Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘Apple’

5
Nov

Apple Releases Second OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan Beta to Public Beta Testers


Apple today seeded the second beta of OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan to public beta testers, two days after releasing the second beta to developers and a week after seeding the first OS X 10.11.2 public beta. Today’s update comes two weeks after the public launch of OS X El Capitan 10.11.1.

The second OS X 10.11.2 beta is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store to those who are enrolled in Apple’s beta testing program. Those wishing to join the program can sign up on Apple’s beta testing website.

os_x_el_capitan_roundup

The first OS X 10.11.2 beta did not include any outward-facing changes, but it likely includes bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements to address issues discovered since the release of OS X 10.11.1. Apple’s release notes for the initial developer beta asked testers to focus on Graphics, Wi-Fi, Calendar, USB, Notes, Photos, and Spotlight.

Related Roundup: OS X El Capitan
Tag: OS X 10.11.2

Discuss this article in our forums

5
Nov

Facebook Debuts ‘Music Stories’ on iOS for Better Album & Song Discovery


Facebook today announced a new feature for its iOS app called “Music Stories” that will allow users to sample 30-second clips of songs that their friends and family post to the social network from services like Apple Music, iTunes, and Spotify. Users will be able to stream the clip directly from their feed and even follow a link to purchase or add the music directly into their Apple Music or Spotify playlists.

music stories

There are few things people love more than music. People find out about it from artists and friends alike, and they love to share their discoveries. Today we are enabling better music discovery and sharing on Facebook.

We hope by making this experience better, artists will share more, friends will share and engage more, and music will become a better part of the Facebook experience overall.

The company promises that support for other streaming music services will be coming soon, and that it sees Music Stories as a way to further mold Facebook into a one-stop experience where users can get updates on friends, family, entertainment and political news, and now new song and album recommendations. Facebook didn’t give any word on when the new music-centric feature would be making its way to other platforms like Android or the web.

Recently, the social network company faced a widespread issue of users reporting dramatic battery drain while the Facebook iOS ran in the background, even with background app refresh switched off. It has since repaired the issue, but left some Facebook users unsure of the company’s intentions, like MacStories‘ Federico Vittici, who said the company had “a deep lack of respect for iOS users” when his hypothesis of silent background audio running to produce a snappier experience was proved to be correct.

Tag: Facebook

Discuss this article in our forums

5
Nov

HTC gives Apple the boot in new One A9 commercial


htc_one_a9_pebbles_1_TA

HTC today released a new “Be Brilliant” full-length commercial for the One A9. It’s without a doubt a strange commercial, but subtly urges society to stop walking around with the same smartphones and “be different”. I think we all know what group of users HTC is referring to there. Instead, you could also “be free” by purchasing a One A9. The jabs at Apple doesn’t stop there, though.

In fact, there’s a scene where the main character in the commercial literally jumps on a table and kicks a plate of apples. A YouTuber asked HTC if there was any symbolism with this scene, and got this response:

“Maybe it was symbolism, maybe it wasn’t. That’s for you to decide.”

We’re going to say that’s symbolism.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The commercial (video above) is almost reminiscent of a Hunger Games trailer (or Apple’s own 1984 ad). HTC even has their own Peeta, Katniss, and loyal following at the end of the clip! So, who’s ready to kick the plate of apples and switch over to the HTC One A9? Any takers?

Come comment on this article: HTC gives Apple the boot in new One A9 commercial

Visit TalkAndroid for Android news, Android guides, and much more!

5
Nov

New Apple Music Ad Goes Behind-the-Scenes of Kenny Chesney’s Tour


Country music singer Kenny Chesney is the focus of the latest Apple Music advertisement, which aired last night during the Country Music Association awards on ABC. Taking a glimpse behind the scenes of Chesney’s “No Shoes Nation” tour, the ad shows the singer going through a day of preparing for his next concert by creating a “Show Day List” playlist on Apple Music and touting the service’s “human element.”

https://embed.itunes.apple.com/us/embedded-player/idsa.6410ed21-8363-11e5-aa71-8c2240f9512c

Chesney can also be seen working out with an Apple Watch early on in the ad, checking on his progress with the help of the device’s activity rings. The one-minute ad ends with a promotion for Apple Music’s three month free trial, which still runs for any new users signing up for the music streaming service.

kenny chesney apple music 1

Apple has been debuting a wave of commercials as the holiday season grows nearer, not only for Apple Music but for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 2
Tags: Apple ads, Apple Music
Buyer’s Guide: Apple Watch (Neutral)

Discuss this article in our forums

5
Nov

Apple Opens Subsidiary in Vietnam Amid Strong iPhone Sales


iPhone-trioApple has opened a subsidiary company in Vietnam to import and distribute iPhones directly in the country, one of the fastest growing smartphone markets in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Reuters.

Vietnam’s national business registry website confirms that Apple Vietnam Limited Liability was established in Ho Chi Minh City on October 28 with a registered capital of 15 billion dong, or roughly $672,000 in U.S. dollars.

The Ho Chi Minh City-based firm will conduct wholesale businesses of various products including its signature smartphones, provide information technology and maintenance services as well as advising services, the announcement said.

Vietnam was one of Apple’s fastest growing markets after iPhone sales tripled in the first half of its 2015 fiscal year, which is a growth rate five times faster than India, despite having a significantly smaller population, according to the report.

Apple also operates a subsidiary in Ireland for corporate tax-related purposes.

Related Roundup: iPhone 6s
Tags: Vietnam, Apple Vietnam Limited Liability
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)

Discuss this article in our forums

5
Nov

Walgreens Officially Launches First Apple Pay Loyalty Rewards Program


Popular retailer Walgreens today announced that its Balance Rewards loyalty program can now be linked with Apple Pay and used by its customers across the country. The partnership will allow Apple Pay users to link their Balance Rewards card with the mobile payments service so they can earn and redeem loyalty points without having to scan their physical Walgreens card. Following Kohl’s launch of Apple Pay support for its store-branded credit card, Walgreens is the first retailer to support a loyalty rewards program within Apple Pay.

walgreens_rewards_nfc_featured

“We’re excited to be the first to provide our customers with increased ease of access to their Balance Rewards account and information when using Apple Pay,” said Sona Chawla, president of digital and chief marketing officer for Walgreens. “This offering supports our commitment to removing friction and enabling a simple and convenient customer experience.”

Users simply need to add their Balance Rewards card into the Wallet app, going through the same process as adding a traditional credit or debit card, to be able to use the new feature at Walgreens on an iPhone and Apple Watch. The announcement comes just over a week after NFC abilities were discovered alongside Balance Rewards cards in the Wallet app, hinting at incoming loyalty rewards support from Walgreens.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay
Tag: Walgreens

Discuss this article in our forums

5
Nov

Apple Orders Display Driver Chips From Synaptics for Next iPhones


Apple has placed LCD display driver orders with touchscreen supplier Synaptics for its next-generation iPhones, indicating the Cupertino-based company’s in-house development of touch and display driver integration (TDDI) chips may have fallen behind schedule, according to Taiwanese website DigiTimes.

iPhone-7-Martin-HajekiPhone 7 concept with integrated Touch ID by designer Martin Hajek

Synaptics acquired Renesas SP Drivers, reportedly the sole supplier of LCD driver ICs for iPhones, in September 2014 in an effort to maintain orders from Apple, and for now it appears the iPhone maker will remain one of its customers. The supplier also works with Google, HTC, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony and other smartphone makers.

Apple previously recruited senior Renesas engineers to internally develop TDDI chips with Touch ID integrated into the display. The single-chip solution could allow for the Home button to be eliminated on future iOS devices, but Apple ordering regular display drivers from Synaptics indicates the technology may not be ready for the iPhone 7.

Apple has filed multiple patents for displays with integrated Touch ID and trackpad capabilities over the past few years, and the iPhone 7 lineup is due for a significant redesign, but it remains too early to predict whether Apple will ever remove its iconic Home button on future iPhones.

In March, Synaptics announced the first TDDI single-chip solutions for smartphones and tablets, allowing for thinner and brighter displays with best-in-class capacitive touch performance. The reduced number of components, fewer lamination steps and increased manufacturing yield of TDDI chips also lowers production costs.

Related Roundup: iPhone 7 (2016)
Tags: Synaptics, TDDI

Discuss this article in our forums

5
Nov

Apple Patents Touch ID ‘Panic Mode’ for Instant Access to Emergency Services


The United States Patent and Trademark Office today published a patent application initially filed by Apple in May of 2014, describing a method for users to designate a specific finger to unlock an iPhone with using Touch ID, which would then cause the iPhone to enter a “panic mode” (via Business Insider). The mode could then tell the iPhone to completely lock down, limiting access to personal data if a user is being forced to unlock their iPhone.

Currently, Apple allows users to enter up to five different fingerprints to unlock an iPhone, so users would just have to designate which is the “emergency” print in the Touch ID settings menu. Apple’s patent describes a situation in which a thief attempts to rob someone’s iPhone from them to gain access to their personal and private data stored within, and the user being robbed quickly placing the panic mode finger on Touch ID so the thief can’t access any data.

panic mode patent iphone

The company is going one step further with the patent application, however, describing a way in which the activation of panic mode turns on the iPhone’s camera and microphone to capture a robbery or crime as it happens and sending all the data to both a user’s iCloud account and possibly even local police. Another section of the patent details a possible way for the device in panic mode to act as a beacon, alerting nearby devices (other iPhones, computers, etc) to a possible crime in their vicinity so they can alert the authorities and come to the panic mode activator’s aid.

In some embodiments, the mobile device 104 may be activated into the panic mode in emergency situations to act as a beacon. If there is a nearby device, the nearby other device (e.g., a PDA carried by another person, a computer in an automobile, etc.) can be alerted with an alarm so that the user of the other device might come to the aid of the user initiating the panic mode.

For example, triggering the panic mode can send out a signal on multiple frequencies, channels, links, etc., to provide location information relative to other devices so that users of the other devices can provide assistance. Furthermore, as discussed in more detail below, the panic mode may include a locator function that uses, for example, global positioning systems (GPS) and/or cellular location systems to provide the location of the mobile device 104 to emergency response providers.

The new patent — inventor credit going to Karthik Sudhir — also describes more basic functions of the feature, including a straight-forward klaxon that blares until a user confirms that they’re safe and even a way for Touch ID users to set up specific apps to open immediately when they unlock the iPhone with specific fingers. As with all other patents, “panic mode” is far from confirmed and may never even make it into a future version of the iPhone, but it remains an interesting glimpse into the internal discussions at Apple regarding the company’s possible future products.

Related Roundup: iPhone 6s
Tags: Patent, USPTO
Buyer’s Guide: iPhone (Buy Now)

Discuss this article in our forums

5
Nov

Google engineer takes on subpar USB Type-C cables


OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Trying to save a few bucks by purchasing offbrand cables? We’ve all done it — but there’s something you should know about new USB Type-C connectors popping up on cellphones (Nexus, OnePlus), laptops (Macbook, Pixel), tablets (Pixel C) and even Apple TV. The reason why they can charge so many devices, is their ability to transmit currents up to 3A, which could be 50 to 100 percent more electricity than older standards. That’s why Google engineer Benson Leung has been putting various USB-C cables sold on Amazon to the test. He worked on both of Google’s recent Pixel devices that use the new cable to charge, and found that many of the cables advertised as Type-C aren’t actually suited for use with the laptop. They might not be wired properly to charge a laptop, or they don’t accurately identify the power source — something that could damage your laptop, USB hub or charger.

Source: Benson Leung (G+), (2), Benson Leung “LaughingMan” (Amazon)

5
Nov

Google Maps for iOS Updated With Spoken Traffic Alerts


Google today updated its Google Maps app to version 4.12, adding spoken traffic alerts in navigation mode as well as the ability to easily add new or missing businesses from the app’s sidebar.

googlemapsspoken

Spoken traffic alerts will tell users about traffic congestion and incidents on a user’s route. Additionally, users will get traffic descriptions summarizing traffic conditions before they set off on their journey. The feature is similar to Google-owned Waze’s notifications, which also verbally points out traffic congestion, incidents and the location of police in the area.

Google Maps is a universal app available for free in the App Store. [Direct Link]

Tag: Google Maps

Discuss this article in our forums

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »