News

Apple approaches 50 billion downloads, once again offers up 10K prize

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, May 2, 2013 a 7:36 pm

Apple is approaching yet another App Store milestone -- this time 50 billion downloads. To celebrate, they're once again offering a big chunk of iTunes bucks, and a few bonus prizes as well. Apple says:

Apple expands SSD options for configure-to-order iMacs

By Peter Cohen, Thursday, May 2, 2013 a 2:45 pm

If you're in the market for a new iMac and you value raw speed over storage capacity, you may be interested in a recent change at Apple's online store. Apple is offering new storage options for iMac buyers interested in configuring their systems with Solid State Drives (SSDs), according to Eric Slivka at MacRumors. Now Apple will configure 21.5-inch and 27-inch iMacs with 256GB and 512GB SSDs. You'll add $300 or $600 to the cost of your machine, respectively.

Apple releases iOS 6.1.4 for iPhone 5, updates audio profile for speakerphone

By Allyson Kazmucha, Thursday, May 2, 2013 a 1:33 pm

If you own an iPhone 5, you'll soon be seeing the iOS 6.1.4 update show up if you haven't already. The update appears to only be for iPhone 5 users and contains an update to the audio profile for speakerphone.

Adobe Lightroom product manager demonstrates RAW processing on iPad

By Rene Ritchie, Thursday, May 2, 2013 a 9:01 am

If editing DSLR photos on an iPad in their original, RAW format is the holy grail for many professional photographers and hobbyist alike, editing DSLR photos on an iPad, in RAW, using Adobe's workflow is likely the holiest of holies. It just might also be a reality, if not today, then at some point in a future that's near-ish. In fact, it's already been previewed on popular photography podcast, The Grid. Here's the description:

T-Mobile + MetroPCS merger finalized

By Joseph Keller, Wednesday, May 1, 2013 a 8:57 pm

The T-Mobile USA/MetroPCS merger has been finalized. The merged company will be known as T-Mobile US, Inc., and will trade under the stock symbol TMUS. T-Mobile will leverage the spectrum from MetroPCS in order to build out it’s LTE network, which they only began to rollout at the end of March. BusinessWire reports:

U.S. Department of Defense set to approve Apple devices soon

By Joseph Keller, Wednesday, May 1, 2013 a 8:57 pm

The US Department of Defense, which has been preparing to allow its employees to use iPhones and certain Android devices for some time, is expected to grant security approval for devices from Apple and Samsung in the coming weeks. There will be separate security approvals for iOS and Samsung Galaxy device. DoD employees will be allowed to use iPhones and iPads for non-classified communications like email. According to the Wall Street Journal:

AT&T introduces new trade in program, offers $100 for your old smartphone

By Joseph Keller, Wednesday, May 1, 2013 a 5:58 pm

AT&T will begin a program tomorrow that offers at least $100 off the purchase of a smartphone when a customer trades in their current AT&T smartphone. The offer applies to any smartphone sold by the carrier, including the iPhone. According to AT&T:

iOS 7 will debut on time, of course

By Rene Ritchie, Wednesday, May 1, 2013 a 5:43 pm

While I ascribe to the theory of multiple universes, and there may indeed be several in which Apple is a clown made entirely of candy, in precisely none of them was iOS 7 not going to ship on time. If you need any more evidence of that, I give your Mr. John Paczkowski of AllThingsD:

Instacast releases free beta for Mac users

By Allyson Kazmucha, Wednesday, May 1, 2013 a 12:49 pm

Vemedio has made a public beta version of their popular iOS podcast app, Instacast, for the Mac. If you're a Mac user, and an Instacast user, you'll no doubt already be salivating at the thought of perfectly synced podcast bliss.

T-Mobile offers free access to MLB At Bat streaming

By Joseph Keller, Wednesday, May 1, 2013 a 11:14 am

T-Mobile USA, the official carrier sponsor of Major League Baseball, is offering free access to some streaming features of the MLB At Bat 13 app. TmoNews reports that customers who download the app via T-Mobile’s network between today, May 1, and June 30 will have access to the Game of the Day, along with radio broadcasts and highlights from the day’s other games.