Michael is a Creative Editor who covered Apple Retail and design on 9to5Mac. His stories highlighted the work of talented artists, designers, and customers through a unique lens of architecture, creativity, and community.
Contact Michael on Twitter to share Apple Retail, design, and history stories: @MichaelSteeber
Alongside the official launches of both iTunes Radio and iOS 7 today, Apple has begun using the @iTunes Twitter account. While the account only has two tweets at the time of this writing, it appear that the page will be used for general purpose, iTunes related announcements.
https://twitter.com/iTunes/status/380400209110392833
Only a few weeks after comparing iPhone 5s components to the iPhone 5, TLDToday is back at it again, tearing down an iPad 4 to compare its components to that of the upcoming iPad 5. The results are rather interesting, and show just how dramatic of a redesign the iPad 5 will be.
With only days remaining until iOS 7 is released into the hands of consumers worldwide, Apple has finally managed to bring The Beatles to iTunes Radio.
Since its initial introduction at WWDC in June, users of iTunes Radio would be greeted with an absence of Beatles music, even when creating a specific “Beatles Radio” station. No explanation was given from Apple. Perhaps what’s most interesting here is that from the launch of the iTunes Music Store in 2003 until late 2010, Apple struggled to reach an agreement with Apple Corps to get The Beatles onto the store. This was due to a long series of legal battles with Apple Corps and Apple Inc, stretching back multiple decades. Until this past weekend, it appeared that The Beatles wouldn’t make it onto iTunes Radio either.
After 6 generations of iPhones, it’s rare to see unique cases anymore. With 100s of options available, if you’ve seen one, you’ve mostly likely seen them all. That’s why I was surprised to come across the PureGear Retro Game Cases for the iPhone 5 and 5s, an incredibly uniquely designed way to protect your phone. How does it work? Read on for the full review.
Since the introduction of the App Store, developers have been writing applications that attempt to extend the usability of your iPhone beyond what the device itself can do. From credit card readers to lightbulbs to fitness accessories, it seems like almost anything can be controlled with an iPhone now. The iSpy Helicopter is no different. If you’re familiar with the concept of the Parrot AR Drone, the iSpy Helicopter will immediately make sense. With just your iPhone, a special app, and a small transmitter that plugs into your headphone jack, you can pilot your own mini helicopter. How well does it work? Read on to find out.
Image thanks to iDeviceGuys
Chinese site CTechCN is showing photos of what they claim to be the logic board for the upcoming iPhone 5C. When compared with alleged photos of the iPhone 5S logic board, we can see slight design differences.
Update: C Technology has provided higher quality versions of the images above, which can be seen in the gallery at the bottom.
Only days away from Apple’s September 10th iPhone event, new photos have come out which claim to show the box for the upcoming iPhone 5S. The same site has also leaked alleged photos of iPhone 5C packaging in the past. Notable here is the tweaked home button design, which appears to ditch the iconic inset square in favor of a ring around the edge.
YouTube user UnboxTherapy has posted a new video detailing the dimensions of what looks to be the shell for the second generation iPad mini. The shell of the iPad mini appears to remain largely unchanged, but when compared to the casing for the upcoming 5th generation iPad, we can see that the two appear to be the same thickness.
New photos coming out today claim to show the flex cable and home button for the upcoming iPhone 5S. Although labeled as an iPhone 5C flex cable, this image points to an iPhone 5S part, not 5C. Of note here is the drastically different design when compared to both the iPhone 5 home button assembly and earlier iPhone 5S leaks, pointing to support for the much rumored fingerprint sensor...
In what seems to be a never-ending string of “gold” iPhone 5S part leaks, new high-quality videos analyze what appear to be legitimate rear shells for the upcoming iPhone 5S…
Update: The creator of these images has spoken out on Twitter, confirming that he made them in Adobe Illustrator:
https://twitter.com/nate_0102/status/370632905304702976
Chinese site Tencent Digital [translated link] has posted photos of what they claim to be the iPhone 5S’s official packaging, as well as a shot of the device itself, revealing the much-rumored dual-LED flash. Also of notable interest in the photos is the “128GB” capacity marking on the alleged packaging, lining up with previous rumors… According to our analysis, these photos (above) are absolutely fake. However, they have unfortunately begun making the rounds online.
I’ll admit, when I first heard that Ashton Kutcher would be the star of a movie about Steve Jobs, I was less than thrilled. How could someone from That 70’s Show ever accurately portray one of the most influential figures in technology of all time? These negative thoughts in mind, I was pleasantly surprised with ‘Jobs’, which opened nationwide yesterday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu1jHtf_oUc
Apple just uploaded a new television ad to their YouTube channel and website titled “FaceTime Every Day,” following their popular “Photos Every Day” and “Music Every Day” ads.
Like previous ads, Apple’s newest offering demonstrates the many ways iPhone users enjoy FaceTime on their devices. The minute-longs spot, which is reminiscent of Apple’s original FaceTime ads, details people communicating with sign language, showing a new house to their family, watching the fireworks, and more.
The spot ends with the line: “Everyday, more people connect face to face on the iPhone than any other phone.”
The timing of this new advertisement is interesting, as just today Nokia was caught parodying Apple’s Photos Every Day ad.
Product: For the past week I’ve been using the Justin Case (Ultra-Slim) Rechargeable Power Case for the iPad. Essentially, the case is a folio-style cover for the iPad 2, 3, or 4 that includes a massive 11,600 mAh battery built into the cover which you can use to charge your iPad, iPhone, iPod, or pretty much any other portable device. The case also functions as a stand for your iPad.
True new innovations in the technology space only come around every few years, and even rarer are the innovations that have the power to change our day-to-day interactions with our devices. That’s why I was excited when I first heard about the Leap Motion, a little motion control device that promised to alter how we think of using computers. One year since the initial preview, the device is in the hands of the public, and now it’s up to the people to decide if it can change the way we use our computers. Does it live up to its expectations? Read on to find out:
Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue was spotted alongside Tim Cook at the annual Sun Valley conference for technology and media executives. According to a tweet from Bloomberg‘s Jon Erlichman, Cue and Cook arrived today at the conference, as pictured above.
In response to a question about the event being a “big week,” Cook reportedly said, “we’ll see.”
The week long conference held in Idaho, which Tim Cook attended last year, is a media-and-content-heavy conference focused on making deals, partnerships, and acquisitions. While an earlier report confirmed Cook’s attendance at the conference earlier, Eddy Cue’s appearance is unexpected…
We have already rounded up what’s new in iOS 7 beta 3 with a full change log and screenshots, and now we have created a full video hands-on to demonstrate the interface changes. As iOS 7 gets closer to shipping this fall, Apple continues to tighten up the user interface with subtle tweaks.
Video below:
Sonico Mobile, the developers of popular apps such as Languages and Files App today are releasing an update to one of their most successful apps, iTranslate Voice. This new update adds several new features to make translating easier, faster and more accessible.
One of the first things you’ll notice if you’re an existing iTranslate Voice user is a refreshed user interface. While it’s nothing totally new, the update provides a more modern look, without any excessive UI elements. The title bar has been removed and a new “hamburger button” has been added between the translation buttons at the bottom of the screen which can either be tapped or swiped up to reveal settings and options.
The introduction of iOS 7 brought forth a new era of iOS design: one that discards old thinking and draws little inspiration from past designs. While Apple’s included applications in iOS 7 have all been updated for the new design aesthetic, their App Store apps haven’t. Installing any of Apple’s other applications alongside iOS 7 reveals a huge discrepancy between the old, skeuomorphic design, and the new, flatter look. Obviously, Apple will have to redesign all of their App Store applications. So, what will they look like?
Earlier today, Apple launched new beta releases of both iOS 7 for iPhone/iPod touch and the iPad. We have provided full screenshot tours and change logs for the need software seeds. Additionally, we have created the video below that demonstrates how iOS 7 works on the iPad. We previously posted a video of how iOS 7 runs on the iPhone.
iPad video below:
Following its introduction earlier this month, Apple’s newest operating system has fallen under criticism and scrutiny from both designers and casual users alike. Due to both the tight development timetable and the new design direction under Jony Ive, following the removal of former iOS SVP Scott Forstall last fall, iOS 7 is, understandably, the most controversial and intriguing iOS version yet.
In response to much of the negative criticism directed towards iOS 7, some have suggested that iOS 7 will change substantially before it is released to the general public. Looking back at previous versions of iOS reveals a long trend of subtle refinements to the operating system during beta periods, not dramatic changes. Let’s take a look at how each version of iOS has transformed:
MacRumors has allegedly gotten their hands on photos of what appear to the rear shell and components of the rumored iPhone 5S. While these photos reveal little new about the device, they provide a closer picture at what we might see from Apple later this year.
Most notably, the photos depict a redesigned rear shell for the next generation iPhone, making room for a larger, dual-LED flash cutout, and presumably a higher resolution camera. Previous reports have noted that Apple has been experimenting with a 12 or 13-megapixel camera for the iPhone 5S, along with an improved night shooting mode.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRmjUzcpLO0
Just like last year, Apple has uploaded their full WWDC 2013 Keynote from last week to their YouTube channel. Previously, if you wanted to view this year’s keynote, you’d have stream it from Apple’s site, or through the Apple Keynotes Podcast (HD Link) in iTunes.
UPDATE: Apple’s site has reverted to the current icons present in iOS 7 beta.
Apple has quietly changed some of the icons on its official iOS 7 website, making notable changes to the Weather, Passbook, and Reminders apps. iOS 7’s icons, which have been subject to much scrutiny and disapproval from various designers, have been one of the largest complaints about iOS 7 so far.
The icons, which can currently only be viewed on Apple’s site using a mobile device, most notably show a completely redesigned weather app icon, ditching the clouds and sun found in the current iOS 7 beta, in favor of the live temperature, something users have been waiting for for years.
Phil Schiller previously noted on Twitter that showing live weather on the iOS home screen would “waste battery,” but this is an improvement Apple has been working on for some time.