Apple

Apple poaches TAG Heuer exec for iWatch marketing role

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 2, 2017

Apple has made another high-profile hire related to iWatch as CNBC reports that the company has successfully poached sales director of luxury Swiss watch maker TAG Heuer Patrick Pruniaux, who has now joined the iPhone maker's teams in California to help sell the iWatch and position the device as a must-have gadget in the minds of the consumers.

Several sources already suspected that the iWatch could actually be a high-end luxury watch augmented by smart functions. Also keep in mind that earlier reports said Apple had approached the world’s top watchsmiths in an attempt to poach their talent for its iWatch team.

That being said, this hire certainly makes sense because Apple is going to need experienced marketeers from the watch industry if it's to position the rumored device as a luxury good...

Samsung’s latest ‘Wall Huggers’ Galaxy ad attacks iPhone’s battery performance

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 3, 2014

Samsung's marketing department is no stranger to Apple-bashing and its most recent advertisement for the Galaxy S5 flagship proves the point.

Titled 'Wall Huggers', it depicts iPhone users in a series of everyday situations with a recurring theme being them chained to a wall socket. "There they are," the voiceover opens the 60-second commercial.

"Clustered around power outlets, recycling bins and bathrooms, tethered to the wall." The ad is embedded for your viewing pleasure right after the break...

iPhone captures 42% market share in the United States for May

Joe Rossignol ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

The latest numbers reveal that the iPhone remains the most popular smartphone in the United States, with 41.9% market share for a three-month period ending May 2014. Samsung was the second most popular smartphone maker with a 27.8% share, attributed to its Galaxy-branded devices. LG (6.5%), Motorola (6.3%) and HTC (5.1%) round off the top five.

While the iPhone was the most popular smartphone, Android held a commanding 52.1% share among mobile platforms. iOS followed not too far behind at 41.9%, while Windows Phone (3.4%), BlackBerry (2.3%) and Symbian (0.1%) all trailed by quite a distance. Android also had 52.1% market share for the three-month period ending February, while iOS gained 0.6 percentage points…

Apple patent filing reveals that iPhones could have location-based security and settings in future

Joe Rossignol ∙ July 3, 2014

Apple has filed a new patent with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for an invention that dynamically changes the security, settings and behavior of a device based on its location. For instance, most users may only require a four-digit passcode on their iPhone while at home, but would prefer to use the more secure Touch ID while in the workplace or traveling.

The hardware and software of a device would work in tandem to identify the location of the user and adjust the security levels accordingly, based on its proximity or connection to cellular data towers, local Wi-Fi networks, other cell phones and more. There would be certain thresholds depending on how confident the device is in the security of the surrounding location…

Rayman Fiesta Run goes free for the first time ever, courtesy of Expedia

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 3, 2014

Back in April, I told you about Expedia's interesting promotion which provides free iOS apps through the official Expedia Hotels & Flights travel app, a free download for the iPhone and iPad.

The company kickstarted the promotion by giving away premium travel apps and now they're giving away Rayman Fiesta Run, Ubisoft's colorful, fast-paced endless runner.

Here's how you can redeem the offer and download the game free from within the Expedia app...

iOS journaling app Day One goes free as Apple’s new Free App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 27, 2018

Day One by Bloom Built is one of the sleekest journaling programs available for iOS and OS X.

This fine piece of software has been named the 2014 Mac Apple Design Award Winner at WWDC last month, was 2012's Mac App of the Year and gets frequently highlighted by the App Store/Mac App Store editors.

Day One keeps your entries in sync via iCloud across platforms and puts back the fun in keeping a journal of your daily highlights, thoughts and memories.

Its rich feature set includes location/weather support, uncluttered interface styled for iOS 7, multi-Markdown text formatting, full screen mode, passcode lock and photographic entries, to name just a few. And now, for the first time in almost a year Day One for iOS has gone temporarily free in celebration of the upcoming Independence Day weekend (regularly a $4.99 download), courtesy of Apple's ongoing Free App of the Week promotion...

Facebook updates Pages Manager with new commenting and posting features

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 3, 2014

Nearly two weeks after giving its Pages Manager app for the iPhone and iPad a much-needed iOS 7 overhaul, the social networking giant Facebook last night issued another update adding a couple new capabilities for page admins.

The latest Facebook Pages Manager 4.1 update expands on the app's feature set with photos and tagged Pages in comments, direct sharing from your Page, location in your posts and more...

All three Infinity Blade games are on sale this holiday weekend

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, also known as Independence Day, a federal holiday in the U.S. commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain.

ChAIR Entertainment, the brains behind the Infinity Blade series, an iOS-exclusive elegiac masterpiece, has now discounted all three Infinity Blade games.

In celebration of Independence Day, you can now grab all three games for as little as six bucks compared to their combined regular value of twenty bucks...

These iPhone 6 renders look just about right

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 3, 2014

As news reached us this morning that Apple could launch its next iPhone in mainland China on Thursday, September 25, and given a purported 4.7-inch front panel leaked in a video which suggests the possibility of one-handed use, we now have a better idea of when the device could launch and how it might feel in one's hand.

There has certainly been no shortage of leaked parts thus far, such as the supposed display covers, backplates, LCD parts, manufacturing molds, etc.

The problem with these leaks based on rumors is their crudeness that don't do Apple's industrial design and precision manufacturing a justice. Enter Ukrainian designer Mark Pelin, who has created high-resolution renders that offer arguably the best indication yet of what a finalized design of the iPhone 6 in Space Gray might look like...

iPhone 6 thought to be introduced on September 19, ahead of September 25 launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 3, 2016

According to Chinese media reports, Apple's upcoming iPhone 6 will be introduced at a media event to be held on Friday, September 19.

The following Thursday, September 25, the device is expected to launch across U.S. carriers and in Apple's key international markets.

According to sources, a 5.5-inch variant of the iPhone 6 will be marketed under the iPhone Air moniker.

This would be similar to this year's distinction between the iPad mini and iPad Air lineup. Also, this name change would reflect the bigger model's thinness and compactness...

Apple hiring software engineers to help ‘overhaul’ Maps backend

Cody Lee ∙ July 2, 2014

According to a pair of new job listings, Apple is looking for folks to help with a major rewrite of its Maps app programming interface. The listings, which were posted yesterday, call for software engineers to aid the company in a major overhaul of its Maps API.

The job descriptions call for cross-functional leaders to join the Apple Maps API team, which is responsible for the "doorway" to all systems powering the Maps service. The company says it has "big plans" for the API, and is overhauling things front-to-back...

iPhone 5c outsold Galaxy S5 in the UK

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 2, 2014

I'm sick and tired of hearing armchair analysts repeatedly proclaiming Apple's unapologetically plastic iPhone 5c a failure just because sales numbers don't meet their wet dream targets.

I bought an iPhone 5c for my Mom's birthday. My friend owns one. Yes, I even see it used in public.

To this date, not a single iPhone 5c owner exhibited a case of buyer's remorse.

I mean, you never hear anyone complaining about Apple's practice of keeping past two iPhone generations on the market at reduced prices whenever a new model comes along. The strategy has served the company well and that's exactly what the iPhone 5c is - a previous-gen iPhone repackaged inside a plastic chassis, sold at a discount.

A lot of ink has been spilled to paint the iPhone 5c a dud, but time and again real world numbers simply don't corroborate this notion. A good example is a new Kantar survey proving that Apple's mid-tier handset beat Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S5 in terms of sales in the United Kingdom...