Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn announces iPhone-compatible smart watch - Hon Hai Precision, better known as Foxconn, revealed on Wednesday that it will be releasing a smart watch that can interface with Apple's iPhone.
(Via AppleInsider.)
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Square Takes on eBay with New Online Market Service for Small Business
Square Takes on eBay with New Online Market Service for Small Business -
Are you a small business with excess inventory you'd love to unload? Before you click on that eBay "Sell" link, Square wants you to know that it's now a player in the online commerce business.
Square announced the launch of Square Market today, billed as "an online marketplace for businesses to sell everything from handmade jewelry, housewares and merchandise, to yoga lessons and beauty services."
The service is aimed at local businesses across the United States and offers free listings and a flat low fee of 2.75 percent per item sold. Square Market skips the costly web development and inventory management of other services, and items can be posted to Twitter for discovery and sharing.
“We’re focused on making easy-to-use tools for merchants that create an incredible experience for their customers -- no matter where they are," explains Ajit Varma, Square’s Director of Discovery. "Creating an online marketplace is our next step in making commerce easy for everyone. Square Market makes local businesses accessible to customers down the block and across the country.”
The service is likely to appeal to small businesses already using Square as their key method of payment -- item libraries sync straight across from Square Register, and setup takes only minutes.
Follow this article’s author, J.R. Bookwalter on Twitter
(Via Mac|Life all.)
20 Great Image-Editing Apps for Mac and iOS
20 Great Image-Editing Apps for Mac and iOS -
One name dominates digital photo editing, and that’s Adobe. Its flagship Photoshop software is the industry standard — it’s used to help make the website you’re reading now, and it costs $699. Happily, there are alternative applications that won’t break the bank and that can do everything the photography enthusiast could ever need. The following is an overview of your top options, as well as a few interesting plugins and narrower-purpose apps we recommend.
(Via Mac|Life all.)
Monday, June 17, 2013
Test-driving the Blue Microphone Spark Digital
Test-driving the Blue Microphone Spark Digital -
Many podcasters and musicians love the digital and analog microphones made by Blue Microphone. The company's booth at trade shows usually has a long line of computer geeks eager to see what the latest mic is, and earlier this year we were wowed by both the Spark Digital (US$199.95) and the just-released Nessie ($99.95). Now that the initial crush of orders for the Spark Digital has subsided somewhat, I was able to get a review device for a test drive and found a lot to like in this compact microphone for Mac and iPad.
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
AT&T will offer an iPhone walkie-talkie service; makes a grab for Nextel’s customers
AT&T will offer an iPhone walkie-talkie service; makes a grab for Nextel’s customers -
Nextel’s life in this world can now be counted in days, and AT&T smells the blood in the water. Ma Bell is making a bid for the remaining million customers on Sprint’s retiring iDEN network by replicating Nextel’s most appealing service on AT&T’s most popular smartphone.
AT&T said on Monday it has started offering its enhanced push-to-talk (PTT) services on the iPhone 5 and 4S through an iTunes app, though it’s only available to Ma Bell’s business customers for now. For those of you unfamiliar, push-to-talk functions like a walkie-talkie radio, allowing you to instantly communicate with a similarly enabled phone, rather than initiate a phone call. The service was a big selling point on Nextel, and later on Boost Mobile, particularly popular with blue-collar workers and the younger crowds.
Other operators have launched their own IP-based PTT applications, but they’ve been able to match Nextel’s success, largely because of the peculiarities of the iDEN. Motorola used its public safety communications expertise to build PTT directly into the iDEN’s core infrastructure. That close integration meant Nextel’s service routinely beat out its competitors in call set-up times and call quality.
But on June 30 that network goes dead, which has led many carriers and developers with competing PTT apps to put their services forward as alternatives. Sprint offers its own CDMA-based PTT service, called Direct Connect, and managed to lure many of its Nextel and Boost subscribers over to the Sprint side of the business. But at last count Sprint had 1.3 million iDEN customers remaining. Other operators probably feel the playing field is being leveled, making this summer the perfect time to go after PTT users.
(Via TheAppleBlog.)
Apple updates AirPort utilities to reflect new bases, 802.11ac
Apple updates AirPort utilities to reflect new bases, 802.11ac - 
Apple has issued updates for the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule, releasing minor upgrades for the firmware (now at version 7.7.1) and AirPort Utility software (now at version 6.3) to add compatibility for the newly-announced, redesigned AirPort hardware that supports the forthcoming 802.11ac standard. The new standard, which uses the 5GHz bandwidth of 802.11n, is backward-compatible with earlier Wi-Fi but supports faster speed and greater range. The new MacBook Air is the first model to feature 802.11ac ...
Button TrackR extends Indiegogo campaign: never leave your coat or keys behind again
Button TrackR extends Indiegogo campaign: never leave your coat or keys behind again -
Way back in November, TUAW first covered the Wallet TrackR campaign on Indiegogo. That initial campaign offered a device that could be slipped into your wallet or jacket, and that used Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) to ensure long battery life and easy iOS integration.
Originally scheduled to ship in April, units are just now getting ready for delivery. CEO Chris Herbert tells TUAW that the delay was unavoidable and frustrating.
The first samples Phone Halo received from the manufacturer did not pass their quality assurance standards, so the company had to go a few more rounds before they could begin their mass production run. The units are currently in shipment from China and should be sent out to the original purchasers by the end of the month.
Even as they were working to fulfill their initial crowd funding effort, their second foray into personal item tracking was well underway. Their new product Button TrackR streamlines Bluetooth Low Energy tracking even further. Units are smaller, use just one battery, and are (frankly) better looking and more portable.
iTunes Radio vs. Pandora
iTunes Radio vs. Pandora - See how Apple's recently announced iTunes Radio stacks up against streaming radio staple, Pandora.
(Via CNET News.com.)
WoodTones: A new high for $100 luxury headphones?
WoodTones: A new high for $100 luxury headphones? - The Audiophiliac spends some quality time checking out the new Griffin Technology WoodTones, full-size, over-the-ear headphones.
(Via CNET News.com.)
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Camino web browser reaches its end of life
Camino web browser reaches its end of life -
The developers of the venerable Camino web browser announced yesterday that the product is no longer being developed and that users should move on to "a more modern browser."
As the team blog notes, "Fortunately, Mac users have many more browsers to choose from than they did when Camino started 10 years ago." Camino devs have gone on to create Safari, Chrome and Firefox, all of which are under active development and in use by millions.
There's one overriding reason to switch from Camino; it isn't receiving security updates. It's time to move on ...
Camino browser for OS X reaches end of life
Camino browser for OS X reaches end of life - After over a decade on the Mac platform, the alternative Camino browser for OS X will no longer be developed.
(Via CNET News.com.)
How to keep your Mac running in tip-top shape
How to keep your Mac running in tip-top shape - Here are some tips and tricks to keeping your Mac running at its optimal speed. [Read more]
(Via CNET News.com.)
The Only Thing Amazon Has to Fear Is Amazon Itself
The Only Thing Amazon Has to Fear Is Amazon Itself - Amazon has reached a point in its evolution where the company is now surfing a feedback loop of dominance.
(Via Wired Top Stories.)
How a QR Code Could Save Your Life
How a QR Code Could Save Your Life - The QR code has been a popular punching bag for the nonplussed tech press, but Mercedes-Benz has figured out a way to not only make the over-endowed barcode useful, but life-saving.
(Via Wired Top Stories.)
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