Year: 2016

Samsung rumored to be working on Galaxy S8 Plus with a massive six-inch display

Samsung's next Galaxy update should include a brand new Plus model thought to incorporate a huge six-inch display, putting the device in the phablet territory usually dominated by Note-branded devices, according to a sketchy report from Korea. If true, it's likely a response to the disastrous Note 7 launch that led to a global Note 7 recall and discontinuation.

Apple reportedly partners with Foxconn on R&D facilities in China and Indonesia

Last month, Apple officially agreed to set up a research and development center in Indonesia. Now we learn from a report Monday by Chinese-language outlet Economic Daily News that the company's allegedly partnered with contract manufacturer Foxconn to accelerate the planned expansion into the Southeast Asia region. The report was cited by Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes.

Check out Apple II made out of gingerbread

I got for Christmas everything I wanted, but seeing this makes me wonder... One very creative dad who's obviously handy in the kitchen has built an Apple II out of gingerbread for his Apple-loving son and posted the images of it on Imgur for the whole world to see. Batter yet, the Apple II modeled in gingerbread comes complete with an edible chocolate keyboard, motherboard and floppy disk.

Why is Apple reviving its old AirTunes trademark?

It seems that Apple may be reviving its old AirTunes trademark for purposes unknown, Patently Apple reported Monday. AirTunes became AirPlay in 2010 so it's a mystery as to why precisely Apple has now decided to file for the figurative trademark “AirTunes” with the European Union's Trademark Office.

According to a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) document, the U.S. trademark for “AirTunes” expired on November 11, 2016. The AirTunes feature originally worked with the original AirPort router.

Here’s one last iSpaceship drone flyover before 2016 wraps up

Following his recent Apple Campus 2 construction progress time-lapse video, YouTuber Matthew Roberts today posted a brand new holiday update on his YouTube channel in the form of fresh 4K birds-eye footage of the iSpacehip site captured on Christmas.

Work on the forthcoming campus is expected to be finished early next year, although landscaping work will extend into the second half of 2017. The company should begin moving in employees some time in early 2017.

Google I/O will reportedly return to San Francisco’s Moscone Center

Google I/O, the search giant's version of Apple's WWDC, will return to the Moscone Center in San Francisco next year, TechCrunch has learnt. Google I/O 2016 was held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View to mark the 10th anniversary of the company's first developers conference at their headquarters. Google I/O 2017 should mark a return to the Moscone Center in San Francisco, where Apple has for years held its own annual developers conference.

Withings products removed from Apple Stores following Nokia patent row

iOS-compatible smart bathroom scales, thermometers, fitness watches and other HomeKit-enabled smart accessories by French health tracking company Withings have been removed from both online and brick-and-mortar Apple Stores following the latest legal spat with Nokia.

Wait, what do Withings products have to do with the Nokia patent row, you ask. Well, Nokia bought Withings in April 2016 for a reported $192 million, integrating their products into its Digital Health unit led by former Withings CEO Cedric Hutchings. The removal was first reported by MacRumors.

Apple publishes its very first AI research paper

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) research communities have been critical of Apple's secretiveness to the point that it's hurt the firm's recruiting efforts and prompted it to change its tough stance against publicizing any internal AI findings. Last weekend, Apple finally published its very first AI paper, Forbes reported today.

Submitted for publication on November 15, the document outlines a technique for improving the training of an algorithm's ability to recognize objects on images using computer-generated images rather than real-world ones.

Wallpapers of the week: Christmas

About once per decade, Christmas falls on a Sunday. As avid iDB readers, you know Sunday brings new images to the Wallpapers of the Week category. While we have a very diverse readership, we wanted to celebrate the holiday, as it fell directly on Sunday.

Below is a new set of holiday imagery, including links to the archives of previous year seasonal posts. Take a step inside for the latest.