Dropbox for iOS removes the photo resolution cap, stretches out to iPhone 5 size

Dropbox for iOS removes the photo resolution cap, stretches out to iPhone 5 size

As much of a boon as Dropbox has been for iOS users, it's been held back for shutterbugs wanting a one-for-one translation of their images. Any cloud photos saved for posterity were shrunk to iPhone 4S size and largely negated the point of a local copy. No more: an update to the app removes the resolution ceiling and shows whatever the iPad, iPhone or iPod can handle. While it still compresses the final image, all the basic nuances should remain intact. There's a treat in store for those who want to see more of their files inside of the Dropbox app, too, with iPhone 5 support putting to work those 112,640 pixels of extra screen real estate. Just don't expect to use Dropbox as a mobile viewer for your Hasselblad photos and you'll likely be happy.

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Dropbox for iOS removes the photo resolution cap, stretches out to iPhone 5 size originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 10:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceApp Store  | Email this | Comments

Netflix streaming launches in Sweden, lets you get your Bron on

Netflix streaming launches in Sweden

Sweden is home to some of the world's better known movie makers and some very high speed data connections, but it has only had so much love from movie streaming services that you'd think would be a natural match. Netflix is making that union a reality today through the launch of its Watch Instantly service in the country. Pay 79 kronor ($12) a month and you'll get access to a mix of both international and domestic movies and TV shows on any device that can take Netflix in the country, which includes at least computers as well as Android and iOS devices. Other Nordic territories are still promised as coming soon; although that won't be much help to Danes, Finns or Norwegians, we're sure Swedes won't mind having one more excuse to flaunt their cheap fiber internet access.

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Netflix streaming launches in Sweden, lets you get your Bron on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Hacking Netflix  |  sourceNetflix Nordics Blog, App Store, Google Play  | Email this | Comments

Apple agrees to license for Swiss railway clock in iOS 6, knows what time it is

Apple licenses Swiss railway clock, knows what time it is

When Swiss federal railway organization SBB and the Mondaine Group pointed out that the iOS 6 clock face looked remarkably like theirs, they weren't so much upset as clearing their throat politely -- it would be nice to get credit, if you don't mind. That kindness has been met with some reciprocity, as SBB has confirmed a licensing deal with Apple that gives the iPad builder rights to use the iconic timepiece in its mobile OS. Exact terms aren't forthcoming, although it's likely not a princely sum when SBB is better known for punctuality than wheeling and dealing. All we know is that Apple can at last live with a good conscience when it checks the time in Geneva.

Continue reading Apple agrees to license for Swiss railway clock in iOS 6, knows what time it is

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Apple agrees to license for Swiss railway clock in iOS 6, knows what time it is originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceSBB (translated)  | Email this | Comments

Apple files patent application for fingerprint sensor that can be transparent or opaque

Apple files patent application for fingerprint sensor that can be transparent or opaque

While Apple has flirted with biometric-based patents before, we've yet to see them implemented in real-world technology. That hasn't stopped it from filing yet another one though, as the latest application reveals a fingerprint sensor apparently embedded into the iPhone itself. The patent describes a hardware "window" that can become selectively "transparent or opaque." When transparent, it would reveal a component comprised of an "image capture device, a strobe flash, a biometric sensor, a light sensor, a proximity sensor, or a solar panel, or a combination thereof" as a method of unlocking the phone. According to the filing, the biometric sensor in question might indeed be a fingerprint reader. The document goes on to describe an alternative method using face or eye recognition technology that can be used not just for security purposes, but for possible e-commerce solutions like completing an online transaction. Of course, take any of these patent applications with a generous pinch of salt -- we haven't seen an Apple stylus yet, for example -- but perhaps this is the reason Apple bought fingerprint sensor maker AuthenTec back in July.

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Apple files patent application for fingerprint sensor that can be transparent or opaque originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 04:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink 9to5 Mac, Patently Apple  |  sourceUSPTO  | Email this | Comments

South Korea delays ban on iPads and iPhones until Apple can appeal

iPhone 4S and Galaxy Nexus

Apple and Samsung have been recreating the Cold War through their own mutually assured destruction policy, and nowhere is that more apparent than their Pyrrhic victories in South Korea. For Apple, however, the pain will be just a little easier to bear. A Seoul court has confirmed that it's staying the ban on older iPads and iPhones until Apple can complete the appeals process; the Cupertino crew won't face the full penalty unless the appeals court upholds the verdict. Samsung hasn't yet asked for a similar pause on a ban covering some of its Android devices, though, which could lead to at least a momentarily lopsided situation in Samsung's home country. It's nonetheless a brief reprieve in a war that sadly won't end anytime soon.

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South Korea delays ban on iPads and iPhones until Apple can appeal originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Oct 2012 16:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google mobile web revamp brings hidden sidebar, feels all too familiar

Google mobile web revamp brings hidden sidebar, feels all too familiar

Google+ has it. Facebook has it. Even Spotify and Evernote have it. "It" is the hidden sidebar, and that subtle if over-repeated interface has spread to Google's mobile home page. Visit from an iOS or Android device and the front end will resemble the desktop web version, but with a sidebar that exposes Google's services in a more elegant way than the top bar we've had to use before. The redesign isn't showing for everyone as of this writing, so don't be disappointed if Google's new drive towards interface consistency isn't available yet. Just know that there's one less refuge from the trendiest input metaphor of 2012.

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Google mobile web revamp brings hidden sidebar, feels all too familiar originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Google (Twitter)  |  sourceTheAndroidSoul, Google (Google+)  | Email this | Comments

Czech Microsoft manager claims Office 2013 will reach Android and iOS, rest of company is less certain (update: more direct denial)

Microsoft Office for iPad rumor

The story of Office for the iPad has been something of a rollercoaster. Depending on who you've talked to this year, the mobile app has been on, then off, then on again... if it was ever real to start with. Imagine our surprise, then, when IHNED says Microsoft Czech Republic product manager Petr Bobek "confirmed" native Android and iOS ports of Office 2013 during a press conference. The Office division higher-up reportedly outlined a strategy where the productivity suite would reach Windows for large businesses and individuals in December and February respectively, but would reach "other platforms" later on through more than just mobile-optimized web versions. It sounds promising, but we have reason for skepticism -- assuming the testimony is accurate, there's still a history of employees at Microsoft and other companies overstepping their boundaries without direct guidance from the corporate mothership. We reached out to Microsoft ourselves, and a spokesperson gave us a relatively conservative answer. While the company reiterated statements that "Office Mobile will work across Windows Phones, Android phones and iOS," it added that there was "nothing additional to announce" regarding Office's retail availability. As much of a glimmer of hope that might represent for some Android and iOS fans, it doesn't equate to a direct Office 2013 port with a release schedule.

[Image credit: The Daily]

Update: To underscore its point, Microsoft has issued a further statement that casts doubt on the very remarks in question. "The information shared by our Czech Republic subsidiary is not accurate," a spokesperson told us. "We have nothing further to share."

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Czech Microsoft manager claims Office 2013 will reach Android and iOS, rest of company is less certain (update: more direct denial) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 10 Oct 2012 12:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink The Verge  |  sourceIHNED (translated)  | Email this | Comments

Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999

Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999

Parrot has taken some time trotting out the Zikmu Solo speaker since we first saw it at CES, but those enamored with very vertical audio can rest easy now that the unit has a North American release schedule. Both Canada and the US can buy the Philippe Starck-crafted speaker in November, when it will cost $999 for Americans in its black and white guises (sorry, no red for now). While that's a lot to pay for a 100W speaker, Parrot is counting on the unique acoustic design, a conventional iOS dock and a mix of Bluetooth, NFC and WiFi to tempt people away from the land of horizontal sound. It's undoubtedly one of the easiest ways to make a speaker dock the focus of a room -- and that's part of the point, isn't it?

Continue reading Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999

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Parrot Zikmu Solo reaches US in November, makes a tower of wireless sound yours for $999 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 14:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Behringer iNuke Boom Junior shrinks a giant iOS dock, won’t trigger as many earthquake warnings

Behringer iNuke Boom Junior shrinks giant iPhone dock, won't trigger as many earthquake warnings

As enraptured as we might be with Behringer's monolithic iNuke Boom, the 8-foot-long frame and 10,000W output don't really lend themselves to a home installation. Not unless we want to produce false positives on the USGS' earthquake meters, anyway. We're happy to say the company has addressed that domestic oversight with the iNuke Boom Junior. The iOS- and iPod-capable speaker dock won't launch nearly as large-scale an audio assault at 50W, but it's also less than a twentieth of the size of its parent; no one will need a forklift to get Junior into the living room. In spite of the less than ego-inflating dimensions, the smaller system appears balanced with discrete woofer, tweeter and mid-range components as well as separate bass control. We just wish it was slightly more futureproof. As glad as we are that the iNuke Boom Junior's $180 price at Costco spares us from raiding our retirement funds, the speaker is still using a pre-Lightning dock connector and lacks any wireless audio -- iPhone 5 owners will have to turn to an adapter or the aux-in jack. At least we won't be violating any local noise laws in the process.

Continue reading Behringer iNuke Boom Junior shrinks a giant iOS dock, won't trigger as many earthquake warnings

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Behringer iNuke Boom Junior shrinks a giant iOS dock, won't trigger as many earthquake warnings originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 08:20:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for improvement

iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for more improvement

Eventually, that shiny new iPhone 5 will have to meet its untimely end, whether it's in a landfill or (preferably) a recycling company's machinery. When it does, you'll at least be glad to know that Apple has kept the toxin levels down. HealthyStuff and iFixit have dissected the extra skinny smartphone and put it in the same "low concern" category for potential harm that's normally occupied by phones wearing their green credentials on their sleeves. Lest anyone rush to tell Greenpeace about the feat, just remember that there's a difference between proficiency at excising dangerous chemicals and getting rid of them completely: HealthyStuff still found small traces of bromine, chlorine, lead and mercury in the iPhone 5's construction, which could pose risks if the handset is ever broken apart or melted for scrap. Some concern also exists that the x-ray fluorescence spectrometer doesn't reveal the full extent of any toxic materials. Whether or not these remain sore points for you, the new iPhone is at least easier on the eco-friendly conscience than most of its peers.

Continue reading iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for improvement

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iPhone 5 chemical study shows a green Apple, leaves room for improvement originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 04 Oct 2012 17:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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