Year: 2014

T-Mobile to expand ETF offer to switchers from U.S. Cellular and regional carriers

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 5, 2017

The nation's Un-carrier, T-Mobile, is just getting started. After its swearing CEO John Legere said at CES that his company will eliminate another customer pain point by paying off switchers' early termination fees, now comes word that the initiative will expand to U.S. Cellular and some regional carriers in the United States.

This means that subscribers flocking to T-Mobile from U.S. Cellular and a dozen other small regional carriers that lock subscribers into long-term contracts will also receive the same ETF treatment as defectors from AT&T, Verizon and Sprint currently enjoy...

Google readying iOS remote desktop app unofficially named Chromoting

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Google officially started work on Chromoting, a remote access technology for its Chrome OS, some four years ago.

Later rechristened to Chrome Remote Desktop, the VNC technology resembles Microsoft's Remote Desktop Connection software and is designed to allow folks to access virtual desktops.

An Android Chromoting app has been in the works since last year and now a blogger has discovered evidence in the form of support documentation on the Chromium issue tracker website which indicates that an iOS version is also under development.

Why should you care? Read on...

Rumor: Apple seemingly targeting Fall launch for 12.9-inch iPad Pro

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 17, 2014

According to Taiwan-based supply chain makers, Apple is accelerating development of a rumored large-screen iPad, the iPad Pro, and is gearing up to launch the device by the end of the third quarter, indicating a Fall launch alongside the expected refresh to the existing iPad lineup.

As the unnamed sources asseverated, Apple has also asked its component suppliers and manufacturing partners to prepare for new models of 7.9 and 9.7-inch iPads...

Apple Stores to start repairing iPhone 5c screens next week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple will begin conducting in-store screen repairs for the iPhone 5c next week, according to a report from 9to5Mac. The site says that under the new practice, the company will be able to repair most displays 'within the hour.'

This means that Apple Stores will no longer have to replace an entire device due to a cracked screen. And the initiative will not only help Apple save money on repairs, but it'll also save users from having to setup new devices…

Tim Cook signs iPhones at China Mobile launch, says ‘great things’ coming

Cody Lee ∙ January 17, 2014

China Mobile's highly anticipated iPhone launch is now in full swing over in Beijing. After years of failed negotiations, Apple finally inked a deal with the carrier last month, giving it access to the worlds-largest subscriber base of 750+ million people.

We've been talking about the importance of this partnership for months now, but for those that needed a reminder, Tim Cook showed up in person at this morning's launch. The CEO took photos, signed autographs and even answered a few questions...

Following backlash, Starbucks beefs up security in iPhone app

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

You have to hand it to the folks of Starbucks. When they want to, they can move rather quickly. Hot on the heels of its blog post earlier today addressing security concerns regarding its iPhone app, the coffee company released an update this evening.

The change log for the update, which is marked as version 2.6.2, notes the new release brings 'additional performance enhancements and safeguards.' And we're hoping this means that the app no longer stores user passwords and data in plain text...

Chrome 32 for Mac: noisy tab indicators, supervised users, stronger malware protection

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 16, 2014

If you prefer Google's Chrome over Apple's Safari on your Mac desktops and notebooks, good news: the search monster yesterday updated the browser with a few new features that help restrict kids' use of the Internet while boosting their parents' protection from malware.

I was instantly sold on the incredibly useful noisy tab indicators that make it easier to figure out which tab sound is coming from.

Now, why didn't I think of that? Chrome 32 for Mac, Windows and Linux is now available for download and there's a detailed description of the new features right below...

Messenger is just the tip of the iceberg: more Facebook apps coming soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 7, 2018

Excluding Instagram, the social networking giant Facebook currently counts five iPhone and iPad apps in the App Store: in addition to the main Facebook client and the recently revamped Messenger, there's also Pages Manager, Camera and Poke, the latter an ill-fated attempt to counter the rising popularity of "disappear" apps like Snapchat.

They're all available free of charge but only the main Facebook app and the new Messenger have managed to pick up steam.

Pages Manager is somewhat useful for those who manage Pages on Facebook, Camera was quickly forgotten and Poke was a joke to begin with. Not content with standing still, Facebook is seemingly reading a host of standalone native apps on mobile this year.

These apparently include a Flipboard-killer said to use summarization technologies to deliver a sharply focused news-reading experience, among a few others...

QuickActivator: Add customized Activator shortcuts to Control Center

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

QuickActivator is a recently released jailbreak tweak that allows users to add customizable Activator shortcuts to the quick launch section of iOS 7's Control Center overlay. The tweak works with any valid Activator action, including launching an app, opening a menu, toggling a switch, composing tweets and Facebook status updates, etc.

Existing quick launch shortcuts found in Control Center—Flashlight, Timer, Calculator, and Camera–can be customized with custom glyphs and tap and hold gestures. Brand new quick launch shortcuts can be added as well, and users can select from well over 70 glyphs, and mate them with any of the actions available via Activator.

QuickActivator is a tweak that you shouldn't overlook if you're searching for a way to add customized functionality to Control Center. Have a look at our full video walkthrough after the jump for more information.

Jawbone soups up Era headset with HD Voice, Siri and Google Now integration and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

If you thought Bluetooth headsets were dead, think again. Jawbone makes some of the finest portable audio devices and wireless headsets and was among the first to release a Bluetooth headset for Apple's iPhone. On Thursday, the San Francisco-based company has streamlined its headset offering by announcing a second-generation Era.

It's 42 percent smaller, comes with its own charging case and looks good enough to be worn in public while offering interesting new voice features aimed at Apple's Siri and Google's Google Now voice assistants. Read on for more info and some nice press shots...

Apple seeds second OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 beta to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple has seeded the second OS X 10.9.2 beta to registered Mac developers this afternoon. The release comes nearly a month after the first beta, which was posted on December 19.

The new build is available to registered developers through the Software Update tab in the Mac App Store, or as a full download via the Mac section of Apple’s online developer portal…