Why Apple's A5 is so big--and iPhone 4 won't get Siri

A diagram of Audience's sales pitch: identify the speaker's voice and isolate it from background noise.

Apple's A5 processor includes noise-reduction circuitry licensed from a start-up called Audience, and a chip analyst believes that fact resolves an iPhone 4S mystery and explains why the iPhone 4 lacks the Siri voice-control system.

Audience revealed details of its Apple partnership in January, when it filed paperwork for an initial public offering (IPO) of stock. Teardown work from iFixit and Chipworks revealed a dedicated Audience chip in the iPhone 4, but the iPhone 4S integrates Audience's "EarSmart" technology directly into the A5 processor, the company's S-1 filing said.

The details answered a question that Linley Group analyst Linley Gwennap had about the A5 chip that powers the iPhone 4S: why is it so big? Larger processors are more expensive and can consume more power, and chip designers strive to trim every last square millimeter fr... [Read more]

Posted on 4 February 2012 | 3:39 pm

Games for football lovers on iPhone and Android

The big game is this weekend and most American's will tell you it's a lot more than just a football game.

Many people make an event out of the game with parties, barbeques, and betting pools, even if their favorite team isn't in the running. Even the commercials shown during the game are an event in themselves with advertisers spending huge amounts of money for 30 second and one minute spots.

While you wait for the Sunday's festivities to kick off, I've put together a collection of mobile games to get you excited for the main event. Most of the time I only write about iPhone apps in this space, but this special event calls for a special post.

This week's apps are football themed games for both iPhone and Android and they all let you fill the shoes of different players on a football team. The first lets you run past defenders on your way to the end zone. The second lets you try your luck at being the kicker who needs to split the uprights. The third has you playing as the quarterback, trying to complete perfect passes to open receivers.

Editor's note: If you are right now saying to yourself, "I hate football!" then read Jaymar Cabebe's post on Game day apps for football haters.

Use the juke and sprint buttons to get to the end zone, but once you're there i... [Read more]

Posted on 3 February 2012 | 7:16 pm

iPhone 5 rumor roundup

Will the iPhone 5 resemble its predecessor, the iPhone 4?

Editors' note: This roundup was originally published June 24, 2011, and is updated regularly.

After unveiling a marginally improved iPhone 4S in 2011 instead of a radically different iPhone 5, Apple has returned to its development labs to cook up (no pun intended) the next iteration of its popular phone. In 2012, we're fairly certain that the real iPhone 5 will roll out of Apple's gates and that the device should be a bigger leap forward than the 4S was.

That's why after taking some time off at the end of last year, we've resurrected CNET's iPhone 5 rumor roundup to cover the new tidbits from 2012. So join us again in watching the rumor mill churn. We'll add to it until we get the real thing, and please let us know if we've left any gossip out.

February 3, 2012 It's still going to be expensive Citigroup analysts who met with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer reported that Apple did not feel the need to make cheaper phones. During the meeting, Oppenheimer sugg... [Read more]

Posted on 3 February 2012 | 6:30 pm

iOstand for iPad and Android tablets has a magnetic personality

Startup iOmounts sold out of its first batch of iOstands, which cost $89 (click to enlarge).

For anyone who likes to put the iPad up on a pedestal, here's the accessory for you: the iOstand.

Produced by the folks at iOmounts--we ran into them at CES last month--the iOstand comes in three colors--black, white, or stainless steel. While the product's name implies that it's made for Apple products, it can also be used with other tablets.

The iOstand actually consists of four components: a weighted base, the pedestal with a ball on the end of it, and a powerful magnet (the iOcore) that adheres to the ball. You then stick a metal ring (the iOadapts) on the back of your iPad (we put it on a case) and that ring then adheres to the magnet.

The iOstand comes in the colors: black, white, or stainless steel (click to enlarge).

The magnetic setup allows you to easily manipulate the iPad (or an Android tablet) into portrait or landscape mode and tilt it at various angles. That said, t... [Read more]

Posted on 3 February 2012 | 3:05 pm

iPhone 4S sales resume online in China, shipments by March 2

The iPhone 4S launch in China did not go quite as Apple had planned.

Throngs of people are a norm for new product launches at Apple, but the gaggle of scalpers trying to hustle the system caused Apple to delay sales, earning its stores an egg wash and plenty of animosity. Now, after implementing a lottery system for ordering the iPhone 4S, Apple has resumed selling the device online and will ship by March 2.

The lottery reservation system seems to be doing its job; scalping is on the decline and the customers who have abided by the buying policies are now able to get their iPhone 4Ses.

Add that to Apple's stockpile of available iPhone 4S units finally catching up to the initial demand and people in China are now looking at reasonable shipping times. Of course in this case, reasonable is about a month. But that is not likely to deter many as the iPhone continues to make a dent in the Chinese smartphone market.

According to a report from China Daily the shipping times for iPhones in China actually vary quite a bit. "If you pay today, you might get the items tomorrow, and no later than March 2," said a telephone sales operator.

The reservation system is quite complex to outwit the scalping organizations that have become extr... [Read more]

Posted on 3 February 2012 | 1:26 pm

Apple feels no need to offer lower cost iPhone, says analyst

Apple seems to have no desire to sell cheaper smartphones, according to a report from Citigroup technology analyst Richard Gardner.

Meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer yesterday, Citigroup analysts discussed a variety of topics with the two executives, notably the smartphone market.

Asked about the sustainability of Apple's average selling prices and margins for the iPhone, Oppenheimer suggested that the company will keep focusing on producing "great products," believing that customers are willing to pay more for them.

"We did not get the impression that Apple feels a burning need to move down-market in smartphones, but rather that the company believes consumer preference will continue to gravitate toward the more capable devices that Apple currently produces," said the report.

Cook also repeated his belief that innovation in Apple's iOS and other mobile platforms will help tablets eventually surpass PCs in sheer volume, a notion the CEO advanced last year when he was still chief operating officer. Apple's management pointed to the success of its iOS platform for the development community, noting that developers have earned $4 billion to date and $700 million just in the fourth quarter of 2011.

With Windows 8 ARM tablets... [Read more]

Posted on 3 February 2012 | 9:41 am

Apple's smartphone share rises, but Android still on top

Apple and Android both grabbed a bigger piece of the pie last quarter, but Google's mobile OS kept the top spot with almost half of all U.S. smartphone customers.

For the quarter, Android's market share rose to 47.3 percent, according to ComScore, up from 44.8 in the prior quarter. Apple also watched its share rise to 29.6 percent from 27.4 percent but remained in second place by a wide margin.

Apple enjoyed a huge gain in smartphone sales during the holiday quarter, selling a record 37 million handsets. But Android continued its onslaught fueled by the wide variety of phones from Samsung, LG, Motorola, and other manufacturers.

The rest of the smartphone pack didn't fare as well as the top two, according to ComScore.

RIM's market share dripped to 16 percent from almost 19 percent the prior quarter. The company has been facing a tough climate with a shrinking market share and recent shakeup in management. New CEO Thorsten Heins is now under the gun to try to turn things around for the BlackBerry maker.

Microsoft's Windows Phone lost almost a point in market share, giving... [Read more]

Posted on 3 February 2012 | 8:26 am

iPhone 5 could see June debut at Apple confab, report says

Smartphone users champing at the bit for the next iPhone could get a taste of it by June.

The latest rumors about Apple's flagship phone suggest that the iPhone 5 could be announced in June at Apple's next Worldwide Developers Conference. This latest report comes from analysts at Daiwa Securities as reported by the Chinese newspaper Commercial Times.

The folks at 9to5Mac are predicting that WWDC will be held from June 10 to 15 this year.

The new scuttlebut follows a recent report from 9to5Mac also pointing to a summer release for the next iPhone. Citing a "reliable source at Foxconn in China," the Apple blog site said that samples of the iPhone 5 are already "floating around" Apple. The new phone reportedly will sport a 4-inch or larger display, with a form factor that differs from the iPhone 4 and 4S in both length and width.

Related stories

• ... [Read more]

  Posted on 3 February 2012 | 6:56 am

MyAssistant app teaches Siri some new tricks

There may come a time when Siri can help you buy a new flat-screen TV from the comfort of your bed, but for now the gal's capabilities are limited.

For the misfits and troublemakers who have jailbroken their iPhone 4S, there's a new app that promises to change that. It's called MyAssistant, and for 99 cents on third-party app market Cydia, it gives Siri much deeper access to your system settings and software than Apple offers out of the box.

How deep you might be wondering? Once installed it lets you do things like reboot your phone, take a photo, change the way Siri looks, and even launch applications with voice commands. Users can also train the voice assistant to offer up custom replies to questions, something that really may not be all that useful unless you're at a cocktail party and want to play a trick on your friends.

The software, which was profiled by the iDownloadblog yesterday, is the latest in a series of third-party tweaks to Siri. Earlier efforts include AssistantExtensions and ... [Read more]

Posted on 2 February 2012 | 7:48 pm

Reckless Racing 2 power-slides into the iTunes App Store

Reckless Racing 2 is here and it's got all the bells and whistles we were missing in the original.

The sequel to one of our favorite iOS racing games is out today, and new game modes, customization options, and car upgrades make Reckless Racing 2 the best in its genre at the iTunes App Store.

When the original Reckless Racing came out, it was a revelation of what a savvy developer could do on an iOS device. With great-looking graphics, ultra-realistic physics, and a retro edge, Reckless Racing demonstrated a new breed of racing game on iOS.

Reckless Racing 2 ($4.99) has all of the things we liked about the original, but adds tons of features and new tracks, and organizes the game modes to make a better all around gaming experience. The game comes with 24 routes with both dirt and tarmac variations and some races even have a mix of both surfaces. The physics in the original were exceptional, and this sequel continues the tradition, possibly making it the best power-slide racing game in the iTunes App Store. The tracks are also longer and more varied than the original, with big straightaways, clifflike drop-offs, and even better scenery.

... [Read more]

Posted on 2 February 2012 | 5:38 pm

Cheers: The world's happiest iPhone app

The Cheers app for iPhone is definitely a morning person. It's the kind of app that hops out of bed, says hello to the singing bluebirds at the window, and then goes for a jog to pick up a mocha at a favorite local coffee shop.

Cheers is relentlessly cheerful. (Click to enlarge.)

There are heaps of social-media apps that let you check in at restaurants or recommend businesses to your friends. Cheers follows that example, but flings the door wide open and encourages you to share your love for people, places, and things.

Cheers is positioning itself as a positivity app. You build up your "cheerfluence" rating as you go.

That may mean sending out cheers for a mother who made you soup while you were sick, a deli sandwich that rocked your lunchtime, or a book that made you cry--in a good way.

Just take a picture of the object of your affection, fill in a few details, and send it off. The app can be set to share your virtual shout-outs to Facebook, Twitter, and over e-mail.

Cheers should find a solid crossover audience with people who have extensive Hello Kitty collections, as well as anyone who believes that The... [Read more]

Posted on 2 February 2012 | 5:00 pm

Four hidden tricks for taking stellar iPhone photos

See where the iPhone is placed? This is an excellent example of using the rule of thirds. It also happens to be a gorgeous photo, courtesy of Christopher Wesser.

I hate to admit it, but my iPhone is always the first thing I reach for when I spot a photo-worthy scene.

Sure, I own a digital camera, but my iPhone is always with me, packs an excellent camera, plus I have the option to edit and share photos instantly. That (combined with the fact that my Canon G12 usually weighs down my purse) is a good enough reason to use my iPhone as my primary shutter.

If you're like me, or want to start exploring iPhotography, these four hidden tricks will help you take your iPhone camera skills to the next level.

Hidden iPhone photography tricks

1. Snap photo with your headphones. iOS 5 introduced the convenience of snapping a photo using the volume up button. With this feature, you can also plug in a pair of iPhone headphones (or any headphones with volume control) and use your headphones as a remote shutter release.

This allows for steady photos, more flexibility, and the option to mount your iPhone on a tripod and use the headphones to activate the shutter.

2. Tap and hold to lock exposure and focus. If you tap a subj... [Read more]

Posted on 2 February 2012 | 4:27 pm

Sync contact photos and usernames from Twitter to your iOS device

One of the most powerful data sets on your iOS device is your list of contacts. Many of the amazing features the iPhone and iPad have are predicated on the information available from your address book. To help get the most out of your iDevice experience, you can use Twitter to beef up your contacts.

iOS 5 added quite a bit of Twitter integration, including the ability to automatically retrieve usernames and profile photos for any of your contacts who have Twitter accounts.

(Credit: Screenshot by Joe Aimonetti)

Essentially, if your contact has an e-mail address associated with a Twitter account, you can choose to use the profile photo associated with that account as your contact's photo, as well as add that person's Twitter username to contact information on your device.

To get your contacts synced with Twitter:

1. Open Settings on your iOS device and tap Twitter.
2. Sign in to your own Twitter account (if you haven't already).
3. Tap the "Update Contacts" button and wait for the sync to happen.

(Credit: Screenshot by Joe Aimonetti)

Now, when you access your contacts, you can tap on the Twitter account name to send your friend a tweet (directly from iOS) or check out what your friend has been tweeting (which opens the Twitter app on your device). Of course, you can also manually add Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Flickr, a... [Read more]

Posted on 2 February 2012 | 3:40 pm

Apple calls iMessage bug story an 'extremely rare situation'

Apple has weighed in on a controversial issue with its iMessage service that keeps accounts on devices even when the owner has wiped the phone.

A story posted by Gizmodo yesterday detailed the dangers of the issue after a reader sent the outlet photos and details of iMessage exchanges that appeared on their iPhone after having it serviced at an Apple store.

Related stories

• iMessages aren't secure when you lose your iOS device
• iMessage bug swats iPhone owners who switch to Android
• How to get started with iMessage

According to their story, it all stemmed from that employee using their own phone's SIM card as part of the repair, which linked up the customer's phone to that employee's iMessage account. That resulted in that user seeing the employee's iMessage exchanges as if they were being sent from the customer's device.

"This was an extremely rare situation that occurred when a retail employee did not follow the co... [Read more]

Posted on 2 February 2012 | 12:54 pm

Creative intros new $99 noise-canceling headphones

The Creative HN-900 noise-canceling headphones are available now for $99.99 (click to enlarge).

I'm always looking for cheaper alternatives to Bose's highly regarded but expensive Quiet Comfort noise-canceling headphones, which is why Creative's new HN-900 headphones caught my eye.

In the past, Creative's noise-canceling headphones have been pretty decent, and the nice thing about this one is that unlike the Bose and many other noise-canceling models, the HN-900 has an integrated microphone for making cell phone calls. One AAA battery gives you about 40 hours of active noise-cancellation.

Specs for the Creative HN-900 headphones (click to enlarge).

At the same time Creative released the HN-900s, it also announced the impending arrival of a higher-end model noise-canceling model, the $199.99 Aurvana X-Fi 2, which adds virtual surround technology.

"The Creative X-Fi CMSS-3D virtually transforms stereo head... [Read more]

Posted on 2 February 2012 | 9:00 am

iPhone users grabbed 6 million free apps a day in December

iPhone users downloaded more than 6 million of the top free apps each day in December.

iPhone users were busy in December downloading more than 6 million of Apple's top free apps each day.

For the last month of 2011, the iPhone app store witnessed a record 6.04 million downloads per day, a 7 percent jump over the previous high of 5.45 million daily downloads in November.

Compiled by mobile ad firm Fiksu, the App Store Competitive Index looks at the total number of downloads of the top 200 free iPhone apps in the United States. The downloads have been gaining momentum since September when the average daily number was 3.8 million.

Related stories

• iPhone users downloading more than 5 million free apps a day
• Android, iOS activations hit record on Christmas. Again
• ... [Read more]

  Posted on 2 February 2012 | 8:10 am

iPhone's Siri can't handle surly Scottish man

"I need a sandwich, a jammy dodger, it's just bread and jam!"

Inspired by a Los Angeles Times article about Scottish people having trouble with Siri on the iPhone 4S, comedian Gavin McInnes created a parody ad that will have you rolling.

While the "commercial" starts with the familiar soul-searching music and closeup of Siri's interface in a typical Apple advert, it becomes quickly obvious after the first question that this clip is not like those other civilized parodies. McInnes asks some simple questions, but the programmers behind Siri's voice recognition obviously are not prepared for references to "chip butty," "jammy dodger," or "Caledonian 80." The results (below) are hilarious.

It is hard to tell if McInnes' Glaswegian parents approve of the repeated F-bombs strewn about the one-minute video, which we must warn you is definitely not safe for work or younger ears.

Posted on 1 February 2012 | 7:36 pm

Apple tops in smartphone sales, but Samsung hot on its heels

Apple won the smartphone wars last quarter, but Samsung was close behind in second place, according to Juniper Research.

Buoyed by the iPhone 4S, Apple sold 37 million iPhones during the December quarter, giving the company a 25 percent share of the market.

Though Samsung lost its top perch, the Korean handset maker still managed to carve out a 21.7 percent share thanks to healthy demand for its Galaxy smartphone lineup.

Samsung's market share has jumped from 4.7 percent in the first quarter of 2010 to almost 22 percent, forcing Apple to now fight to stay ahead.

Though Apple sold 4 million units of the latest iPhone within the first three days alone, the company managed to top its closest rival last quarter by also offering older iPhone models at low prices, says Juniper. Such a move is part of Apple's strategy to combat the standard and premium smartphones sold by Samsung.

"The scale of Samsung's product range is saturating the market," Juniper analyst Daniel Ashdown said in a statement. "Apple has had to ... [Read more]

Posted on 1 February 2012 | 8:47 am

iPhone running on empty? Recharge with an old book

As more and more people turn to e-books and tablets for their reading needs, there are stacks of books gathering dust on shelves, or even worse, being tossed into the trash (for shame!). Thankfully, one California couple is out to rescue these neglected and unappreciated treasures.

So, this is how it's done. (Click to enlarge.)

Richard and Brenna Neeley from Cerritos, Calif., take old and vintage books, as well as some new ones, and convert them into charging docks for iOS devices. Each dock is handmade to order and features a power cord (wall adapter not included) threaded through the book, with a slot on the front cover to dock your iPhone or iPod.

The Book Charging docks are available through the couple's Etsy store, with prices ranging from $45 to $55. There's also an iPad dock for $72 and a iPhone/iPad combo model for $85.

I still love paper books, and I would rather see old ones being donated to libraries or schools. Still, I can't deny that the docks are quite beautiful. ... [Read more]

Posted on 31 January 2012 | 6:22 pm

iSkin fires up Year of the Dragon Aura case for iPhone 4/4S

iSkin's Year of the Dragon Aura case for iPhone 4/4S retails for $44.95 and comes in multiple colors.

In case you missed it, I wrote about iSkin's Year of the Dragon Aura iPhone case a couple of weeks ago. While it didn't quite make the official arrival of the Year of the Dragon, which kicked off on January 23, it came close, and is now shipping.

The case isn't exactly a bargain at $44.95, but it is pretty sweet (the dragon is etched into the metal back) and iSkin's offering up a promotion code to CNET readers for use on its site.

Just type in CNET-15 in the promo code box at check out to get 15 percent discount. That will basically get you free shipping and save you a few bucks. I know, not a bargain, but hey, it's something.

Posted on 31 January 2012 | 4:35 pm