iOS

If there’s one thing that could be said about Apple’s current product line, it’s that most of them play together pretty well. But there’s at least one notable exception – the Apple Remote. While the slimline remote lets users control a Mac or Apple TV at a distance, Apple’s iOS devices are a different matter. Mobile accessories manufacturer Satechi has provided a solution with its new BT Media Remote for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.  Read More

Apple is expected to unveil the next iPhone at its annual mobile keynote this year and as is the case with any high profile product launch, rumors about the device are beginning to materialize months before the event is scheduled to take place. Most recently, Wall Street Journal sources suggest that Apple intends to upsize the iPhone’s display from 3.5 to 4 inches.  Read More

Google has finally released Drive, a new cloud storage option for all Google account holders, offering up to 5 GB worth of free storage. While it may be easy to draw comparisons to Dropbox, Microsoft's SkyDrive, or Amazon Cloud, Google Drive represents the final element of a powerful cloud platform, with services that rival those of Apple's iCloud.  Read More

U.S. Publications Inc says that a study by the U.S. Department of Justice has revealed that sex offenders are four times more likely to re-offend than other convicted criminals, and that 60% of convicted sex offenders are out on parole or probation. Playing on the fear that there could well be just such a person living secretly in your neighborhood, the company has announced a new app that's said to be capable of pointing out the location of such undesirables within a 40 mile (64 km) radius of a given area. The Criminal Tracker app doesn't limit its results to sex offenders, however, as the company's database is claimed to be the most comprehensive National Criminal Index available.  Read More

German gaming peripheral specialist ROCCAT Studios has developed a new system which leverages smartphone technology to enhance the experience of PC gaming. As well as being able to use a smartphone to store and activate gameplay buttons, Power-Grid technology also allows users to wirelessly control PC settings from the mobile device, display vital system performance data and keep in touch with the real world - all while staying fully absorbed in the game.  Read More

By now we've seen quite a few examples of augmented reality being used to let people zap virtual creatures in devices like the Nintendo 3DS and the appBlaster. Now John Atherton, inventor of the jaja stylus, is shaking up the concept by making the targets your friends and adding virtual collectibles and objectives into the mix. With his AppTag Laser Blaster attachment for smartphones, you'll be able to play first-person shooter games in the real world on any iOS or Android device, complete with virtual power-ups and other features usually reserved for console games.  Read More

We all wish we could control what our dreams are at night, whether it's to pretend we have powers like Superman or simply to enjoy a relaxing stroll through a mansion on the Moon that happens to have a talking lion for a butler, complete with monocle. Sadly, we're still a long way away from programming our sleeping moments like a Netflix queue, but one Japanese app may have a quick solution. The Yumemiru app for iOS can detect when you enter dream sleep and then plays a soundtrack to influence what happens in your dreams.  Read More

Change your password day falls February 1 (tomorrow, in other words), and it's a day as good as any other to add some beefy heft to your online security regimen. One thing to strongly consider, if you haven't done so already, is to apply unique passwords across all your log-ins. That might sound daunting, but tools now exist that make it unnecessary to remember a password again. Unfortunately, a lot of the password management software out there isn't as painless as it might be, with cluttered interfaces full of empty text fields asking for a wealth of unnecessary information. And often, they don't come cheap. But there is another, simpler way - one that involves encrypted text files and painless data-syncing.  Read More

Apps that transform an iOS device into a portable DJ system (such as Algoriddim's djay app) have been around for a good while now, but the restricted screen space on small devices can lead to somewhat limited mixing functionality. Budding party disc jockeys can get more control from physical deck emulators like Numark's iDJ Live, but those with an appetite for real-time mixing of music stored on more than one device have now been catered for with the upcoming release of the iRig MIX from IK Multimedia. This compact mobile mixer can auto match the tempo from any type of audio source with the tunes on a connected iOS device, features an extra input for an instrument or microphone, and comes with four free music apps.  Read More