Year: 2014

MailDeck review: manage your emails in a whole new style

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

Since there was a rush of new email clients in the app store over the past year, it has been difficult to find new ones that offer something special. I’ve settled into my favorites, but I’m always looking for interesting ways to read the dozens of messages I receive every day.

MailDeck is a third-party email client for iPhone and iPad that brings a new visual aesthetic to the genre. It includes many of the features we’ve grown accustomed to, but has a unique look that will turn your head. We’ve got an app review of MailDeck for you today.

Tim Cook speaks out on recent iCloud hacks, promises new security measures

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Tim Cook sat down with The Wall Street Journal today, but not to talk about how excited Apple is about next week's iPhone event. Instead, the CEO answered questions regarding the recent iCloud scandal, which led to the posting of dozens of nude celebrity photos earlier this week.

Apple has already released a statement on the matter, claiming that iCloud and its subsequent services had not been breached. Cook reiterated those claims today, and added that the Cupertino company plans to rollout a number of new security features to make its devices more safe.

New QuickType-like feature found in OS X Yosemite

Timothy Reavis ∙ September 4, 2014

It's no secret that Apple is merging many iOS and OS X features into one seamless experience across devices, and one of these instances – QuickType, the predictive typing feature found in iOS 8 – has recently surfaced in OS X Yosemite.

By pressing the ESC key, Yosemite users can invoke a drop-down menu containing several suggested words that OS X thinks should be typed next. Pressing SPACE BAR will insert the highlighted word along with a space, so users can continue typing or press ESC again for the next suggestion. Note that this is different from a similar feature that has been present in OS X for a few years.

‘The Photo Cookbook’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ September 4, 2014

Apple has named 'The Photo Cookbook - Quick & Easy' its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the popular app for both iPhone and iPad for free—a great savings of $4.

Showcased by Apple in one of its iPad TV ads, The Photo Cookbook shows you how to prepare for and cook various meals with hi-res photos. Each tutorial is made up of short, straightforward steps, and includes a shot of the finished dish.

Apple Store app updated: now universal, with revamped icon and new shopping features

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 4, 2014

Apple has just updated its official Apple Store shopping application for iOS, now at last provided as a universal binary with a brand new Home screen icon and a few new fancy features to go with it, starting with an all-new design on the iPhone and iPod touch that takes cues from the iPad edition with a much simplified navigation and excellent use of high-resolution product imagery.

Another new feature allows you to start shopping on one device and finish on another, or even on your Mac or Windows PC, because the application now remembers the state of your shopping cart across platforms.

Tempo for iPad is here

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2018

Tempo Smart Calendar, another worthwhile alternative to Apple's stock iOS Calendar that last week became the first iOS app with Uber integration, is now available with native iPad interface which takes full advantage of the tablet's larger canvas.

The iPad interface has been added to the existing Tempo for iPhone app, now a universal download in the App Store.

Other new features in this edition of Tempo include the new Week, Month and Agenda views that look business on the iPad, localization in French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as wider availability in more countries.

ClassicLockScreen brings over four different Lock screen styles to iOS 7

Alihassan Mahdi ∙ September 4, 2014

ClassicLockScreen is a brand new jailbreak tweak that debuted on Cydia recently and allows you to replace the current Lock screen style on iOS 7 with one of the four different styles supplied by the tweak.

The tweak offers four different Lock screen styles: classic, 'Modern Mode', 'Dark Mode' and '7.1 Slider Style'. The classic mode ports the exact iOS 6 Lock screen style to iOS 7 and brings back the iOS 6 media control buttons, lock keypad as well as the unlock sound. The Modern and Dark modes feature a stylish 'Slide to Unlock' slider with a blur background and top bar. The difference between the two styles is that the latter sports a darker look.

Apple has reportedly negotiated lower transaction fees for mobile payments

Cody Lee ∙ September 4, 2014

Bank Innovation shares some new details on Apple's mobile payments project this afternoon, reporting the company has managed to negotiate deals for lower credit card transaction fees with several banking institutions. This includes JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Capital One, and Bank of America.

Citing sources familiar with the negotiations, the site says that the banks have all agreed to give Apple a flat transaction rate for both in-store and online purchases, which is fairly uncommon in the industry. They will also apparently give the Cupertino firm a 10% discount on all of its processing fees.

NYT: iPhone 6 has one-handed mode, iWatch has NFC, wireless charging and flexible sapphire screen

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 10, 2017

Joining today's conversation about a flurry of announcements due September 9, journalist Brian Chen filed a report today with The New York Times claiming that Apple's iPhone 6 will feature a so-called “one-handed mode” in an effort to address usability issues anticipated for a phablet-class device.

The lengthy story also takes a closer look at the rumored Apple wearable device which, according to Chen's sources, will have NFC technology and feature a flexible display protected by a sapphire-made cover.

The article corroborates the consensus out there that the iPhone 6 will come in 4.7 and 5.5-inch flavors, both featuring an on-board Near-Field Communications (NFC) chip to facilitate mobile payments.

Apple supplier accused of forcing overtime and endangering workers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

An Apple supplier has once gain come under scrutiny for labor violations. Both Green America and China Labor Watch are reporting that Catcher, who is responsible for making iPad and MacBook casings for the company, is endangering and exploiting its workers.

At its factory in Suqian, China, Catcher is accused of failing to provide adequate protective equipment for employees handling toxic materials, and various other safety violations. The manufacturer is also charged with forcing overtime: 10+ hours per day, 6 days a week.

Microsoft adds group audio calling with up to four participants to Skype for iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 4, 2014

Skype, a Microsoft-owned Voice over IP (VoIP) provider, on Thursday added another missing feature to its iPhone client after a major visual overhaul of the app in June removed a few popular capabilities.

Specifically, the new Skype 5.4 enables group audio calling with up to four participants. You can also add or remove people to an existing call and disabled users should appreciate a few improvements to the app's accessibility.

The refreshed application is now available in the App Store for free.

Apple to live stream September 9 iPhone event

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 10, 2017

Apple updated its website this afternoon to announce that it will be providing a live video stream of next week's iPhone event. On a new Live page at Apple.com, the company has posted a countdown timer that expires just before 10 am on September 9th.

We are expecting Apple to unveil two new iPhones during the event, at least one of which features NFC for a new mobile payment system. It's also believed that we'll finally see the firm's so-called iWatch, although rumor has it that it will just be a preview.