Year: 2014

Rumor: iPhone 6 enters product validation testing ahead of full blown mass production

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

According to a Chinese source, Apple's iPhone 6 has now entered the so-called Product Validation Test phase, indicating that mass production is looming around the corner.

Product Validation Test, or PVT, is typically carried out on first engineering prototypes in order to ensure that the basic unit performs to Apple's exacting design goals and specifications.

Apple along with its favorite contract manufacturer, Taiwan-based Foxconn, is now reportedly producing a very limited run of iPhone 6 units for a final quality control. During this phase, the assembly lines are running at full speed to detect any potential issues that may hinder the assembly process and ensure that quality control standards have been properly implemented ahead of mass production...

Coloring for Grown-Ups will turn your sad life into a child’s activity

Lory Gil ∙ Updated February 6, 2018

Coloring for Grown-ups is a clever website dedicated to colorable pages of real-life adventures for the over-twenty-somethings out there. The site has been around for a few years and the co-founding duo, Ryan Hunter and Taige Jensen, have managed to produce three physical coloring books filled with adult-minded illustrations for the kid in you.

The Coloring for Grown-Ups app recently found its way into the App Store. It is filled with dozens of pages of illustrations dating all the way back to the first web publications. We did some coloring ourselves, and have a hands-on review of Coloring for Grown-Ups for you now…

Newly updated Facebook for iOS cuts crash rate in half

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 12, 2014

Facebook late today issued a maintenance update to its primary iPhone and iPad client.

Listing only "bug fixes", Facebook 13.1 would have probably slipped by unnoticed if it weren't for a post over at the official Facebook Engineering blog which has detailed significant under-the-hood changes to fix a longstanding bug that caused unexpected crashes.

Long story short, code changes the team's implemented have helped reduce the software's crash rates on the iPhone and iPad by more than fifty percent...

Apple.com pays tribute to Robin Williams

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 12, 2014

Following the tragic death of Robin Williams, Apple has paid tribute to the actor and comedian with a new 'Remembering Robin Williams' webpage on Apple.com, in addition to a similar section on iTunes published earlier today.

Moreover, Apple CEO Tim Cook yesterday published a tweet expressing grief and sorrow caused by Robin's passing.

"Heartbroken by the news of Robin Williams' passing," Tim's tweet reads. "He was an incomparable talent and a great human being. Rest in peace." The company is also honoring the Oscar-winning actor with a special iTunes Store section featuring more than forty movies and stand up comedy routines.

Williams died yesterday at the age of 63. The actor was found unresponsive at his residence in Marin County, California, and was pronounced dead at the scene. The Marin County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement that Williams died of asphyxiation caused by hanging himself...

Apple releases video of Yaoband’s use of iPad in musical experimentation

Timothy Reavis ∙ August 12, 2014

Following yesterday's release of two new 'Your Verse' stories from Apple, the Cupertino giant has made an accompanying video to one of the stories available on its YouTube channel. The clip showcases Yaoband, a China-based music band that was featured in one of the two recent iPad stories, as they demonstrate ways in which Apple's tablet is used in their music creation process...

Apple releases diversity report: 55% of US employees are white, 70% male

Cody Lee ∙ August 12, 2014

As promised, Apple has released a report on the diversity of its workforce today. The iPad maker is the latest tech firm to post such data in response to the growing debate on whether or not women and minorities are underrepresented in Silicon Valley.

Accompanying Apple's report is a letter from Tim Cook, who says he's not happy with the numbers, but says the company is making progress. Of its employees here in the US, 55% are white, and around the world, 7 out of every 10 of its employees are male...

SpotFile: navigate iOS filesystem in Spotlight search

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated February 11, 2016

The same developer who made the script for switching between Mac partitions into a standalone application is back with a new jailbreak tweak called SpotFile. This tweak brings basic iFile functionality directly to Spotlight search, allowing users to navigate iOS's filesystem from the Home screen.

While it was built for granting quick access to the file directory in iOS, SpotFile's functionality can do quite a bit more than simply browse files and directories, and the developer says there are more features on the way...

Apple honors Robin Williams with dedicated iTunes Store section

Cody Lee ∙ August 12, 2014

Apple has created a dedicated section in its iTunes Store entitled 'Remembering Robin Williams.' The addition follows yesterday's tragic news of the actor's passing, and it features links to his popular movies, TV series and stand-up comedy routines.

In addition to the media, the section also includes a photo of Mr. Williams and a brief paragraph on his career and philanthropical achievements, calling him "one of the most beloved and unforgettable performers in the history of show business."

Twitter announces beta test of new ‘Promoted Video’ ads

Cody Lee ∙ August 12, 2014

Twitter has announced today that it is moving forward with its 'Promoted Video' ad project. The site has been testing Twitter Video Cards for several months now, and the results show that Tweets containing native video generate better engagement and more video views than other types of ads.

Thus, the company made it official today, saying that it's going to be performing a public beta test of Promoted Video on Twitter. The goal of the test is to make it easier for brands to upload and distribute video on the social network, and then of course to measure the reach and effectiveness of it all...

Pangu 1.2.1 jailbreak fixes Windows issues

Sébastien Page ∙ August 12, 2014

Just three days after the release of Pangu 1.2.0, PanguTeam just released yet another update, this time for Windows users only. Pangu 1.2.1 fixes an issue where the Windows version of the utility would sometimes crash.

If you're a Windows user and were having problems, then Pangu 1.2.1 should fix it.If you haven't had any problems, then there is obviously no reason for you to do anything at this time...

Siri inventors working on next-gen AI assistant, Viv

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 12, 2014

Dag Kittlaus and Adam Cheyer co-founded a SRI International spin-off in 2007. The startup eventually got acquired by Apple for its intelligent personal assistant technology which would later become (in)famously known as Siri.

But they haven't been standing still.

The co-founders of Siri are now taking the concept to the next level with Viv, a new breed of digital personal assistant which couples a myriad of data sources to next-generation artificial intelligence algorithms in order to do virtually anything you ask.

Viv's implications can't be overstated. And rather than sell out to the highest bidder, this time around the team has broad ambitions to rethink the future of intelligent agents while possibly giving birth to a multibillion-dollar industry.

An exhaustive feature published Tuesday by Wired explains how the new San Jose, California-headquartered startup, Viv Labs, plans on advancing artificial intelligence and taking over the world, why Viv eclipses Apple's Siri, Microsoft's Cortana and Google's Google Now and how it differs from literally every digital assistant out there...

Apple now promoting Beats Music to new iOS device owners

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Back in September of last year, Apple started giving away its own iPhone and iPad apps to new iOS device owners.

To refresh your memory, the previously paid software such as Pages, Numbers, Keynote, iMovie and iPhoto — along with Apple's free apps like Remote, iBooks, GarageBand, Podcasts, Find My iPhone, Find My Friends and iTunes U — appears as an offer when the App Store is opened for the first time on a newly-purchased iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

You can now put Beats Music on this list as Apple has started to actively promote the on-demand streaming music service to iOS device owners...