Apple

tvOS 10 preview: 4 new Siri features on Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

Aside from Single Sign-On for pay-TV apps and other new features and enhancements, tvOS 10 brings expanded Siri capabilities to the fourth-generation Apple TV, including searching across even more apps, YouTube search, topic search and tuning right into live channels.

Both existing and new Siri features will be available in four new new countries when tvOS 10 launches this fall. Here's our detailed preview along with a video hands-on of the above Siri features coming to your big screen via tvOS 10.

Google wants to beat Apple to attracting India’s developer talent

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 11, 2016

Apple is opening a new facility in India early next year, aimed at improving the skills and success of Indian developers building iOS applications, and now Google hopes to do the same for Android. In introducing a new initiative this morning, called Android Skilling, Google hopes to beat Apple to attracting India's developer talent to Android.

Blind Apple engineer describes advancing Accessibility features for the blind

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 11, 2016

Mashable yesterday ran an interesting profile on 22-year-old Jordyn Castor, an Apple engineer who works on the company's Accessibility team. Aside from other tidbits, the story reveals that Apple employs Accessibility engineers who themselves are users of those features as Castor has been blind since birth.

The runaway success of Pokémon GO highlights safety issues of augmented-reality gaming

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 11, 2016

The runaway success of Pokémon GO is undeniable. In a few short days since its debut last week, the freemium title has become the top free app on the US App Store and the most downloaded and highest-grossing app in the countries where it is available. It sent Nintendo shares up 25 percent, adding $7.5 billion to the company's market capitalization. Furthermore, the game is about to surpass Twitter among Android users in the United States in terms of daily active users.

But there's a darker side to its success as widespread media coverage combined with pent-up interest and the power of the Nintendo and Pokémon brands in some cases seem to be resulting in a string of thefts, burglaries and even car accidents and other injuries.

TSMC’s Q3 revenue expected to climb to a record high on strong iPhone 7 A10 chip orders

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 11, 2016

Citing market forecasts quoted by the Commercial Times newspaper, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported Monday that shares of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) could hit record levels thanks to orders for the Apple-designed 'A10' system-on-a-chip, the engine that will drive the next iPhone and iPad. TSMC just posted strong numbers for the second financial quarter.

Nintendo shares post massive gains following Pokémon GO launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 2, 2017

Since releasing its augmented-reality game Pokémon GO five days ago on the App Store in the United States, New Zealand and Australia, Nintendo stock has jumped 25 percent, gaining a cool $7.5 billion and posting a record since it began trading in Tokyo in 1983, Reuters reported Monday.

Apple releases Education Starter Guides for iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 8, 2016

Integrating the iPad into curriculum just got easier as Apple yesterday released a collection of guidebooks on the iBooks Store that its educational teams designed to help educators learn how to use iPads and first-party apps in the classroom. The new Education Starter Guides for iPad series consist of six interactive guidebooks with photos and videos.

Created and published published by Apple's in-house Education team, the new e-books are promoted in an email blast to iTunes U users and on the Education section of the iBooks Store.

Apple’s European iOS App Development Center opening at University of Naples in October

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 8, 2016

We learned in January that Apple would be opening its first European iOS App Development Center in Italy and now German website Macerkopf.de notes that the Università di Napoli Federico II in Naples has officially confirmed partnering with Apple on the initiative.

Beginning in October 2016, the upcoming iOS App Development Center will let Naples university students take part in a nine month curriculum which was designed by Apple itself.

Facebook Messenger starts testing end-to-end encryption with Secret Conversations

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 12, 2016

The Guardian reported more than a month ago that Facebook would be rolling out end-to-end encryption for chats in Messenger. Friday, the social networking firm announced that it's begun testing the new feature, dubbed Secret Conversations.

An opt-in feature, the new option within the mobile Messenger app for iOS and Android was designed to better support conversations about sensitive topics with end-to-end encryption.

Apple should to do something about useless App Store “change logs”

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated August 23, 2017

The App Store is the best way to download and use apps on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, and every so often, you get an update for one of your apps that is supposed to fix problems or add new features.

Of course, what are you supposed to make of app updates that don’t really give you any information about what you’re downloading?

Apple’s free app of the week: Loopimal

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 11, 2018

Apple on Thursday updated its App of the Week promotion with the app Loopimal by Yatatoy. This means that for the next 7 days, you'll be able to pick up the critically acclaimed children's title for both iPhone and iPad for free—a solid savings of $3.

Loopimal is essentially a building kit of handcrafted animations and sounds that teaches kids about music. The graphics are both sharp and charming, and the rhythmic/melodic content makes for endless possibilities of creations and compositions.

Check out system requirements for Auto Unlock to see if your Mac is supported

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 25, 2023

Some features of Apple's operating systems are hardware-dependent, for one reason or another. iOS 10 and macOS Sierra are no exceptions. For example, Raise to Wake on iOS 10 requires devices with Apple's embedded M9 motion coprocessor, currently found in the iPhone 6s/Plus and iPhone SE.

Following our preview of Auto Unlock, we noticed that commenters are wondering if this feature requires any special hardware so here are Apple's official system requirements for Auto Unlock.