Apple

Skype makes group video calling free on OS X, Windows and Xbox One, coming soon to iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 28, 2014

One-on-one video calls have always been free on Skype and now the Microsoft-owned communication platform is making the group video calling feature, unveiled in 2010, available free of charge to desktop users running OS X or Microsoft Windows, with no expiration date, as well as to owners of the Xbox One console which has Skype deeply integrated.

Up until now, group video calling used to be limited to Skype's Premium users on Windows desktop and Mac, which costs $4.99 for a day pass or $8.99 per month. Microsoft has said it will make the feature free on all platforms "in the future"...

Apple Maps adds 3D Flyover of Stonehenge

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Apple lately has been increasingly expanding coverage of the three-dimensional view of its mapping service. Just earlier this month, 3D Flyover coverage extended to include the east side of the San Francisco Bay Area, including the city of Berkeley and its University of California, the birthplace of the flavor of Unix used in OS X and iOS.

But what if you could take a 3D topographic tour of the ancient monument? Well, now you can as Flyover coverage now includes areas of Wiltshire, England, about two miles west of Amesbury and eight miles north of Salisbury where this mysterious prehistoric monument is located...

Poll: would iPhone 6 be worth $300 to you?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 3, 2017

iPhone 6 rumors are heating up as we inch closer to Apple's summer developers conference and an assumed Fall launch of a 4.7-inch iPhone 6.

Jefferies analyst Peter Misek recently claimed in a note to clients that Apple is negotiating with wireless carriers to raise the iPhone 6 price by $100, because the handset will be "the only headline-worthy high-end phone launched this year.

The price hike would make the larger-screened iPhone retail for $299 after a two-year contract with a carrier versus the usual $199 starting price of latest on-contract iPhones. Interestingly enough, a recent study has found that one-third of iPhone shoppers would indeed pay more to get an iPhone with a screen larger than four inches.

What about you?

Apple launches replacement program for iPhone 5 Sleep/Wake button

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Apple announced a new replacement program today for folks having issues with the Sleep/Wake button on their iPhone 5. The program allows for the replacement of the button on select iPhone 5 models where it has either stopped working completely, or only works intermittently.

The Cupertino firm says that it will offer the service free of charge to iPhone 5 customers with models that exhibit this issue, and have a qualifying serial number. It has set up a website with all of the details on the program for the 'small percentage' of people that have been affected...

Badland updated with new ‘Doomsday’ level pack offered on try-before-buy basis

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 25, 2014

Badland, one of the best mobile games out there, has been updated today with a set of thirty brand new 'Doomsday' levels, but with a twist. Breaking away from the common practice of updating Badland with new content offered free of charge to those who've previously purchased the game, its two-person development team has decided to provide the new levels on a paid basis as it explores fair new monetization models.

This also marks the first time this iPhone and iPad game has offered in-app purchases. Badland is available for $3.99 in the App Store, with the Doomsday level pack available on a try-before-buy basis as a one-time $0.99 in-app purchase...

Touch ID coming to iPads, iOS code hooks suggest

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

There's hardly any doubt at this point that Apple will roll out its Touch ID fingerprint reader to all iOS devices sooner than later. As you know, the sophisticated fingerprint sensor debuted last September as an iPhone 5s exclusive and is based on technologies from Israeli startup AuthenTec that got acquired by Apple for the reported $356 million in the summer of 2012.

While Apple was originally rumored to bring fingerprint-scanning to its tablet lineup, its manufacturing partner TSMC was unable to build enough of the sensors for the iPhone 5s alone, causing handset shortages after the launch.

Notable mentions of Touch ID for the iPad have been discovered in the iOS code, indicating an upcoming iPad hardware refresh might include the fingerprint sensor. It's worth pointing out that iOS code frequently contains placeholders and hooks for unreleased features that never see the light of day. This is not the first time Apple's code references Touch ID for iPads but we felt you should know about this...

Mobile Safari creator on iPhone development and meeting Steve’s exacting standards

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

Francisco Tolmasky was only twenty years old back in 2006 when Apple hired him straight out of college. The whiz kid was immediately thrown into a big job at the famously secretive company that demands nothing but excellence from its employees.

Specifically, the young engineer was one of the early members of the team that created mobile Safari and Maps on the iPhone. The New York Times sat down with Tolmasky to discuss the challenges of developing desktop-class mobile software and meeting Steve's exacting standards when it comes to ease of use, here are the juiciest bits...

NBC’s ‘Today’ offers peek inside Apple’s North Carolina data center

Cody Lee ∙ April 25, 2014

Continuing with its recent 'green' marketing push, Apple offered folks a rare look inside its Maiden, North Carolina data center last night. The company paired up with NBC chief environmental correspondent Anne Thompson to do a spot on Thursday's edition of the 'Today' show regarding its various environmental initiatives.

The piece is fairly short—just under 3 minutes—but it's interesting because it gives you a peek inside Apple's data center operations, and details some of the equipment used to power the large buildings. Also, it features a brief appearance by the company's newly-appointed Vice President of Environmental Initiatives Lisa Jackson...

Pioneer exec talks CarPlay and what it’s like to work with Apple

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Since Apple announced CarPlay last month, the most common question has been about aftermarket products. Most folks don't have the money to just go out and buy a brand new car, so they want to know when they'll be able to install the system in their current vehicle.

Initially, the prognoses didn't look very good, but Apple confirmed last week that both Alpine and Pioneer are working on aftermarket CarPlay solutions to be released this year. And recently, MacRumors sat down with Pioneer's Ted Cardenas to talk about the project...

Addictive slicing game KingHunt goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 24, 2014

A week ago, Apple's App Store editorial team slashed Horn, a noteworthy third-person action adventure game with great graphics, to zero bucks.

Today is Thursday, which means that another paid iOS app or game has gone temporarily free as part of Apple's ongoing Free App of the Week promotion. This time around, it's KingHunt by renowned publisher MountainSheep.

A great time killer that will feel instantly familiar to anyone who has played Fruit Ninja for a few brief seconds, KingHunt is being billed as the next-generation slicing game. The game is now available free of charge until next Thursday, down from its usual asking price of four bucks for the universal iPhone and iPad download, so grab it now while it's hot...

Some users seeing significant battery life improvement with iOS 7.1.1

Cody Lee ∙ April 24, 2014

In addition to Touch ID enhancements and bug fixes, it looks like iOS 7.1.1 also brings about battery life improvements. Several users are reporting seeing markedly-improved battery life since installing the update, which Apple seeded to the public on Tuesday.

ZDNet's Adrian Kingsley-Hughes says that battery performance on his iPhone 5 dropped significantly following last month's iOS 7.1 release. But since updating to 7.1.1, Hughes says that it's gone back up to just as good, if not better, than it was when he first got it...

Apple offers resolution for FaceTime woes but you may not like it

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 24, 2014

After some folks on iOS 6 and older versions of OS X started complaining about being unable to make or receive FaceTime calls on their devices, Apple has responded by releasing an emergency fix for the FaceTime app on OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. Getting to the root of the problem, the company on Thursday published a support document that casts more light on the issue.

People have apparently been experiencing FaceTime connection problems due to a bug resulting from a device certificate that expired on April 16, 2014. Luckily, there's a simple resolution for the problem, one which you may not necessarily like. Hit the jump for the full reveal...