SquareTrade, who sells extended warranties for consumer gadgets and appliances, produced this infographic. Does this help them sell more warranties somehow? Maybe, but if you give them the benefit of the doubt it appears the new Samsung Galaxy S4 is somewhat more prone to being damaged than its predecessor and its chief rival.

Here you have it - the trailer for Funny or Die's iSteve. The movie based on the life of Steve Jobs stars Justin Long of "I'm a Mac" fame and will be released April 15. I think I'm going to have to see more clips to be convinced that its worth of more than an hour of my time.

A security vulnerability has been discovered in iOS 6.1, 6.0.2 and 6.0.1 that allows an iPhone's passcode to be bypassed.

Secured passcode access to a device can be overcome by a few simple button presses after making and canceling an emergency call.Expect an update form Apple sooner than later.

Here is the process in action from YouTube user Videosdebarraquito posted a week ago - as away to prank your friends. BGR spotlit the risk this morning.

Weather apps are a fixture on smartphones and tablets. Apple's rather basic weather app has evolved very little since its inception, but thankfully developers have stepped up to produce plenty of options for those looking for more detailed information.

There is no shortage of weather apps - paid or free. I have at least six installed on my own phone, but most are ad-supported. One standout app, Weather Live, is priced at $1.99 in the App Store. With the many free alternatives, it is only fair to ask what this paid app delivers, aside from no ads, over its cheapskate rivals.

Presentation and customization are what set the Weather Live app apart from the competition.

Stunning live screen animations that mimic the current weather scroll across the display. Weather Live has six different layouts users can select with varying degrees of detail. The most detailed view includes loads of information including the current conditions, an hourly forecast, and an outlook for the next seven days. Other display options allow users to simplify the screen layout.

Weather Live will track conditions for multiple cities and deliver alerts in the event of severe weather. There is also a freezing temperature alert.

No weather app is complete without an animated weather map and Weather Live offers four map choices: cloud, radar, satellite and rain maps. This is one area Weather Live make bring improvements. The maps are attractive, but you can't zoom in on them. They also lack any city names for reference. When a storm is rolling through nearby users naturally want a more local view. Weather Live says map improvements are coming. I don't have a time frame, but Weather live says it is working to include the map improvements in an update.

Weather Live offers some nice extra touches like displaying the current temperature on the app icon, and the ability to select from two different weather data providers. You can also adjust the app brightness by swiping vertically. A horizontal swipe will load weather from other saved locations.

Weather Live gets overwhelmingly positive feedback in Apple's App Store, and it is not hard to see why. Weather Live is worth considering at its $1.99 price, but it needs to improve its maps to be complete. When Weather Live offers map zooming to display more local imagery it could be the ultimate one-stop weather app.

The Google Search App for iOS got a recent update adding impressive voice capability. As with Siri you can ask for the weather, scores, and directions. Though it lacks the integration of Siri, Google has outmaneuvered Apple in a couple of ways.

Naturally folks want to know how Google's new effort, free at the App Store, compares to Siri. What may be Google's biggest trump is that its voice app works with iPhones that Apple hasn't endowed with Siri - like the iPhone 4.

In use the app's voice recognition seems every bit as good as Siri. Voice requests appear on the screen as you speak. You can watch it instantly analyze your voice working through potential words in real time. Google's revamped app churns out search results at least as quickly as Siri and can read them back to you.

Like knowing what is with the weather? Google offers more informative weather results that include the chance of precipitation, humidity, and wind speed - all of which are MIA with Siri and Apple's iOS weather app.

Apple's weather information may be lacking, but Siri's sports reports tops its rival with by the quarter results and its slick looking box score graphics.

When I requested a restaurant, each produced a similar list of eateries. Siri's list was longer and it included the nearest Meals On Wheels location. I'm not sure if this good or bad.

Google's app is also a launcher of sort for its apps, but there is no voice integration with them. You can't open Gmail or Google calendar. You will not be able to say "email my wife" as in Siri. Hopefully that will come.

If you have an iPhone lacking Siri then Google's Search App is a must try. Even of you have Siri, the new Google Search App is worth a look.

Rumors of a new smaller tablet from Apple have been building in recent weeks. A report from the Wall Street Journal says that Apple has begun mass production for the device.

The WSJ report mirrors previous rumors about the tablet popularly referred to as the 'iPad mini.'

The new tablet will have a 7.85-inch display with a lower resolution than that of the latest third generation iPad unveiled in March.The iPad mini is believed to have an LCD display with 1024x768 pixels.

Supposed leaked parts suggest it will have a white front while having a black rear shell. A headphone jack is said to be placed along the top left edge as it is on the current iPad, and Apple's new smaller lightning connector is expected. A nano-SIM card is on the right side of the device.

MacRumors echoed reports of Apple sending invites to the launch event though to be set for October 10.

A smaller, cheaper iPad could help Apple take on lower-cost competition including Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and Google's Nexus 7.

Apple may have a "scuffgate" brewing. Numerous owners of Apple's new iPhone 5 report the hard-to-get device arriving already scuffed or scratched.

UPDATE:

Apple has officially unveiled its next generation iPhone with a larger touchscreen.

The iPhone 5 is 18 percent thinner than the iPhone 4S measuring 7.6mm thick, and 20 percent lighter weighing in at 112 grams.

The screen is 326pp, 1136 x 640 pixel panel and will accommodate an extra row of icons. Apple claims the new display has 44 percent more color saturation than the iPhone 4S.

The new iPhone 5 will launch with iOS 6. The new iPhone finally gains support to 4G LTE.  AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon all have 4G LTE networks. AT&T Verizon have confirmed it will offer the iPhone 5.

Powered by an A6 chip with CPU and graphics twice as fast as the A5 unit in the iPhone 4S Apple says web pages load 2.1 times faster.

Apple claims up to 8 hours of 4G talk time or  web browsing over LTE. The 4S delivers 6 hours of browsing on 3G. Users can expect up to 10 hours of video and 40 hours of music.

The camera remains similar to that in the iPhone 4S with an 8-megapixel resolution paired featuring a 5 element lens with an f/2.4 aperture. Apple boasted the iPhone 5 camera is 40 percent faster at capturing images. Finally the iPhone gets panoramic mode that can stitch images together.

The iPhone 5 introduces a smaller dock connector for which Apple will offer an adapter to connect the phone to docks and other devices using the familiar 30-pin connector.

iPhone 5 will inherit the pricing of the iPhone 4S - $199 for 16GB. $299 for 32GB, $399 for 64GB. The iPhone 4 soldiers on as a free device while the iPhone 4S price will drop to $99 with a two-year agreement.

Color choices include black with a black anodized aluminum rear panel, and white with a raw aluminum back.

Preorders will be begin Friday September 14 and devices will ship September 21.

Today's previous post:

It is also widely believed that Apple will launch a smaller tablet that has been referred to as an "iPad mini." Some expect an announcement later this this year, but Apple could reveal it early to take some wind out of Amazon's sails who unveiled its new tablets last week.

Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone September 21. 

What you are likely to see in the next iPhone?

The new smartphone is said to be taller with a longer touchscreen up from the current 3.5-inch display to 4-inches, yet no wider.

Fashionably late, the iPhone is expected to support 4G LTE.

It may be even thinner than the current device, partially attributed to a new touchscreen layer technology that should also improve image quality.

The 3.5mm audio jack is said to be relocated to the bottom of the phone where Apple is introducing a much smaller 9-pin dock connector. Apple is expected to reveal some significant advantages to justify the the change from the current 30-pin port.

Expect an evolution of the current industrial design theme having a mostly metal back with glass ends to help with reception.

There have been reports that Apple has redesigned the earbuds its includes with each.

The consensus is that prices won't change much if at all retaining the same price points as the current iPhone 4S - $199, $299, and $399.

What you won't see: MicroUSB, removable battery, or a microSD card slot.

It is also unlikely Apple will use a quad-core CPU.
 

Apple is looking to build it own Internet radio service to compete with streaming music providers like Pandora and Spotify.

A Wall Street Journal report says Apple is talking with content owners to develop a music service to be streamed via a web browser and dedicated apps with virtual stations and advertising.

Apple who dominates digital music sales would join a number of streaming music services including Pandora, Radio, Rhapsody, Slacker and Spotify.

Apple's significant influence in digital media could give it the leverage to offer something its rivals  lack.