Purported leaked images of OS X 10.10 leak new UI and design changes

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

On the eve of the WWDC 2014 keynote, it seems that a few screenshots of OS X 10.10 (which we're guessing will be called Yosemite or El Capitan) have leaked, giving us a purported look at the future of Apple's desktop operating system. Originally reported by MacRumors (and since removed by request,) we can see changes that, as expected, bring the OS X design more in line with what the iOS 7 redesign introduced. In the image above, you see a much flatter Safari start page, with a lot of white space. Additionally, there's a new Dock style, doing away with the current frosted glass shelf in favor of a more simple translucent strip behind the app icons. You may also notice that the Finder icon has been changed. Let's check out a few more of the leaked photos.

Click to continue reading Purported leaked images of OS X 10.10 leak new UI and design changes

OS X 10.10 name may have been revealed by WWDC banner

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Rumors, Software,

Apple's WWDC 2014 kicks off this Monday morning, and the company is hard at work getting the Moscone Center dolled up prior to showtime. One of the posters that is going up is the one for OS X 10.10, and it may have revealed the name of the next major Apple desktop operating system.

The banner, pictured above (credit to The Verge,) shows the El Capitan granite monolith in Yosemite. Apple has filed for the rights to the named OS X El Cap, OS X El Capitan, and OS X Yosemite. Of course, there's no way to know which name Apple will be going with until they make the announcement on Monday, but the banner certainly does narrow things down quite a bit, doesn't it?

Stay tuned for full WWDC 2014 coverage this Monday.

Beats Solo2 headphones: Redesigned for better sound and comfort

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Wearables, Design, Music,

Hot on the heels of the announcement that Apple is buying Beats, the company has announced the brand new Beats Solo2 on-ear headphones, the latest in the Beats by Dr. Dre line. Touting a newly-refreshed physical design alongside improved sound quality, Beats Electronics says that the new Solo2 model will offer “a wider range of sound and enhanced clarity.” It's a good thing, too, as many have complained about the Beats by Dr. Dre line having bass-heavy sound that loses the highs and mids.

If wearing previous models of Beats headphones was something you found to be a chore, you should know that the Beats Solo2 has also been redesigned with a new look that's said to also be more comfortable thanks to better weight distribution and a memory foam-like material in the larger ear cups that should make them feel cooler and put less of a hard squeeze on your ear lobes.

You can pick up the new Beats Solo2 now. They're available in pink, grey, white, blue, and red for $199.

Read More | Beats Solo2 Heaadphones

ASUS PadFone X comes to the US on July 6th for $199

Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Accessories, Smartphones, Handhelds,

So, these days just about everyone owns a smartphone. I own one. You own one. Even my grandmother owns one. If you are part of a smaller group of people, you might also own a tablet of some sort. I own an iPad for instance. And they really fulfill the same role- wasting precious moments of my life on the internet when I really could be doing something productive. Sure, one has a big screen and can't make calls, but I have often wondered why I really need both.

Apparently, so has ASUS. Back in 2012 they came out with the PadFone, a smartphone dock that was also a tablet screen, so you could view your phone in larger than life (ok, larger than phone anyway) detail. But unless you wanted to hop a plane to Taiwan and buy it there, chances are you would not get your hands on one.

Now you can. ASUS announced that starting July 6th, the PadFone will be available on the US market under the name PadFone X through AT&T. It is projected to cost $200. It only works with ASUS smartphones though, so US companies will have to get in the game.

92% of fast food jobs to be performed by machines by 2034

Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Smart Home, Science,

Would you like fries with that, puny human?

Don't laugh, it is a question you might be hearing more of in the near future as more and more industries mull over replacing their workstaff with robots. And it isn't in the far future either. It's already happening.

Every time I walk into a Walmart or a Wegmans I see automated registers. I use them too. Gear Live recently looked at how the modern consumer would prefer to use an app rather than  speaking with sales representatives. And a San Francisco company (Momentum Machines) invented an automated burger maker.

According to an Oxford University study, there is a 92 percent chance that fast food jobs will be done by machines within two decades.

When I head news like this, I start preparing my bug-out-bag because robots and apocalypse seem to fit together all to often. But it isn't as grim as it could be if you ask the folks over at CNN. According to them, mechanization of services will only knock a maximum of 10 percent off the workforce.

Wait, 10 percent? Isn't that about one and a half times the current unemployment number? As in the current recession?

Maybe we should have learned something from Terminator. I'll rest easy knowing I have a few decades until a drone with a sorting algorithm can perform field reporting.

Australian iOS device users get held up for ransom

Posted by Ariel Levin-Waldman Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Mods / Hacks, Software,

You've probably heard it by now. There are no viruses on Apple products. They don't run .exe files. They don't get hacked. It's the reason I usually use my iPad to do my banking (that, and a lack of questionable browsing history.) I used to believe that.

Well, now it looks like I have to confront the truth. In a series of cyber attacks that have swept Australia, iPhone users have been locked out of their devices and have received a message saying “Device hacked by Oleg Pliss. For unlock device, you need send voucher code by 100 usd/eur (Moneypack/Ukash/PaySafeCard) to email:lock404@hotmail.com for unlock."

According to Apple's support forums, the hack seems to operate through the “Find My Device” feature on Apple products, and it seems that the data may have been matched to an eBay breach that occurred earlier in the week.

People with a hacked device should immediately attempt to change their Apple ID credentials and set up multi-factor authentification.

Unboxing Live 142: LG G Flex

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Cell Phones, Features, Handhelds, Videocasts,

We bring you a look at the LG G Flex smartphone in this episode of Unboxing Live. The device sports the obvious gorgeous, curved OLED 720p display, which is actually flexible to 180 degrees and also features self-healing material on the rear casing. For real. Other specs include the inclusion of a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 mobile processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 13-megapixel rear camera. We open it up, and show you what's included with the G Flex, and give you a full walkthrough of the device.

Don't forget to subscribe to Gear Live's YouTube channel, and don't forget--we are giving away awesome perks for our Patreon backers - thanks for your support!

Click to continue reading Unboxing Live 142: LG G Flex

Beats Music slashes prices, lengthens free trial to 14 days after Apple acquisition

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Hot Deals, Music,

Alongside the announcement that Apple would be purchasing Beats Electronics for $3 billion comes a few slight changes to the Beats Music subscription service. First, the price of the annual subscription has dropped down to $99.99. Previously, the cost was $119.88. The other change is that the up-front free trial that was previously 7-days long has now been doubled to a 14-day "no strings attached" trial for all users.

The Beats Music iOS app has been updated to version 2.1 to reflect the changes, and also some bug fixes. You can download Beats Music now.

What do you think? Are you gonna give Beats Music a try now that it's an Apple-owned music subscription service?

Apple purchases Beats Electronics & Beats Music for $3 billion, Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine join company

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Wearables, Corporate News, Music,

After weeks of rumors, it's now official: Apple has announced it is purchasing Beats Electronics for the cost of $3 billion. This makes it the largest purchase in Apple's entire history, and obviously the biggest public decision made by Tim Cook since he stepped in as CEO.

"Music is such an important part of all of our lives and holds a special place within our hearts at Apple,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “That’s why we have kept investing in music and are bringing together these extraordinary teams so we can continue to create the most innovative music products and services in the world.”

“I’ve always known in my heart that Beats belonged with Apple,” said Jimmy Iovine. “The idea when we started the company was inspired by Apple’s unmatched ability to marry culture and technology. Apple’s deep commitment to music fans, artists, songwriters and the music industry is something special."

Beats Electronics is the make of the Beats by Dr. Dre line of headphones and music accessories, and also the Beats Music subscription service that competes with other offerings from companies like Rdio, Spotify, Rhapsody, and the like.

Click to continue reading Apple purchases Beats Electronics & Beats Music for $3 billion, Dr. Dre & Jimmy Iovine join company

Apple releases first OS X 10.9.4 beta to developers

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, PC / Laptop, Software,

Apple just released the first OS X Mavericks 10.9.4 beta to developers just two weeks after the public release of OS X 10.9.3. No word yet on what changes are found in the new beta, but we're hoping that some of the Mac Pro (2013) niggles are fixed, as many who own the new, sleek Mac are complaining of issues with multi-monitor support since installing the last update.

Of course, Apple is also set to release the OS X 10.10 beta on Monday at WWDC 2014, so there'll be two OS X betas rocking at once.