Move over, Alexa: Apple is reportedly finalizing design for its rumored Siri/AirPlay device

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 27, 2017

Australian leakster Sonny Dickson shared on Twitter this morning some pretty interesting development concerning Apple's rumored standalone Siri device. According to Sonny'a tweet, Apple is currently finalizing designs for its Alexa competitor which he claims is expected to be “marketed as a Siri/AirPlay device.”

The description might indicate that the rumored device could be positioned as an inexpensive HDMI dongle focused on streaming, AirPlay and Siri, akin to Google Chromecast. Bloomberg reported last September that such a device was in prototype testing.

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Puff Daddy’s documentary hitting Apple Music on June 25

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 27, 2017

Billboard reported Thursday that a new documentary about Sean “Diddy” Combs aka Puff Daddy is coming exclusively to Apple Music on June 25. Titled “Can't Stop, Won't Stop: A Bad Boy Story,” it chronicles Combs' and his record label's precipitous rise in the mid-90s to the top of the music business.

Among other topics, the film deals with “the trials and tribulations” Combs faced in putting together last year's 20th anniversary Bad Boy reunion shows in two weeks time and with artists who hadn't performed in years, noted Billboard.

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Samsung’s Q1 results: mobile business declines, worries about iPhone 8, Note 8 coming

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 27, 2017

Samsung Electronics on Thursday posted financial results for the first calendar quarter ended March 31, 2017. While the South Korean conglomerate increased both revenue and profit from the year-ago quarter, the growth is attributed mainly to Samsung's lucrative components business as its mobile segment actually shrank year-over-year.

The firm appears worried about Apple's upcoming iPhone 8, cautioning that its mobile unit could suffer as “market competition is expected to intensify” in the second half of 2017.

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Increase the performance of 3D Touch menus with Smooth3D

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 27, 2017

3D Touch is a fast and convenient way to access app shortcuts from the Home screen. On the other hand, because jailbreakers with older devices wanted in on the action, numerous 3D Touch simulation tweaks quickly made it to Cydia to allow non-supported devices to access these shortcuts.

Unfortunately, as slower devices gained support for simulated 3D Touch menus, some users found that the blur effect of the background and menus impacted device performance, and that’s why iOS developer Demy Kromhof released a new free jailbreak tweak called Smooth3D.

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This tweak keeps your music playing while you record video

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 27, 2017

If you’ve ever tried listening to music and recording video from the Camera app at the same time, then you’ve probably noticed the app is designed to automatically silence your music the moment you tap on the record button.

A new free jailbreak tweak called Dndmymusic by iOS developer Demy Kromhof circumvents this restriction by allowing you to continue listening to music as you record footage from the Camera app.

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Twitter planning to air live video 24/7

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2017
Twitter's bird logo set against a transparent background

Twitter has hinted at plans to eventually air live video 24/7 via both its website and app. That's coming from the mouth of its CFO and COO Anthony Noto, who discussed plans for an always-on Twitter with BuzzFeed News on Wednesday morning, ahead of the company’s earnings report.

Refusing to offer a timetable for the feature, he did acknowledge that the micro-blogging platform wants to build on the more than 800 hours of live shows it aired in the first three months of 2017, including live sports, election coverage and programming from Bloomberg, BuzzFeed and the like.

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Photoshoot: limited-edition Apple Watch NikeLab

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2017

Apple and Nike recently announced Apple Watch NikeLab, basically a co-branded limited-xdition Apple Watch Series 2 using a Space Gray aluminum case paired with a new Light Bone band in a creamy color combination featuring black perforations. The device is arriving Thursday, April 27, and now Highsnobiety has posted some pretty gorgeous hands-on photos ahead of tomorrow's release.

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Amazon new hands-free camera judges your outfit in comparison with others

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2017

Online retail giant Amazon today introed a hands-free camera which has been specifically designed to judge your wardrobe choices in comparison with others. Dubbed Echo Look, it features built-in LED lighting, depth sensing, machine learning and Alexa-driven voice features.

Working in conjunction with the free mobile app for iOS and Android, it lets you snap a photo or shoot a short video of your outfit with a simple voice command. Data from the onboard depth-sensing sensor lets the device blur out your background to focus on your wardrobe.

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New iPhone 8 schematic hints at wireless charging, vertically stacked cameras & no rear Touch ID

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2017

Multiple sources, including KK Leaks, OnLeaks and Benjamin Geskin, have tweeted out this claimed iPhone 8 schematic obtained from an unknown source. The alleged technical drawing may help cast light on some of the more prominently rumored features of the OLED-based device, namely wireless charging, a vertically aligned dual-lens camera on the back and—thankfully—no rear Touch ID. We cannot vouch for the legitimacy of the leaked diagram so you're advised to approach this report with some skepticism.

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Chinese ride-hailing service Didi to receive $5B in funding for automated driving expansion

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2017

Chinese ride-hailing giant Didi Chuxing is near an agreement to raise $5 billion to $6 billion for automated driving expansion, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The financing round will lift Didi’s valuation to a cool $50 billion, up from a previous $34 billion after its acquisition of Uber’s China business. It would make the Beijing-based company the country's top startup by market valuation, even surpassing handset maker Xiaomi, and the most valuable startup in the world after Uber.

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These renders conceptualize all-glass iPhone 8 with stainless steel frame

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2017

Last year, KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo speculated that nearly a dozen iPhone prototypes Apple's been testing in its labs probably include an iPhone 8 prototype with iPhone 4/4s-like design using chemically hardened curved glass on both its front and back.

To give you a visual idea of what an all-glass iPhone might look and possibly feel like, we're showcasing conceptual renderings created by artist Steel Drake. His work is a great attempt at visualizing a future OLED-based iPhone with the glass sandwich design held together by the stainless steel edges.

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