Finding a speaker purpose build 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? But is the Adesso speaker prove 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 second quarter of 2013. 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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4 hours ago | Posted in: industry, Apple
Painting itself in an altruistic, pro-consumer light, Amazon in a post posing as an "update" on the Hatchette 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 Hatchette (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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5 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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6 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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7 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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8 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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9 hours ago | Posted in: industry
Rhapsody International announced today that it hit a significant milestone for its business. The company announced that it reached two million subscribers for its premium services, including Rhapsody, Napster and the joint venture with T-Mobile called unRadio. On the success of unRadio, the company stated plans to extend the service to other parts of the world.
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9 hours ago | Posted in iOS apps
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Minecraft Pocket Edition is a portable version of the popular survival game that gives players to create a range of tools and items with the proper materials. The 0.9.5 update is strictly a maintenance release that fixes some bugs and improves overall stability. A crash that could occur when playing in multiplayer as a client has been fixed, and the game should no longer get stuck at the “Looking for Server” screen if the server is full.
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In Monument Valley players must guide a silent princess through a number of impossible architecture structures. Version 1.0.6 fixes a number of bugs and offers improvements to the camera share interface. In addition, fan art and merchandise links can now be found on the Info screen.
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Forza Football provides users with up-to-the-minute scores and video highlights for more than 420 soccer leagues and cups from around the world. The ability to like and dislike transfers has been added in this update. Accessibility features have also been improved, and various bugs have been resolved.
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Swarm is a tool that can be used to see which friends are out nearby, and who is looking to hang out later. The latest release features greatly improved location information, providing users with locations much faster and more accurately. The profile page has also been moved to the navigation bar at the bottom of the screen and the process for adding photos to a check-in has been simplified.
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Plants vs. Zombies is a spin on tower defence style games where players must defend their home from invading zombies. The v2.5.1 update introduces a new chapter, the Dark Ages Part 2, which includes 10 new levels and 2 new plants. Players will also need to watch out for the Wizard Zombie and King Zombie, as well as defeat a new Zomboss.
10 hours ago | Posted in: Apple
A smash-and-grab robbery took place at the Southpoint Apple Store in Durham, North Carolina on Monday night, a report notes. The thieves smashed their way in via one of the store's glass panels, then proceeded to take an unknown number of MacBooks on display. The outlet has been closed on Tuesday as a result.
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This week in the MacNN forums members discuss the things they like and dislike about Yosemite now that the Beta version has been released to the public in a thread started last week by one Mac Elite who wondered why no one seemed excited about this update to the OS. "Does anyone know how much amperage the iPhone 6 will require?" asks one Fresh-Faced Recruit to the forums.
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Right now at Apple's online store, find new lower prices on refurbished Retina MacBook Air models. The refurbished 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro with a 2.6GHz Intel dual-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage has seen a whopping $640 discount to $1,059. A $500 discount drops the price on the 15.4-inch Retina MacBook Pro with a 2.3GHz Intel quad-core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage down to $1,599.
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