iOS software

Getting started with Notability for iPad

If you have been back in school and are still searching for the right note-taking app for your iPad, Notability brings a lot to the table, or desk in a lecture hall, as it were. This 99-cent app combines note-taking via keyboard of apps such as Drafts and Outline+ with the inking capability of a sketch app such as Paper. If your note-taking needs require both methods, I think you'll find a lot to like about Notability.

When you first launch the app, it opens to a document titled "Welcome to Notability." It's an interactive guide … Read more

Apple's iOS 6 set for 10 a.m. PT launch, leaked image claims

Editors' note, 10:03 a.m. PT: Apple pushed iOS 6 live about 20 minutes ago. Get the full lowdown in CNET's review of iOS 6.

Apple's iOS 6 is definitely launching today. But when exactly? A new image that's popped up on the Web might just tell us.

Twitter user "JamesIsFierce" today posted what is purported to be a schedule of "release times for iOS 6." The image shows locations around the world with corresponding times. According to the image, the operating system will be made available to people in the U.… Read more

5 things that surprised me about the iPhone 5

After a week of using the iPhone 5, I've posted my review of Apple's new phone on CNET. Which brings me to wondering: how much can a familiar-looking device that we've seemingly known about for months be capable of surprising anyone, much less a tech editor?

For me, the iPhone 5 surprised in the following ways.

The weight Shaving about an ounce off a phone's heft doesn't sound like a lot, and I've always been skeptical of incremental reductions (20 percent lighter!), but the first thing that shocked me when I picked up the … Read more

So, what's new? Comparing the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5

After months of rumors, endless "leaked" images, and tons of analyst reports, Apple finally introduced its latest smartphone, the iPhone 5 last week. In addition to its new look, it also received some hardware and feature updates. To see what changed and what stayed the same, CNET put together this handy comparison chart that stacks up the device with its previous iteration, the iPhone 4S. Take a look and be sure to read our full iPhone 5 review.

iPhone 4S                  &… Read more

Getting started with Paper for iPad

Some ideas are better scribbled down than typed out.

Paper basically turns your iPad into a cocktail napkin for jotting down sketches and ideas. The app is free, though there are a handful of in-app purchases that allow you to expand the tools in your palette, which turns that cocktail napkin into a blank canvas.… Read more

Arcade football games for iOS

We're now in the second week of the NFL football season, and if you're a fan of the game you probably already know when and where you're going to watch your favorite team play this weekend. But when it's not game watching time in the middle of the week, or even at halftime, these are some great games that make you a part of the action without getting too involved.

There are full American football game options at the App Store like Madden NFL 12 and Gameloft's NFL series, but neither are nearly as good as what you would find on a console and the touch-screen interfaces leave a lot to be desired. That's why instead of talking about those games here, I went with easier to pick up and play arcade-like football games that won't keep you glued to your iPhone for a long time.

This week's collection of iOS apps let you focus on playing as specific players on a football team. The first focuses on running, letting you dodge tackles, and even showboat as you run into the end zone. The second lets you play as a kicker, sending the football through the goal posts or trying to get the perfect punt right by the goal line. The third puts you in the shoes of a quarterback as you swipe to make perfect passes to moving receivers.… Read more

Ad tracking 'blocker' comes to iOS 6

Apple has built into iOS 6 a new toggle that will let you prevent advertisers from hitting you with targeted ads, but slow implementation of its new Advertising Identifier number means you could still see targeted ads on your iPhone for the foreseeable future.

First reported by 9to5Mac, the Limit Ad Tracking option is designed to prevent advertisers from tracking your behavior on the phone. It's a lot like a phone-based version of Do Not Track, except one that advertisers will be forced to obey since iOS is a proprietary system.

The toggle is available in iOS 6 general … Read more

Which phone should you buy?

This story, originally published September 14, 2012, updates often to reflect the arrival of new phones.

"Which phone should I buy?" This is the single most common question readers like you ask us phone reviewers every day. With the launch of a new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone and upcoming BlackBerry Q10 joining the Apple iPhone 5, a legion of excellent Android handsets, and the rise of Microsoft's Windows phones, the choices are more numerous than ever before.

On the bright side, options are a good thing -- if you're armed with the knowledge necessary to make smart shopping decisions. Sit tight as we lay out what you need to find the right mobile platform and model for you.… Read more

Apple lists where iOS 6 features are available (and not)

Apple's iOS 6 might come with over 200 improvements, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're coming to an iPhone near you.

Apple has posted a list on its Web site showing which countries will be able to use some of its mobile operating system's latest features. The standard Maps application, for example, will be available all over the world, stretching from the U.S. to Latvia and Vietnam. However, the platform's 3D Buildings feature is available only to U.S.-based users. Its Traffic feature is available in 23 countries, including Australia, China, the … Read more