Stories by Philip Michaels

Three Apple Watch features that will make you think differently about smartwatches

I'm not a watch guy. It's not a fashion statement--I've just never enjoyed having anything on my wrists, be it jewelry, watch bands, and especially police restraints. There was a time back in the '90s when I gave pocket watches try, but that was a la...

The iPhone's sapphire future comes into focus

This may be anathema for someone in the business of writing about tech to say, but I'm not all that interested in iPhone rumors. Shipping products are what grab my attention, not unicorns and phantasms. The minute Tim Cook holds up the new device is ...

iPhone 5c Case: Apple's offering has some holes in it

The iPhone 5c Case is unlike other Apple offerings: it fails to meet the standard of what you'd expect from similar products, let alone something out of Cupertino.

Google starts selling Nexus 7 in advance of July 30 US release

Hey, remember just the other day when Google told us that its new Nexus 7 tablet would go on sale July 30 in the US? Good times, good times. Well, Google apparently uses a different calendar from the rest of us because over at the Googleplex, "July 3...

Mobile World Congress from an iOS perspective

Apple doesn't do trade shows these days, not even the world's largest mobile trade show. But that's no reason to overlook last week's Mobile World Congress. Apple may not have joined other smartphone and tablet makers in Barcelona, but the iOS platfo...

iPhone, iPad sales up, Macs fall as Apple sees record sales

iPhone and iPad sales pushed Apple to quarterly records for both sales and profit during the just-completed holiday season, the company announced Wednesday. But Mac sales dropped from last year's numbers.

Summary: iPhone 5 highlights Apple product unveilings

As expected, the iPhone 5 led a busy day of product announcements for Apple. But it wasn’t the only unveiling at the company’s San Francisco press event, which also featured new iPod models for the holiday season, a revamped version of iTunes, and a ...

New iPad app Projectbook merges note-taker with task manager

Give him enough time, and Peter Tamte will tell you exactly what's wrong with note-taking apps for the iPad: They're walled off from other apps, making it hard to turn your notes into tasks and to-dos. They're overly reliant on cloud storage and sync...

Apple revenue, profits up in iPad-driven quarter

Sales of the new iPad helped Apple's line during its fiscal third quarter. The company reported Wednesday that revenue for the three-month period ended June 30 grew 22 percent over last year while profits rose 20.5 percent.

Soccer games vie for top honors on the iPhone, iPad

If you've got an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, you don't have to let something as inconvenient as an off-season stand in the way of you and constant soccer excitement.

Cook: Apple enjoyed 'record weekend' of iPad sales

Apple executives were focusing their attention on the company’s dividend and stock buyback program Monday morning, but they did provide some news about last Friday’s launch of the third-generation iPad.

Apple preps other iOS apps for iPad's Retina display

Other iOS apps grabbed all the glory and headlines on Wednesday, but Apple's update efforts didn't end with GarageBand, iMovie, and the mobile version of the iWork suite. While Apple was publicly singing the praises of iPhoto, it was quietly rolling ...

iPhoto for iOS arrives on the App Store

Apple's mobile suite of iLife apps is now complete. The company has rolled out iPhoto for iOS, which joins mobile versions of GarageBand and iMovie in the App Store.

NBA Hotshot HD for iPad

The number of apps in the App Store remains a key part of Apple's marketing push for its iOS devices, and for good reason: It succinctly illustrates just how vibrant the platform for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch is. By reminding everyone that the...

New Mac minis add Thunderbolt, lose optical drive

The MacBook Air line wasn’t the only Mac hardware to get a Thunderbolt-inspired makeover Wednesday. Apple also added a Thunderbolt port to its Mac mini desktop, which sports new processors and discrete graphics as well.