Apple

Brace yourselves for stunning on-rails shooter Star Horizon, arriving March 20

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

Fans of such shooters as the excellent Arc Squadron (a free download in the App Store), are going to fall in love with Star Horizon after it hits iOS later in March.

Powered by the Unity game engine (which now supports iOS 7 controllers) and created by developer Tabasco Interactive, Star Horizon shows what a long way we've come in terms of GPU performance on mobile devices.

Console-like graphics, stunning lighting effects, detailed 3D models of starships and fighters and just all-around fancy visuals are bound to knock your socks off. Jump past the fold for a trailer, screenshots and additional highlights...

iSpaceship designer talks Steve Jobs involvement, project’s scale and smart planning

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Apple has just finished demolishing the Campus 2 site after receiving an unanimous approval for the project from the Cupertino City Council last November. When construction completes in 2016, a whopping 12,000 Apple employees will move into their new 2.8 million square foot, ring-shaped home.

But how exactly was the massive glass and metal structure conceived, what was Steve Jobs involvement in the planning process and what influenced the four-story building's unique design which earned it the nickname of 'iSpaceship'?

Renowned architect Norman Foster, the chairman of Foster + Partners, led the project and talked all of the above, and then some more, in an interesting interview with Architectural Record, here are the highlights...

Apple’s new CarPlay feature will not support Pandora at launch

Cody Lee ∙ March 4, 2014

When Apple officially announced CarPlay, its highly anticipated vehicle integration project, yesterday, it noted the feature would support third-party music apps. The list it provided, however, was rather short including just iTunes Radio, Beats, Spotify, Stitcher Radio and iHeartRadio.

So what about all of the others? It's not looking good. Pandora confirmed with MacRumors last night that CarPlay will not include integration with its popular streaming music service, at least at launch. Despite this, the company says that Apple "continues to be a valued partner."

Intel reportedly buys smartwatch maker Basis for $100+ million

Cody Lee ∙ March 4, 2014

TechCrunch is reporting that Intel has acquired smartwatch maker Basis for between $100 and $150 million. The buyout follows a scoop from February that the startup was shopping itself around to a number of high-profile tech firms including Google, Microsoft and yes, Apple.

For those unfamiliar with the brand, Basis makes a smartwatch-like device called the Basis Health Fitness Tracker, which it calls the “world’s most advanced health tracker.” The wearable is capable of capturing heart rate patterns, tracking multiple sleep stages and much more...

How CarPlay predicts where you may be heading

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 3, 2014

Apple's press release and the CarPlay preview page state that the newly rebranded feature lets drivers access some iPhone functionality through their vehicle's in-car infotainment system.

Specifically, Apple mentions getting directions, making calls, sending and receiving messages and listening to music.

This is all pretty basic stuff, unless you take a closer look at how Apple brought context awareness and tapped artificial intelligence to predict where you may be heading, so you don't even need to enter in an address for a final destination...

Mercedes-Benz shows off CarPlay integration

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 19, 2018

After Apple formally announced its long-expected iOS in the Car initiative today at the Geneva Motor Show - rebranded as CarPlay - car maker Volvo was quick to post a video showing it off in action. Not to be outdone by Volvo, rival Mercedes-Benz has now shared additional tidbits pertaining to how it plans to integrate CarPlay into an upcoming C-Class.

And just like Volvo, Mercedes-Benz is keeping its options open by not pledging exclusive support for CarPlay. In addition to its own in-car entertainment system, the company is going to support not only Apple's CarPlay, but also Android-based in-car infotainment system when it launches later this year. Let's get down to the nitty-gritty...

Rumor: could iWatch be ‘Swiss Made’?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

A high-profile source in the watch-making biz has stepped forward with a rather surprising assertion that Apple may be looking to build its rumored iWatch in Switzerland, the home to world's finest watchsmiths.

According to the source, Apple's created a company in Switzerland for this purpose.

In fact, one industry executive claims Apple has already placed orders with subcontractors in a bid to market its rumored wearable device as 'Swiss Made,' a label used to indicate that a product was made in Switzerland, similar to the 'Made in USA' label, or 'Made in China' for that matter...

Microsoft to make it easier to add Xbox Live functionality to iOS games

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 3, 2014

Software maker Microsoft last November released its companion free SmartGlass app on the App Store, giving Xbox One owners a way to connect to their console to browse the web, navigate the dashboard control content, access achievements and more, all from their iPhone and iPad devices.

But Microsoft isn't standing still.

According to a new report by The Verge, the Redmond giant is now looking to push the Xbox Live service cross-platform "in a big way" soon. For months now, Microsoft has been offering tools allowing third-party iOS and Android developers to integrate Xbox Live functionality into their apps and games.

But as games developers balked at Microsoft's required certification process, the company is now looking to "win back" their support by making Xbox Live "a lot easier" to integrate into apps and games...

Volvo posts video of Apple’s CarPlay in action

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 17, 2017

Hot on the heels of Apple's CarPlay announcement earlier this morning at the Geneva Motor Show, car maker Volvo has posted a video showing off iOS integration in action.

Unlike CarPlay implementations by other vendors such as Ferrari and Mercedes-Benz, Volvo took the feature to the next level.

Specifically, Volvo's system allows for both CarPlay and Volvo controls to be available to drivers simultaneously on the vehicle's large touchscreen. I've included the video for your viewing pleasure right after the break...

WSJ: Apple hiring engineers from HTC and other Asian firms to speed up product launches

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 5, 2018

Unlike the specs-obsessed technology industry which has always been dependent on frequent product refreshes, Apple continues to traditionally update its iPhone annually. Now, some industry peers - such as Sony - warned that the company may be "missing out" by not updating the iPhone twice per year.

Playing on this sentiment, The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is now adding "hundreds of new engineers" and supply-chain managers in China and Taiwan. The company is hiring away these people from various tech firms, including rival HTC, reportedly in order to speed up product development and launch a wider range of devices...

Apple’s CFO Peter Oppenheimer lands a seat on the Goldman Sachs board

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated July 24, 2016

Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, has joined the Board of Directors of investment banking firm Goldman Sachs. The appointment brings the Goldman Sachs board to thirteen directors, ten of whom are independent.

According to a newly published webpage over at Goldman Sachs, Oppenheimer will be a member of each of the firm’s Audit, Risk, Compensation and Corporate Governance, Nominating and Public Responsibilities committees.

“Peter’s 25 years of broad experience across important industries will add a valuable perspective to our Board of Directors,” said Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and CEO in a prepared statement. “We appreciate his willingness to serve as a director and look forward to benefitting from his judgment and counsel”...

Meet Cortana, Microsoft’s answer to Siri

Christian Zibreg ∙ March 3, 2014

The Windows giant Microsoft will be introducing its upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update at the Build conference next month.

With it comes Cortana, a Microsoft-branded personal digital assistant that includes functionality provided by Apple's Siri and Google's Google Now voice-activated assistants.

It also has a few nice features not provided by Apple so perhaps competition from Microsoft (and Google) will prompt the iPhone maker to roll out new Siri features sooner than later. The Verge has an exclusive look at Cortana's interface and some of its features, here are the highlights...