Kevin was excited to buy a new iPhone 5 last week, but the iPhone was much less excited to go home with him. He left for a business trip and discovered that the phone wouldn’t come out of airplane mode. What was wrong? Had he only spent a few hours with the phone before it decided to rebel against Kevin and against the very AT&T network that was supposed to give it life? He sought help, but the carrier and the phone manufacturer each refuse to take responsibility for the problem. [More]
Tim Cook: Sorry Our iOS6 Maps Service Isn’t Really So Great… Maybe Try Google?
By September 28, 2012
While the masses were clamoring for the iPhone 5, many of those hungry consumers were a bit wary about the fact that Apple had ditched the default Google Maps function in favor of its own map application. And now that customers are complaining that the iOS6′s maps are full of bugs and bad directions, Apple CEO Tim Cook is offering his apologies, as well as alternate suggestions. [More]
Barnes & Noble Ushers Its Thinner Nooks Into The Ring To Duke It Out With Other Tablets
By September 26, 2012
If you don’t compete, you die. That’s what’s pushing retailers to give it their all to nudge Amazon and Apple from their spots atop the e-commerce and e-reader world, and basically anything else you can put an “e-” in front of. Today Barnes & Noble unveiled its newest Nook Tablets, both with HD to produce better video viewing. [More]
Oh, What We Do For Love: Apple Repairs Have Cost American Consumers $6 Billion Since 2007
By September 19, 2012
I see people loving their iPhones, coddling them and stroking them and covering them with cutesy covers. But I also see my friends’ shattered screens threatening to lodge shards of screen glass in their ears or complaining that they’ve dropped their iPhone in the toilet (again) and railing about the cost to fix or replace it. And they’re not alone: A new study says American consumers have spent almost $6 billion to repair their iPhones since the phone’s 2007 birth. [More]
Macy's Flagship Store Is The Next To Get An Apple Makeover & It's Ticking Some People Off
By September 19, 2012
Spending $400 million on a makeover is something only an established store with a worldwide brand should attempt — but is it worth it if you’re just turning it into yet another Apple-esque space? Macy’s is the next to go for the shiny, sleek and super-white Apple look at its famous flagship store in New York City, but some traditionalists say in this case, change isn’t good. [More]
Advocates File Net Neutrality Complaint Over AT&T's FaceTime Policy
By September 18, 2012
Last month, AT&T confirmed that iPhone customers who want to use the iPhone’s FaceTime video chat app over a cellular connection would need to belong to one of the company’s new shared data plans. At the time, several advocates raised concerns about whether or not this requirement violated the FCC’s Open Internet rules, and now these same groups have moved to file an actual complaint with regulators. [More]
Apparently We're All Very Impressed With iPhone 5: Apple Stock Tops $700 For The First Time Ever
By September 18, 2012
Although we’ve heard plenty of so-so and “meh” feedback for the iPhone 5, we’ve also seen a whole lot of people scrambling to order Apple’s newest shiny gadget. And it seems we as consumers in general are pretty darn impressed by the thing, as Apple’s stock went over $700 for the very first time ever, to $701.44 this morning. So they’ve got to be doing something right, eh? [More]
Siri's Definition Of An Apple Store Is Very Generous
By September 13, 2012
After seeing yesterday’s iPhone 5 announcement, Consumerist reader Ed thought he’d ask his wife’s phone for a little buying assistance. [More]
Will You Be Able To Take Your Unlimited Data Plan With You If You Upgrade To iPhone 5?
By September 13, 2012
Yesterday, Apple went through its occasional ritual of taking an hour to go over every minute detail of its new phone. But what wasn’t mentioned in that overlong introduction to the iPhone 5 was what it means for the folks who still have unlimited data plans from back in the day. [More]
Is There Anything Special About The iPhone 5?
By September 12, 2012
It’s been almost a year since Apple unveiled the iPhone 4S, with some significant upgrades like Siri voice recognition and both CDMA and GSM compatibility. So today the company announced the latest iteration of the iPhone, but would the iPhone 5 have enough new bells and whistles to make 4S users take a hammer to their old phones in disgust? [More]
Apple Doesn't Want Some Upstart Polish Grocery Site Horning In On Its Territory, Files Complaint
By September 11, 2012
Apparently Apple is running out of companies to brawl in court with, which must explain why it’s picking a fight with a Polish online grocery website called A.pl. Samsung is one kind of threat and then there’s the threat posed by a grocery store that seems to have already changed its site enough to not resemble the electronics giant at all. [More]
YouTube Launches New iOS App Just In Time For That New Phone Everyone's Been Waiting For
By September 11, 2012
Ever since Apple told Google it wouldn’t include a pre-loaded YouTube app on new iPhones anymore because the license to do so had expired, the two companies have totally not been best friends anymore. Upping the fight ante this time around is YouTube’s owner Google, which launched a new YouTube app for iOS just in time for the expected iPhone 5 announcement tomorrow. [More]
Wireless Carriers Banking On New iPhone To Turn Everyone Into Data Hogs
By September 11, 2012
For years, wireless providers have been moaning about their highest volume data users and shaking their fists at the sky for ever having tried unlimited data plans in the first place. But now, with the impending release of a reportedly 4G LTE-compatible iPhone on the horizon, these same carriers are popping champagne corks, hoping that the faster data speeds will nudge consumers into the next level of data hogging. [More]
App Publisher Claims Leaked iPhone IDs Came From Its Database, Not FBI
By September 10, 2012
As you probably recall, hackers recently claimed to have swiped unique tracking information for iPhone and iPads via a laptop belonging to an FBI agent, leading many to wonder why the lawmen would have this information in the first place. The FBI quickly denied any ties to the information, and now a publishing company in Florida is saying that the hacked list actually belongs to it and not the feds. [More]
Apple Officially Starts The iPhone Salivation Countdown With Event Scheduled For Sept. 12
By September 4, 2012
It’s been more than five years since the first iPhone was unveiled, and here we all are, still caught up in “When is the next iPhone going to come out oh please tell me tell me” speculation. After months of guesswork, the announcement appears to be nigh, as Apple has issued an invitation to media for a special event on Sept. 12. [More]
Hackers Claim FBI Has Tracking Information For 12 Million iPhones And iPads
By September 4, 2012
Yesterday, while many of us were grilling various meats and dreading the inevitable return to work, hackers posted what they claim are 1 million unique identifiers for iPads and iPhones. According to the hackers, the source of this information is a significantly larger database held by the FBI. [More]
Apple Is Having Trouble Getting Enough Screens For The iPhone 5
By August 31, 2012
If you’re planning on getting and iPhone 5 when it launches in a few weeks, you might want to be proactive about pre-ordering, because Apple is allegedly having trouble getting enough screens. [More]
How The Apple Store Trains Its Geniuses To Manipulate You
By August 30, 2012
People consider the Apple Store experience the gold standard–or at least the brushed aluminum standard–of electronics retail. Companies from AT&T to Microsoft have tried to replicate the Apple Store experience, then refused to admit that they were trying to replicate the Apple Store experience. The backbone of the store is the Genius Bar, where Apple fans seek repairs, warranty replacements, and the wise counsel of the local council of Geniuses. What goes into the formation of a Genius? Gizmodo got hold of an Apple Store training workbook, and decided to tell the world. [More]
