Jonathan S. Geller

@boygenius jonathan@bgr.com +Jonathan S. Geller

Jonathan Geller is the founder of Boy Genius Report, now known as BGR. What began as a column on popular gadget blog Engadget quickly grew into one of the site’s biggest draws, and Jonathan soon detached the wildly popular column to create what has since become the biggest mobile news destination in the world. BGR was acquired by leading digital media company PMC in April 2010 and Jonathan currently acts as President and General Manager of the newly formed BGR Media, Inc., and Editor-in-chief of the BGR website.

mobile
January 30, 2013
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Live Coverage
BlackBerry 10 Live Coverage

Live from RIM’s BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 announcement

By , on January 30, 2013 at 9:19 AM.

Live from RIM’s BlackBerry Z10 and Q10 announcement

Research In Motion (RIMM) is largely responsible for shaping the modern smartphone, but the company rested on its laurels and sat still while the rest of the industry underwent a major shift. The result is the debacle RIM faces today. The future of the company now rests squarely on RIM’s next-generation BlackBerry 10 platform, and the world will now get its first official glimpse at the two new smartphones that mark the start of RIM’s comeback attempt. We already know plenty about the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry X10 smartphones thanks to a series of leaks, but today we’ll hear all the key details surrounding these two phones straight from the horse’s mouth. We should also find out preliminary launch details during today’s event, as well as with some details about RIM’s sales and marketing strategies. Our live coverage of RIM’s BlackBerry 10 unveiling follows below.

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Business
January 29, 2013
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Featured
Apple 128GB iPad Analysis

Apple’s 128GB iPad shows the world exactly what Apple does best

By on January 29, 2013 at 10:50 AM.

Apple’s 128GB iPad shows the world exactly what Apple does best

With Apple’s (AAPL) announcement (and confirmation) that the company will start selling a 128GB iPad with Retina Display, it clearly shows exactly what Apple thinks of the industry — computers are over, even the company’s own computers. At $799 for the Wi-Fi model, the new 128GB iPad is just a stone’s throw away from an entry-level MacBook Air… you know, an actual computer. But if you look at Apple’s press release and how the company is positioning this product, it’s meant to be a computer replacement, and for a lot of people, it’s really starting to become one. More →

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Tablets
January 28, 2013
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Apple iPad Mini Giveaway

Apple iPad mini giveaway

By on January 28, 2013 at 3:40 PM.

Apple iPad mini giveaway

We asked a bunch of people what the best product to giveaway on BGR would be, and an overwhelming majority told us it was an iPad mini. That means we’re up to bat with a brand new iPad mini of your color choice and all you have to do to enter to win is follow a couple easy steps below.

  • To enter all you have to do is take a BGR survey which will help shape the site going forward and that link is here and below.
  • We will run the contest for one week, until February 4th at 11:59PM.
  • You can also follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook if you want to be extra sweet.
  • The contest is open to everyone ages 18 and older, and it’s not limited to the United States.

Literally, that’s it. To enter click here for the BGR survey.

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Computers
January 25, 2013
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Apple iMac 2013 review, best desktop

The Boy Genius Report: Apple’s iMac takes desktop crown

By on January 25, 2013 at 9:45 AM.

The Boy Genius Report: Apple’s iMac takes desktop crown

Apple’s (AAPL) iMac has been the star of the all-in-one desktop category ever since it made its debut in 1998. Over the years, Apple has taken their usual strategy of refinement and churned out some of the  best desktops in the world — forgetting the iMac G4. The iMac itself hasn’t changed too much since Apple settled on a size and shape. First it was white glossy plastic, then alunimum. But for the last while, you’d hardly be able to tell the difference between a new iMac and one from 2007. This year, however, Apple brought to market a brand new iMac, one with 5 milimeter thin bezels, an amazing laminated display which finally reduces all of the glare and reflections of the screen, and advancements in hard drive storage with the Fusion drive. Even Apple’s packaging has got smaller, lighter, and better. More →

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mobile
January 21, 2013
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Exclusive
BlackBerry 10 Hands-on

BlackBerry 10 OS walkthrough, BlackBerry Z10 pricing

By on January 21, 2013 at 9:55 AM.

BlackBerry 10 OS walkthrough, BlackBerry Z10 pricing

With BlackBerry 10′s official launch just around the corner, we happened upon a few photos of the final gold master version of the operating system running on a BlackBerry Z10 handset. Well, thanks to a close source at BlackBerry, we actually can show you about 100 photos of the phone’s operating system in full detail. Every screen, every option menu, every app — let’s take a ride together. From RIM’s voice recognition assistant (think Siri), to the BlackBerry Hub, to BlackBerry’s new NFC features and everything in between, we have your exclusive first comprehensive look at BlackBerry 10. Research In Motion’s (RIMM) launch event takes place in New York City on January 30th and on top of debuting the new OS, the company will formally announce the BlackBerry Z10 and BlackBerry X10 smartphones. Lastly, we have heard that RIM is planning to launch the BlackBerry Z10 at a price point that’s under the standard $199 price tag for a flagship phone, so expect something at $149 or below with two year agreement.

More →

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Opinions
December 28, 2012
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Opinions
Nintendo Wii U Criticism

The Boy Genius Report: The Wii U is Nintendo’s last console

By on December 28, 2012 at 11:45 AM.

The Boy Genius Report: The Wii U is Nintendo’s last console

I remember it still — people flipped out about the Nintendo (NTDOY) Wii. Yes, its name was mocked for a while, but there was genuine excitement around what Nintendo was doing with motion and the entire gameplay experience. While the original Nintendo Wii was almost an Apple (AAPL)-like product — Nintendo focused on the gameplay and not on specs; the company didn’t even have HD graphics when every other console did — the Nintendo Wii U clearly demonstrates how far Nintendo has fallen and how out of touch the company is. More →

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mobile
December 17, 2012
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BlackBerry 10 device launch announcement January 30th

RIM’s BlackBerry 10 device to get unveiled at media event on January 30th in NYC

By on December 17, 2012 at 9:18 AM.

RIM’s BlackBerry 10 device to get unveiled at media event on January 30th in NYC

Research In Motion has just sent out media invites for the company’s global BlackBerry 10 reveal on January 30th which will take place in New York City. To say the stakes are high for RIM is an understatement, though thanks to various leaks and the company itself showing off some of BlackBerry 10 hardware and software, most of the announcement seems to be out of the bag already. We’ll be covering and reporting from RIM’s BlackBerry 10 event live the morning of January 30th.

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mobile
December 12, 2012
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Goole Maps for iOS

Google Maps finally comes to iOS. Again. [updated]

By on December 12, 2012 at 8:42 PM.

Google Maps finally comes to iOS. Again. [updated]

Apple has had quite a bumpy car ride so far with its mapping product. That all ends in just a couple hours, however, because late Wednesday evening Google is planning on bringing Maps back to iOS with the release of the company’s own software. AllThingsD is reporting that Google’s app will be available for download in the App Store shortly, and we’ll provide some initial thoughts on it soon after. More →

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mobile
December 4, 2012
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iPhone 5 Gold

Apple devices get colored up by Anostyle

By on December 4, 2012 at 10:30 AM.

Apple devices get colored up by Anostyle

I’ve had a fascination with gold phones since… forever. But no one really does gold phones properly. They’re heavy, they scratch, they dent, and the gold blocks the signal. Plus they’re extremely expensive, obviously. When I found out about Anostyle’s anodization service I immediately was interested, and I ordered a gold and black iPhone 5. More →

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Business
November 30, 2012
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Opinions
Surface iPad

The Boy Genius Report: Microsoft is blowing it and RIM could too

By on November 30, 2012 at 2:38 PM.

The Boy Genius Report: Microsoft is blowing it and RIM could too

Who would have thought a couple of years ago that Research In Motion (RIMM) would be on the ropes and Microsoft (MSFT) could be getting close? Well, me… but not many others. Microsoft’s latest strategy of trying to make a no compromise tablet has resulted in, you guessed it, compromise. It’s not as polished as an iPad, it’s more limited in almost every possible way, it’s slow, clunky, unresponsive at times, offers a worse display, weighs more, and is thicker. Plus it costs over $100 more when you factor in a Touch Cover or Type Cover keyboard. Plus, you can’t even run Windows applications even though you get the actual Windows desktop. More →

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Tablets
November 15, 2012
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iPad mini Wi-Fi + LTE

iPad mini Wi-Fi + LTE first impressions

By on November 15, 2012 at 12:34 PM.

iPad mini Wi-Fi + LTE first impressions

Look, it’s kind of like Blue Steel versus Magnum, but there are two visible differences between Apple’s (AAPL) Wi-Fi-only iPad mini and the new iPad mini Wi-Fi + LTE. For starters, there’s the antenna cover at the top and while Apple decided not to go with a white plastic cover on previous white iPad models, this time it pulled the trigger — white on white on aluminum. Also notably different is the SIM card slot, but besides that, these two units feel identical. Verizon’s LTE network works beautifully with the iPad mini, delivering the amazingly quick performance we’ve come to expect, and the rest has been covered at length. There are some comparison photos of the iPad mini Wi-Fi and the new Wi-Fi + LTE model in our hands-on gallery, so make sure to check those out. BGR’s full review of the iPad mini can be found here. More →

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mobile
November 13, 2012
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BGR Android

BGR’s official Android app now available in Google Play

By on November 13, 2012 at 10:37 AM.

BGR’s official Android app now available in Google Play

Want to know the number one request we get? Well, it’s probably to harm ourselves for writing about Apple (AAPL) so much, but second to that is for us to make a BGR Android app. People with iOS devices have enjoyed one for years, but thanks to Motorola, we’ve created one for all Android devices, and specially optimized for the Motorola DROID RAZR HD and RAZR HD MAXX. It’s now available for download in the Google Play market, so check it out and let us know what you think — there’s already some great updates in the works. We’ve brought over our biggest and most important featured stories, the latest posts, sections to keep up you to date with the news that you want, and a commenting feature as well. Special thanks to Ryan Harter as well.

Download BGR for Android from Google Play.

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mobile
November 12, 2012
by
Breaking
iOS 6.1 beta 2 available for download

Apple releases iOS 6.1 beta 2 to developers, here is the change log

By on November 12, 2012 at 1:29 PM.

Apple releases iOS 6.1 beta 2 to developers, here is the change log

Apple has just seeded iOS 6.1 beta 2 to developers for download and testing, though it’s not yet clear what changes the new update holds. The first version of iOS 6.1, which BGR reported would be released about the holiday timeframe, only included minimal changes on the surface layer. We’ll report back on anything we can find, though. In the meantime here’s the official change log:

Notes and Known Issues

The following issues relate to using iOS SDK 6.1 beta 2 to develop code.

Apple TV
Notes

None.

Known Issues

When browsing the iTunes Store, TV Shows is missing Networks, Genres, and Genius from the top menu.
The Top Movies and Top TV Shows grids are missing the featured carousels, as well as several featured shelves.
Podcasts is missing the Providers item from the top menu.
Core Image
Notes

None.

Known Issues

In iOS 6.0 and later, Core Image introduced new filters to the set provided in iOS 5. The complete set of filters can be found in Core Image Filter Reference.
Also in iOS 6.0 and later, Core Image allows for the creation of CIImage objects that reference OpenGL texture objects via the imageWithTexture:size:flipped:colorSpace: method.
iCloud
Notes

None.

Known Issues

In iOS 6.1 beta 1, you will not be able to upgrade or downgrade your iCloud storage (5 GB is free). As a workaround, please use either the latest OS X or a device running iOS 6.0.

Maps
Notes

In iOS 6.1, the Map Kit framework introduces the MKLocalSearch, MKLocalSearchRequest, and MKLocalSearchResponse classes. Apps can use these classes to perform map-based searches for addresses and points of interest. The results are then delivered to the app as an array of map item objects. For information about these new classes, see Map Kit Framework Reference.

Known Issues

None.

Passbook
Notes

As of iOS 6.1, the relevance behavior has changed for boarding passes that include both a relevant date and a relevant location. The date must match for these passes to be relevant. If both the date and location match, they are relevant for a longer window of time. You are encouraged to provide both pieces of information when they make sense for your passes.

Known Issues

None.

Settings
Notes

In iOS 6.1, a new Reset Advertising Identifier button has been added to Advertising Settings. This button resets the Advertising Identifier so that future requests will return a different value.

Known Issues

None.

Simulator
Notes

This release does not support testing In-App Purchase in iOS Simulator. For apps that use this feature, please test on a device.

Known Issues

None.

Social
Notes

Weibo shows up in the Settings app only if a Chinese keyboard is enabled.
When using the iOS 6.1 SDK on OS X v10.8 (Mountain Lion), if you use the iOS 5.0 or iOS 5.1 “Legacy SDK” in iOS Simulator, you will not be able to sign in to Twitter via the Settings pane and Twitter.framework will not work correctly. If you need to test Twitter features, you will need to choose either the iOS 6.1 or iOS 6.0 Simulator run destination or test with iOS 5.x on a device. These problems do not occur when running Simulator on OS X v10.7 (Lion).

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