Apple

Remember when the rumor mill’s favorite hobby was obsessing about an Apple TV set? It seemed like every week, some publication or other was reporting on the mythical device. Many assumed it would be the company’s next big revolution: iPod, iPhone, iPad ... iTV. Well, don’t look now, but Microsoft just unveiled a device that does most of what we expected the iTV to do, in the form of the Xbox One.  Read More

Apple usually keeps a pretty steady stream of product announcements coming. But right now we’re in the middle of the longest Apple product drought in recent memory (pushing seven months). So it’s natural that we’ll start hearing rumors about the next wave of products about to enter the pipeline. That’s just what happened today, with news of Apple’s suppliers gearing up for production of a new iPad.  Read More

Apple isn’t Google’s biggest fan. Steve Jobs believed that Android was a stolen product, and Apple’s lawsuits against Samsung (and others) are an expression of that feeling of being wronged. So it shouldn’t be too big of a surprise that Apple chose today – the kickoff of Google I/O – to announce a major milestone. We’re talking 50 billion downloads of App Store apps.  Read More

The clean minimalist looks which define Apple’s aluminum notebooks may contribute to their mass appeal, but some people prefer to personalize their computers with stickers and aftermarket add-ons like the MacBook Wood Keyboard. Such tinkerers now have yet another option for self-expression, courtesy of Amsterdam-based firm Uncover's MacBook lid laser-etching service.  Read More

Apple’s image has taken a few hits in recent months ... at least if you listen to Wall Street types. But that hasn’t stopped the trusty old rumor mill from spinning story after story of juicy Apple-flavored tidbits. One of its favorite subjects is the inevitable iPad mini with Retina Display. According to a prominent analyst, Apple already has two refreshes of the small tablet in the pipeline.  Read More

For a while, it looked like Apple was going to utterly dominate the tablet market forever. Xooms, Xyboards, and Transformers came and went – accomplishing little more than building the world’s biggest collection of store shelf dust. But today Android slates have grown in quality and quantity, while shrinking in screen size and price. In the first quarter of 2013, they continued to eat into the iPad’s market share.  Read More

Back when the iPad mini was just a rumor, many of us expected it to be in the same price range as the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire (US$200). That didn’t happen. In fact, Apple’s budget tablet rings up for more than Amazon’s high-end tablet. But a reputable Apple analyst now thinks the company might do something about that later this year – by releasing a cheaper version of the iPad mini.  Read More

Last week, Toshiba entered the ultra high-end laptop market with the KIRAbook, a thin and light Ultrabook with a number of compelling features. The laptop is the first Windows 8 device to feature a Retina-level display (or PixelPure as Toshiba calls it), throwing it into direct competition with Apple's MacBook Pro with Retina display. We take a look at both devices to see which (if either) comes out on top.  Read More

With the burgeoning Chinese car market seeing a large percentage of cars being snapped up by younger people, it's no surprise Volkswagen chose the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show as the location for the world première of its iBeetle – a marriage of Volkswagen’s iconic Beetle and Apple's equally iconic iPhone. The iBeetle will come in Coupe and Convertible models and features a centrally located docking port specially designed in collaboration with Apple that allows a docked or undocked iPhone to interface with the vehicle using the Beetle app.  Read More