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Intel reportedly buys smartwatch maker Basis for $100+ million

Cody Lee ∙ March 4, 2014

TechCrunch is reporting that Intel has acquired smartwatch maker Basis for between $100 and $150 million. The buyout follows a scoop from February that the startup was shopping itself around to a number of high-profile tech firms including Google, Microsoft and yes, Apple.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, Basis makes a smartwatch-like device called the Basis Health Fitness Tracker, which it calls the “world’s most advanced health tracker.” The wearable is capable of capturing heart rate patterns, tracking multiple sleep stages and much more...

Twitter ‘system error’ causes mass reset of user passwords

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Folks who received an email from Twitter tonight letting them know that their password has been reset are not alone. Thousands of users have come forward over the last 6 hours claiming that Twitter has force-reset their passwords, and requested that they create new ones.

The good news is that it doesn't sound like the social network was hacked, or overrun with nefarious bots. A spokesperson for the company has confirmed to tech site Recode that a 'system error' caused the mass reset of user passwords, and the problem should be fixed now...

Let’s Talk iOS 018: The worst transitions

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated March 20, 2018

Episode 18: We talk about Apple's recent launch of CarPlay, share our thoughts on Samsung's just unveiled Galaxy S5, discuss Apple TV as a business, and debate about the idea of Apple releasing multiple iPhones per calendar year.

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Marvel announces ‘Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past’ coming to iOS in May

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

X-Men fans will be happy to hear that Marvel has announced that a mobile tie-in game for its upcoming X-Men: Days of Future Past film is in the works. The publisher announced today that it has teamed up with studio Glitchsoft to create 'Uncanny X-Men: Days of Future Past.'

In a blog post this afternoon, Glitchsoft wrote that the game will give X-Men enthusiasts the chance to engage Marvel’s 1981 landmark Days of Future Past comic book story arc in an immersive and story-driven game 'unlike anything available on mobile.' Read on for more details...

How CarPlay predicts where you may be heading

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 3, 2014

Apple's press release and the CarPlay preview page state that the newly rebranded feature lets drivers access some iPhone functionality through their vehicle's in-car infotainment system.

Specifically, Apple mentions getting directions, making calls, sending and receiving messages and listening to music.

This is all pretty basic stuff, unless you take a closer look at how Apple brought context awareness and tapped artificial intelligence to predict where you may be heading, so you don't even need to enter in an address for a final destination...

Mercedes-Benz shows off CarPlay integration

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 19, 2018

After Apple formally announced its long-expected iOS in the Car initiative today at the Geneva Motor Show - rebranded as CarPlay - car maker Volvo was quick to post a video showing it off in action. Not to be outdone by Volvo, rival Mercedes-Benz has now shared additional tidbits pertaining to how it plans to integrate CarPlay into an upcoming C-Class.

And just like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz is keeping its options open by not pledging exclusive support for CarPlay. In addition to its own in-car entertainment system, the company is going to support not only Apple's CarPlay, but also Android-based in-car infotainment system when it launches later this year. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty...

Primal Flame – play with fire in this atmospheric arcade game

Lory Gil ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Many popular atmospheric games use the black, white, and gray color scheme to give you a dreamlike visual experience. The characters might be shadowed in black, while the backdrop is detailed with interesting illustrations.

In Primal Flame, players are surrounded by the dark with only the glow of their flame to show them the way. The backdrops are detailed with interesting illustrations, but it’s the foreground you have to watch out for…

Rumor: could iWatch be ‘Swiss Made’?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

A high-profile source in the watch-making biz has stepped forward with a rather surprising assertion that Apple may be looking to build its rumored iWatch in Switzerland, the home to world's finest watchsmiths.

According to the source, Apple's created a company in Switzerland for this purpose.

In fact, one industry executive claims Apple has already placed orders with subcontractors in a bid to market its rumored wearable device as 'Swiss Made,' a label used to indicate that a product was made in Switzerland, similar to the 'Made in USA' label, or 'Made in China' for that matter...

Vertex: hands-on walkthrough

Jeff Benjamin ∙ March 3, 2014

It seems like we've started to hit the point in the jailbreak cycle where developers are starting to pull out the big guns. For instance, we had IntelliScreenX 7 released last night, Sentry teased a work-in-progress Auxo 2, and today, we're bringing you the first hands-on review of the highly anticipated Vertex—a new jailbreak release that brings Bill Labus' popular Mission Control concept to reality.

I've spent some considerable hands-on time with Vertex—putting it through its paces on my daily driver, bugging Timon Olsthoorn, its humble 16 year-old project manager from the Netherlands—and I have to say, I really like this tweak.

Timon, of course, is just one half of the team that responsible for taking Labus' concept and making it into something tangible. Memphis Tennessee native Ian Burns puts his stamp on the Vertex project by serving as the tweak's lead engineer. As you'll see from our hands-on video walkthrough that follows, Ian is pretty good at what he does.

Microsoft to make it easier to add Xbox Live functionality to iOS games

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 3, 2014

Software maker Microsoft last November released its companion free SmartGlass app on the App Store, giving Xbox One owners a way to connect to their console to browse the web, navigate the dashboard control content, access achievements and more, all from their iPhone and iPad devices.

But Microsoft isn't standing still.

According to a new report by The Verge, the Redmond giant is now looking to push the Xbox Live service cross-platform "in a big way" soon. For months now, Microsoft has been offering tools allowing third-party iOS and Android developers to integrate Xbox Live functionality into their apps and games.

But as games developers balked at Microsoft's required certification process, the company is now looking to "win back" their support by making Xbox Live "a lot easier" to integrate into apps and games...

Volvo posts video of Apple’s CarPlay in action

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 17, 2017

Hot on the heels of Apple's CarPlay announcement earlier this morning at the Geneva Motor Show, car maker Volvo has posted a video showing off iOS integration in action.

Unlike CarPlay implementations by other vendors such as Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz, Volvo took the feature to the next level.

Specifically, Volvo's system allows for both CarPlay and Volvo controls to be available to drivers simultaneously on the vehicle's large touchscreen. I've included the video for your viewing pleasure right after the break...

WSJ: Apple hiring engineers from HTC and other Asian firms to speed up product launches

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 5, 2018

Unlike the specs-obsessed technology industry which has always been dependent on frequent product refreshes, Apple continues to traditionally update its iPhone annually. Now, some industry peers - such as Sony - warned that the company may be "missing out" by not updating the iPhone twice per year.

Playing on this sentiment, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is now adding "hundreds of new engineers" and supply-chain managers in China and Taiwan. The company is hiring away these people from various tech firms, including rival HTC, reportedly in order to speed up product development and launch a wider range of devices...