Apple has just announced a new software update for the Apple TV that brings HBO Go and WatchESPN to the platform. Additionally, live UK Sky News streaming, access to Crunchyroll (an anime video site) videos, and Qello, a music/documentary streaming service.

“HBO GO and WatchESPN are some of the most popular iOS apps and are sure to be huge hits on Apple TV,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We continue to offer Apple TV users great new programming options, combined with access to all of the incredible content they can purchase from the iTunes Store.”

In order to activate HBO GO and WatchESPN, you'll need to be subscribed to the right cable provider, and you'll activate them using a code from your provider. Sky News provides free streaming in the US, UK, and Ireland.

You can download Apple TV 5.3 software update now for your second- and third-generation Apple TV to get the new hotness right away.

Tags: adslice, apple, apple tv, apple tv 5.3, crunchyroll, eddy cue, espn, hbo, hbo go, qello, set top box, sidefeatured, sky tv, watchespn,

It appears that a somewhat legit-looking leaked video of an iPad running iOS 7 managed to make it to YouTube. The video was uploaded by Rozetked, sounds like he's speaking in Russian. If the video is indeed true, how he managed to get the unreleased beta operating system for iPad is of question since Apple has yet to release it to developers. Take a gander at what's supposedly expected to be released.

Tags: apple, apple leaks, apple rumors, ios 7, ios 7 ipad, ipad, leaks, rozetked, rumors, youtube,

We all know the iPhone 5S is coming, likely with a fall release, and now that the time is near, the typical leaks are starting to occur. The iPhone 5S (or whatever it ends up being called) is being manufactured over in China, where most of these leaks occur. Today we get a look at the display and logic board. Interestingly, these two pieces fit with the previously-leaked camera and flex cable modules. Nothing too exciting here, though, as most of the magic is in the software. If real, this just tells us that Apple has a new iPhone in the works...but we already knew that anyway, right?

Tags: apple, apple rumors, cellphones, iphone, iphone 5s, iphone 5s display, iphone 5s logic board, iphone rumors, leaks, logic board, mac rumors, rumors, sidefeatured, smartphones,

Earlier this month, Adobe showed off its vision for its software future. It's called Creative Cloud, and it's available now. Just head over to the Creative Cloud site and you'll be able to download what you need--no longer are you able to just buy a suite of software, like Creative Suite 6 or CS7. Instead, you pay a monthly subscription fee of $50 and get access to everything. Adobe is offering an incentive to owners of CS3 and above--the first full year subscription will cost just $30.

Being that documents are now cloud-storable, Creative Cloud offers new ways of storing and sharing that the older suites were incapable of. The question is, will users pay perpetually for monthly access?

Tags: adobe, cloud, cloud storage, creative cloud, creative cloud download, creative suite, cs3, cs4, cs5, cs6, cs7, design, photoshop, software,

Tesla will be showing its new technology that allows Model S owners to swap battery packs in their vehicles as its design center in California on June 20th. CEO Elon Musk made the announcement on Twitter, reinforcing previous statements that Tesla would allow its customer to driver longer distances without the need to wait for the battery to charge at a Supercharger location.

We aren't sure if this applies to current Models S cards, or if this is a redesign that will be part of future models. Apparently, switching out the batteries takes just minutes--about the same amount of time that it takes an average car to be filled up with gas.

Live pack swap demo on Thurs night at 8pm California time at our design studio in Hawthorne. Seeing is believing.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 18, 2013

Tags: automobiles, cars, electric cars, elevtric vehicles, elon musk, ev, model s, supercharger, tesla, tesla battery swap, tesla model s, twitter,

The movie poster for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug has been released, and it's straight-up ominous. Bilbo is gonna go through that dangerous-looking door, and we'll be going along for the ride when the movie hits theaters on December 13th.

Tags: adventure, desolation of smaug, peter jackson, the hobbit, the hobbit the desolation of smaug,

Apple announced OS X Mavericks a few days ago during the WWDC 2013 keynote, and we've been getting a bunch of questions about which Macs will work with the new operating system, like this one from Anette:

Q: OS X Mavericks looks cool, despite the silly name. However, it seems that when new software is introduced, a bunch of hardware is left out of the mix. Apple didn't make it clear which Macs will be able to run Mavericks. Do you know? Here's hoping my 2010 MacBook Air isn't left out in the cold!

A: Thankfully, it appears that Mavericks will be pretty forgiving, and won't need super-new hardware in order to run. In fact, it will run on some Macs that are as much as 6-years old. Here's the list:

• iMac (Mid-2007 or later)
• MacBook (13-inch Aluminum, Late 2008), (13-inch, Early 2009 or later)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid-2009 or later), (15-inch, Mid/Late 2007 or later), (17-inch, Late 2007 or later)
• MacBook Air (Late 2008 or later)
• Mac Mini (Early 2009 or later)
• Mac Pro (Early 2008 or later)
• Xserve (Early 2009)

As you can see, anyone who has bought a Mac within the past four years is covered and will be able to run OS X Mavericks. Mac Pro, MacBook Air, and MacBook aluminum buyers as far back as 2008 are also good. In fact, some MacBook Pro and iMac buyers from back in 2007 can even get in on the Mavericks action. We'd say that this is a pretty large blanket of Mac users that will be able to enjoy the next generation of OS X.

OS X 10.9 Mavericks is set to launch later this fall, and will be available exclusively on the Mac App Store. No pricing has been announced just yet, but if history is any indication, it will cost between $19.99 and $29.99.

Tags: 10.9, adslice, apple, ask andru, imac, mac mini, mac pro, macbook, macbook air, macbook pro, mavericks, operating system, os, os x, os x 10.9, os x mavericks, sidefeatured, software, xserve,

Okay, we get it. You read Gear Live daily, and constantly say to yourself “I could so have written that story better.” Okay hot shot, now’s your chance. Gear Live is looking to bring in a couple more writers who know their stuff as it pertains to gadgets, video games, and social networks (like Twitter and Facebook.) You need not be a professional journalist to apply, but you should be able to write like one. What do we mean? Well, for starters, you have to have a strong command of the written English language. You also need to be passionate about the subject matter at hand. If you think you fit the bill, we want to hear from you. We are looking for writers, as well as editors.

Drop us an email at gigs[at]gearlive.com, and provide three sample posts written in the Gear Live style. These need to be original and timely, not something you wrote for the school paper a few years back. Also let us know why we should pick you, and what you can commit to. This is a paid gig, so bring your A-game.

Tags: announcements, blog jobs, blogging, editors, gear live, gigs, jobs, writers,

While looking through the various settings in OS X Mavericks, we uncovered a feature that went unannounced during the WWDC 2013 keynote. Apple will feature Enhanced Dictation in OS X 10.9 Mavericks, allowing users to use the feature when offline, and also providing the ability to get live feedback, so you can see what OS X is interpreting before it takes action, rather than having to fix it after the fact. Enabling Enhanced Dictation will require a 785 MB download, and the feature isn't yet enabled in the currently-available Developer Preview.

We'll report back with any other interesting Mavericks features we stumble across as we make our way through the next version of OS X.

Tags: 10.9, apple, dictation, enhanced dictation, mac, mavericks, offline dictation, os x, os x 10.9, os x mavericks, software,

If you are interested in being one of the very first to own the Xbox One this November, you'll be happy to know that you can pre-order the Xbox One right now. In fact, if you pre-order your Xbox One now, you'll get a special Day One Edition console. The system functionality itself won't be any different, however, you'll get a custom controller (pictured above) along with a special Xbox Live achievement that lets others know that you were there on day one. Additionally, Microsoft will also be selling a Day One Edition Xbox Live Gold 12-month pass that includes an exclusive Killer Instinct character. Pretty cool.

Ready to pre-order? Here are the links:

• Pre-order Xbox One from the Microsoft Store
• Pre-order Xbox One from Amazon

As we reported earlier, you can also pre-order the PlayStation 4 right now as well.

Tags: adslice, day one edition, e3, e3 2013, gaming, killer instinct, limited edition, microsoft, pre-order, preorder, special edition, videogames, xbox, xbox live gold, xbox one, xbox one day one,

Yesterday Sony revealed the price of the PlayStation 4 console, which is set to launch this holiday season: $399. The PS4, which has no restrictions on used games, renting games, or lending games to friends, will cost a full $100 less than the Xbox One, which will impose each of those restrictions on its users. For your $400 you get the PlayStation 4 console, one DualShock 4 controller, HDMI cable, microUSB cable, and power cable. The PlayStation 4 Eye will be sold separately for $59.

Now that the price has been revealed, what do you think? Are you going with the Xbox One? PS4? Both?

You can pre-order the PlayStation 4 right now for release date delivery. You can also pre-order the Xbox One right now as well.

Tags: dualshock 4, e3, e3 2013, gaming, playstation, playstation 4, playstation 4 eye, pre-order, pre-orders, ps4, ps4 pre-order, sony, videogames,

During yesterday's WWDC 2013 keynote, Apple's Roger Rosner took the stage to show off iWork for iCloud, a new feature coming to iCloud later this fall. The new cloud productivity suite, now available to Apple developers in beta, allows users to create and edit Numbers, Keynote, and Pages documents right in the web browser, regardless of browser or operating system. This gives Windows users the ability to create and edit iWork documents for the first time.

During the demo, it was revealed that the iWork for iCloud suite will be feature-rich, allowing users to drag-and-drop images right into the app, and use multitouch gestures to manipulate media. Additionally, iWork for iCloud allows users to add and edit Microsoft Office documents for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. This makes it easy for users of multiple platforms to work with documents without missing out on essential features.

Tags: apple, cloud, excel, icloud, iwork, iwork for icloud, keynote, microsoft, microsoft office, numbers, office, pages, powerpoint, productivity, word, wwdc, wwdc 2013, wwdc 2013 keynote,

After a rough start following the WWDC 2013 keynote which saw Apple's servers melt under the pressure of thousands of devs all trying to grab iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks, we can now confirm that it is safe for developers to head to the Dev Portal to grab a copy of OS X 10.9, with speedy download speeds to boot.

Tags: apple, mac, operating system, operating systems, os, os x, os x 10.9, os x mavericks, software, wwdc, wwdc 2013,

Safari 6.1 was announced during today's WWDC 2013 keynote, and brings a new Top Sites layout into the mix, along with a redesigned sidebar for accessing bookmarks, Reading List, and the new Shared Links section (which pulls in links that are shared by people you follow on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.) The features were shown as part of the new OS X Mavericks demo, but as it turns out, OS X Mountain Lion is going to get in on the new Safari love as well. We've actually got Safari 6.1 running here, and have included a screenshot above.

Tags: apple, browsers, mavericks, mountain lion, os x, os x mavericks, safari, safari 6.1, shared links, top sites, web browsers, wwdc, wwdc 2013, wwdc 2013 keynote,

Earlier today Apple revealed iOS 7 to the world, introducing the most radical redesign to its mobile operating system since the launch of the iPhone back in 2007. Check out the video after the break to see Apple's head of design, Jony Ive, explain what went into designing the new software that will soon run on all our iPhones, iPads, and iPod touches.

Tags: apple, apple events, ios, ios 7, ios 7 video, jony ive, videos, wwdc, wwdc 2013, wwdc 2013 keynote, youtube,

Apple has just announced iTunes Radio, the new streaming music service for iOS, iTunes (Mac and PC,) and Apple TV. The service looks to compete with Pandora, and will be built right in to the iOS 7 Music app. Apple will have a bunch of curated stations available at launch, and will also allow users to create their own custom stations as well. You can give a track a star to signify that you like it, share the station with a friend, and ask for more like that song. Led Zepplin is even available, a first for streaming. iTunes Radio will be free with advertising, but iTunes Match subscribers get it completely ad-free.

Tags: apple, apple events, apple tv, ios 7, itunes, itunes radio, mac, music, pc, streaming music, wwdc, wwdc 2013, wwdc 2013 keynote,

Apple has announced iOS 7, and as expected, it is a radical redesign. And it's beautiful. In fact, it's the biggest change to the iPhone since its inception back in 2007, and it was much-needed. The new design introduced a slimmer font, flatter design on objects, while also bringing a more 3D design to the overall OS.

Jony Ive, Apple's head of design, was featured in a video talking about the overhaul. Skeumorphic interfaces are gone in the Game Center, Messages, Phone, Calendar, and others. Head past the break for a look at a bunch of the new iOS 7 features.

Tags:

Microsoft has announced that the Xbox One will be released this November for $499. The new console will launch in 21 markets initially, but Microsoft hasn't revealed all of the locales just yet. For your $499, you get the Xbox One and the new Kinect bundled in.

Tags: adslice, e3, e3 2013, e3 media briefing, gaming, microsoft, sidefeatured, video games, xbox, xbox one,

Apple has announced a new update to the MacBook Air, based on the Intel Haswell platform. The new Airs provide all-day battery life, with the 11-inch model offering 9-hours of battery life, and the 13-inch model providing a whopping 12-hours. 802.11ac Wi-Fi is built-in as well, giving them support for the fastest state-of-the-art Wi-Fi. Pricing starts at $999 for the 128GB 11-inch model, and $1199 for the 256GB 11-incher. If 13-inches is more your thing, the 128GB model starts at $1099, and the 256GB model is $1299. The new MacBook Air is available today.

Tags: 802.11ac, apple, haswell, intel, laptops, macbook air, notebooks, sidefeatured, wwdc, wwdc 2013, wwdc 2013 keynote,

Apple has announced Mac OS X 10.9 Mavericks at this mornings WWDC 2013 keynote. Stepping away from the big cats theme, the new version of OS X takes on a new California-based naming scheme. Key features in OS X Mavericks include a tabbed Finder, tagging, support for full-screen apps on multiple displays, and more. AirPlay connected HDTVs can even acts as full-on monitors as well now. There's also a new, lighter font used across the OS as well.

Other technologies include App Nap, which keeps active apps optimized and background apps still available without taking up precious resources. If an app is visible, it gets power, but if it is covered by other apps and running in the background, resources for that app are reduced. Timer Coalescing is a feature which reduces CPU utilization up to 72%, and compressed memory optimizes the inactive memory in your Mac to give it better performance.

Continue past the break for more on OS X Mavericks!

Tags: adslice, app nap, apple maps, finder tags, ibooks, icloud keychain, os x, os x 10.9, os x mavericks, os x notifications, sidefeatured, tabbed finder, tagging, wwdc, wwdc 2013, wwdc 2013 keynote,

It's time! Apple is set to take the stage to kick off its annual Worldwide Developers Conference this morning, which means we will be getting a look at iOS 7, OS X 10.9, iCloud updates, the new Apple streaming music service, and more. It is a big morning that is gonna be packed with new hotness (and, hey, the Microsoft Xbox One E3 event is happening at the same time!), so head past the break for all the news coming out of WWDC 2013 as it happens!

Tags: apple, sidefeatured, wwdc, wwdc 2013,

Microsoft is set to take the stage for it's annual E3 Media Briefing this morning, and today is gonna be all about the Xbox One. The show starts in just about 15 minutes, and we will be bringing you all the news as it happens. Will the console really need to be connected to the Internet in order for you to play games? What about rentals and sharing with friends? Hopefully all this is answered. Head past the break for the full scoop!

Tags: e3, e3 2013, e3 media briefing, games, gaming, microsoft, microsoft xbox media briefing, sidefeatured, videogames, xbox, xbox 360, xbox one,

Hot on the heels of releasing OS X 10.8.4 Mountain Lion, Apple has gone ahead and released additional maintenance updates to iTunes. Update includes bug fixes for improved syncing and eliminated a sign-in bug some users were experiencing.

The syncing fix remedied an issue that some users were experiencing when switching between wireless and wired syncing. The new version is available in the Mac App Store's update section. Direct link for iTunes update for Windows PC and also for OS X.

Tags: apple, itunes, itunes 11, itunes 11.0.4, music, software, software update,

Microsoft has prepared a video first-look at Windows 8.1, the upcoming update to its major desktop operating system, due out later this year. Using a Surface Pro to demo the software, Jensen Harris of the Windows User Experience team walks us through some of the improvements, including the new cloud-powered lockscreen, new Start screen tile sizes, app sorting, Start screen arranging, new personalization options, motion accents for wallpapers, and more. Two pretty big items not touched upon are the return of the Start button, and that Outlook 2013 is coming to Windows RT 8.1. Check out the full video after the break to see what awaits you in Windows 8.1, the preview of which will be available on June 26.

Tags: jensen harris, operating system, os, slates, software, surface, surface pro, tablets, videos, windows, windows 8, windows 8.1, windows rt, windows rt 8.1, youtube,

Apple has just released OS X 10.8.4 for it's desktop and notebook computer lines. The latest update to Mountain Lion is mostly focused on stability and security, fixing things like Microsoft Exchange calendaring, corporate Wi-Fi issues, and the like. Safari 6.0.5 is also included in this release. Fire up the Mac App Store to grab it. Full changelog after the break.

Tags: 10.8.4, apple, imac, mac, mac pro, macbook, macbook air, macbook pro, mountain lion, operating system, os, os x, os x 10.8.4, software,

If you've been wanting to get in on the BlackBerry 10 action but wanted a physical keyboard, AT&T has just announced that pre-orders for the BlackBerry Q10, the new QWERTY from the company-formerly-known-as-RIM, begin tomorrow. You can get the LTE-powered Q10 for $199.99 with two-year contract. Yeah, we are just surprised at that price as you are, and we expect it to sell just as badly as you do. Unless you plan on picking one up, in which case, have fun with your 720x720 display. Some people just can't let go of hardware keyboards, right?

Tags: 4g, 4g lte, att, blackberry, blackberry 10, blackberry q10, lte, pre-orders, preorders, q10, smartphones,

According to The New York Times, Apple is going full-force in negotiations with record labels in an effort to get its new streaming music service (which many refer to as iRadio) in position to be announced, and possibly launched, at WWDC next week. The report states that Apple has already signed deals with both the Warner Music Group and Universal Music Group for rights to recorded music and publishing. The holdout is Sony Music Entertainment, which seems to want a bigger cut of the profits. Of course, if Apple can convince Sony to sign, then its music service will be stocked with all the popular music users will expect, without any glaring holes.

There are no solid details on Apple's streaming service, and there won't be until it is formally announced by the company itself. That said, rumors point to it being similar in vein to Pandora, rather than a Spotify/Rdio competitor. In other words, it will be a radio service rather than one where you get to pick and choose exactly which track(s) you want to listen to at a given moment. The service would be supported by iAd, with advertisements interspersed into the listening experience, like Pandora.

Fingers crossed for WWDC!

Tags: apple, apple rumors, iradio, music, rumors, sony, sony music entertainment, streaming music, universal music group, warner music group, wwdc, wwdc 2013,

If you own an Android phone,  you can now get in on the Vine action that iPhone users have had access to for over four months now. The app is Twitter's answer to video sharing, allowing users to share six-second video snippets with each other. Interestingly, the iOS version and Android versions each have features that the other doesn't. For example, the iOS version includes support for the front-facing camera, mentions, hashtags, and search. The Android version doesn't--but it does have a zoom feature, something that's not found in iOS.

Vine for Android works with any device running Android 4.0 or higher, and you can download it now from the Google Play Store.

Tags: android, android apps, ios, social networking, social networks, twitter, vine, vine android,

Wanna pay a third of the typical price for an Xbox Live Gold membership? Act quickly, as eBay is selling 12-month Xbox Live Gold memeberships for $20, a nice discount from the typical $59.99 price point, making it our Deal of the Day. Supplies are limited though, so if you want one, go get one now.

Tags: deal of the day, dotd, ebay, video games, xbox, xbox 360, xbox live, xbox live free, xbox live gold, xbox one,

This morning, Verizon announced that it will begin carrying the HTC One later this summer. This news means that, soon, the HTC One will be available on all four major carriers here in the US, matching other major phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5. Verizon has not announced any specific date or pricing (although we'd have to think it would be $199 with two-year contract,) nor any potential hardware differences, but that information will likely come sooner rather than later.

Be sure to check out our HTC One video review for more on this fantastic smartphone.

Tags: android, htc, htc one, htc one verizon, smartphones, verizon, verizon wireless, vzw,

The HTC One is a highly impressive Android device, but many users wish that they could get the beautiful hardware with stock Android Jelly Bean software. Luckily, that wish is becoming reality, as Android head Sundar Pichai announced during his D11 talk that the HTC One with Nexus UI will go on sale on June 26th on the Google Play store, and will work on both AT&T and T-Mobile.

Be sure to check out our HTC One review as well.

Tags: all things digital, allthingsd, android, android 4.2, att, d conference, d11, google, google play, google play store, htc, htc one, jelly bean, nexus, nexus ui, smartphones, stock android, sundar pichai, t-mobile,

The LG Nexus 4 is arguably the best Android phone on the market right now (if you don't care about LTE,) but if you were bored by the black hue, you can now get it on the Google Play store and T-Mobile in white. In fact, if you buy it from Google Play directly, you also get a free bumper case thrown in for good measure. It should be stated, though, that the only difference here is the color--otherwise, it's the same Nexus 4 that was released over six months ago, running the latest version of Android, Jelly Bean 4.2.2.

Tags: android, android 4.2, android jelly bean, cellphones, google, google play, jelly bean, lg, nexus, nexus 4, nexus program, smartphones, stock android, t-mobile, white,

Apple's new fifth-generation 16GB iPod touch (which doesn't include a rear camera) was announced yesterday, and is starting to show up at Apple retail stores today. Ben Pasternak over in Australia was one of the first to get his hands on one of the new iOS devices, and put together a short video showing off the two-toned iPod touch. As a refresher, the new 16GB touch costs $229, and replaces the discontinued fourth-generation iPod touch. You can get the new iPod touch now, and check out the video after the break.

Tags: 16gb ipod touch, apple, ben pasternak, fifth generation ipod touch, ios, ipod, ipod touch, videos, youtube,

Today Samsung announced the Galaxy S4 Mini, a smaller take on its flagship Galaxy S4 Android smartphone. The Galaxy S4 Mini isn't really that "mini," though, since it ships with a 4.3-inch display that is larger than that of the iPhone 5--we'd say this is more of a mid-range display size, but, hey, to each their own. Additionally, it's not as powerful as the full-sized S4, as the Mini has a 1.7GHz dual-core processor and 1.5GB RAM. An 8-megapixel rear camera is paired with a 1.9-megapixel front shooter, and on the inside you get 8GB of storage (which you can expand with a microSD card.) Once nicety is that the Galaxy S4 Mini ships with Android 4.2.2, which means you get the latest and greatest right out of the gate. Pricing and availability has yet to be announced, but we're that that we'll find out next month. In the meantime, let us know if you're going for this one in the comments.

Tags: 4.3-inch, android, android 4.2, android 4.2.2, android jelly bean, galaxy s 4, galaxy s4, galaxy s4 mini, jelly bean, lte, samsung, samsung galaxy s4 mini, smartphones,

If you want a 21st century method of deodorizing your refrigerator, get ready to throw out that old box of baking soda and pick up the Kuro Cube. the Kuro Cube is a compressed block of white charcoal that specializes in absorbing the smells that you don't wanna smell, saving your nose from the horrid sensory attack you might get hit with whenever you open the fridge. It costs $25, and lasts a good five years, as long as you set it in the sun every now and then so it can get dried out. You can place these in other areas, too, if you want to purify the air in other rooms.

Tags: coal, deodorizer, household, kitchen, kitchen gadgets, kuro cube, refrigerator, sort of coal, white coal,

We're big fans of Connected Data's Transporter device, which basically gives you locally stored and protected cloud storage without having to upload your files to third-party services like Dropbox or Copy, with no subscription fee. Now, on the heels of the Connected Data & Drobo merger agreement, comes the announcement of Transporter 2.0, a big software update for the NAS. Version 2.0 of the Transporter software brings a host of welcome improvements like:

• Improved integration with the OS X Finder and Windows Explorer
• Custom right-click options and drag-and-drop functionality
• Share direct links to files and folders
• Choose how folders are synced (locally or remotely)
• Increased firewall support

Additionally, new Transporter iOS and Android apps will allow remote access and management of files stored on the device. Transporter v2.0 will be a free software upgrade for all existing customers. For new customers, Transporter starts at $199 without a hard drive, $299 for 1TB, and $399 for 2TB.

Tags: android, apps, cloud, connected data, desktop, drobo, ios, mobile, software, storage, transporter, transporter 2.0,

Apple has released an addition to the iPod touch lineup, bringing in a 16GB fifth-generation unit which lacks the 5-megapixel rear camera found on the 32GB and 64GB variants. The new model replaces the fourth-generation iPod touch, which sold for $199 for the 16GB model (which did have a rear camera.) Apple has now discontinued that model altogether. Besides missing the rear camera, the 16GB fifth-generation iPod touch also does away with the Loop wrist strap. That makes sense, since the wrist strap was mainly used alongside the camera. You can pick up the new stripped-down 16GB iPod touch for $229.

Tags: apple, ios, ipod touch, ipod touch 16gb, ipod touch fifth generation, mp3 players, portable audio,

The folks over at Tinhte.ven, who have a fairly good track record with Apple leaks, have managed to get their hands on some cases that are said to be designed for the expected iPad 5. This is becoming the norm, as we speculate that case makers pay leakers for design schematics in order to get a leg up when the Apple product goes on sale.

Rumors are pointing to a redesigned iPad 5 that has slimmer and lighter characteristics and reduced bezels, similar to those found on the iPad mini. If you're looking into buying a new iPad, we suggest waiting a bit longer if you want the latest and greatest--our guess is we will see the new models in about 3 months. Check out the video after the break.

Tags: apple, apple rumors, ipad, ipad 5, ipad fifth generation, ipad redesign, ipad rumors, ipad with retina display, leaks apple leaks, rumors, slates, tablets, tinhte, videos, youtube,

Yves Behar, the famous designer of the popular array of Jawbone bluetooth headsets, Jambox portable stereo jukebox and fitness activity monitor Up, has launched a new company, promoting a smart door lock, August. August is a keyless digital lock system for your home connected to low powered Bluetooth with an iPhone app. August does not solely rely on Wi-Fi in order for it to function, so no need to worry in the event of a power outage. The device is said to be easy to install in a two-step process compared to other locking solutions. It does not require an additional lock for the outside door and it's said to not be noticeable since the device is housed in the inside lock of the home, which it replaces. Check out the video after the break.

Tags: august, august door lock, august smart lock, bluetooth, bluetooth 4.0, bluetooth low energy, door locks, home automation, locks, smart locks, yves behar,

Tweetbot for Mac has been updated to version 1.3, which mostly carries over a lot of the recent features introduced in Tweetbot for iOS. This includes things like media view, and support for the Twitter cover images on profile pages. Here's the full list:

• New media timeline. Type command f and switch to the media view (next to the search box).
• New look for Tweet detail including retweet and favorite counts.
• Profile Cover Image support.
• Double clicking titlebar above a profile view will scroll profile back to top. Double clicking again will scroll their timeline/mentions/faves to the top.
• Fixed issues with unread items obscuring notification/error messages and attached post windows.
• Fixed issue where you text was still editable after you’d sent a tweet.
• Various other bug fixes.

You can download Tweetbot for Mac now.

Tags: mac app store, social networking, software, tapbots, tweetbot, tweetbot 1.3, tweetbot for mac, tweetbot for mac 1.3, twitter, twitter clients,

At the D11 conference, Tesla CEO Elon Musk just announced a major expansion to the Tesla Supercharger network. According to Musk:

"There's going to be a dramatic acceleration of the Supercharging network. By the end of next month, we'll triple the Supercharger coverage area. There's a map that'll go live tomorrow. By the end of this year, you'll be able to drive from LA to NY just using the Supercharger network. We're improving the density of Superchargers in well-traveled routes, as well as the overall coverage area."

This is huge, as there is always range anxiety for owners of vehicles that are 100% powered by electricity. Rapid expansion of Tesla's Supercharger network is essential to curbing that feeling. Tesla Model S owners using the Supercharger can go from 0% to 80% charged in 30 minutes. Of course, the Model S is a very expensive vehicle, but getting Superchargers in place for when Tesla expects to have a $30,000 range vehicle for sale (in about three years, according to Musk,) will go a long way towards buyer confidence.

Tags: all things digital, allthingsd, automobiles, cars, d11, electric cars, electric vehicles, elon musk, ev, model s, supercharger, tesla, tesla model s, tesla supercharger,

Here at Gear Live, we're big fans of both Drobo and the Transporter, so excuse us if we're more than a little excited about the announcement that the two companies that entered into a merger agreement. We've covered the Transporter in the past, but to refresh your memory, it's a collaborative file-sharing device that offers Dropbox- or Copy-like functionality, but stored locally with no fees. Of course, Drobo makes fantastic external storage devices, many of which we've covered extensively. It will be great to see new Drobos that offer the Transporter file-sharing abilities. Nothing official has been announced, but we can dream.

Tags: business, cloud, connected data, drobo, external storage, mergers, storage, transporter,

Rdio has updated its web and Mac apps with the new Now Playing view. Click the list icon at the bottom right, and the entire app becomes a stylized, blurry album cover in the background, with the actual art up front to the left, and the album tracks or playlist over to the right, allowing you to see what's coming up in your queue. We are big fans of Rdio here at Gear Live, and find it to be superior to Spotify in many ways. Rdio charges $4.99 per month for desktop and web browser access, while mobile streaming can be added, costing a total of $9.99 per month. Hit the Read More link to download the Rdio app.

Tags: apple, ios, mac, music, rdio, spotify, streaming music, subscription music,