Hone For The iPhone 4S And iPad 3 Tracks Your Keys With Bluetooth On July 10, 2012, by Mike

Hone For The iPhone 4S And iPad 3 Tracks Your Keys With Bluetooth

On July 10, 2012, by Mike 

 

 

 

 

Here at iJailbreak, we are huge fans of apps we can use to find our stuff. In the past, I’ve misplaced my phone a bike path, glasses in my jacket pocket, and my keys on top of the fridge (and I’m not sure how they got there). For the first problem, there’s Find My iPhone, which uses the iPhone’s built in GPS to give you a geographical estimate of where your phone is. But it wouldn’t do you much good if you lost your phone inside your own house. It’s also not going to help you get to your keys.
Hone is a Bluetooth key fob which can be paired with an iPhone 4S (or 3rd generation iPad) in order to hone in on lost keys from up to 150 feet away. The included Hone app displays the signal strength of the Hone key ring, while the key ring can be set to blink with lights or buzz audibly.
You don’t have to use it to find your keys. You could attach the Hone fob to anything you might misplace on a regular basis. You could attach Hone to your pet’s collar, you could duct-tape it to the remote control that always seems to go missing, and you can even keep it in your jacket if you keep misplacing it at parties.
Hone uses the super-efficient Bluetooth 4.0 low energy chipset, which the project’s creators say should last about six months. Hone is also designed to be modder-friendly, as the project’s creators have promised to publish the device’s UUID and Bluetooth proile, so Hone can be easily used in a DIY project.
The only downside is that Hone is Bluetooth 4.0 only and isn’t supported by any devices other than the iPhone 4S and iPad 3. Even current Bluetooth 4.0 capable Android phones are unsupported, as there is standard interface. (The spectre of hardware fragmentation strikes again!)

If you pledge $49 or more you will get a Hone of your own. If you live outside the US, you will need to add $15 for international shipping. The project has already been funded with less than a week to go, so if you want one, back the project while you can. Shipping is expected in October.
What do you think of the Hone? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update Now Rolling Out To Unlocked Galaxy Nexus (HSPA+) On July 11, 2012, by Emil Kako 2

Android 4.1 Jelly Bean Update Now Rolling Out To Unlocked Galaxy Nexus (HSPA+)

On July 11, 2012, by Emil Kako

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Today is a great day for those of you with an unlocked HSPA+ version of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The highly anticipated Android 4.1 Jelly Bean software update is now starting to roll out to you! It was previously made available only to those who had attended Google’s I/O conference as a “developer preview” but it will now be available to everyone with the unlocked HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus!

This is definitely exciting news and we cant wait to give the new software a go ourselves. Google announced the great news today on its Nexus Google+ page:

“The rollout of Android 4.1, Jelly Bean, begins today, starting with Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ devices.
Jelly Bean makes everything feel fast, fluid, and smooth. Notifications are expandable and actionable, widgets are magical and the keyboard is smarter and more accurate: http://www.android.com/whatsnew/
Jelly Bean also features a redesigned search experience, with a new user interface and faster Voice Search. You can type your query or simply ask Google a question. Google can speak back to you, delivering a precise answer if it knows one, in addition to a list of search results.
Google Now is also part of the updated Google app, getting you just the right information at just the right time. Google Now tells you today’s weather before you start your day, how much traffic to expect before you leave for work, or your favorite team’s score as they’re playing. There’s no digging required: cards appear at the moment you need them most.
If you’ve got a Galaxy Nexus HSPA+ device, you will receive a prompt alerting you to the update over the next several days. Up next for Jelly Bean: all Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, Motorola Xoom and of course, Nexus 7, which will ship with Jelly Bean later this month.”

So there you have it folks! You should be receiving the OTA update within the next few days. Let us know when you get the update and what you think about it in the comments section below!

New 13″ MacBook Pro With Retina Display May Arrive In October On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman 1

New 13″ MacBook Pro With Retina Display May Arrive In October

On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman

1

One of the best things about the multi-platform benchmarking tool Geekbench is that all the results are uploaded to a big, user-browsable database. Sometimes, things show up that might not be available to the public yet, and we’re all left wondering what’s going on. In this case, Apple Insider spotted a benchmark log from what appears to be an unreleased MacBook model. With a motherboard model number of “Mac-AFD8A9D944EA4843″ and a BIOS build called “MBP102.88Z.00F2.B00.1206111035,” all signs point to a new model of MacBook Pro.

The mysterious notebook is running an unusual build of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, and has hardware that would lend itself very well to inclusion in a new 13″ MacBook Pro. Its benchmark score is higher than that of the current 13″ MacBook Pro, but lower than that of the new 15″ MacBook Pro with Retina.
Apple Insider seems to think this is more evidence in favor of the rumor that a new 13″ MacBook will be coming out in October. If they’re right, it looks like the new model will be running 4GB of 1600MHz memory, a dual core Intel Core i7-3520M clocked at 2.9 GHz, and will of course include OS X 10.8.

Apple is no stranger to getting new products out in time for the holiday season, so an October release date sure seems plausible at this point. Beyond the Retina display, it seems like a pretty incremental upgrade from the current 13″ MacBook Pro, but it will likely be warmly received by consumers for the new screen alone.

Apple’s List Of OS X Mountain Lion Compatible Hardware Is Now Available On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman 2

Apple’s List Of OS X Mountain Lion Compatible Hardware Is Now Available

On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman

2

If you’re jonesing for some more Mountain Lion in your life, but you’re not sure if your aging Mac hardware can handle it, you can finally put that question to rest. The official list of hardware supported by Mountain Lion is up on the Apple site now, along with instructions on how the upgrade process will go down. Basically, anything newer than 2009 will run it, and a few models back to 2007 will make the cut, too.

The complete list is:

• iMac (Mid 2007 or newer)
• MacBook (Late 2008 Aluminum, or Early 2009 or newer)
• MacBook Pro (Mid/Late 2007 or newer)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or newer)
• Mac mini (Early 2009 or newer)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or newer)
• Xserve (Early 2009)

If you have no idea how old your Mac is, and you’re currently running OSX 10.7, Apple says “you can find out if your current Mac qualifies by clicking the Apple icon at the top left of your screen, choosing About This Mac, then clicking More Info.”

Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean Now Available As Kindle Fire ROM [How To] On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman

Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean Now Available As Kindle Fire ROM [How To]

On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman

Remember the other day when we reported that the source code for Jelly Bean had been released through Android Open Source Project (AOSP), and ROMs would be showing up very shortly? Well, the ROMs have begun to flow, with an AOSP-sourced build of Jelly Bean now available for the Kindle Fire, courtesy of the XDA-Developers forum.
The release is still a beta build, so some stuff might not work quite right yet, but the basics are there. The only major known issue so far is that codecs for HD video streaming are broken, and will require an update from Texas Instruments to run on the Kindle Fire’s CPU. Other than that, the build works as advertised, and the flashing process should be pretty straightforward for Kindle Fire owners.

It’s worth noting that an extra software packet is required to get the Wi-Fi working right now, but it’s not too much trouble to install as long as you have a PC. Non-PC owners might want to wait for a forthcoming build with the Wi-Fi software running natively.
If you’d like to try this early build of Jelly Bean out on your Kindle Fire follow the guide below.

How To Install Jelly Bean On Kindle Fire

Step 1) - The first thing you will need to do is download the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean ROM for your Kindle Fire by clicking here. You will also need to download Gapps, which will need to be flashed onto your Kindle Fire.
Step 2) - With the required files downloaded, reboot your Kindle Fire into recovery mode.
Step 3) - Now simply flash the ROM and Gapps that you downloaded in Step 1 from ClockworkMod Recovery, and ensure you do a complete wipe of data and cache (yes this will delete your personal data, so make sure it is backed up).
Step 4) - After you boot up after flashing the ROM and Gapps do the following to fix Wi-Fi:

adb shell
su
fix-mac.sh

Did you get Android 4.1 Jelly Bean working on your Kindle Fire? Share your responses and further thoughts in the comments section below.

Version 2.0 Of Tiny Wings In The App Store Now, Plus Tiny Wings HD For iPad On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman

Version 2.0 Of Tiny Wings In The App Store Now, Plus Tiny Wings HD For iPad

On July 11, 2012, by Mitchell Bowman

The sequel/update to the greatest iPhone game of all time just hit the App Store, and you’d have to be some sort of crazy person not to go and get it. Tiny Wings 2.0, with a ton of new content and features, is available now, and the best part? It’s a free update for anyone who already owns the original Tiny Wings! Yes, seriously. Version 2.0 offers enough upgraded content over the original game that it could easily be sold as a sequel, but developer Andreas Illiger isn’t  going to do that. He’s going to give it away “as a thank-you to my loyal fans (and because I don’t particularly like in-app purchases),” he says.

Coinciding with the release of Tiny Wings 2.0 is Tiny Wings HD for iPad. You’ll now be able to enjoy all of the version 2.0 features on your iPad, and it will sync your progress across devices using iCloud. Unlock a new nest or set a new high score on your iPad, and you better believe that progress is going to show up on your iPhone.

The full list of new features for Tiny Wings 2.0, as listed in the App Store:

• A new game mode: “Flight School”
• 15 hand-crafted levels that really “flow”
• A few new additions to the bird family
• Hello shiny Retina Display! Tiny Wings is now as lovely as you are.
• Night flights
• iCloud support (even syncs your game between the iPhone & iPad versions)
• Revised menu
• New languages: German, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch

The features list for the iPad version:

• Multiplayer: Play against your friends on a single iPad!
• simple but skillfull “one button” (ok… maybe “one tap”) arcade game about the dream of flying
• the world is changing every day – so it does in this game! Procedural generated graphics will make “tiny wings” look different every day you play
• upgrade your nest by fulfilling tasks
• Three game modes: “Day Trip,” “Flight School,” and “Hill Party”
• Play as the mama bird or one of her four children
• 15 hand-designed levels in the new “Flight School” mode
• iCloud support (even syncs your game between the iPhone & iPad versions)

Overall, some great new options here for Tiny Wings enthusiasts, and an impressive accomplishment for the one-man development team behind the game.
Download Tiny Wings 2.0 for iPhone and iPod Touch [iTunes Link]
Download Tiny Wings 2.0 HD for iPad [iTunes Link]

Top 5 customer complaints about the iPhone 4S

FixYa, an online tech support community, released a new report over the weekend regarding the top 5 most commonly reported issues in some of today’s most popular smartphones.
The data comes from more than 25 million users, and 650,000 experts. And the report covers top handsets like the iPhone 4S, the Nokia Lumia 900, and the Samsung Galaxy S III…
As far as the iPhone 4S goes, the top 5 most reported issues are:

• Battery Life – 45%
• Can’t Connect to Wi-Fi – 20%
• Bluetooth Connection – 15%
• Siri Complaints – 10%
• Other – 10%

There really aren’t any big surprises here. The iPhone 4S has indeed taken a lot of heat over its poor battery life. And although it stills lasts longer than most of its competitors, it’s considerably worse than the iPhone 4.
The Wi-Fi connection problem has also been widely documented. We’ve seen it affect the iPhone 4S, the new iPad, and other iOS devices. But the Bluetooth Connection thing is a new one to us.
Perhaps most interesting is the fact that only 10% of complaints from iPhone 4S users are about Siri. Apple is actually being sued by multiple 4S owners right now, who claim that the digital assistant isn’t as good as it is in the commercials.
Here are the top 5 complaints for the Galaxy S III and Nokia’s Lumia 900:
Galaxy S III

• Microphone Malfunction – 50%
• Battery Life – 15%
• Device Gets Hot – 15%
• Internet Connection Issues – 10%
• Other – 10%

Nokia Lumia 900

• Tinted Purple Screen – 25%
• Camera Button – 20%
• Can’t Find Applications – 20%
• Battery Life – 20%
• Other – 15%

The entire report is really worth reading, especially if you or someone you know is in the market for a new smartphone. Sometimes you can tell more about a handset by looking at its flaws, rather than its features.
Do you agree with these top 5 complaints? What are yours?

BookBook Volume 2 is redefined for the new iPad

Reformation. Few companies can break their products down to the stitching and take an honest look at what works, and what doesn’t. Count Twelve South in with the fine, and few, Apple accessory companies mastering the feat of self evaluation and introspection. The new BookBook is the final result of personally positive criticism. After deconstructing the BookBook, Twelve South has redefined one of their most popular products.
A company dedicated solely to producing Apple accessories, Twelve South designs a limited number of new accessories per year to ensure perfection of each. With what little time they have after garnering worldwide acclaim in Kiplinger’s, Twelve South evaluates the capabilities of their existing products and strives to further enhance them…

Design and Function

The BookBook for iPad (3rd gen) and iPad 2 continues the traditional BookBook exterior, blending vintaged, genuine stitched leather with a detailed book-like spine and gold leafing. It truly looks like a book and keeps everything tidy with a double zippered enclosure.
Inside, the BookBook houses a genuine leather iPad sleeve, which is stitched in place on the right and buttoned on the left. The metal buttons release to provide angled viewing options with the small support bar on the back. Two viewing angles are possible, either low or high. The lower option is perfect for typing, while the higher option is great for watching movies or chatting on FaceTime. Personally, I found it much easier to forgo the support bar while watching a movie for a better viewing angle, simply by placing the BookBook into a complete triangle.
Aside from aesthetic appeal, BookBook offers protection from the elements. As it is a closed design, the BookBook prevents dust and particles from entering the storage area, which is important to eliminate screen scratching. In addition to a protective rigid spine, the left interior side is coated in suede to cushion the iPad against the hard shell hidden underneath.

Conclusion

The leather elegance of the BookBook ($79.99 at Twelve South) not only provides a protective iPad accessory, but also a fashionable addition to a suitcase, purse, or backpack. Thanks to our friends at Twelve South for sending one over for evaluation – I used my BookBook while traveling out of town and enjoyed the new case immensely, especially while watching movies from the airplane tray table.
Moving away from a bulkier model and elastic interior bands, the newly reformed BookBook is an amazing option for those willing to invest the dollars and I highly recommend you do. Finally, a “thank you” to Twelve South for taking the time to re-think the BookBook, making improvements on an already stellar accessory.
Pros:

• Attractive and protective
• Multi-viewing angles and display stand
• Available in Classic Black, Vintage Brown, and Vibrant Red
• Genuine leather and suede
• Double zippered design for easy entry

Cons:

• Does not lock into place in the upright viewing angle and the iPad is not heavy enough to ensure a tight hold on the support bar
• Price

What attracts you to the Twelve South BookBook? Would you ever pay $80 for an iPad case?

Popular ‘Barrel’ tweak updated with new mode

All you have to do is just say the word Barrel, and people take note. Yes, Barrel, the staple jailbreak tweak, and arguably one of the most compelling reasons for jailbreaking your iDevice when it comes to visual modifications, has been updated.
The new mode (transition), is called Whirl. It’s safe to say that mere screenshots don’t do Barrel, or this latest update any justice. On that note, head inside and take a look at our full video breakdown…

We know that Barrel has been out for quite a while, but it’s remarkable to think that the developer still cares enough to provide updates from time to time. If you remain one of the few who has yet to try Barrel, then you purchase it for $2.99 on Cydia’s BigBoss repo.
Do you still use Barrel on your jailbroken device? What do you think about the new “Whirl” mode?

Apple HR corporate video explains what it’s like workin’ for the man

9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman did a nice job discovering Apple HR’s employee recruiting video on YouTube. It’s definitely worth spending four minutes and 36 seconds of your time for it tells a story of what it’s like working for the world’s most-valuable company and arguably the most powerful corporation on the planet.
We know from the previous reports that landing a gig at Apple entails putting in long hours and dedicating yourself to the job completely. This video paints a different picture in that it highlights some of the perks that go with the job.
Gurman opines in his piece over at 9to5Mac that this Apple-produced clip represents “the most in-depth tour of Apple’s Cupertino headquarters that we have ever seen on a public forum, especially Apple’s own website”…
It’s hard to argue against that, especially taking into account the famously secretive nature of the Cupertino, California-headquartered designer of shiny gadgets.
The clip takes us on a tour through Apple’s engineering labs and highlights how the iPad 2′s Smart Cover came to be. Apple’s corporate footage also raises eyebrows with an interesting explanation on how the company devised new battery chemistry.
The video is narrated by Joel Podolny, Apple’s VP of Human Resources and Dean of Apple University that Jobs set up to teach upcoming executives about the intricacies of the Apple way in order to preserve the company’s DNA.

By the way, you may want to watch the clip right now as it may not be up for too long and it was nowhere to be found on Apple’s official YouTube channel at post time.

PhotoMojo, a simple photo editing and sharing app for iPhone

Plenty of photo editors span the App Store but few are as holistic as HalfPeeled‘s “PhotoMojo!” Boasting a clever assortment of photo editing tools that easily surpass Instagram, PhotoMojo! is a crafty and fun attempt to shoulder onto a much larger stage.
The app utlizes the Aviary engine to drive photo enhancements from speech bubbles to filters and offers many ways to share your new favorite photo…

Design

User interfaces can make or break an app and the UI is intuitive, even for a new user. PhotoMojo! is well designed and laid out for the user, but function is where this app truly shines. On the initial load, PhotoMojo! presents a series of annotated screen shots to give the user a quick walk through of the different editing tools, which are located on a simple bottom tabbed navigation system that progresses through different editing features for each photo.

Function

With 13 different editing options, more than 10 camera filters, and a myriad of boarder patterns, one is only limited by his own creativity. Filters are a common place in photo editing apps, which is why the extra bells and whistles add to PhotoMojo!’s appeal.
The editor includes the ability to freehand draw on images, while providing varied brush sizes and colors. In addition, add customizable text boxes and download sticker packs for extra personalization. The photo editor also offers multiple solutions for tweaking images to preferred specifications by: controlling exact blemish locations; auto enhancing photos; shifting orientation; brightness; contrast; sharpness; red eye reduction; and teeth whitening.
To polish it all off, add one of many customizable boarders and then save and share your masterpiece. In-app options include: messaging, emailing, printing, tweeting, saving to Camera Roll, adding to Tumblr, posting to Instagram, and saving to Dropbox or Evernote. NOTE: to save to Dropbox or Evernote, in the current app version, choose “Instagram” to be presented with those additional choices.

Conclusion

PhotoMojo! ($0.99 on App Store) is a well designed addition to the photo editor options for iPhone. With creative ways to interact with photography, HalfPeeled provides an intuitive and well-connected option for photo editing and I greatly appreciate the different ways to push out an edited picture from within the app. While a few smaller details continue to be worked out, such as the Dropbox and Evernote menu options, the app is a good choice for the snap-edit-share lover in all of us.
Pros:

• 13 editing options
• 10 camera filters
• 25 wallpaper boarders
• Share photography with Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram
• Print from app

Cons:

• No obvious “undo” button in the editor

Are you into iPhone Photography?

iPhoneography is a new post series about best apps and practices for taking quality photos with your iPhone. The section is curated by Justin Balog, who is passionate about making mobile photography part of our lives. Simply pulling out an iPhone to take a quick snap shot is only the beginning. Join us on our adventure to get you up-to-speed on the intricacies of iPhone photography.
What makes or breaks a photo editing app for you? Price? Function? Social media integration? Let us know in the comments section below!

Apple involved in 60% of all major mobile patent suits

When Steve Jobs unveiled the original iPhone back in 2007, he commented “and boy have we patented it.” The CEO knew that Apple had something special on its hands, and that everyone else was going to try and replicate it.
He was right. Those patents he was referring to have since been involved in hundreds of lawsuits around the globe. In fact, a new report suggests that Apple is actually at the center of 60% of all major mobile litigation…
The news comes from Kanzatec IP Group, an intellectual property consulting firm based in Wichita, Kansas. The firm blames the high percentage on Apple’s meteoric rise to the top of the mobile industry.
Bloomberg reports:

“With its growing global market share and huge amount of cash on hand for possible settlements, Apple is becoming a bigger and more attractive target for patent holders. “I would speculate that Apple will continue to be at the center of the litigation map of large mobile IT companies for as along as it maintains its dominant place in the market,” said Feisal Mosleh, a senior vice president at Kanzatec.”

But Apple isn’t just a defendant in these patent suits — a majority of the time it starts them. There’s another famous Steve Jobs quote, which comes from Walter Isaacson’s book, that goes something like this:

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong. I’m going to destroy Android because it’s a stolen product. I’m willing to go thermonuclear war on this.”

Thermonuclear indeed. In the last two years, Apple has won a number of injunctions, on multiple continents, banning the sales of products from Samsung, HTC and Motorola. And by the looks of things, it’s not planning on stopping any time soon.
But despite court justification, Apple has taken a lot of heat over its legal tactics. The phrase “Apple would rather sue the competition than innovate” is becoming increasingly popular in the mobile community.
It is worth noting, however, that Apple doesn’t typically (if ever) sue for cash settlements — it has money. It generally justs requests sales bans, forcing manufacturers to remove their intellectual property from their devices. But that’s probably just as bad.
At any rate, here’s hoping that congress comes up with some kind of a solution to help end this patent madness. It seems like we’d all be a lot better off.
What’s your take on all of this?

An easier way to mute your iPod touch or other iOS device

The fact that the iPod touch lacks a physical mute button, shouldn’t prevent one from muting their device in style. A new jailbreak tweak, entitled TapVolumeToMute, allows you to do just that.
Even if you have an iOS device with a physical mute button, this is a tweak that you still might want to give a go. That’s because it allows you to easily mute your device with a quick tap on the volume heads up display. More details inside…

TapVolumeToMute is available for free on Cydia’s BigBoss repo. Will you be giving it a go?

Supposed iPhone 5 "Engineering Sample" Having a Metal Body [Images]

Supposed iPhone 5 "Engineering Sample" Having a Metal Body [Images]

It appears as though it’s been a little while since we’ve posted new iPhone 5 concept, in accordance to GottaBeMobile, the concept-images below are photos of iPhone 5 "engineering sample" of the future next iPhone generation — iPhone 5.
The designed metallic mockups illustrate a next-gen device consistent with previous rumours, having a thinner and higher body style …

iPhone 5 Proportions

Additionally 9to5Mac posted the concept-images on GottaBeMobile, and also the topics of the photos are increasingly being referred to as "real next-gen iPhone engineering samples are produced". Even though it's definitely possible that the samples-images tend to be fake, the style does seem to coordinate with some other iPhone 5 concepts.

Front of next-gen iPhone engineering sample

The pictures demonstrate that the iPhone 5 will be taller compared to the iPhone 4S.

Back of the iPhone 5 engineering sample

The part of metal seems to be an actual mockup that decorative mirrors the leaked next-gen iPhone elements. In addition, it’s most likely that the new "iPhone 5 engineering sample" is only a piece of metal designed by a case creator. What do you think?

Major Updates Might Be Coming To iWork, Meaning iWork 12?

Major Updates Might Be Coming To iWork, Meaning iWork 12?

The folks over at AppleBitch have astutely pointed out that a new version of iWork should be on the horizon quite soon, due to some much-needed updates that have yet to arrive. With the shutdown of iWork.com, and the migration of all its cloud document storage functionality to iCloud, some updates to the iWork software will no doubt be required.

All the iWork software allows you to hit a Share button to host documents online, but these buttons currently point you to the iWork.com interface, which is now defunct. Presumably Apple will want to have iWork software integrate with iCloud instead. They will also likely want to integrate the iCloud file syncing capabilities that iOS apps have right now into iWork for Mac.
With the current version of iWork, the only way to get your files from iCloud into your Mac software is to manually download them from the iCloud web interface. Surely this is something that warrants further integration, now that iCloud is Apple’s primary document sharing service.
It’s been over three years since the last major update to iWork, and there’s now a pretty big incentive for Apple to release a new version. Once Mountain Lion is released to the masses, a new iWork suite might be quick on its heels.

What Would A Wrist Watch Designed By Apple Look Like? This Guy Has A Pretty Good Idea [IMAGES]

What Would A Wrist Watch Designed By Apple Look Like? This Guy Has A Pretty Good Idea [IMAGES]

A Swedish concept artist, who calls himself Dogday Design, started with the idea “What would a wristwatch look like if Apple designed it?” and went from there. The end result is a remarkably classy looking piece of wrist candy, and if it was a real thing, it just might give those Pebble watches a run for their money.

The manifesto that accompanies this elegant theoretical timepiece, originally written in Swedish, gives praise to Apple’s designs and designers. The concept artist says, “Steve Jobs and Jonathan Ive have a very good design for all the places on the market, from logo placement on an iPod Nano to the hinge design on a MacBook. This means that when imitating an Apple design on a product that is not designed by Apple, chances are that you run into a creative dead end: how the hell should it look like? Everyone knows an Apple product when they see it. The product is well thought out, functional and stylish. This is not something you throw together in a week.”

Apple Has $74 Billion Overseas Cash Reserve, Ranked 55 In Fortune Global 500

Apple Has $74 Billion Overseas Cash Reserve, Ranked 55 In Fortune Global 500

Apple is a really big company and you should know that by now. It has loads and loads of cash stored in secret warehouses, banks, at the headquarters and probably on some other planet too.

A recent estimate by Moody’s Investors show that Apple has about $74 billion in overseas cash reserve. That is also the highest amount off a huge list of U.S Tech companies including Microsoft, Oracle, Qualcomm etc. Microsoft has $50 billion in overseas cash reserves, Cisco has $42.3 billion, Oracle and Qualcomm follow with $25.1 billion and $16.5 billion respectively. Apple had $64 billion in cash reserves last December 2011 and that number was around $35 billion around December 2010. $74 billion is a huge increase, don’t you think?
Half of the overseas cash reserves for all U.S businesses comes from tech companies and Apple plays a major part in this. If you count Apple out of the overseas cash reserve growth, then the percentage is around 15. Include Apple in the list and that number gets bumped to 31 percent, which is massive! That’s how much of an influence Apple has on U.S tech businesses and on overall U.S business overseas cash reserves. And this is in the first three months of 2012, there’s much more that has not been accounted for.

This pile of money represents $15 billion and is 60 feet high, 150 feet long, and 62½ feet deep. Now multiply these numbers by 5, which roughly represents Apple’s overseas cash reserve.

Apple has also moved up to 55th rank from 111th in the Fortune Global 500 list for fiscal year 2011. The company made a 23 percent profit from last year’s (2010) numbers, helping it move up 86 spots this year. Apple has made a total revenue of $108.249 billion and total profit of $25.922 billion this year, and the year is not over yet. The company will be announcing new products later this year, which will help boost these numbers and take the company even higher. So, when this list is next updated, Apple will be much higher in ranking and will have made more profit than ever.
Apple is the currently the worlds biggest company in terms of market value. With so much money in the bank, they can do anything they want! If you have $74 billion sitting in overseas cash reserves what would you do with the money? Share your responses in the comments section.