We’ve already seen Netflix’s more tablet-optimized interface in the latest version of its Android app and now, as promised, the company has brought much the same UI to its iOS app. In addition to giving iPad users the ability to view more content at a glance, version 2.0 of the app also brings with it support for Netflix users in Latin America, as well as a number of stability fixes. As always, it remains free for Netflix members — hit up the App Store to download it now.

SOURCE via Netflix

Over two weeks ago, the internets were abuzz with talk of Apple’s founding documents hitting the auction block. Word was, they’d rake in a sizable $150,000 on the high-end, but it appears even Sotheby’s underestimated the power of paperwork. The three sheets of dead tree in question, signed by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne (Apple’s often forgotten third founder) fetched a whopping $1.6 million dollars today. The documents originally belonged to Mr. Wayne, who reportedly received just $2,300 after relinquishing his stocks and agreeing to forfeit claims against the big Apple. According to Bloomberg, Sotheby’s identified the winning bidder as Eduardo Cisneros, CEO of the Cisneros Corp.

SOURCE via Bloomberg

Is Apple about to open that $84 billion war chest to make another one of its traditional flash-memory supply-chain land-grabs? Rumors from Reuters suggest it’s planning to snap up Israeli outfit Anobit for $400 or $500 million. The outfit specializes in signal processing for the memory chips, increasing volume and performance, which you’ll already find bolted onto the Samsung and Hynix flash drives inside the iPhone 4S. The initial reports suggested that Anobit had production facilities, but it’s since been clarified that the company is a fabless designer in the same vein as P.A. Semi and Intrinsity. It seems a logical move from a company who probably see traditional HDDs as an evil to be eradicated from its simplistic designs.

SOURCE via Reuters

Apple is purportedly readying a new certification chip for accessory makers that will allow wireless access and connectivity to that pile of iOS devices you’re hoarding. Announced during an accessory manufacturer’s conference in China, the new chip would allow connections across AirPlay, Bluetooth and WiFi. The Cupertino crew hope that this will encourage even more iOS-friendly add-ons and docks to market. Apple apparently added that it’s working on support for AirPlay over Bluetooth, presumably bringing with it some improved battery longevitiy, and tying into the new low-powered Bluetooth 4.0 found on the iPhone 4S.

SOURCE via Macotakara

Love to jailbreak but hate to tether every time you reboot? Then help could soon be at hand courtesy of hacker Pod2g. He just put out a video showing off a new exploit that continues to work on an iPod Touch even after it has been switched off and on. We don’t know when it’ll be released to the masses, or how long it’ll last once Apple catches wind, but in the meantime there are of course various alternatives if you can stomach the risks and don’t mind a bit of USB tomfoolery. Read more…

If we had to imagine our dream DIY project chances are it would involve Arduino, Twitter and, of course, cats. How we’d combine those things we’re not sure, but we’ll admit to being big fans of Samuel Cox’s eSleeper, which turns a hollowed-out eMac into a bed for his feline. Inside the shell is an Arduino Ethernet connected to an IR sensor, some LEDs and a sound shield. When the cat breaks the infrared beam it triggers the iconic Mac chime and turns on a series color-shifting LEDs for a little mood lighting. From there the clock starts ticking. When little Fluffy (Captain Whiskers? Matlock? Penny? Greg?) decides she’s had enough napping and leaves the white plastic cocoon, tripping the IR sensor again, a random phrase is tweeted, along with the length of the cat’s siesta. Check out the video after the break to see the eSleeper in all its adorable DIY glory.

Read more…

Time for the usual disclaimer, since we’re taking a journey into the murky world of Cupertino’s patent applications — it’s just as likely we’ll never see or hear of this tech again as it is to wind up in the next iPhone. While everyone else is betting on NFC, Apple wants to use next-generation cameras and invisible ink to negotiate digital handshakes. Snap a picture of a cash register with a barcode and your iDevice will generate a unique ID to pair up — but in order to keep the technology secure, the codes would have to be painted on with “invisible” fluorescent coatings. When you’re pairing two iPhones (for example) to share contacts, the key could be generated on one of the screens while the other took a picture of it. If this all seems too complex, boring and pointless now, just think: this could be how we log into Foursquare in a decade’s time.

SOURCE via Patently Apple

The latest development in the patent skirmish between Samsung and Apple is a decision in Australia’s Federal Court to overturn a ban on Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales that was placed in October. The Sunday Morning Herald reports local retailers are still unsure when they may be able to sell Samsung’s slate, as Justice Lindsay Foster ruled the ban will remain until 4PM Friday, giving Apple time to appeal the case to the High Court first. Like its battle over the redesigned slate just introduced in Germany, this war between the electronics giants will continue on — we’ll let you know when there’s another decision of consequence.

SOURCE via Samsung Electronics Co. Limited vs. Apple Inc.

Sure, we’ve seen Siri used to do a host of things, including controlling the temperature in a hacker’s home. But the folks over at Autoblog were curious to know just how well the virtual assistant would work with Bluetooth-enabled car stereos. Yes, talking to Siri in your car! Once your iPhone 4S is properly tethered, holding down the handset’s home button will activate Siri. Treating her as an incoming call, your Notorious B.I.G. playlist will pause before the ready-for-command chime sounds. The in-car assistant was tested on two Mercedes-Benz automobiles, a Chrysler 300, a Dodge Charger and a Nissan Maxima, with the Maxima showcasing the best results. It comes as no surprise that mic placement on each stereo and in-cabin background noise provided a noticeable difference in Siri’s listening abilities during the test. For a glimpse of the action before trying it out yourself, hit the video just past the break.

Read more…

For now ASUS’ Transformer Prime is the lonely king of the quad-core tablet hill, but as we’d heard a few weeks back, it looks like it’ll have company soon enough. Insider sources have reported to DigiTimes that you’ll be able to snag a nifty Android tablet with a quad-core GPU for between $459 and $599 in 2012. Acer and Lenovo are apparently set to target Apple’s iPad tablet as well as ASUS with NVIDIA’s quad-core Tegra 3 GPU tablets running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) in the first quarter of 2012. These sources also stated that since neither Acer nor Lenovo have a direct advantage over Apple or Amazon’s tablet devices, they’d only be competing for about 10 to 15 percent of the total PC tablet market. And yes, there are mathematical formulas that prove that owning a reasonably priced tablet with a quad-core GPU does make you the coolest kid on the block.

SOURCE via The Verge