iPhone Atlas

Everyone knows the dangers of drinking and driving. An unfortunate few choose to ignore them, often with tragic results. A good friend recently lost his nephew to a drunk driver. A member of my temple congregation lost his wife and children to a drunk driver. That same temple later lost its rabbi to a drunk driver. Shall I go on?

Obviously I'd rather not, which is why I fully support any technology that can help prevent such tragedies. Here's a gizmo that might: Indiegogo project Breathometer adds a breathalyzer to your smartphone.

Reminiscent of the Square credit-card reader, … Read more

My guess is the whole Harlem Shake craze is just about winding down its 15 minutes of fame.

14:51...14:52...14:53...

But wait! While there's still a shred of interest left, you've got time to make your own videos. Free Android app Harlem Shake Creator Lite and iOS app Harlem Shake Creator HD (both from the same developer) make it ridiculously easy.

In case you've been off-planet for the past month or so, a Harlem Shake vid starts out with a single person, usually masked for no particular reason, doing a little jig to … Read more

It's an awesome time to own an iDevice. You can get unlimited movie and TV streaming from Netflix, unlimited music from the likes of Rdio and Spotify, and even unlimited magazines from Next Issue (for iPads, anyway).

Great news for comic-book fans: Now you can get unlimited comics as well. Marvel Unlimited, previously a Web-only service, just debuted for iOS. (It's coming soon for Android.) Less-great news: The app needs work.

True to its name, Marvel Unlimited provides full access to the publisher's extensive library of comics, which currently numbers over 13,000 titles. You'll find … Read more

Are the iPhone and iPad losing some of their steam? At least one analyst thinks so.

Citi analyst Glen Yeung believes that end-user demand for the iPhone 5 and the iPad are declining. In an investors note out today, the analyst pointed to a reduction in component orders from Apple suppliers as the cause for his bearish assessment.

"In conducting our regular field work with the hardware supply chain, we again find evidence of reduced demand to Apple's suppliers for iPhone 5 related components," Yeung said in his note. "While production does not directly translate to … Read more

Mail service as we know it just doesn't work anymore. Too much junk. Too much hassle sorting, scanning, and/or filing the stuff we need to keep. And, let's be honest, so much of what arrives in our mailboxes could -- some would say should -- arrive electronically.

Austin-based startup Outbox wants to make that happen by digitizing all of your physical mail and delivering it to you electronically on your iPhone or iPad, or your PC.

Interesting proposition, wouldn't you say? Think about it: no more daily trek to the mailbox followed by the daily armload … Read more

Ready to visit a pinball arcade far, far away?

Tomorrow, Zen Studios will release Star Wars Pinball for Android and iOS, giving you the chance to see how your pinball wizardry matches up with your Jedi wizardry. (The game is getting a simultaneous release for Mac, PlayStation, and Xbox.)

Zen will offer three Star Wars-themed tables as part of its existing Zen Pinball app, which is free and already offers such tables as X-Men, Captain America, and Thor. Each one will cost $1.99 via in-app purchase.

Depending on your level of fandom, "Star Wars" and "pinball" may be all you needed to hear. If that case, check out the just-released trailers for all three, then meet me below for some thoughts.… Read more

Your iPhone could one day switch to vibrate mode, adjust its own volume, and wake from sleep mode without you lifting a finger.

A patent application published today by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office suggests a phone or other device empowered with "situational awareness." Dubbed "Electronic device with automatic mode switching," the filing describes ways that the device can automatically perform certain tasks based on different conditions.

Filed in September 2011, the Apple patent application lays out the technology for a variety of devices, including mobile phones and media players. Using such embedded sensors, … Read more

The words "deal" and "Apple product" rarely appear in the same sentence, which is why I continue to be fan of buying refurbished Apple gear whenever possible.

While some refurbs prove to be junk, Apple gives you like-new hardware -- complete with a same-as-new warranty. It's the only way to go.

But how do you know when a particular product hits the Apple Store? Short of checking online every day, there's no easy way. Until now: RefurbMe catalogs all the latest Apple Store refurbs and can notify you when price and/or availability changes.… Read more

Kickstarter has birthed some pretty cool accessories for iPhones, iPods, and iPads. The ChargeCard, for example, which I recently saw and loved at CES. And the Woxom SlingShot video stabilizer/tripod.

If you sometimes feel like you might be missing out on the good stuff, or perhaps you just don't have time to troll Kickstarters listings in search of iDevice-related items, there's a site you may want to visit: BiteMyApple.co.

BiteMyApple offers a simple, stylish catalog where you can browse and, if you wish, buy various "Kickstarter success stories." You'll find items like the … Read more