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HBO Now updated with support for Picture in Picture, Spotlight Search and more

Cody Lee ∙ October 1, 2015

HBO on Thursday pushed out an update for its HBO Now streaming app, bringing the iOS client to version 1.3. The update is a significant one for folks running iOS 9, particularly those with a late-model iPad, as it adds compatibility with some of the new software's features.

The most important of those features is Picture in Picture, which allows [newer] iPad owners to watch videos in a small, standalone window while using other apps. Additionally, the update adds support for Spotlight Search, as well as various other bug fixes and improvements.

How to share Live Photos

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated March 22, 2017

Apple won't describe them as such, but Live Photos are just short video files, and like any files, they can quickly be shared with friends and family. But unlike video files, Live Photos need to be shared in very specific ways in order to preserve the live aspect of the photo.

For instance, if you email a Live Photo to someone, the file will be stripped of the video component and will be attached and sent as a jpeg. So how do you send a Live Photo while making sure the "live" part of the photo remains?

5 awesome 3D Touch tips that you may not know

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

Now that we've had the new iPhone 6s for about a week, it's time to share a few more 3D Touch tips that we've picked up over the last few days. By now, everyone knows about the basic 3D Touch features, but there remain a few usage scenarios that continue to fly under the radar. In this post and video walkthrough, we'll examine five different 3D Touch gestures that can help make your life easier when using your iPhone 6s.

Logitech enters home security market with ‘Logi Circle’ portable monitoring camera

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

Accessory maker Logitech is entering the home security and automation market with a new portable camera designed for home monitoring. They're calling it the Logi Circle and it's both portable and rechargeable.

But don't let its friendly appearance and small footprint fool you, the Circle is no toy. This device packs in advanced features such as 2-way audio and real-time streaming of high-definition video via a companion smartphone app, Smart Filtering technology that automatically marks events you might want to take a closer look at, a 30-second video review of the past 24 hours and more.

Apple bans iFixit from App Store over tearing apart unreleased 4th generation Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

Those prolific electronics wizards over at iFixit have found out the hard way that breaking Apple's NDA has consequences. The site fell out of favor with Apple after posting a teardown analysis of an unreleased 4th generation Apple TV with Siri Remote.

According to iFixit itself, not only has Apple yanked their iPhone app from the App Store but also banned their developer account. iFixit's Apple TV unit was obtained as part of development kits provided to some developers who were selected to take part in Apple's early access program.

iOS 9.0.2 fixed vulnerability that allowed Lock screen access to photos and contacts

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

iOS 9.0.2 has patched a potentially disturbing vulnerability which allowed malicious users who have access to your device to use Siri from the Lock screen in order to browse your photos and contacts.

According to Apple' official iOS 9.0.2 release notes, the software has fixed the issue which allowed access to photos and contacts on a locked device by “restricting options offered on a locked device.”

The vulnerability was left unpatched in iOS 9.0 and iOS 9.0.1 and affected the iPhone 4s and later, fifth-generation iPod touch and later and iPad 2 and later.

Former Boeing CFO joins Apple’s Board of Directors

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

Apple just announced that former Boeing Chief Financial Officer and Corporate President, James A. Bell, is joining its Board of Directors. James brings “a wealth of global, financial and industrial experience from his successful career at Boeing as corporate president and CFO,” said CEO Tim Cook.

“I am thrilled to welcome him to Apple’s board of directors and I look forward to working with him,” said Cook.

Skype’s iPad and Mac apps now support new multitasking features in iOS 9 and El Capitan

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

Microsoft-owned Skype for iPad was refreshed in the App Store earlier this morning with support for new multitasking features provided by iOS 9. It's now easier to chat with friends on Skype while surfing the web, reading your email or running other apps in side-by-side Split View multitasking mode (requires iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 4).

In addition to Split View, Skype for iPad also supports Slide Over mode. Both instant messaging and voice calling are supported in Split View and Slide Over.

El Capitan’s Boot Camp has USB drive-less Windows setup, but not all Macs are supported

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

Boot Camp, the Mac's built-in software for dual-booting between OS X and Windows has been given some love in the new El Capitan software update and now features a slicker Windows setup that no longer requires a USB thumb drive, as discovered by Twocanoes.

Previously, Boot Camp required that the Windows installer be provided in the form of a USB drive or CD/DVD installation media. Now you can just point to an .ISO file, which significantly shortens the entire procedure for those who have purchased Windows as a digital download.

Electronic Arts releases Need for Speed: No Limits in App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 1, 2015

Electronics Arts' newest racing game on mobile, called Need for Speed: No Limits, is now available in the App Store as a freemium download. Created by developer Firemonkeys which brought you Real Racing 3, this new game challenges you to become a reckless yet respected driver.

A stable of sports cars available in No Limits include the Subaru BRZ, BMW M4, McLaren 650s, Porsche 911 and many more. Unlike previous Need for Speed Games, No Limits is big on customization.

iOS 9.1 beta 3 adds three new wallpaper updates

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

There might not be a lot of new contained in today's iOS 9.1 beta 3 release, but it does come bundled with three new static planetary wallpapers. Actually, the wallpapers are only new in the sense that they've been revamped, as they're still photos of the same three planets, just presented in a way that's much more appealing and not so dark.

Even if you're not currently running the latest iOS 9 beta, you can still enjoy these new wallpapers on your current iOS install via the download link inside this post.

How to check if you have a Samsung or TSMC A9 processor inside of your iPhone 6s

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

You've probably heard that Apple is using A9 processors from two different sources for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. One processor is from Samsung, and the other is from TSMC.

It's been confirmed via benchmarks that both processors perform similarly with no major differences in performance. With that said, each processor features a different die size, which was first noted by Chipworks. The Samsung processor is the smaller of the two. Physically, it's 96mm squared, while the TSMC A9 is 104.5 mm squared.

Chipworks conjectures that two different sources were used due to supply constraints. They also say that they are further researching both processors in an effort to gain better clarity.

Ultimately, it really doesn't mean much to the end user, but I know that curiosity gets the best of us at times. If you'd like to check to see who sourced your A9 processor, you can follow these simple steps.