Apple

After less than 10 days on the App Store, Apple this past week gave the boot to "Bang With Friends", an app that seemingly runs afoul of Apple's efforts to keep the App Store as reasonably wholesome and free of smut as possible. In case you're unfamiliar, "Bang With Friends" is an app that seeks to match up Facebook users with friends who share a common interest in, oh, how shall I phrase this, amorous relations. This past weekend, "Bang With Friends" co-founder and CEO Colin Hodge confirmed the app's removal with Valleywag. Hodge did, however, note that he's currently working with Apple to get it back in the App Store. While it stands to reason that the app was removed due to its mature nature, Hodge says that Apple hasn't yet given him a reason as to why the app was removed. Interestingly enough, TechCrunch this past Friday ran an article detailing how Zynga -- the purveyors of the ever popular "Words With Friends" app -- recently served the developers of "Cupid With Friends" with papers indicating that the name of their app infringes upon Zynga's trademark. Zynga's letter reads in part: Zynga has consistently used and promoted the 'WITH FRIENDS Family of Trademarks together as a family and, as a result of Zynga's extensive marketing efforts and commercial success, the 'WITH FRIENDS Family of Trademarks is strongly identified by consumers with Zynga's reputation for quality. That being the case, perhaps its also possible that the removal of "Bang With Friends" has something to do with Zynga's efforts to protect its intellectual property. That theory is somewhat flawed, however, to the extent that the app is still available for download on the Google Play store. In any event, while Apple's App Store rejection and approval process is no longer the hot button controversy it once was, every so often Apple gives us a little reminder of its desire to keep the App Store clean. For instance, Apple this past January temporarily removed the popular photo-based 500px app due to concerns that users could too easily use it to search for nude photos. One week later, the App was reinstated after developers added a new feature enabling users to flag inappropriate content for removal. Apple removes "Bang With Friends" from the App Store originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Game Center, now on OS X as well as iOS, is Apple’s online leader board and game matching system. It lets you challenge your friends for both real-time as well as asynchronous multiplayer gaming, as well as give you bragging rights each time you beat out your frenemy’s high score on a Mac game you both play. Did you know, however, that Game Center also lets you challenge your buddies on iOS, as well? With Two Towers, you can issue your challenge from your Mac, and your friend will be able to accept that challenge on their iPhone or iPad. You can then both play together, cross-platform. Cool, right? Here’s how to make it work. Two Towers is a pretty deep strategy card game with some gorgeous hand-drawn artwork. The idea is to play cards and spells that weaken the enemy tower while defending and growing your own. The first tower to zero loses the game. Download Two Towers onto your Mac from the Mac App Store. Enter your iTunes ID and password, and let it download to your Launchpad. Launch Two Towers from there, or from your Applications folder. Once inside, click the right-facing arrow to run through the “tutorial,” which is really kind of basic. Play a few single player games against your Mac to learn how to play the game, and win a few matches. Then you’ll be ready to challenge your GameCenter friends. Click on the multiplayer button, which is a shield beneath two crossed swords. Next, click on the Search button at the bottom of the screen. A lovely green and faux-wood GameCenter window will pop up, letting you start an automatic game with a random player. To challenge a specific GameCenter buddy, click on the Invite Friends button on the bottom. You can only click on one friend at this point. Do so, and then click on the Next button. Type in a custom message, and then hit Send. Your friend will receive an invite on their iOS device if its logged into GameCenter, and they’ll then be able to accept the challenge, or download the game if they don’t already have it. Now you’ll be playing a sweet little real-time match of Two Towers, one of you on a Mac, the other on iOS. Isn’t technology fun? Source: App Store Via: IGN Related StoriesThis Bumper Case Has Packaging That Doubles As A Stylish StandSingle Sheet Of Leather Folds Into $385 iPad Bag1970s PanAm Life Rafts Repurposed As iPhone CasesBuycott App: Shop Ethically Using BarcodesSky Sports For iPad Now Lets You Choose Your Own Camera Angles During Replays

Yahoo! has this morning announced that it has reached a deal to acquire popular blogging platform Tumblr for $1.1 billion. The company promises “not to screw it up,” and says that Tumblr will continue to operate as a separate business, with David Karp remaining CEO. The acquisition comes just weeks after Yahoo! acquired task management service Astrid, and just under two months after the company acquired news summarization service Summly. Unlike Astrid and Summly, however, Tumblr will not change. “The product, service and brand will continue to be defined and developed separately with the same Tumblr irreverence, wit, and commitment to empower creators,” Yahoo! said in its press release this morning, following weekend rumors that suggested a deal with Tumblr was done. Tumblr currently boasts more than 300 million monthly visitors, and over 120,000 signups every single day, making it one of the fastest-growing media networks in the world. It sees over 900 posts per second, and more than 24 billion minutes are spent on the site each month. While Tumblr will remain largely the same following the acquisition, the company will utilize Yahoo!’s personalization technology and search infrastructure to help its users discover other bloggers and content that they’ll enjoy. In turn, Yahoo! will see Tumblr’s 50 billion posts added to its media network. “Tumblr is redefining creative expression online,” said Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer. “On many levels, Tumblr and Yahoo! couldn’t be more different, but, at the same time, they couldn’t be more complementary. Yahoo is the Internet’s original media network. Tumblr is the Internet’s fastest-growing media frenzy. Both companies are homes for brands – established and emerging. And, fundamentally, Tumblr and Yahoo! are both all about users, design, and finding surprise and inspiration amidst the everyday.” The deal is still subject to customary closing conditions, but providing there are no issues there, it’s expected to close during the second half of 2013. Source: Yahoo! Related StoriesGoogle Plans To Add SMS Texting To New Hangouts AppDevelopers Can Now Make The Pebble Smartwatch Talk To AppsHow Google Pre-Empted Apple’s iRadio AnnouncementSlickwraps: Get $50 Credit For Only $25 [Deals]How Google Will Pwn the Gaming Market

Two men have been arrested and charged with open murder, robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery in the death of 15-year-old Marcos Arenas in Las Vegas last week. Jacob Dismont, 18, and Michael Solid, 21, were charged Saturday over the incident. According to police, the two attempted to steal an iPad away from the youth but he refused to let go of it, resulting in his being dragged and run over by the two men....

Whether you’re trying to mount your iPad or iPad mini on a microphone stand or just stand it up on your desk, IK Multimedia has an accessory for you. The company has announced the iKlip 2 in two versions: one for iPad and one for iPad mini. It’s a perfect accessory for musicians who use their iOS devices on stage. And while you’re not on stage, you might like the newly…Continue reading IK Multimedia releases iKlip 2 and iKlip Studio for iPad miniRelated posts:iPad mini cases…so far [updated]Moshi unveils iPad mini accessoriesBelkin announces iPad mini Bluetooth keyboard case

In a recent interview, outgoing Intel CEO Paul Otellini explained how he passed up on an opportunity to get Intel chips inside the original iPhone. According to Otellini, Apple and Intel couldn't come to terms regarding cost. Further, Otellini explained that he simply had no way of knowing how successful and ubiquitous the iPhone would go on to become. While there's no way to know for sure just how seriously Apple was considering Intel as a partner for the iPhone, I couldn't help but laugh at the notion of an iPhone sporting an "Intel Inside" sticker on the back. Of course, Apple would have never allowed such a thing in a million years, but the thought reminded me of an old video where Steve Jobs is asked why Apple doesn't put "Intel Inside" stickers on its Macs. The video is from August, 2007 and is of a Q&A session that followed an Apple special media event where the first aluminum iMac was introduced. The pertinent part of the video begins at about 32 seconds in. Comically, the very premise of the question elicits laughter from both Tim Cook and Phil Schiller. Jobs, always masterful when put on the spot, evokes laughter and applause from the audience when he responds sharply, "What can I say? We like our own stickers better." Jobs, of course, follows that up with praise for Intel. Don't get me wrong. We love working with Intel. We're very proud to ship Intel products in Macs. I mean, they are screamers. And combined with our operating system, we've really tuned them well together, so we're really proud of that. It's just that everyone knows we're using Intel processors, and so I think putting a lot of stickers on the box is just redundant. We'd rather tell them about the product inside the box, and they know it's got an Intel processor. Makes sense to me.Video Flashback: Steve Jobs explains why Macs don't sport "Intel Inside" stickers originally appeared on TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog on Mon, 20 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Source | Permalink | Email this | Comments

A future update for the Samsung Galaxy S III could include a number of features carried over from the Galaxy S4, according to a report. The pre-release ROM using Android 4.2.2 as a base, still undergoing testing by the manufacturer, adds new options to the lock screen, as well as a number of design cues carried over from the Samsung flagship smartphone....

When you’re watching the game, wouldn’t it be awesome if you could replay key moments from any camera angle you choose? With the latest Sky Sports update for iPad, you can. Launching just in time for the upcoming UEFA Champions League final, Sky Sports 360 is a brand new feature that lets viewers select and replay exciting moments from over 20 different camera angles. With Sky Sports 360, you can replay amazing saves, crunching tackles, spectacular goals, and more. You can even use it to see whether the ball really did cross the line, or whether that controversial offside decision was correct. The new feature is found within the Champions League Events Center in the Sky Sports app for iPad. It makes the live, multi-action camera technology around the pitch available to fans during the game, allowing them to pick their own highlights and camera angles. It even lets you choose your own slow-motion replays. The Champions League Events Center is the first of many second screen experiences available to Sky Sports subscribers; the technology is also available for Formula 1, Barclays Premier League games, and major golf tournaments. “This is great news for the Sky Sports for iPad app, which keeps getting better and better,” said David Gibbs, Director of Sky Sports Digital Media. “This is about putting the technology into the hands of the viewer and allowing them to recapture the big moments in the final. It’s the first time we’ve offered this through our app and it’s another example of our investment in the Sky Sports viewer’s experience.” Sky Sports for iPad is available at no extra cost to Sky Sports subscribers in the United Kingdom, while non-Sky customers can get it for £4.99 per month. Find the latest version of the app in the App Store now. Source: App Store Related StoriesThis Bumper Case Has Packaging That Doubles As A Stylish StandWeatherPro Now Supports Your Own Netatmo Backyard Weather StationSingle Sheet Of Leather Folds Into $385 iPad Bag1970s PanAm Life Rafts Repurposed As iPhone CasesBuycott App: Shop Ethically Using Barcodes

Choosing what to buy when you’re trying to be an ethical consumer is tricky. In a world where hippie holdout Ben and Jerry’s is now a corporate sellout owned by Unilever, how can we know who owns what, and which products we should boycott? Luckily (and you knew this was coming), There’s An App For That™. It’s called Buycott, and by just scanning a barcode, you can find out which scheming ne’erdowells are behind the brand. When you use Buycott to scan a product, it will look up the product, determine what brand it belongs to, and figure out what company owns that brand (and who owns that company, ad infinitum). It will then cross-check the product owners against the companies and brands included in the campaigns you’ve joined, in order to tell you if the scanned product conflicts with one of your campaign commitments It’s pretty great. Or I guess it is. I just went through the pantry scanning anything with a barcode and came up short. All our products are – apparently – squeaky clean. That’s probably because The Lady does much of the food shopping and only buys stuff made nearby. I, on the other hand, buy anything and everything. The reason that I can’t scan them is that the foods inside are so toxic that they have melted the lines of the barcodes right off the packs. Buycott works well, and takes only a few seconds to come up with a result. If it doesn’t know all the details of a target product it prompts you to add the unknown info – presumably on the basis that if you use this app then you’re clearly some kind of hippie-dippie idealist who is happy to work for no pay. One thing I don’t like is that you’re forced to sign up for an account before you can start scanning. Still, no confirmation requirement has yet appeared in my inbox so you can probably use a fake name and email address quite happily, just in case "the man" is tracking radical activists like you and "getting on their cases." Anyway, along with the Amazon app that lets you order goods cheaper even as you stand in a physical store, Buycott now adds yet another reason for shopkeepers to hate you. I hope you’re proud of yourself, in your ivory tower (NB: you should probably do something about that ivory tower before the PETA people pay you a visit). Source: Buycott Source: iTunes Related StoriesThis Bumper Case Has Packaging That Doubles As A Stylish StandWeatherPro Now Supports Your Own Netatmo Backyard Weather StationSingle Sheet Of Leather Folds Into $385 iPad Bag1970s PanAm Life Rafts Repurposed As iPhone CasesSky Sports For iPad Now Lets You Choose Your Own Camera Angles During Replays

Trial production of Apple's thinner and lighter fifth-generation iPad is rumored to begin soon, with full-scale volume production to kick off in July, according to a new report.