iPad

Apple eyes another patent for solar-powered iPhone

The U.S. Patent and Trademark office published a patent application from Apple today for solar-paneled technology designed for devices with small screens, such as iPhones or iPods.

This "integrated touch sensor and solar assembly" would involve integrating social cells into a touch screen by using electrodes that can pull double duty as a solar cell and a touch sensor. Apple envisions this technology for handheld devices, like "a media player or phone," according to the patent application. In addition to images of different size iPods, the patent application also comes with an image of a screen that's sized for an iPad. … Read more

Never fear, Europe: Mac Pro likely will get update soon

A Mac Pro update may be in the works for this spring, according to a couple of France-based online publications.

Mac4Ever and MacGeneration say France Systemes, an Apple authorized reseller, sent a newsletter to customers that mentioned the launch of the new Mac Pro to replace older systems that will be banned in the European Union as of March 1. The letter said Apple informed the company that a new Mac Pro line will be released this spring.

Apple last week told retailers and distributors in most European countries that it will stop selling the Mac Pro on March 1 … Read more

Apple warns against jailbreaking following evasi0n hack

Apple has tweaked an online article about the dangers of jailbreaking in the wake of a recent hack of iOS code.

The article shows a last-modified date of Sunday, the same day the evasi0n jailbreak tool for iOS 6.0 through 6.1 was due to reach the public. The tool didn't actually pop up until Monday, but the timing of the modified article certainly points to concern on Apple's part.

Exactly what was updated in Apple's article is difficult to know. But the company cites a range of hazards that it associates with jailbreaking, including instability, … Read more

Dueling disks: Apple's 128GB response to Surface Pro

With the 128GB iPad, Apple is obviously trying to steal thunder from Microsoft's Saturday roll out of the Surface Pro. But that doesn't mean you can equate the iPad's disk performance with the Surface Pro's.

Apple's carefully-timed release of the 128GB iPad ostensibly puts the iPad's storage on par with Microsoft's 128GB Surface Pro, which will go on sale Saturday.

Well, not quite.

Apple is using a flash drive optimized for power efficiency, while Microsoft's solid-state drive favors speed -- the same kind of drive used in ultrabooks. (And Apple's MacBooks, … Read more

Hidden 'radio' buttons discovered in Apple's iOS 6.1

There's a hint that Apple has something new in the pipeline, and the company appears to have tucked it away inside the latest version of its iOS software.

Discovered last night within a freshly jailbroken iPad: a set of buttons and code references for "radio," a feature found in iTunes on Macs and PCs, but not on the iPad or iPhone. Making things more interesting is another button suggesting you can make purchases via the radio feature, presumably from iTunes.

The buttons, which were spotted by 9to5Mac, hint at Apple's much-rumored radio service, a product that … Read more

The 128GB iPad hits the Apple Store, starting at $799

Apple's 128GB iPad is now for sale

.

The storage-stuffed iPad Apple was announced just last week. It is identical to the fourth-generation iPad that Apple launched last year, except that it doubles the then-highest storage option of 64GB. And with the extra 64GB comes a bump in price. Apple's 128GB iPad starts at $799 for the Wi-Fi-only model, and those who want cellular connectivity will need to pay $929.

As of this writing, the Wi-Fi-only model is available to ship in one to three business days. Interestingly, the version capable of connecting to AT&T's network … Read more

Latest jailbreak for iOS arrives, works with iPhone 5

Despite Apple's best efforts to keep users from gaining deep access to its iOS software, it's proven to be a cat-and-mouse game that just won't quit.

The latest -- from the mouse front -- is a tool called evasi0n, which was released this morning. The software jailbreaks the most recent version of Apple's iOS 6 software, something that's already been accomplished. However this new, much-awaited tool continues to work even if you restart your iPhone or iPad, and also works with the iPhone 5. … Read more

iPad Mini wait times fall to 1 to 3 days in U.S.

Delivery estimates for the iPad Mini from the U.S. Apple store have improved from 3 to 5 days in January to 1 to 3 days.

Either demand for the iPad Mini is slowing or Apple has been able to ramp up production faster than expected. During the quarterly earnings call last month, Cook acknowledged that Apple fell short on fulfilling demand for the iPad Mini. "Customers love the Mini and we wish that we could have made more and we ended the quarter with significant backlog," he said. Apple sold 22.86 million iPads last quarter, up … Read more

Court nixes Apple's re-try at a Samsung Galaxy Nexus ban

Apple has whiffed again in its attempt to get a court to ban Samsung products in the U.S.

The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., said it will stand by an earlier ruling rejecting Apple's request to ban U.S. sales of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone. Apple had asked the court to reconsider its earlier decision.

The move is the latest blow to Apple's long-running battle with Android handset makers. Apple and Samsung have been embroiled in litigation for months, each accusing the other of patent infringement. Apple won a big victory last year, … Read more