Twitter for iOS Gains New Option for Clearing Cache

The Twitter app for iOS devices was today updated to version 6.73.1, adding a small but important feature that allows users to have more control over the amount of storage space Twitter uses on an iPhone or iPad.

A new storage setting lets users see how much storage space Twitter is using for cached images and web content, and it offers an option for clearing stored data. Users can choose to clear Media storage or Web storage independently. Some Twitter users appear to have a dedicated “Storage” section, while others are seeing the information listed under “Data usage,” so it’s not clear what the final storage UI will look like.

Twitter’s new cache clearing option will be a welcome addition for users who frequently use the default app. Prior to the introduction of the storage setting, the only way to clear a large Twitter cache that was taking up a lot of space was to delete and reinstall the Twitter app.

The new option brings the official Twitter app in line with third-party Twitter apps like Tweetbot that already offer a cache clearing option.

Twitter for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

Tag: Twitter
Discuss this article in our forums

Future iPhones Could Support 4K Graphics and Much Faster Gaming With PowerVR Furian

Imagination Technologies today announced PowerVR Furian, its next-generation GPU architecture that promises significant improvements in graphics performance and power efficiency that could benefit future iPhones.

PowerVR Furian architecture will offer up to a 70-90% improvement in real-world gaming performance by density, including 35% better shader performance and 80% better fill rate, compared to a similar sized and clocked Series7XT Plus GPU based on current-generation PowerVR Rogue architecture.

Meanwhile, with lower power consumption, an iPhone with PowerVR Furian architecture could have longer battery life for graphics-related tasks.

Imagination Technologies confirmed to MacRumors that PowerVR Furian architecture supports 4K graphics, laying the foundation for future iPhone models to support higher-resolution gaming and other graphics-intensive tasks such as augmented or virtual reality and machine learning.

“We created Furian to address a new class of emerging applications, with a focus on efficient scalability that will extend to multiple generations of PowerVR IP cores. We’re excited to start rolling out the first 8XT IP cores based on Furian. These cores will further cement the leadership of PowerVR at the high end of mobile performance.”

Apple’s graphics chip in iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus is a custom-designed version of the Series7XT Plus, and many earlier iPhone models are also based on PowerVR Rogue architecture, so it is reasonable to assume that future iPhone models may use at least some of the PowerVR Furian architecture.

Imagination Technologies said the first GPUs based on PowerVR Furian, such as the Series8XT, will be announced in mid 2017, but don’t expect the architecture to power the so-called “iPhone 8” this year. Imagination noted Furian-based mobile devices might not arrive until the end of 2018 at the earliest.

Apple has been a licensee and stakeholder in Imagination Technologies since at least 2008. The two companies have worked closely together over the years, with Apple being a key investor in the UK-based chip designer since it raised its stake in the company to roughly 10% in 2009.

Apple was actually rumored to acquire Imagination Technologies last year, but it later said it did not plan to make an offer at the time. Nevertheless, in recent months, Apple has recruited at least two dozen employees from the chip designer, including former COO John Metcalfe, possibly to build out an in-house GPU team.

Tags: Imagination Technologies, PowerVR
Discuss this article in our forums

Apple Celebrates International Women’s Day on iTunes With Featured Movies and TV Shows [Update: Apple Music Too]

In honor of International Women’s Day, Apple today updated its iTunes stores to highlight movies and TV shows created by, starring, and featuring women.

The iTunes store for movies, for example, has a main section highlighting 10 actresses and filmmakers, including Amma Asante, Laia Costa, Tae Ri Kim, Meera Menon, Ruth Negga, and more. There’s a separate section focusing on women directors, and multiple movies starring women are highlighted in the app carousel, including Jackie, Arrival, Moana, Fences, and Edge of Seventeen.

Separately, there are also several “Like a Girl” movie categories: Act “Like a Girl,” Fight “Like a Girl,” Direct “Like a Girl,” and Write “Like a Girl,” along with categories for specific actors and directors that showcase entire catalogs of work.

Apple’s TV section includes a “Bold Women” section, and highlights TV shows with prominent female actresses and creators like Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Insecure, Westworld, Steven Universe, and more. Categories like Women of Comedy, Bold Dramas Created by Women, Bold Girls, and Women of Reality TV are also available.

There’s a small section on the iBooks Store featuring “More Hidden Figures,” but other than that, the promotion is limited to the TV and Movie stores, with no changes to Apple Music or the App Store.

Update: Apple has added several Apple Music playlists celebrating International Women’s Day.

Tag: iTunes
Discuss this article in our forums