touch

iOS 6.0.1 users can now jailbreak their devices, but there are some bumps in the road.

The latest version of the iPhone Dev Team's Redsn0w can jailbreak iOS 6.0.1 devices, Redmond Pie confirmed today after testing the update.

However, not everyone can take advantage of the effort at this point.

The jailbreak works only on iOS devices powered by an A4 chip or lower. People who own the iPhone 5, the newest iPads, or the latest iPod Touch are out of luck. The jailbreak takes advantage of the Limera1n exploit, which can't handle the … Read more

Windows 8 is all about touch. And that means a lot more touch laptops and hybrid devices are popping up at PC stores in the U.S.

Microsoft's brick-and-mortar and online stores are among the most aggressive at stocking up on touch-capable Windows 8 portables. Its online store now shows eight traditional (non-hybrid) clamshell laptops with touch screens. Those include the $499 Asus VivoBook X202E, the $899 Sony Vaio T13, and the high-end $1,349 HP Spectre XT TouchSmart.

Throw hybrids, or so-called "convertibles," into the mix and the number jumps to 16. Convertibles -- which include … Read more

The $499 Surface model appears to be a popular item on the Microsoft store's Web site.

As of this afternoon, Pacific Time, that model (without the Touch Cover) is listed as "out of stock." Previously, it had been listed as "back-ordered", along with the $599 and $699 models.

The other two models -- both come with the Touch Cover -- are no longer listed as back-ordered.

"The store periodically will run out of certain models," a Microsoft representative told CNET in response to an e-mail query.

Calls to Microsoft stores in Century City, … Read more

Apple has unleashed a ton of new iOS devices this holiday season: no fewer than four new products, covering an entire range of sizes and uses. iPhone 5, fifth-gen iPod Touch, fourth-gen iPad with Retina Display, and, of course, the iPad Mini: these join other devices still sold by Apple including the fourth-gen iPod Touch, iPad 2, iPhone 4, and iPhone 4S.

Confusing, right? For the purposes of this article (and your sanity), I'm limiting the buying-guide analysis to the non-phone iOS gadgets: the iPods and iPads. It used to be that there was a huge gap between the 3.5-inch Touch and the 9.7-inch iPad. Now there's a spectrum: 4 inches, 7.9 inches, and 9.7 inches.

So, let's look at each one, starting with the newest.… Read more

Missing an appointment or an event because you forgot to add it to your calendar is never a fun experience. Although, it does make for a good excuse. If you and your significant other (or coworkers, for that matter) use an iOS device, a Mac, iCloud, or any combination of the sort you can easily share an iCloud calendar, making sure you are both on the same schedule.

iOS Sending an invite to share an iCloud calendar using your iOS device takes just a few taps. Share an existing calendar, or create a new one, and share it by entering … Read more

Sometimes when your significant other lets you know about an upcoming appointment or event, and you have every intention of entering it into your iCloud calendar. But, as we all know, the event doesn't always make it there.

To eliminate the need for everyone to take the time to create a new event in their calendar, share an iCloud calendar. By sharing the same calendar, any time an event is added, everyone who shares the calendar will get an alert of the new event.

Here's how to share an iCloud calendar using your iOS device:

iPhone owners bracing for possible power outages from the "storm of the century" can make sure a flashlight is handy by downloading a virtual one onto their devices.

No matter how much I try to prepare for an impending storm and loss of power, I can never seem to find a flashlight when I need one. That's why I always keep at least one flashlight app on my iPhone, which I'll certainly use if Sandy yanks my power today or tomorrow.

Flashlight apps work by tapping into the iPhone camera's LED flash, so the light … Read more

With the Surface, Microsoft has become a purveyor of cool hardware. And, like Apple, Microsoft wants to explain it you.

The newest video (below) illustrates, among other things, how the touch-cover glass and the screen are fused together into one piece; why the integrated kickstand is important; and little things like how the camera in the back matches the tilt of the screen in its kickstand position.

It's the latest in a series of videos Microsoft has been posting to describe the design effort that went into the Surface.

Other videos include the Making of the Touch Cover for Surface … Read more