Best Buy boosts return window from 14 days to 30 That adage of "less is more" definitely doesn't apply to retailer return policies, so we have no complaints here. Best Buy is reportedly going to offer a more lenient 30-day window for device returns, up from the company's current 14-day policy. Naturally, this also covers price matches, and applies to all products, including those from Apple, where two weeks is the norm. You'll find the full details over at our sister site
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Radio Shack drops iPad 2 prices $20-50, swears it has nothing to do with the iPad 3
Radio Shack drops iPad 2 prices $20-50, swears it has nothing to do with the iPad 3 There's a lot of signs pointing to the release of a brand new iPad floating around these days: myriad rumors, retina displays, and even Apple event invites. Now, a freshly taken pic from an anonymous tipster has given us a little more grease for the iPad 3 rumor mill. As you can see above, starting today all iPad 2 SKUs at Radio Shack are getting $20-50 lopped off their prices, which sure seems
Monday, February 27, 2012
Apple scores temporary ruling in Motorola battle, can keep selling iPads, iPhones in Germany
Apple scores temporary ruling in Motorola battle, can keep selling iPads, iPhones in Germany Apple today won a victory in Germany in its on-going legal dispute with Motorola Mobility. An appeals court in that country ruled that Cupertino can continue to offer its wares in its online store while it appeals a ruling that temporarily barred their sale. According to the court, the continuation of such a ban on iPads and iPhones would affect Motorola's abilities to maintain its
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Adobe unveils Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 at MWC, slate-style photo editing for $10
Adobe unveils Photoshop Touch for iPad 2 at MWC, slate-style photo editing for $10Keeping its promise to include iOS users in the Photoshop-enabled slate party, Adobe has announced the arrival of its Photoshop Touch app today at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sporting a number of core PS features and new tools especially designed for use on tablets, the new release joins the Adobe Touch Apps family with further iPad software expected to drop in the coming months. This
Saturday, February 25, 2012
NuForce Air DAC wireless audio streamer on sale: $199 for iDevices, $179 for everything else
NuForce Air DAC wireless audio streamer on sale: $199 for iDevices, $179 for everything else We may live in a digital world, but analog still rules the roost when it comes to audio, and a dedicated DAC can improve the quality of your tunes considerably. Back at CES, we teased you with NuForce's Air DAC that wirelessly streams music from mobile to your home stereo on the 2.4GHz band at a range of 30-65 feet (10-20 meters). Well, it's been priced and is now officially available.
Friday, February 24, 2012
There's literally no app for this: KIRF iPhone-branded gas stoves seized by Chinese authorities
There's literally no app for this: KIRF iPhone-branded gas stoves seized by Chinese authorities Ordinarily, if you use your iPhone to fry eggs, it's time to check when your warranty expires. Not so for these KIRF iPhones, which can't make calls or download apps (let alone use Siri) but can fry your bacon rather well. 681 of these bafflingly branded gas stoves were seized by police in Wuhan, each bearing the legend "Apple China Limited." Apparently the units did not come with
Dropbox app drops the beta: automatic photo upload goes official on Android, coming soon to iOS
Dropbox app drops the beta: automatic photo upload goes official on Android, coming soon to iOS While those lucky beta testers managed to get a healthy lump of extra Dropbox storage for their efforts, the mobile app's new auto-upload feature has officially arrived. The update is now available on Android devices and we're promised that the Apple-flavored update will appear very soon. We've been playing with the beta for the last few weeks, and it's pretty simple stuff,
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Apple patent application points to DJ-like beat matching, pairs iTunes with fist pumps
Apple patent application points to DJ-like beat matching, pairs iTunes with fist pumps Once upon a less digital time, there existed the art of the mixtape: a tedious labor of love that required timing, taste and a penchant for musical progression. No longer in this iTunes-era, where personally curated song collections that once served as the background to our lives can now be automated by our dear friends in Cupertino. And, based on a patent application filed back in August of
ComScore report finds 42 percent of US mobile users have smartphones, Android at nearly 50 percent
ComScore report finds 42 percent of US mobile users have smartphones, Android at nearly 50 percent ComScore released its annual Digital Future in Focus report earlier this month, offering new findings on things like email and web use, and it's now out with its latest Mobile Future in Focus report, which provides a year-end wrap of mobile device use both in the US and around the world. Not surprisingly, that year was marked by the continued growth of the smartphone, with the
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
New privacy policy standards agreed to by world's major app store owners
New privacy policy standards agreed to by world's major app store owners The California Attorney General has struck a deal with the world's major app store opperators that will see new privacy policy standards put in place. Apple, Google, Microsoft, HP, RIM and Amazon have all agreed to require any software that uses personal information to provide a privacy policy that can be viewed in the store before an app is downloaded. The agreement will bring the various markets in line
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Twitter's Android and iOS app get updates; out on Kindle Fire now, Nook soon
Twitter's Android and iOS app get updates; out on Kindle Fire now, Nook soon The official Twitter app has just received an update on iOS and Android, bringing new features to both platforms, plus an "optimized" Ice Cream Sandwich experience as seen above. The app is also currently available on Amazon's Appstore for the Kindle Fire now, and the company says it will pop up in the Barnes & Noble Nook Store February 23rd. For both Android and IOS the app has brought back /
Monday, February 20, 2012
Apple's 2012 enviromental report reveals giant solar array
Apple's 2012 enviromental report reveals giant solar array Apple just released its 2012 environmental report, detailing all the ways it's conserving energy and working to make Mother Earth a slightly cleaner place. A highlight of that effort is clearly the company's data center in Maiden, North Carolina. The giant white-roofed server bunker will soon be home to the largest end user-owned solar array in the US -- covering 100 acres and producing 42 million kWh of electricity
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Switched On: Think form factors, not PCs
Switched On: Think form factors, not PCsEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. The iPad, launched in 2010, kicked off the post-PC era. The combination of a multitouch display and keyboard-less design enabled mobile computing in a way not done before. On the other hand, maybe the IBM Simon, launched in 1982, kicked off the post-PC era. Widely considered to be the first smartphone, it enabled mobile computing in a way that was not done
Saturday, February 18, 2012
Engadget Mobile Podcast 126 - 12.18.2012
Engadget Mobile Podcast 126 - 12.18.2012 Some weeks, there are descriptive themes we can ascribe to the Engadget Mobile Podcast in retrospect. This isn't one of those weeks. We are simply all over the place: good phones, bad phones, fat phones, skinny phones, phablets, spectra, lions, leaks, rumors, lies, and videotape. So just kick back with your usual hosts and their bud Dan Seifert for two hours of mobile mega-miscellania. You could do worse on a Saturday night!Hosts:
Apple asks EU regulators to step in on Motorola patent dispute
Apple asks EU regulators to step in on Motorola patent dispute Apple already asked the European Telecommunications Standards Institute for more transparency on FRAND licensing, and now it's seeking a full-blown intervention. Motorola Mobility claims it received a letter on Friday from the European Commission advising there has been a complaint against it from Apple. The letter also stated that Cupertino wants the Commission to enforce the firm's standards-essential patents
Friday, February 17, 2012
iPhone 4 antennagate class-action lawsuit settled, owners to receive $15 or a free case
iPhone 4 antennagate class-action lawsuit settled, owners to receive $15 or a free case According to CNET, a class-action lawsuit over the iPhone 4's troublesome antenna, aka Antennagate, has been settled. The planned resolution will net US residents who bought one and presumably either $15 in cash or (another?) free bumper case. CNET quotes co-lead counsel Ira Rothken (who, by the way, also represents Megaupload) saying that he believes the settlement is "fair and
Visualized: iOS 2011 sales smoke 28 years of Mac
Visualized: iOS 2011 sales smoke 28 years of Mac Love it or hate it, Apple had a pretty stellar 2011. According to crunched numbers from Asymco, between its iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, the Cupertino outfit sold some 156 million iOS devices in 2011 (37 million of which came this past quarter), marking a grand total of 316 million in the mobile OS' short history. What's most interesting here, however, is the fact that last year's digits alone have completely blown past the 122
Doodle Defense game uses Kinect to turn white boards into displays, dry-erase markers into weapons
Doodle Defense game uses Kinect to turn white boards into displays, dry-erase markers into weapons Tower defense games have been done in damn near every way possible: on consoles, mobile apps, and online flash-based games. However, there's a new Kickstarter project, called Doodle Defense, that's putting a new spin on that simple gaming idea using some open source algorithms, a whiteboard, computer, Kinect and a projector. The game works by projecting the battlefield and bad
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Samsung's 2012 HDTV family prices leaked?
Samsung's 2012 HDTV family prices leaked? In the market for a HDTV upgrade? Then you may be interested in hearing how much you'll need to pony up for Samsung's new screens. HDGuru's got its hands on a whole list of purported MAPs (minimum advertised prices) for its 2012 range and, sadly, they're slightly pricier than last year's models. You will, however, be getting some extra bang for your buck; its latest top-end sets include built-in cameras, speech recognition and
Hong Kong court allegedly sides with Apple in iPad name dispute
Hong Kong court allegedly sides with Apple in iPad name dispute If you've been following the latest bub around the hub, you may remember Apple's recent scuff with Shenzhen-based Proview Technology -- the Chinese outfit that holds the local trademark on the name "iPad." Not only did Apple lose a trademark lawsuit for the iPad name, but some time later mainland government had the slabs removed from retailers in the city of Shjiazhuang. Now, Apple's claiming that a Hong Kong
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
NPR Music iPad app puts Tiny Desk Concerts a few swipes away
NPR Music iPad app puts Tiny Desk Concerts a few swipes away Feel like peeping a live performance from The Decemberists during your coffee shop work session? You can do just that via the new NPR Music app for your iPad. Once you download the free software onto your Apple slate, you're a few screen taps away from live performances, advance album listens and live streaming radio content. The app also enables offline listening through its visual playlist feature. If you're a fan
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Dukane launches mobile charging carts for piles of iPads
Dukane launches mobile charging carts for piles of iPadsCompanies and schools that have bought into the whole iPad thing need a place to store and charge their tablets without running miles of extension cords and power strips. Dukane clearly sees an untapped market here, and has launched the MCCD1 and MCC1. Both are caster-mounted, fire and drill resistent cabinets designed to dock and lock piles of iPads. The MCCD1 has space for up to 32 of the iOS tablets and can both charge
The Engadget Show returns Saturday, February 18th with DJ Spooky and Google -- get a ticket to the taping!
The Engadget Show returns Saturday, February 18th with DJ Spooky and Google -- get a ticket to the taping! Yep, it's Valentine's Day. We weren't sure what to get the tech fan who has everything (you're all loaded up on Lumia 710s, right?), so we decided to put together an amazing show for you. And if you're in New York City this week, you can join us live at the Times Center in midtown. This month, we'll be welcoming DJ Spooky who will discuss his new book, The Book of Ice
WSJ: Apple testing 8-inch iPad
WSJ: Apple testing 8-inch iPad The invites haven't even been sent out and yet the frenzied speculation about what Tim Cook will whip out on stage at next month's purported announcement has begun. The Wall Street Journal believes Cupertino's planning to produce a smaller, 8-inch slate to partner its 9.7-inch flagship. Unnamed sources at the company's suppliers say it'll pack a screen with a resolution close to the 1024 x 768 display on the current model. This jibes with what
Monday, February 13, 2012
NPD: Hardware sales hit $144 billion in 2011, PCs lead the moneymaking pack
NPD: Hardware sales hit $144 billion in 2011, PCs lead the moneymaking pack Canalys recently announced that smartphone shipments surpassed those of PCs for the whole of 2011. Well, NPD's just released its own set of hardware numbers, this time focused on revenue shares, and it appears PCs (that's laptops and desktops for NPD's purposes) are still far and away the biggest moneymakers around, bringing in about 19 percent (or $28 billion) of the reported $144 billion in hardware
Apple refreshes its education bundles, replaces white MacBook with MacBook Air
Apple refreshes its education bundles, replaces white MacBook with MacBook Air It was back in July that Apple quit selling the white MacBook to the general public, and recently the remaining stock -- only available through its education webstore -- met a similar fate. Although the folks at Cupertino quietly removed the polycarbonate machine from the store, it's now offering up 5-pack bundles of both the 11- and 13-inch MacBook Air in its place. Notably, an education-only
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Switched On: The fit and the pendulum
Switched On: The fit and the pendulumEach week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. In the pre-smartphone era, the industry focused on making cell phones smaller. In the 2001 movie Zoolander, the title character played by Ben Stiller uses a humorously diminutive flip phone closer to the size of a Bluetooth headset than the StarTAC it parodies. But if the movie were being made today (IMDB lists a sequel slated for 2014), the fictional male
Saturday, February 11, 2012
aTV Flash update adds automatic backups, new playback options to jailbroken Apple TVs
aTV Flash update adds automatic backups, new playback options to jailbroken Apple TVs The FireCore team has been busy updating its pay-to-play ($30) aTV Flash software package for jailbroken Apple TVs and just rolled out the latest bundle of updates in version 1.3. Now it can automatically perform backups, speaks more languages, supports more remote commands, reads more subtitles and the list goes on. You can check after the break for the full changelog, or just hit the
Friday, February 10, 2012
Engadget Podcast 280 - 02.10.2012
Engadget Podcast 280 - 02.10.2012 You can pretend you care about cameras, tablets, and browsers all you want. But we'll still know you're here for the Lazer Tag news.Host: Brian Heater, Dana Wollman, Terrence O'brienProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Orbital - Never00:02:35 - Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7 review (global edition) 00:14:09 - Kodak to shutter digital camera production this year 00:23:40 - Nikon confirms 36.3-megapixel D800, we go hands-on 00:29:03 - Sony Alpha NEX-7 mirrorless
German court dismisses Motorola's patent lawsuit against Apple
German court dismisses Motorola's patent lawsuit against Apple Motorola suffered a setback in Germany this morning, after a Mannheim Regional Court struck down one of the company's several patent lawsuits against Apple. The patent in question, EP1053613, is considered essential to the 3G/UMTS wireless standard and, more specifically, pertains to a "method and system for generating a complex pseudonoise sequence for processing a code division multiple access signal."
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Canon PowerShot ELPH 530 HS WiFi iPad transfer hands-on (video)
Canon PowerShot ELPH 530 HS WiFi iPad transfer hands-on (video) Sure, your iPad 2 has a camera, but that doesn't mean you should be using it to take pictures. One of the biggest point-and-shoot trends to pick up speed in 2012 is built-in WiFi, letting you capture higher quality stills and videos with your dedicated imaging device and transfer them directly to the web, or to a smartphone or tablet on the same WiFi network. The PowerShot ELPH 530 HS is Canon's latest pocket
Apple announcing iPad 3 first week of March? Anonymous sources think so
Apple announcing iPad 3 first week of March? Anonymous sources think so Is the long, treacherous wait for the iPad 3 nearly at an end? That's what anonymous sources tell All Things D. The site caught wind that an Apple event next month will host the announcement of the company's latest tablet. The event is said to be slated for the first week of March at that popular Apple haunt, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco -- and seeing as how last year's event was
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Apple updates EFI firmware on 2010 Macs: offers Lion internet recovery, not much else
Apple updates EFI firmware on 2010 Macs: offers Lion internet recovery, not much else Staring forlorn at that two-year-old MacBook, just sitting there in the corner? Well, there's good news; Apple's decided to furnish those 2010 models with a new EFI firmware update. Arriving on its MacBook Air (late 2010), iMac (mid 2010) and MacBook Pro (early 2010) models, it adds support for Lion's internet-based recovery feature -- something that's very useful for those optical drive-less
StatCounter: Mobile web usage doubling every year, Nokia leads the way
StatCounter: Mobile web usage doubling every year, Nokia leads the way We already knew that Nokia sits atop the world's market when it comes to shipments and market share. As it turns out, though, the Finnish manufacturer leads the way in terms of mobile web browsing, too. That's according to the latest report from StatCounter, which found that Nokia handsets account for about 40 percent of the world's mobile browsing, followed by Apple, at around 29 percent. Coming in at a
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Canon unveils two AirPrint printers, thinks you should print more stuff from your iPad
Canon unveils two AirPrint printers, thinks you should print more stuff from your iPad Want to print stuff from your iPad, but hate drivers and cords and stuff? Good news, Canon's offering up the Pixma MX512 and MX432, two all-in-one inkjets that offer up Apple AirPrint support, letting users wirelessly prints photos, docs and the like from their iPad, iPhone and iPod touches running iOS 4.2 or later. Canon also used the announcement to reaffirm its commitment to the
Globe and Mail reveals early details on Apple iTV: Siri wants to hear you shout at the big game
Globe and Mail reveals early details on Apple iTV: Siri wants to hear you shout at the big game iTV rumors continue to swirl around the shady backwaters of the internet, but it's not often national papers of record decide to wade in -- Canada's, no less. According to an anonymous source who spilled the beans to the Globe and Mail, Apple's TV set will include Siri-powered voice control, with the virtual assistant also helping in those ever-pressing "programming choices'. There
Monday, February 6, 2012
Report: Google hires Apple exec to work on 'secret project'
Report: Google hires Apple exec to work on 'secret project' Google appears to have scored another coup in its ongoing rivalry with Apple, having reportedly lured one of the company's senior directors to its Mountain View headquarters. Simon Prakash, pictured above, has worked at Apple for more than eight years, most recently serving as the firm's senior director of product integrity. According to VentureBeat, however, that tenure has come to a close, now that Google has hired
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Snow Leopard update wreaks havoc on Rosetta, luddite users contemplate running with Lion (update)
Snow Leopard update wreaks havoc on Rosetta, luddite users contemplate running with Lion (update)Normally updates are meant to better your OS, delivering necessary tweaks and performance improvements. But this latest batch out of Cupertino's managed to do just the opposite for users running the Lion 10.7.3 package, as it's caused many applications to force crash and bewildered users to restore Time Machine backups. Well, now the hordes clinging to Snow Leopard can join in the
Apple TV gets into video discovery, adds movie and TV show Genius Recommendations
Apple TV gets into video discovery, adds movie and TV show Genius Recommendations Apple added a new wrinkle to its hobby overnight, as AppleInsider reports the Genius recommendation feature added in iTunes 8 now offers up suggestions for movies and TV shows. The new Apple TV feature appears to have been switched on from the back end servers with no firmware update, displaying the new Genius option under Movies and TV Netflix-style as shown above. We're not sure you really
Friday, February 3, 2012
ComScore: Android and iOS gallop ahead, US smartphone usage approaches 100 million
ComScore: Android and iOS gallop ahead, US smartphone usage approaches 100 million The latest report is in from ComScore, and as you might expect, the news is sunshine and roses for the crews at Google and Apple. Both companies platforms charted some worthwhile month-over-month gains, as Android is estimated to account for 47.3 percent of smartphones in the US, while iOS runs a strong second with 26.9 percent. Meanwhile, former BlackBerry fans continue to scatter, as the
Apple broadens Australian patent lawsuit with 278 claims against Samsung
Apple broadens Australian patent lawsuit with 278 claims against Samsung Its legal fortunes may be souring in Germany today, but that hasn't stopped Apple from launching an all-out assault in Australia, where the company has just ramped up its ongoing patent battle against Samsung. As the Australian reports, Cupertino has expanded its complaint to 278 claims, covering 72 patents and a full ten products -- including some smartphones and tablets that have yet to launch in
Thursday, February 2, 2012
ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on)
ConnecTV social companion beta launches for iPad, PC and Mac (hands-on) The old guard's attempt at a social TV companion just got real with the launch of ConnecTV in open beta for iPad, PC and Mac -- smartphones and Android tablet versions are coming soon. The idea is you'll load up this app while watching TV and find a whole new way to discover details of your favorite content while at the same time share with your friends. The app uses a mic to detect what you're watching
EasySignMobile enters the Facebook fray for iPhone and iPad
EasySignMobile enters the Facebook fray for iPhone and iPad Need to sign a contract, like, now? There's an app for that. Several actually, but the folks who create EasySignMobile have gone and made their service a bit more accessible to the unwashed masses with an updated version that supports Facebook authentication. The new feature is currently available only for iOS, although we'd imagine Android users will find similar love in the near future, as the company released its
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Mac OS X 10.7.3 hits Software Update, ready to plug bugs on your Wednesday
Mac OS X 10.7.3 hits Software Update, ready to plug bugs on your Wednesday How about a 700+ megabyte download to spice up your Wednesday? Apple's just unleashed an update to Lion, bumping its feline all the way up 10.7.3. Those braving the rather portly update can look forward to a bevy of new languages, a new version of Safari (5.1.3) and a fix for a nasty WiFi reconnection bug upon waking from sleep. Also buried in the release notes are RAW support for "more cameras" and a
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