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Eric Schmidt trolls Apple users (again): Galaxy S7 has better battery and camera than iPhone 6s

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2016

It's an established fact that Alphabet Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt owns an iPhone because, you know, it pays to experience what the competition is doing firsthand. In a fireside chat at the Startup Fest Europe in Amsterdam, Netherlands, today with CNBC journalist Julia Chatterley, he publicly admitted for the first time to using both an iPhone 6s and Galaxy S7, teasing the mostly iPhone-totting audience that Samsung's device is better.

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn replaces 60,000 factory workers with robots

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2016

Robots are taking over iPhone manufacturer Foxconn: the world's biggest contract fabricator has successfully replaced as many as 60,000 factory workers with sophisticated machines that use artificial intelligence to perform elaborate assembly work more efficiently than humans do, a government official told the South China Morning Post.

Mac tip: preventing Login Items and Finder windows from opening when you log in

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 15, 2019

Like Windows, macOS makes having apps, documents, folders or server connections launch automatically whenever you log in to your Mac as easy as dragging them to the System Preferences → Users & Groups → Login Items section.

Sometimes, one or more Login Items may cause software problems or prevent your computer from starting up properly.

Rather than remove all of your Login Items permanently, here's how you can temporarily prevent them from opening automatically when you log in, without needing to adjust your settings.

Here’s why an OLED touch bar would make a stellar addition to the MacBook Pro

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2016

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has caused quite a stir among the faithful with yesterday's research note in which he predicted a major redesign for the MacBook Pro. He claims the refresh includes, among other features, an OLED display touch bar replacing the physical function keys, which are located above the keyboard on current machines.

As some have observed insightfully, the rumored OLED bar could actually turn into a way more powerful feature addition than meets the eye.

Apple Pay rolls out fully in Singapore with five major banks on board

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 25, 2016

After debuting in Singapore last month with initial support from American Express, Apple Pay today launched fully in the country with five major banks on board. According to Apple's support document highlighting participating banks and store cards, the following financial institutions in the country support adding credit cards to Apple Pay: DBS, OCBS, POSB, Standard Chartered Bank, United Overseas Bank and American Express.

Am I the only one wanting a keyboard on Apple Watch?

Sébastien Page ∙ May 25, 2016

Call me crazy or call me what you will, but when I saw Android Wear 2.0 was bringing support for third-party keyboards, I immediately started imagining how useful that would be on my Apple Watch.

Of course the screen is too small to accommodate a keyboard. Heck, it’s already too small to punch in your passcode without missing a tap target. Still, not only do I think there may me a need for it, but I also believe the technology to make this right is now available.

LetMeSwitch is a tweak that improves keyboard switching in iOS

Anthony Bouchard ∙ May 25, 2016

One of the things that can be really peeving about third-party keyboards in iOS is how you can only jump to the next keyboard instead of actually being able to pick a new keyboard to use immediately after.

iOS developer PoomSmart has the right idea with a new free jailbreak tweak called LetMeSwitch, which makes switching from a third-party keyboard to a different keyboard easier than ever.

Facebook not loading on your iPhone? Try this

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated June 22, 2020

I am a Facebook user, as I am sure many of you are too. With that being said, you may or may not be familiar with loading problems that can occur while using the social network via the free iOS app. In this troubleshooting tutorial, we'll talk about some ways you can try to fix problems where the Facebook or Facebook Messenger app refuse to load.

Apple developing Siri SDK and device to compete against Amazon Echo

Cody Lee ∙ May 24, 2016

Apple has big plans to step up its game in the field of intelligent assistants, reports The Information. Citing sources familiar with the plans, the outlet claims the company is preparing to introduce a Siri SDK for third party app developers at WWDC next month.

Additionally, the report says that Apple is also working on an Amazon Echo-like device with a speaker and always-on microphone that people can use to do things like turn on music, get news headlines or set a timer. Google unveiled a similar device last week.

Apple seeds first betas of iOS 9.3.3 and OS X 10.11.6 to public testers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Following Monday's developer release of the first iOS 9.3.3 beta, Apple has made the software available to public testers. This means that folks in the Beta Software Program can now install iOS 9.3.3 on compatible devices via the over-the-air update mechanism.

The update comes just one week after iOS 9.3.2 was released to the public, which brought about a Bluetooth fix for iPhone SE models and other improvements. As we said yesterday, it appears that iOS 9.3.3 has also been earmarked for under-the-hood bug fixes.

Apple brings back security expert Jon Callas following FBI dispute

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple this month brought back software engineer and top expert in practical cryptography Jon Callas, reports Reuters. The move follows Apple's high-profile battle with the FBI, and amidst a growing war between governments and tech firms over encryption.

Callas worked at Apple in the '90s, and again between 2009 and 2011, when he designed encryption to protect data stored on Mac computers. He rejoined the company in May, to help add more powerful security features to its wide range of consumer products.

Watch the full Tim Cook interview at Startup Fest

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

Apple's chief executive officer Tim Cook sat down this morning with retired European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Nellie Kroes, to discuss a range of topics at Startup Fest Europe, a conference aimed at boosting the European Union's startup scene.

The full video of the interview is now available and we've embedded it into this article, along with a few choice quotes that should pique your interest.