iPhone News

Now iTunes activation servers are experiencing outage

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2013

Just when I thought Apple has started to recover from the Dev Center breach and that the brouhaha couldn't get any worse, now comes word that iTunes activation servers have been experiencing an extended outage for the past few hours. No matter how you look at this, it's another blunder for Apple.

Without iTunes servers working, customers are unable to activate their handsets. Apple's servers used to melt under heavy load before, but it always happened shortly after a new iPhone had gone on sale (2007/2008/2009 iPhone launches), never mid-cycle like today.

It was unclear at post time whether this development had anything to do with a breach last Thursday which prompted Apple to take the entire Dev Center down...

How to download Vine videos directly to your Camera Roll

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 12, 2018

VineDownloader is a very simple jailbreak tweak that does exactly what its name promises that it will. If you've always wanted the ability to be able to save your favorite Vines, then you'll be happy to know that this tweak does it, and it does it quite well. VineDownloader is available right now on Cydia's BigBoss repo for $0.99. Take a look inside, as we go hands-on with the tweak on video...

New in iOS 7: smart ‘send from’ in Mail

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2013

Just a quick note regarding a nice little feature discovery in Apple's stock Mail app in iOS 7 that I haven't seen reported on thus far.

Prior to iOS 7, creating a new message in the stock Mail app would normally default to your 'send from' email address specified in the Settings app. iOS 7 has changed this behavior, for the better.

You see, Mail in iOS 7 is smart enough to over time learn who you're emailing and changes the 'send from' value accordingly to match the recipient's domain. I've included screenshots and the full description right after the break...

Preview: InstaLauncher

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

InstaLauncher is an upcoming jailbreak tweak that allows you to add a custom launcher to the iPhone. It a tweak that lets you launch any app on your device in a quick and efficient fashion. I think it's safe to say that many will be intrigued by InstaLauncher. Take a look inside at our preview before the tweak officially releases.

As Apple misses a beat, Amazon is Retina-fying Kindle lineup

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2013

Hot on the heels of yesterday's Google event which saw, among other goodies, introduction of the second-generation Nexus 7 tablet with an improved 1,920-by-1,200 screen, the Kindle maker Amazon is now said to be refreshing its Fire tablet family around higher-resolution displays, too.

And as Apple and its Asian suppliers scramble to solve manufacturing challenges that continue to plague a second-generation iPad mini, Amazon's top-of-the-line Kindle reportedly features a significantly overhauled display that packs 30 percent more pixels than the Retina iPad, into a smaller 8.9-inch screen compared to Apple's 9.7-inch device. Ouch!

Apple issues charger advisory in China

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 25, 2013

Following a widely reported fatality involving a Chinese stewardess who got electrocuted by her iPhone charger (just weeks from her wedding), Apple has posted a statement to its China web site recommending customers use only authorized chargers.

Ten days ago, a Chinese newspaper reported that 23-year-old China Airlines flight attendant Ma Ailun suffered a fatal electric shock when she answered a call using her iPhone that was recharging. Major media outlets picked up the report, creating another PR nightmare in Apple's "most important market" (Cook's words from earlier this year)...

Apple’s latest major acquisition: Apple

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated April 18, 2016

Philip Elmer-DeWitt, writing for Fortune:

Last quarter, Apple finally made a major acquisition. And what did it buy?

It bought Apple.

By my calculation, the company spent $16 billion last quarter ($4 billion in cash, $12 billion through the so-called accelerated share repurchase program) to purchase 36 million of its own shares at an average price of just over $444.

For that amount, Apple could have bought three Nokias or three BlackBerrys...

In emotional interview, Ashton Kutcher reflects on Steve Jobs’ legacy

Cody Lee ∙ July 25, 2013

It seems like the tech world collectively chuckled and rolled its eyes when it found out that Ashton Kutcher—the stoner star from That 70's Show and Hollywood's go-to guy for b-rated romantic comedies—was going to be playing Steve Jobs in a feature film.

But Kutcher has turned more than a few heads with his portrayal of Apple's co-founder in Open Road Films' 'Jobs.' And looking at this clip of his appearance on Jay Leno's Tonight Show from last night, he obviously had tremendous respect for the man...

New Apple invention detects usage patterns to save iPhone battery life

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

Longer battery life is one of those things that's usually at the top of people's smartphone feature wish list. I know it is mine. But unfortunately, there hasn't been any major new developments in mobile battery tech over the last few years.

Companies like Motorola are figuring it out though. The Google-owned maker just introduced a new handset with a staggering 48-hour battery life. And according to this patent application just published by the USPTO, Apple is too...

Algoriddim launches djay 2 for iPhone and iPad

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Algoriddim has launched its highly anticipated djay 2 app for the iPhone and iPad this morning. The title is the sequel to the studio's popular, and what some believe to be the best, DJ app of the same name, and it brings about tons of new features and improvements.

Among those new features is a built-in sampler—complete with 12 pads and recorder—HD waveforms, an all new slip mode that lets you scratch without ruining your session, and enhanced hardware controller support. More details and screenshots after the fold...

Amid continuing outage, Apple launches Dev Center status dashboard

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 24, 2013

Seven days into the Dev Center outage and there's no end in sight to this major blunder. Developers use Apple's Dev Center to access technical documentation, download iOS 7 and OS X beta builds, file bug reports, give feedback, use web tools to manage their code and much more.

Therefore, this downtime is entirely unacceptable and it's become totally conceivable now that such a significant downtime might spoil Apple's blockbuster Fall. Realizing as much, the firm on Wednesday posted a notice outlining its steps going forward.

And, a brand new dashboard status page charts Apple's recovery from the hack...

Apple’s Q4 guidance suggests we’ll see a new iPhone in September

Cody Lee ∙ July 24, 2013

During Apple's quarterly earnings call yesterday afternoon, Tim Cook said something along the lines of "Apple has some great stuff coming in the fall." While the comment is vague, Apple's Q4 guidance may shine some light on when exactly we can expect to see new products.

Apple said that it expects revenue of $34 billion to $37 billion in the September quarter, with gross margins between 36 and 37%. And, according to BTIG analyst Walt Piecyk, those numbers only make sense if the company introduces some new hardware in September...