Hasta La Gadget!

It’s queue time all over again in 33 new countries across the planet including not least of all China and Taiwan, as the iPhone 5 launches officially. Lines have indeed been forming at locations throughout these many countries since early this morning or days ago (depending on where you’re standing) and online reservations have made the process much less hectic in many of the main outlet areas.

Both China Unicom and China Telecom have begun offering the iPhone 5 with options galore for sizes, black or white color combinations, and WCDMA or CDMA depending on the second word in the carrier’s name. You’re able to buy a subsidized iPhone 5 on many carriers throughout the planet today while contract-less machines begin at ¥5,288 (approximately $850 USD) in China. NOTE: See our full iPhone 5 review if you’re still on the fence for a purchase!

Meanwhile in Taiwan the unsubsidized iPhone 5 will cost you right around $750 USD (NT$21,900) and subsidized prices are available throughout the country on carriers such as Chunghwa Telecom. The photo you see of the lines in Taipei, Beijing, and more below come from Engadget China, Sina Tech, and Weibo.

If you’re in one of the following countries, let us know how your iPhone 5 experience is going! We’re also to be found at @SlashGear on Twitter if you’d like to contact us there – stay safe in the snow if you’re near it!

Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Armenia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Ecuador, Grenada, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Jordan, Kuwait, Macedonia, Malaysia, Moldova, Montenegro, Panama, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela.

Additional countries getting the iPhone 5 in stores on the 21st of December include: Barbados, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Egypt, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, St. Kitts, St. Lucia, St.Vincent & the Grenadines, Tunisia, Uganda, and Vietnam.

iPhone 5 launch events in 33 countries today is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

As one of the billboard features of Apple iOS 6, Passbook has proven way more useful than we initially anticipated. Amtrak, Fandango, and sports ticketing integration have already made it a welcome addition. But what’s really going to make this a killer feature in the future is having all of the world’s airlines on board. A few months after launch, Passbook is making some progress towards that ticketing utopia. More »

We aren’t apt to ever hear this in official fashion, but Bloomberg has it on good authority that Apple’s newly-promoted Eddy Cue has just fired the guy who was unfortunately leading the Maps team at the time of iOS 6’s release. If you’ll recall, Cue was placed in charge of both Siri and Maps during an executive shakeup back in October, and it seems that he’s clearing the runway in order to make things better in the months to come. The report also mentions that Cue is “seeking advice from outside mapping-technology experts and prodding digital maps provider TomTom to fix landmark and navigation data it shares with Apple.” It’s assumed that the goal here is to install a new leadership team within the Maps group, but it’s unclear if it’ll happen prior to Google’s own standalone iOS app becoming available. For those curious as to why such a drastic move had to be made, head over to Apple’s Cupertino campus and use iOS 6’s Maps app to search for “convenience store.” Evidently, the closest one is some 1.5 hours north in San Francisco. True story.

Filed under: Software, Apple

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Via: 9to5Mac

Source: Bloomberg

The iPhone 5 and iOS 6 have received their official first update for Google Voice, the app Google produces to keep the whole world in with their own lovely collection of phone numbers. The Google Voice app for those that have been working with it for some time will not notice a whole lot different as far as functionality, but they will find their whole iPhone 5 4-inch display being utilized. This update comes with a collection of bug fixes as well.

The iPhone 5 version of Google Voice also works for legacy devices and remains the same for the iPad and iPad mini as well. You’ll find that the app works just as well or better than it ever has, especially considering its functionality hasn’t changed in several weeks and months. Google Voice allows users to work with their own phone number on many smartphones regardless of carrier or cellular plan and SIM.

This update does unfortunately begin to exclude older versions of the iOS operating system, cutting off at iOS 4.3. If you have a device that’s unable to update past that version, you’re out of luck! Everyone else can continue dialing away, easy as pie!

This update keeps the Google Voice app and environment strong on iOS where many of its competitors have failed. With Google Voice you’re able to access your Google Voice account from the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch all the same, sending free text messages to US phones and making international calls at reduced rates. You also continue to get transcriptions of voicemail free of charge.

Google Voice updated for iPhone 5 is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s time to give your best buddy Chris Kringle the gift of iTunes music on Facebook – straight through the social network’s own gift-giving portal. This update brings Facebook Gifts up to a very real existence once again, reminding us that you’re able to not just give your friends a bunch of digital stickers, but real-world physical gifts like cookies and ice cream. What better way to tell your buddy you love them than with digital cash given through your favorite social network?

Some Facebook gifts are as odd as a pair of chopsticks while others are as fabulous as a jar of cookies – literally. Most of the items given away by people working with Facebook Gifts are simple and small – fitting in perfectly with the iTunes Gift Card way of giving. It’s the perfect “everyone wants one of these” gifts. And from Apple’s perspective, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

When Apple sells an iTunes Gift Card to a user who owns an iPhone, they download a collection of music tracks and have extra cash left over – better spend just a little bit more to get that last app! If they sell an iTunes Gift Card to a person giving that card to someone who only has a desktop machine, they need iTunes to use it. They’ll also feel inclined to purchase an Apple device on which they can play the music or movie they purchase – this media doesn’t go anywhere else.

With Facebook being a newly more integral part of the iOS experience, it’s only fitting that Apple would continue to add its services and connections in with Facebook for all. Now we’ve got to decide if it feels too impersonal to get a gift card without actually getting the plastic. Such is the intricacy of holiday gift giving!

Facebook gifts adds iTunes cards to the fold is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.