Not too long ago we covered news about Flipside, a unique iPhone case that also doubled as a gaming controller. Now it seems another similar effort has hit Kickstarter, this time under the name “WynCase”.

While also a unique design, the WynCase is quite a bit different from the Flipside case, and not just because of the looks. The WynCase doesn’t use Bluetooth for connectivity, instead covering a small portion of the screen of older iPhones in order to transmit touch signals whenever you press certain buttons.

Keep in mind that it doesn’t work quite right with the iPhone 5 from the sounds of it, though.

As far as the design itself is concerned, the WynCase has a minimalist approach that certainly looks like it belongs next to official Apple products. Once they start shipping officially, the case is said to cost around $35, but if you pledge early you can reserve one for just $30.

What do you think of the WynCase, like it or not?

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Sony might be known for reasonably high-quality hardware, but it certainly isn’t one of top-sellers in the smartphone market. According to Sony’s CVP of sales and marketing, the company is planning to release a flagship device in the near future that could finally push them forward competitively.

The Sony CVP, Dennis van Schie, says, “We will create in the near future a flagship model that can compete with Apple’s iPhone and Samsung’s Galaxy S III,”, which basically is their way of admitting that they have had quality devices but nothing that has been able to blow their rivals away. What’s this new flagship device he is speaking of? It certainly could be the long-rumored Song Yuga. Based on what we’ve heard so far, the Yuga is said to feature a quad-core Snapdragon S4, 2GB of RAM and a 12MP camera. Even better, the phone is supposed to be dust and water resistant with IP57 certification.

Another major problem that Sony has had is that they are often behind in the game when it comes to Android updates, though the Yuga is said to run on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. If Sony can actually stick to Jelly Bean and offer a timely upgrade to Android 4.2 shortly after launch, they might certainly have something here.

As for alternative operating systems like Windows Phone 8? Sony says it is sticking with Android as its smartphone OS for now, but it is keeping a close watch on other platforms. What do you think, are you excited to see what Sony’s new flagship device will bring to the table?

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Looking to make the most out of your Xbox multimedia experience? With Xbox SmartGlass you can control your Xbox through the tablet for many functions, including selecting movies, rewinding and a whole lot more. Best of all, the control app is now out for iOS devices as well.

A little over a week ago, Android was added into the supported list of devices that worked with SmartGlass– that includes Windows 8, Windows RT and Windows 8. Unfortunately, iPad and iPhone users were left out in the dark– but no longer.
The idea of integrating the tablet experience into the living is nothing new, though recent devices like the Nintendo Wii U (with its tablet-like controller)and Xbox 360 are attempting to take the concept to new heights.

Anyhow, the apps is available now through the AppStore for your downloading pleasure.

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So, assuming you put in your pre-order early enough, you should be getting your hands on the brand new Apple iPhone 5 a little later this week. You probably want to make sure that your precious new iPhone is properly protected, but that doesn’t mean you need to buy an expensive case. Sometimes, a cheaper $10 one will do.

Case in point is the Photive Natural Slim Fit Case for the iPhone 5. They say that it is a “guaranteed fit” for the new iPhone and it doesn’t add much in terms of bulk, so you still get that slender and sleek appearance that you desire. It’s pretty simple, with just a plain black housing, but I’d say the understated beauty is even more attractive. The lack of the two-toning on the back, though, might make people think you have that dinosaur of a device called the iPhone 4S.

But I digress. The minimalist design is a good thing, I’d say, and the rubberized finish on the hard polycarbonate shell gives you a comfortable grip. There’s also a raised bezel to help protect the screen. This is a super slim and lightweight case “that’s barely there.” Find it on Amazon for $9.99, which is actually $20 off the regular list price. If you’re not happy with it, there is a 60-day money back guarantee too.

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This is completely in line with current rumors that point toward a September launch and it’s not uncommon for Apple to release a product within a couple of weeks of officially unveiling it to the world. What we’re hearing is that pre-orders on the so-called iPhone 5 (even if it’s technically the sixth-generation iPhone) will start on reveal day, September 12. Among the countries that are expected to be in the first wave of shipments are Canada, the United States, Japan and Germany, though none of that has been technically confirmed jsut yet.

In case you’ve been living under a rock, a lot of specs and features for the new iPhone have already been leaked. We’re expecting to see a display in the 4-inch range with a 640×1136 pixel resolution, a smaller 9-pin dock connector, a centered FaceTime camera, 4G LTE support, a thinner profile, and a two-toned unibody design. There’s probably a quad core Apple A6 processor in there too, possibly based on the Samsung Exynos chipset.

Of course, these are all just rumored specs for the time being and Tim Cook might have a few surprise tricks up his iSleeve.

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When it comes to future Apple products, such as the iPad Mini and iPhone 5, we as consumers get excited about the idea of new products heading our way to America or Europe, but what about those on the other side of the fence? Apple gives us shiny new toys to play with, and that’s exciting- but in China the idea of upcoming new Apple products means that plants like Foxconn will need more seasonal workers to help push out these upcoming units and for those that are currently unemployed, nothing is more exciting than having income, even if there have often been accusations that Foxconn’s conditions are less than desirable.

Many of us take our situations for granted, but looking at the picture above, think about it, have you ever had to wait in such a massive line during a rainstorm just for the possibility of a job? Of course some of you might have had to go through something close to this situation, considering our economy.

What’s even crazier is that these would-be jobseekers all have to pay Foxconn 150 Chinese Yuan, about twenty-four bucks, just to apply. Sure, there are probably at least some of these people in line that are of college-age level that simply want a seasonal job and like the idea of possibly tinkering with a new iPhone or iPad as much as we do, but for the vast majority its just about having income coming in, no matter the source. Next time you are waiting outside in a long line for the next iProduct, remember the picture above and think about just how different things are on the other side of the world.

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If you’ve been itching to take your AT&T Apple iPhone to another carrier — either permanently or just when you’re traveling abroad — it looks like we’ve got some good news. AT&T has announced that they’re willing to start unlocking iPhones for customers. This started as of yesterday.

There are a few caveats to keep in mind. If you’re still under contract with AT&T, they won’t unlock your iPhone. You either have to have completed your term commitment or paid the early termination fee. This is unless you’ve already upgraded to something else and the new device is the one that is associated with your current service agreement. Your account also has to be under “good standing.”

If you’re good with all that, then the unlocking process is actually quite simple.

1. Go to Settings -> General -> About on your iPhone to find your IMEI number.
2. Use the online chat on the AT&T website or visit a physical store, giving them the IMEI number and telling them you want to unlock your iPhone.
3. Wait for the e-mail (up to 72 hours) to arrive that says your unlock is ready.
4. Follow the instructions in the e-mail. It’ll likely tell you to plug into iTunes and do a backup/restore cycle.

This is pretty much the same set of instructions that you’d get if you bought an iPhone from another country and wanted to unlock it through that overseas carrier. Even if you have no plans of leaving AT&T, it’s a good idea to go through this unlock process if you can. You know, just in case.

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For starters, the new iPhone is practically a shoe-in for LTE connectivity. The new iPad introduced LTE to the Apple family and there is no reason to think that the iPhone won’t get it. Also, even though there have been rumors of the new iPhone going as big as 4.6-inches for its display, it’s much more likely that Apple will stick with the 3.5-inch panel or somewhere in that similar range. It might get bumped up to four inches, but it will be “nowhere near” the 4.5+ inch Android superphones.

Apple looks like it’s going to introduce a new “micro-dock” connector to replace the standard 30-pin dock connector that we’ve seen in iDevices for years. This will free up some space for other components, much like the switch to the micro-SIM in 2010.

And finally, the most likely release window is October 2012, putting it in line with the schedule seen with the iPhone 4S last year. That would give Apple enough time to work on and refine iOS 6 too, which will likely launch alongside the new iPhone.

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The post Expect Same 3.5-Inch Screen for New LTE iPhone This Fall appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

You’ve got to wonder, because with the switch in the naming convention with the iPad, now the iPhone is the only product line left that carries a moniker to denote its generation. We have several generations of iPod nano, but they’re all called the iPod nano. We have several generations of MacBook Pros, but they’re all just called the MacBook Pro.

Each model name for the iPhone has denoted something. The iPhone 3G was the first iPhone with 3G. The iPhone 3GS is like the iPhone 3G, but with extra “S”peed. The iPhone 4 is the fourth iPhone. Following this convention, it wouldn’t make sense for the next iPhone to be called the iPhone 5, because it’s really the sixth iPhone. So, Apple might finally switch things over and simply call it the iPhone. Maybe.

I had this exact conversation with a friend over the weekend and he asserts that Apple will continue to add a suffix to the iPhone with each generation, denoting what is “new” or “special” about that model. That’s possible, but when you consider how Apple names all of its other products, you’ve got to wonder how much longer the iPhone will be the only odd one out.

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Verizon sold 4.2 million iPhones during the fourth quarter of 2011, according to Verizon’s CFO Fran Shammo speaking at a conference on Wednesday, reported by StreetInsider. That’s more than twice as many iPhone devices as it sold during the previous quarter, an increase no doubt spurred by the launch of the iPhone 4S.

This might not be a really big bonanza for Verizon though, as Verizon complained about narrower profit margins for all new phones and contracts because of added upfront costs on such deals that offer discounts to new customers.

Then, on top of that, Verizon had this setback with three separate outages of their 4G/LTE network in December alone, and it’s unclear whether customers will be receiving a credit on their accounts because of the outage or whether the 4G/LTE network will be able to support additional devices like the iPhone 5.

The iPhone currently isn’t set up with 4G technology, but the bad press probably still could have hurt Verizon as the outages of their 3G network were also widely reported.

Whatever Verizon gets or doesn’t get from increased sales of its iPhones, it certainly doesn’t matter much for Apple which enjoys doubling the sales of iPhones in full.

Add to these Verizon figures this overall picture: analysts have been predicting upward of 30 million iPhones sold for Apple’s holiday quarter, which would be almost double the 17 million it sold during the previous quarter. 

Estimates also show that most of this success of iPhone sales can be attributed to a timely release of the iPhone 4S. Success of the iPhone 4S in its turn can be attributed to the tremendous popularity of its Siri service.

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