iOS

Tim Cook: What, me worry?

For the last few years, Tim Cook has masterfully steered Apple through a difficult transition period following the death of Steve Jobs. Apple's products continued to define their categories, sales set new records, the stock spent a short time above $700, and the company has managed to garner the majority of industry profit for smartphones and tablets.

But Cook is now facing his biggest challenge since taking over as CEO, for a number of reasons, including "What have you done for me lately." But he doesn't seem to be too worried about the competition or the … Read more

Want a free iPhone 5? Try Best Buy's limited trade-in program

Got an old iPhone lying around? For one day only, you can trade that for a free iPhone 5 at Best Buy.

Best Buy on Saturday will give customers a $150 trade-in credit for any working iPhone 4 or 4S, making the iPhone 5 free. The only out-of-pocket costs for the customer will be any applicable sales tax on the new phone and any applicable carrier activation fees.

Customers must be eligible for an upgrade and activate the iPhone 5 on a two-year contract with Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint to take advantage of the offer. The deal isn'… Read more

Atheer bringing 3D augmented reality and gesture control to Android

RANCHO PALOS VERDES, Calif. -- Stealth startup Atheer came out of the shadows at the D: All Things Digital conference here, unveiling its wearable 3D augmented reality platform that works on top of Android and potentially other mobile operating systems.

Atheer's technology employs stereoscopic glasses and a 3D camera to track hand movements to manipulate virtual objects in real space, similar in concept to the portrayals of gesture control in movies like "Minority Report" and "Avatar."

"We are the first mobile 3D platform delivering the human interface. We are taking the touch experience on … Read more

Android poised to overtake Apple in tablets, ABI says

Apple's iPad has dominated the tablet market since it first launched, but that's going to change.

Apple exited the first quarter of the year with 50 percent share of all tablet shipments, but Android is poised to overtake iOS in tablets, ABI Research said Thursday. The tech research firm didn't provide a timeline for the shift but said the big variable for Android is China.

The country is "passionate about the Apple brand," ABI said, but smaller, 7-inch Android tablets grown in popularity. A push for low-cost tablets, generally less than $200, keeps Android relevant … Read more

Apple screen could react to the force of your touch

Your future iPhone or iPad could offer an interactive touch screen that reacts to the pressure exerted by your touch.

Published Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office, an Apple patent application called "Embedded force measurement" takes the concept of tapping on your touch screen at least one step further. Instead of just lightly tapping on your screen, you would actually press down on it to activate a command. The phone would measure the force of your tap and respond accordingly.

As one example, an on-screen icon could let you control the volume of your device. … Read more

Apple patent application eyes eye-tracking technology

Apple may be aiming to challenge Samsung over eye-tracking technology.,

An Apple patent application, dubbed "Electronic Devices With Gaze Detection Capabilities," was published Thursday by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The application describes a feature in which your mobile device reacts to the movement of your head or eyes.

Turn your head or eyes away from the device, and the screen dims. Look back at the device, and the screen returns to life. Looking away could also put the entire device in standby mode, meaning certain functions are powered down to preserve battery power. In yet … Read more

Rumor Has It: Who wants to play used games on the Xbox One? Everybody!

What a week it's been, amirite? Microsoft held an hour-long event where it introduced the next-generation Xbox, called the Xbox One, and we're left with as many questions as when we started.

The most important question on everyone's lips, however, is whether the Xbox One will play used games. What do you think? If it doesn't play used games, would that be a deal breaker? Leave a comment below.

We revisit some colorful iPhone rumors, for no other reason than that they just keep popping up. Google might do something awesome across the world, and iOS … Read more

Tim Cook at AllThingsD: Join us Tuesday, 6 p.m. PT (live blog)

After a grilling by U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations about Apple's tax practices last week, an interview with Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at D: All Things Digital conference Tuesday evening will be like a walk in the park for Tim Cook. Cook's chat will kick off the conference and starts at 6 p.m. PT.

The Apple CEO will likely address questions about his views on tax policy and the growth of the mobile market, as well as Apple's competitive battles with Samsung, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and others. Samsung, with its broad array … Read more

Verizon Cloud adds online storage for iOS devices

iPhone and iPad owners can now use Verizon Cloud to back up key information from their devices.

The cloud-based system debuted late last month for Verizon subscribers using specific Android devices. As of yesterday, an app is also available for iOS users.

Owners of Samsung's Galaxy S4 and HTC's Droid DNA can also now access Verizon Cloud through its Android app via Google Play. Verizon provides a full list of compatible devices via the Check your Device button on its Verizon Cloud Web site.

Before you can tap into the app, you first need to sign up for … Read more

Apple's iOS 7 overhaul said taking a black-and-white tack

Jonathan Ive, Apple's senior vice president of industrial design and the new design chief for iOS, has one idea in mind for the mobile operating system: out with the old and in with the new.

According to 9to5Mac, which cited unidentified sources who claim to have knowledge of the major changes intended for the upcoming iOS 7, Ive's new design ideas boil down to "black, white, and flat all over." What that means, the sources told 9to5Mac, is that Ive has decided to drop the textures, the shiny icons, and the lifelike design features in favor … Read more