If you’re an avid iOS gamer, then AppleInsider has some great news for you today, reporting that two of Gameloft’s very popular games are available to download for free for a short time (no idea for how long). The games in question are Gangstar Rio: City of Saints, and N.O.V.A. 3, and both usually retail for around $6. There’s no denying that Gameloft’s games are often a little similar (cough) to other games such as Grand Theft Auto, but this doesn’t make them any less fun to play. Gangstar Rio sees the player controlling a customizable gangster in Rio, across more than 60 missions, wielding lots of weapons, and even flying with the aid of jetpacks! N.O.V.A.3 - Near Orbit Vanguard Alliance is the latest edition to this incredibly popular FPS series of games from Gameloft, where the player takes on the role of an armoured shooter on a mission to save the earth. You can even indulge in 12-player multiplayer battles using live chat. So if all that sounds enticing to you, then click on the links below, but be warned, both games are very large to download, with N.O.V.A.3 weighing in at 1.69GB, and Gangstar Rio taking up 878MB.

Click here to download N.O.V.A. 3 - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/n.o....474764934?mt=8

Click here to download Gangstar Rio - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gang...453051448?mt=8

Source: Gameloft's Gangstar Rio, N.O.V.A. 3 go free on iOS for a limited time

The US Air Force’s Air Mobility Command spokesperson has told James Rogers of The Street, via AppleInsider, that using iPads instead of bulky flight manuals will save the US Air Force $750,000 on fuel alone, and will save a further $5 million per year in printing costs. In total this would come to a saving of $5.7 million annually, adding up to a saving of over $50 million in the next 10 years according to Major Brian Moritz, manager of AMC’s electronic flight back program.

"We're saving about 90 pounds of paper per aircraft and limiting the need for each crew member to carry a 30 to 40 pound paper file," Moritz told Rogers. "It adds up to quite a lot of weight in paper."

AppleInsider says that Rogers also got to see the iPad in action in the US Air Force up close and personal when he was embedded with the force recently, so he knows what he’s talking about. Rogers said that using iPads instead of paper manuals would reduce the weight carried by a C-5 aircraft by around 490 pounds.

Source: US Air Force expects to save $50M with use of 18K Apple iPads

It’s official, folks. Rovio has just unleashed an update for one of its smash hit game versions – Angry Birds Season. This particular update will bring a new interesting feat to the game play we have been accustomed so far – Magic Portals. And there’s more - the Finnish company chose the funny and very popular iPad magician Simon Pierro to promote this new update.

These portals basically offer the opportunity to teleport birds between different places within the game. So you can see why Pierro was an excellent choice to showcase a couple of features in the game. With his hilarious magic tricks, of course.

The newest Angry Birds update has been dubbed “Abra-Ca-Bacon” and our magician takes viewers on this quick game tour that’s cluttered with hocus pocus and techno tricks like pulling actual objects (a small stick) from the iPad’s screen.

Pierro’s magic tricks have gained a lot of notoriety after Mashable posted his “IOS 5” video, which left users dazzled. The website also interviewed Simon in the hopes that the magician will reveal some of his tricks. He didn’t. But he did offer some interesting pieces of information to answer those who think camera tricks are involved in his act.

"No camera tricks. I think they would destroy the nature and credibility of magic. What you see in the video looks exactly the same as if you were standing in my living room yourself. That's why I perform my magic live on stages all over the world."

Source: Mashable

AppleInsider writes today about new details that have appeared on DigiTimes regarding the next iPad mini. According to DigiTimes’ sources, Apple has lined up LG Display and Sharp to make displays for the tablet, with AU Optronics also possibly still involved. Talking about AUO in particular, AppleInsider says that due to “issues” experience by AUO in regards to making iPad mini display panels, AUO may be out of the picture as far as Apple is concerned. In fact, DigiTimes went as far as to say that according to its sources, AUO is “not expected” to continue in its role as one of the main suppliers of iPad mini display panels for Apple, although Apple has yet to make a final decision on AUO’s involvement.


DigiTimes also says that the second-gen iPad mini will launch either late in the third quarter, or sometime in the fourth quarter of this year. As AppleInsider notes, this ties in with previous rumours, and is also supported by previous comments from Apple CEO Tim Cook, who has gone on record as saying that there won’t be any new products until the fall.

Source: Rumor: LG, Sharp & AUO gearing up to build displays for Apple's next iPad mini

Thinking of sending a package to somebody, but you’re a bit concerned for its safety? If you own an iPad, all those worries should be behind you soon. Shipping giant UPS has just launched a shipment tracking app especially tailored for the Apple tablet. An iPhone version of the app is already available on the market.

In order to take full advantage of what the app has to offer, users should sign up to the My Choice program. However, this is not a requirement. Those wanting to track the progress of their delivery can still perfo​​rm several operations within the app without being logged in. They can track the progress of their package and freight shipments, set up a tracking list of maximum 5 tracking numbers or see where exactly in the world is the package located at the time of the checking.

Signing in with the UPS My Choice program will bring about another batch of features like being able to sync the recent tracks pulled off Shipping, Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Management from UPS or set the priority of the shipments. Overall, the app offers some advanced mapping features. This allows users to see what’s happening with their packaging anytime, anywhere, with the help of advanced map.

Vice president of Customer technology marketing for UPS explained why the company decided to design a native iPad app:

“The UPS iPad App release aligns with our customers' increasing use of tablets for shopping and completing day-to-day tasks on-line. The enhanced mapping features of the app provide an engaging visual display of shipments in transit, and details of a shipment’s progress are updated regularly while en route.”

For those interested, the app has become available for download in the Apple App store.

Source: BizJournals

​
Welcome to a world where applications have become a way of life. Instead of grabbing breakfast or coffee on your way to work, you instead download the latest app and play avidly all the way to work. The world has changed greatly and tech giant Apple is one of the pawns that made the transition possible. Apple opened its App Store back in 11th of July 2008 and since then, it has grown into a hugely popular portal.

This week marks a special occasion for the App Store, as a random customer has just downloaded the 50 billionth app. The lucky person in question will be awarded a massive $10,000 gift card, but we don’t know yet his or her name.

Apps have practically reconfigured the world. Dave Addey, who owns an app development studio, says that he has been into apps since they were first launched in 2008 and he still can’t get enough. He remembers his first app of his life – a puzzle game called iDrops, which inspired him to create applications of his own.

“It sold quite well, and taught me how the store worked and how to do app development work. Then I thought, 'what's the app that I really want to see?”

Even if Apple wasn’t the first company to have an App store (Nokia did), it is the Cupertino giant that managed to create the dimension of the app we know today. Without it, apps would have probably be something else entirely.

Source: TheGuardian

​
Ever envied models and their fancy photo shots that most of the time include professional accessories to maximize lighting conditions? That’s how you get those amazing photos in Cosmopolitan or in Harper’s Bazaar. It’s all about catching the light properly.

According to a new patent that was filed with the U.S Patent and Trademark Office, Apple might be tackling something​​ among these lines. The filing is called “Illumination System” and details a primary iOS device such as an iPhone, let’s say, which can be used to control other secondary devices (slaves) like iPhones, iPads or iPods.

The basic idea is that the main device will control the flashing system of the other cameras and thus providing more light when necessary. The invention has been dubbed “a social camera flash system” because photo taking using this method becomes interconnected. The system, as described by the patent, is supposed to work by establishing a master-slave connection. After this step has been achieved, the master will take some test shots in order to assess the lighting levels. When it detects that levels are quite low, it can then send signals to the slave devices, providing appropriate instructions.

The patent also provides an example to make things more easily understood:

“As one example, a display associated with (or incorporated into) a secondary device may display text instructing a person holding that device to move in a particular direction, for a particular distance, to a particular angle or move the device in a certain manner”

For the technology to work, Apple explains the need of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. We’re pretty curious to see what will ever become of this invention.

Source: AppleInsider

Google is currently holding its Google I/O developer conference, where, AppleInsider reports, it has just announced that it will be giving Google Maps for iOS a facelift, in a bid to make it the number 1 Maps app for iOS. The newly announced revamp includes a redesigned interface, giving a “cleaner” look, and this will be not just in the mobile version, but also the desktop one. And with Google having acquired the Zagat rating system, ratings will now be five-point instead of four-point. Improved live incident coverage for both transit and traffic has also been added, with the app updating continuously with new traffic incidents, even suggesting alternate routes. The BBC feature on the update notes that advertisers will have their businesses more clearly displayed on the maps too. iPad owners will be particularly interested to hear that Google is also launching a tablet-specific version of Maps, with larger, richer content, as well as suggestions for things to do in the area of interest, and user interface that capitalises on the bigger screen size provided by a tablet.


Source: Reworked Google Maps for iOS, Android gains better search, tablet compatibility
BBC News - Google Maps revamp promotes ads and personalises details

The iPad has already made an appearance in some restaurants around US, making ordering much more reliable and fun. But mobile payment company Square wants to do more than that. It wants to re-design the boring and bland cash register.

Meet the Square Stand, a piece of tec​​hnology/hardware that takes an iPad (2 or 3) and turns it into a point-of-sale system. The Stand features a 30-pin dock connector, but a Lightning-compatible version is scheduled for release later this year. The machine was released by the Square co-founder Jack Dorsey during a special event held over at Blue Bottle Coffee.

The Square Stand will allow workers to take orders and receive payments without having to think much about it. The Stand comes packing a built-in card reader which allows for receipt printers and bar-code scanners to be connected to the iPad. Customers can pay with their card which is swiped in the machine. When it’s time to sign, shoppers will be able to do so with their finger. After the cash has been collected or sent to the business’s account, the workers can quickly print a receipt. It’s that easy. We’re probably going to see a lot of iPad stands like these pop up in coffee shops around the country, especially since Square has struck a deal with Starbucks. The coffee giant has 7,000 stores opened across the United States.

For interested business looking to acquire a Square Stand, such a device comes available for $299 and can be ordered directly off the official Square site.

AppleInsider reports on some major changes that Apple has just announced for its AppleCare service, and I’m sure that many of you reading this will be a little concerned by this news. The announcement took place during a town hall meeting last Thursday at Apple’s headquarters, when Apple told tech staff that AppleCare and AppleCare+ will be undergoing a major revamp this fall, with the view to both cutting costs and making the service more appealing to customers. The details were announced by Apple’s Vice President, Tara Bunch, who talked a lot about something called the “One Apple” brand, according to a source who was in attendance at the meeting. Possibly the most interesting nugget of news to come from AppleInsider’s anonymous source inside the meeting was the following comment:

“The biggest announcement, was the way repairs for iPhones will be handled soon. The way it is now, if almost anything is wrong with an iPhone, iPod, or iPad, the entire device is exchanged for a like-new re manufactured (sic) device, whether brought into an apple store or sent in for mail in repair. Now we are starting to actually repair the products and return the same device to the customer."

The source also explained that AppleStores’ ability to repair devices in-house will be greatly expanded, with the ability to replace displays, cameras, sleep/wake buttons and logic boards in store. Geniuses will also be trained to use advanced diagnostic tools with which they can remotely assess hardware problems. For those with out-of-warranty devices this could actually be good news, as hardware issues would be fixed per device rather than requiring the owner to pay a universal “swap out” fee, as AppleInsider puts it.

AppleInsider says that these changes to AppleCare will be rolled out to the US first, then internationally, and that they are expected to save Apple around $1 billion per year. AppleInsider also outlines changes to AppleCare service agreements.

Many thanks to Kaykaykay for the heads-up on this news story.


Source: Big changes coming to... [Read More]

BlackBerry today confirmed a rumour that first appeared on Boy Genius Report a while back, and that some might have thought would actually never happen, by announcing that BlackBerry Messenger will be coming to iOS and Android sometime this summer, once it gets approval from Apple and Google. The news caused such a stir that it was trending worldwide today. In a post on the “Inside BlackBerry” blog, BlackBerry outlined its plans for its flagship service, saying,

“We’ve got some exciting news designed to make it easier for you to connect with your entire mobile social network.”

Basically what this means is that people can connect with their friends and family on BlackBerry Messenger without having to use a BlackBerry to do so. In the announcement, BlackBerry details the key features that users can expect to enjoy once the app is released:

• The immediacy of BBM chats
• Multi-person chats
• Voice note sharing
• BlackBerry Groups, where BBM users are able to set up groups of up to 30 people and share calendar, photos, files and more

Speaking at BlackBerry Live 2013, Andrew Brocking, Executive Vice President, Software Product Management and Ecosystem at BlackBerry said,

“For BlackBerry, messaging and collaboration are inseparable from the mobile experience, and the time is definitely right for BBM to become a multi-platform mobile service. BBM has always been one of the most engaging services for BlackBerry customers, enabling them to easily connect while maintaining a valued level of personal privacy. We’re excited to offer iOS and Android users the possibility to join the BBM community.”

BlackBerry says that if and when the BBM app is approved by Apple and Google, it will be released as a free download.

Source: ... [Read More]

Those who enjoy watching shows like CSA know that when a police investigation kick starts, one of the first things the law enforcers check is the suspect’s phone records – the calls he/she made and what files are stored within their device.

According to some new information provided by CNET, Apple has been receiving a lot of requests on behalf of government agencies and police asking for its official assistance in unlocking iPhones and iPads. The company has received so many that it had to install a waiting list so information could be received by the requesters.

CNET stumbled upon some court documents detailing the endeavor of an agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, who​​ applied for help at the Apple headquarters. The agent was notified that his request will be complied with in 7 weeks. From the answer, we can speculate just how huge the waiting list really is.

Apple is known for building devices which feature advanced encryption software that is incredibly hard to crack. Therefore, it makes sense that the investigators would turn to the mother company for help. But does it? The CNET report sheds no light on how exactly is Apple retrieving the information. It might be possible that when building the devices, a back door was left in case of emergencies. Like police investigations and such.

Apple has been contacted for an official statement, but is yet to comment on the information provided by CNET.

Source: Cnet