iOS

NBA lockout games for iOS

Whether you're a sports fan or not, basketball games are often some of the best-made games on any platform. The latest news in the ongoing NBA lockout (which began July 1) is that the owners have decided to skip the preseason entirely, and if the players and owners don't come to an agreement by the end of the day on Monday, they may start to cancel regular season games.

Whichever side of the argument you're on, the iTunes App Store has more than enough basketball-type games to keep you occupied. What's particularly interesting is how developers have come up with clever ways to use the touch screen to play basketball-like games.

This week's collection of apps is all about basketball. The first lets you slam-dunk a basketball with a swipe of your finger. The second lets you shoot baskets and challenge others online against a sci-fi backdrop. The third is the iOS version of a megapopular console basketball game.… Read more

The 404 920: Where we're on a 7-second delay (podcast)

Wilson's out sick today so CNET Labs' Joseph Kaminski fills in with a 7-second delay, just in case.

Today we're discussing the controversial details of Steve Jobs' use of psychedelic drugs, what's being taught at Cupertino's Apple University, pre-crime becoming a reality, and this morning's speedbumps for iPhone 4S preorders.

The 404 Digest for Episode 920

Pre-crime might become a reality. Unlocked iPhone 4S coming in November. Galaxy Nexus launch delayed due to Jobs' death. Sprint to cover 120M people with 4G LTE next year (scoop). Did dropping acid make Steve Jobs more creative? Steve Jobs' virtual DNA to be fostered in Apple University. Superman fan turns to surgery to become Man of Steel. Florida school district taking attendance by scanning students' fingers. Google-designed Nikes prove Google has no taste. Fear abounds in images from Nightmares Fear Factory.

Episode 920 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Adobe reboots for apps and Web--with dash of Flash

commentary For all the folks out there who love to bash Adobe Systems for its Flash Player software, it's time to take a fresh look at the company.

Because today's Adobe is very different than the one that long promoted Flash as the way to a rich, interactive Web. Adobe is being reborn as a Web technology company that is advancing Web standards, not promoting its own in-house technology alternative at the expense of those standards.

It's not just Web standards making an appearance, either. Adobe also is moving beyond the personal-computer era with serious apps for … Read more

Apple iPhone 4S unveiled (roundup)

The wait is over. Apple announces the next incarnation of its smartphone--an iPhone 4S. We've got you covered on all things iPhone.

Apple's next iPhone makes its debut The company shows off the iPhone 4S, which is essentially the current model with newer components. It also sets a release time for iCloud and iOS 5, and cuts the prices on the iPods. Photos: Apple raises curtain on new iPhone (Posted in Apple by Roger Cheng) October 4, 2011 11:58 AM PDT

iPhone 4S letdown: Why it doesn't matter Those looking for a complete overhaul of the … Read more

Can't wait for Siri? Try Vlingo

The coolest technology on display at Tuesday's Apple event? Siri, no doubt about it. This new voice-recognition system promises to transform the way we use our iPhones.

Just one problem: you can't have it yet. Apple didn't say when Siri, which is still in beta, will be available, so it could be months before you're telling your iPhone what to do. Update: My mistake. Siri will be bundled with the iPhone 4S, albeit in beta form. Plus, only iPhone 4S owners will be able to get in on the voice-powered action, owing to Siri's steep processing requirements.

If you don't want to wait, or don't want to buy a 4S, try Vlingo. Arguably the "original" voice assistant for the iPhone, this free app lets you accomplish a lot just by speaking. You can post updates to Facebook and Twitter, run a Web search, look up destinations on a map, place a call, and so on.… Read more

Android widens smartphone market lead over iOS

Android has taken a more commanding lead over iOS in the U.S., research firm ComScore is reporting.

According to the company, Android secured 43.7 percent of the U.S. smartphone OS market during the three-month period ended August 2011, jumping 5.6 percentage points from the 38.1 percent market share it had at the end of May. Apple's iOS platform came in second place with 27.3 percent market share at the end of August, ComScore said. In the three-month period ended May, Apple's operating system secured 26.6 percent of the U.S. smartphone … Read more

It's all Apple

Apple announces the iPhone 4S with Siri and a new 8-megapixel camera, the iPods get a slight refresh and price drop, and AppleCare+ finally gives customers accidental damage protection.

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

The 404 918: Where a phone by any other name would smell as sweet (podcast)

The band is back together again, just in time for the release of the Apple iPhone 4S. Like everyone else in the first world, we have our share of complaints, but to whine about its aesthetics is to downplay the exciting changes to iOS 5, so we'll try to keep it posi without coming off as fanboiz.

We'll review CNET's First Take of the iPhone 4S at the start of the episode, beginning with a pedestrian explanation of its network connectivity options, and go over some of the more exciting features about iOS 5, things like Newsstand, iCloud with Find My Friends, Cards, and a new AppleCare+ accidental protection package.

And just to explore the playful side of yesterday's announcements, we'll tell you why Japanese customers are chuckling at the name Siri and show you a Steve Jobs Soundboard that could offer useful buying suggestions for potential upgraders.

After the first bathroom break, we'll move onto the general tech stories of the day, including a money dispute that could finally kill "The Simpsons" after 23 seasons, Google's first adult daycare center, a batch of rereleased Disney movies in 3D, and NASA seeking applicants for its next astronaut class in 2013.

The 404 Digest for Episode 918

CNET's complete coverage of the Apple iPhone 4S. Get $200 back for your iPhone 4. Money dispute may end 'Simpsons' Google opens first retail store for Chromebooks. Seriously, Apple? In Japan, Siri fans bottom jokes.

Are Disney's 3D rereleases helping people change their minds about 3D? NASA seeking applicants for next astronaut candidate class. Bathroom break 1: Nancy Grace might have farted on last night's Dancing With the Stars. Bathroom break 2: The Museum of Obselete Objects Presents: The Fax Machine.

Episode 918 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

6 ways the iPhone 4S, iOS 5 fall short in the car

The Internet almost split today under the duress of a billion users clicking around for the latest and greatest news from Apple's "Let's talk iPhone" keynote. But as the dust settles on the iPhone 4S reveal and the announcement of iOS 5, users are also finding themselves of split opinion about what they saw. Like most who tuned in to CNET's obsessive coverage, I'm slightly disappointed at what I saw. Not because it wasn't amazing (it wasn't) but because of all of the missed opportunities for Apple to gain ground in the … Read more

Developers get iOS 5 gold master

This probably shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, given that iOS 5 is arriving in consumers' hands next week, but Apple today gave developers a final copy of the software they can use to fine-tune their apps for compatibility.

Apple posted the gold master of the software on its developer site following this morning's announcements. Worth noting is that existing developers cannot install it as an over-the-air update, and they must use one of the recent developer betas of iTunes from the past two months.

The release today comes just after the date range predicted by … Read more