Hasta La Gadget!

So we’ve seen phones that resembles a chocolate bar, and we’ve also seen iPhone cases which have been designed to smell like chocolates, but wouldn’t it be so much cooler if the case were to be made from chocolate itself? That does sound a little weird but it’s apparently an actual thing, thanks to a collaboration between Grove, the company known for its wooden smartphone cases, and Charley Wheelock of Woodblock Chocolatete. These chocolate cases will be compatible with the iPhone 5, iPhone 5s, and the iPhone 5c although expect too much protection from them!

As expected of most iPhone cases, they will provide access to the various ports and buttons on the iPhones and according to its creators, it has been described as smooth to the touch. According to Grove’s co-founder, Ken Tomita, “This was a great opportunity for us to team up with another locally owned business and combine our crafts to create something even Wonka would be envious of. They’re not for sale, mainly because we can’t keep making them without gunking up our machines, but don’t worry, all the manufacturing waste is being recycled in our bellies.”

As Tomita states, these cases aren’t actually for sale, but they are a pretty clever idea and it might actually make for a great present to that special someone on Valentines Day, no?

Edible Chocolate iPhone Case Looks Delicious original content from Ubergizmo.

Unlike Android, Apple’s iOS platform does not simply allow for users to change the default keyboard at whim. In fact for the most part, most iOS apps use the default Apple keyboard which in all honesty is a great keyboard, but at the same time who doesn’t like a bit of variety, right? Back in mid-2013, we had heard word that Android keyboard, Fleksy, could soon be making its way onto iOS devices and sure enough it did. The beta for released back in 2013 and we saw Fleksy arrive onto apps like Wordbox, Google Voice Connect, and Blindsquare. Now the good news is that Fleksy has since come out of beta, meaning that it will now be available to developers around the world who might wish to implement the Fleksy keyboard as an alternative in their iOS apps. (more…)

Fleksy Keyboard Makes Its Way Out Of Beta original content from Ubergizmo.

It is no secret that Apple’s iPhones are expensive. Heck, even when Apple tried to make a cheaper iPhone in the iPhone 5c, it was still considered expensive which led to customers deciding to fork out a little bit more to get the “better” iPhone 5s. That being said, does this mean that iPhones are typically favored by those who are considered to be slightly well-off?

Well in a recent study conducted by the NPD Group, it was found that customers who made $60,000 or more a year in annual income tended to favor Apple products, while those who made below $60,000 leaned more towards Samsung’s products or other brands. In fact those earning under $30,000 a year greatly favored Samsung at 35%, versus Apple at only 20%. (more…)

iPhones Are Favored By The Affluent In The US [Study] original content from Ubergizmo.

If what’s said today about Microsoft turns out to be true tomorrow, Windows Phone users may be following the bouncing ball sooner than later. Foretold in 2013 by a lost … Continue reading

A new Apple patent application published by the USPTO today describes a magnetic connector similar to the one used to attach Smart Covers to the current iPad, but designed to be far more flexible with a variety of possible accessory combinations. It’s a smart connector system that could recognize the attached peripheral and change functionality accordingly.

The types of peripherals described in the patent are many and varied, and include things like speaker docks, trackpads and keyboards, drawing tablets, radio wave antennas, cameras, game controllers and card readers. There’s also a provision which describes how two iPads might be linked together via an intermediary magnetic hinge dock that connects to the smart magnetic link in each.

It could work either with basic magnets, or with electromagnets that can be turned on or off using controls built into iOS, according to the filing, which would allow you to theoretically ‘lock’ accessories in place, including docks that simply stand the iPad up or hold it on a positionable mount for different viewing angles.

The system’s flexibility doesn’t end there, however – Apple also describes various in-car mounts for connecting an iPad to your vehicle’s dash or headrests, as well as to a treadmill or other gym equipment. Each could be a simple enough magnetic connection with no attendant change in functionality, but the patent also describes how they could complete a circuit, too, to deliver power, and communicate with the attached peripherals to transfer specific kinds of data back and forth.

Finally, there’s mention of wearable tech that could be used to trigger the magnetic sensor and prompt various behaviour from the iPad. This could take the form of a ring, for instance, which when worn by the user would do things like unlock the iPad when the hand it’s on is waved deliberately across the tablet’s screen. In the context of other Apple wearable rumors making the rounds, this could theoretically also work with magnetic connectors built into some kind of iWatch, possibly for identification and unlocking purposes as well as for simple proximity-based communication with certain apps.

The system described in this patent is elaborate and filled with potential, but it’s worth noting that peripherals connected via the Lightning port can do some of the things depicted in the application. Still, were Apple to actively invest in putting this into shipping iPads, it would no doubt open up a world of possibility for accessory makers. Connections that don’t require physical I/O, and that could automatically prompt different behavior from an iOS device and from specific apps would significantly enrich the already vibrant appcessory ecosystem.

Apple already has magnets within the iPad’s chassis, so space constraints for components aren’t necessarily a huge concern, and this could easily be a focus feature for an iPad generational revision, especially in lieu of form factor or display changes. Apple patents rarely make their way intact into shipping hardware, but in this case, I’m holding out hope we do see something similar make its way to consumer hands.