Apple

Facebook Messenger now lets everyone post status updates that disappear after 24 hours

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 9, 2017

Facebook announced Thursday that a feature in its mobile Messenger app that allows people to post auto-disappearing photos and videos has now begun rolling out globally following a previous soft launch in select countries like Poland and Australia. They're calling it Messenger Day because anything you post there disappears automatically after 24 hours, just like with Instagram Stories or those auto-vanishing status updates on WhatsApp.

You're in full control of the scope of your Messenger Day and can choose to share it with everyone on the service, people you're friends with or cherry-picked contacts.

How to check Activation Lock status via Apple’s support pages

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 22, 2022

In the past, you could check the Activation Lock on a dedicated official iCloud page by entering the IMEI number. However, Apple removed it a few years back. Now the only reliable option to check a device's Activation Lock is by having physical access to that iPhone or iPad.

But, there is a workaround that might work for some. So the tutorial below talks about that trick which involves using the Apple Support page to check the Activation Lock. If it works for you, great! If it doesn't, you can follow these tips to check Activation Lock before buying a used iPhone.

Google Photos picks up auto white balance editing feature in latest update

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 9, 2017

Google Photos for iPhone and iPad has picked up a brand new editing feature—auto white balance. Requiring Google Photos for iOS version 2.11, the app's improved Auto Enhance tool now includes white balance correction that adjusts the white tone of your images to make them pop and given them a more natural look. Launch Google Photos on your device, select a look and the app will now correct not only exposure and saturation, but also automatically correct the white balance of the image.

Apple working to address remaining CIA exploits, but many additional vulnerabilities exist

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

Apple said yesterday that “many” CIA exploits revealed in WikiLeaks' dump codenamed “Vault 7” are already patched in the latest version of iOS. As for the remaining exploits, Apple engineers are working to address them as well, according to The Wall Street Journal on Thursday.

A person familiar with the situation told the paper that Apple engineers have been coordinating the company’s response to this new security threat.

Apple-backed Didi Chuxing opens self-driving lab near Cupertino

Cody Lee ∙ March 8, 2017

Didi Chuxing, the leading ride-hailing company in China, has opened an artificial intelligence lab near Apple's Cupertino headquarters, reports Recode. The lab is located in Mountain View, CA and it will focus on "intelligent driving systems."

Apple last May invested $1 billion in Didi, which earned it a seat on the company's board, and given that it's rumored to be working on its own self-driving system, the location of the new R&D lab—6 miles from Cupertino—is interesting.

iOS 11 concept imagines Dark Mode, Split View on iPhone, FaceTime group calling & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 15, 2017

Unused resources for a dark theme in apps like Messages and Settings were discovered previously in iOS 10 code, fueling speculation that Apple could be laying the groundwork for a full Dark Mode in iOS 11 to coincide with an upcoming iPhone 8 release. A dark interface should help iPhone 8 conserve power because the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display technology illuminates the individual pixels and doesn't require a power-hungry backlight.

Polish blog My Apple has put together a stunning video concept that attempts to imagine what a system-wide Dark Mode and some other sought-after rumored features of iOS 11 might look like.

Apple seeds fifth betas of iOS 10.3, watchOS 3.2 and tvOS 10.2

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 28, 2025

Following yesterday's release of macOS Sierra 10.12.4 beta 5, Apple on Wednesday issued fifth betas of iOS 10.3, watchOS 3.2 and tvOS 10.2. Registered developers and members of the Apple Developer Program can install iOS 10.3 beta 5 (build 14E5269a), watchOS 3.2 beta 5 (build 14V5243a) and tvOS 10.2 beta 5 (build 14W5260a) over-the-air through the Software Update mechanism provided their devices have a special configuration profile, available on Apple's portal for developers.

Apple says many exploits revealed in WikiLeaks dump are already patched

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 8, 2017

Yesterday, WikiLeaks stunned the world by publishing a cache of 8,761 secret documents detailing dirty tactics that organizations like the CIA leverage in order to hack not just iOS and Android devices, but also computers, routers and televisions. In a statement issued to news outlets like TechCrunch, and subsequently posted to Twitter by BuzzFeed's John Paczkowski, a company spokesperson confirmed that Apple had already patched many of the fourteen exploits mentioned in the WikiLeaks dump, codenamed “Vault 7”.

STMicroelectronics tapped as supplier for iPhone 8’s rumored 3D camera sensor

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 8, 2017

Franco-Italian company STMicroelectronics used to be the sole supplier of accelerometers, gyroscopes and motion sensors for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices before Apple started dual-sourcing these microscopic components from both STMicroelectronics and Bosch Sensortec.

According to a report Wednesday by French blog iGeneration, the Cupertino company has tapped STMicroelectronics as a supplier for iPhone 8's 3D camera sensor that should support exciting capabilities such as 3D sensing and mapping, 3D selfies, augmented reality features, advanced facial recognition and more.

Shift to OLED screens said to necessitate thin film solution for iPhone 8’s 3D Touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 8, 2017

Without mentioning sources, DigiTimes reported Wednesday that the widely expected shift from LCD to OLED screens will necessitate a thin-film solution for iPhone 8's 3D Touch module instead of the older glass solution adopted for 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s/7 series. Suppliers behind the new 3D Touch modules are dropping big bucks on advanced factories to retain the precision that Apple demands.

iPhone 8 could be called iPhone Edition, may launch well after September announcement

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 8, 2017

Japanese blog Mac Otakara is reporting that Apple's OLED-based iPhone 8 may be marketed under the “iPhone Edition” moniker, saying the flagship handset may hit store shelves well after an announcement in September. The story corroborates prior rumors and analyst reports suggesting that iPhone 8 might launch later than expected and cost upwards of $1,000.

Mac Otakara expects the LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus iterative updates to go on sale shortly following the announcement.

Neverthink takes cues from TV era, plays videos in place of programs

Steffen Reich ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

If you sampled a bunch of people and asked them about their favorite downtime activities, chances are there would be a fairly even split in numbers between respondents choosing a good book over other forms of entertainment and those drawn to the audiovisual media instead. Folks of the latter segment know best for themselves where to get their daily dose of videos from, but places such as Netflix, Youtube or Hulu are generally speaking a solid bet. Internet empowered services aside, there is credible chatter that in the shadows of society, some renegades continue to resort to a traditional TV set for their spate of mindless diversion.

Whether you find yourself all too often hunting for new videos to watch during lunch break or you identify with the dwindling TV crowd, a brand new app called neverthink could be for you. That’s because it marries the old-fashion convenience of always-on programming with the excitement of the sometimes mercurial internet. Neverthink wants you to never again think about what videos to dig up next and their way of going about it is unique enough to potentially strike a chord with you.