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Apple opens up early Watch access to more developers ahead of launch

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple has opened up early Apple Watch access to more developers ahead of its April 24 launch, reports the Financial Times. The company had previously allowed select, high profile developers to visit its Cupertino campus and use working versions of the device, but within the last two weeks it has expanded the offer to ~20 devs per day.

The program is huge for developers, allowing them to test their apps on a working device, rather than the Mac-based simulator Apple released last year. It's also very secretive, as entrants are asked to sign strict non-disclosure agreements, and forced to work in conference rooms draped with curtains and guarded by Apple security.

Apple yet again rumored to switch to power-friendlier IGZO screens for next-gen iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Boy, is LG Display on a roll today. Not only has the company's website inadvertently pre-announced a supposedly upcoming iMac refresh featuring an 8K resolution Retina screen, but a well-informed LG Display related official ostensibly said Apple is also “creating iPads with a 12-inch display,” based on a very power-efficient oxide LCD screen technology, Taiwanese publication ETNews reported Monday.

Oxide LCD, also known as IGZO, requires a fraction of power compared to LCD IPS screens on current iPads, while rendering more vibrant colors and deeper blacks with quick response times and high color saturation.

Did LG inadvertently leak an iMac with 8K screen?

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 6, 2015

In a somewhat bizarre move, Apple supplier LG Display may have inadvertently leaked Apple's unannounced iMac whopping an 8K Retina screen, writing on its website last week that, I'm quoting, “Apple has also announced that they will release the ‘iMac 8K’ with a super-high resolution display later this year”.

Apple, of course, has not publicly announced plans for a new iMac update. LG Display is Apple's important supplier of desktop and mobile screens and the Cupertino company is known to have cut off suppliers who pre-announced its products. Neither LG nor Apple commented on the matter at post time.

Rebus review: a puzzle worth 1,000 words

Josh Gallagher ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Whether or not you recognize the term, it's safe to say we've all encountered a rebus before. These popular puzzles are subtlety hidden throughout our daily lives. They sneak onto billboards in the form of company logos. They appear in text messages as strings of emojis. They even infiltrate Instagram without people realizing they are creating them. Now these complex image puzzles have ambushed the App Store in the form of REBUS by Jutiful.

Lettercraft review: a word game crafted with care

Josh Gallagher ∙ April 6, 2015

With Lettercraft, developer Marco Torretta has created a game built to conquer the mobile market. It’s a word game, one of the App Store’s most popular categories. It’s short, with each session taking just about two minutes. It’s even straightforward and easy to learn. The real success of Lettercraft, however, is its surprising depth and creative mechanics.

Apple Watch weekend roundup: New storefront display, patent trouble for the Swiss, more

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

It's been a busy weekend in Apple Watch news, so let's take a look, shall we?

To start, 9to5mac has given us an early look at the new Apple Watch-themed display that will be dressing Apple Stores across the world. We'll see the new display on April 10, coinciding with the launch of Apple Watch pre-orders and in-store try-on appointments for prospective users.

Apple said to currently not have 4K plans for new Apple TV

Jake Smith ∙ April 5, 2015

So you thought the new 4K television you paid ridiculous amounts of money for during Christmas was going to be supported by Apple soon enough? Sorry bud, maybe a couple more years.

Apple scoopster John Paczkowski of Buzzfeed reports that when Apple's next-generation Apple TV is released to the market later this year, it will lack 4K video capability, even as the television industry grasps onto the new technology that provides a more detailed and immersive viewing experience.

Hotel reviews from Trip Advisor, Booking.com come to Apple Maps

Jake Smith ∙ April 5, 2015

Next time you're driving through Chicago looking for a nice place to stay - Apple has you covered. Over the last several days, the Cupertino company has added more hotel review data to its Apple Maps app on iOS, as it works to continue bolstering Maps to compete with the king, Google Maps.

The new data for hotel reviews isn't being served up by Apple itself, outsourcing the work courtesy of Trip Advisor and Booking.com, along with reviews from Yelp that have been there for quite sometime.

Google wants you to have free international roaming with its new network

Jake Smith ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

Google wants US subscribers of its upcoming mobile phone service to be able to roam the globe and see no extra charges. Specifically, The Telegraph reports Google is in talks with Hutchison Whampoa, the owner of the mobile operator Three and soon O2 in the UK.

How to run Android apps like WhatsApp and Instagram on Mac

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated June 19, 2019

ARC, or App Runtime for Chrome, is a tool that allows you to run many Android apps right on a desktop machine. For the most part, the apps look and function like they do on an Android phone or tablet.

Why is this so cool? Well, it means that you can now have access to whole variety of new apps. Some apps, like WhatsApp, have no native desktop counterpart, so it's especially nice for apps like these.

While it isn't a perfect 1:1 solution, and some apps outright don't work, it's worth trying if there's an app that you want that isn't otherwise available on the desktop. In this post and video, we'll walk you through the steps of configuring Google's ARC Welder tool, and show you how to run multiple applications as well.

17 new jailbreak tweaks to check out today

Sébastien Page ∙ April 5, 2015

Another slow week in the jailbreak community, but an interesting one nonetheless. These past few days have seen the release of seventeen jailbreak tweaks, including some very solid ones, such as OneHandWizard. As always, we list all the new releases here so you don't have to scroll through Cydia to find the latest tweaks.

Reclaiming moments with Apple Watch

Sébastien Page ∙ April 5, 2015

In his secret history of the Apple Watch story, David Pierce concludes that the device might be able to help us reclaim small moments of our lives, something I've tried to explain several times in my posts about the best Apple Watch features Apple hasn’t told you about, and a day in the life of an Apple Watch user.