Year: 2016

Instagram gains Events channel highlighting media posted during specific events

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Instagram yesterday announced a new Events channel in the Explore section of its free of charge iPhone app. Currently limited to users within the United States and resembling Snapchat's Discover channel with Live Stories, it brings in one place all of the photos and videos posted on the service during specific events, such as concerts, sports games and more. Like the rest of Explore, the new Events channel is personalized for you and highlights events you might like.

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How to stop your iPhone from asking to install iOS updates

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated July 4, 2017

iOS can download and install updates without the need to connect to iTunes; this is known as Over-the-Air (OTA) updating.

When you have an OTA update waiting for you, your Settings app typically gets a red badge and iOS will constantly nag you about software updates. The thing is, not everyone always wants to install Apple's updates.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to disable requests for iOS updates on your iPhone or iPad. This trick will also remove the nagging badge on the Settings app.

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Grovemade’s walnut iPhone dock is built to last and looks stunning

Anthony Bouchard ∙ August 18, 2016

Docks are a great way to store your iPhone on your nightstand overnight or on your office desk while you work on your computer. There are a lot of options to choose from out there with varying degrees of quality, and Grovemade makes a product that you won’t be disappointed in.

In this review, we’ll show you the Grovemade walnut dock for the iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus, a premium metal and hard wood dock that pays careful attention to detail and looks great anywhere you put it.

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AT&T unveils modest data upgrades at reduced costs ahead of iPhone 7 release

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 17, 2016

Conveniently timed weeks ahead of the expected iPhone 7 launch next month, U.S. carrier AT&T on Wednesday unveiled modest data upgrades at reduced prices while dropping overage charges for exceeding monthly cellular data caps. The new data plans, available beginning August 21, include the 1GB/$30, 3GB/$40, 6GB/$60, 10GB/$80, 16GB/$90, 25GB/$110 and 30GB/$135 tiers.

Overage charges will become a thing of the past as the carrier will no longer slap you with a $15 per 1GB charge after using rollover data. Instead, your data speeds will decrease to the sluggish 2G (128 kbps) after all of the cellular data in your monthly bucket has been used up.

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TSMC to build Apple’s in-house designed AMOLED driver chips for 10th Anniversary iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 17, 2016

TSMC is believed to have secured orders for an Apple-designed 'A11' system-on-a-chip expected to power so-called Tenth Anniversary iPhone and new iPads in 2017, trade publication DigiTimes reports. The chip should be fabricated on TSMC's ten-nanometer process technology and use its backend integrated fan-out (InFO) wafer-level packaging technology. Additionally, TSMC should build Apple-designed circuitry to drive 2017 iPhone's AMOLED panel.

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Sources reaffirm new 256GB iPhone 7 storage tier

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 17, 2016

Industry sources told Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes that the iPhone 7/7 Plus (no, there won't be a third 'Pro' tier) will feature up to 256 gigabytes of storage, effectively doubling the current top-of-the-line 128GB storage tier. The 256GB iPhone 7 tier was previously reported by Chinese-language MyDrivers, research firm TrendForce and PocketNow.

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iTunes carrier billing expands in Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 17, 2016

Following initial launch of iTunes carrier billing in Russia with Telefonica's O2 and in Germany with VimpelCom's Beeline unit nearly a year ago, Apple has now brought this alternative option to customers in Japan, Taiwan and Switzerland, according to reports from CNBC and Mashable.

Carrier billing lets customers without access to credit or gift cards have their app and media purchases charged directly to their monthly mobile phone bill or deducted from their prepaid amount.

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Chinese supplier commits to 100% wind energy for all Apple operations

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 4, 2017

Apple today issued a press release updating the public on its environmental progress in China while applauding its supplier Lens Technology, which in an unprecedented move has committed to utilize 100 percent renewable energy in all its glass production for the Cupertino firm by 2018.

Lens will use wind energy to power its two facilities in Changsha, Hunan province which are used for Apple manufacturing. The move will avoid nearly 450,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, equivalent to the energy use in 380,000 Chinese homes.

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