Apple to focus on the iOS software experience in the future?

While the iPhone is by no means at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to hardware specs, Apple’s road map of releasing only one phone a year does put them at a bit of a disadvantage when competing against phones from other platforms such as Android, and we all know how fast phones in the Android world turn obsolete.
According to some observations from a Morgan Stanley analyst, Katy Huberty, Apple will focusing less on hardware and shift ...
Apple looking to hire "iOS Maps Application Developer"

Apple has posted a new job opening for an iOS Maps Application Developer. Last December, Apple posted a job opening stating it was looking for someone who had "experience developing navigation software," but this is the first time Apple has explicitly stated it's looking for a Maps developer.
The job listing doesn't drop any hints as to what future features Maps might include, but the listing is a sign in itself that Apple is gearing up to significantly update or revamp its Maps app. ...
Peel iOS remote raises $16 million in funding

We've posted about the Peel universal IR remote before. It's an interesting setup using a third-party unit that looks almost like a pear, designed to fit right into your living room wirelessly. It connects to an iOS app and turns your iDevice into a universal remote for any other units you might happen to have. In addition to the slick design, there's a nice bit of TV browsing functionality included. It's a remote designed not only to help ...
Talkcast tonight, 10pm EDT/7pm PDT/4pm HDT: Casper Phone Edition!

It's that time again kids! This week we have TONS to talk about, from the actual release of the Ghost Phone to the dust-up over iPhones and their location tracking and everything in between.
Tonight we have a special guest too! Chatting with me and the other TUAW staffers about the news of the week will be Editor-At-Large of The Mac Observer, Jeff Gamet! WARNING: If you have a delicate ...
Panasonic app uses AR to place your new big screen dreams

Just in time for the weekend, this is about the wackiest use of augmented reality that we've seen yet. The Panasonic Viera AR Setup Simulator is a brand new free app in the App Store that uses AR to put a virtual big screen television right in your living room, so you can see what it looks like in place before you actually buy and "install" it. The idea is that you download and print the AR market ...
Desk Phone Dock review

With every passing day, more people are ditching their landlines in favor of using their cellular phones as a combination device. Smartphones are no doubt excellent means of contacting other humans and managing our lives, but some of us miss the simpler days -- when a phone was just a phone. If you're a proud owner of an iPhone but looking to head down the retro road, Kee Utility would like to point you in the right direction. ...
Nextbook Next5: first Android tablet with an Integrated Digital Pen

Nextbook has just announced that they have begun to ship their latest Android tablet, the Next5. Nextbook calls the Next5 the first Android tablet that comes with an Integrated APEN Digital Pen. What’s so special about the APEN Digital Pen is that it connects to the Next5 wirelessly, allowing users to generate, save and/or transmit real-time notes, write emails, and create drawings using regular paper and normal ink. So if you’ve been looking for a tablet that has writing ...
Seattle T-mobile stores challenging iPhone

T-Mobile is having some fun challenging its adoptive parent AT&T and its competitor Verizon Wireless to a speed test that pits the Android-powered Samsung Galaxy S 4G against the iPhone 4.
Starting Friday April 29, iPhone owners can challenge the Galaxy S 4G to see which handset is the fastest. If the iPhone beats the Galaxy S 4G in two of three tests, the iPhone owner will walk away with a cool $1000.
Before you start spending that cash prize, be aware that the Galaxy ...
MOG Streaming Music Service arrives on LG Blu-ray players and Home Theater systems

MOG has just announced that they will be offering their highly rated Streaming Music Service on LG’s family of selected Blu-ray players and Home Theater systems, which will be made available via the new Smart TV platform. Once you have selected the MOG application, music lovers can look through millions of songs, choosing the tracks of their choice on demand, right from the comfort of your living room.
According to David Hyman, CEO of MOG, “MOG remains focused on ensuring our users ...
Homer Simpson comes to the Tom Tom app

The voice of cartoon character Homer Simpson, as performed by actor Dan Castellaneta, is now available as an in-app purchase in Tom Tom's US-based GPS apps for the iPhone right now. For $5.99, you too can have Homer say "[Annoyed Grunt]" when you make a wrong turn, or "Woo hoo!" when you reach your destination. Pricey? Maybe so, but considering the apps already cost about $50 (not to mention a subscription charge for other services), you're all-in anyway, ...