iPod

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

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

1964 Ears makes custom-molded, in-ear headphones, just like Ultimate Ears, JH Audio, and Westone, but 1964 Ears is a relative newcomer. It has to try harder than the more established brands, so 1964 Ears offers a wider array of customizable features and service options than the others. Prices start a little lower, at $350 for the 1964-D, and $650 for the top-of-the-line model I'm reviewing here today, the 1964-V6. That's significantly less expensive than the established brands' flagships.

1964 Ears can also "remold" your old universal-fit balanced-armature headphones, like a Shure or Etymotic pair, and make … Read more

SAN FRANCISCO -- Amid the sea of screen covers, phone cases, battery packs and software hawkers at Macworld's iWorld conference there was a strange sight: archery.

No, there weren't actual arrows flying around San Francisco's Moscone Center. Instead, it was people squinting down the crosshairs of a bow hooked up to an iPod Touch, pulling back a real string in the hopes of nailing virtual targets.

The device, called the Bowblade, is a $185 peripheral, designed by a chiropractor named Ron Green. It's designed as both an exercise tool and gaming rig, though how it works … Read more

Feeling the storage crunch on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad? A free utility may be able to help.

Last summer, CNET's Matthew Elliott took iMobie's PhoneClean for a test drive. The utility provides a "digital colonic" (Matt's words), cleansing any iOS device of useless and unnecessary files that might be consuming valuable space.

However, Matt wasn't willing to subject his iPhone 4S to PhoneClean's mysterious ministrations, only his iPad.

Wuss.

As the braver, dumber, blogger, I decided to let the newly updated PhoneClean 2.0 do its thing on my iPhone 4S. … Read more

DTS demonstrated its new Headphone:X surround processing system at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. The system is capable of reproducing up to 11 channels of surround sound over conventional stereo headphones. I didn't hear it, but a few friends at the show who heard the Headphone:X demo came away impressed with its ability to project a sound field well outside the confines of the headphones. DTS is promoting Headphone:X technology as HTiP -- Home Theater in Pocket, and claims that the system can emulate the DTS reference listening room or a … Read more

Apple just reported its first quarter earnings, and they were huge, though they missed Wall Street's expectations.

The iPhone and iPad maker posted revenue of $54.5 billion and earnings of $13.1 billion, or $13.81 per share. That was just below the $54.7 billion and slightly above the earnings per share of $13.44 Wall Street was expecting, but above the $52 billion and $11.75 per share Apple forecast for itself back in October.

Apple sold 47.8 million iPhones during the quarter, which ended in December. Sales of the iPad came in at 22.… Read more

The iPhone may be in store for a tough quarter, according to one analyst.

Apple will give up some of its smartphone market share in the March quarter, "raising concern about the on-going dominance of the iPhone," Citi analyst Glen Yeung said in an investors note out today. He cited strong demand for Samsung devices as the reason.

Recent reports say that Apple slashed iPhone 5 component orders for the current quarter, triggering concerns that demand for the flagship phone has diminished. Several analysts believe such concerns are overblown, instead attributing the cuts to improved manufacturing yields for … Read more

Apple reports its first-quarter earnings this week, and the results could not be more closely watched for signs of the company's health and future.

The story is well-known by now. Shares of Apple's stock have been on the decline, going from $702 in late September to a close at an even $500 last week. That's a 28.4 percent drop in just over four months. Positive results -- and a look ahead when Apple puts out its numbers Wednesday -- could turn that trend.

Apple forecast $52 billion in revenue and earnings of $11.75 per share … Read more