Apple

Google launches new features in Docs, Sheets and Slides mobile productivity apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Google's suite of free of charge productivity services and applications, collectively marketed under the Google Docs brand, has been refreshed Thursday with new features.

As announced Thursday on the official Google Apps Updates blog, new versions of document editor Docs, presentation software Slides and spreadsheet application Sheets are now available in the App Store.

Among other changes, these applications now include such enhancements as object reordering on a slide, table editing in spreadsheets, tracking changes and accepting suggestions in Docs, faster loading and scrolling of PowerPoint documents and more.

Apple Watch Sport band is indeed adjustable via unique three-piece solution

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Following a recent TechCrunch report which claimed the Apple Watch Sport would ship with a three-piece band, the updated “What's In The Box” section on the Online Apple Store has now confirmed that the fluoroelastomer band indeed includes three pieces to make either a Small/Medium (S/M) or Medium/Large (M/L) strap. The discovery was first made by MacRumors on Thursday.

Internal memo confirms Apple Watch unlikely to be available for in-store purchases before June

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Facing low yields and high customer demand for its wearable device, Apple has now confirmed in a memo to retail staff obtained by 9to5Mac that the Watch won't be shipping before June.

Moreover, the company's removed the April 24 date from its website last night, indicating that few of those who have pre-ordered their device will actually receive it by April 24.

Analyst estimates 2.3M Apple Watch pre-orders, Taptic Engine and OLED display causing delays

Timothy Reavis ∙ April 15, 2015

Noted Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a respectable track record when reporting on Apple, released a note estimating Apple Watch pre-orders to be in excess of 2.3 million units, with a breakdown of Apple Watch Sport, Apple Watch, and Apple Watch Edition each taking 85%, 15%, and less than 1% respectively.

Tumblr 4.0 for iOS gains blog creation, adds Today widget for trending tags and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 15, 2015

Yahoo-owned Tumblr today released a major update to its free iPhone and iPad client in the App Store. Tumblr 4.0 for iOS sports a number of new features, enhancements and nice-to-haves that make blogging from the palm of your hand a frictionless and more enjoyable experience than before.

For starters, you can now create new blogs (previously available through the web interface only), as well as delete entire blogs from inside the app. Video embedding has been made as easy as pasting a URL from YouTube or Vimeo or another such site.

VOX Music Player brings high-definition lossless audio to iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 15, 2015

VOX Music Player for Mac by Coppertino Inc. has gone iPhone. Available at no cost in the App Store, the application lets you enjoy high-quality music encoded in the lossless FLAC format on your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad.

Of course, you can play the usual assortment of lossy audio files, too, including MP3, AAC and just about any type of audio file format you could think of. For example, the app is capable of rendering music formats like APE, WMA and CUE which are not supported by iTunes natively.

Your music can also be cached for playing offline.

Kong for iPhone by Path developers lets you create instant memes from your selfies

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 30, 2018

A brand new app by Path creators (you do remember Path, don't you?), called Kong, is now available at no cost in the App Store. Billed as a piece of software designed to play with your selfies, Kong unleashes your imagination by letting you create GIFs of yourself in an instant.

You can make the bite-sized animated GIFs more interesting by adding text, applying filters to your selfie and more.

Your animated meme can then be shared with a private circle of friends or with the web at large through Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other services. Kong is actually quite cool and addictive, let me explain why.

Win lunch with Tim Cook and two VIP tickets to attend future Apple keynote

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

For the third year in a row, Apple CEO Tim Cook is participating in a charity auction organized by the fundraising service CharityBuzz. You can now bid on the opportunity to have lunch with Cook on the Apple campus in Cupertino, California, and to be his guest at an Apple keynote event. In fact, the highest bidder will win not one but two VIP passes to an Apple keynote.

Glide becomes first app to bring one-way video calling to Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 15, 2015

Glide for iPhone has been updated on the App Store today with Apple Watch support, becoming the first app to bring one-way real-time video messaging to the wrist-worn gizmo. The app lets you see a preview of video messages up to five minutes long on your wrist and respond straight from your Apple Watch.

Other features include getting quick updates to the Watch when friends send you videos, texts or photos without needing to take out your iPhone, accessing all chats and missed events and more.

Multitasking on Apple Watch and other user interface shortcuts you should memorize

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 15, 2015

Apple's Watch features a handy “multitasking” shortcut that Apple did not detail publicly. According to a Reddit user who provided an animated GIF of the feature in action, double-tapping the device's Digital Crown switches you between your two most recently opened apps.

Although it's unclear yet if the Watch has true multitasking capability found on the iPhone and iPad, this shortcut is a great time-saver that makes it easy not only to jump between actions if you are multitasking, but also to go back to the Watch face if you’ve just been in one app.

Samsung creates 200-people team exclusively building screens for Apple

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 15, 2015

Samsung's has devoted a team comprised of two-hundred skilled engineers to build mobile displays exclusively for Apple. The move indicates that the two technology giants are strengthening business ties, patent disputes notwithstanding, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

The team formed April 1 and also helps with sales, people with direct knowledge of the matter said. In addition to the improved business relationship, analysts think the exclusivity of the business arrangement might indicate that Samsung Display could win more screen orders from Apple in the near future.

Apple buys Israeli camera technology company LinX Imaging

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

In a bid to potentially boost its mobile imaging prowess, Apple has purchased an Israeli camera technology company called LinX Imaging for a reported $20 million, according to a Dow Jones report cited in a tweet by CNBC and later confirmed by Apple.

LinX, which builds miniature multi-aperture cameras designed for mobile devices, could help improve imaging features of future iPhones.

And because its technology is also used in tablets and so-called ultrabooks (ultra-thin notebooks akin to Apple's MacBook Air), there's a reasonable likelihood that we may see significantly improved cameras come to Apple's Mac computers and iPad tablet lineup.