Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Consumer Reports gives iPhone 5 a thumbs-up
Consumer Reports is an 80+ year-old American magazine that publishes reviews and opinions on new consumer products and services. It’s physical publication has more than 7 million monthly subscribers and is highly regarded among shoppers.
The magazine has quite a history with Apple, once giving the iPhone 4 a “cannot recommend status,” back in 2010, and then sensationalizing the iPad 3′s overheating issue earlier this year. But as it turns out, it actually really likes the iPhone 5…
From Consumer Reports’ iPhone 5 review:
“The iPhone 5 fulfills its promise as a notable improvement over its fine predecessor, the iPhone 4S, and belongs in the first rank of smart phones…… By boosting screen size, thinning its profile, and adding 4G LTE access, among other features, his newest iPhone shows every sign of being the most compelling yet.”
But the review wasn’t completely glowing. It pointed out — what else — the new Maps application in iOS 6 as a caveat. CR’s Car team, which reviews all kinds of navigation devices, said the app lacked functionality and suffered from gaps in maps data.
Of course, we already knew that the new Maps app paled in comparison to other GPS applications. Apple’s only been working on it for a few years, at best, and even CR was quick to point out that the service was beta-like, and “likely to improve over time.”
And it doesn’t appear to be bothering consumers at all. Earlier today, Apple announced that it had sold 5 million iPhone 5′s during its opening weekend — a new record for the company.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Friday, September 21, 2012
True MC Week: Loaded Lux and Arsonal Freestyle PT.3 on Sway in the Morning
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Obama Jokes About Jay-Z
Kim Kardashian Really Likes "Cruel Summer"
Say what you will about Kim Kardashian, that girl is supportive.
The A-list celebutante has been the biggest cheerleader for her boyfriend Kanye West and his new G.O.O.D. Music compilation,Cruel Summer. Not only did she name her cat "Mercy" after one of the tracks, she hopped on Twitter and decided to go into aggressive-promo mode.
She even tweeted a few bars from her famous beau.
"CRUEL SUMMER IS OUT NOW. CHECK IT OUT!," she tweeted along with a link. "'We on the galaxy that haters cannot visit, thats my reality so get off my SCOTT DISICK'" -THE ONE #CruelSummer. @ScottDisick fav song?"
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Sean Paul Recalls Beyonce Rumors
Sean Paul dug up some old dirt in a recent interview with MTV. The dancehall star was at the center of a little rumored controversy about a decade ago, when he filmed the video for Beyonce's hit single "Baby Boy." He and Bey were filmed seperately, and for some reason, when Paul failed to perform the song with Beyonce at the 2003 VMAs, somehow it got out that it was because her boyfriend-at-the-time Jay-Z didn't like how close Paul was getting to his girl.
"The whole direction of the video was sold to me as, 'You're in a dream world,'" Sean Paul told "RapFix Live." "It was not a big deal to me, but it really blew up into crazy stuff."
"That's a rumor that started. I've known Jay-Z from before I knew her," he said.
"The general public blew it up in certain things. I just remained quiet about it for years because it was doing its work. There was just a lot of controversy," he said. "She's an amazing artist, the song was at #1 for like nine weeks, so that was a very special time for me and for dancehall."
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Wankaego Determined To Be A Rapper?
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Manny Pacquaio Explains 50 Cent Connection
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Wiz Khalifa Says Album Is Done
After revealing some tensions between he and his label, Atlantic Records, over the direction of his highly-anticipated sophomore album O.N.I.F.C., rapper Wiz Khalifa says that the project is finally done. He also says that he and the label have an understanding and are closer to being on the same page now.
"There was always a happy medium," Wiz told MTV. "It's just like I said, you gotta express those views and that's where I said I was at, at that point with me more or less having to express my views and make those stick."
"It's nobody's problem or anything like that. That's just where we was at, at the time," he said.
"The album is completely done and that's what it was, just getting it all the way finished," Khalifa said. "You can just expect it to be more musical. All the elements that you're used to getting from a quote-unquote 'Wiz project,' you're gonna get every last one of those elements, whereas I feel like the first album lacked some of those elements."
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T.I. Defends Lil Wayne's NYC Comments
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Thursday, September 13, 2012
Kanye Leads @BET Hip Hop Awards
The BET Hip Hop Awards take place at the end of the month, and the nominations have been made public for the September 29th ceremony. Kanye West leads all nominees for this year's ceremony. The hip hop superstar received 17 nods. 2 Chainz follows with 13 nominations and Drake landed 11.
The seventh annual BET Hip Hop awards will air on October 9th.
MVP of the Year nominees include 2 Chainz, J. Cole, Jay-Z, Rick Ross and Kanye West. Lyricist of the Year nominees are J. Cole, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar, Nas and Kanye West.
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Big Sean Discusses G.O.O.D.'s Legacy
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Wiz Khalifa Explains Album Delays
Rapper Wiz Khalifa explained the delaying of the release of his highly-anticipated sophomore album, O.N.I.F.C. Speaking to Complex, Wiz revealed that there are some creative differences between himself and his label, Atlantic Records.
"Atlantic likes O.N.I.F.C.,” said Wiz. “But they want more obvious singles because that’s what sells it for them. My belief in the record is what sells it to me."
"It’s not a conflict," cautioned Wiz. "You just have to communicate so everybody understands it.”
“When you’re working with other people, you figure out how much you do for them and how much you do for yourself,” he explained. “You can’t just be an artist fighting for your opinion and that’s it. The label has to understand artists. I wanted to make Rolling Papers when I madeRolling Papers, now it’s time for O.N.I.F.C. Now we’re going to do it exactly how I want to do it to see how that works. It can’t be one-sided.”
“When you start forcing things, you lose people,” added Wiz. “I never want to do that because none of my favorite artists have ever done that to me—i.e., Juicy J. You know what’s right and you know what’s wrong. You know when you’re forcing it and when you’re just laying it down. I’m trying to do more laying it down than forcing it. That’s how you become legendary.”
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Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Everything you need to know about today’s iPhone 5 event
The iPhone 5 is finally here.
After Apple in 2011 unveiled the iPhone 4S — when everyone and his mother expected the iPhone 5 — the wizards of Cupertino introduced a smartphone for everyone. Want something smaller? Check. How about a big screen? Got you covered. Need power? No problem. Although this was the first post-Steve Jobs iPhone rollout, there was enoughtechnology and geekitude on display today that even the Man in Black would have had a tough time fitting in just one more thing.
Most of the rumors about the iPhone were confirmed. The iPhone 5 sports a 4-inch (1136 x 640) display enclosed in an aluminum and glass shell. That larger display is becoming defacto on smartphones. Not to be outdone designwise by Android, Apple pushed suppliers to use an in-cell manufacturing technique that embeds the technology used in an edge-to-edge touchscreen, eliminating the need for a separate layer.
The new iPhone will also offer LTE, a much faster alternative to the 3G transmission technology found in the iPhone 4S. The LTE iPhone will be available from Sprint, Verizon and AT&T in the U.S., Rogers, Telus and Bell in Canada and other carriers through Europe. Even before the iPhone 5 was introduced on the San Francisco stage, talk was of the new handset being a “world phone.” True to form, the next-gen iPhone also supports HSPA+ and DC-HDSPA cellular networks. Apple was supposed to introduce LTE with what became the iPhone 4S but reportedly held off on the feature, fearing the technology would deplete the iPhone’s battery life, giving the device a black eye. That worry appears to be gone, as the iPhone 5 promises 8 hours of LTE or 3G browsing or talk and 10 hours of Wi-Fi browsing.
Even if you don’t leave home and prefer Wi-Fi, Apple had something of interest. The new phone includes both the standard 2.4 GHz and the less-crowded 5 GHz version of 80.11n. The upshot: wireless transmissions at 150Mbps.
The iPhone is increasingly becoming known not just as a phone or a mobile app platform, but for terrific photography. To that end, Apple beefed up the iPhone’s hardware and software, most notably providing FaceTime HD, for 1080p images, but also a rear camera that can handle low-light situations and noise-reduction filters for crisper photos. All of this using the same 8MP camera. However, the camera is now capped with a saphire crystal, slimming it down to a quarter of its former size while also providing what Apple claims is 40 percent faster photo capture.
Two more hardware upgrades of note for the iPhone 5: Apple introduced its new 9-pin connector, dubbed “Lightning,” which presumably echoes the “Thunderbolt” I/O accelerator introduced earlier for Macs. Although the new connector will require adapter for new hardware, Apple touted the new connection as more flexible, robust and an advance.
All of these hardware advances could have been done without a souped-up CPU. The iPhone 5 gains the A6, a processor said to be 2 times as fast as the A5 in the iPhone 4S and the new iPad. While more powerful, the A6 is 22 percent smaller.
Apple is expected to begin taking pre-orders for the iPhone 5 on Sept. 14 with units shipping Sept. 21. Pricing is $199 for the 16GB version, $299 for a 32GB model and $399 for the 64GB iPhone 5.
The introduction of the iPhone 5 also meant saying goodbye to the iPhone 3GS. Additionally, Apple made the 8GB iPhone 4S a “free” unit, as well as slashing the price on a $16GB iPhone 4S to just $99. Both price cuts should act to increase crossover purchases from Android owners or feature phone users intrigued by the iPhone, but not wanting to pay $199 for the smartphone and whatever data plan they choose. Speaking of the iPhone 4S, you may want to check how it compares to the iPhone 5.
Surprisingly, there was news from Apple that didn’t revolve around the iPhone. First, the iPod touch received a makeover with a 4-inch screen. The touch is widely viewed as a “gateway drug” used to hook teens and accustom them to the iPhone. After all, the iPod touch is basically an iPhone without the radio chip. Another iPod, the iPod nano, was also updated to a touchscreen. Lastly, Apple also announced new in-ear buds, affectionately known as EarPods.
And there still are Mac owners out there. For them, they received word that iTunes will be updated and redesigned to fit the iOS pattern making its way across all Apple devices. Speaking of iOS, iOS 6 will be available later this month, Apple announced. In the meantime, iOS 6 GM is already available to developers.
What did you think? What Apple announcement most impressed you — and what (if anything) took you by surprise?
Feast your eyes on gorgeous iPhone 5 shots
Apple just wrapped up its media non-event (so much about doubling down on secrecy, Tim Cook!) that saw Cupertino unveil the long-awaited iPhone 5 with a taller four-inch display, the A6 chip, thinner cameras and a bunch of other technological advances, the new iPod lineup and a re-written iTunes.
The company’s web site has been updated with new products and promotional videos and I thought I’d create a nice gallery of Apple’s press shots that show off the iPhone 5 from all angles. Feast your eyes and feel free to comment on the design…
Note that you can click on any of these images to get a nice Retina-friendly high-resolution version.
This is your iPhone 5.
If it wasn’t for the redesigned headset and a fifth row of icons, you would hardly be able to tell it apart from the iPhone 4/4S, heh?
Love the new black & slate color combination!
Of course, you’ll wanna go to apple.com/iphone if you’re hungry for more.
Prior to the announcement, you seemed pretty divided over the controversial two-tone design, with 53 percent upvoting the design and the remaining 47 percent saying it looks hideous.
Care to share your feelings about the iPhone 5 design now that you’ve seen the official press shots?
Watch the iPhone 5 presentation video
Apple’s website is now back online with a number of updates regarding today’s announcements, including the iPhone 5 presentation video that was played during this morning’s event.
So, if you’d like to hear Apple’s executive team go over the company’s latest handset inch-by-inch, make sure to check it out. You can find it here, but we’ll be embedding it here shortly.
iPhone 5 does FaceTime in HD, detects faces
In addition to the 25 percent thinner and improved iSight camera found on the back of the iPhone 5 (and featuring dynamic low light mode, precision lens alignment and sapphire crystal), Apple bumped up the specs of the front-facing FaceTime camera. It now lets you conduct video calls in high-definition, has a backside illuminated sensor and can detect faces when you snap images. Developing…
In conjunction with iOS 6, you can now enjoy crisp video calls on cellular networks (check with your carrier as additional fees or limitations may apply) around the world.
And if your carrier happens to offer speedy LTE technology, your iPhone 5 will take advantage of that while doing FaceTime in HD.
In case you were wondering, HD here refers to 720p, not 1080p like on the back iSight camera.
What do you guys think?
New smaller iPhone 5 Lightning connector confirmed
Apple officially unveiled its new connector called Lightning today at their iPhone press conference, just as the rumors suggested they would.
The new connector can be plugged in either way for ease of use, it’s 80% smaller, and all digital. It’ll no doubt compliment the new smaller form factor of the iPhone 5.The new connector is also said to be more durable, adaptive, and has an improved interface.
First we had Thunderbolt, and now we have Lightning.
But what if you have an older peripheral — which all of us, no doubt, do? Apple has addressed that issue with an adapter that interfaces between the iPhone, and the older 30 pin dock standard.
It’s not the prettiest solution in the world, but it should hold us over in the interim. What do you think?
You can purchase a Lightning to 30-pin Adapter for $29.00, and a 30-pin to Lightning Adapter for $39.00.
WSJ claims iOS 6 can block unwanted calls
As you know, iOS 6 comes with an improved stock Phone app which enables some interesting new call management features. For example, you can choose to reply to an incoming calls with a message or be reminded about it later.
When a call comes in that you can’t answer right away, users can just swipe up to reveal options. Surprisingly, theWall Street Journal claimed yesterday that iOS 6 also,among other things, includes new features that allow people to block unwanted calls…
Jessica Vasceralo, writing for the Journal (emphasis mine):
The next iPhone, which has been referred to internally by the code name N41, has been in the works for more than a year, a person familiar with the matter said.Apple is expected to tweak the smartphone’s shape with a slightly larger screen and a different shell, and it will work with wireless carriers’ fastest LTE networks and run new mobile software.That software, iOS 6, includes improvements to voice-activated assistant Siri, a new digital-coupon-and-passes service called Passbook, and new call-blocking features, among several others.
Apple’s iOS 6 page makes no mention of call blocking in a way that could allude this being a brand new feature.
iOS 6 adds new calling features to your iPhone. Now when you decline an incoming call, you can instantly reply with a text message or set a callback reminder. And when things are just too hectic, turn on Do Not Disturb and you won’t be bothered by anyone — except can’t-miss contacts like your boss or your better half.
Because of that, we have some doubts related to the wording of the WSJ article.
Perhaps the author though that “call-blocking features” is a cooler way of putting it?
It’s possible the article refers to a known Do Not Disturb toggle in Settings which lets you mute all incoming notifications.
Another option tucked away under the Notifications section in Settings even allows you to enable a scheduled Do Not Disturb mode that automatically kicks in, say, at midnight and ends at 8am.
Of course, those that jailbreak their devices can easily silence Notification Center alerts using tweaks such as DoNotDisturb and BannerDisable, or use other tweaks to block unwanted calls.
At any rate, we will solve this and all other mysteries in less than an hour.
Stay tuned for our extensive coverage of Apple’s presser.
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