Citing supply chain sources, NPD/DisplaySearch Vice President for the Greater China Market David Hsieh believes that Apple will rely heavily over the next year or so on display technology innovation to help drive growth of some of its most popular products. He predicts both common changes like the expected upgrade to Retina-quality displays in the next iPad mini and off-beat options like the addition of Retina screens in future MacBook Airs, along with a larger 4.7-inch "iPhone 6" in 2014, echoing other analysts....
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A pair of new studies that tests touchscreen responsiveness among flagship tablets and top-selling smartphones has found that Apple's iPad and iPhone lead the field by a significant margin in both categories. The TouchMarks tests -- done by mobile ad firm Agawi -- pitted the iPad against leading brands of Android, Kindle and Windows RT offerings in tablets, and the iPhone against leading Android and Windows 8 phones. The current iPads and iPhone 5 (and even the iPhone 4) won against all competitors....
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According to DisplaySearch, the coming year will see Apple revamping displays across nearly all of its product line, introducing Retina iPad minis, Retina MacBook Airs, and the long-rumored larger-screened iPhone.
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You can spend a fortune or a pittance on a home security system. There are wired systems that contact the police or fire department for you, webcams with motion detection, systems with monthly fees, and systems that are DIY and cost you only for the hardware. Mostly, you get what you pay for, but the new iSmartAlarm system that has just launched is a reasonably priced security solution with wired and wireless components, and it can all be controlled with an iOS app. That makes it very competitive with other, more expensive solutions.

Design

The system is attractive, and has a sort of retro Mac look. The central component is called the CubeOne, which looks a bit like the old Power Mac G4 Cube. There are 2 key ring controllers, a motion detector, and...

At the Gartner Symposium in Florida today, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said that his company would bring Office to the iPad after the touch-friendly Windows version comes out. According to The Verge, Ballmer specifically noted that "iPad will be picked up when there's a touch-first user interface,” which Ballmer said is “in progress.”

Microsoft released Microsoft Office Mobile for iOS back in June, but that version was optimized for the iPhone only. That iPhone-optimized version is free to users with an Office 365 subscription (in that the app doesn't cost the user one of the five device license slots that come with a subscription), and it syncs with the user's files in SkyDrive. With the SkyDrive connection, users can create new...

FutureStack is defined by innovation. Join 800+ industry leaders and disruptive developers on Oct 24-25 in San Francisco and help build the future of Modern Software. During two days loaded with future-focused tracks, you’ll hear from The Loop’s founder Jim Dalrymple, and join him as he discusses the intersection of mobile innovation and technology. You’ll also get to explore the future of data with a much-anticipated keynote from Hilary Mason, Data Scientist in Residence at Accel Partners. Plus, check out Artur Bergman, CEO and Founder of Fastly talk about the problems of latency, user perception and monitoring performance.

App streaming company Agawi is at it again. Just a few weeks after announcing that the iPhone 5 absolutely destroys the competition in terms of touchscreen responsiveness, Agawi returns with a similar benchmark survey for today's most popular tablets. The result? Well, once again Apple comes out on top, but it may surprise you to learn that the touchscreen on the iPad mini is in fact the overall winner, with just a 75 millisecond average response time.

The 4th generation iPad came in second with an 81 millisecond average response time, followed (somewhat shockingly) by the Nvidia SHIELD gaming handheld at 92 milliseconds. The rest of the list, in...

This is a great article by Christina Warren that looks at what’s happening with paid apps vs in-app purchases.

∞ Read this on The Loop

This is a great shared lists app. My wife and I tried it last night and it worked great. I’m a fan.

∞ Read this on The Loop

The iPhone is usually the item you have at hand when you need to make a quick note, and Knot takes advantage of this by making it as easily as possible to leave yourself a reminder -- tying the proverbial piece of string around your finger.

Knot goes a step further from basic reminders by utilizing associative memory to prompt you to actually remember what you have to do. You choose where or when your phone will alert you that you have a task to accomplish, type it in, then hit the home button to close the app.

When you reach the location or time of the task, Knot will remind you that you needed to do something -- it's up to your brain to supply the missing information. If you actually remember your task, acknowledge it in the app. You can cheat, Knot keeps a list of active tasks you can access at any time. But at the bottom of that list is a memory score letting you know how much you actually remember or...

Red alert! Red alert! For anyone who has been anticipating a new iPad or perhaps a Retina display iPad mini, holding out for the release of the new Mac Pro, or dreaming about the mythical iWatch -- the wait may soon be over. AllThingsD is reporting that Apple is holding an event on Tuesday, October 22 -- primarily for iPad announcements.

John Paczkowski reports that the new Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks are probably on tap for the meeting, but the focus will be the fifth-generation iPad, rumored to have a more thin and lightweight design similar to that of the iPad mini. And of course, the iPad mini might finally see that Retina display we've all been wishing for. Will those new iPads feature Touch ID for fast unlocking? We'll only know when the event takes place.

Paczkowski also notes that October 22 is one day after Microsoft's new Surface 2 begins shipping -- so we're sure to...

Sources with knowledge of Apple's plans have revealed that the company will soon send out press invitations for an event introducing the latest iPad models on Tuesday, October 22. The event is likely to be held at Apple's Town Hall Auditorium in Cupertino, given the short notice for the event, and will highlight the both the full-size iPad and iPad mini. Also planned for the event, according to the reports, will be the formal debut of the new Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks....
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A study benchmarking the touchscreen latency of popular tablets shows Apple's iPad mini and full sized iPad 4 leading response times of other tablets, with Android offerings dead last.
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Apps are wonderful tools for learning and fun, but sometimes it's hard for parents to find companies that make kid-friendly apps. Sometimes those recommendations come from odd places, like a random tweet invoking Oskar Schindler. Today's tip comes from just such a tweet, sent by Twitter user @bmf.

You know else makes lists, besides Oskar Schindler and myself? @chrisoshea lists who makes apps for kids: http://t.co/Z2cFH7tphU

- Mike Lee (@bmf) October 8, 2013

What you'll find at Chris O'Shea's link is a staggering list of developers from around the world who specifically develop apps for children, including links to each of their websites for further exploring. So get looking, parents! You never...

Apple will hold its new iPad event on Oct. 22, AllThingsD reports. The event will feature “the latest updates to the company’s iPad line” — the report mentions the fifth-generation iPad and second-generation iPad mini — as well as Mac Pro and OS X Mavericks. AllThingsD states that the…

People familiar with Apple’s plans tell AllThingsD that the company will hold its next invitation-only event on Tuesday, October 22. The focal point of the gathering will be the latest updates to the company’s iPad line…

Yep.

The old iPad 4 will supposedly be replaced by something more in line with the design of the iPad mini. Chris Foresman

"Sources familiar with the matter" are telling AllThingsD that Apple's next product announcement will be taking place on October 22 and that the event will likely focus on new iPads, the Mac Pro, and OS X 10.9 Mavericks. AllThingsD has a strong track record when it comes to Apple news (the publication correctly predicted the company's September 10 iPhone event), and the date would make sense given the iPad-focused announcements Apple made in October of 2012. If Apple's scheduling is the same as it normally is, look for official invitations to go out at some point next Tuesday.

Apple refreshed a good-sized chunk of its product line in...

Last month we told you that Jony Ive was working on a limited edition Leica M camera to be auctioned off for The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Well, that very limited edition camera -- there is only one -- has been unveiled.

According to Leica's Google+ post, the camera took 85 days to create and required a total of 561 models and nearly 1,000 prototype parts. Ive was assisted by his good friend and fellow designer Marc Newson on the project.

The camera "features a laser-machined aluminum body and an anodized aluminum outer shell," and has "a full-format CMOS sensor, high performance processor and new Leica APO-Summicron -M 50mm f/2 ASPH lens."

Provided you have very deep pockets, you can participate...

Apple is set to hold an event later this month, on Tuesday, Oct. 22, where it is expected to unveil a new, redesigned fifth-generation iPad, as well as a second-generation iPad mini.
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Camera+ ($2) from tap tap tap has upgraded to version 4.2. The update fixes and enhances burst mode shooting on the iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s. Additionally, a new effects pack has been added that includes all the filters in Apple’s iOS 7 Camera and Photo apps. The developer’s…

There has been much discussion about the benefits of standing while working at a computer, but not many well-made solutions for a combined sit-stand capable desk. Ergotron, Inc., a Nortek Company, has solved the desk problem with its announcement of two new Sit-Stand workstations designed just for Apple computer users.The WorkFit comes in two models, the WorkFit-A for desktop iMacs and the WorkFit-P for MacBook users. Both silver solid-aluminum Sit-Stand Workstations are designed to compliment your Mac computers.

The WorkFit A (US$649.00) "includes arm, worksurface, base, keyboard tray support, keyboard tray, desk clamp, grommet mount, assembly fasteners, cable management hardware [and] adjustment tools." Its maximum capacity is...

FireCore has issued v1.5 of Infuse, its iOS video player. Unlike Apple's native Videos app, Infuse supports 14 different formats, including AVI and MKV. Version 1.5 lets users save playback settings for each video, and group TV shows by season. Subtitle toggle and 30-second rewind buttons have been added, and gesture controls can now be used to both fast-forward and rewind 30 seconds....
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Former Apple executive Tony Fadell's company, Nest, launched a new product this week called Nest Protest, the company's effort to reinvent smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) detectors the same way it reinvented thermostats with the original Nest. Nest Protect features "heads up" warnings for less serious smoke detections, and it can be silenced with a wave. The device speaks with a human voice, and if you have multiple units in your house, they speak to one another and let you know where the problem is being detected. If you have a Nest thermostat, it will turn off your furnace if Nest Protect detects CO. One of the niftiest things is that when the lights go out, Nest Protect has a glowing ring that lights up green to let you know the batteries are OK, or yellow to let you know they need to be replaced. No chirping in the middle of the night! They're priced at $129 for pre-order, and come in either a battery-only and wired-power versions.

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As a bona-fide world traveler (yeah, I know -- only 50 countries so far), I love to see new products that make life easier for gadget-toting travelers. Now Satechi has come out with a multi-tasker that should find its way into a lot of gizmo bags. The Smart Travel Router and Adapter (US$44.99 introductory price) is a mashup of that staple of international travel -- the plug adapter -- and a Wi-Fi router.

The charger adapter works in over 150 countries. It's a plug adapter, so there's no voltage/frequency conversion, but most modern electronics chargers work equally well on 220V/50Hz and 120V/60Hz systems. This gives you one AC power port and a 2.1A USB port that can be used simultaneously to charge a couple of devices.

The travel router is really useful, creating a...

Just a few weeks ago, NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile carrier, began carrying the iPhone for the first time. Concurrently, DoCoMo this September lost a record number of subscribers to other carriers, 66,800 to be precise. Meanwhile, rival carriers like SoftBank and KDDI added 270,700 and 232,700 new users respectively.

Oddly enough, DoCoMo attributed its subscriber churn to Apple's inability to keep its store shelves stocked with iPhones.

Bloomberg reports:

DoCoMo attributed the subscriber loss to customers who delayed purchases until after Apple's new mobiles went on sale Sept. 20 and insufficient stock of those handsets, said Atsuko Suzuki, a company spokeswoman. Rival carriers' marketing strategies also hurt sales, she said.

Of course, seeing as Apple's new iPhones didn't launch until September 20, it seems like a stretch to...

iOS 7 has several settings that allow those who are visually impaired to improve the readability of the display. This tip looks at zooming the display and increasing the contrast.

Chris453 writes "In August 2013, President Obama issued a veto to an import ban of the iPhone 4S after Samsung won several court battles against Apple claiming that the iPhone 4S violated several of Samsung's patents. A few months ago, Samsung was on the receiving end of a very similar case filed by Apple. The International Trade Commission decided that several of Samsung's phones (Transform, Acclaim, Indulge, and Intercept models) violated Apple's patents, and should face import bans. Despite the similarities between the two cases, the Obama administration today announced that it would not veto the International Trade Commission import ban against Samsung products. The move that could spark a trade dispute between the U.S. and South Korea."

...

Qualcomm has backtracked from an earlier statement in which a company executive said Apple’s A7 64-bit chip in the iPhone 5s is a marketing gimmick, and that the technical advance had limited benefits in mobile devices.

Image: iFixit

In an interview with the IDG News Service last week, Qualcomm chief marketing officer Anand Chandrasekher said that Apple’s A7 will give iPhone 5s users “zero benefit” beyond more memory addressability. He also said Qualcomm was developing a 64-bit chip, but sees it more beneficial from engineering, chip design and operating system standpoints.

“The comments made by Anand Chandrasekher, Qualcomm CMO, about 64-bit computing were inaccurate,” said a Qualcomm spokesperson in an email. “The mobile hardware and...

Samsung will be barred from importing some of its older phones thanks to a limited exclusion order that Apple won at the International Trade Commission. The exclusion order came out two months ago and kicks in today. The Korean company's last hope was a veto of the order by President Barack Obama, who recently issued a similar veto to protect Apple from an exclusion order.

The news is part of a broad array of patent battles that continue between Apple and Samsung. In this case at the ITC, Samsung products were found to infringe two Apple patents, one related to multitouch technology and another on headphone-jack sensors.

In allowing the exclusion order to go forward, US Trade Representative Michael Froman noted...

Samsung did not receive a hoped-for Obama administration veto of an ITC import ban, according to an official statement by US Trade Representative Michael Froman. "After carefully weighing policy considerations, including the impact on consumers and competition, advice from agencies, and information from interested parties, I have decided to allow [the ban to take effect]," says Froman. Just a small number of older, generally outdated phones will be affected, since more recent devices have worked around the two Apple patents that form the basis for the ban. The patents involve aspects of mul...
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Infuse 1.5

FireCore, the makers of the popular aTV Flash Apple TV software announced today that their media player application Infuse will be receiving a substantial update this fall as it hits version 2.0, with a completely new UI to match iOS 7′s design aesthetic, many new Pro features, and more.

FireCore claims every pixel in Infuse 2.0 has been redrawn, making the app feel completely new. Due to the changes made to the app, Infuse will now require iOS 7, taking advantage of many of the new features the new OS provides. In addition, the ability to browse and play videos...

I’m publishing this guest blog by Dr. Christopher Laincz, because I couldn’t agree more with his opinions. If you don’t agree, be sure to read the pro-PC counter-point article by his colleague Mark Eyerly and sound off in the comments below.

I find myself in a strange town, and I want a cup of coffee. I see a Starbucks and some local dive. I choose Starbucks.

Here’s why: When you walk into Starbucks, you know exactly what you’re getting; and, they’ll customize it to your taste. If they make an error, they fix it immediately. I expect a good experience right from the start.

On the other hand, the local dive might prove great, but it might serve bug-infested sludge.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “risking a...

One of the flagship products of next month's Product (RED) charity auction, a custom Leica rangefinder camera designed by Apple's Jony Ive and fellow industrial design superstar Marc Newson, has been unveiled by the German manufacturer.
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Outgoing Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer dished Tuesday on a new touch-optimized version of his company's Office suite headed for Apple's iPad.
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There's no denying that Eric Schmidt is an incredibly intelligent guy, but the former Google CEO certainly has a penchant for making rather bold and arguably laughable claims.

Recall that, in late 2011, confidently predicted that mobile developers, in just six months time mind you, would begin developing apps for Android before shifting their attention to iOS. Outdoing himself, Schmidt also predicted that "by the summer of 2012, the majority of the televisions you see in stores will have Google TV embedded."

In his latest verbal fumble, Schmidt told a packed house at the Gartner Symposium/ITxpo that Android is more secure than the iPhone. While the phrase "hilarity ensues" is often bandied about in jest, Schmidt's remark literally did elicit laughter from a crowd comprised of CIOs and...

In what seems like a never ending story, retiring Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has announced that the company plans to introduce a touch optimized version of Microsoft Office to iPad customers (via The Verge) after it completes development.

Microsoft plans to first deliver the tablet version of its productivity suite to the Microsoft Surface, its tablet competitor to the iPad, but this is the first we have heard of such plans....

This is just how quickly software development moves.

Per 9to5Mac, Apple has apparently dubbed its future OS X 10.10 operating system “Syrah” (a type of wine), which they’ve begun seeding to Apple employees for internal testing as of early September.

While it’s been reported that Apple is targeting a redesign of the OS X interface to mimic iOS 7′s new look for OS X 10.10, the current nightly builds are said to be nearly identical to the Golden Master version of OS X Mavericks. It’s unlikely that 10.10 seeds...

With a U.S. import ban previously issued by the ITC set to lock out certain Samsung devices at midnight last night, Bloomberg reports that the company has failed to obtain a veto from President Barack Obama:

The Korean company had argued that the ban should be overturned on public policy grounds, especially since a similar order it won against Apple was vetoed by the administration in August. Samsung can now seek a delay in the ban from a U.S. appeals court that will consider the entire case on legal grounds.

“After carefully weighing policy considerations, including the impact on consumers and competition, advice from agencies, and information from interested parties, I have decided to allow” the import ban to proceed, Obama’s designee, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, said in a...

Samsung’s appeal to President Barack Obama’s administration for a veto of an import ban on some of its mobile devices has failed. A U.S. Trade Representative said today that he will allow the ban to go into effect.

“After carefully weighing policy considerations, including the impact on consumers and competition, advice from agencies, and information from interested parties, I have decided to allow the Commission’s determination in [this case] to become final.”
U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman said in a statement.

Won in the International Trade Commission, the ban covers a range of older...

The White House on Tuesday declined to intervene and prevent a ban on the sale of certain Samsung products accused of infringing on Apple patents.
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Sharp

If you have been itching for a 4K Thunderbolt Display from Apple, you may be waiting a little while longer. Sharp is prepared to scratch that itch, though, and intends to add full pen and touch compatibility with OS X later this year. The announcement comes from Mac Otakara (Japanese link) and comes after July's announcement of the PN-K322B 32-inch professional display...

Apple has announced on its investor website that it will release its fourth quarter 2013 fiscal results on Monday, Oct. 28. As usual, a conference call discussing the results can be found on the same website at 5 p.m. Oct. 28. The call will likely feature Apple CEO Tim…

Nest has introduced Nest Protect ($129), a smoke and carbon monoxide alarm. Like the company’s earlier Nest Thermostat, the alarm can be controlled using an iOS app. Nest Protect is able give an early warning to smoke or let users know when carbon monoxide levels are rising by lighting…

Yahoo Mail is officially 16 years old today and to celebrate the company announced on its blog that it is rolling out an entirely new Mail experience on iOS as well as on the desktop and Android. A popular feature of many other mail clients, Yahoo Mail now includes the ability to view...

Hear My Train A Comin’ unveils previously unseen performance footage and home movies taken by Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell while sourcing an extensive archive of photographs, drawings, family letters and more to provide new insight into the musician’s personality and genius. Recently uncovered film footage of Hendrix at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival is among the previously unseen treasures featured in American Masters: Jimi Hendrix – Hear My Train A Comin’.

I can’t wait.

Neale Cousland / Shutterstock.com

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The heartbeat of America

This week's roundup of iOS accessories includes a device that will record your heartbeat, another that makes your iPhone movies look more professional, and, of course, a number of Bluetooth speaker systems.

AliveCor

The $199 AliveCor heart monitor records and displays a single-channel ECG measurement on your iPhone. It’s not a toy, though: You’ll need a prescription from your doctor just to purchase the device.

Altec Lansing

This venerable audio company is back with the $99 SoundBlade, a portable wireless Bluetooth speaker that can stream your music for up to six hours on a single charge. It’s also usable as a speakerphone in conjunction with your iOS device. Most notably, the SoundBlade eliminates confusion about whether your device is paired with the speaker by...