Hasta La Gadget!

This Apple Store looks so real we still can’t quite believe it isn’t. The KIRF-ers have excelled themselves this time: mimicking or at least reinventing everything from the Brave New World posters down to the dog-tags and “We live here” demeanor worn by the staff. There were a few giveaways, however, which led observant blogger BirdAbroad to whip out her camera and start gathering evidence: slight imperfections in the decor, a lack of individual names on staff badges, plus an unlikely location in the Chinese Backwaterville of Kunming. Hey Apple, we feel your pain. You’ll find further unbelievable pics after the break and over at BirdAbroad’s blog.

Continue reading The ultimate KIRF: fake Apple Store spotted in China

The ultimate KIRF: fake Apple Store spotted in China originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 04:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Apple Insider  |  BirdAbroad  | Email this | Comments

We know, we know. You’re fit to be tied waiting for the complete Star Wars collection to be released on Blu-ray in September, but there’s good news for impatient iPad owners here in the US. You see, some of the collection’s bonus materials can be had for free a bit early — as in tomorrow — courtesy of the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access App. Even better, we’ve got video of the app in action plus a gallery of pics for you to drool over until you can download it yourself. And for folks abroad or those with an iPhone or iPod touch, the same sneak peek will be available in August.

The app itself is a ported version of what you’ll see on the Blu-ray discs, but there’s some added touchscreen functionality — pinch-to-zoom on the concept art and users can spin props and models with the flick of a finger in the “Collection” section. The app also lets you selectively download the content, so all that artwork and video won’t eat up an undue portion of your iPad’s memory. After getting handsy with it in person, we found the app easy to use and the content compelling (where else can you examine the Death Star up close?), but we were left wishing that there was a bit… more. Of course, the lion’s share of extras are reserved for the paying customers come September 16th — though we were disappointed to discover that, currently, there are no plans to make it all available on the app even if you buy the Blu-rays. Regardless, you get what you pay for, and that makes this gratis addition to the Star Wars universe a darn good deal.

Continue reading Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app

Hands-on with the Star Wars Blu-ray: Early Access iOS app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

If you’ve been waiting for Apple’s earnings to come in shy of analyst estimates, you’re about to be disappointed yet again. Cupertino just reported its best quarter ever, with earnings of $7.79 per share, revenue totaling $28.57 billion, and a net profit of $7.31 billion. We know you’re probably more interested in sales figures, however, and as you might expect, Apple’s continued to ship iPhones and iPads at a steady pace, with 20.34 million smartphones and 9.25 million tablets sold last quarter. It’s also shipped 3.95 million Macs — a 14 percent jump over Q3 2010’s numbers. Fewer iPods made it out the door this quarter, however, totaling 7.54 million compared to the 9.41 million Apple sold in Q3 2010. As always, the company seems to be mum on future product announcements, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see new MacBook Air and Lion sales figures factoring into next quarter’s results. Meanwhile, rumors are stirring in Silicon Valley that Apple’s board has begun looking for possible replacements for CEO Steve Jobs, following a Wall Street Journal article by Yukari Iwatani Kane, who has a history of being eerily accurate with Apple rumors. This news hasn’t had an effect on Apple’s stock price, however, which topped $400 per share during after-hours trading today.

Continue reading Apple’s Q3 earnings exceed estimates: $28.57 billion revenue, $7.31 billion profit, 20 million iPhones sold

Apple’s Q3 earnings exceed estimates: $28.57 billion revenue, $7.31 billion profit, 20 million iPhones sold originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 16:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Apple, Apple (PDF)  | Email this | Comments

Samsung pulls controversial Anymode Smart Case, says it never received certification originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 07:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink SlashGear  |  Samsung Tomorrow  | Email this | Comments

We’re still a few months away from the Star Wars movies release on Blu-ray, but dedicated fans can get a preview of the set this week in the Early Access app for iOS. Set to debut in time for Comic-Con on July 20th, the free app promises some of the 40+ hours of bonus materials planned for the discs, including concept art, models and interviews with cast and crew. We’ve already seen iPad apps pulling in extras to go along with movies like Tron: Legacy, but this is the first one we’ve seen launch ahead of the Blu-ray release. Check out a couple more screenshots and detailed description after the break, then come back tomorrow for our hands-on look at the Star Wars app.

Continue reading Star Wars Blu-ray extras revealed early by iOS app launching at Comic-Con

Star Wars Blu-ray extras revealed early by iOS app launching at Comic-Con originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jul 2011 22:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments