Apple

Apple opens Red Cross donations for Louisiana flood relief

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 20, 2016

Apple is tapping into its vast base of hundreds of millions of iTunes accounts with credit cards on file to help collect donations to the American Red Cross in an effort to help victims of the flooding in southern Louisiana, which has forced thousands of people out of their homes. Banners on the iTunes and App Store and Apple's U.S. website went live Friday, with donations to the American Red Cross available in $5/$10/$25/$50/$100/$200 tiers billed directly to your credit card.

Apple and other tech giants join forces with FCC to crack down on spammy robocalls

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

Robocalls, phone calls that uses a computerized autodialer to deliver a pre-recorded message, may become a thing of the past as Apple, Google and other Silicon Valley giants join forces with the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to crack down on spammy automated phone calls, according to Reuters this morning.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is expected to make the announcement at the first “Robocall Strike Force” meeting at the FCC later today.

Double-capacity batteries loom, get ready for even thinner Apple gadgets

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

SolidEnergy Systems, MIT's commercial spin-off, has managed to create a technology which promises to double the capacity of standard lithium-ion batteries used in today's gadgets without increasing the size of the battery module.

The trick involves a simple tweak of existing technology that can be incorporated into existing production lines, theoretically bringing twice the battery power to our pockets from 2017.

I know what you're thinking, but don't hold your breath for an iPhone with 2x stronger battery. Given Apple's focus on thinness, thinner iPhones with the same or marginally better run time as existing models are much more likely.

Sony announces $499 aftermarket CarPlay audio system, arriving in November

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

If you mind buying a brand spanking new car just to get CarPlay, aftermarket solutions from Pioneer, Alpine and Kenwood allow you to add Apple's in-car infotainment system to older vehicles.

Now Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony has unveiled its first-ever in-car audio system with CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

It sports high-fidelity sound and includes voice command features, Siri integration with support for Maps, Music and iMessage features, plus other perks.

Apple Stores in Annapolis, Kansas City and Glasgow getting next-gen makeover

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

As announced on the Apple Retail webpage, the company's three brick-and-mortar outlets located in Annapolis, Kansas City and Glasgow will reopen next week with next-generation design positioning them as gathering places for their communities with features like sequoia wood tables and shelves, a 6K video wall with seating called “The Forum” and more.

Twitter gains features to limit notifications and filter out lower-quality content

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

Twitter continues adding features to let users control and personalize their experience on the service with yesterday's announcement of a new quality filter and notification settings.

Now available in Twitter 6.6 for iOS, the new content quality switch allows you to optionally weed out lower-quality tweets from your feed, notifications and other parts of your Twitter experience.

“It does not filter content from people you follow or accounts you’ve recently interacted with – and depending on your preferences, you can turn it on or off in your notifications settings,” cautioned the service.

Taiwanese suppliers refuse to lower their quotes for iPhone 7 components

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

Apple may be forced to amend its purchasing policy when it comes to securing various components that go into its handsets, according to a report Friday by trade publication DigiTimes.

The company's policy of constantly squeezing profits from suppliers has been challenged by Taiwanese companies who have now refused to lower their quotes for iPhone 7 parts.

Suppliers like advanced packaging technology maker Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE), along with many others under the Foxconn Group, reportedly told the iPhone maker that they “could not be able to accept orders without reasonable profits”.

NYT is shutting down its Now app on August 29

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 14, 2018

Released in March of 2014, The New York Times' news curation app, NYT Now, is scheduled to shut down on August 29, the newspaper announced in a blog post.

The app debuted as a more affordable alternative to the paper's digital subscriptions, offering premium content for as low as $8 per month. It was regularly updated and at one point even gained features like 1Password integration.

Frank Ocean releases ‘Endless’ visual album on Apple Music

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Frank Ocean has released a new visual album entitled "Endless" exclusively on Apple Music. The 45-minute video features new songs from the popular R&B singer, and takes place in the same warehouse shown in the web feed on his website.

Endless comes roughly two weeks after it was reported that Mr. Ocean was preparing to release "Boys Don't Cry," his first new album since 2012. This of course never materialized, but the singer's rep says watch out for more content soon.

Apple’s free app of the week: Pixel Cup Soccer 16

Cody Lee ∙ August 18, 2016

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the game Pixel Cup Soccer 16. This means from now through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the retro-style football title for free on both iPhone and iPad—saving you $3.

As you've probably gathered by now, Pixel Cup Soccer 16 is a retro-style, dynamic arcade game. It features fast-pace gameplay, nostalgic graphics and soundtrack that will take you back to the 90's, and 3 game modes: Friendly, competition and PKs.

Battery concerns reportedly delay cellular-enabled Apple Watch 2

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Bloomberg just shot down The Wall Street Journal's claim of a cellular-enabled Apple Watch 2, saying it's been delayed over battery concerns and technological limitations. Instead, Apple Watch 2 models, which Bloomberg's well-informed Mark Gurman says are coming this fall, will improve health tracking with an on-board GPS chip.

Sprint reveals its own unlimited data plan

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 18, 2016

Joining a chorus of carrier updates, U.S. wireless carrier Sprint today revealed an unlimited plan of its own. Called Unlimited Freedom and available starting at $60 per month, it offers unlimited 4G LTE data, talk and text, with the ability to add a second line for an extra $40 per month, or up to eight lines for an additional $30 per month each.

Additionally, Sprint's prepaid subsidiary Boost Mobile revealed a similar plan of its own. Both plans are available for new and existing customers starting tomorrow.