iOS 10 tidbit: using Digital Touch in Messages to send kisses instead of hearts

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 12, 2016

Aside from a lot of other advances, iOS 10 turns the Messages app into a platform upon which developers can build downloadable stickers, full-screen animations and chat bubble effects. Messages in iOS 10 also supports Digital Touch, a feature that first debuted on the Apple Watch.

With the new Digital Touch interface in iOS 10 Messages, users can draw and sketch with their finger on photos and video, send hearts and create other digital effects on video. But as it turns out, users also have the option to send animated kisses instead of heart beats using a simple gesture.

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Foldable Samsung tablet/smartphone hybrid aka “smartlet” appears in patent filing

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 4, 2016

Last month, Bloomberg ran a high-profile story about Samsung's alleged initiative, code-named Project Valley, that would bring a pair of fully bendable Galaxy phones to market in early-2017.

Subsequent supply chain reports have since backed the story partially as it became public knowledge that Samsung has allocated north of $7 billion into boosting production of flexible OLED panels.

As Patently Apple noted today, a new patent application sheds more light on the South Korean conglomerate's interest in creating a technology that would allow a smartphone or tablet to fold in half when not in use.

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Night Shift mode could be coming to Mac, Apple Watch and CarPlay

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 4, 2016

Night Shift mode, a new iOS 9.3 feature which helps users get a good night’s sleep by reducing the amount of blue light emitted from a backlight of their iOS device as the sun sets, could be coming to the Mac, the Apple Watch and even to Apple's CarPlay infotainment system, Patently Apple writes.

A trademark application for “Computer software for controlling computer and mobile device display screens,” filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), specifically covers smartphones (the iPhone), computers (the Mac), smartwatches (Apple Watch) and cars (CarPlay) while also mentioning things like styluses, batteries, radios, integrated circuits and even fire extinguishers, which is normal for these types of trademarks.

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Apple likes the fact that the prices for iPhone vulnerabilities are high

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 4, 2016
FBI and Apple logos

In order to gain access to San Bernardino shooter's iPhone 5c beyond the Lock screen, the United States government eventually had to pay through the nose to a third-party to exploit a little-known iOS vulnerability and break into the device. According to FBI director James Comey, the agency paid at least $1.3 million for the hack.

Analyzing the black market for so-called zero-day iPhone vulnerabilities, a top Apple security engineer is actually pleased by the fact that they command steep prices because it means they're rare and difficult to pull off, Business Insider reported Monday.

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Samsung Display is spinning off its successful OLED business ahead of OLED iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 4, 2016

Samsung Display, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics, recently won a deal with Apple to supply its high-quality OLED panels for use in the next iPhone and now the South Korean company is spinning off its organic light-emitting diode (OLED) unit, The Korea Times reported Monday.

Samsung Display reported a 270 billion won (about $235.2 million) operating loss during the first quarter of this year due to the struggling LCD business and strong competition from Chinese makers of low-cost LCDs for mobile devices.

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China’s media administrative wing sues Apple over 1990s war film

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

A subsidiary of China's broadcasting regulator is taking Apple to court over showing a propaganda film which was released back in the 1990s, reports The Associated Press. The plaintiff—Movie Satellite Channel Program Production Center, which comes under the State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television—alleges that the iPhone maker has infringed its exclusive online rights to broadcast its movie which depicts Chinese fighting against Japanese soldiers in northern China in the early 1930s.

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Customizing the toolbar in your Mac’s Preview app

Anthony Bouchard ∙ July 4, 2016

Every Mac has the Preview app installed on it from the factory, and it's the default app for opening many kinds of image file types, including PDF files.

Of course, the app has much more to offer than meets the eyes, and today we'll talk about how you can customize the app's toolbar to give yourself a little more functionality at a glance.

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tvOS 10 preview: all-new Remote app with Siri voice control, tilt gaming & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 11, 2018

A software replacement for the physical remote that came in the box with your fourth-generation Apple TV, Apple's entirely overhauled Remote application provides you with the full range of Siri Remote features complete with touch navigation, tilt-based control in games and voice input via Siri.

And in making tedious text entry on tvOS even easier than before, the new app lets you summon the keyboard right from the Lock screen of your iPhone by pressing a notification that automatically gets pushed every time you select a text field on the Apple TV.

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Geometric wallpapers for iPhone and iPad

Jim Gresham ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

As the title suggests, the iDownloadBlog Wallpapers of the Week collection is refreshed each week, on Sundays. Ranging from pop culture to space images, the wallpaper collection has been growing for a couple years. One of the most commonly popular post-categories is geometric shapes.

Take a step below to download a new collection of geometrically based images for iPhone and iPad.

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Hyper, Falcon Notes, Meep, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

This upcoming Monday is the 4th of July, which for many folks means a 3-day weekend. So if you find yourself with extra time to spare over the next few days, be sure to check out the latest edition of our weekly Apps of the Week post. This week we have apps that show you popular videos from around the web, offer a pleasant note-taking experience and more.

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