Electronista

Historically, investment and Wall Street analysts have had a poor track record predicting Apple's fortunes ahead of time. However, as Apple's guidance has gotten more accurate, and as supplier leaks and blatant manipulation of the market grow, predictions are getting more accurate. As it traditionally does, Fortune magazine has rounded up the predictions of various investment houses and independent analysts, which sh...

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Yahoo has updated the iOS client app for its Flickr photo-sharing service, giving it a more iOS 7-compatible "flat" look and navigation system that offers a noticeably more "Instagram-like" experience, where moving through photos is more free-form. The update now allows users to post up to 30 seconds' worth of HD video to the service, with live filters and adjustment tools available for both video and photos. Version...

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Other World Computing today introduced its new DIY Kit for all 2011 iMac and 27-inch 2012 iMac models, enabling owners to replace the factory-installed internal hard drive with up to 6.0TB hard drive for expanded storage and back-up capacity. The kits feature a custom power cable with an in-line digital thermal sensor, ensuring proper factory fan operation and full compliance with Apple diagnostic testing. All kits i...

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Although there have been a number of good deals in recent months on both the iPhone 5c and 5s, a new deal kicking off tomorrow from RadioShack may be the one iPhone 4S holdouts have been waiting for. Starting April 18, new or upgrading customers using AT&T, Verizon or Sprint can buy the 16GB version of the iPhone 5s for $99, half of its usual $199 up-front cost. The deal, which is available both online and in stores,...

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Craft store chain Michael's Stores and affiliated Aaron Brothers has confirmed details of a massive security breach including between May 8, 2013 and January 27, 2014. The analysis conducted by the company shows that approximately 2.6 million cards may have been impacted, which represents about seven percent of payment cards used at Michael's stores in the US during the time period....

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The US Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler has confirmed that he plans to limit how much spectrum that AT&T and Verizon can buy in the 2015 auction of bandwidth reclaimed from broadcasters. The chairman spoke out a day after AT&T threatened to boycott the auction, possibly slashing the reimbursement that the federal government would get from the auction....

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Facebook has announced an upcoming feature for its iOS and Android apps, Nearby Friends. The function will notify users when friends are within a certain radius, giving a chance to meet up. For security purposes the feature will be off by default, only work if both parties have it enabled, and allow restricting notifications to specific groups -- close friends, for example, or a custom list....

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Google is picking select Kansas City companies to test Google Fiber prototype offerings for business. The business rollout in Kansas City is the first of its kind for the Gigabit Internet service with Google saying that it is "in the beginning of figuring out what that product could look like, and that's why we're launching this pilot."...

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Cloud storage service Dropbox has bought out Loom, a photo storage and organization service, according to a notice on the latter company's website. Additionally acquired by the file sharing locker is collaborative document service Hackpad which will continue to support its app, unlike Loom....

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The Google Chromecast is now supported by the MLB.com At Bat for iOS and Android. The update allows subscribers of MLB.TV's Premium Subscription to stream live, out-of-market games and on-demand events, with a choice of home or away broadcasts also available. The MLB.TV subscription is $25 per month or $130 for the entire year, with access to the MLB.com At Bat app's features included in the price. ...

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RunKeeper has launched a new, passive step tracking app today, entitled Breeze. By constantly tracking motion with the M7 chip found within the iPhone 5s, Breeze offers its users a personal coaching feature, in the form of push notifications and updates regarding one's activity levels. The following day, Breeze details a summary of the previous day's activities and stats. Users can share their completed goals, high a...

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For the first time, Apple's online store has begun selling refurbished versions of the Retina iPad mini. The option drops the price of a 16GB Wi-Fi model to $339, $60 less than its usual cost. 32GB has been reduced $80 to $419, and 64GB models have been cut $90 to $509. Cellular-equipped Minis aren't yet available in refurb form....

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Sonos is testing a software update for its wireless speaker system that removes the need for a physical connection to the home network. The software would allow for the system's SonosNet network to operate with one of the speakers accessing the local Wi-Fi network, and avoiding wiring either a speaker or the Sonos Bridge wireless networking device to a router. ...

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Future Apple retail head Angela Ahrendts may actually remain the CEO of Burberry until June, says The Guardian. Although Ahrendts has finished a mandatory six-month wait and is technically free to switch this month, she has allegedly promised to stay with Burberry until at least June 6th to ease the transition to her replacement, chief creative officer Christopher Bailey. She also has a strong financial incentive, ...

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On April 22nd, Apple will be holding its first real Earth Day commemorations since 2006, reports say. At retail, the company is expected to cover its logos in green, and give at least some stores special Earth Day t-shirts for workers. Back at Apple's corporate headquarters in Cupertino, a "large-scale internal event" is due to happen on the afternoon of the 22nd, presumably with Earth Day as a focus....

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Apple is preparing an immediate follow-up to iOS 7.1 in the form of v7.1.1, according to web traffic data from 9to5Mac. The site says that it has received "numerous" hits from v7.1.1 devices operating in areas around Apple's Cupertino campus. It's not clear when the update will go live, or what it will contain, but the version number suggests that it should arrive relatively soon and mostly contain bugfixes....

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Several UK-based iOS apps -- including BBC iPlayer, Sky Go, and Now TV -- have suddenly stopped streaming video, the BBC reports. The issue began last night, and is still ongoing; the source of the problem is so far unknown, as is whether other apps are also being affected. The director of Now TV, Gidon Katz, indicates that the issue can be temporarily fixed in Sky and Now by rewinding iOS' clock by a day, but that...

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Eyefi is expanding the usefulness of its Wi-Fi-equipped SD memory cards, by launching its own cloud storage service. The Mobi SD card, released last year, will now not only wirelessly transfer photographs taken by a digital camera to a mobile device, but it will also provide the option of automatically uploading it to the Eyefi Cloud. ...

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Continuing our look at some of the more interesting devices and services we ran across at Macworld in San Francisco last month, MacNN and Electronista staffers will periodically write about items and vendors that caught our eye at the show that we thought our readers would like to know about. Today's focus is on two successfully-funded Kickstarter campaigns: The Roost stand for notebooks, and the iMacompanion USB por...

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Productivity software developer Ergonis has announced the release of Typinator 5.9, a maintenance update for its text expander. Released prior to the launch of the next major version 6, Typinator v5.9 incorporates several minor bug fixes, and improves compatibility with third-party applications, such as Aperture, MacGiro, Mellel and more. Requiring OS X 10.5.8 or later, Typinator 5.9 is a free upgrade for anyone who ...

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Citing unnamed sources "with knowledge of the product," Bloomberg is reporting that Apple may enter into a partnership with song-identifying app Shazam to bring the music-matching feature to iOS 8. Users could, for example, ask Siri "what song is playing?" as they listen to iTunes Radio or other streaming music services, with the voice assistant enlisting Shazam's services to return an answer after a short identifyin...

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Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, who has worked diligently to turn around the veteran search engine's fortunes with some success, is planning on appealing to Apple to make Yahoo's search engine the default choice on the Mac and iOS. Currently Apple offers Yahoo as a option for search, but uses Google as a default (and Bing to power Siri inquiries). Mayer may seen an opportunity to advance Yahoo's already-friendly relationshi...

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Veteran embedded chip and automotive systems maker Texas Instruments has announced plans to incorporate Apple's iBeacon technology in many of the company's forthcoming Bluetooth products, saying that "there are many more applications that could benefit from the technology" beyond its presence popular use in retail shops, restaurants and stadiums. TI will be adding iBeacons to its SimpleLink line of automotive micro-c...

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Microsoft has launched its All-in-One Media Keyboard. Designed for use in the living room, the peripheral offers a full-size spill-resistant QWERTY keyboard, and connects to a device using a USB wireless transceiver. On the right-hand side is a multi-touch trackpad that supports gestures, and a row of three buttons above which can be customized for quick access to specific apps. Shipping tomorrow, the All-in-One Medi...

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Google today announced financial results for the quarter that ended in March. The search engine giant reported consolidated revenues of $15.42 billion for the quarter, an increase of 19 percent compared to the first quarter of 2013. Operating income in the first quarter of 2014 was $4.12 billion, or 27 percent of revenues. Earnings per share in the first quarter was $5.04 on 685 million diluted shares outstanding, co...

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The iPad version of Blizzard's card game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is now available at App Stores worldwide. The app was actually released for the iPad earlier this month, but only in the form of a soft launch at the Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand App Stores. Mac and PC versions of Hearthstone have been available for some time....

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As 802.11ac networking begins to makes its way into more and more devices, you may find yourself considering an upgrade for your home network. One option is Linksys' EA6900, a new top-tier networking device from a long-standing name in the world of routers. Linksys says the EA6900 is a compelling option that offers a router that is not only fast and reliable, but also extremely simple to set up. Does this new 802.11a...

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Anki Drive, a line of toy race cars that feature iOS compatibility, has updated its Anki Drive app, as well as released new cars and tracks. Using AI robotics, Anki Drive aims to integrate the nature of video games into a physical game context, requiring Anki cars, a physical track, and at least one compatible iOS device to play. The new cars, Corax and Hadion ($70 each) are the newest "characters" for Anki Drive, wi...

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Hyundai will support Apple's CarPlay beginning with 2015-model Sonatas shipping later this year, according to an announcement. The Korean carmaker is the first since Volvo, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz to reveal specific plans for vehicles shipping in 2014. One more, Honda, has yet to say which car models it will fit with CarPlay. Other brands -- such as Ford, BMW, and Toyota -- may not have CarPlay-ready vehicles u...

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Corel has brought its previously iPad-only mobile video editing app, Pinnacle Studio, to the iPhone. The app allows for complex editing, including the ability to trim individual frames and insert elements like transitions, stills, titles, graphics, fast/slow-motion, and picture-in-picture effects. Quick clip arrangement can be done with the Storyboard, while the Timeline allows for more precise manipulation and tri...

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Samsung decided to launch its "Next Big Thing" campaign -- parodying Apple -- in the wake of the death of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, according to an email trail exposed during the ongoing Apple v. Samsung patent trial. Samsung America's VP of US sales, Mike Pennington, described Jobs' death as "the best opportunity" to run a campaign targeting Apple, since people would be worried about whether Apple could continue...

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The 8GB iPhone 5c is now on sale in 14 more countries, checks show. When the 8GB option first became available last month, it launched in just a handful of regions. The model is newly available in the Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Poland, the Czech Republic, Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Spain, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Switzerland....

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Not only did Samsung not infringe on Apple's patents, a parade of witnesses for Samsung told the jury today in the Apple-Samsung trial, those patents aren't valid even if Samsung did copy them. With some help from Apple's very light cross-examination, Samsung again flew through a lengthy list of experts who testified on the relative worthlessness of Apple's patents for "data detectors" (also referred to as "quick lin...

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Fueling speculation that Apple may be planning to expand iTunes Radio to selected countries in the near future, tweets on Twitter have revealed that Apple's director of iAd services, Paul Wright, has been making the rounds of London media marketing and ad agencies where he is based. This follows claims by online radio service Bloom, which would be a competitor to iTunes Radio in the UK, that it was rebuffed from adve...

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For observers in Apple's battle against the US Department of Justice over alleged e-book "price fixing," it will come as no shock whatsoever that Judge Denise Cote has ruled against the company on a connected legal matter -- but the fact that she actually cited a reasoning based in law this time may surprise some. The US District Court judge has refuted Apple's filing for a dismissal in the lawsuits brought by 33 sta...

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Google debuted its Hangouts-based video support service Google Helpouts last fall; today an app version for iPhone has been released. Users can connect over Google's Hangouts service to experts who are knowledgable in a specific subject for tutoring. The iOS app offers the ability to find, schedule, give or start a "Helpout," read reviews and listing details, receive text-message and mobile reminders, and more....

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Just shy of a week after the last release, Apple has issued its seventh beta of the forthcoming maintenance release, 10.9.3, to developers. As before, the new version lists no known issues, and asks testers to focus on any remaining issues with graphics drivers, audio, Mail, Safari, and the re-introduced feature of local syncing of Contacts and Calendar data through iTunes to local devices. The new build, 13D43, also...

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Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft, among others, have joined with the top five US wireless carriers to create an industry group dedicated to fighting smartphone theft and implementing multi-platform technology to aid that cause by next summer. HTC, Huawei, Motorola and Nokia are also part of the group, which is aiming to create a "baseline anti-theft tool" similar to the steps Apple has already taken in its own iP...

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Intel Corporation today reported first-quarter revenue of $12.8 billion, operating income of $2.5 billion, net income of $1.9 billion and earnings per share of 38 cents. This is a dramatic drop from the company's fourth quarter results, with a drop of 26 percent in net income, with a drop of eight percent of the company's revenue....

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Following a Nikkei report to the effect earlier this week, Alpine has officially confirmed plans to ship aftermarket receivers compatible with Apple's CarPlay. The units will roll out in the US and Europe towards the end of 2014, but apart from a concept image, no other details are available. The Nikkei account suggested prices would fall between $500 and $700....

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Feral Interactive has announced today that Deus Ex: Human Revolution -- Director's Cut has been released for OS X, available exclusively through Steam. A player performs as an ex-SWAT specialist who has been hired to oversee the security of an experimental biotechnology firm. Adam Jensen discovers there is more to the company than previously thought when a black ops team breaks in and kills scientists. ...

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Today, Ricoh Imaging Americas Corporation has revealed the new Pentax 645Z magnesium alloy-bodied, medium-format DSLR. The new camera features a 51.4-megapixel CMOS image sensor, tiltable LCD, and is the only camera so far in the medium-format category to offer video recording capabilities. The new camera has a shutter speed of up to 1/4000th of a second, and has an top ISO of 204,800....

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A&E has updated two of its iOS apps -- History, and the network's namesake -- with support for watching live TV. Previously users were able to watch clips and full episodes, but only after the fact. Like some other TV apps, gaining access to the live streams requires a cable subscription....

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Microsoft has launched a new cheaper tier of its Office 365 subscription service, aimed at individuals wanting to use the productivity suite. Hinted at last month, Office 365 Personal allows for the software to be installed and used on one PC or Mac and one tablet, including the iPad version, rather than the five computers and five tablets provided in the more expensive Office 365 Home Premium, renamed to Home, subsc...

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Audio specialist Pioneer has announced plans to ship five Apple CarPlay-compatible receivers this summer. The new models in the NEX series will all have large LCD displays, but come in at very different price points. The cheapest model, the AVH-4000NEX, is set to cost $700. Higher-end models will ship for $750, $900, $1,200, and $1,400. Pioneer is also promising various non-CarPlay related improvements; the units...

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This week in the MacNN forums, members help other long-time users and Fresh-Faced Recruits resolve problems. Forum members are assisting one Fresh-Faced Recruit with an iMac that is unable to recognize audio inputs or outputs after a power failure, but so far have been unsuccessful in their attempts. Yesterday, Junior Member "phkc070408" was trying to determine if there was a way to assign a specific key or series of...

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This week, Apple's online store has a wide selection of refurbished iPad and iPod models on sale. Right now, the refurbished 16GB iPad mini can be had for just $249 after a $50 discount. A $120 discount slashes the cost of the second-generation 16GB iPad 2 down to $279....

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MacMall.com has dropped the price on the 27-inch iMac from $1,800 down to $1,400. Until April 30, a $100 mail-in-rebate offer drops the price even further to $1,300. That is about $200 less than the lowest price offered anywhere else. This iMac features a 2.9GHz Intel quad-core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a 1TB hard drive. Included is a one-year warranty on parts and labor from Apple. ...

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New photos may have revealed more components for the next-generation iPhone, usually nicknamed the iPhone 6. An image from Chinese site Sina Weibo shows what's claimed to be a front panel for the device. Next to it for comparison is an iPhone 5s; while the panel has similar cutouts, it's also considerably larger, and sports thinner side bezels. This is consistent with most reports about the new iPhone. Apple is a...

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Over the weekend, Judge Lucy Koh turned down Samsung's request for a summary judgement in the Samsung-Apple second patent trial, claiming that Apple had failed to prove its case during its presentation. Judge Koh rebuffed the claims and thus the trial continued on Monday, with Samsung still presenting its defense. Continuing its strategy of saying the case is about a dispute between Apple and Google rather than Samsu...

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