Rite Aid relents, announces accepting Apple Pay starting August 15

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 11, 2015

Rite Aid, a drugstore chain in the United States, announced Tuesday it will begin accepting both Apple Pay and Google Wallet starting this coming Saturday, August 15. The company famously disabled support for Apple's mobile payment service nationwide, even though it was supported at Apple Pay launch.

The move put Rite Aid at odds with regulators and lawyers who launched an investigation under suspicion that the pharmacy chain violated federal antitrust laws by colluding with other MCX members to boycott rival payment systems such as Apple Pay and Google Wallet.

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Tim Cook has helped fund a startup behind a water-conserving shower head

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 11, 2015

Apple CEO Tim Cook has invested some of his personal money in Nebia, a six-person start-up based in San Francisco which has developed a water-conserving shower head.

The startup has also received funding from the Schmidt Family Foundation, which was co-founded by Eric Schmidt, chairman of Google. Apple confirmed to The New York Times that its CEO's stake in Nebia was a personal investment, not on behalf of the company.

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Why Force Touch makes sense for iOS platform

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Yesterday's report by a credible outlet provided an interesting outline of how Force Touch works and feels under iOS and on Apple's upcoming 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' smartphones. The basic premise behind outfitting an iPhone with a force-sensing screen is making user interface interactions faster with focus on shortcuts.

But there are still plenty of doubters out there who don't think Force Touch iPhones make much sense, arguing the technology is but a marketing gimmick which doesn't provide any benefit versus long-tapping items on the screen.

While there's some merits to those voices, I'm inclined to think they're missing the big picture and here's why.

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25 top free Cydia tweaks for frugal jailbreakers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Jailbreaking on a budget? That's okay. Despite what some may lead you to believe, there's a surprising amount of great jailbreak tweaks that can be had absolutely free. If you're a frugal jailbreaker, then this list of 25 tweaks is sure to appeal to you.

In this post you'll find multitasking tweaks, media apps, SpringBoard management tools, Cydia modifying tweaks, Siri tweaks, Music app tweaks, animation tweaks, and much more. As it turns out, you can make a pretty awesome jailbroken iPhone without spending a dime.

How many of these free tweaks do you use on a daily basis? Watch our video walkthrough to see the full rundown...

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Google becomes Alphabet’s subsidiary, Sundar Pichai becomes CEO in massive restructuring

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 3, 2017

Sundar Pichai, Google Senior Vice President of Android, Chrome and Google Apps, is now officially the new CEO at the search company, which itself has now become a subsidiary of a bigger company called Alphabet, Inc.

Yeah, a lot has happened since you were away from your desk! According to a bombshell press release published on Google's Investor website and sent out to media Monday morning, Google is undergoing a massive overhaul of its business structure.

With Pichai now taking the CEO reigns at Google, former Google CEO and company co-founder Larry Page will assume the CEO role at Alphabet. The other co-founder, Sergey Brin, is Alphabet's President.

The Google brand will undergo some changes, too, and will focus on popular web properties such as Search, Gmail, Maps and Advertising. Other ambitious Google projects that have failed to gain traction will be broken out of the Google brand.

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Sources reveal how Force Touch works and feels on upcoming iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 10, 2015

Multiple credible sources are adamant that Apple's upcoming 'iPhone 6s' and 'iPhone 6s Plus' smartphones will come outfitted with a screen which responds to pressure. Additionally, there 's some pretty solid evidence out there that iOS 9 on these new iPhones will feature built-in Force Touch support, potentially indicating a wider roll-out of the feature on future iOS devices.

And now, sources who spoke with 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman have provided interesting tidbits related to how Force Touch works and feels under iOS.

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Snapchat’s latest update introduces data-saving Travel mode, emoji improvements and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 10, 2015

If you're a Snapchat fan and a frequent traveller who doesn't use the service abroad due to exorbitant international data roaming charges (or are simply on a budget plan), Snapchat has some good news for you.

Their latest update, now live in the App Store, brings an all-new Travel mode designed specifically to reduce mobile data usage when roaming. In addition to Travel mode, Snapchat's iPhone application now lets you see who viewed your Story and puts more emoji characters at your fingertips.

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Stress-testing claimed chassis: iPhone 6s less susceptible to bending under normal usage?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Every iPhone generation has its own highly publicized “gate” issue and present-generation iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are no exception. Unbox Therapy's widely circulated Bendgate video made international headlines, became a topic of late evening news and provoked an official statement from Apple PR.

While I think Bendgate was a non-issue to begin with, the general public probably disagrees so it's reassuring that Apple is adamant to put Bendgate to rest by giving the next iPhone a strengthened body made from the Apple Watch Sport's custom aluminum alloy.

But just how Bendgate-proof an iPhone 6s case made from this custom alloy could be? Who better to ask than Unbox Therapy's Lewis Hilsenteger who bent an iPhone 6 Plus with his bare hands?

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Poll: what are you most excited about for Apple’s September 9 media event?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Apple has reportedly scheduled a media event for Wednesday, September 9, to announce not just new iPhones but other product refreshes, too. Well-connected John Paczkowski, Managing Editor for BuzzFeed San Francisco, has it on good authority that the press conference will serve as a launchpad for next-generation iPhones and iPads.

Moreover, there's even a brand new Apple TV hardware in tow that should be unveiled during the event. With that in mind, we want to learn what you, our readers, are most excited about for the September 9 event.

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American Express rolls out corporate credit card support with Apple Pay

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

American Express, one of early Apple Pay backers, today announced it is adding Apple Pay compatibility for corporate credit cards issued in the United States. Available today to eligible U.S. corporate cards, the system allows owners of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch to pay for services online and for goods at contactless merchants in stores with Apple Pay and their corporate credit card on file.

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