mac App Store itself), but it’s not, unfortunately, a port of the game. The Psychonauts Vault Viewer is instead sort of an ancillary add-on to the title, a compendium of all of the game’s “memory vault” animations, along with new commentary from the game’s creators Scott Campbell and Tim Schafer. It’s interesting but if you’ve never played Psychonauts, you probably won’t find a lot of enjoyment in the app itself. If you love the game, the app is like an extras DVD, with lots of game content and some other features.
Vault Viewer is a free universal app, available now on the App Store. We’ve seen quite a few game companies use Apple’s platform in this way, creating ancillary apps to their main games, and making use of the mobile platforms as a sort of a “second screen” for players either while they’re playing or for a game on another platform. I wouldn’t be surprised to eventually see a full iOS game from Double Fine, but for now, this is what we’ve got.
Double Fine releases Psychonauts app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Double Fine releases Psychonauts app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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iPhone 4S appears in Apple’s inventory
We really don’t know for sure what kind of new iPhone Apple will announce next week, but here’s another vote for a revision of the iPhone 4 rather than an all-new iPhone 5. 9to5Mac is reporting that the iPhone 4S has popped up as an entry in Apple’s own inventory systems, which seems (if true) like a pretty good indication that Apple will indeed offer a tweaked version of the current iPhone 4.
Perhaps most interesting, the information reportedly found in Apple’s inventory is linked up to the Chinese label for an iPhone 4S above. That label appeared a little while ago and has some info on it that might now actually be legit. The IMEI and MEID indications on the label also hint that a 4S would be compatible with the CDMA and GSM networks, which is a rumor that has been around for quite a while as well.
None of this is confirmed, obviously, and even if there is an iPhone 4S, that still doesn’t mean Apple isn’t also planning to release an iPhone 5. While somewhat unlikely that Apple would split the lines up, there’s certainly demand for both phones, and a smaller price on one of them could make the audience even bigger. As usual, we’ll have to wait and see what Apple reveals for us next week.
iPhone 4S appears in Apple’s inventory originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
iPhone 4S appears in Apple’s inventory originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Shazam offers unlimited free tagging to iPhone app
Users of Shazam, the popular iOS app that allows people to discover what song is playing on the radio, television, or almost anywhere, will be happy to hear that Shazam is offering unlimited free tagging in its iPhone app. Shazam allows users to simply hold up their iPhone while a song is playing, which the app will then identify, or tag.
Previously, Shazam users got five free song tags a month and if you wanted more you had to pay for the Shazam Encore service. Now however, iPhone users get unlimited free song tagging. Shazam is offsetting their Encore revenue by partnering with Capital “What’s in your wallet?” One. So expect plenty of ads. But hey, I’d rather be able to identify any song I hear at any time and see come credit card ads rather than having to shell out for a subscription to tag music.
Shazam is a free download in the App Store.
Shazam offers unlimited free tagging to iPhone app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Shazam offers unlimited free tagging to iPhone app originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Steve Jobs reportedly tried to defuse the Samsung issue in 2010
Apple and Samsung butted heads in a Sydney, Australia courtroom on Thursday; arguing over an injunction that could ban the sales of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet. During the proceedings, Apple executive Richard Lutton revealed that Steve Jobs contacted Samsung back in 2010. The Apple CEO reached out to the Korean manufacturer because of the “deep relationship” between the two companies. Jobs tried to head off any legal action by giving Samsung a “chance to do the right thing.”
In the past year, Samsung and Apple have had a rocky relationship. Apple obtains several key iPhone and iPad components from Samsung and is one of Samsung’s biggest customers. But the two companies are fierce competitors in the both the smartphone and tablet market. It’s this competition that’s the source of their legal wrangling.
Apple kicked off the legal battle when it filed lawsuits in Germany, Australia, South Korea, Japan and the US that accuse Samsung of trademark and patent infringement. Samsung responded with its own series of patent infringement lawsuits. This tangled web of legal proceedings is slowly making its way through the courts.
[Via Mashable]
Steve Jobs reportedly tried to defuse the Samsung issue in 2010 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Steve Jobs reportedly tried to defuse the Samsung issue in 2010 originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Quora iPhone app puts answers to every question at your fingertips
Quora, the popular Q&A social networking site, has released their first iPhone app. Quora for iPhone allows users to ask and answer questions on the go. The iPhone app has kept the core of what makes Quora popular and easy to use, plus it has added some unique features.
The iPhone app offers a new feature called “Nearby.” It’s essentially location-based questions. You can browse questions based on areas from an embedded Google Map within the app. Nearby hones in on your current location, but if you want you can jump to another city our country and see specific questions for any area in the world.
Another welcome addition to the iPhone app: Push notifications, so when you ask a question you don’t need to sit around and constantly check the app to see if it’s been answered. Quora has also integrated its Shuffle feature into the iPhone app, allowing you to discover new content you might not normally seek out.
Quora for iPhone is available now in the App Store. It’s a free download.
Quora iPhone app puts answers to every question at your fingertips originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Quora iPhone app puts answers to every question at your fingertips originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Rumor: iPhone 5 supports HSPA+ ‘4G’
Less than one week before Apple’s announcement of a new iPhone or two, Japanese blog Macotakara has published a photo of a slide shown by China Unicom during a presentation at Macworld Asia. What’s on the slide? Notes about an ‘iPhone 5′ to be delivered in 2011 that supports the HSPA+ ‘4G’ mobile network standard.
HSPA+ is not true 4G — LTE (3GPP Long Term Evolution) is. In the USA, AT&T advertises their HSPA+ network as 4G, noting that they’re upgrading the system to “true” 4G LTE. The company just turned on LTE 4G in five US cities this month; Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas-Ft.Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. However, the HSPA+ network covers most American large population centers, providing maximum theoretical data speeds of up to 21 Mbps. That’s about three times the theoretical max speed for the current HSPA 3G network.
Verizon does not have an interim network, but supports ‘true’ LTE 4G, so an HSPA+ iPhone would not work on their network. T-Mobile USA, which does not currently carry the iPhone, has an upgraded HSPA+ network that supports maximum data speeds up to 42 Mbps and coverage in 25 US cities. Sprint, the company expected to be the next iPhone carrier, is moving directly to LTE 4G through a deal with the controversial LightSquared.
The photo (a portion of which is shown above) was taken by a blogger for Japanese website PC Watch, and shows the evolution of the iPhone on the China Unicom network over the years.
Rumor: iPhone 5 supports HSPA+ ‘4G’ originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Rumor: iPhone 5 supports HSPA+ ‘4G’ originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Dragon Go for iPhone gets smarter
Dragon Go!, the all-purpose voice recognition search app from Nuance, is getting a significant upgrade today. In fact, it’s almost a preview of some of the functionality we suspect will be in iOS5.
The free app lets you speak conversationally with your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. Say things like “What’s the best steakhouse in Kansas City”, or “Find me some pictures of Lady Gaga”, and the app will parse what you said and nearly always return useable results.
The update, which should hit the App Store today, adds many more options, including the ability to launch popular movie and TV streaming services; get direct access to more of the most popular names in mobile content, like Spotify; get answers to the toughest of questions from Wolfram|Alpha and Ask.com; and, find friends on Google+.
I tried some of the new functions, and was impressed. For instance, I said “Watch Mad Men on Netflix,” and Dragon Go initiated a Google search. When I clicked on the resulting link, my Netflix app launched and the show started. I also successfully searched TUAW for articles and had it define words using Dictionary.com. For apps that require a login, you’ll have to set up Dragon Go! to link with those apps, but that’s not a difficult task.
Vlad Sejnoha, chief technology officer at Nuance said “We’re deeply invested in continuing to evolve Dragon Go! with new features, more content providers and richer app integration, and ultimately opening new doors for the consumer mobile destination experience. This is another step towards the mobile semantic web, and we’ve just gotten started.”
These new services join Google, Bing, Yahoo, Wikipedia, Twitter, YouTube and many others that were already built into the app. I find Dragon Go! and Siri (now owned by Apple) to be two of the best demos for the iPhone around. If you already have Dragon Go! you should see the update today. If you don’t have it, download it and impress yourself and your friends.
Dragon Go for iPhone gets smarter originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Dragon Go for iPhone gets smarter originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Thu, 29 Sep 2011 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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