iPhone 5

XBMC updated with iPhone 5 support and other improvements

Popular open-source media player XBMC has been updated today, bringing the app to version 12.1. The update improves the experience across all of Apple's platforms, including the Mac, iOS and Apple TV.

For most users, the iOS update will be the most welcomed change, as it brings about support for the iPhone 5's larger 4-inch display. And Apple TV2 users will be similarly pleased with further support for iOS 6...

Galaxy S4 benchmarks almost twice as fast as the iPhone 5

As most of you know already, Samsung unveiled its highly anticipated Galaxy S III successor last week, the S4. The handset will sell head-to-head against the iPhone 5 until Apple releases its next-gen smartphone, which is expected sometimes this summer.

While the jury is still out on which handset provides the best user experience — easy-of-use, reliability, etc — the S4 is certainly looking better on paper. It has a sharper screen, a bigger battery, and according to new benchmarks, a much, much fast processor...

Folks not trading-in their iPhones following Samsung’s next big thing announcement

Gadget resellers such as Gazelle may have been eagerly awaiting Samsung's new Galaxy S 4 in the hope that Apple fans will jump ship and trade-in their iPhones. Thus far, this hasn't been the case. Quite the contrary - the vast majority of post-S4 trade-ins are for other Galaxy smartphones, not iPhones.

Specifically, Gazelle's CEO said Monday his company has seen a cool 168 percent increase in the number of the Galaxy S III trade-ins compared to the number of Galaxy S II trade-ins, both observed during the same post-launch timeframe for each device...

‘TransparentCameraBar’ adds “more” real estate to the stock Camera app

TransparentCameraBar is a jailbreak tweak that allows you to make the UI featured in the stock Camera app transparent. The jailbreak tweak, free on Cydia's BigBoss repo, is a way to trick yourself into having "more" real estate for the view finder.

I should mention that this is more like a WinterBoard theme, than a tweak that impacts the photo's end result. If you take a photo either with, or without this tweak, the end result will be the same. It's simply a visual tweak that zooms in the camera UI to give the appearance of a bigger viewfinder.

Take a look inside for more info...

Comparison video: iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S4

You saw this coming. Since the moment Samsung unveiled its new flagship Galaxy S4 handset yesterday, the iPhone 5 comparisons have been flying about nonstop. So a video comparison of the two devices was inevitable.

This clip from the folks over at PhoneArena shows the i5 and S4 side by side, and their many differences, from display quality to build quality. It also showcases some of the the Galaxy S4's unique new software features...

Apple’s Tim Cook loses top CEO ranking to Facebook in Glassdoor survey

It's uncertain what caused it, but the first cracks are appearing in the honeymoon between Apple CEO Tim Cook and company employees.

After being named the top CEO of 2012, Cook slipped to 18th place, behind Google and Amazon. According to employment site Glassdoor, Apple employees gave Cook a 93 percent approval rating, down from 97 percent last year.

By comparison, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg jumped 14 points to land in the top spot for 2013 with a 99 percent approval rating from employees of the social networking giant...

$149 iPhone 5 now available from Strata Networks

As promised last week, Strata Networks, a regional U.S. wireless carrier, finally landed the iPhone 5 today. And, in emulating fellow rural telcos, Strata is offering Apple's device with a $50 discount compared to the asking prices at Verizon, AT&T and Sprint. Specifically, the iPhone 5 is available for $149 for the 16GB model, $249 for the 32GB model and $349 for the high-end model with 64 gigabytes of storage. The iPhone 5 is available in all Strata stores in Utah, Colorado and Wyoming.

They don't mention web sales, though Strata did update its web site this morning to reflect the devices' availability. The carrier is also selling the iPhone 4S for $49 and the iPhone 4 for free, with a qualifying contract. Would-be subscribers should be pleased to know that the iPhone 5 is compatible with Strata's 4G LTE network that the company started deploying ahead of Christmas 2012...

RokDock is the new iPhone throne [review + giveaway]

Rokform is quite a regular on the review stream around these parts and it should come as no surprise. Before you assume, no, this is not a sponsored post. Simply, Rokform makes extremely quality products and I am always impressed by them.

The most recent chunks of T-6061 aircraft grade aluminum that Rokform CNC machined into a usable hunk of metal is the RokDock. The heaviest accessory on my desk, the three pound dock is a hyper-masculine throne upon which my iPhone rests. The RokDock is just awesome, no need to complain about my open love affair with their products...

The iKit NuCharge: an iPhone 5 battery case with interchangeable covers

When it comes to battery cases for the iPhone 5, there's no shortage of options. Mophie itself offers a few choices—the Juice Pack Air and the Helium Juice Pack—and there are countless offerings from other third party manufacturers.

But that doesn't mean the space couldn't use another contender. And the folks of Shark Design think they have what it takes to be a big one with their iKit NuCharge. They say it's the "most advanced iPhone battery case ever made..."

Meet the GLAS.t Slim, a thinner and lighter glass screen protector for iPhone 5

I have a hard time hiding my love for the GLAS.t family of screen protectors for one simple reason: I just think they're the best. A few months ago I reviewed the GLAS.t, which I believed was the best screen protector for iPhone 5, but things just got even better!

The fine folks over at SGP sent me their new GLAS.t Slim for iPhone 5 for review. I've been sporting it for a little over a week now and I'm here to give you a quick review of the product...

Apple beats Samsung in U.S. smartphone sales

Here's some good news: research firm comScore Wednesday announced that during a three-month average ending January 2013 Apple crushed Samsung in United States smartphone sales. Specifically, the iPhone maker was the top US smartphone vendor with a 37.8 percent market share in January 2013, which was up 3.5 percentage points from October 2012. Samsung was second with a notably lower market share of 21.4 percent, a slight 1.9 percentage point increase from October 2012. All told, Apple's 3.5 percentage point gain was Android's loss as we see Google's mobile operating system dropping for the first time. So much about the supposedly "weaker than expected" iPhone 5 demand...

iPhone 5 coming soon to regional carrier Strata Networks

With the release of iPhone 5, Apple has tweaked its sales tactics, making the handset available across more than a dozen regional carriers in the United States, in addition to major wireless operators like AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon and Sprint that have traditionally served as the most important iPhone distributors in the country. You can now add Strata Networks to your list of iPhone-friendly regional carriers because the company started advertising it will be offering the iPhone 5 soon...