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Battle Camp review: raise a pet on Apple Watch, battle it on iPhone

Lory Gil ∙ Updated January 31, 2018

Being an app reviewer, I am most interested in the type of content available to me on Apple Watch. Sure, there are dozens of great productivity apps to help keep you connected. But what about games?

Battle Camp has been a battle pet RPG game for a couple of years. But, shortly after the first run of Apple Watches were on the wrists of early adopters, the game was updated to include a mini game that allows you to raise a pet to adulthood for a special prize. We've got a game review of Battle Camp for our Apple Watch fans out there.

Oculus Rift’s Mac development ‘paused’ as team focuses on 2016 Windows launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2015

Both OS X and Linux development of the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset has been put on hold as the team focuses on a strong launch of the Windows version of the product, the company has confirmed in a blog post today.

While Oculus focuses its energies on a “high quality consumer-level VR experience at launch across hardware, software and content on Windows,” they want to “get back to development for OS X and Linux” but “don't have a timeline” yet, said Atman Binstock, Chief Architect at Oculus and technical director of the Rift.

The many things Apple Watch can do on its own when connected to Wi-Fi

Sébastien Page ∙ May 14, 2015

iPhone and Apple Watch work hand in hand, and while the former can be used on its own without losing any of its abilities, the latter will need to be paired with an iPhone in order to be used to its fullest. With that said, Apple Watch doesn't always need to be paired to an iPhone to be useful, as there are many things the wearable can do on its own. In a previous post, we highlighted a few things Apple Watch can do without its paired iPhone, including tracking workouts, playing music, being used to make purchases with Apple Pay, and more.

One of the most underrated features of Apple Watch is its ability to connect to known Wi-Fi networks, independently of its paired iPhone. It means that if you've ever been connected to a specific Wi-Fi network on your iPhone and Apple Watch, your Apple Watch will remember that network, even if its paired iPhone is nowhere nearby, giving you limited access to the web.

In this post, I will show you a few things you can do on Apple Watch when it is connected to a known Wi-Fi network, even if it's currently not paired with your iPhone. Granted, these are mostly known Siri-based queries, but to my surprise, you can do more than just inquire about the weather.

First HomeKit devices coming in June, Apple says

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

The first HomeKit-enabled smart-home devices will be launching sometime in June, Apple told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday. The statement refutes an earlier report that claimed that delays with the home automation platform would push its launch back until August or September.

“HomeKit certification has been available for just a few months and we already have dozens of partners who have committed to bringing HomeKit accessories to market," Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller told The Journal. "We’re looking forward to the first ones coming next month.”

Hit puzzler ‘Quetzalcoatl’ goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ May 14, 2015

Apple has just named “ Quetzalcoatl” its App of the Week for this week. This means that from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pickup the popular puzzler for both the iPhone and iPad for free—a solid savings of $1.99.

Quetzalcoatl features 180 carefully designed puzzles, which will provide you with dozens of hours of addictive gameplay. You beat the puzzles by maneuvering game pieces to match like-colored tiles, before the walls close in on you.

YouTube testing iOS app redesign with small subset of users

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Google has been testing a revamped version of its YouTube application for the iPhone and iPad with a small subset of users, Abdiel Ortiz and Sebastien Debaenst noted on Twitter. This isn't necessarily new as some folks have been talking about YouTube's iOS overhaul for over a month now.

What is new, however, is a detailed hands-on video put together by Tech Invasion which gives us a first look at the new software centered on Material Design, Google's design language guiding software development across mobile, desktop and the web.

Sunrise Calendar update introduces Meet, the fastest way to schedule one-to-one meetings

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 5, 2018

Sunrise, a powerful cross-platform calendar application, on Thursday launched Meet, a companion iOS 8 keyboard specifically designed to make scheduling one-to-one meetings ridiculously easy.

Available as a free update to the Sunrise app in the App Store, Meet lets you schedule one-to-ones with another party like a pro, without having to leave the context of the app you're currently in or switch to Sunrise for that matter.

Software hiccups delay Apple’s HomeKit launch until late August or early September

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 14, 2015

Apple was forced to delay its planned launch of HomeKit, a Siri-assisted platform for the connected home, as its software teams continue working around the clock to shrink down the code base to run efficiently on small devices, according to a report Thursday by Fortune.

Fortune writer Stacey Higginbotham claims that Apple’s connected home platform will likely arrive in fall — late August-ish or early September-ish — rather than in early summer as originally planned.

How to filter iPhone and Apple Watch screenshots in the Photos app on Mac

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

As you might imagine, I take tons of screenshots on a weekly basis for work. Instead of connecting my iPhone to my Mac and importing screenshots manually, or instead of using AirDrop, I simply use Photo Stream to do the grunt work.

Photo Stream allows me to access any photo taken with my iPhone, including screenshots, directly from the Photos app on my Mac. Just a few seconds after taking a picture with my iPhone, the photo appears on my Mac. This is great for quickly grabbing iPhone screenshots, and it even allows you to easily access screenshots taken on the Apple Watch.

In this post, I'll show you how I set up a simple Smart Album to separate screenshots—Apple Watch screenshots included—from regular photos.

Apple Watch screen maker LG Display dominates 90% of market as Sharp posts huge losses

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

One Apple supplier's misery is another Apple supplier's fortune. Two of Apple's key display suppliers — Sharp and LG Display — are not enjoying quite the same positive effects from working with the Cupertino firm. At one end of the spectrum is LG Display, an exclusive supplier of flexible OLED panels for the Apple Watch.

The company now dominates the smartwatch display market with a ninety percent market share thanks to its lucrative contract with Apple, as per Business Korea.

On the other is Japan-based Sharp, one of Apple's display suppliers that has barely managed to avoid collapse after posting an annual net loss of a whopping $1.9 billion, according to The Financial Times on Thursday.

Hackers find easy way to steal large sums of money through Starbucks app

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Hackers are stealing money from users' credit cards, banks, and PayPal accounts through the Starbucks mobile app, the coffee giant confirmed to CNN on Tuesday.

The app, which lets users pay at checkout and reload Starbucks gift cards, has an auto-reload function that makes it easy for hackers to take from users, not needing any account numbers.

Apple moves to remove its customer data from RadioShack sale

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

In another showing of its commitment to protecting the privacy of its users, Apple has intervened in the sale of Radio Shack, which recently filed for bankruptcy, arguing that any information collected during the sale of its own products at RadioShack locations should be left out of the deal.

As noted by Law360 earlier this week, Apple, AT&T and others have objected to the potential sale of their customers' data. The iPhone maker reportedly said that the fallen electronics retailer “doesn’t have the right to sell Apple customer information.”