Consumer Electronics Wins

There are so many different external hard drives out there that do the same things. Plug them in to your Mac, and they can hold extra content, or back up your machine using Time Machine. Drobo is, and always has been different. The company has created a line of desktop […] Read the original post…

Bob Kupbens, former vice president of marketing and digital commerce at Delta Air Lines, has joined Apple. According to his LinkedIn page, Kupbens’ title is VP, Apple Online Retail. Advertising Age noted the title was unconfirmed, but regardless, Kupbens looks to play a large role in Apple’s online retail efforts. […] Read the original post…

Apple has likely sold its 500 millionth iPhone during the past few weeks, Forbes estimates. There has yet to be an official announcement from Apple regarding the milestone; the company sometimes heralds large-scale sales in press releases, and at other times waits to mention them during media events. Forbes notes […] Read the original post…

This alarm clock has a larger footprint than many, at over 10” wide and about 7.5” deep. It’s mostly matte black plastic, including a textured surface on top, although there’s also a metal speaker grille on the front, surrounding the digital display. There, you can see information such as time […] Read the original post…

Standing just shy of a foot tall, SyrenPro is about 8.5” wide at its circular base. It’s deceivingly light for its size, weighing only 3.75 pounds, but the low weight helps make it easier to transport, as does a small handle molded into the back. Viewed from the front, the […] Read the original post…

Apple didn’t infringe on certain Samsung patents and won’t have to pay damages in a Japanese court ruling, Bloomberg reports. A Tokyo District Court ruled the iPhone 4, 4s, and iPad 2 don’t infringe on Samsung data communication patents. Samsung expressed their disappointment with the decision and noted that the […] Read the original post…

Solemate Max’s exterior is a combination of plastic, rubber, and metal. Although it looks nice enough, the materials aren’t as premium as one would expect from a $400 speaker. It doesn’t seem quite as fancy, and specific design features such as the rubber handle are more appropriate to budget speakers […] Read the original post…

FireChat is a new free app from Open Garden that lets users send messages to other nearby users without an Internet connection or mobile coverage, using iOS 7’s Multipeer Connectivity Framework to link users together. Users can see what FireChat users everywhere are talking about, or they have the option […] Read the original post…

Apple is apparently testing a new feature in the App Store that offers users related term suggestions when doing a search. A number of reports have noted the new feature, though it appears it was first spotted by developer Olga Osadcha. Osadcha found the feature while using iOS 7.1. It’s […] Read the original post…

Anyone who takes quick trips knows that having to carry multiple bags—luggage plus something to lug around a computer and iPad—can be a pain. That’s why we can definitely see the appeal of Incase’s EO Travel Roller Bag ($250). The same size as a traditional carry-on bag, it includes dedicated […] Read the original post…

iTunes Radio will add National Public Radio as its first news channel, Re/code reports. NPR’s channel is expected to go live today, and it will offer a free 24-hour stream of live news and pre-recorded shows. Additionaly, some local NPR stations will offer their own iTunes Radio channels “within weeks.” […] Read the original post…

Like many of iHome’s Bluetooth systems, iBN26 is a pretty simple speaker. For the most part, there are only four buttons to use – power, volume down, volume up, and play/pause in a silver bar across the top – notably, with mirroring of the volume controls to iOS’s volume slider. […] Read the original post…

Digital downloads including App Store and iTunes purchases are due to see a tax increase in the U.K. under new laws next year, The Guardian reports. A new budget would force Apple and others to charge a 20 percent tax rate on such downloads. The budget closes a tax loophole […] Read the original post…

Apple is talking with Comcast about working together on a streaming television service that would use an Apple set-top box like Apple TV, the Wall Street Journal reports. The deal would use Comcast’s cables to bypass web congestion, sources said. Using Comcast as a partner would, ideally, prevent buffering and […] Read the original post…

Apple has “opened exploratory talks” with record executives about creating an on-demand music streaming service, à la Spotify, and the company is also considering making an iTunes app for Android, Billboard reports. The discussions are reportedly part of a strategy to help Apple cope with declining downloads in the iTunes […] Read the original post…