iPhone News

Instagram quietly removes option to disable video autoplay

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 9, 2016

Late last month, Facebook-owned Instagram finally received its somewhat dull iOS 7-inspired update. I say dull because the redesign feels a tad rushed out and a bit rough around the edges. More importantly, not many people have noticed that yesterday's minor maintenance update has killed off the tremendously useful video auto-play toggle.

Although iTunes release notes for Instagram 4.2.2 innocently list only "bug fixes and performance improvements," in reality the new build has stealthily removed the useful Instagram > Settings > Auto-Play Videos switch.

This may not seem like a big deal, but consider for a moment the fact that the vast majority of iPhoneography fans turn to Instagram to enjoy beautiful photos.

Conversely, not many people give a heck about video on Instagram. Instagram disappointedly has never provided an option to block all video content from a user's feed so you don't need me to tell you that enforcing auto-play on videos isn't really helping anyone but Instagram itself...

F1 Challenge races its way into App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Fans of Formula 1 racing, rejoice! Games maker Codemasters today released F1 Challenge (a $2.99 download) on the App Store with more than 90 racing events. This is a licensed videogame so you're getting the officially licensed cars from manufacturers such as Ferrari and McLaren, in addition to the drivers and teams from the 2012 season.

F1 Challenge lets you race against such names as Scuderia Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes’ Jenson Button and Lotus F1 Team’s Kimi Räikkönen. Graphics look top-notch and I've included a few screenshots and some video evidence right after the break...

Chrome’s share of total iOS web traffic doubles since last year

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2013

Google's Chrome went from zero market share to becoming the world's most popular desktop web browser in just five years. And since its release on Apple's iOS platform in June 2012, Chrome's been consistently the top third-party browser on the App Store (free download), making its way on a lot of people's Home screens. Research firm Chitika estimates that Chrome's share of web traffic coming from the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices has doubled since June 2012 launch.

Just 24 hours into its launch Chrome became the App Store's most popular free app and grabbed an estimated 1.5 percent share of total iOS web traffic. Today, Google's iOS browser accounts for three percent of total iOS web traffic...

Here’s Jony Ive-designed, aluminum-clad (RED) Desk

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2013

If I had tens of thousands of dollars to burn on various objects of affection, I'd make a bid for this ultimate work desk, created by Apple's senior vice president of design Jony Ive and industrial designer Marc Newson. It's another item among the more than 40 limited-edition objects designed by Ive and Newson and slated to be auctioned off on November 23 on the behalf of Bono’s Product RED initiative, well-regarded for its long-running partnership with Apple...

Missing Doctor Who episodes found and digitally remastered, available exclusively on iTunes

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2013

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) announced on Friday that nine long-missing episodes of Doctor Who have been discovered. All of the episodes date back to the Patrick Troughton years and include two stories from the Second Doctor’s era – The Enemy of the World and The Web of Fear.

Nearly five decades after they were last seen, these episodes have been digitally remastered and made available for rent exclusively through iTunes...

iFixit’s internals-exposing wallpapers for the iPhone 5s/5c

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Every week, iDB brings you a handful of our favorite device backgrounds in our 'Wallpapers of the week' series. Now, typically these images consist of solid-color graphics, textures, or gradients—a popular post-iOS 7 brush.

But for those looking for something a little more edgy than all of that, you might be interested in these new wallpapers from iFixit. These hi-res images show the guts of your iPhone 5s or 5c, giving you a sort of see-through effect...

Analyst believes iWatch will be much more than an iPhone companion

Cody Lee ∙ October 11, 2013

Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White issued an interesting research note late yesterday, offering up insight on Apple's future product plans. White claims that after meeting with a component supplier, he has a much better idea of what to expect out of Cupertino.

On the iPhone front, the analyst echoes his colleagues, saying that he is 'very confident' that 2014 will be the year of the larger iPhone—and for what it's worth, he's saying 5-inches. But his most interesting comments are in regards to the oft-rumored iWatch project...

XCOM: Enemy Unknown updated with new multiplayer mode, goes half price

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

If you're amongst the iOS gamers that thought XCOM: Enemy Unknown looked awesome when it hit earlier this year, but was way too expensive, we've got some great news for you: it's 50% off right now.

That's right, alongside a 1.3 update that adds asynchronous multiplayer, full Game Center support and other new features, the popular strategy-action game has been discounted down from $19.99 to $9.99...

Jony Ive on designing the one-off Leica M for (RED) camera

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 10, 2013

Apple's SVP of Design Jony Ive recently teamed up with Australia-born Marc Newson (another influential industrial designer who conceives designs for aircraft, furniture, jewelry and clothing) to create a one-of-a-kind, aluminum-clad Leica Rangefinder for Product (RED).

Vanity Fair sat with the two men to discuss various topics ranging from design in general to collaborating on the special-edition Leica camera to how it felt creating a product that'll ultimately be enjoyed by just one user...

Apple reportedly cutting iPhone 5c production in half

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

When Apple announced that the pricing for the plastic iPhone 5c would only come in $100 less than its flagship 5s, the entire tech world let out a harmonious gasp. The handset, which we had all known about for months prior, was supposed to retail in the $300 range.

A lot of folks predicted that the higher pricing would lead to the device's downfall. And it may have. Apple didn't announce any sales numbers after the 5c's opening weekend, and today, a new report is out claiming that the company is cutting production in half...

Launch Center Pro 2.0 is out with new design, Dropbox support and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 13, 2018

Launch Center Pro hit the App Store last summer to rave reviews. The app, which is created by the folks at Contrast, allows users to setup shortcuts for performing iOS actions like launching apps, sending messages and more.

Today, Contrast posted a significant update for the app, bringing it to version 2.0. The update brings about a number of new features and improvements, including a new iOS 7-inspired design, Dropbox support, and more...

Apple seen poaching BlackBerry employees in Ontario

Cody Lee ∙ October 10, 2013

With the future of BlackBerry up in the air, it's no surprise that the company's more talented employees have begun looking for a new home. And apparently, Apple is hoping that at least some of them find their new home in Cupertino.

According to a new report, the iPad-maker has begun poaching BlackBerry talent via a recruitment drive near the BlackBerry offices in Ontario. And it's offering up both relocation and immigration assistance to hirable candidates...