Electronista

Distributor of Mac-only digital download games, Mac Game Store, released its latest four-game bundle promotion, the Aspyr Greatest Hits Bundle. A compilation of Aspyr Media's most popular releases, such as Civilization V, BioShock Infinite, Borderlands 2, and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. ...

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Microsoft has released an update to its Bing app for iPad that contains a number of tweaks and improvements to the search app. The update, bringing Bing for iPad to version 2.0, introduces a cleaner, simpler user interface to match Apple's "flatter" iOS 7 aesthetic. It also includes the ability to save Bing's colorful daily images for use as a wallpaper on one's device. ...

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Late on Friday, Apple changed its website home page with a picture honoring former South Africa President Nelson Mandela, who died on Thursday at the age of 95. The move comes after CEO Tim Cook posted a tweet quoting Mandela, who was revered worldwide for his political suffrage and leadership of the anti-apartheid movement that eventually overthrew the government and replaced it with a truly representational democra...

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Online trade-in site Gazelle has reported that iPad trade-ins for cash jumped 175 percent over normal on the weekend of Black Friday, a certain indicator that Apple CEO Tim Cook's prediction that it would be an "iPad Christmas" is likely to come true. The Apple tablet, which continues to dominate the category three and a half years after its introduction, has also topped holiday wish list compilations and has seen so...

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Again this holiday season, Apple has indicated it will be offering its retail and other workers steep discounts on selected accessories, in addition to a modest break on the price of iTunes Gift Cards. The company annually changes up its holiday-season offers to employees, but usually reveals price breaks on certain store items on top of the normal discount employees routinely receive on hardware and software purchas...

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In a new editorial that could have been written by Apple's legal team in a candid moment, the Wall Street Journal rakes Apple e-book trial judge over the coals for both recent and previous missteps, from "essentially [ruling] before hearing the evidence" to appointing a personal friend with no experience in antitrust issues (and requiring an $1,000-per-hour assistant) as an inquisitor who believes his job is to "inve...

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Citing a need for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to "get the enabling technology right," new chairman Tom Wheeler has delayed a spectrum auction. The auction pays television broadcasters for unused spectrum left unused after the shift to digital television. The FCC will then auction off the reclaimed spectrum to wireless carriers to expand wireless networks....

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Social media giant Facebook isn't generally known for its Apple technology use, but a new report suggests that it may have thousands of Mac minis in its data centers. According to ex-Apple engineer and current Facebook employee Christian Legnitto, the Facebook data centers in Prineville, OR and Forest City, NC both have "racks and racks" loaded with the diminutive computer performing "hundreds of thousands of tests e...

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A number of Apple's online stores have begun selling 4K monitors made by Sharp, it was revealed on Friday. A 32-inch version of Sharp's PN-K321 monitor showed up at Apple's UK online store recently, retailing for £3,499. The move likely signals the impending availability of Apple's new, redesigned Mac Pro....

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Google has redesigned the Android and iOS versions of its News web app with a variety of improvements. The look of the app has been cleaned up to make it easier to read and track different stories, and it can now be customized with light or dark themes, adjustable font sizes, and/or bigger story cards that include more content. Navigation has been streamlined by funneling access to every section, including customiz...

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This week in the MacNN forums, one Grizzled Veteran was looking for answers after they discovered that they were having problems with the Reminders program. A solution to this problem has yet to be found. "How does one overcome an Apple ID issue?" asks Junior Member "porrid" after they discovered that they are unable to sign into their account. ...

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At Apple's online store today, save on refurbished desktop models like the iMac and Mac Pro. The 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.7GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 1TB hard drive has been cut by $250 down to $1,049. A $270 discount lowers the cost of the 21.5-inch iMac with a 2.9GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 1TB hard drive down to $1,229. ...

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This week, retailers across the net slashed prices for Cyber Monday week. Currently, HP.com is offering the 17-inch HP Envy with Leap Motion for $1,440, which is already $100 off the list price of $1.540 -- and until December 8, take advantage of a $500 discount with coupon code 'NB17TLM' that drops the price further to $1,040, beating the next lowest price by $540. This computer features a built-in Leap Motion hands...

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The world's biggest cellphone carrier, China Mobile, says it is still discussing an iPhone deal with Apple, according to a Reuters report. "We are still negotiating with Apple, but for now we have nothing new to announce," comments Mobile spokeswoman Rainie Lei. Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal claimed that a deal had been signed, supporting rumors that Mobile might start selling iPhones as soon as Decemb...

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Often forgotten amid the endless array of leaderboards and global connectivity is the fact that games can, in fact, act as something more than simply a means of competition. While some critics remain adamant against video games being considered an art form, titles such as Blek make a strong case against their disbeliefs. Blek at its core is a simple puzzle game, providing players with a series of increasingly challen...

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Apple's ongoing patent infringement actions against Samsung have cost the iPhone maker more than $60 million in legal fees, it was revealed on Thursday. Reuters reported on a new legal filing from Apple that pointed to the total cost Apple has paid to its U.S.-based legal team in order to pursue litigation against the South Korean tech giant. The figure, while sizable, is dwarfed by the potential damages payout Apple...

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Apple's November sales may have grown by 19 to 20 percent month-over-month in November, according to an estimate by Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White. The figure is based on White's "Apple Barometer," which tracks the performance of Taiwanese suppliers known to depend on Apple as a major client. "With approximately 97% of the sales now accounted for in our Apple Barometer, we estimate sales in November rose by...

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Twelve South has announced that its portable sound system, BassJump, has received a MacBook software update for OS X Mavericks compatibility. BassJump offers users additional audio speakers for one's MacBook, powered by a USB cable....

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Gaming hardware maker Razer is working on a Made for iPhone-certified controller, a leak hints. Images depict a case-style product similar to the Logitech PowerShell, allegedly codenamed the Kazuyo. An unusual aspect though is the Kazuyo's ability to tilt an iPhone or iPod up roughly 45 degrees, potentially giving players a better viewing angle. ...

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AgileBits is today releasing v4.1 of 1Password for Mac, its flagship software for storing logins, credit card numbers, and other sensitive data. One major addition is an improved browser plugin, which will now let people use the auto-save function to update existing passwords, instead of just store new ones. Items can now also be tagged from the auto-save panel....

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Apple is today deploying iBeacons at all 254 of its US retail stores, according to the Associated Press. At the Fifth Avenue store in New York City alone, the company has 20 iBeacons; some of these are reportedly just iPhones and iPads, but, like regular iBeacons, can communicate with a visitor's iPhone as they walk around the store. To receive notifications a person needs to have Bluetooth enabled, and the latest ...

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Even though the carrier is undergoing a restructuring of ownership, Verizon Wireless has managed to improve its LTE network in a number of cities. The carrier has reportedly increased the amount of bandwidth available to customers, with some markets seeing Verizon tripling its LTE capacity, thanks to its earlier $3.9 billion wireless spectrum purchase. ...

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At one of the best possible times, Apple's production of the iPhone 5s appears to be catching up with demand, allowing worldwide online Apple Stores to offer the highly-prized smartphone -- even in the prized gold color -- with a shipping estimate of just 1-3 days for all carriers and capacities, the first time this has happened since its debut in September. The 64-bit smartphone, which has seen delays so severe that...

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Apple's share of the smartphone market in the US continues to grow slowly, though chief rival Samsung is growing at a faster rate but still has a long way to go to catch up. Android sales combined continue to dominate, but have seen very slow or flat growth in recent months -- however, in the latest three-month ComScore MobiLens survey, the platform managed twice the growth rate of iOS. Windows Phone also gained shar...

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Assuming that the latest iPhones (and possibly iPads) debut in China and on China Mobile as expected on December 18, Apple will have just two weeks of sales there to record before the close of the company's fiscal Q1 for 2014. In a testament the sheer scale of both China's overall economy and China Mobile's subscriber base are, those few days might be enough to materially affect Apple's overall earnings for the perio...

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A new report posted by Apple itself on its iOS developer portal says that, less than three months after its debut, iOS 7 is now on 74 percent of all the company's mobile devices -- an astonishing adoption rate unrivalled in the industry. Users still on iOS 6 make up about 22 percent of the base, meaning 96 percent of iOS users are running OS versions no more than a year old. By comparison, only around half of Android...

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In response to complaints from Apple about the court-ordered monitor the company is saddled with as a result of its e-book case, Judge Denise Cote in an order filed on December 2 agreed to change one policy associated with the monitor, and reminded Apple of the procedure for objecting to specific actions or other problems with the monitor. Apple has charged that the monitor is unqualified, overpaid, extortionist, dis...

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The Bluetooth Special Interest Group today announced the adoption of updates to the Bluetooth Core Specification. The updates will improve consumer usability with increased co-existence support for LTE and bulk data exchange rates. The new release will also aid developer innovation by allowing devices to support multiple roles simultaneously, and also lays the groundwork for IP-based connections -- extending Bluetoot...

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Internet music service Spotify is reportedly set to roll out free music streaming for mobile devices, expanding on its existing free Internet radio features. A report in The Washington Post claims that the Sweden-based music company has reached licensing deals with the major global music companies to roll out free streaming to mobile devices, allowing mobile users to enjoy a Spotify that only subscribers and desktop ...

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Instagram has used FedEx to send physical invitations printed on a wooden slab to press venues for an event in New York City on December 12. The media has been invited to "Share a Moment" with the Instagram team, including CEO Kevin Systrom, but no other details are apparent....

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Google has updated its Android and iOS Search apps with voice support for French, German, and Japanese. The upgrades let people both speak commands and hear responses in the new languages. Previously, non-English speakers had to type in any search requests....

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TV host Ryan Seacrest and a venture co-founder have invested over $1 million in producing a keyboard case for the iPhone, the Typo Keyboard, sources say. The pair are eventually expected to invest over $5 million in their company, since other keyboard products are already in development. Seacrest claims that inspiration for the iPhone case came from the frustration of friends and peers carrying two phones: an iPhon...

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ABBYY has released FineReader Pro, an OCR tool for the Mac. The software pulls images from cameras and dedicated scanners and converts the content into text files. During the import process, FineReader can apply pre-processing options to fix distortions; an Image Editor lets users manually correct elements like contrast, noise, motion blur, and split pages. ...

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New time-tracking app Timely has been launched this week on iTunes. Aiming to minimize the effort involved with logging one's work for invoicing, Timely allows users to schedule and plan work while simultaneously logging the hours. Its layout is like a calendar, though simplified to not display time stamps. ...

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Check-in service Foursquare has released a major update of its iOS app, v7.0. Building on earlier releases, the interface has been evolved to bring it further in line with iOS 7. The most significant addition however may be an expanded push notification system, capable of alerting people to the most interesting things about a new location without having the app open. At a restaurant, for example, notifications may...

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President Barack Obama's administration is likely the most tech savvy the United States has seen, but the Commander in Chief can't rely on the best selling smartphone in the world for personal use. In a summit at the White House today, Obama revealed that he cannot use an iPhone for official business due to "security reasons." The President still uses a BlackBerry in the course of his daily duties, but even that devi...

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Google has finally allowed Gmail and Google Calendar users to download a copy of all data on the services. E-mails and messages from Gmail, along with appointments and other notices within Google Calendar, can now be requested and pulled from Google servers by users, providing an offline backup of their data as well as allowing it to be imported into other apps and services. ...

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Today, accessory maker Booq has announced its latest photographer's carrying pack, the Python slimpack. Tailored to keep all gear safely secured and easily-accessible, the Python slimpack possesses multiple padded pockets and a main camera compartment that is plush and red, highlighting and protecting black camera gear. ...

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Boxcryptor has released an OS X client for its self-titled encryption software. The tool is used to encrypt files before uploading them to a cloud storage service, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, SkyDrive, Box, or SugarSync. Using Boxcryptor's apps for various platforms, including iOS and Android, the files can be decrypted and accessed elsewhere....

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AT&T has introduced Mobile Share Value Plans, a new discount option for its subscribers. The option cuts significant amounts per month off of a Mobile Share plan, so long as a customer meets certain criteria: people must have an off-contract phone, or else upgrade through AT&T's Next program. Under these scenarios, a person can save between $10 and $115 per month on a single device, and between $20 and $105 on a t...

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If there was one word to summarize what's at the top of US Christmas gift lists when it comes to electronics, the word is "Apple." Retail analyst firm Parks Associates revealed that in its latest survey, the iPhone maker -- long the most popular brand for tablets, smartphones, MP3 players and TV set-top boxes -- is now also the hottest brand in desktop computers. The top spot for desktops was previously held by Dell ...

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The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a formal agreement between Apple and the world's largest -- and up till recently, the biggest iPhone holdout -- carrier, China Mobile, has been signed. The story is confirmed only by a single, unnamed source -- normally a violation of journalistic standards -- but other evidence to support the contention has appeared, including a pre-order site connected to China Mobile servi...

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Google has updated its Google Wallet application for iOS, allowing users to add credit or debit cards simply by taking a picture of it using the built-in camera on a user's iPhone. The update also adds instant sign-in if users are already logged into any other Google service or site that supports single sign-on, and users can utilize the physical Google Wallet card at most MasterCard locations as well as withdraw cas...

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A recently-discovered botnet has been accused of pilfering over two million logins to popular web services, including Facebook, Gmail, some payroll services, and an assortment of Russian social networking services, according to Trustwave SpiderLabs. The botnet, driven by the "pony" controller software, is infecting PC users in 102 countries....

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A new Apple Store planned for the Union Square area of San Francisco has been in the planning stages for some time, but a new revision to the company's plans that specifically addresses some prior concerns may finally win approval. The iPhone maker submitted new renderings and a new 3D architectural model redesigning a planned plaza with a new water feature, preserving but moving (slightly) an existing fountain, and ...

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved Verizon's $130 billion buyout of Vodaphone's share of Verizon Wireless. The ruling paves the way for Verizon's complete ownership of the wireless business when all aspects of the transaction are concluded in the first half of 2014....

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The newest version of Samsung's Galaxy S line of flagship devices may well have appeared in online benchmark tests. Fone Arena on Wednesday pointed to new results from GFXBench, showing an as-yet-unannounced Samsung device with the model number SM-G900S. If the device shown off were to prove to be Samsung's next flagship handset, it would signal a huge push on the part of the manufacturer to differentiate its gadgets...

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The iOS version of screen capture and markup app Skitch (free) has been updated, mostly restoring features that were previously removed. Users can now once again open and read PDFs in the program, as well as markup and re-save a PDF (the latter feature requires an Evernote Premium account, however). Crop mode has been removed and various bugs fixed, and web capture has been added back in. Evernote, which bought Skitc...

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(Updated with Twitter comment on buyback cap) Investor Carl Icahn filed a shareholder proposal for an Apple stock buyback on November 26th, a new TIME interview reveals. Icahn has been trying to pressure Apple into expanding its current buyback from $60 billion to $150 billion, and having it take effect immediately, rather than run through 2015. In response to the interview, Apple has issued a statement. "As part ...

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Beats Music, the streaming music site spun out from the maker of the popular premium headphones, will make its debut in January of next year, it was revealed on Wednesday. The site for the service has gone live, and users can now register a user name for when it goes live next year. The particulars of Beats' new music offering are as yet unknown, but the company will likely reveal them in the weeks leading up to its ...

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