iOS

OK, honestly, this is my last post on E3. While this year's show is over and we've seen both surprises and disappointments, another year looms: and with it, we hold out hope that next year's show can deliver on some unanswerables that this year's show conveniently skipped. At least, that's the way I feel. No show can ever hope to bring everything we expect--mainly, because E3 is only a collection of demonstrations from an industry that's constantly evolving--but as I peer into next year's crystal ball, this is what I hope we find.

Games and reasons to buy the Wii U Nintendo's next console, the Wii U, remains shrouded in mystery, in the middle of a year where Nintendo remains in a larger cloud of uncertainty. The Nintendo 3DS feels like a disappointment, and the Wii is in decline. That touch-screen tablet-of-wonders that Nintendo's hawking is a project with no definitive must-have games or applications, and that will need to change next year.… Read more

Please keep in mind that this post is based off of a beta version of iOS 5. Apple can (and often does) change the behavior of features before the latest OS hits consumers hands. If anything drastically changes in regards to this feature in iOS 5, we will be sure to update the post.

When Apple announced a new Notification Center with iOS 5, it also revealed that iOS 5 would come with a couple of widgets: weather and stocks. The widgets are active in the Notification Center, the same place you will find the rest of your app alerts on iOS 5.

Some users may not want one or both of the widgets displayed on their iPhone or iPod Touch (as of iOS 5 beta 1, the iPad does not have widget support). This simple guide will show you where to find the toggle switch to turn the widgets off. … Read more

Google's Android was the top smartphone OS on Millennial Media's mobile ad network for the sixth consecutive month, capturing 53 percent of all ad impressions in May, according to a new report.

In second place, Apple's iOS shed a single percentage point from April, grabbing 27 percent of all ad impressions in May. That left BlackBerry maker Research In Motion with a 17 percent share, up slightly from the prior month thanks to demand for its BlackBerry Curve, according to Millennial Media, which says it tracks ads on more than 85 percent of all mobile devices in … Read more

Will the iPad 3 sport a Retina Display?

Images found in the software development kit for iOS 5 have kicked the rumor mill back into gear.

Tech site TechUnwrapped reported yesterday that a tipster found images in the framework for integrating Twitter into Apple's next mobile OS that were double the 1,024x768 resolution used in the current iPad. Based on those images, TechUnwrapped said this could mean the next-gen iPad will offer a 2,048x1,536 Retina Display.

However, since the high-resolution images were initially found only in the Twitter framework, TechUnwrapped seemed dubious that an iPad 3 … Read more

Foursquare is set to reach 10 million users this month. With the continued increase in popularity, developers are beginning to use Foursquare's API in some very fun and intriguing ways. This guide will show you seven fun ways to interact with your Foursquare account.

1. 4sqmap 4sqmap is a great way to visualize many different aspects of not only your own, but your friends' Foursquare activity. In addition to viewing activity, you can view a full map of nearby specials, tips, trending venues, and even use Foursquare's recently launched Explore feature on your computer, which is a feature … Read more

Please keep in mind that this post is based off of a beta version of iOS 5. Apple can (and often does) change the behavior of features before the latest OS hits consumers hands. If anything drastically changes in regards to this feature in iOS 5, we will be sure to update the post.

When Apple announced a new Notification Center with iOS 5, it also revealed that iOS 5 would come with a couple of widgets: weather and stocks. The widgets are active in the Notification Center, the same place you will find the rest of your app alerts … Read more

Finally, Apple has given users a way to sync their purchased music, apps, and books wirelessly. With iCloud, whatever you download on one device--your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or computer--can be set to automatically download on all other devices.

For example, when you purchase a song from iTunes using your computer, it'll immediately be downloaded onto your iPad also. Or, if you purchase a book on your iPhone, it'll be downloaded to your computer and your iPad as well.

More iCloud features, including calendar syncing and Photo Stream, will launch in the fall. Until then, you can use the iCloud beta for free to sync your music, apps, and books. Here's how:

Note: iCloud syncing is not yet available for Verizon subscribers.

… Read more

Over the years Apple has made the iPhone and its iTunes software do more in the way of syncing files, applications, and other settings. As a result, it's arguably become a more complicated process than it was just a few years ago, which is why iOS 5's iTunes-free and iCloud-powered features are a big deal.

According to a report by former Macworld writer David Chartier on his personal blog, a data point to back that up is that "about 50 percent" of people coming into Apple's retail store Genius Bars for a fix are coming in with iPhones that have never been synced with a computer. That's besides the computer used to set it up in the first place, a service Apple offers in its retail stores free of charge.… Read more

Back in December I leased a 2011 Kia Sportage, and one of my favorite features by far is the Bluetooth stereo. No more messy cable running from my iPhone to the aux jack; now all my audio gets beamed automagically via Bluetooth.

Alas, what I don't get is any information about the song that's playing. So if I hear something I don't immediately recognize, I have to pick up my phone, turn it on, and focus on the screen for a second--not exactly safe.

That should change with the arrival of iOS 5. According to 9to5 Mac, … Read more