FaceTime over cellular coming for more AT&T customers
On Wednesday, the carrier said it would open the capability to iPhone or iPad users on tiered data plans. The update will be rolled out sometime over the next couple of weeks. Read more »
To fight Amazon’s “black box,” iPad publisher Inkling opens its 400 ebooks up to Google
In an effort to aid book discovery and battle Amazon’s dominance, iOS publishing platform Inkling will allow its roughly 400 ebooks to be fully indexed through Google search. The company plans to add a thousand more books this year. Read more at paidContent »
The fourth quarter of 2012 in mobile
The mobile platform wars heated up in a big way as 2012 came to a close. Among other trends, Microsoft launched Windows Phone 8, Android’s dominant market share grew, and mobile commerce reached record highs during the holidays. Read more »
The 2013 task management tools market
The task-management market is growing, in part because users need to coordinate with teams via mobile. In this case, heavier-weight solutions like Yammer, IBM Connections, and Podio don’t always suffice. But the demand for digital to-do lists that can be shared across project teams is increasing. Read more »
Stick a fork in netbooks, they’re done
Goodbye Eee PC and all other netbooks from Asus; the company is no longer producing the small laptops. Acer followed Asus into the netbook market and is following it out as well. What happened to this once quickly growing market? Tablets disrupted the space. Read more »
NYC mayor blames iOS gadget thefts for city’s rise in crime
The city of New York counted 108,432 “major crimes” that occurred during 2012, which is 3,484, or 3.3 percent, more than recorded last year. Meanwhile, Apple product thefts rose by 3,890 during the year. Read more »
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What to watch in mobile in 2013
The year 2013 may bring real disruption to the mobile industry. Upstart carriers are embracing noncellular technologies to provide cut-rate services, third-party developers are gaining traction with cheap (or free) alternatives to SMS, and a major U.S. operator is preparing to drop handset subsidies. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Snapguide brings its how-to guides to iPad
Snapguide has been a certified hit as an iPhone app. But now that the content is there — guides on practically everything from the quirky to the dreadfully practical — the team at Heavy Bits, which makes Snapguide, wants to broaden its user base. Read more »
How the cloud helped social gaming firm Wooga prepare for its Android invasion
Berlin’s highly successful games studio is moving into Android, starting off with a new version of the hit Diamond Dash. It seemed like a good time to get a snapshot developer perspective on coding for the big two mobile platforms. Read more »
iPad art gets real with Foldify app
The iPad may be an unexpected platform for making art with paper, but the folks at Pixle are betting there are people who want to use their iPad for creation. That’s why they made Foldify, a simple, easy-to-use app for creating papercraft art. Read more »
Microsoft expands Surface RT production, availability
It’s hard to tell if Microsoft’s Surface RT is a sales hit, but according to the company, retailer interest is high. As a result, Microsoft is expanding production and will be allowing third-party retail stores to carry the device earlier than it planned. Read more »
Why laptop makers should be focusing on tablets now
First smartphones overtook traditional computer sales and now tablets are on track to outsell laptops, according to IDC, which predicts more tablets will be sold than laptops by 2015. Computer makers should be looking to where the growth is as tablets replace laptops for many. Read more »
Video: Which Zagg keyboard is right for your iPad mini?
I tested both of Zagg’s iPad mini keyboard cases and either is a nice accessory. There’s a difference in typing, however, due to the two sizes. That means you’ll have to figure out if you value portability or a better typing experience when choosing. Read more »
Two new iPads, iPhones per year? It’s not as crazy as it sounds
By stacking all major product releases at year’s end, it leaves the whole rest of the calendar as a giant question mark. What new products will Apple introduce in the spring? Some evidence points to a six-month product cycle for its biggest sellers. Read more »
MobileTechRoundup podcast 285: Surface RT as iPad replacement?
After a few weeks of use, Matt’s Surface RT has replaced an iPad for most purposes. But what bought the Surface Pro: a compelling package or a let down? Hear about portable speakers from both hosts and learn more about the very connected Chevy Volt. Read more »
Video look: Brydge+ keyboard and speakers for iPad
Can a wireless keyboard with hinges turn your iPad into a laptop running iOS? That’s the premise behind Brydge, a Kickstarter project that I backed months ago. I opted to add Bluetooth speakers to my Brydge; take a look at how this setup works. Read more »
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Forecast: the converged mobile messaging market
The mobile-messaging value chain is changing as OTT players upend mobile operators’ SMS business. There will be 27.7 trillion messages by 2016, and most of the growth in traffic will come from IP-based services. Successful carriers will use this new technology to extend reliability and scalability. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Google finally makes a YouTube for iPad app
Apple dropped the YouTube app from default inclusion in iOS 6, and Google had only issued a replacement native app for the iPhone and iPod touch. But Google is finally giving the iPad some love too. The app has also been fine-tuned for the iPhone 5. Read more »
Gmail app for iPhone, iPad gets multiple accounts, infinite scrolling + more
Other improvements to the app include sending and receiving attachments within the app, the ability to archive, label, star, delete and report spam, read email as threaded conversations, see profile pictures in those conversations, and respond to Google Calendar invites and Google+ posts. Read more »
Retina MacBooks don’t juice Apple’s Black Friday laptop sales
photo: Om Malik/GigaOM
Apple, for its part, isn’t likely to sweat this news too much: CEO Tim Cook has been open about the fact that cannibalization among his products is a real thing, and that some customers are in fact buying an iPad instead of a MacBook. Read more »
Why Rupert Murdoch’s bold bet on The Daily was doomed from the start
photo: Flickr user Stephen Brace
News Corp. has said it is finally shutting down The Daily, the iPad-only newspaper it launched in 2011. Although the media giant should be given some credit for experimenting with a new medium, there were obvious signs that The Daily was doomed from the start. Read more »
It’s official: new iPad, iPad mini, iPhone 5 head to China
The iPad and iPad mini that will be for sale in China are strictly Wi-Fi only — no cellular option yet. They hit the shelves on Dec. 7. The iPhone 5 will be in stores in the country a week after that. Read more »
Google Drive for iOS, Android gains mobile spreadsheet editing
At long last, Google has added spreadsheet editing features to its Google Drive mobile applications. The updated software is available for both Android and iOS devices. You can’t get too fancy in your spreadsheets just yet, but this is a step in the right direction. Read more »
Futureful plots smarter StumbleUpon for the iPad
Backed by Skype co-founder Janus Friis, Futureful is a content discovery tool that’s not dissimilar to StumbleUpon, only more heavily based on semantic tagging and machine learning. It’s due to launch in the U.S. in January. Read more »
MobileTechRoundup podcast 284: Looking at the Droid DNA
HTC’s Droid DNA for Verizon Wireless is here and both hosts on this week’s audio podcast have many likes a few a dislikes. Matt is trying a Chromebook and Jawbone UP again, while Kevin is watching HDTV on the iPad and Android phones for cheap. Read more »
The Digits blends video and gaming to make math rock for kids
Creator Scotty Iseri describes his new educational interactive web series and app experience as “gamified narrative” — he also approaches it as a start-up. The Digits, available on Android and iOS, frames math concepts for the elementary school set. Read more »
Bad Apple: UK judges rip iPad maker over “lack of integrity”
Apple and British judges have been in a long-running fight over an order that requires Apple to say that Samsung didn’t copy the iPad. Today, the frustrated judges got the last word in a decision scolding Apple. Read more »
How my mobile devices are ready for the next storm: Fenix ReadySet
After 4 days without power thanks to Hurricane Sandy, something arrived today that will help keep my mobile devices fully charged and connected to the web. I backed a Fenix ReadySet on Kickstarter, which is a large battery that charges with an included solar panel. Read more »
Why I just dumped the iPad 3 (Hint: iPad mini!)
photo: Om Malik
With only a few days of iPad mini use, I know it’s the right iPad for me. Sure, it lacks a Retina display, but the screen has a higher pixel density than the first few iPads. After two years of pining, this was worth the wait. Read more »
Nearly 1 in 4 computers sold last quarter were tablets
photo: Google
Tablet sales are rising says IDC, as 27.7 million slates were sold in the last quarter. Apple still holds a majority market share as Samsung, Amazon and others are catching up to the iPad. But there’s a bigger story here when it comes to PCs. Read more »
Newvem brings Amazon cloud metrics to the iPad
Newvem is bringing its Amazon Web Services analytics to CIOs and IT managers via a shiny new iOS app that will let CIOs use their beloved iPads and iPhones to keep tabs on Amazon cloud services in use. Read more »
3M iPad minis and new iPads sold this weekend, Apple says
The iPad mini launch wasn’t huge, but neither was it as small as the early lines on Friday morning around the world suggested it might be. Apple says it has “practically” sold out of the 7.9-inch tablet in the 33 countries that got the device Friday. Read more »
iPad mini: A first video look at Apple’s small tablet
Apple’s iPad mini is here, but does it offer a big experience in a small package or is this just a useless device for many? I like the form factor and it turns out that the lower resolution display isn’t all that bad! Read more »
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The state of cross-platform media measurement
Brand advertising’s focus on cross-platform media measurement has grown dramatically in the past five years. Within the next 36 months cross-platform digital video advertising will standardize, driven by the shift in media dollars to online viewing and the adoption of the Making Measurement Make Sense (3MS) initiative. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
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What the shift to the cloud means for the future EPG
The purpose of the on-screen guide has shifted. By connecting the guide to content-recommendation engines and advertising platforms, service providers and connected-TV device manufacturers are using the EPG as an access point for understanding consumers and reaching out to them to own the living room. Read more at GigaOM Pro »
Techstars-backed Pickie raises $1M for Flipboard-like app for shopping
Pickie, a recent graduate of TechStars New York, announced Monday that it has raised $1 million in seed funding from a range of investors, including DFJ Gotham, Betaworks and Liberty City Ventures. The startup uses social data regarding products to generate personalized iPad-based magazines for shopping. Read more »
Apple reports $36B in revenue, sells 27M iPhones, 14M iPads
While revenue was in line with expectations, earnings per share were slightly off: Financial analysts had been anticipating revenue between $34.28 billion and $38.04 billion, and around $8.75 earnings per share. Read more »
Apple sets a crowded table for holiday shoppers
After Tuesday’s iPad event, Apple now has the strongest assortment of iOS mobile products it has ever put in front of consumers, who are more excited than ever about mobile computing. It’s a complex lineup, but it could force competitors to scramble for scraps. Read more »
Apple’s October 2012 lineup of iPads [table]
photo: Om Malik
Apple unveiled its new and updated iPads today in San Jose, Calif. Take a look at our chart to see how they stack up. Read more »
Poll: Buying an iPad mini, even if you have an iPad?
Now that Apple has a new $329 iPad mini, more people can afford the iPad experience. But what if you already have an iPad? Would you consider a smaller, second one or might the new 7.9-inch iPad become your primary tablet? Let us know! Read more »
