iDownloadBlog.com

Apple testing next-generation 5G technology

Cody Lee ∙ May 23, 2017

Apple is testing next-generation 5G wireless technologies, according to documents recently made public by the FCC. Business Insider points to the filing, in which the iPhone maker asks the Commission for an experimental license to use a new wireless technology called 'millimeter wave.'

Apple Inc. seeks to assess cellular link performance in direct path and multipath environments between base station transmitters and receivers using this spectrum. These assessments will provide engineering data relevant to the operation of devices on wireless carriers’ future 5G networks.

Apple intends to transmit from two fixed points located at Apple-controlled facilities in Cupertino and Milpitas, CA. These transmissions will be consistent with the parameters and equipment identified in Apple’s accompanying Form 442, and will include the use of a horn antenna with a half-power beamwidth of 20 degrees in the E-plane and H-plane and a downtilt between 20 - 25 degrees. Apple anticipates that it will conduct its experiments for a period not to exceed 12 months.

Interestingly enough, one of the bands Apple intends to test (28GHz) has been allocated for earth-to-space transmissions. It was reported last month that Apple is recruiting satellite experts for a secret hardware team. The company is also currently in a legal battle with wireless chip supplier Qualcomm.

Here in the US, major carriers like Verizon and AT&T have pledged to start rolling out their 5G networks to major markets later this year. T-Mobile and Sprint both hope to have 5G towers up and running by 2020.

Source: Business Insider

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus get a stable jailbreak on iOS 10.1.1 with extra_recipe+yaluX

Joaquim Barbosa ∙ Updated June 2, 2017

Developer xerub has just released an updated version of Ian Beer's mach_portal exploit, entitled extra_recipe. This new iteration should resolve the stability issues which have been plaguing iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus users on the iOS 10.1.1 jailbreak.

Yalu creator Luca Todesco has in turn picked up the extra_recipe code and paired it with his Yalu jailbreak, compiling the project into a downloadable .ipa to create extra_recipe+yaluX, which effectively replaces his previous yalu+mach_portal tool.

Not to be outdone by Instagram, Snapchat unveils custom Stories of its own

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

Just a few hours following Instagram's announcement regarding all-new location and hashtag-based Stories in the app's Explore tab, rival Snapchat just announced custom Stories of its own. Now there's a new way to create Stories in Snapchat 10.9 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

You can create a custom Story in a specific location or with your cherry-picked friends. “It's perfect for a trip, a birthday party or a new baby Story just for the family,” notes Snap.

Tap the Create Story icon in the top-right corner of the Stories screen to get started.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohN8cv7nUmA

Song: “Sunroof” by courtship

Of course, you have the tools at your disposal to control who can add to your Story and who can view it. And by using geofencing, you can attach your Story to a specific location. Your custom Story disappears automatically if no one has contributed to it in the past 24 hours.

Aside from custom Stories, this edition of Snapchat puts your own Bitmoji selfie inside your Snapcode. To change the mood of your Bitmoji, just tap the Edit Bitmoji command.

Grab Snapchat for free on App Store.

Upcoming HomeKit support will let you voice-control your Ikea smart lighting

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

Furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories giant Ikea announced on Tuesday that its inexpensive Trådfri smart lighting system will soon gain support for HomeKit, Apple's smart home management platform.

German publication iPhone-ticker.de reports that Ikea is readying a software update to its Trådfri app to make its smart lighting products controllable not only via Apple's HomeKit system, but also through Amazon's Echo and Google's Home smart speakers.

The new firmware update should arrive in the summer.

HomeKit will let you use Siri to voice-control Ikea's smart bulbs and incorporate HomeKit-enabled Ikea products in your custom scenes through Apple's Home app on iPhone and iPad.

The official Trådfri app, seen below, allows different family members to easily customize the light and atmosphere however they want, depending on their activity (i.e. choose a light for early mornings, another for late evenings and a third for cooking or working at home).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5blA3EgaDpI

Announced in March 2017, Ikea's extensive smart lighting lineup sports plug-and-play simplicity at significantly lower prices than similar systems from the likes of Philips and others.

Starting at $12 a piece, for instance, Ikea's smart bulbs cost half as much as Philips' Hue range at $30 per white bulb (goes all the way up to $50 per bulb if you want color). With Ikea's app, you can dim, turn off, turn on and switch your Ikea smart bulbs from warm to cold light.

The full range of smart lighting systems from Ikea includes LED bulbs, dimming lights, illuminated panels, a motion sensor kit and a gateway device. It was unclear at the time of this writing whether or not Ikea is planning on eventually making its whole range of smart products for the connected home compatible with the HomeKit platform, which would be splendid.

Apple promotes human resources chief Denise Young Smith to VP of Diversity and Inclusion

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Apple has created a new Vice President role for its Diversity and Inclusion team. Denise Young Smith, who was Apple's Vice President of Worldwide Human Resources, will now head diversity programs for the Cupertino giant, according to her updated LinkedIn profile.

For more than a decade, Denise sat on the leadership team that built Apple’s retail organization. Before retail, the executive ran human resources for Apple’s Worldwide Operations and Corporate Employee Relations teams.

Prior to joining Apple in 1997, she offered talent, HR and management consulting expertise to early-stage businesses including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers portfolio companies.

Apple's holistic view of diversity looks beyond the usual measurements to include the varied perspectives of its employees, according to its Inclusion & Diversity webpage.

“Diversity is more than any one gender, race or ethnicity,” the webpage quotes Young Smith as saying. “It’s richly representative of all people, all backgrounds, and all perspectives. It is the entire human experience.”

Young Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in Communications and a master’s degree in Organizational Management from Grambling State University in Louisiana.

Her new position means Apple will be without a permanent Vice President of Human Resources. As per sources, Luca Maestri, the company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, will fill that role temporarily.

iTunes carrier billing expands to France and Turkey

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

If you live in France or Turkey and don't have a credit or debit card, you can now buy apps, media and Apple Music subscriptions from Apple's content stores and have those purchases billed to a monthly mobile phone bill from your carrier.

iTunes carrier billing in France is currently supported for Bouygues Telecom customers.

In Turkey, the feature works with Paycell.

According to Apple, carrier billing is now available in the following countries:

Austria (Drei) Belgium (Pay by Mobile) France (Bouygues Telecom) Germany (Vodafone, O2 and partner brands) Italy (Three) Japan (KDDI, Softbank and NTT DOCOMO) Norway (Telenor) Russia (Beeline and Megafon) Saudi Arabai (Zain) Singapore (M1 Limited) Switzerland (Swisscom) Taiwan (APTG, FET, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile and T Star) Turkey (Turkcell) United Arab Emirates (Etisalat and Du)

Our step-by-step tutorial explains the process of setting up carrier billing as a payment method for App Store, iTunes Store and iBooks Store purchases across your devices.

Instagram rolls out location and hashtag Stories in Explore tab

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

Photo-sharing service Instagram today announced that all-new location and hashtag-enabled Stories are now available through the app's Explore tab. These newly added Stories features require Instagram version 10.22 for iPhone and iPad, available at no charge via App Store.

“Now you can see what’s happening around you and find stories related to your interests,” says Instagram. Location-based Stories appear in a new Story ring at the top of Explore.

Additionally, you can now search for any location around the world.

When you search for a location, you'll see a Story ring for that place at the top of the location page. Location and hashtag-enabled Stories appear at the top of the Explore tab only if their creators have used location stickers or a new hashtag sticker.

“We’re also beginning to introduce hashtag stories on Explore to help you find Stories related to your interests,” added the company. “When you search for a hashtag, you may see a Story ring at the top of the page filled with Stories using that hashtag.”

If your location or hashtag-enabled Story was included in the larger Story on Instagram, you’ll see a line at the top of your Stories viewer list which tells you how many people saw your Story as part of the larger Story. To use a location or hashtag sticker without your Story appearing on the Explore tab, tap the “X” on your Stories viewer list.

Instagram's previous update brought out Snapchat-like face filters for your selfies, an eraser brush and a new hashtag sticker. Location stories on Explore are available on iOS and Android as part of Instagram version 10.22 in App Store and Google Play.

Hashtag stories will be rolling out over the coming weeks.

You can learn more about these features in Instagram's Help Center.

Instagram for iOS is a free download from App Store.

Duet Display brings even more desktop power to your iPad drawing experience

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

Duet Display, an app billed as the first solution to turn your Apple tablet into a second display and a high-performance drawing tablet for your Mac or Windows PC, was updated on App Store today with some new features.

The new Duet Display now lets you have the drawing experience on your iPad with the speedy rendering and sheer hardware power of a desktop.

The update brings out a number of enhancements and new customizations, including a customized pressure curve, advanced gesture support, a more fluid drawing experience, improved color quality and more.

Here are the key highlights in this release of Duet Display:

Customized pressure curve—You can now change the way macOS or Windows receives the data, allowing for a personalized drawing experience. Advanced gestures—We have added a lot of gestures to both standard and pro users. This should make drawing and using your iPad as the primary device much simpler. Line lead—To provide a faster drawing experience, we have spent some time making a line preview to predict where the Pencil is before macOS or Windows knows where it is. We plan to continue improving this to create an instant drawing experience. Touch Bar—We implemented Touch Bar support last Christmas. Pro users have really benefitted the most as they are using their iPad more than their computer, so it makes quick interactions much faster. We have improved the stability and speed of it, and many more apps support Touch Bar now. Improved color quality—We have improved rendering quality and speed for pro users under the Pixel Perfect setting, delivering a higher quality display in less time. We plan to continue improving performance as much as we can.

Duet Display works over a USB connection as wired connections are significantly faster and far more responsive than wireless solutions. The app's speedy rendering engine has a much lower latency than Apple's AirPlay technology.

Duet Display has proven to be very valuable to artists, designers and video editors as it essentially replaces a Wacom drawing tablet with your iPad Pro and Apple Pencil.

The app supports finger drawing, too.

Aside from drawing support, Duet Display can be used to turn your iPad into a second screen for your Mac or Windows PC. For instance, you could use your iPad Pro to keep tabs on your social media feeds while editing a document on your Mac's primary display.

The ability to turn a supported iOS device an external monitor for a Mac should be especially handy while you're traveling or if you cannot afford an eternal display for your computer.

Duet Display for iOS is a $19.99 value on App Store.

To celebrate today's update, the app is on sale today for $9.99.

A pro-level upgrade which unlocks the ability to use your Apple tablet as a drawing tablet for your computer costs an additional $19.99 per year as an in-app subscription.

Duet Display 2.0 for Mac or Windows is available directly from the official website.

Samsung reportedly signs new deal for OLED panel production for iPhone 9

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

The Korea Herald is reporting today that Samsung Display, the display-making unit of Samsung Electronics, recently signed yet another deal to build OLED panels for future iPhones. With up to 180 million screens demanded by the iPhone maker, this deal indicates that Apple is laying the groundwork for a much wider adoption of OLED panels in future iPhones.

The new deal is focused on supplying OLED panels for the new iPhone next year, tentatively called “iPhone 9”. To build OLEDs in 5.28 and 6.46-inch sizes, the conglomerate will break ground on a new factory in the South Chungcheong Province in South Korea.

The mentioned 6.46-inch size may point to a future iOS device, potentially due in 2018.

“The two companies have recently signed a non-disclosure agreement on general conditions, including the screen size,” said a source. “Other details such as screen design and functions could be adjusted considering the phone is still under development.”

Samsung Display is already supplying 80 million OLED screens for iPhone 8 this year. iPhone 8 is said to feature a 5.8-inch OLED screen with an active display area of 5.1 inches.

Image: CNC-machined iPhone 8 dummy via Benjamin Geskin

Indian government offers Apple tax incentives to boost local iPhone production

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

India has offered tax concessions to Apple to expand iPhone production in the country just days after it was announced that the Cupertino giant kicked off local iPhone SE production.

This is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's plans to boost local manufacturing.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, the central minister for Electronics and IT, told Reuters this morning that Apple has already approached the Indian government regarding potential expansion of its manufacturing facility in the southern Indian technology hub of Bengaluru, operated by its Taiwanese supplier Wistron which as of recently has been assembling iPhone SE there.

According to the news gathering organization, the Indian government has offered to permit Apple to import handset components intended for use in local manufacturing tax free.

Here's an excerpt from the article:

Among a set of tax concessions, Apple had initially sought a 15-years tax holiday for all components that it would import for setting up a manufacturing facility in India.

A panel of ministries rejected that demand and has offered a phased program to increase the share of local production in the manufacturing, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary at the Ministry of Electronics and IT said.

“We have offered them tax exemptions on those components which could not be manufactured in India,” Sundararajan told Reuters.

Local manufacturing component would have to be increased gradually, he added.

The tax concessions will be subject to the condition of increasing local value addition over a period of time, to which Apple has reportedly agreed to.

“It will be a little early to say that India and Apple have agreed on the common ground,“ cautioned a government official.

It's been speculated that Apple and Wistron began making iPhone SE in India as a way to lower the handset's price point in order to make it more affordable to Indian consumers.

Microsoft unveils fifth-generation Surface Pro

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 23, 2017

At today's media event held in Shanghai, China, where it promised to “show the world what's next,” software giant Microsoft announced a fifth-generation Surface tablet, now called Surface Pro. The tablet/notebook hybrid device is being launched globally on June 15, starting at $799, the same price its predecessor Surface Pro 4 started at.

Billed as “the most versatile laptop,” the new Surface has 13.5 hours of battery life, Intel's seventh-generation “Kaby Lake” Core processor (the same chip powering Microsoft's $999 Surface Laptop), a new Alcantara keyboard and a next-generation Surface Pen.

As per Microsoft, Surface Pro has up to 50 percent better performance and 50 percent better battery life than it predecessor and 35 percent better battery life than an iPad Pro. Its 12.3-inch PixelSense touch display supports Microsoft's Surface Dial and the new Surface Pen.

“Now better than ever, the new Surface Pro combines uncompromising mobility with exceptional power and performance,” says the Windows giant.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwWs2jIy4js

The device looks just like on the recently leaked press shots and includes a few new pen and keyboard colors. It sports a single USB Type-A port and Mini DisplayPort, along with a 3.5mm headphone jack and Microsoft's proprietary Surface Connect port, but no USB-C.

The new Surface Pro will be available globally on June 15, starting at $799. Microsoft is offering Type Covers, now known as Signature Type Covers, in four color finishes—Burgundy, Platinum, Graphite Gold and Cobalt Blue—mirroring the colors of its Surface Laptop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCTExFYvL1g

The improved Surface Pen stylus features increased pressure sensitivity with up to 4,096 pressure points (from 1,024), tilt that adjusts the thickness and texture of your ink granularly, based on the angle of your pen, for artistic shading and true real-time writing.

“Like putting pen to paper or brush to canvas, the new Surface Pen supports a natural, immersive experience that sets you free to create, learn, and express yourself in completely new ways,” explains Microsoft.

Lastly, the new Surface will be available in an LTE cellular-enabled variant, which will be arriving this fall at a yet-to-be-disclosed price.

For the first time, Microsoft will be selling Surface Pen separately for $99.

Pre-orders for the new Surface Pro and Surface Pro Signature Type Cover begins later today in select markets at Microsoft Store, Microsoft.com, BestBuy.com and JD.com where available.

The new Surface Pen will be available in the coming weeks.

Let’s Talk iOS 188: Learn as you go

Sébastien Page ∙ May 23, 2017

As Sebastien's family of Macs is sadly losing a member, Cody is still desperately trying to get rid one of his. Talks include rumors of new MacBook lineup, new iPad, new iPhone, and health and fitness.

Subscribe on iTunes

Support Let’s Talk iOS: Visit our Deals Store and buy something from us.