Mitchel Broussard

Authorities from two major U.S. cities and London on Tuesday reported (via Reuters) that smartphone theft has dropped drastically since the release of remote-access "kill-switches" that allow users to lock their missing smartphone before any crucial information is stolen. Specifically, the number of stolen iPhones dropped 25 percent in New York, 40 percent in San Francisco, and 50 percent in...

The Video Electronics Standard Association (VESA) yesterday announced a new Embedded DisplayPort Standard, version 1.4a, that the association claims "enables a higher video data transfer rate for increased panel resolution, greater color depth and higher refresh rates." Along with other upgrades, the new standard will be able to take advantage of more advanced GPU video performance and...

Anki today announced a sequel to its innovative iOS-compatible Anki Drive slot car racing game. Called "Anki Overdrive" and set for launch in September, it will include brand new cars, a customizable track - courtesy of magnetically interlocking track pieces and "bridges" that adjust track height - and even jump ramps (via Re/code). Originally debuted on stage at WWDC 2013, Anki has slowly...

Medical device manufacturer DexCom over the weekend announced the company is developing an app for the upcoming Apple Watch that will display all of a user's glucose and blood sugar-related health data on their wrist (via The Wall Street Journal). The company, whose expertise lies in "continuous glucose monitoring systems for diabetes management," says the app is expected to be ready when the...

The much-anticipated 12-inch Retina MacBook Air is believed to launch sometime in the middle of 2015, but a new rumor out of foreign news website Letem svetem Applem [Google Translate] points to a smaller refresh of the existing MacBook Air line hitting as early as February 24. The website, citing sources from the Czech reseller network, states the update will come with no fanfare or keynote ...

Earlier this week, gesture recognition technology company eyeSight introduced ControlAir, an app that uses a Mac's camera to read finger-based movements, allowing users to control various media applications without needing to physically interact with their computers. The app, which is free to download, works with many popular Mac-based entertainment apps like iTunes, Spotify, Rdio, Netflix,...

FiftyThree today announced an update to its popular drawing and illustration app Paper that will give users of the app free access to every tool and feature previously locked behind an in-app purchase. The app is free to download, but users who wanted a more in-depth editing and drawing suite had to pay up to $3.99 for the entire "essential tools" package (originally priced at $7.99) to get...

Swatch CEO Nick Hayek today revealed that the company has plans to manufacture and ship its own line of smartwatch devices with a launch target within the next three months, easily setting itself up against Apple's recent confirmation of an April launch date for the Apple Watch (via Bloomberg). Hayek previously displayed skepticism about smartwatches, in particular the idea of one from Apple,...

Apple on Monday posted a listing to its Jobs at Apple page describing an Engineering Project Manager position for "Apple Search," sparking speculation the company could be working on a full-fledged search engine for use on OS X and iOS platforms. As first highlighted by Cult of Mac, the most recent position would be based in San Francisco and asks for applicants who are "technical, driven and...

With filming on the upcoming Steve Jobs film underway in the company's hometown of Cupertino, California, thousands of people responded to a casting call over the weekend, hoping to be included as extras in scenes being filmed at the Flint Center where Jobs unveiled the original Macintosh in 1984. As reported by CNET's Shara Tibken, well over 2,000 people showed up in 80s-inspired attire to be ...

HTC last week published a video to its YouTube channel, HTCAmerica, which satirizes HTC's biggest competitors - namely Apple and Samsung - with a song sung by rapper Greg Carr, known as "Doc G." The video, fully titled "Doc G's HTC Anthem "Hold the Crown" w/ David Bruce," centers around the rapper interacting with various people dressed up as smartphones from the various companies. Carr, known ...

While much of the wearables focus remains on the upcoming Apple Watch launch, Pebble continues to push forward with its own smartwatch platform that began as a record-setting Kickstarter project and has blossomed into a successful company. Pebble CEO Eric Migicovsky recently discussed the company's extensive plans for new hardware in the upcoming year, along with a few details of Pebble's...

Apple today filed a prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hoping to sell $5 billion worth of new debt according to reports. Managed by Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank, the offer's monetary specifics haven't yet been revealed by Apple, but the company says the money will be used to cover "general corporate purposes, including repurchases of our common stock and payment of...

Six-second video sharing service Vine today announced Vine Kids, an app that skews towards a younger generation and is meant to act as a hub for kid-friendly content that may be harder to discover on the original app. In the announcement, Carolyn Penner, Head of Communications and Marketing at Vine, states the idea for the app came from a colleague's daughter and her infatuation with the...

After opening Friday morning, shares of Apple stock briefly grazed the $120 per share mark, setting a new record high for the company in the market (via AppleInsider). AAPL is currently trading around the $119 mark as of writing, giving the iPhone maker a nearly $700 billion market cap. Apple announced its earnings for the first fiscal quarter of 2015 on Tuesday, reporting $74.6 billion...

Preparing to open its doors around 10 AM local time in Jiefangbei Square in Chongqing, China tomorrow, Apple has allowed a few members of the Chinese press inside the new store before the grand opening (via MacX). Bearing a strong resemblance to the Pudong store in Shangai and the Fifth Avenue store in New York, the majority of the new Chongqing location resides under street level, with a...

Following Apple's earnings call on Tuesday in which Tim Cook stated the company "saw more new customers to iPhone than we've ever seen before," research firm Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) today released (via Fortune) a report delving into the specifics of the Android-to-Apple switching statistics revealed by Apple. Expectedly, the report - which surveyed 500 Apple device...

YouTube yesterday announced it has begun using HTML5 video by default for all playback on its website, marking a substantial step in its gradual move away from Flash. The company states the new default will work in most popular web browsers including Safari. Richard Leider, Engineering Manager for YouTube, reiterated on the adaptability of HTML5 over Flash and the use of the former's...

Running with Crayons today announced Alfred Remote, an iOS app that turns an iPhone or iPad into a remote control for various tasks on a user's Mac, from controlling a screensaver to launching apps (via The Verge). Designed with parity of the Alfred app on the Mac App Store in mind, Alfred for iOS also allows users to expand into systemwide interactions with their desktop computers. Users with ...

Lockitron today announced a new product in its lineup of smart keyless home locking system devices, the $99 Bolt. Lockitron previously entered the market a few years back with the somewhat rocky launch of an earlier smartphone-enabled deadbolt lock, and the company is now shifting gears to focus on Bolt. The basics of the device allow users with the free-to-download app to unlock and lock...