App Stores and other iCloud services are currently down for some people

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

If you needed another proof that Apple is not very good at online services, here's one: the App Store, the Mac App Store and various other online services are currently down, according to a notice on Apple's System Status webpage.

Other iCloud services were affected at the time of this writing and have been inaccessible to an unknown portion of Apple's user base, including the Apple TV, iTunes in the Cloud and Volume Purchase Program.

UPDATE: The outage is more widespread than originally thought, with iCloud Drive, iCloud Backup, Mail Drop, iWork for iCloud, Photos, iCloud Web Apps and iCloud Storage Upgrades all having been affected as well.

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Thunderbolt Display won’t be refreshed at WWDC

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

Without naming a specific source, iMore's Rene Ritchie has reportedly heard that Apple is not planning to refresh the aging 27-inch Thunderbolt Display at WWDC this month after all. “I asked around, and it's not happening at the keynote or any time in the immediate future,” he wrote.

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AirPort base stations are now back in stock

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

Following a brief period during which both the AirPort Extreme wireless base station and the AirPort Time Capsule wireless appliance were unavailable for purchase from Apple’s retail stores in the United States, the devices are now back in stock at most retail locations and are once again available for Personal Pickup, MacRumors discovered.

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Apple releases updated version of iOS 9.3.2 for 9.7-inch iPad Pro

Sébastien Page ∙ June 2, 2016

Nearly two weeks after pulling this version for bricking 9.7-inch iPad Pro devices, Apple has released iOS 9.3.2 today, presumably fixing the bricking issue once and for all. Carrying build number 13F72 this iOS 9.3.2 update is specifically for the 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro. The update is now available both over the air, and as a separate download.

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Many third-party Instagram apps no longer working

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 6, 2018

Do you use a third-party app to browse Instagram feeds and hashtags more efficiently on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad?

If so, there's a high likelihood that your app has now ceased functioning due to Instagram's new and much stricter policy pertaining to the official API, which has gone into effect today, as first noted by MacRumors.

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iOS continues bleeding share to Android as smartphone market slows considerably

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

Mary Meeker's 2016 Internet Trends Report is a treasure trove of surveys and predictions on the global trends concerning our industry. I found out this morning that half of the searches will be either through images or speech by 2020 and that Siri was handling more than one billion requests per week through speech as of June 2015.

I've now compiled the report's most interesting tidbits regarding Internet usage around the world, the iOS vs. Android battle and more.

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Thank you, Siri: mobile voice assistant usage is rising at a rapid clip

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

After perusing a massive 238-slide deck that is Mary Meeker's new 2016 Internet Trends Report this morning, a slide has captured my attention that summarizes the trend toward voice searches and digital assistants. It says that in five years time at least half of all searches will be either through images or speech, which is fascinating.

What I find even more remarkable is the fact that Siri alone handled more than one billion requests per week through speech as of June 2015.

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Relax with Alto’s Adventure’s new Zen Mode

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

Alto's Adventure from developer Snowman, the popular endless snowboarding odyssey set in the tranquil wilderness, was updated this morning on the App Store with all-new Zen and Photo modes and other perks.

Zen Mode, a new way to enjoy the game, is a dedicated experience that helps you unwind “for all those times when catching llamas and chasing high scores isn’t high on the agenda”.

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Apple’s 2016 Back to School promo goes live in the United States and Canada

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 17, 2017

Having launched in Australia and New Zealand in January, Apple announced that its annual Back to School promotion is live starting today through September 5, 2016 at Apple retail and campus stores in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada.

The promotion gives qualifying students, parents of students and educators who buy an eligible Mac with education pricing a free pair of Beats Solo2 Wireless headphones, or Powerbeats2 Wireless for eligible iPhone or iPad purchases.

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Facebook has added over 1,500 new emoji characters to Messenger

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

Facebook announced yesterday that it's adding more than 1,500 new emoji to its free mobile Messenger app, bringing a lot more diversity to your communications.

Underscoring that emojis have changed the way we talk to each other, “from skin tones that you can choose to lots of women in great roles”, the post reveals that nearly ten percent of mobile sends in Messenger include emojis.

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Google would love to work with Apple on making messaging more interoperable

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 2, 2016

Google CEO Sundar Pichai sat down for an interview with technology columnist Walt Mossberg at Code Conference yesterday. Fresh off Google's annual developer conference, which was big on artificial intelligence, the executive discussed a range of topics from Android to competition to digital assistants to artificial intelligence and beyond.

Pichai also expressed hope that big technology companies can work together on making their proprietary messaging services more interoperable.

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