Apple denies throttling LTE performance of Verizon iPhone 7

Bloomberg today shared research conducted by Twin Prime and Cellular Insights in a story suggestively headlined “Apple's Chip Choices May Leave Some iPhone Users in Slow Lane” which asserts Apple may have throttled LTE performance of the Verizon iPhone 7 handsets to make them perform about as well as the AT&T iPhone 7 models.

Apple in a statement shot down the report and denied throttling, insisting there's “no discernible difference” in wireless performance between various iPhone 7 models.

Early MacBook Pro adopters confused by misidentified graphics in System Profiler

If you're a proud owner of a 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, you may be wondering why macOS's System Profiler application identifies the GPU as Intel Iris Pro 580 integrated graphics vs. Intel HD Graphics 530, as advertised on Tech Specs webpage.

No, Apple did not accidentally put the wrong GPU in the new MacBook Pro—a company source explains that the problem stems from an error in the System Information database causing the app to misidentify the GPU.

Twitter for iPhone and iPad gains support for rich notifications on iOS 10

Twitter for iPhone and iPad, a free download from the App Store, now supports rich notifications on iOS 10 that come complete with embedded images and the usual options for interacting with tweets without having to open the app.

Pressing a rich Twitter notification on the Lock screen or in the Notification Center with 3D Touch pulls up an expanded view of the tweet with an enlarged image thumbnail, along with the usual options such as Like and Retweet.

Teardown confirms both 13″ and 15″ Touch Bar MacBook Pros have non-removable SSDs

iFixit on Friday published its teardown analysis of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar (model number A1707), just two days after taking a peek under the hood of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. Comparing the two Touch Bar-equipped notebooks to the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar, which iFixit also disassembled, the repair site has confirmed that only the baseline 13-incher with a standard row of function keys has a removable SSD.

Google revamps Play Newsstand, adds For You recommendations, rich media, web app & more

Google earlier this week announced a major overhaul of the its magazine and news reader, Play Newsstand. The new version of the iPhone and iPad app sports a new app icon and provides a refreshed user interface alongside a few new “smart” features.

These include a personalized news briefing, a “For You” stream of personalized stories, support for rich media in articles, tab-based navigation and other perks.

Apple launches worldwide “Touch Disease” repair program for iPhone 6 Plus

Apple has finally acknowledged existence of so-called “Touch Disease” following a class action lawsuit regarding the issue. The problem has been plaguing a subset of iPhone 6 Plus owners for quite some time now, manifesting itself in the form of a flickering bar at the top of the display and general multi-touch unresponsiveness.

The firm denied responsibility because under the terms of a new worldwide program it's agreed to fix any affected iPhone 6 Plus devices, but for a $149 service fee.

How to mention someone in your Instagram story

If you’re an Instagram user and post often, then you probably enjoy the Story feature. You can use photos in your Instagram stories as well as capture short videos. So if you want to make another user a part of your story, you can “mention” them.

Here we’ll show you two easy ways to mention someone in your next Instagram story.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar now available for in-store pickup

Apple on Thursday made its new MacBook Pro with Touch Bar available for in-store pickup in the U.S. So for those of you who have been wanting to snag one, you can now use Apple's app or online store to check local inventory and reserve your laptop.

Non-Touch Bar MacBook Pro models have been available since they were unveiled in October, but Touch Bar models have only recently started to turn up in stores. The good news is, you can now track yours down from the comfort of your own home.

Get up to $200 off the new MacBook Pro + no tax outside NY

Folks in the market for Apple's new MacBook Pro will want to check out this sale going on at BHPhoto right now. The popular online retailer is offering significant deals on 13.3-inch, non-Touch Bar models with free shipping and no taxes outside New York.

The discounts range between $100 and $200, but with no taxes that could more than double. For example, I can buy the entry-level MacBook Pro for $1,399 (normally $1,499) and also save $120 in sales tax (~8% for me). So my total savings would be $220.

Where the Apple Car is going

Neil Cybart wrote a detailed analysis of Apple's seemingly scaled back ambitions for the Apple Car. From building an electric car to now building software for autonomous driving, Cybart looks into why Apple might have changed course.

Apple’s free app of the week: Tayasui Sketches Pro

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the app Tayasui Sketches Pro. This means that for the next 7 days, you’ll be able to download the popular drawing app for free—a significant savings of $5.

Sketches is described as the most realistic, versatile and user-friendly sketching app designed for mobile. This artist's toolbox helps users create dazzling sketches, cheerful paintings and smashing illustrations on the go.