iPhone News

AT&T adds free international messaging to Mobile Share plans

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Following T-Mobile's lead, AT&T announced today that it is adding unlimited international text messaging to all of its Mobile Share and Mobile Share Value plans. The free package will allow subscribers to send text and multimedia messages from the US to over 100 countries.

Additionally, the carrier introduced a new World Connect Value package for international calling. With it, post-paid AT&T customers can make one cent -per minute calls from the US to more than 35 countries, including Canada, Mexico and the Virgin Islands, for $5 per month...

Broadcom launches Gigabit Wi-Fi chip that will likely power the next iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 30, 2016

Imagination Technologies, the fabless British semiconductor maker, yesterday at Mobile World Congress detailed its new PowerVR graphics which outperforms Nvidia's Tegra K1 platform and is a likely candidate for the next iPhone's GPU. And now, another premium silicon vendor has announced a chip that could just as easily find its way into future iOS devices.

I'm talking about Broadcom, whose Wi-Fi chips and other controller components are used in the iPhone 5s and iPad lineup. The Irvine, California based firm announced at Mobile World Congress a new fifth-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi component which doubles data throughput and increases Wi-Fi coverage by up to 30 percent.

Should Apple choose to tap it, the iPhone 6 and the next iPad will adopt Gigabit Wi-Fi aka 802.11ac, the latest and greatest standard in wireless networking for the consumer market...

Apple wins Best Mobile Tablet award at Mobile World Congress without even trying

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Although Apple wasn't an exhibitor at this year's Mobile World Congress - currently underway in Barcelona, Spain - its iPad Air has managed to snag the award for the show's Best Mobile Tablet. The annual Global Mobile Awards and Mobile World Congress are both organized by the same party, the GSM Association.

A panel of judges has determined in their ruling that Apple's latest full-size iPad packs "class-leading performance in an attractive and svelte frame", a nice recognition of Jony Ive's design and the iPad Air's speedy A7 chip.

More importantly, the judges singled out Apple's tightly integrated ecosystem as a prime reason why the iPad Air has "an undisputed advantage in the number of format-optimized apps"...

IMDB’s fresh update lets you swipe both ways

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2014

IMDb (abbreviated from Internet Movie Database) is my go-to source for information related to films, television programs and video games. The service is reliable and accurate so I can safely rely on their data.

The Amazon-owned company (they bought IMDb outright in 1998 and attached it to Amazon.com as a subsidiary, private company) has a pretty nice iPhone and iPad application, available free in the App Store.

We haven't seen a major update since last December's refresh brought out iOS 7-friendly look, plus a brand new Road to the Oscars section, among other features. Today, IMDb got bumped to version 4.1. This new edition of the software sports a few cosmetic changes, but that's not what captured my imagination.

My interest was piqued by a cool design choice which makes it possible to use both left and right swiping to navigate through the app. Can we have this in all iOS 7 apps, please?

Mark Zuckerberg says WhatsApp worth more than $19 billion

Cody Lee ∙ February 25, 2014

Since Facebook announced last week that it would be acquiring WhatsApp for $16+ billion, pundits have been trying to make sense of the deal. How can a messaging app startup be worth so much more than say, Motorola Mobility, which has thousands of employees?

According to Mark Zuckerberg, it's not. It's worth more. Speaking at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona yesterday, the CEO said that WhatsApp was a 'great fit' for his company and that it was worth more than the $19B ($16B + $3B in vested shares) they paid for it...

Apple, Samsung and others demand patent trolling protection from EU judges

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2014

After asking the United States Supreme Court to approve of stiffer penalties for patent trolls who bring frivolous lawsuits against them, Apple and Samsung - along with seventeen other technology companies - have joined forces and issued a letter to the European Union asking for limits on injunctions in patent infringement cases.

As reported by Bloomberg, the companies are asking EU judges to curb patent trolls and introduce anti-trolling changes into Unified Patent Court and the upcoming European Unitary Patent system...

Apple releases iBeacon specification

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple's iBeacons, an indoor positioning system that can detect nearby devices to optionally push promotional marketing messages, has been picking up considerable steam lately. For instance, such brands as Major League Baseball and Apple itself have implemented the system, as did various retailers, theme parks, grocery stores and even car accessory makers.

According to BEEKn.net, Apple has now released detailed specification for the iBeacon platform. Released through Apple's 'Made for iPhone' (MFi) initiative, the documents are apparently separate from Apple's main Bluetooth MFi specification..

Apple releases OS X 10.9.2 with FaceTime Audio, SSL bug fix and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

After seeding a number of betas over the past few months, Apple has finally seeded OS X 10.9.2 to the public. As expected, the update includes FaceTime Audio, new contact blocking controls for both iMessage and FaceTime and Mail fixes.

Additionally, Apple has included a fix for the nasty SSL connection verification bug that popped up last week. So we recommend that everyone grab this new version of Mavericks by visiting the 'Software Update' tab in the Mac App Store...

Apple also fixes SSL bug on Apple TV with 6.0.2 firmware update

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2014

In addition to issuing a quick fix for a dangerous SSL vulnerability with last week's release of iOS 7.0.6 (you can apply the update without upgrading your firmware), Apple has also released a companion update for its $99 streaming box, the Apple TV.

The Apple TV 6.0.2 software update (hat tip to iDB reader Gil) carries a build number of 6646.81.1 and fixes the SSL bug which allows attackers to steal your usernames and passwords used on iTunes Store and other services, by posing as a legitimate site.

The exploit affects Apple's Safari browser so Apple TV users are not necessarily in immediate danger like their Mac counterparts...

Full production of GT-made sapphire starting in H2 2014, in time for Fall launch of iPhone 6

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

GT Advanced Technologies, a U.S.-based company Apple's partnered with on mass-scale sapphire manufacture in its new Mesa, Arizona facility, today released earnings for the 2013 holiday quarter and said that 2014 will be a "transformational" year for the company. Plans to supply sapphire glass to Apple are "progressing well" as GT expects a very profitable second half of 2014.

Its projected revenues also indicate a Fall launch for the next iPhone model (or models, if you believe the rumors). According to GT, the company has "started to build out the facility in Arizona and staff the operation" during the previous quarter...

In time for the 2014 season, MLB.com At Bat app receives iOS 7 makeover

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 25, 2014

In time for the start of the 2014 Major League Baseball (MLB) season, the official MLB.com At Bat app has finally received its long-expected iOS 7-focused redesign. This is a major refresh as the app was last updated in October 2013.

MLB.com At Bat version 7.0, now available free in the App Store, has hit a home run for iOS 7 with a brand new interface (flatter, of course), a new league-wide scoreboard functionality and inline video playback. I've included a few screenshots of the new design and some additional tidbits right below the fold...

OS X Mavericks bug allows security researcher to capture nearly all SSL encrypted traffic

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

The nasty SSL bug was found in iOS last week that opens the door to a dangerous man-in-the-middle attack which makes it easy for attackers to intercept communications and steal sensitive info like usernames, passwords and even credit card numbers, by posing as a trusted website.

Apple quickly squashed the dangerous bug with the release of iOS 7.0.6. If you're jailbroken, you can patch the SSL exploit without updating to iOS 7.0.6 (here's how).

Unfortunately, Apple hasn't yet issued an urgent OS X fix for the exploit, meaning Mac users are left out in the cold and at risk of having their personal information and passwords hijacked.

One security researcher from New Zealand has now confirmed that the vulnerability is more dangerous than previously thought: virtually all encrypted traffic to be intercepted, including iCloud data, Keychain enrollment, certificate from apps like Twitter and more...