Author: Phil Dzikiy

We first saw Orbotix’s Ollie ($100) by Sphero at CES 2014 and were immediately impressed. Unlike Sphero (review) and Sphero 2.0 (review), Ollie isn’t a robotic ball — it’s a quick little app-controlled robot with two wheels. Although it’s not waterproof like the prior Sphero balls, Ollie can reportedly move at speeds up to 14 mph, and Orbotix claims it can run for one hour of play on a full three-hour USB charge. The customizable Ollie connects…

Apple has added the FXNOW channel to Apple TV. It was reported in July that FXNOW would be arriving on Apple’s set-top box in the next 12 months — that time has already come. FXNOW is the on-demand service for FX, FXX, and FXM, and as such, the channel features a number of FX shows, and a surprising amount of popular movies, as well. Authentication of a cable subscription is required to access the content….

In response to allegations that iCloud played a role in the recent release of many private celebrity photos, Apple has confirmed that “certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions, a practice that has become all too common on the Internet.” Despite the account intrusions, Apple claims that none of its systems, including iCloud and Find my iPhone, were breached. The…

Apple is “actively investigating” a recent celebrity photo hack that may have involved its iCloud service, Re/Code reports. The hack has leaked a large number of private, revealing photos of various celebrities, and iCloud has come under fire. Actress Kirsten Dunst tweeted a sarcastic “Thank you iCloud,” with some choice emoji. “We take user privacy very seriously and are actively investigating this report,” Apple…

Elgato has debuted its new Eve line of home sensor products at the IFA Trade Show in Berlin. The line of sensors — six are shown on Elgato’s website — will gather data on air quality, temperature, humidity, air pressure, and energy and water consumption in a home. Users will be able to access all the data in Elgato’s free upcoming Eve app. The company says it will “announce and make available solutions” based on Apple’s…

In observance of Labor Day in the U.S. (and Labour Day in Canada), iLounge will be on a limited posting schedule today. We will return to our normal schedule with regular updates on Tuesday, September 2. Have a great holiday!…

Izon View ($150) is the newest home recording camera from Stem Innovation, following the iZon we reviewed and liked three years ago. Like its predecessor, the new camera can stream live video and record video clips to a free app by connecting to a wireless network, lending itself to numerous uses — a nanny cam, pet monitor, and security for a home or small business are all possibilities. Setting it apart from past Stem cameras, Izon View’s newest…

Mercedes-Benz and Volvo won’t be offering Apple’s CarPlay until 2015, 9to5Mac reports. Both carmakers were previously said to include the functionality in car models by the end of this year. While Volvo’s upcoming new XC90 will be able to use the feature, the functionality won’t be included until 2015. Hyundai has yet to incorporate CarPlay into its 2015 Sonata, but a spokesperson said the functionality will indeed be included…

An iOS 8 preference list file has been found with an iPhone resolution of 736×414, reports 9to5Mac, which would translate to a Retina “2X” screen resolution of 1472×828. At a 4.7” screen size, this would be around 359 pixels per inch (PPI), versus a 307 PPI resolution for 5.5” — the latter just enough pixel density to qualify as a Retina display. If displayed on a 4” screen, this would equal 422 PPI. Previously, 9to5Mac…

Apple has released the sixth beta of iOS 8 to its testing partners, including cellular wireless providers, according to BGR. This beta has not gone out to the standard broad array of developers, reportedly since the sixth beta has arrived too close to iOS 8’s anticipated Gold Master release in September. The report also claims this carrier build has already been rejected as a potentially final version due to an issue with using YouTube in Safari.…

Sprint has announced its new Family Share Pack, a shared data plan that offers double the quantity of data as its competitors for similar rates. The included charts note the pricing breakdowns and carrier comparisons; Sprint notably bills the data as “high-speed,” though its cellular network has been criticized for offering sub-par performance in much of the United States. Coming off its failed merger with T-Mobile, Sprint is doing away…

Activision has announced the Skylanders Trap Team Starter Pack for iPad ($75). The newest video game in the popular Skylanders series features a special tablet edition that includes a wireless portal and wireless game controller, in addition to game figurines. For those unaware of the Skylanders series, the game uses real-life figurines that can be controlled within gameplay by use of an NFC-enabled portal; the iPad edition will use a Bluetooth LE…

As promised last month by CEO Tim Cook, Apple has released its first diversity report. It’s revealed that Apple employees are 55 percent white, 15 percent Asian, 11 percent Hispanic, and 7 percent black. The remaining 12 percent were made up of people who belong to two or more racial groups, another racial group, or did not declare their race. Those statistics were revealed alongside comparisons with race and ethnicity figures in tech, non-tech…

Apple has been discussing its upcoming HealthKit service with major healthcare providers, including Mount Sinai, the Cleveland Clinic, and Johns Hopkins, Reuters reports. The company has also talked about the service with Allscripts, an electronic health records provider. Though the report notes the talks “may not amount to anything concrete,” they illustrate how Apple is planning on making iOS-gathered health data widely available for…

Two new photos of the alleged iPhone 6 rear shell have been posted on Twitter by Sonny Dickson. The photos of a scuffed-up shell show the round True Tone flash, and it appears that the ring around the camera is protruding. Antenna breaks are still somewhat of a mystery — it’s possible that these are unfinished shells, with antenna breaks to be filled later with another material — but it’s also possible that Apple will be using plastic…

Apple’s suppliers have started manufacturing new iPads, Bloomberg reports. Mass production of an iPad with a 9.7” screen — likely the second-generation iPad Air — has already begun, with a source claiming the display will come with a new anti-reflection coating which makes the screen easier to read. A new iPad mini is also starting production and “will probably be available by the end of the year,” though it’s unclear…