Year: 2014

TMZ passes this cheap Android clone off as iPhone 6 — and CNBC fell for it!

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 15, 2014

As per usual, there's no shortage of iPhone 6 clones. Virtually each and every one of them classes as a plasticky Chinese knock-off — though, quite frankly, some are in fact elaborate. Anyone can order an iPhone 6 clone online, with prices starting as low as $100.

It goes without saying that these laughable devices, based on a truckload of iPhone 6 rumors, typically run Android and sport a user interface skin that does a bad job mimicking iOS 7 aesthetics.

Though not fooling bloggers, the iPhone 6 clones have proved themselves too tempting a target for linkbait outlets such as TMZ. The infamous celebrity news and gossip website is now notoriously jumping on the opportunity to troll the nation by offering an Android-based iPhone 6 lookalike as the real thing.

And guess what? CNBC fell for it!

How iPhone 6 may be suited for one-handed use

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Shortly after Apple released the iPhone 5s in September 2013, KGI Securities' Ming Chi-Kuo speculated that a future larger-screened iPhone won't go beyond five inches for Apple, in the analyst's own words, would be foolish to abandon its “unwavering principle of one hand use”.

A year earlier, Apple for the first time publicly articulated its philosophy in an iPhone 5 television commercial dubbed 'Thumb', which pictures a user comfortably operating the four-inch device using only their thumb.

So, what engineering and design feats might the handset employ in order to make it suitable for one-handed use? Read on for the full reveal...

Watch Apple’s boss Tim Cook getting ice bath to benefit ALS research

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 15, 2014

Yesterday, Apple's marketing honcho Phil Schiller undertook the Ice Bucket Challenge. In a tweet accompanied by a series of images showing himself dumping a bucket of ice water on his head at the beaches, Schiller called on Apple CEO Tim Cook to accept the challenge and also get doused, by tagging him in the post.

Sure enough, Cook rose to the occasion and had a bucket of ice water poured over his head by recording artist Michael Franti.

Even better, this all happened in front of company employees who earlier tonight gathered for Apple’s Diversity beer bash at 1 Infinite Loop headquarters. And in an even more peculiar move, the iPhone maker has documented this in a video posted to its official YouTube channel and included for your viewing pleasure right below the fold...

Shareholder files class action suit against Apple over anti-poaching agreements

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

It looks like tech employees aren't the only ones upset with Apple's anti-poaching agreements. Shareholder R. Andre Klein has filed a class action lawsuit against the Cupertino company, saying the deals caused it to grossly mismanage its assets, mislead its investors, and hurt its overall value.

According to the filing, Klein is suing on behalf of all Apple shareholders and has named a number of its executives as individual defendants including Tim Cook, and even the late Steve Jobs. He is seeking a jury trial, and asking for a settlement that would resolve "millions of dollars in damages."

Samsung acquires smart home startup SmartThings for $200 million

Cody Lee ∙ August 15, 2014

With much of the ‘next big thing in tech’ talk focused on wearables and mobile payments, it’s easy to forget about the connected home. But all of the major tech companies are making major moves in this space, including Google, Apple and now Samsung.

Following Google’s Nest acquisition and Apple’s HomeKit unveiling, Samsung announced this week that it has purchased smart home startup—and former Kickstarter sensation—SmartThings. The money is said to be in the neighborhood of $200 million...

Vimeo app updated with new uploading, private sharing options

Cody Lee ∙ August 15, 2014

Vimeo users will be happy to hear that the video site has rolled out a new build of its iOS client. The update brings the app to version 4.2, and it brings about new video upload and private sharing options, as well as new find and follow features.

With Vimeo 4.2 on iPhone and iPad, you can now upload videos from your device’s Camera Roll, straight to Vimeo from within the app. You can also now share videos with people you follow on Vimeo privately, so they won’t show up in your feed…

Beats Music posts video celebrating Spike Lee’s ‘Do the Right Thing’ film

Cody Lee ∙ August 14, 2014

Apple's recently acquired Beats Music has posted a new video on its YouTube channel this evening. The 22-minute-long clip is called 'Do The Right Thing 25 Year Anniversary: A Beats Music Experience,' and it's a documentary that revisits the cast and location of Spike Lee's popular film.

As the name suggests, the video celebrates the 25th anniversary of 'Do The Right Thing,' a 1989 film about the consequences of hate and bigotry in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York. The movie was controversial, but received critical acclaim and a number of major awards...

Tom Hanks promotes new iPad app in App Store interview

Cody Lee ∙ August 14, 2014

Here's something you don't hear every day. Actor Tom Hanks participated in an App Store interview this afternoon, in an effort to promote his new iPad app 'Hanx Writer.' The conversation happened via Twitter, with Mr. Hanks answering questions asked by the official App Store account.

Hanx Writer aims to recreate the experience of a manual typewriter on the iPad, with authentic sounds and graphics. And while there are already a host of similar apps on the App Store, early reviews say that none of them come close to Hanx in terms of polish and attention to detail...

‘Epoch 2’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ August 14, 2014

Apple has just named Epoch 2, by Uppercut Games, 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 game for both iPhone and iPad, for free—a solid savings of $5.

For those who haven’t played it before, Epoch 2 continues the post-apocalyptic storyline of the original with new weapons and gameplay modes. New players will enjoy its sharp graphics, engaging plot and deceptively simple gameplay...

Google previews revamped YouTube for TV, coming soon to streaming boxes

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 14, 2014

Google's YouTube is putting finishing touches on an overhauled TV experience that will soon start rolling out to popular gaming consoles such as Microsoft's Xbox One and media-streaming boxes like the Roku (and, presumably, to the Apple TV as well).

The redesigned YouTube app on TV makes it easier to find what you want through Guide, says Google, and it brings all the playlists, shelves and branding from channels.

Jump past the fold for pretty screenshots and full reveal...

WSJ: higher-end 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models to get sapphire displays

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The Wall Street Journal reports this afternoon that Apple plans to use sapphire crystal displays in higher-end models of both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models this fall. The news directly contradicts recent reports, which said the company had scrapped such plans due to complexity and cost.

According to today's report, though, the firm is still very much pondering the idea, and plans to move forward with it if it can get enough sapphire produced in time for launch. The outlet says that Apple may charge more for the phones due to the material's higher costs, a long-running theory this year...

Apple to Thai government: next phone may not even be called iPhone 6

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Soon after a Thai official tweeted that Thailand approved two new iPhone models for use in the country, Apple sent a few executives from South Asia to speak with Takorn Tantasith, the secretary of the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC), concerning the leak.

Although the Thai government's disclosure contained nothing more than the mention of the model numbers "A1524" and "A1586," as well as "iPhone 6," that apparently was enough to anger Apple into sending executives to reprimand Thai officials for releasing the information...