Apple

Facebook Messenger picks up live-streaming feature, called Instant Video

Facebook today announced a new live-streaming feature on the mobile Messenger app, dubbed “Instant Video”. Similar to the live-streaming feature built into the mobile Facebook app, Instant Video allows you to start streaming live video with a friend on Messenger by tapping a new button found in chat windows. The video streams in a small window so that you can continue chatting while streaming.

iPhone 7 Plus could come bundled with Apple’s new AirPods Wireless Earphones

Another day, another iPhone 7 leak. A high-resolution photograph of an alleged iPhone 7 Plus packaging that surfaced this morning would have us believe that a 5.5-inch iPhone 7 model could ship with Apple's new wireless earbuds in the box.

The info sticker on the back of supposed packaging shows the details for a 32-gigabyte handset model, suggesting the purchase is bundled with an “AirPods Wireless Earphones”. The purported photo was uploaded anonymously and sent to AppleInsider.

Apple Watch 2’s thinner screen & larger battery allegedly caught on video

Supply chain rumors have asserted that a second-generation Apple Watch 2 could offer a few additional hours of battery life while replacing the current models' Glass on Glass (G/G) touchscreen with a thinner and lighter screen based on One Glass Solution (OGS) display technology. These two features—a thinner display assembly and a bigger battery—are allegedly shown in a video posted by Byte, a UK-based retailer that sells Apple-certified accessories.

Apple shares examples of Siri’s third-party app integration on iOS 10

Following first hands-on demonstrations of Siri's app integration that select developers gave to The Wall Street Journal's Nathan Olivarez-Giles last week, Apple on Thursday published an article of its own to share more details regarding Siri integrations for payments, messaging apps and more.

As a quick backgrounder, Siri on iOS 10 will work with your apps thanks to Apple's new SiriKit framework which was designed to help developers integrate Siri functionality into their own apps.

New Beats products to be unveiled at iPhone event next week

Beats emailed French media earlier this morning to inform them that “a selection of new Beats by Dre products will be unveiled” at the iPhone 7 event on September 7. However, it would seem that Beats' public relations department sent the email prematurely as at least one French outlet, iGen.fr, was contacted by Beats PR and asked to take down the screenshot from the email, which they did.

Plex can now record free over-the-air and cable broadcasts using HDHomeRun devices

Available today as a beta release for Plex Pass subscribers, a new DVR feature allows Plex users to record both free over-the-air shows and cable broadcasts using their own digital antenna and HDHomeRun devices from Silicon Dust. As a bonus, it also supports non-DRM CableCARD channels on the HDHomeRun PRIME network attached digital tuner. This is a great feature addition that will put more television into your Plex-powered media center.

Plex is available for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV, as well as for the Mac, Windows, Linux and a host of other media-streamers and other devices and platforms.

Google brings full RAW support and new face-editing tools to Snapseed for iOS

Google has brought full RAW support to Snapseed, allowing people who are serious about their iPhone photography to edit images saved in the professional RAW file format on their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. As its name suggests, RAW stores original image data as captured by the camera's sensor, without any post-processing. Snapseed 2.9 for iOS also includes user interface improvements, bug fixes, a new face-editing tools and other improvements.

Samsung confirms iPhone support for the new Gear S3 smartwatches

Samsung recently opened up a beta program to test its upcoming Gear Manager for iOS, and we know from before that the Gear S2 will work with the iPhone—but what about the just-announced Gear S3 Classic and Frontier? Will these new devices support Apple's smartphone, too? In a word, yes. SamMobile was able to confirm with a Samsung representative at today's press event that its latest and greatest smartwatches will also work with the iPhone.

Tweetbot creators invite you to beta-test Pastebot clipboard manager for the Mac

Tapbots, the makers of Tweetbot, the popular Twitter client for iOS and macOS, today released the first public beta of Pastebot for Mac. Fans of Tapbots' work will remember Pastebot for iPhone, which allowed you to copy and paste text between iOS devices and Macs.

I've used past tense because Pastebot for iOS is no more: the app was discontinued more than two years ago as developers reshuffled their roadmap. Well, Pastebot for Mac is the successor to the phased-out iOS app and you can now take it for a spin.

Samsung pulls back the curtain on two new wearables: Gear S3 Classic and Frontier

It is no secret that the Gear S2 watches were far from perfect even though they were a step in the right direction for Samsung. Today, the South Korean company has expanded its smartwatch lineup with the introduction of a pair of new wearables—the Gear S3 Classic and Gear S3 Frontier. More elegant and rugged than ever, the new Samsung watches have embedded GPS and cellular LTE connectivity.

Like the 2015 Gear S2, the new S3 range is based on the Tizen operating system that brings some updated software features to the mix. The Gear S3 Classic and Frontier will start shipping later this year.

Apple’s spun Turi into its machine learning division

After acquiring machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) startup Turi for a reported $200 million, Apple is now ramping up hiring for its new machine learning division and has spun Turi into that unit, according to job posts first discovered by MacRumors. Apple's new division should remain in Seattle, where Turi was originally based.