Apple

Galaxy Note 7 vs. iPhone 6s real-life speed test proves specs aren’t everything

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 23, 2016

In spite of running Qualcomm’s latest 64-bit Snapdragon 820 processor with four CPU cores, Adreno 530 graphics and 4GB of RAM, Samsung's latest Galaxy Note 7 phablet delivers embarrassing real-world performance when pitted against almost-a-year-older iPhone 6s and its in-house designed A9 chip with two CPU cores and just 2GB of RAM.

As seen in this side-by-side video comparison from YouTuber PhoneBuff, the iPhone 6s easily beats the latest Note when it comes to loading apps and games, thanks to the combination of efficient iOS software and Apple's custom-designed hardware.

Skype for iOS gains connectivity status bar, more informative notifications & other perks

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 22, 2016

Microsoft today pushed an update to its mobile Skype application for iOS, bumping the app's version number on the App Store to 6.22. The new edition includes several enhancements related to notifications and Skype Credit, which can now be purchased from within the app in more currencies than before. Skype for iPhone and iPad are available free on the App Store.

Apple Music Festival is returning to London beginning September 18

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 22, 2016

Monday morning, Apple announced that its free annual concert series, known as Apple Music Festival, will be returning to London in September. The two-week event is scheduled to take place from September 18 to September 30 at the London Roundhouse, with residents of the United Kingdom being given a chance to win tickets to the gigs.

Apple Store updates: design changes, new & renamed positions + ambitious retail credo

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 22, 2016

During an all-hands meeting held with retail employees this weekend, Apple's retail boss Angela Ahrendts discussed changes coming to its brick-and-mortar locations while revealing an updated corporate credo that all retail employees are expected to follow.

She also announced three new retail positions—Pro, Creative Pro and Technical Expert—renamed a few existing ones and shared tidbits on Jony Ive-approved store design and layout, as first discovered by MacRumors.

Taiwanese pop idol claims he’s been photographed using dual-lens 5.5″ iPhone 7 Plus

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 21, 2018

Taiwanese pop singer, actor and race car driver Jimmy Lin is certainly no stranger to publicity stunts involving Apple leaks. In September 2012, for instance, Chinese social media lit up as he posted photos of himself using a then-unreleased iPhone 5.

Now, the attention-seeking star is back at it: he appears to have been photographed while using a dual-lens iPhone 7 Plus handset in Rose Gold.

Siri to pronounce Barbra Streisand’s name correctly with “next update on September 30”

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 22, 2016

Will iOS 10 hit on September 30? We don't know, but that's what well-known singer, actress, songwriter and filmmaker Barbra Streisand seems to have alluded in an interview with NPR, saying she picked up the phone and called Tim Cook after becoming frustrated with how Siri pronounced her name.

The CEO of Apple reportedly promised a fix for Siri to pronounce the actress's name correctly with the next update on September 30.

Samsung could start selling refurbished phones in U.S. next year

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 22, 2016

In June quarter, Samsung had nearly ten percent more U.S. market share than Apple, as per Gartner. To keep the momentum going, Samsung could start selling used versions of its premium smartphones in U.S. as early as next year, “a person with direct knowledge of the matter” told Reuters.

Apple buys personal health data startup Gliimpse

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 2, 2016

Apple has acquired another small startup, called Gliimpse, that has built a secure software platform for users to manage and share their own medical records, Fast Company learned Monday.

The acquisition reportedly happened earlier this year, but Apple's been quiet about it and has now issued its usual non-denial, saying: “Apple buys smaller technology companies from time to time, and we generally do not discuss our purpose or plans.”

Here are Gene Munster’s latest musings on Project Titan & Apple VR headset

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2016

Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster had been infamously predicting an Apple-branded HDTV set for years before eventually giving up on that dream. Last we heard from him was when he called for an S-upgrade to the Apple Watch in February 2016 (he may have gotten that one right; the timing, not so much).

He's back now with some interesting thoughts (via AppleWorldToday) on Apple's rumored electric vehicle and assumed virtual reality headset hardware.

WSJ: Pandora could unveil on-demand tiers next month to better compete with Apple Music

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2016

Trying to stave off threat from Apple's music subscription service and at the same time overcome a “listenership plateau”, Pandora is set to launch a pair of paid subscription tiers next month, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday citing people familiar with the matter.

Provided it's able to negotiate necessary deals with record labels, Pandora could unveil two new paid subscription tiers in the United States and elsewhere.

One of them would reportedly provide unlimited on-demand access to tens of millions of songs on the Internet radio streaming service in exchange for $9.99 per month.

NYT: Lyft unsuccessfully attempts to sell itself to Apple, Google, Uber and others

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2016

Despite not being in danger of closing down thanks to its cash cushion of $1.4 billion, the popular ride-sharing service Lyft has in recent months attempted to sell itself to Apple and a few other Silicon Valley giants like Google, Amazon and Uber, The New York Times reported yesterday. None of the mentioned companies commented on the story.

The nation's second-largest ride-hailing firm also attempted a sale to China's leading ride-sharing service, Didi Chuxing, into which Apple invested $1 billion, and to General Motors, one of its largest investors that refused to make a written offer to buy it.

Facebook launches Lifestage, a teens-only social app built around video profiles

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 17, 2018

If you're a high-schooler aged under 22 and eager to connect with your classmates within an environment that harkens back to the Facebook from 2004, when it was exclusively a college student network, then today's Facebook where everyone creeps on others may not be the safest place to engage in such interactions.

That's why Michael Sayman, Facebook’s 19-year-old product manager, created Lifestage, a teens-only iPhone app that encourages high-schoolers to create video profiles and share them with their school network.