iPod

Apple is once again rumored to be looking into carbon fiber as a material for use in a future product. Citing a source within a Japanese company that produces carbon fiber, Japanese Apple blog Macotakara today says Apple has ordered up "large" samples of the product.

The outlet didn't into specifics about where that carbon fiber might be headed, short of noting that Apple has filed for patents that make mention of carbon fiber, and is on the lookout for a senior engineer to work on carbon in Japan.

Rumors about Apple and carbon fiber have been … Read more

Since Apple's iPhone 5 became official on September 12, it's been an emotional roller coaster for tech enthusiasts. There have been plenty of highs -- It's so light! It's got 4G! Beautiful screen! -- but they've been tempered with some disappointing lows, too.

On the software side, Apple's decision to move to a Google-free maps app has been the biggest sticking point. On the hardware front, there's still grumbling about the death of the venerable 30-pin dock port, which has been a mainstay of iPhone (and iPod) design since the early days.

For many, the transition from 30-pin to Lightning has meant an express trip through the stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, and even depression. But now that the iPhone 5 is here, it's time for acceptance -- let's make the best of this.… Read more

Apple's new Lightning cable technology has gotten kudos from reviewers for its smaller size and reversibility, though some users are experiencing troubles getting the USB end of the cables to unplug from their computers and other devices.

CNET readers have e-mailed us, pointing to a pair of support threads on Apple's site (here and here) in which several people describe problems getting the cables out of the USB ports on their computers, with some going so far as to break out pliers and even take their machines into one of Apple's retail stores to get the cable … Read more

For those who haven't yet upgraded to Apple's iOS 6, or who can't upgrade because they're using an older device, there's an air of uncertainty about just how long they'll get to be able to use one of its most useful features.

That feature is maps, something that used to be powered by Google in iOS versions 1 to 5, but which now uses data from Apple in iOS 6.

Love it or hate it, Apple Maps are here to stay. But can you say the same about the old version?

Neither company is … Read more

It's only been a day since iOS 6 went live, but the world has sounded with a Greek chorus of complaints over the new Maps app made by Apple.

In case you don't already know, iOS 6 makes a big change in your iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch's mapping features. It removes the Google Maps app that you've long used and replaces it with Apple's home-baked mapping service. At first, you may not notice the change since the app's icon, and much of the interface looks almost the same. Once you try to use … Read more

Just a day after the release of Apple's iOS 6 mobile operating system, 15 percent of iOS users have upgraded to the new version, a new report says.

Advertising and analytics company Chitika today says that 15 percent of iOS devices are now running iOS 6, which was released for download in the early morning Wednesday.

That number comes from what Chitika says is "a sample of millions of mobile ad impressions" from its advertising network between yesterday and today.

"This level of adoption is a significant development and a testament to the vertical product structure … Read more

Good news for all you Nikon D800 owners who have a third-generation iPad or are about to buy an iPhone 5: the new iPhoto 1.1 iOS app now can handle your 36.3-megapixel images.

iPhoto 1.0 for iOS, or version 1.1 on earlier iPhones and iPods, could handle only 19-megapixel images, which ruled out its use on photos from higher-end cameras such as Canon's 5D Mark II and Mark III and Sony's NEX-7.

The support for images up to 36.5 megapixels is one of a slew of features and fixes in the iPhoto 1.1 update … Read more

iOS 6 became available for download today, and if you want to get up to speed on what exactly is included with the update, check out my review here. Some of the major highlights are the completely redesigned Maps app, upgrades to Siri, and several other new features. But with iOS 6 there are more than 200 new features, and clearly I couldn't cover them all in my review.

Part of what makes this update a must-have for Apple's mobile devices are the numerous smaller tweaks that make using your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch easier. I'm … Read more

What is the new Lightning connector? Unveiled at the press conference announcing the iPhone 5 and 2012 iPod lineup, the proprietary Lightning connector replaces the 30-pin connector found on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod since 2003. Like the 30-pin connector, the Lightning connector is used for charging the device as well as syncing content and data and audio and video output. The new devices come with a USB 2.0-to-Lightning cable.

How is it different from the 30-pin connector? It's 80 percent smaller yet sturdier, and it's reversible, so you don't have to worry about which side … Read more