Angry Birds Star Wars II is getting an update today. The new episode is called Rise of the Clones and brings over 40 new levels.

The first platform to get the update is iOS, but Rovio promises other platforms will join the fun shortly. Read more »

Thanko, known for gadget curiosities like USB staplers and USB-powered allergy masks, has another interesting product in store – a telescope designed for the Apple iPhone. It can be used with naked eyes but put on an iPhone 5 or 5s and you get 100x magnification so you can play astronomer.

The iPhone 5 Astronomical Telescope kit includes a telescope with 700mm focal length, a tripod, ocular lens, iPhone 5 case to hold the phone and a number of other accessories. Read more »

Apple’s Find My iPhone users in Australia have been hacked by someone or a group of people hiding behind the pseudonym Oleg Pliss (otherwise a respected software engineer and technology scientist). Some of the affected devices are put into lost mode with a message saying “device hacked”. Some users report demands of $100 sent by PayPal as ransom.

The information comes from numerous Apple users that have gone to Apple’s support forums complaining about the issue. Allegedly there were also reports from New Zealand users and one Australian currently in London. Read more »

Apple’s “Your Verse” iPad campaign continues in full force, as the tech company has unveiled several new videos focusing on unique uses for its latest iPad Air tablet.

The two new ads focus on how the iPad helps hearing-impaired writer and traveler Cherie King navigate foreign countries, as well as Finnish composer Esa-Pekka Salonen’s new The Orchestra app that helps demystify the process of creating orchestral scores. Read more »

Analytics and research company IDC has conducted a survey asking some 50,000 people across 25 countries what are their main drivers when it comes to getting a new smartphone.

The results are quite interesting as they show what customers are looking for in a smartphone and 40% of buyers who went the Windows Phone route looked specifically for a device running Microsoft’s operating system. Read more »

Microsoft’s corporate Vice President Panos Panay revealed an interesting stat at the on-going Surface event in New York.

The executive said that according to a research, 96% of the people who own an iPad also own a laptop. He further talked about how three years ago people thought that tablets would kill the laptop – “That was supposed to happen, for sure.” Read more »

Thomas Was Alone is a popular indie game title that was first released on Steam back in 2012. The game went on to win many awards, including the BAFTA Games Award, and was praised for its gameplay, narration and the superb soundtrack.

After being released on the PS3 and the PSVita last year, Thomas Was Alone was released on iPad this month. This is the first time the game is being released on a full touchscreen device and as such, features brand new controls for the new platform. We decided to take it for a spin and see how Thomas’ story plays out on the iPad. Read more »

Apple has its share of die-hard fans and die-hard critics, but no matter what your opinion of the Cupertino based tech giant is, it is difficult to deny that the company has changed the world of consumer technology.

Apple Stores have played a huge role in this phenomenon, and the symbolic retailer will turn 13 years old on May 19th.
Bare, cleanly and simply designed, open, and a “play with everything philosophy” helped to make Apple stores some of the most visited retail spots. If you pass by an Apple store, chances are, there are tons of people there. Read more »

According to a report in 9to5Mac, Apple is about to bring split-screen multitasking to the iPad range with iOS 8. The tweak will finally allow iPad users to use two apps at the same a time.

The feature is certain to enhance the productivity credentials of Apple’s slates, especially the full-size ones such as the iPad Air and the iPad 4. Read more »

It looks like people really want to use Microsoft Office on their iPad, as the application has garnered over 27 million downloads in just 46 days.

The last 15 million downloads occurred in just over a month, making the app a roaring success. Read more »

Botanicula is a puzzle game from the makers of the popular Machinarium. The game was originally released on Steam and won many awards for its visuals and music.

Since then it has made its way to the small screen and is now available on the iPad. We decided to take a look. Read more »

Ephemeral messaging is huge right now with Snapchat leading the charge. Except “ephemeral” messages are more permanent than the name might suggest – charges were filed with the FTC against the photo messenger about this and a couple of other issues.

“If a company markets privacy and security as key selling points in pitching its service to consumers, it is critical that it keep those promises,” said FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. “Any company that makes misrepresentations to consumers about its privacy and security practices risks FTC action.” Read more »

Android tablets may be slowly taking over sales in the tablet marketplace, but the iPad still reigns as king in customer satisfaction.

This is mainly due to the myriad bargain, low-quality Android tablets that are currently on the market. Hit the jump to see the official rankings, courtesy of J.D. Power. Read more »

Google Maps got treated to an update for both Android and iOS. Versions 7.7 and 3.0 of the app for Android and iOS respectively bring new features and welcome tweaks to the platform.

The update sees offline maps officially arrive on Google Maps for iOS. Read more »

Rovio’s publishing arm LVL 11 released a Flappy Bird-rivalling game for iOS dubbed Retry. The gaming title is currently available to download in Canada, Finland, and Poland and will soon reach wider availability.

Retry promises challenging game play, wrapped in 8-bit graphics and synthesizer soundtrack. Read more »