A sketchy rumor posted overnight to Taiwan-based Industrial and Commercial Times (via MacRumors) claims that supplier Pegatron has already received 15 percent of Apple's orders for the rumored 4.7-inch iPhone 6 ahead of a September launch. Apparently the supplier will produce something in the neighborhood of 50 million iPhones this year, which includes the current generation as well as the new model, which just so happens to pop up again in today's recap...
iPhone 6 Mockup Gets Compared to iPhone 5s
Apple fans can't seem to get enough of these iPhone 6 rumors, and the latest leaked images posted to BGR this week appear to reveal what the current iPhone 5s might look like stacked up against that mockup of the supposed iPhone 6 that's been making the rounds. As you can see from the image above, this year's model is clearly thinner and wider than last year's flagship handset, courtesy of a video posted to Macitynet.it last weekend. "In the comparison photos and the video, we can see that the iPhone 6 appears to have been completely redesigned," the report elaborated. "The device is seemingly much taller and more rounded than Apple’s current iPhone 5s model, and it is also wider and significantly thinner. Earlier reports suggested that the iPhone 6 will be among the thinnest smartphones in the world when it debuts later this year."
Low App.net Subscriber Renewals Force Employee Layoffs
App.net may have started as an alternative to Twitter, but since then the service has branched out into an entire platform for developers. Unfortunately, there apparently aren't enough of them paying a subscription to realize the loftier goals of the company's co-founders, which is why App.net announced Tuesday that the service will "no longer employ any salaried employees, including founders." That's the bad news, but thankfully the good news is "App.net will continue to operate normally on an indefinite basis," since the first major round of subscription renewals were enough to cover operational and hosting expenses. The company also announced plans to open source a larger percentage of App.net codebase, and plans to employ contractors as needed to keep the social platform sustainable moving forward.
Tumblr App Now Allows Blog Customization from iOS
Yahoo-owned Tumblr is a great way to get a blog up and running quickly, and the mobile apps make it easy to maintain from anywhere there's an internet connection. Thanks to version 3.6 released on Tuesday, that now includes customization of colors, fonts, pictures, and more. "However you want to look, you can look that way," the brief release notes explain. "Download this thing and make your blog look amazing already." The update is now available from the App Store and requires iOS 7.0 or later.
Microsoft Teases "Small" Surface Event on May 20
The Verge is reporting that Microsoft has invited members of the media to a Surface-themed event on May 20, which could see the debut of a smaller edition of the company's Windows tablet. "Join us for a small gathering," the brief invitation reads, suggesting that nearly two years' worth of rumors about a so-called "Surface Mini" may finally come to reality. The hardware is said to be a 7.5-inch tablet with a 1440 x 1080 display, but in a departure for Microsoft, the display will feature a 4:3 aspect ratio like the iPad, rather than the wider 16:9 screen currently on the Surface.
ShopDrop Aims to Help iPhone Users Track Clothing Sales
For many of us, the siren song of the shopping mall is simply too strong to resist. The makers of a new iPhone app called ShopDrop are attempting to make shopping for clothing even more fun, using geolocation and iBeacon technology to keep tabs on sales at your favorite retailers and even receive a push notification about a hot new deal when the app is closed. A map view reveals where the best deals can be found, and ShopDrop users can easily share the love with friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, text message, or email. The app is free to download and currently tracks retailers including Anthropologie, American Apparel, Armani Exchange, Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Uniqlo, Free People, and others.
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(Image courtesy of BGR)