iPad By Davis: “MacBreak Weekly 326: It All Comes Down to AC/DC” plus 16 more

MacBreak Weekly 326: It All Comes Down to AC/DC
Apple airs two new iPhone 5: Turkey and Orchestra
How to use Safari's Reading List feature on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac
T-Mobile once again expands their iPhone friendly network coverage
ZAGG Giving Away 24 iPads in 24 Hours on Black Friday
HERE Maps by Nokia vs Apple Maps vs. Google Maps apps update
Apple job posting could hint at increased language support for Siri
Price Drops: NFL Kicker 13 for iPad Now Free
Say Welcome back to James Falconer, our new Mobile Nations Community Manager!
Have a liquid damaged iPhone, iPad, or iPod? Here's what you should and shouldn't do!
Google wants to make an open source AirPlay alternative
Battle of the Bulge iPad Game Coming Soon & Looking Great
Price Drops: Outline+ OneNote iPad App On Sale at More than 90% Off
Apple iOS and Mac gifts: 2012 holiday guide
HTC statement about Apple royalties confirms the money is irrelevant
Deal of the Day: 36% off Incipio Feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for iPhone 5
Nokia launches HERE maps for iPhone and iPad

MacBreak Weekly 326: It All Comes Down to AC/DC

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 08:16 PM PST

Andy Ihnatko takes the big chair this week, as Leo Laporte is still cruising down under, and talks iMultitouch on MacOS, how iCloud is working out, how committed we are to Mac, and more, with Chris Breen, Tonya Engst, and yours truly.

My pick of the week was Kaleidoscope 2.

Subscribe or download: TWiT.tv

MacBreak Weekly 326: It All Comes Down to AC/DC

Apple airs two new iPhone 5: Turkey and Orchestra

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:32 PM PST

Apple has just released two new TV commercials for the iPhone 5 5 called Turkey and Orchestra. As you might imagine, Turkey focuses on the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday, and starts off with... a turkey and all the fixings! Apple then shows the Photo app, and swiping between photos of a family in the midst of Thanksgiving celebrations.

Photo Stream is also highlighted, and the easy way it lets you share photos with specific family and friends, who can then enjoy and comment on them on their own iOS devices.

Oh, and there's pie.

"Mmm. Pie."

Orchestra shows off the noise-cancelling mic on the iPhone 5. According to Apple, even if a full symphony orchestra in a White Room right out of Angel is playing nearby, thanks to that mic you'll have a better than normal chance at still hearing your call, without having to ask the conductor to pipe it down.

These are both classic Apple iPhone commercials, showing off specific features and doing it in a slightly whimsical manner. Not disruptive by any means, but not as awkward as the genius commercials or as reality defying as the Siri commercials from earlier in the air.

What do you think of them?

Apple airs two new iPhone 5: Turkey and Orchestra

How to use Safari's Reading List feature on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 04:15 PM PST

How to use Safari's Reading List feature on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

Reading List is a feature in Safari that allows you to bookmark pages you want to remember to check out or read later. The best part is that your iPhone, iPad, and Mac all support the feature and, as long as you've got iCloud enabled, you can pick up where you left off on any of your devices.

Not sure where to start? Follow along and we'll get you up and running in no time.

Enable Reading List in iCloud

On iPhone and iPad

Before you can sync Reading List between your device, you'll need to make sure iCloud is enabled on each one, and that Safari sync is turned on.

Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.

Tap on iCloud.

Make sure the option to sync Safari with iCloud is ticked to On.

On Mac OS X

Click the Apple logo in the upper left hand corner and click on System Preferences.

Click on iCloud.

Make sure the option to sync Safari with iCloud is checked.

How to save pages to Reading List on iPhone and iPad

Launch Safari from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.

Navigate to the page you'd like to save to Reading List.
Tap on the Share Arrow in the bottom navigation. (It's the middle icon.)

Now tap on the option to Add to Reading List.

That's it. You're done. The web page will be available on Reading List across all your devices.

How to save pages to Reading List in Mac OS X

Launch Safari on your Mac running OS X Mountain Lion.

Navigate to the page you'd like to save to your Reading List.
Click on the Share button next to the address bar and choose Add to Reading List.

That's all there is to it. The page was sent to your Safari Reading List.

How to access Reading List on iPhone and iPad

Launch Safari from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.

Tap on the Bookmarks icon in the bottom navigation. (It's the second icon from the right.)

Tap on Reading List at the top.

Here you'll find a list of all the items you've sent to reading list. Just tap into any one of them to continue reading.

How to access Reading List in Mac OS X

Launch Safari on your Mac running OS X Mountain Lion.

Tap on the pair of eyeglasses in the Bookmars Bar and Reading List will slide out from the left hand side of the screen.

From here you can click on any story you've saved to Reading List and Safari will load it.

T-Mobile once again expands their iPhone friendly network coverage

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 03:30 PM PST

Continuing their long-running expansion program, T-Mobile has now announced 10 new metro areas that will be making use of the 1900 MHz spectrum they gained from AT&T when their merger failed. Unlike T-Mo's traditional AWS spectrum, that's just the kind of HSPA+ your unlocked iPhone can make good, fast use of. Here's T-Mobile's full list:

Central and Southern Arizona

Phoenix, including Tempe, Scottsdale, Glendale, Peoria, Paradise Valley, Surprise and Ahwatukee
Mesa, including Chandler and Gilbert
Tucson, including South Tucson, Marana, and Vail

San Francisco Bay Area

Silicon Valley, including Cupertino, Sunnyvale, Mountain View, Santa Clara, San Jose
Oakland
San Francisco

Central Valley, California

Stockton
Modesto

South Florida

Miami, including Coral Gables and Miami Beach
Fort Lauderdale, including Hollywood

With the new areas accounted for, T-Mobile has now rolled out their 4G HSPA+ network to a total of 15 locations including the previously announced Baltimore, Houston, Kansas City, Las Vegas and Washington D.C. In addition to that, they note network enhancements are also coming to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, the New York metro area, Philadelphia, San Diego and Seattle.

As expected, their wooing of iPhone owners continues as well with the claim that testing has shown that unlocked iPhone 4S devices running over their 4G HSPA+ network have on average, 70% faster download speeds than iPhone 4S devices on AT&T's network.

Source: T-Mobile

ZAGG Giving Away 24 iPads in 24 Hours on Black Friday

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 02:58 PM PST

ZAGG are going to be giving out free iPads all day on Black Friday. They're giving away one free iPad 4 every hour starting at 12AM MST this Friday, November 23.

They did this last year too and if I remember right you can keep on entering for a chance to win every hour. I don't normally cover iPad giveaways here, but this one from ZAGG is pretty special, so I thought I'd share it.

Check out the ZAGG promo page for the contest – you can enter your name and email address to get a reminder when the contest kicks off. There's also a text number to use to get hourly reminders once the contest goes live.

Types of liquid damage

Before we get into what to do with a liquid damaged device, it's necessary to know exactly what kind of liquid your device has incurred damage from. While any kind of liquid can damage electronics, some are more severe than others. Knowing how severe the damage is not only helps whoever is repairing it know what they're getting into, but helps you to know whether or not a repair is even warranted or if a new iPhone, iPad, or iPod may just be a better route right off the bat.

What is pH?

Before we go any further, lets talk about pH for a minute. pH is a commonly used indicator for liquids. The higher the pH, the less acidic it is. For example, water has a pH of 7, which is considered neutral. More acidic substances would have a much lower pH. While you don't need to know all the math and background behind pH, knowing a little will get you a long way in terms of determining whether the damage is repairable.

Alkaline (basic) substances

Liquids like water are considered alkaline, or basic, substances and are not acidic. In most cases, anything with a pH of 7 or greater is considered to be an alkaline substance. If you had to drop your iPhone, iPad, or iPod in any kind of liquid, this is the kind you'd want to drop it in.

Here are some pH levels for common alkaline substances -

Water - 7
Bleach - 12
Ammonia - 11
Human blood - 7 to 7.5

It's interesting to note that bleach, which most people may consider more damaging, is actually less abrasive than regular water.

Acidic substances

If alkaline substances have a pH of over 7, that means that anything with a pH under 7 would be considered acidic. These are the fluids you'll want to keep your electronics devices far away from. For example, orange juice has a pH of around 3.5 which makes is very acidic. Acidic substances have a nasty habit of eating away at electronic components and failure rates are much higher when liquid damage is caused by an acidic substance.

Here are some pH levels for common acidic substances -

Orange juice - 3.5
Milk - 6.5 (some people consider milk neutral since it is so close to 7 in some cases)
Beer - 3 to 6 depending on the kind of beer
Soda drinks such as Coke - 2.5 to 4.2
Lemon juice - 2 to 2.5

In short, if you drop your iPhone in your morning glass of orange juice, while it may be possible to fix it, it's going to come down to how many internal components were damaged and how fast the problem is caught. With acidic substances, time is your enemy more so than with alkaline substances.

In most cases, mild contact may be able to be fixed but if your iPhone was soaking in a glass of Coke, you're probably going to be better off purchasing a new iPhone in the end.

Do's and don'ts

water damage do's and don'ts for iphone

Before we go any further, let's go over what you shouldn't do in order to remedy water damage. There are lots of common beliefs out there that we've found to be wrong over the years. Some of them can actually damage your device further.

Do NOT put your iPhone, iPad, or iPod in rice

Most people immediately think to put their phone in rice immediately following contact with water. This is actually one of the worse things you can do. While the logic of pulling water or liquid out of the device sounds like a good plan, it actually isn't.

Once the device completely dries out, corrosion sets in. You want to avoid this at all costs. In our experience, rice actually causes corrosion to set in faster. Not to mention, rice gets caught in headphone jacks, dock connectors, and other small places. I've actually seen rice get inside the device itself and cause buildup when it expands. Not only does it cause more damage from time to time, it's also not fun to pick out of small areas.

Most reputable repair places will tell you to place the still wet device into a plastic bag and bring it in as is. If they're telling you to put it in rice first, stay away.

Back away from the hair dryer!

Never, ever, under any circumstance take a hair dryer or a heat gun to a water damaged iPhone, iPad, or iPod. Much like rice, you're going to cause corrosion to set in faster and could potentially damage your device further.

To remove liquid, attempt to shake it out from any entry points or hold it upside down but pretty please, don't take a hair dryer to it.

Don't use a charger

Most people have an inclination to throw it on a charger immediately after water damage occurs. This typically happens if the screen blacks out or the device dies. Lithium ion batteries and liquid don't play nice together. Most places that fix water damage will replace the battery just as a precaution on all water damaged device. It's a good practice and something that should almost always be done.

On top of causing issues with the battery, you can also short circuit the logic board. Leaving the device completely turned off for a period of time is best practice. I would recommend staying away from chargers until you can get help fixing the issue from a professional. If you don't think the damage was bad enough to warrant taking it in for repair, I'd still avoid chargers for at least 72 hours before attempting to plug it in and turn it on.

React fast

Once you notice your iPhone, iPad, or iPod has come in contact with liquid, the most obvious thing to do is to remove it from the liquid. Sometimes if you catch it fast enough or it does not become completely submerged, the damage can be minimal.

Turn the device off

Immediately following any contact with liquid, always turn any electronics device off immediately. It is very possible that liquid can short it out. The safest bet is to completely turn it off.

Here is where I'd normally tell you to take out the battery but considering Apple products don't have removable batteries, which creates an issue.

If you've got a little bit of DIY knowledge and the tools laying around, taking the battery out of a water damaged iPhone isn't a bad idea. You can browse through our DIY articles in order to find a walkthrough on how to remove the battery from your iPhone if you'd like. If you don't feel comfortable doing this, don't. Just get it to someone who can in a timely manner.

Check water sensors

All iPhones, iPads, and iPods have water sensors. Check the dock connector and headphone jack with a flashlight to see if the sensors are triggered. By default, the sensors should be white. If they have turned red, you know liquid has gotten into one of the ports.

Get help

Don't wait too long before getting help. There are several places that can successfully reverse water damage using the correct tools and parts, including The Pod Drop. It's possible something as little as treating the logic board and a new battery may get your iPhone, iPad, or iPod back into working order.

While liquid damage is completely dictated on a case by case basis, most of the time, it can be fixed as long as you don't wait too long before and don't do anything to damage the device further.

The bottom line

Whether you're mailing your device in or taking it some place local, if you perform all the steps above and stay away from the things you shouldn't do, the chances of successful liquid damage repair become much higher.

The last, and more important step, is to make sure that whoever you are entrusting to fix your iPhone, iPad, or iPod has experience handling water damage. Good signs are if the employees give you honest advice and an initial estimate after physically seeing it. I will typically do an initial diagnosis right in front a customer and point out problem areas that I can see off-hand. If I don't think the device can be saved or that a new one is a better option, I can typically tell the customer that right off the bat.

Any reputable company should be willing to help find the best option for you. If you don't feel they are providing you that service, walk away and try elsewhere.

Google wants to make an open source AirPlay alternative

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 08:46 AM PST

Google wants to make a more open source AirPlay alternative

YouTube recently launched a service very similar to Apple's AirPlay that allows Android users to beam movies to their Google TV. Apparently Google wants to take it a step further yet, and with an open standard. In an interview with GigaOM, Google executives have made it clear that streaming for Google TV is only the beginning:

Google took a page from Apple's playbook when it rolled out its own AirPlay-like remote control feature for YouTube on Google TV last week. The company has since launched a dedicated micro-site to promote the feature, showing how serious it is taking second screen control. But it is not stopping there. Drayson told me that Google is "actively working with other companies" to turn this into an open standard, which could be used on other platforms and for other apps as well.

This means that Google could potentially pair up with other vendors in order to create "out of the box" compatibility across various platforms. Samsung has made smart TV's for years that could take advantage of the software and allow users to beam to their tv without any additional add-ons.

Apple sold 5.3 million units of the device (Apple TV) in its fiscal year 2012, which makes it by far the best-selling video streaming box. One could also argue that AirPlay-like functionality is one of the key features that's been missing from Android to successfully compete with the iPad.

If you use AirPlay to wirelessly beam video to an Apple TV from your iOS device or Mac, you know how convenient it can be, especially in a room full of people all wanting to see the same thing. However, if you want to use AirPlay, you need to own an AirPlay enabled device such as an Apple TV in order to share it and is obviously only compatible with iOS.

An open standard would allow many other streaming box services to take advantage and it looks as if that's exactly what Google intends on doing. It would mean that anyone with an Android device would have a lot more options when it comes to streaming.

Source: GigaOM

Battle of the Bulge iPad Game Coming Soon & Looking Great

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 08:13 AM PST

I've posted several times here about how much I've been looking forward to seeing the Kickstarter-funded Battle of the Bulge iPad game from Shenandoah Studio. It's a turn-based military strategy game in the style of old board games of this type.

I grew up playing those sort of board games, and loved playing them despite the fact I have a younger brother who was and is a far, far better player and strategist than I am. So when I first saw this iPad game as a Kickstarter project I was filled with excitement at the prospect of seeing it come to the iPad. My first hope was that it would meet its funding target – and it did and even substantially exceeded it.

Fast forward a few months and I have been lucky enough to be one of the beta testers for the game leading up to its upcoming release. So … two bits of great news to share with you on that front:

1) The developers hope to have the game in the iPad App Store by Christmas.

2) The game is looking, and playing, great.

Hit the break for a couple more screenshots and a few more thoughts on it …

(...)
Read the rest of Battle of the Bulge iPad Game Coming Soon & Looking Great (276 words)

Comments

Nice. Let us know what you think of it once you've had some ... by Patrick Jordan
Thanks for the tip Paick. I've been looking for OneNote on iPad ... by Alicia

The definitive guide to great Apple gifts for Black Friday and the holidays!

We're entering what is, for many, the biggest shopping and gift-giving season of the year, and by virtue of their range, cachet, utility, and joyfulness, Apple gifts are always high on everyone's lists. But whether you're looking for that perfect present for that special someone, or just want to take advantage of the once-a-year sales for yourself, it can be a challenge to figure out exactly which Apple devices to get. When does an iPad mini make more sense than a full iPad? When does a MacBook Air? iPhone 5 or iPod touch? iMac or Mac Pro? Which Apple device is best for you and yours? These are the among the questions we get asked the most often, and with Black Friday just around the corner, here are our answers!

iPod shuffle

If you need an ultra-light, ultra-cheap way to take just your audio with you, you want the iPod shuffle

Pros: 2GB of storages (enough for hundreds of songs), 15 hours of battery life. Convenient clip, available in blue, green, yellow, pink, purple, slate (black), silver (white), and red (Apple Store exclusive). Weighs on 12.5 grams, costs only $49.

Cons: Requires a tethered connection to a Windows or Mac PC running iTunes to transfer audio files and playlists. No screen, no videos, no apps.

Bottom line: Whether you're exercising or traveling, if you want just enough music, podcasts, and audiobooks to get you through your workout or work day, and not care if you lose it, get the iPod shuffle.

$49.99 - Buy now

iPod classic

If you need 160GB of music and video in your pocket, you want the iPod classic

Pros: Can hold 40,000 songs or 200 hours of video. 36 hours of battery life. Can store photos, play extremely limited games.

Cons: Requires a tethered connection to a Windows or Mac PC running iTunes to transfer audio files and playlists. Small screen, no App Store.

Bottom line: If you're a serious audiophile with serious audio collection, and want all of it in your pocket, get the iPod classic.

$249 - Buy now

iPod nano

If you need your music and media on the go but don't need apps, you want the iPod nano

Pros: 2.5-inch multitouch display. 16GB of storage. Includes apps for music, podcasts, video, exercise (pedometer, Nike+). Includes Bluetooth and FM radios. Available in blue, green, yellow, pink, purple, slate (black), silver (white), and red (Apple Store exclusive). Weighs only 31 grams. Costs only $149.

Cons: Requires a tethered connection to a Windows or Mac PC running iTunes to transfer audio files and playlists. No Wi-Fi, no iCloud. Built-in apps only, no iOS, App Store. No 32GB option.

Bottom line: If an iPod touch is just too much, and all you want is a good amount of audio and video to keep you company at the gym, on a run, or on a trip, in the absolute smallest, lightest package available, get the iPod nano.

$149 - Buy now

iPod touch

If you need incredibly mobile computing but don't want another phone or phone bill, you want the iPod touch

Pros: 4-inch Retina display. Shoots 5mp photos and takes 1080p videos. 32GB and 64GB options. Available in slate (black), silver (white), pink, blue, and red (Apple Store exclusive). Runs iOS, can play audio and video, read ebooks, and run hundreds of thousands of App Store apps and games.

Cons: No cellular option (3G/LTE). Smaller screen than iPad line.

Bottom line: If an iPhone and all its apps would be perfect but you just don't want or need a phone, get the even thinner, lighter iPod touch.

Starting at $299 - Buy now

Note: If you don't care about the latest and the greatest, you can grab the 2010/2011 model with a worse screen and really bad cameras, and save $100.

iPhone

iPhone 5 photo gallery

If you need a phone with all your apps and media, and need it to just work, you need an iPhone

Pros: 4-inch Retina display. Shoots 8mp photos and takes 1080p videos. 16GB, 32GB and 64GB options. Available in slate (black) and silver (white). Runs iOS, can play audio and video, read ebooks, and run hundreds of thousands of App Store apps and games. Subsidized prices start at $199 on contract.

Cons: Requires a carrier voice and data plan.

Bottom line: If you need a phone, the iPhone can literally be your one iOS device to rule them all. If you need the ultimate in convergence, with mobile web, apps, and communications all in one place, get the iPhone.

More info: iPhone 5 review & feature guide

Starting at $199 - Buy now (Gift card link)

Note: If you don't mind a shorter screen and no LTE, you can save $100 and get a 2011 iPhone 4S instead. If you don't mind a shorter screen, no LTE, no Siri, and worse cameras, you can save $200 and get a 2010 iPhone 4 instead.

iPad mini

Everything you need to know about Apple's smaller, thinner, lighter, 7.9-inch iPad mini

If portability is more important to your than power or productivity, you want an iPad mini

Pros: 7.9-inch screen. Shoots 5mp photos and takes 1080p videos. 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options. Available in slate (black) or silver (white). Plays audio and video, reads ebooks. Runs iOS, all App Store apps, including hundreds of thousands of tablet-specific iPad apps. Fits in purses, large jacket pockets. Weighs 308 grams. Starts at $329. Cellular/LTE available.

Cons: No Retina display, smaller screen and less powerful than iPad 4.

Bottom line: If you want a tablet but the full-sized iPad is just too big and too heavy, get the iPad mini.

More info: iPad mini review & feature guide

Starting at $329 - Buy now

iPad

iPad 4: Everything you need to know about Apple's late 2012 iPad with Retina display

If you need to do computing but don't want to lug around a laptop, you want an iPad

Pros: 9.7-inch screen. Shoots 5mp photos and takes 1080p videos. 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB options. Available with black or white front plates. Plays audio and video, reads ebooks. Runs iOS, all App Store apps, including hundreds of thousands of tablet-specific iPad apps. Weighs 652 grams. Starts at $499. Cellular/LTE available.

Cons: Heavier than iPad mini, not as functional as a full MacBook for power users.

Bottom line: If you don't need a laptop but still want a big screen and a powerful, convenient way to get a lot of things done, get an iPad 4.

More info: iPad 4 review & feature guide

Note: If you don't care about the latest and the greatest, you can grab the 2010/2011 iPad 2 with a worse screen, no LTE, and really bad cameras, and save $100.

Starting at $499 - Buy now

Note: If you don't care about the latest and the greatest, you can grab the 2011 iPad 2 with a worse screen and really bad cameras, and save $100.

MacBook Air

Tim Cook thinks Apple's iPad + MacBook Air strategy is better than Microsoft's Windows 8 everywhere plan

If you need a full computer but portability is more important than power, get the MacBook Air

Pros: 11 or 13-inch screen. Intel i5 or i7 processors. USB 3 and ThunderBolt ports. 4GB or 8GB or RAM. 64GB/128GB or 128GB/256GB storage options. Runs OS X and full desktop-class software. Weighs only 1.08 kg or 1.35 kg. 5-hours or 7-hours of battery life. Starts at $999.

Cons: No Retina display, no optical drives, lack of high-powered graphics options hinders some types of software.

Bottom line: If you want something portable but still need to be able to run Office, Photoshop, Xcode, etc., get a MacBook Air. If you need maximum portability, get the 11-inch model. If you need maximum pixels, get the 13-inch model.

Starting at $999 - Buy now

MacBook Pro

If you need a powerful computer that's still portable, you want the MacBook Pro

Pros: 13- or 15-inch Retina displays. Dual-core i5 or quad-core i7 processors. USB 3 and ThunderBolt ports. 8GB or 8 GB/16GB of RAM. 128GB/256GB or 256GB/512GB of storage. 7-hour batter life. Weighs only 1.62 kg or 2.02 kg. Starts at $1699.

Cons: Retina saps a lot of graphics power. No optical drives.

Bottom line: If you want the state-of-the-art of laptops with the best displays in the business and power to match, get a MacBook Pro.

Starting at $1699 - Buy now

Note: If you don't want a Retina display but do want a DVD drive, you can save some money and by the standard 13- or 15-inch (non-Retina) MacBook pros.

Mac mini

If you need a small Mac you can slide into any setup or workflow, you want the Mac mini

Pros: Dual-core i5 or quad-core i7 processors. USB 3, Ethernet, HDMI, FireWire 800, and ThunderBolt ports. 2GB, 8GB, or 16GB of RAM. Conventional hard drive, SSD, or Fusion Drive options. Starts at $599.

Cons: Requires separate display. No internal expansion ports.

Bottom line: If you want a Mac for you server rack or home server closet, to add to an existing PC setup, or to use as a home theater, get a Mac mini.

Starting at $599 - Buy now

iMac

If you need full desktop power in an all-in-one package, you want the iMac

Pros: 21.5- and 27-inch displays. Quad-core i5 or quad-core i7 processors. 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Conventional hard drive, SSD, or Fusion Drive options. GT 640M, GT 650M, GTX 660M, GTX 675MX, or GTX 680MX graphics options. Ethernet, UBS 3, and ThunderBolt ports. Incredibly thin design.

Cons: No internal expansion ports.

Bottom line: If you want an incredibly powerful Mac wrapped in an incredibly elegant design, get an iMac.

Mac Pro

If you need the maximum power and flexibility of a tower computer, you want the Mac Pro

Pros: Configurable up two 2.4GHz 6-core Intel Xeon E5645 processors, 64GB of RAM, 8TB of internal storage, 2 optical drives, 2 ATI Radeon HD 5770 or 1 ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards, USB 2 and FireWire 800 ports.

Cons: Requires separate display. No USB 3 or ThunderBolt ports. Architecture hasn't been updated in a long, long time.

Bottom line: If you need a Mac with as many cores as possible, and want to be able to swap expansion cards, internal drives, and upgrade graphics cards, get a Mac Pro.

Your perfect Apple gift?

Are you buying anyone an iOS or Mac gift this year? Are you hoping to get one? Let me know what you're giving or looking to receive! What's your perfect Apple gift?

HTC statement about Apple royalties confirms the money is irrelevant

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 07:29 AM PST

When HTC settled its patent lawsuit with Apple by agreeing to some set of undisclosed terms, analysts did their job, which is to estimate what this means to the stock.

The most commonly thrown-around number was $6-8 per handset in royalty payments. For some perspective, in Q2, according to IDC estimates, HTC shipped 8.8 million units. Let's annualize this and call it 35 million units per year. It's not a perfect estimate because phone sales are seasonal, but it's close enough to get a handle on the overall size of a deal.

If HTC was paying even $6 per handset, then Apple's profitability would go up by $210 million per year. Hardly chump change. But when you compare it to Apple's profitability, which was over $40 billion in the last 12 months, it's inconsequential. It would grow Apple's bottom line by a mere 0.5%.

Today, HTC's vocal CEO Peter Chou has gone on record saying that $6 per handset is an "outrageous" amount. I'm guessing this means the real settlement is way, way lower than $6, meaning that the effect to Apple's profitability will be impossible to notice.

These patent settlements (and lawsuits) make headlines because they represent challenge, or resolution of challenge. It's very similar to seeing two big fighters go toe to toe on a poster advertising the next big UFC match. It's human nature to want to speculate about who's going to win.

For Apple, it just doesn't look like these royalties are going to matter. So winning in court shouldn't be the goal.

Let's look at the math another way. What if Samsung were forced to settle, paying Apple the $6 per handset that people thought HTC was paying (even though Chou says it's outrageous, and wrong). Samsung is shipping on the order of 200 million smartphones per year. So $6 per handset means $1.2 billion per year. Again, compare this against Apple's profitability over the last year and we're looking at a 3% rise on team Cupertino's bottom line.

The math points to a clear conclusion. Apple needs to focus on making awesome products and selling the hell out of them. The court battles just don't make much difference at the end of the day.

I really enjoyed listening to the latest iMore show where Rene brought on CrackBerry.com's Kevin Michaluk to discuss his month-long use of the iPhone 5. A lot of really good points were brought up. If Apple put as much energy into fixing some of the obvious problems with its product as it does into court battles, I think it would be an even stronger company.

Deal of the Day: 36% off Incipio Feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for iPhone 5

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:57 AM PST

Today Only: Buy the Incipio Feather Ultralight Hard Shell Case for iPhone 5 and save $8.99!

Looking to protect your iPhone 5 without the added weight? Incipio's feather case provides your device with minimalistic protection that maintains perfect form. The feather case features ultra-light, smooth protection with its rigid plextonium frame eliminating excess bulk you get with other cases. Comes in a variety of colors to choose from!

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Nokia launches HERE maps for iPhone and iPad

Posted: 20 Nov 2012 06:43 AM PST

Nokia launches HERE maps for iPhone and iPad

Nokia has launched a new, free maps app for iOS, called HERE maps. Since Nokia owns NAVTEQ, one of the world's very few sources of comprehensive mapping data (the other's being Tele Atlas, owned by TomTom and licensed by Apple, and Google), and they've been producing mobile maps apps for years, formerly on Symbian and now on Windows Mobile, the quality will likely be very good.

Maps are available in 200 countries and can be presented in map view (standard line art), satellite view, public transportation view, and live traffic view. Where available, you can also access community view, that includes crowdsourced data that hopes to be even more current. Like any good maps app, you can search for locations, get search suggestions, and share locations you find.

There's routing, of course, and you can get step-by-step voice navigation... for walking directions. But not for driving directions, which is really odd. You can also get public transport directions.

While the app itself uses HTML5 with off-board maps downloaded as needed, you can save maps locally for when you may be in areas without data coverage. You can also group places you frequent, or simply like, into Collections.

The interface is very flat, filled with sold colors, and while not Metro-esque (or whatever Microsoft is calling the Windows Phone design language these days), it does stick to similar basics. The controls are different enough from iOS maps that they'll take some getting used to.

Nokia HERE maps for iOS is also nowhere near as fleshed out or fully featured as Nokia Maps for Windows Phone 8 (check out WPCentral's full Nokia Maps for Windows Phone 8 preview to get a better sense of just what the differences are.) But that stands to reason. This is a 1.0 and it's on a competing platform. Baby steps. For now.

Yet, while Apple continues to struggle with mapping quality and Google continues to posture, dissemble, and fret about the state of their own iOS Maps app, Nokia announced and shipped.

Take that.

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miércoles, 21 de noviembre de 2012