LargeCCKnobs brings iOS 10-style slider knobs to your iOS 9 device

One of the things Apple changed from iOS 9 to iOS 10 is the size of the knobs that appear on the adjustment bars for volume level and song scrubber. The latter has larger knobs, which make grabbing onto them a little easier than in earlier versions of iOS.

If you’re jailbroken on iOS 9, and you want the same characteristics from iOS 10 to fall in your lap, then you’ll find a new free jailbreak tweak called LargeCCKnobs quite useful.

Apple hires Dropcam co-founder Greg Duffy

Former CEO and co-founder of Dropcam Greg Duffy has joined Apple, reports The Information. A company spokesman has confirmed the high profile hiring to the outlet, but would not comment on what his role would be in Cupertino.

iOS 10.2.1 and jailbreaking: what are my options?

What with the release of iOS 10.2.1 and the soon-to-be-closed signing window for iOS 10.2, many people are wondering what the best strategy is for their device. Should they stick with a jailbroken firmware or jump to iOS 10? If they're already without a jailbreak, which iOS version do they need to be on to make sure they get one? What do they need to do to be able to upgrade to iOS 10.2 later, and keep their jailbreak for now?

In this article, we'll quickly go through what we consider the smartest options for each device and iOS version, so that you can (hopefully) make an informed decision.

Extensively updated to reflect beta release of Yalu for 10.2.

Facebook is about to clone Snapchat again, this time in its mainline mobile app

Facebook didn't stop at ripping off Snapchat's Stories feature with auto-vanishing slideshows on Instagram. According to a Wednesday report from Business Insider, the social network is currently testing a similar feature in its mainline mobile app.

A company spokesperson told the publication that Facebook Stories will soon start appearing at the top of the mobile Facebook app, allowing you to tap each circle to see a friend's story.

Siri for Apple Watch is about to get much more useful

In addition to highlighting a new Theater Mode in watchOS 3.2, Apple yesterday announced that the upcoming software update will also enable support for Siri in third-party Apple Watch apps. As you probably know by now, the SiriKit framework made its debut in iOS 10.

It's an officially sanctioned way for developers to enrich their apps for messaging, payments, ride-booking, workouts, calling and searching photos with Siri interactions.

With SiriKit support in watchOS 3.2, developers can add spoken commands to Apple Watch apps to let users ask the personal assistant on their wrist to do things like book a ride, send a message, make a payment or accomplish other supported tasks.

iOS 10.3 brings support for Verizon Wi-Fi Calling on other iCloud-connected devices

U.S. wireless carriers like AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile have supported Wi-Fi Calling for some time now, with AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile also supporting Wi-Fi Calling on other iCloud-connected devices like iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch and Mac. According to user reports on MacRumors' forums, iOS 10.3 beta 1 supports Integrated Calling on Verizon.

With this handy feature, compatible iCloud-signed devices can make and receive calls using your carrier's account even when your iPhone isn't nearby.

Apple will soon allow developers to respond publicly to App Store reviews

Following yesterday's release of iOS 10.3 and macOS Sierra 10.12.4 betas, Apple announced new features allowing iPhone, iPad and Mac developers to respond publicly to reviews on App Store and Mac App Store while letting customers provide ratings and reviews without leaving their app.

Speaking to The Loop's Jim Dalrymple and Daring Fireball's John Gruber, the Cupertino company provided some noteworthy highlights outlining the upcoming App Store review policy changes.

How to use Travel Time in Calendar on iPhone and Mac

Travel Time is a nifty addition to Apple’s Calendar app, capable of precisely estimating the duration of your upcoming trip based on parameters such as milage and traffic. Used properly, it can notably ease some of your daily scheduling woes, but paradoxically, a large contingent of regular Calendar users still routinely overlook the feature.

Formerly introduced as frequent locations and traffic conditions widgets, the service has only slowly gained traction amongst users. Travel Time today however has come of age and is now neatly integrated into one of the most popular productivity applications both on iOS and macOS. So if you didn’t get the memo on the virtues of Travel Time in Calendar, here’s what you need to know.

WSJ: Japan Display creating flexible LCD panels for 2018 iPhones

iPhone display supplier Japan Display has devised new manufacturing processes for mass production of flexible liquid crystal display (LCD) panels. According to a report Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal, Apple is considering using flexible LCD panels in iPhones launching in 2018 and beyond.

This is an interesting development in light of rumors that iPhone 8 will be equipped with a flexible organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen. While not as flexible as curved OLED panels, Japan Display's new processes do allow for the creation of bendable LCDs that support designs like Samsung's curved-screen Galaxy Edge series.

Setapp launches publicly: get unlimited access to 60+ paid Mac apps for a flat monthly fee

Developer MacPaw's new Netflix-like subscription service for prime Mac apps has been in invite-only beta since December 2016. Beginning today, Setapp is available to everyone in exchange for a flat monthly fee of $9.99. An alternative to Apple’s Mac App Store, Setapp gives you unlimited access to 61 Mac apps, with more to be added as additional developers join the service. These are fully functional apps that update automatically and contain no In-App Purchases, paid upgrades or ads.