ios

Break off a piece of that BlackBerry and friend some strangers on Facebook:

BlackBerry maker Research In Motion has long been struggling to turn the company around. With thousands of layoffs ongoing, it could be time for the company to try something drastic. One report says RIM is considering spliting itself into two companies by diving the messaging network from the hardware side, and possibly selling the hardware division. RIM didn't comment on specifics of this report by The Sunday Times. But RIM did say it is examining a wide-range of strategies. Perhaps new BlackBerry 10 devices can shake … Read more

Google launched its Google IO developer conference in 2008, when it was gearing up to tackle the mobile phone industry. The company had acquired Andy Rubin's company, Android Inc., in 2005, and was preparing to bring the OS to market. It needed a legion of informed and excited developers. The 2008 Google IO conference charged up the audience for Android, but there was a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem for the new operating system. Nobody had the hardware.

By the time the 2009 Google IO conference came around, there was still only one Android phone on the … Read more

As if actual Microsoft product launches haven't been in the news enough this week (ahem, Surface tablet and Windows Phone 8), rumors of the road map for the long-anticipated new Xbox are heating up.

A PowerPoint presentation posted to NeoGAF forums claims to divulge Microsoft's secret product launch plans. No, not the launch codes -- this isn't a nuclear crisis, though the excitement among Xbox gamers is verging on nuclear. (See what I did there?) The document has NOT been authenticated, and Microsoft is mum on the issue, but its contents are in line with previous rumors. … Read more

June is the perfect time for backyard barbecues, lemonade and tablet warfare:

Microsoft is taking tablets into its own hands with the Surface. And next week, so will Google. It's expected that Google will show off the Nexus tablet at its developers conference that begins next week. And some reports have Google's tablet launching in July -- which will likely be before the Surface hits stores.

The Surface boasts solid hardware, a kickstand and a cover that also serves as a keyboard. But how much will it cost? All we know is that the light version, using Windows … Read more

Apple's iOS 6 software development kit comes with a new Auto Layout feature. And now, some are wondering whether that indicates Apple will be launching a new iPhone this year with a larger screen.

Auto Layout essentially allows developers to establish parameters for how user interface elements show up on a screen. Depending on a device's resolution, those elements will move to their correct place, based on the parameters established by the developer.

TechCrunch yesterday asked whether that feature indicates an iPhone with a larger display will launch soon. The blog said that it spoke with one developer … Read more

One of the wonderful benefits HBO subscribers get these days is HBO Go, an online -- or mobile -- service that lets them access almost all of the network's archive.

But today, clearly embarrassed by the firestorm caused by an episode of its hit series "Game of Thrones" featuring former President George W. Bush's decapitated head on a spike, HBO has yanked the episode from both HBO Go and iTunes.

The controversy first arose earlier this week when the Web site io9 posted a story about its discovery of the Bush head in episode 10 of … Read more

The App Store is home to lots of weather apps, most of which are good at forecasting the upcoming days and even hours. But few excel at telling you what the clouds might bring in the next hour.

That's where Dark Sky comes in. This new app, the product of a successful Kickstarter campaign, predicts the weather for your exact location for up to 60 minutes.

That could prove incredibly handy in a number of situations. For example, should you flee the beach in advance of those ominous-looking clouds? Nope, turns out they're going to blow right past; … Read more

A faux iPhone 5 commercial apparently created by a 17-year-old from Oklahoma with some serious video production chops sets a pretty high bar for the much-anticipated next-generation smartphone.

This short video from Dakota Adney, who lists his location as a small town near Tulsa, imagines a new iPhone with iOS 6, a quad-core A5 chip, a see-through Retina Display, and a virtual projected keyboard to provide much-needed relief for the fat-thumbed.… Read more

On Monday, shortly after Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference, we showed you how to install the first iOS 6 developer preview on your iOS devices, but not an Apple TV.

As I previously warned, and will warn again, installing a beta operating system is for developers who are testing applications. It is not for individuals. There will be bugs and issues, sometimes rendering your device near useless.

You will need to be part of the iOS Developer Program with Apple and have access to the proper files, as well as access to registering the UDID (Unique Device Identifier ) of … Read more