Information originating from China suggests that Apple hasn’t given up on a large, 12.9″ iPad and has even decided on its name. Called the iPad Plus, the upcoming 12.9″ slate is taking after the naming scheme of the iPhone 6 Plus and won’t be called Pro as previously suggested.

Furthermore, a schematic of the tablet gives us a basic idea of the bezels of the tablet. The 12.9″ is a large footprint by itself, but it will also have bezels similar to these of the iPad Air 2. Read more »

Tech21 Evo Mesh case is part of the company’s extensive iPhone 6 lineup. The protective cover is made for users who like to keep their smartphone intact without breaking the bank for an all-out rugged solution.

Based in London, Tech21 creates mobile accessories with a science-first approach. The company has been in the business since 2005 and is the first to use shock-absorbing polymers in its products. Read more »

The LEGO Movie Video Game is a video game based on the LEGO Movie (shocking, I know). It’s essentially a top-down isometric action-adventure game based on the story and characters of last year’s successful LEGO Movie.

A version of this game was released on the PC and consoles but is different from the iOS version, which has been made from the ground up for the mobile platform. The gameplay is somewhat similar but it is mostly just cutscenes from the movie interspaced with several short levels featuring the movie’s characters. Read more »

Today the folks behind Vine, the app that lets you create six second looping videos, have announced a new venture. It’s called Vine Kids, and, like its name implies, it’s basically a special version of Vine, created just for kids.

Apparently a lot of kids were already into using the ‘normal’ Vine app, so the company thought a specialized offering for them would be an instant hit. Read more »

Purported live photo of a protective case for the yet to be announced Apple iPad Pro made the rounds online. The image was posted by Nowhereelse and is said to come from a reliable source.

The photo gives us a potential glimpse of the upcoming tablet’s hardware controls. Read more »

Under its new leadership, Microsoft has embraced other Mobile platforms and Office for Android is officially available starting today (having gone through a preview stage). Also, it’s bringing Outlook to Android and iOS and updating the OneDrive apps to handle photos better.

Word, Excel and PowerPoint for Android tablets offer an “unmistakably Office experience”, which means the Ribbon UI. Read more »

When Bill Gates stepped down as Microsoft chairman last year, he vowed to “substantially” increase the time he spends at the company, with a particular focus on “ambitious scenarios,” though he didn’t reveal what exactly he would be doing. However, in an Ask Me Anything question and answer session on Reddit yesterday, Gates revealed that he is currently working on a project dubbed Personal Agent.

“One project I am working on with Microsoft is the Personal Agent which will remember everything and help you go back and find things and help you pick what things to pay attention to,” he said. “The idea that you have to find applications and pick them and they each are trying to tell you what is new is just not the efficient model – the agent will help solve this.” Read more »

App Annie, mobile app analyzer, has published its annual report containing some curious findings. The paper, named App Annie Index:2014 Retrospective, sheds light on the mobile app trends of the year.

Chief among them is that Google is building on its lead over Apple when it comes to downloads, snatching 60% of the total number. In other words, Google Play store has registered close to 50% more app installations than the iOS App Store. Read more »

Apple has revealed that it sold its one billionth iOS device in Q4, 2014 – on November 22 to be precise. The revelation was made by CEO Tim Cook during an analysts’ call yesterday (after the company released its first-quarter earnings report), where he also said that it was a space-gray 64-gigabyte iPhone 6 Plus.

“One billion devices is an almost unfathomable milestone and we are all incredibly proud to be a part of it,” Cook said. Read more »

Apple is well above all competitors in the field of contactless payments. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, two out of three dollars spent in such fashion come courtesy of Apple Pay.

The latest data is part of today’s record-shattering financial results for Q1 of the fiscal 2015. Read more »

Twitter is mostly a public social network, but it improved its private messaging experience with Direct Messages for groups. Another change today is the ability to record, edit and share short video clips publicly.

The new features will be rolled out gradually to all users, but you can view videos and be invited into conversations by people who have already gotten access to the features. Read more »

The smartphone is already so far removed from its phone legacy, packing an infinite number of functions and replacing a multitude of standalone devices. Samsung went ahead and fitted the Galaxy Note 4 within a headset, offering a virtual reality experience with the Gear VR. Sony capitalized on its PlayStation traditions enabling the pairing of a DualShock controller to some of its Xperia smartphones.

Apple is also set on exploiting the mobile gaming niche, it appears, as recent findings show that the Cupertino company has been granted patents for a number of controller-type holders, presumably for the iPhone. Read more »

Apple is apparently working on a larger tablet, as indicated by schematics published in Japanese magazine Macfan. These drawings have been the source of artist Martin Hajek‘s inspiration to create a 3D model of the upcoming device.

The renderings before our eyes represent an informed guess as to what the iPad Pro might look like. Read more »

Today the ribbon was cut and the West Lake Apple Store in Hangzhou, China opened its doors for customers. The event attracted a huge crowd of fans eager to check out one of the company’s largest retail stores in Asia.

Image source: bruce_shia on Instagram

Tim Cook also promoted the store on Twitter saying “Starting Something New in Hangzhou, China!” The latest store is part of a total of five outlets in China. The rest will open before the Chinese New Year on February 19. Read more »

The first Apple Watch game became a reality well before the wearable’s commercial launch. Dubbed ‘Letterpad,’ the title will also be available for iPhone and iPad.

‘Letterpad’ consists of a 3 x 3 tile of letters. Read more »