Year: 2014

Samsung unveils the Galaxy Tab S with multi-user fingerprint sensor

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Samsung hosted an event in New York yesterday afternoon to take the wraps off a new version of its Galaxy Tab. It's calling the tablet the Galaxy Tab S, and it includes a high resolution Super AMOLED display that comes in 2 sizes: 8.4 and 10.5-inches.

Perhaps one of its most interesting features, though, is its fingerprint sensor. It can recognize up to eight different users, and each scan will load a different custom user profile based on the fingerprint with personalized settings, app shortcuts and more...

‘ReadQuick’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Joe Rossignol ∙ June 12, 2014

I probably sound like a broken record at this point, but what an eventful Thursday it has been on the App Store. Lory shared her thoughts on WordWildWest, Cody told us about Angry Birds Epic and Amazon's new Prime Music service, Christian covered updates for Skitch, Flickr and Scanbot, and we've still got the App Recap coming later this evening…

Apple’s Angela Ahrendts sends out first memo to retail staff

Cody Lee ∙ June 12, 2014

Angela Ahrendts began here tenure as Apple's senior vice president of retail and online sales in early May. The former Burberry CEO has made a good first impression in her first month, garnering praise from folks inside and outside the company.

Today, Ahrendts sent out her first memo to Apple retail employees, which officially sets the tone for her incumbency. In the letter she thanks everyone for their hospitality, and pledges to continue to evolve the customer journey in stores and online...

AT&T increases activation fees for customers with 2-year contracts

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

AT&T has increased its activation fees for customers who opt for two-year contracts. The increase is only a couple of dollars, from $36 to $40, but when you consider that you have to pay that for every device, every upgrade, it starts to add up.

The move is part of a larger effort by the carrier to push more subscribers away from the traditional contract/subsidy model, and towards Next. The upgrade program allows customers to get a new device every year for $0 down, and zero fees...

WordWildWest turns speed typing into a shooting game

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 27, 2018

I know it sounds like a learning game, but we are not talking about Westward Ho, here. This game isn’t what you would call “educational.” We are talking about an arcade shooter game that just happens to involve typing.

WWWest! Head Quiz Word & Challenge Flap (I know, odd name) is a speed typing game where players must tap out words as fast as possible in order to shoot down the signs. You’ll be spelling out 10-letter words before you can say lightsaber…

Skitch gains swipable design, better sharing, deeper Evernote integration and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Evernote-owned Skitch is my favorite OS X/iOS annotation tool. It's even impressed Apple enough to borrow some of its trademark features for Yosemite's fancy new in-line attachment annotation tool.

If you use Skitch, there's a new update in town packing in several improvements, alongside a refreshed design which lets you swipe between Skitch's various tools easily.

You can download the new Skitch 3.2 for the iPhone and iPad free in the App Store..

App Store, iTunes and iBooks are down for some users [update: it’s back to normal]

Joe Rossignol ∙ June 12, 2014

There are multiple reports on Twitter and elsewhere indicating that the App Store, iTunes and iBooks services are either down or functioning erratically. The downtime appears to be affecting users in the United States, Sweden and possibly other regions. On top of that, the App Store appears to be loading incorrectly for some users as well. Hit the break for the latest updates…

New in iOS 8: reply notifications for Mail threads

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 12, 2014

Apple really seems laser-focused on further removing communication hurdles and friction in iOS 8 by advancing Mail and Messages stock apps in ways more than one.

For the most part, the changes in these two apps are for the better: Apple hasn't cluttered their interfaces nor has it changed the familiar design.

Apple's thinking and consideration for the end user is especially evident in how iOS 8 handles group chats in Messages and email threads in Mail.

While you can now finally leave a group chat in Messages, Mail in iOS 8 sports a really useful feature where you tell it to issue a push notification each time someone has replied to a designated email thread...

How to watch the World Cup live on iPhone and iPad

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

The entire world is experiencing what I like to call World Cup fever, a phenomenon that comes along only once every four years. With the 2014 FIFA World Cup kicking off today with a match between the host country Brazil and Croatia, we think it is fitting to share how to watch the World Cup games live on iPhone and iPad. We've included a couple apps for streaming the World Cup in the United States and abroad after the break…

How to add World Cup games schedule to your iPhone calendar

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

The 2014 FIFA World Cup begins today with a match between the host country Brazil and Croatia, kicking off a month-long tournament that involves 32 countries competing to win the World Cup Finals. With dozens of matches over the span of over four weeks, it can be a little daunting to keep up with all of the game fixtures. That's why we're here to help, with this simple tutorial on how to add a World Cup games schedule to your iPhone calendar. Read ahead for the step-by-step instructions…

Skype 5.0 for iPhone is back in the App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 12, 2014

The wait is over as Skype 5.0 for iPhone has finally started to roll out to international App Stores this morning. Microsoft previewed the remastered Skype for iPhone with a brand new design earlier this week and unleashed the updated software upon the App Store the following day.

But something was amiss as Skype 5.0 went live in the Canadian App Store only, with some international users briefly spotting the update before it disappeared quickly.

As of this morning, the VoIP application appeared to propagate through the App Stores around the world so go ahead, update your copy of Skype and let us know how you like its new Windows Phone-style swipable interface...

Cydia updated with iOS 7 icon and redesigned interface

Joe Rossignol ∙ June 12, 2014

Cydia has received a major update this morning with several improvements. First and foremost, the app has received a long-awaited iOS 7 icon thanks to graphic designer Surenix. The package manager for jailbroken devices also gains a redesigned and better organized user interface, making it easier to manage repositories, see which packages you have installed and more. Read ahead for a full look at the update…