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First Ferrari FF models with CarPlay hit the roads

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2014

Ferrari on Monday started delivering its new Ferrari FF model with CarPlay integration to early adopters, becoming the first commercially available vehicle on the roads with native support for Apple's in-car system, previously known as 'iOS in the Car'. CarPlay is also available for older vehicles as an aftermarket solution from the likes of Alpine and Pioneer.

The $300,000 sports car with a 6.3-liter V12 engine provides a cool 651 horsepower and takes you from zero to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 second (top speed: 208 miles per hour). CarPlay integration in the Ferrari FF includes the familiar features like voice-guided navigation, Siri, music playback, voice controls, messaging, phone calls and more.

Both 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models said to launch simultaneously on September 19

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2014

Contrary to a flurry of reports stating otherwise, both 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models will in fact hit store shelves at the same time, on Friday, September 19, ten days following tomorrow's announcements. This information reported by the French blog iGen.fr [Google Translate] came from the same source who in the past accurately predicted other Apple launches.

It remains to be seen whether this is just an educated guess or the real launch date. The rumor-mill's been saying for months that the 5.5-incher would hit later due to alleged manufacturing challenges. For what it's worth, Apple typically starts selling new iPhones 7-10 days following the introduction, or the Friday the week after the announcement.

For instance, the iPhone 5s/5c went on sale on September 20, 2013 following its September 10 unveiling. And before it, the iPhone 5 reached retail stores on September 21, 2012 after it had been introduced on September 12.

What’s in a name? 5.5-incher is ‘iPhone 6 Plus’, 4.7-inch model called ‘iPhone 6’

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2014

According to the Japanese blog MacOtakara [Google Translate] Monday morning, Apple will use 'iPhone 6' and 'iPhone 6 Plus' monikers with respect to a 4.7 and 5.5-inch edition of the upgraded smartphone.

The French blog NowhereElse.fr said last week that the bigger iPhone 6 model will be marketed under the 'iPhone Air' moniker. Unlike 'Air,' Apple's never used the 'Plus' suffix to market an iPhone, or any other product for that matter. If true, this'll be a first.

Spotify promises 30 minutes of uninterrupted music if you sit through 13-30 second video ad breaks

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Spotify, the popular music-streaming service with 40 million strong user base, on Monday announced a new way to stream music for free.

Leveraging its video ads for mobile and desktop that have been in limited testing since mid-June and are now rolling out, free Spotify streamers who opt-in to view short 15-30 second videos on their device will receive 30 minutes' worth of uninterrupted, ad-free music. Spotify, which hails from Sweden, opened its mobile service to non-paying users in December.

Apple starts sending email alerts when you sign in to iCloud via a web browser

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 16, 2016

As noted by Letem světem Applem and confirmed by MacRumors editor Eric Slivka, Apple in the aftermath of the nude celeb pics scandal seems to have taken the first in a series of promised steps to bolster up the security of its cloud.

Now each time you sign in to iCloud through a web browser, the Cupertino firm will issue an email notice which contains a date and time that the account was accessed. This behavior is now enabled by default.

Previously, login alerts had been sent only if there was an attempt to log in to iCloud on an unknown Apple device.

iWatch parts, tech specs and design leaked by claimed schematics

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2014

With just a little more than 24 hours to go until Apple's major September 9 media event, an anonymous Reddit post on Monday shared half a dozen technical drawings seemingly revealing a plethora of iWatch parts while pointing at the device's rectangular appearance, a round sensor plate at the bottom and other design features.

While Reddit is not an accurate source of leaks, the detailed nature of the schematics (reposted on Imgur) should not be dismissed lightly even though we can't vouch for the veracity of the images nor can we confidently say the device pictured is in fact Apple's wearable gizmo.

Twitter testing upcoming Buy button

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 28, 2018

Twitter, the popular micro-blogging service, on Monday said it started testing a new Buy button with a small percentage of its users in the United States.

The company said the feature, which allows users to buy products directly from the tweet, is part of a broader effort to make shopping from mobile devices “convenient and easy, hopefully even fun”.

Launch partners include Fancy, Gumroad, Musictoday, Stripe and many more. Users will get access to offers and merchandise “they can’t get anywhere else,” with the ability to buy stuff directly in Twitter's mobile apps for iOS and Android.

Apple said to use tokenization tech to secure mobile payments

Cody Lee ∙ September 7, 2014

Bank Innovation is out with a new report this evening, claiming that Apple will be utilizing tokenization technology in conjunction with NFC in its upcoming mobile payment service. Token tech is a favorite amongst financial institutions, as it's considered to be extremely secure.

How it works is that instead of transmitting account and credit card numbers, tokenization sends complex codes over the air between devices. These codes are only used one time, so even if they are intercepted by a third-party with the intent of fraud, they would be of no use.

Some apps on 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could switch to iPad layout in landscape

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

In a series of tweets, iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith shared his findings surrounding Apple's iOS Simulator running stock apps at the screen size of the purported 5.5-inch iPhone 6, with dimensions of 736 points x 414 points (1472 x 828 at 2x or 2208 x 1242 at 3x). When viewed in landscape, certain default iOS 8 apps, including Calendar, Contacts, and Game Center, display contents in a divided mode very similar to the layout an iPad uses while in landscape.

These findings indicate that the larger, 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could have a stronger focus on productivity than its smaller 4.7- and 4-inch counterparts. Despite apps functioning normally while in portrait mode, this addition of dividing the landscape app view to display two separate menus would introduce a strong motivation for purchasing the 5.5-inch device over its more manageable companion.

How to move files around in OS X Finder while maintaining permissions and ownership data

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 11, 2017

Many Mac users are unaware that copying a file or folder in the Finder, or moving it to another location, does not preserve the permissions and ownership data attached to it.

In most circumstances, that's not a problem as you’ll be moving stuff within your own user account. Hence, the default behavior of changing ownership/permissions is actually desirable for most users, in most cases.

But on occasion, you may need to override the default setting when, say, copying a file into another user’s folder, dropping a document into the Guest account and so forth. In these kinds of scenarios, preserving the original file’s ownership and permissions can save you headache down the road.

But worry not — the Mac's Finder includes a pair of hidden features, Paste Item Exactly and Duplicate Exactly, that get the job done. The following tips will teach you how to leverage them to ensure that the file’s ownership information and permission data has been kept intact after the copy/move operation.

Video offers a closer look at a stronger 2,915mAh battery possibly bound for iPhone 6

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 7, 2014

The prolific leakers over at the French blog NowhereElse.fr [Google Translate] on Sunday have managed to get hold of a short video which purportedly shows off a 2,915mAh battery said to be bound for a 5.5-inch iPhone 6.

In the past week or so, we've been treated to several sightings of 1,810mAh, 2,100mAh and 2,915mAh batteries for the upcoming Apple handsets.

This, however, marks the first time the part's been captured on video.

Compared to the ~1,560mAh unit inside the iPhone 5s, this alleged iPhone 6 battery is twice as strong. Whether the added juice is only meant to power the iPhone 6's power-hungry 5.5-inch screen alongside new sensors and an NFC chip for mobile payments, or perhaps extend the handset's total run time, shall remain anyone's guess until next Tuesday, 10am PT.

September 9: the redesigned iPhone 6 and the mysterious iWatch

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Ever since the introduction of the iPhone 5s, the Apple community has been looking forward to the iPhone 6 in hopes of receiving two much-wanted features – a larger screen and considerably longer battery life. These expectations, fed by countless rumors of everything from a built-in barometer to an NFC chip, are reaching an all-time high as the iPhone 6 is nearing launch.

For quite a while now, rumors of an Apple-made wearable device – commonly referred to as "iWatch" – have been floating around, stirring excitement among Apple users and urging Android vendors such as Samsung and Motorola to introduce their own smartwatches. While these devices are largely limited to displaying notifications and dealing with minor tasks, Apple's iWatch is rumored to focus heavily on health sensors and tracking.

With Apple making official the predictions of a September 9 event, the world is breathlessly awaiting the unveiling of whatever Apple has been developing over the past few years. This event could very well be the biggest Apple has had since the 2007 introduction of the original iPhone.