21 minutes ago | Posted in: networking, iPad
Free voice, texting, and data service provider FreedomPop is extending its plans to tablets, starting with the Apple iPad mini and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, according to an announcement. In the case of Minis, subscribers will be given mic-equipped Apple headphones and a special app, allowing them to make calls through FreedomPop's VoIP platform. Each person will have a unique phone number, and associated features such as voicemail and the ability to port that number to a different device or carrier.
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55 minutes ago | Posted in apps
Freeway Pro features a traditional page layout approach that can help users create dynamic sites without the need to write code. Within the software users can visually layout a page with embedded images and content, then instantly publish it to a server, .Mac account, or local folder. A host of new features are included in the v7.0 release, including support for media types and widths, support for Universal Analytics in the Google Analytics Action, and new View menu options with keyboard shortcuts which allow selection of the next/previous sibling box, and the ancestor/first descendant element.
NetShade is a tool for routing an Internet connection through either a public anonymous proxy server, or through NetShades own dedicated proxy. This allows users to mask their IP address and improve security while browsing the web. Version 6.0 introduces the new KeyShade password manager, as well as an updated interface. A new Tiles view is also included, along with a customizable Events system and AppleScript support.
Drive Genius is a storage management utility that features a number of tools for optimizing and repairing hard drives. The v3.2.4 update resolves an incompatibility problem with DriveSlim that could occur with certain applications running on OS X 10.8 or later.
Porthole allows users to stream audio from their favorite music source to an AirPort Express, AirPlay speakers, or Apple TV. In v1.7.1, the software will now default to using a monochrome stays bar icon to make sure the software still looks good with Yosemite’s dark theme. A number of other icons in the status bar menu have also been updated and a Polish localization has been added.
Toast Titanium is a tool for burning CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs on the Mac. The software includes a number of tools for burning projects, including SonicFire Pro 5, HD video authoring, video format presets, and more. The latest update allows users to record directly from their screen with Live Screen Capture. The ability to burn HD videos on standard DVDs for playback on Blu-ray players has also been added.
1 hour ago | Posted in: computers
The same Apple support document that references a 2014 Mac mini also lists a "mid 2014" 27-inch iMac, checks show. It's mentioned alongside a 2014 21.5-inch iMac, but that presumably refers to the low-end model Apple introduced in June. To meet a mid-2014 launch date, Apple would have to ship an updated 27-inch system within the next month.
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5 hours ago | Posted in: Apple, iPad
The question of how much productivity you can get done on the Apple iPad is one that has persisted since its introduction. Even if the question is not an easy one to answer, it seems almost irrelevant to even ask when one looks at how massively successful the iPad has been since its introduction. The question also depends on what one defines as being 'productivity,' when it has been clear for some time that plenty of people can and do use iPads for getting work done, particularly in creative endeavors. The recently announced partnership between Apple and IBM in enterprise, coupled with the arrival of Microsoft Office for iPad suggests that the iPad's capability in the workplace will be properly tested given that IBM also becomes an official Apple reseller and will help to shift many more units into the workplace.
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WaterField has announced the release of new sizes for two of its bags, designed to fit the upcoming refreshed MacBook Pro Retina laptops. The new 15-inch Outback Solo will fit the larger upgraded MacBook Pro Retina, and the new 13-inch Indy leather satchelfits the smaller Retina.
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Finding a speaker purpose-built for a specific need is challenging. Even when a Bluetooth speaker can be paired with a mobile device, it doesn't mean that it's the right speaker for the job. When it comes to tablets, a speaker that can be kept to the side may not be the best purchase for something that's meant to be as portable as possible. So why not look for a device that can attach to an iPad or Android tablet, like the Adesso Xtream S3B speaker? Does the Adesso speaker provide enough of a boost to sound while retaining the original portability? Find out in our review.
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Microsoft on Tuesday issued a significant update of its free note-taking application, OneNote. The new version, 2.3, adds a number of user-requested features, including the ability to insert files into notes, add PDF printouts to any notebook page alongside a users' own notes, copy and paste formatted text and more -- as well as lock or unlock password-protected sections created in OneNote for Windows. The update affects all versions of the app, including iPhone, iPad and Mac.
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On the release of its first set of statistics following last month's report of a two percent drop in Mac sales (that turned out to be a 16 percent gain), IDC has made the term "shipments" more prominent in its latest report on smartphone share worldwide. Although its reports have always been based on shipment data rather than on sales to end-users, the company emphasized the term in its latest set of numbers, and noted that both Apple and Samsung lost share to smaller Chinese smartphone makers.
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Twitter released its quarterly results today, showing a strong surge in business during the second quarter of its 2014 fiscal year. The company posted revenues of $312 million, compared to only $139 million during the year-ago quarter. The increase represents a 129 percent increase year-over-year. The social media company also saw an increase in users compared to the results from the previous year.
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14 hours ago | Posted in: industry, Apple
Painting itself in an altruistic, pro-consumer light, Amazon in a post posing as an "update" on the Hachette standoff -- that has prevented customers from buying print or e-book editions from the publisher because Amazon refuses to fill orders -- explains that it is putting pressure on Hachette (and other publishers soon to follow) to lower the wholesale price of e-books to where Amazon can make a profit on them selling them at $10 or less. Amazon argues that e-books "must stay competitive" against all other forms of media.
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14 hours ago | Posted in: industry
In the quest to give its users a better streaming experience, Netflix has reached an agreement with AT&T to gain a direct network connection. The two companies revealed that they entered into a peering deal after news broke from anonymous sources that the movie service reached another streaming arrangement. Previously, Netflix had worked out similar deals with Verizon and Comcast.
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15 hours ago | Posted in: enterprise
Sonnet Technologies announced that its rackmount system for the newest version of the Mac Pro is available starting today. The xMac Pro Server, features a Thunderbolt 2-to-PCI Express expansion system housed inside a custom 4U enclosure. A mobile expansion unit has also created, to allow additional options to be installed without taking up any more rack space.
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16 hours ago | Posted in: industry
After receiving petitions from the Electric Power Board (EPB) of Chattanooga, Tennessee and the City of Wilson in North Carolina, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is opening comments on the subject of preempting state laws. Based on Chairman Tom Wheeler's previous comments on municipal broadband, the FCC would get involved in the battle if it meant better serving consumers.
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Accessories producer Grovemade has announced the introduction of a limited edition run of iPhone docks comprised of metal. Called the Black Dock, the new product is available with a solid steel or brass base, combined with an aluminium cap that is protected with a matte black coating. The Black Dock is designed for iPhone 5/5s/5c and the 4/4s, and weighs 3 pounds.
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Automaker Ford has announced that it will transition at least 9,300 corporate employees from BlackBerry models and flip phones to iPhones over the next two years. The change, which will cost the company nothing above the normal cost of a replacement cycle, is a blow to BlackBerry, but the Canadian smartphone maker can take solace in the fact that Ford chose BlackBerry's QNX for its next-generation Sync infotainment system, replacing a previous Microsoft-based one.
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18 hours ago | Posted in: industry, Apple
As rumored yesterday, Apple has indeed bought Swell, a spokesperson tells the Wall Street Journal's Daisuke Wakabayashi. The company has refused to provide any other information, issuing a standard statement that "we buy smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans." Monday's claims put the value of the takeover at $30 million.
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A "mid 2014" Mac mini is now listed on an Apple support document for Boot Camp. The page makes no mention of other details about the computer, other than it only supporting 64-bit Windows 7 and 8 versions of the Boot Camp utility, which allows Macs to run Windows on a separate partition. The Mac mini has been one of Apple's most neglected products, having last been updated in late 2012. Even the Mac Pro was refreshed in December 2013.
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