iOS hacker Grant Paul (@chpwn) has tweeted a screenshot of his new iPhone 5 with a Cydia icon on the home screen. Yes, this means there is already a jailbreak for the iPhone 5 just hours after it launched. A public release is not yet available — nor is it guaranteed to ever be — but we’ll update this post as we learn more details.
While response to the iPhone 5 has been overwhelmingly positive, a number of early adopters have discovered that the aluminum unibody design on the back of the handset is more susceptible to scratches and scuffs over previous iPhone models. I have yet to encounter any scratches on my new iPhone 5, but do you find that your handset is or could be vulnerable to scratches as a result of daily use? Will you be purchasing a case or sleeve for your iPhone 5 to combat those blemishes from occurring?
If you love fashion and good, quality beauty products, you will be happy to find out that the designer Roland Mouret is launching his first beauty product. It is a body serum that he has developed in collaboration with Aromatheray Associates, which “brings a velvet touch on the skin of a woman”, as Mouret said.
The Final Finish Body Serum is meant smooth your arms, legs and décolletage, and to give you a very soft, glowing finish, after you put on a dress. The new product combines essential oils and natural ingredients such as evening primrose, jojoba, rose and vanilla.
Mouret said that he truly loves women, and this is why he thought about creating a product to enhance their skin beauty: “I truly love women, all women. By the time a woman puts on one of my dresses we’re already into the second part of our relationship. Final Finish is yet another touch on the skin of a woman.”
The serum will be launched on September 24 and will be priced at 52,26 €. You will be able to find it on aromatherapyassociates.com.
Apple has added a series of three new TV ads for the iPhone 5 to its official YouTube channel as launch day for the device comes to a close. There has been overwhelming demand for the iPhone 5 since its debut, with Apple receiving two million pre-orders for the device in the first 24 hours alone. With an effective marketing campaign, Apple should be able to carry that sales momentum through the holiday shopping season. The ads can be found just ahead.
Apple’s had a fantastic week, launching two major new products and having both roll out smoothly and met with phenomenal success. There is a detractor, though – a stain on the blanket of Apple’s success. That stain has been well publicized (to the point that Samsung is already making and sending ads about it). This is, of course, Apple Maps.
Right now, they are a disappointment. But, if Apple is able to craft them in to something that is competitive with Google’s offerings, it could signify a great deal about everything from Apple’s ability to deploy online services, and even Apple’s ability to move in to a completely new market post-Jobs.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: The maps will improve. Maps can only get so much better in captivity: for various features to be added, and even the overall accuracy of the maps to improve, users have to use them. Apple Maps will improve, just as Google Maps continuously do (there’s a reason why Google’s offering is still in beta, even after literally half a decade of being available to the public). Secondly, Apple Maps aren’t “useless” – in many cases, they’re pretty great. Are they as great as Google Maps? Well, maybe, though the times that they are seem to be few and far between. One thing is for certain, though: on iOS, Apple Maps is far more extensible than the old Maps app would have ever been as long as Google held the reins.
But, as mentioned earlier, they are disappointing. The directions are generally accurate, though I have heard and seem some instances that argue the contrary, and the maps are definitely more visually appealing – that’s a typical Apple move, but it’s a legitimate point against Google. However, the product feels incomplete, with various features missing, and even certain areas not being fully mapped-out, or having slightly inaccurate directions.
That has to be fixed – and soon. In my mind, if Apple is able to fix these high-profile issues, and build Apple Maps in to a true competitor against Google, Nokia, and Microsoft’s offerings, then Apple will have finally reached the class of a company that can build off the internet. Apple has iCloud (and before that the disaster known as MobileMe, which replaced .Mac). However, this service has had internal issues: Maps can’t have these issues. Apple Maps is something that can’t go down. Not only can’t it go down, it has to continuously get better. It has to be updated, maintained, improved – all independent of iOS’ updating cycle. Everything has to be done on the back end, and there is very little room for error: having half a billion devices without a mapping application, even if it’s just for an hour, would be a huge stain on Apple’s badge of quality. If it goes down, it’s all on Apple – it will take a company that is able to go toe-to-toe with Google, the internet juggernaut, to keep this service reliable, and to reliably improve it.
Apple has never done Maps. Online mapping services are difficult: there’s a reason why startups aren’t clambering over each other to provide the new “hipster” maps that only highlight great coffee places and record shops. They require massive monetary investments, they require time to develop the back end, and (most importantly) they require the patience and perseverance to keep working, to keep molding the product in to the best that it can be. Apple has never done Maps – this is a whole new field of competition for them, and (for the first time since the iPhone), they aren’t the one inventing the product. The product, online maps, has existed for years and years, and the dominant power – Google – is doing very well. As Dan Frommer of SplatF wrote, Apple maps is now Apple’s most exciting product. This is a Jobsian transition, one that could highlight the errors in management and corporate structure of Apple as a whole, or one that could be Tim Cook’s highest honor: if he can facilitate the creation of an online service that is used by millions of people every second without ever going down, all the while making it better and better every day, he will have done what Jobs couldn’t.
Gucci
“I love to play with colours for spring”, Frida Giannini stated backstage, before the start of the Gucci Spring/Summer 2013 show.
Thus, colours exploded all over the runway, in the form of tunics over straight-cut trousers, daytime dresses with ruffles at the shoulders and cuffs, elegant nighttime looks with sensual silhouettes, cocktail dresses with a myriad oversize ruffles and long jackets, perfect for a spring day out on the town. And if within the first part of the show, the entire colour spectrum of the rainbow took over the runway, from coral red, to cobalt blue, citrus yellow, turquoise and vibrant green, the last part of the presentation was reserved for the black and white looks, for a dramatic finale.
Emporio Armani
Named simply “Neat”, Giorgio Armani’s collection for Emporio Armani Spring/Summer 2013 honoured its name, thanks to its fresh, youthful vibe.
The short trousers paired with sharp jackets and blazers, the mini skirts in fine silk, the short dresses with asymmetric hems and the ones with deep V-necks perfectly encapsulated the air of the entire collection, aimed towards a younger audience than the designer’s usual public.
Prada
Just like each season, Miuccia Prada is the one to dictate trends, and for this spring, she has decided that nostalgia is back in fashion.
Miuccia’s melancholy isn’t however at all gloomy and sombre, heavily leaning instead towards romanticism: nearly every look was punctuated by floral accents, be it in the form of printed flowers on tops, dresses and coats, an explosion of painted flowers on fur coats or in the form of floral appliqués on the origami-like pleats of Japanese-inspired satin pieces.
Accessories played an important role in the collection as well. Bags and wide-rimmed sunglasses with floral appliqués and sky-high platform sandals inspired by traditional Japanese footwear brought a dose of freshness and a playful tone to the collection.
Blumarine
“An ode to a never-forgotten elegance” – this is how Anna Molinari imagined the Blumarine Spring/Summer 2013 collection.
Fluid silhouettes with bare shoulders and breezy, seemingly weightless skirts, pastel colours, degradées, Art Deco embroidery with stones, crystals and shimmering paillettes, tulle and lace dresses embellished with fine metallic chains, iridescent colours, floral prints on chiffon and silk – all came together to create a collection abounding with femininity and romanticism, fit for the ethereal wardrobe of a fairy.
What would you say if you knew you could purchase genuine designer pieces for a mere fraction of the price? It is, truly, every woman’s dream.
Flash fashion sales website RueLaLa.com is now offering you the chance to get your hands on a series of vintage pieces from one of the most coveted fashion houses in the world – Hermès.
On September 29th, the virtual boutique will feature a selection of gently pre-owned authentic luxury handbags and accessories signed by the famous French fashion house, with prices starting from $399.
All you need to do is sign up for a chance to browse through and purchase the hard-to-find Hermès items featured in the sale, but be careful – the virtual flash sale will only last 48 hours, starting with 11.00 A.M. ET.
Make sure to mark your calendar, because this is a deal that you are most certainly not allowed to miss!
Photos courtesy of: Rue La La PR Office
A new YouTube video (via Redmond Pie) has surfaced entitled “the next crappy thing is already here,” a satiric reference to Samsung’s Galaxy S III smartphone. There is some coarse language throughout the video.
iFixIt has gotten hold of an iPhone 5 (which is on sale in Australia right now), and they’ve already cracked it open to reveal the innards. Shockingly, it’s composed of smartphones parts, including a screen, some chips, and the casing made of aluminum and glass.
In all seriousness, the 6th-generation iPhone does have some interesting changes. Of note, Apple has continued to make their designs harder to open by requiring screw-drivers that are more difficult to obtain. However, asiFixIt notes, the iPhone 5 is roughly as user serviceable as the 4S was, if one has the right tools. In fact, since the new iPhone is opened front-to-back (note: suction cup necessary), replacing a cracked screen is significantly easier on the new device than it has in the past.
Episode three of ‘X Factor’ audition rounds went down last night and we’ve got your full recap right here.
The third round of auditions for Season 2 of ‘X Factor’ USA saw more hopefuls from Austin, Kansas City, and San Francisco complete with an arrest, a walkout, and an ambulence. The show opened with the judges learning Simon Cowell will not be joining them for the Kansas City, Missouri round and the contestants (pretend) to rejoice with that news! Taking over for Simon while he is out for the day is Simon’s most trusted second opinion, Louie Walsh.
First up in the show, we saw 18-year-old blonde haired Rizzloe Jones, a freestyle rapper from Kansas City. He let the judges pick his rap flow topic, so L.A. picked “X Factor” and Rizzloe shocked them all with a high energy original freestyle. Judge Britney commented “I felt like you were a young Vanilla Ice, Ice baby and I liked it a lot.” He moved on with four yeses.
Mid-auditions Demi and Britney planned a birthday celebration for L.A. and Britney shocked us with a super cute rendition of “Happy Birthday” which reminded us of Marilyn Monroe’s famous version of the song check it out.
Vino Alan shocked the judges when he took off his beanie to reveal a head full of tattoos, and shocked the judges again when he nailed his song “Trouble” with his unique voice. He got four yeses.
Next, the judges walked out on funnyman Deangelo Wallace who claimed he was better than Justin Bieber and Britney Spears. His awful performance of Chris Brown’s “With You” got the judges out of their seats and the amazing part was that he kept singing. After, he walked away with a $3,000 microphone so the crew chased him down and arrested him for blatantly trying to cash in on ‘X Factor’ equipment.
They also put through a favorite of the day a Country singer Tate Stevens who Britney said was one of her favorites so far. The judges left Kansas City for more San Francisco auditions where they picked up Simon Cowell again. First up was group Citizen a five member boyband who sang “Don’t Let Go” by En Vogue. Britney said “you guys rocked up there” while Simon didn’t like it. They moved on with three yeses.
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We were super impressed with bubbly 13-year-old Diamond White from LA who sang “This Is A Man’s World”. Demi told her she had “the X Factor” and Britney thought she was amazing, so no surprise Diamond walked away with four yeses.
Over in Austin, Texas 18 year old Ally Brooke who belted out “On My Knees” and got four yeses from the judges. Simon said “we are looking at a future star here”.
Rambunctious 42-year-old Panda Ross sang “Bring It On Home” and admitted she was born in jail. She stole the audience’s hearts as well as the judges: Demi said, “I loved every bit of it!” and Simon said, “You sound like a legend.” Panda was then carried away in a stretcher after she couldn’t breathe admitting she previously had pneumonia and had left the hospital the day before.
The show ended with 22 year old judge favorite Jessica Spinoza singing Pink’s “Nobody Knows” and she passed with flying colors. There’s your X-Cap for the third audition episode of Season 2? Who was YOUR favorite performance of the night? Let us know by leaving us a comment, you’re subscribed right?
Electric Chapel 