Apple

Teardown: new Apple TV + Siri Remote

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 22, 2015

Following the teardown analysis of Apple's fourth-generation iPad mini, repair wizards over at iFixit have torn apart the new Apple TV and its Bluetooth-based Siri Remote with touch trackpad.

The new box has a high repairability score thanks to a fairly modular design and just a few major components, which simplifies repair. It's also a half-inch taller and more than fifty percent heavier than the third-generation model.

On the inside, it features a beefier heatsink and power supply to support the speed monster that is the dual-core A8 microchip with 2GB of RAM, clocked at 1.8GHz.

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Former GM Vice Chairman disses Apple’s car project, calls it ‘a gigantic money pit’

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 22, 2015

If you're looking for the auto industry version of “PC guys are not going to just figure this out. They’re not going to just walk in,” look no further than knee-jerk comments that former GM Vice Chairman Bob Lutz made on CNBC.

His arguments: no one's “made a nickel” selling electric cars, that market “is still minuscule” so Apple's Project Titan must be “a gigantic money pit”.

“If I were a shareholder, I'd be very upset,” he added.

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WSJ: Apple speeds up electric car project, now targeting 2019 as a prospective shipping date

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2015

Apple’s rumored electric project, code-named Project Titan, has sped up development as the Cupertino company now targets 2019 as a prospective shipping date, The Wall Street Journal said Monday.

In fact, Apple has internally designating the rumored electric vehicle as a “committed project” after it spent more than a year investigating the feasibility of an Apple-branded car, including meetings with two groups of government officials in California.

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Why iOS 9’s Facedown detection doesn’t work on iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPad and iPod touch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 9, 2022

Facedown detection stands as one of the underrated features in iOS 9's rich arsenal of power-saving tactics designed to help extend your run time by up to an additional hour.

Facedown detection avoids turning the display on when a notification comes in and your phone is put facedown. But as it turns out, Facedown detection doesn't work on all devices compatible with iOS 9 and there is a good explanation for that  why.

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Here’s everything that’s new, improved and enhanced in watchOS 2

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2015

Following a slight delay in launching watchOS 2 due to a critical bug discovered at the last minute, Apple on Monday released the first major update to the operating system powering the Apple Watch.

In addition to executing your favorite apps directly on the device rather than on your iPhone, watchOS 2 lets native apps take advantage of hardware features such as built-in mic, the Digital Crown and the Taptic Engine.

For the full list of changes, check out Apple's official release notes further below detailing everything that’s new, improved and enhanced in watchOS 2.

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Shazam update brings support for iOS 9’s enhanced Spotlight Search and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2015

Shazam, the popular music and media identification software, has rolled out a brand new 9.0 update to its iPhone and iPad application in the App Store, bringing out support for Spotlight Search on iOS 9, improved Bluetooth listening and other tidbits.

Shazam songs and artists can now be searched from the Home screen on iOS 9 and tapping a Shazam result takes you directly into that content within Shazam's mobile app.

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What’s Pebble launching on Wednesday?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

Pebble is teasing a new product launch on Wednesday, September 23, at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern Time. The countdown timer on the Pebble website invites fans to register their interest in order to “see what's next”.

Although Pebble has been feeling the heat following the April 205 Apple Watch launch, the startup has managed to roll out the new Pebble Time smartwatch lineup while releasing a few software updates for the original Pebble.

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Samsung about to copy iPhone Upgrade Program

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2015

As major U.S. carriers have been moving toward killing smartphone subsidy and long-term contracts, the true cost of the iPhone will become more visible than ever before.

That's why Apple's decided to let you choose a carrier and get an unlocked iPhone 6s/6s Plus with the opportunity to get a new iPhone annually and AppleCare+ on the new iPhone Upgrade Program.

Not to be outdone by Apple, Galaxy maker Samsung is now looking to bring out a smartphone leasing program of its own in the United States, reports Forbes.

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Apple: more than 50 percent of devices are already using iOS 9

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

It's been less than a week since iOS 9 was released, but it's already being used by more than 50 percent of iOS devices, according to an Apple press release. The 50%+ adoption rate in less than a week is, as Apple puts it, the fastest iOS adoption ever.

In addition, Apple reiterated its upcoming launch of the iPhone 6s, stating that customers may come to their local Apple Store on Friday, September 25th, as it will be fulfilling walk-in orders. Customers are thus encouraged to arrive early, as supply will no doubt be limited, especially if there's a specific color/size/carrier combination that you simply must have.

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Some Skype users experiencing issues with calling and messaging, Microsoft working on a fix

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2015

Are you plagued with various Skype issues, such as the inability to place VoIP calls, update your status or send instant messages? Are all of your Skype contacts showing as offline? Don't worry, you're not alone.

According to a support document published Monday morning, many people are reporting issues with Skype status and calling and Microsoft is working on a fix.

“We're doing everything we can to fix this issue and hope to have another update for you soon,” the company wrote. “Thank you for your patience as we work to get this incident resolved.”

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