Chrome 57 hits Mac, Windows and Linux

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 10, 2017

Google yesterday released Chrome 57 for Mac, Windows and Linux. The release contains a number of fixes and improvements, as well as a bunch of improvements mostly focused on Android and Chrome OS devices. The browser brings a major feature for web developers: a new grid layout system allowing​ programmers to easily create web designs for a variety of screen sizes. On the iOS side, Google is currently testing a Safari-like Reading List feature for saving webpages for later.

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Google is bringing Safari-like Reading List feature to Chrome for iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 10, 2017

Safari for iPhone, iPad and Mac has long included a tremendously useful Reading List feature that allows you to save your favorite webpages and access them easily between devices—even without an Internet connection. Google has been working on its own version of Reading List and it's slated to arrive in an upcoming update to Chrome for iOS, as reported by 9to5Mac. Like with Reading List on Safari, this nifty new addition will let Chrome users save articles and webpages for offline reading at a later date.

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Cortana 2.0 for iPhone brings overhauled interface and faster performance

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 10, 2017

Microsoft today rolled out a major update to its Cortana personal assistant app for iPhone, with enhancements like faster page transitions, improved app responsiveness and overhauled user interface all part of the update. The new version arrived three months after its release on Android. Design improvements in Cortana 2.0, a free download from App Store, include a fresh new look with an improved user experience, immersive full-page answers and overhauled calling, texting and reminders.

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Upcoming tweak will bring new features to your AirPods

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 10, 2017
AirPods

AirPods are a hot commodity among iPhone users these days. In fact, they’re so popular that Apple can’t even keep up with the incredible demand they’re receiving from consumers.

That aside, users will soon have the ability to use their jailbreak to customize the way their AirPods work. iOS developer LaughingQuoll is currently working on a new jailbreak tweak called Siliqua that's specifically designed for using your AirPods in a bevy of new ways.

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Hilarious gag tweak adds government surveillance toggle switches to your jailbroken iPhone

Anthony Bouchard ∙ March 10, 2017

Amid all the recent buzz surrounding Wikileaks and government agencies hoarding security holes for surveillance purposes, it seemed like the perfect time for iOS developer wizages to release a fun gag jailbreak tweak dubbed Build That Wall.

This tweak adds a few new switches to your device for togging surveillance from various government agencies on or off on demand.

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Protect your AirPods case with PodPockets

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

If you are lucky enough to own a set of AirPods, you love them, you take them everywhere, you show them to everyone, you run back into the house if you forget them. You are constantly grabbing and going these little wizards, which by most standards, are the best technology forward product Apple released in 2016. With all Apple products, I want to keep them safe and sound, but the high polish white plastic does not hold up very well against scratches.

Within about two days, my AirPods case was scratched and ruined. I use ruined fairly loosely, but any scratch on my Apple products is a total travesty. Thankfully, I stumbled across PodPockets, which now safely cradle my AirPods case.

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Head of Apple’s speech team explains how Siri learns new languages

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 9, 2017

Just how exactly does Siri learn a new language? In today's interview with Reuters, Apple's speech team head Alex Acero offered a behind-the-scenes look at how Siri is being taught new languages, a process that involves script-writing, capturing voices in multiple accents and dialects and using machine learning and artificial intelligence to build and evolve new language models over time. The system requires a team of people tasked with reading passages of manually transcribed text.

Before actually updating Siri, Apple first rolls out Dictation support for a new language.

Siri currently speaks 21 languages in 36 countries. By comparison, Microsoft's Cortana supports eight languages tailored for thirteen countries, Google Assistant speaks four languages while Amazon's Alexa works only in English and German.

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Developers required to submit a new app version before updating App Store descriptions [U]

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 9, 2017

Developers could refresh App Store's meta data for their apps at any time, but not anymore. According to 9to5Mac, which first spotted the change, Apple's iTunesConnect tool for developers used for editing metadata now requires that a new version of the app be submitted for review before its description, release notes and other metadata can be edited. Any changes made to an app's metadata won't go live on App Store until the new binary has been approved by Apple's editorial team.

UPDATE: Several developers we talked to have confirmed that this was indeed a glitch in the system, saying they're now able to update an app's description and other meta data without submitting a new binary for approval.

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Facebook Messenger now lets everyone post status updates that disappear after 24 hours

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 9, 2017

Facebook announced Thursday that a feature in its mobile Messenger app that allows people to post auto-disappearing photos and videos has now begun rolling out globally following a previous soft launch in select countries like Poland and Australia. They're calling it Messenger Day because anything you post there disappears automatically after 24 hours, just like with Instagram Stories or those auto-vanishing status updates on WhatsApp.

You're in full control of the scope of your Messenger Day and can choose to share it with everyone on the service, people you're friends with or cherry-picked contacts.

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How to check Activation Lock status via Apple’s support pages

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 22, 2022

In the past, you could check the Activation Lock on a dedicated official iCloud page by entering the IMEI number. However, Apple removed it a few years back. Now the only reliable option to check a device's Activation Lock is by having physical access to that iPhone or iPad.

But, there is a workaround that might work for some. So the tutorial below talks about that trick which involves using the Apple Support page to check the Activation Lock. If it works for you, great! If it doesn't, you can follow these tips to check Activation Lock before buying a used iPhone.

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Google Photos picks up auto white balance editing feature in latest update

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 9, 2017

Google Photos for iPhone and iPad has picked up a brand new editing feature—auto white balance. Requiring Google Photos for iOS version 2.11, the app's improved Auto Enhance tool now includes white balance correction that adjusts the white tone of your images to make them pop and given them a more natural look. Launch Google Photos on your device, select a look and the app will now correct not only exposure and saturation, but also automatically correct the white balance of the image.

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