iPhone News

SmartTap: unlock your iPhone just by double-tapping its screen

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

SmartTap is a brand new jailbreak tweak by well-known developer Elias Limneos. It allows you to use a double-tap gesture on the iPhone's screen to awaken it, and put it to sleep. You can use other gestures—like a swipe-up or a swipe-down—to unlock the device or launch applications.

The tweak is a homage to the "KnockOn" feature popularized by the LG G2 Android phone, where a double-tap on a dark screen wakes the device. SmartTap is similar, in that you can awaken your device with a "knock" gesture, but SmartTap take it a step further. Check out our video walkthrough inside after the break.

Images of alleged white and silver iPhone 6 dummy unit surface

Cody Lee ∙ May 2, 2014

We're adding to the stockpile of alleged 'iPhone 6' evidence this morning with a handful of new photos that purportedly show a white and silver dummy unit of the upcoming handset. The device looks very similar to the slate black unit that surfaced online earlier this week.

While the images don't really offer up much in the way of new details on the smartphone, they do help us continue to paint a picture of what it's believed to look like. Most everything we've seen thus far—from schematic drawings to case leaks—points to a homogenous design...

1Password for Mac updated with Watchtower support

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Following the update to the iOS app this week, AgileBits has posted a new version of 1Password for Mac, bringing the password manager to version 4.4. The update includes just a handful of improvements, but is notable because it adds Watchtower integration.

For those unfamiliar with it, 1Password Watchtower is a service that identifies websites that are vulnerable to known security risks, and suggest that you change your passwords. It's fairly new, emerging after last-month's 'Heartbleed' bug infected several websites...

T-Mobile looking to add iPhone to MetroPCS lineup

Cody Lee ∙ May 2, 2014

T-Mobile is looking to bring the iPhone to its MetroPCS brand in the near future, according to a report from Recode. The outlet recently spoke with the carrier's Chief Marketing Officer Mike Sievert, who said that they are "very interested in that," and they think that customers would be as well.

It took T-Mobile several years to officially carry Apple's flagship smartphone, due to its higher-priced subsidy and other stringent requirements. And that may prove to be even more of a challenge with Metro, as many of its subscribers many not have the money or credit to finance the device...

Apple to begin notifying users of info requests from law enforcement

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

According to a new report from The Washington Post tonight, Apple will join Google and other high-profile companies in updating their privacy policy to routinely notify users when a government or law enforcement agency requests information on them.

The move should appease user privacy rights activists, who believe it's unlawful for a government agency to have the power to access user data so discretely. The Justice Department, however, is concerned that the new routine could threaten investigations...

Angela Ahrendts starts role as SVP of Retail and Online Stores at Apple

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

Angela Ahrendts has left fashion retailer Burberry and started her new position at Apple as the Senior Vice President of Retail and Online Stores, according to an update to Apple's Executive Profiles website on Friday.

Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, confirmed on the company's quarterly earnings call last week that Ahrendts would be starting at the Cupertino-based company this week, following now-false rumors she would be staying on at Burberry until June.

Samsung planning health-related announcement days before Apple’s WWDC

Jake Smith ∙ May 1, 2014

Samsung has announced a media event "around health" set to take place on May 28 in San Francisco. The invitation came from the company's sensors and components unit, rather than its devices unit, so the announcement could be centered around next-generation tech for Android and Tizen-based devices, rather than a new Gear Fit 2.

The event is notable given Apple is holding its Worldwide Developer Conference on June 2, also in San Francisco. Apple is rumored to have some big health-centered announcements at its Conference keynote, and it looks like Samsung is trying to get a leg up.

iTunes Match now available in Japan

Cody Lee ∙ May 1, 2014

Apple continues its international expansion of iTunes services this afternoon, with the launch of iTunes Match in Japan. iOS users in the country can now access the service, which first launched in the United States back in 2011.

For those unfamiliar with the service, iTunes Match allows users to 'mirror' their music libraries to the cloud. This enables them to access their songs from any compatible device, without having to spend hours uploading them...

Alleged internal slide reveals Amazon’s upcoming smartphone

Cody Lee ∙ May 1, 2014

Amazon is expected to unveil its first smartphone in the not-so-distant future, and according to a new report from BGR, this is what it's going to look like. The site says the image on the above slide was created for internal use by graphic designers at Amazon.

Note that the handset looks quite different than the prototype we saw last month—BGR explains this is because that device was housed in a protective casing. The actual phone's design resembles that of the iPhone and other smartphones currently on the market...

Expert in ear-worn vital signs monitoring joins Apple’s iWatch team

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

According to a source who spoke to MacRumors, Eric Winokur who does research at MIT's Medical Electronic Devices Realization Center will be joining Apple's wearables team in the coming weeks.

He's the latest in a string of high-profile hirings of experts with diverse interests in medical devices, sleep monitoring, wearable tech and fashion design.

This isn't talent Apple typically needs so these hirings serve as the strongest indication to date that the firm is assembling a star team to take on wearables.

And why precisely should you care about this particular hire? Read on as I lay out everything for you after the break...