Oliver Haslam

Google Pulls Fake Siri Android App from Android Market

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated July 10, 2017

It seems that someone at Google has been pretty busy. You may remember how we told you about "Siri for Android," an app on Google's Android Market which claimed to be just what the name suggested.

Siri has obviously has not been ported to Android, as the app was discovered to merely be a shortcut with a Siri-like icon that pointed to Google's own built-in voice recognition engine. The app's developer also called itself "Official App," which was clearly designed to confuse people into thinking the app was, well, official.

Google has since taken note, and the offending app is now gone from the Android Market...

Apple TV Now Running iOS Apps in Fullscreen 720p Resolution

Oliver Haslam ∙ January 1, 2012

As if there was ever any doubt that clever people do clever things, Steve Troughton-Smith and fellow coder TheMudKip have taken things one step further than making iOS apps run on an Apple TV.

Because simply making the apps run on the Apple TV wasn't awesome enough, the pair has now found a way to make iOS applications run at the full 720p resolution of the Apple TV. The original news was that the Apple TV was being forced to run iOS apps in windows, which was great in itself. Making apps run fullscreen is the next logical step, and it seems that it has already been taken.

The images shared by 9to5Mac show iPad apps running at 720p, which makes a great deal of sense considering the iPad's own resolution of 1024x768...

Rumor: More Claimed iPad 3 Parts Shown, Possible New Internals

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 31, 2011

More supposed iPad 3 parts have surfaced that appear to show differences between existing iPad 2 hardware and an unknown device. Published by Macotakara, the new photos show an existing iPad 2 dock connector cable alongside the new part, which it is speculated belongs to Apple's third generation iPad.

Just as any sane person would predict, Apple appears to be sticking to its classic 30-pin dock connector as a source of power and a way of syncing, rather than moving to the industry standard USB solution that is preferred by much of the competition...

Steve Jobs Tribute Calendar Rejected by Apple’s App Store Police

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

When Apple co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs passed away in October, people around the world felt like they had lost someone they knew, if only through the devices they own that bear the Apple brand. Many took to Apple Stores as a way of paying their respects, leaving messages and Apple products when they left.

One iOS app developer decided that the best way to honor Jobs was to release a free calendar app on Apple's App Store honoring the late industry titan, but according to MacNN, Apple was not so keen on the idea. Apple's App Store review team decided to reject the app, meaning we will never get to see the tribute ourselves...

Siri Upsets UK Kid With $#%&ing Rant

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 31, 2011

We all thought Siri was our friend, but it turns out that Apple's digital assistant has a mean streak, especially if you happen to be 12 years-old and frequent one particular supermarket in the UK.

When shopping at a Tesco store in Coventry, UK, one unsuspecting kid decided to have a play with Apple's latest and greatest. Unfortunately, he got more than he bargained for.

According to the report by the ethically-questionable The Sun, little Charlie Le Quense found himself on the wrong end of a four-letter tirade, which understandably took everyone aback...

Rumor: A Photo of iPad 3 Retina Display?

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 30, 2011

If there is one thing that is guaranteed every year, it's that MacRumors will get its hands on some photos of what appear to be parts from a new iPhone or iPad. This year is proving to be no different, with the latest part to show up supposedly being an iPad 3 screen, complete with Retina display pixel density.

Unfortunately, the screen is not attached to anything, and thus not functioning, which is a shame.

While the screen was not powered up, that does not mean there isn't at least one portion of the photo that should get the pulse racing – the screen pictured possess three, count 'em, three ribbon cables. Exciting...

Say Hello to 1983’s iPhone

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 30, 2011

It's fair to say that Apple's iPhone has turned a few heads since its original release in 2007. The first iPhone was obviously a game changer, bringing glass-fronted, multitouch phones to the masses. The iPhone 4 was, and still is, one of the best-looking phones around.

Now check out the iPhone's grandfather above. See the resemblance?

The aforementioned image shows an Apple telephone that was in the works all the way back in 1983. The story goes that Hartmut Esslinger was responsible for the design of the telephone, and he knew what he was doing — he also came up with the design for the Apple II...

This App Adds Weather Conditions to Your Lock Screen Without Jailbreaking

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

If you're the kind of person that likes to keep an eye on the weather forecast without having to load the Weather app or look out of a window, then you are going to love this!

Unfortunately, Apple does not allow the Notification Center weather widget to show up in the iOS lock screen, but there are plenty of jailbreak tweaks and apps that will do just that. What if you don't want to jailbreak, though? Now there is a solution, and it's made its way through Apple's App Store, too.

Unimaginatively named "Lock Screen Weather App," this app will do just what many have been crying out for – display weather information on an iPhone's lock screen without the need to jailbreak anything...

Patent Shows Planned Facial Recognition in Upcoming iPad

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 29, 2011

One of the most popular negatives that people like to throw at the iPad is its single-user experience. There is basically no ability for a family to easily use an iPad. No user accounts, and thus no account switching.

Perhaps Apple planned for each member of a family to own their own iPad, but as we all know, that just isn't feasible with a $500 tablet, especially in these poor economic times.

The latest patent application to find its way out of the people at PatentlyApple shows that Apple is well aware of the way people want to use their iPads, and that we want to be able to hand the device to another person and have them be able to use it as their own. No sharing apps, no logging in and out of things constantly. This being Apple, they want to do it a little differently.

Cat Playing Fruit Ninja is Super Awesome

Oliver Haslam ∙ Updated May 30, 2017

We've conducted extensive tests here at iDB, and we have come to the cat-egorical (see what we did there?) conclusion that there is nothing more awesome on this planet than cats. Ceiling cat, keyboard cat, the list goes on.

Now we can add Fruit Ninja cat to the growing list of fantastic felines, after a video surfaced of one such feline showing that fruit just who the boss really is.

Just watch this video, we dare, nay double-dare you to not raise a smile. Perhaps even giggle a tad...

60beat’s $50 iOS GamePad Controller Brings the Console Experience to Mobile

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 29, 2011

iOS is growing to be a major player in the gaming space. When you are selling as many iPhones and iPads as Apple is, not to mention iPod touches, then it is almost an inevitability that your own App Store is going to become a mecca for all manner of games.

With its touch-based interface and huge screen, the iPad in particular has become something of a giant in the mobile gaming world, but the same touch screen that is is biggest strength can also be its biggest weakness. That's why this new accessory really caught our eye.

Coming from accessory company 60beat, this new controller gives gamers a more familiar way of controlling their games. If iOS gaming is to truly take over, then there needs to be a natural way to play traditional games, and that natural way involves a couple of thumbsticks and some hardware buttons.

Apple and Jailbreaking Make it Onto EFF’s Christmas Wish List

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 29, 2011

Every year the Electronic Frontier Foundation releases its "wish list," a list that points out the flaws the EFF sees in tech companies and their openness. This year has seen Apple only appear in that list once, and in a particularly predictable manner.

The EFF, according to its list, would like Apple to allow users to easily gain root access to their devices, giving them complete control over how they work as well as offering a way to install apps without going through Apple's App Store.

Unsurprisingly Apple is not so keen on taking that approach, though there are ways to get root access should you really want to...