Apple

Apple said to have considered buying Tesla, working on tech to predict heart attacks

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

As Apple continues to seek growth outside of smartphone and tablet markets, we've heard various rumors speculating on what areas the company could enter next. Automotive and medical industries have been popular answers as of late, and today a report added weight to those theories.

The San Francisco Chronicle is reporting today that Apple has been exploring both cars and medical devices to reignite growth, and the scoop is filled with interesting tidbits. For example, the outlet claims Apple execs met with Tesla CEO Elon Musk last year to discuss a potential buyout...

Apple to update iPad Air this year, no 12.9-inch iPad or new mini until 2015

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo is out with a new research note this weekend, offering predictions on Apple's tablet plans for the next two years. The analyst, who has a strong track record in tech predictions, believes that 2014 will be the year of the iPad Air.

Kuo sees Apple updating the full-sized iPad this year with an A8 processor, Touch ID fingerprint sensor, and possibly a few other improvements. But as for a new iPad mini and the oft-rumored 12.9-inch iPad "pro," he believes we wont see them until 2015...

iBeacons ready to go at MLB ballparks in Los Angeles and San Diego

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

Good news for Dodgers and Padre fans this afternoon. Major League Baseball announced today that it has finished outfitting its first two ballparks with iBeacon sensors, those in Los Angeles and San Diego, California.

The move comes just two weeks after it was reported that the MLB was looking to have iBeacons ready to go in over 20 ballparks by the Opening Day of 2014, and the organization confirms that rollout is still on track...

Flextronics joins Apple’s supply chain as assemblers of ‘Made in USA’ Macs

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 31, 2017

As part of the 2014 Supplier Responsibility Report that was published yesterday, Apple has refreshed its Supplier Responsibility website with a newly updated list of component suppliers and major manufacturing locations where Apple's gadgets are being assembled.

Bloomberg analyzed Apple's public documents and discovered that Flextronics International Ltd. has now joined the company's supply chain as assemblers of 'Made in USA' Macs. Although Flextronics now gets to assemble Macs in Apple's $100 million Austin, Texas plant, Foxconn remains the largest manufacturer of Apple products, with seven assembly locations in China and Brazil...

Apple Store app offering Tetris for free, grab it now

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 14, 2014

This week's Free App of the Week on the App Store is Max Axe, an over-the-top endless runner where you kill beasts by drawing with your finger to throw axes. If this sounds a little underwhelming, the official Apple Store app in its ongoing promotion is now giving away Electronic Arts' excellent take on the classic Tetris game. Having played countless Tetris versions over the years, Twintris for the Amiga 500 was by far the most fun I've ever had smashing simple geometric shapes down to clear the lines.

Electronics Arts' modernized mobile Tetris edition is the closest thing to Twintris. It's a highly recommended download so fire up the Apple Store app and claim your free copy now, here's how...

Here’s what happens if your phone number shows up on news after iPhone unveiling

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Here's an interesting little anecdote from analyst Ben Bajarin who has attended every Apple event sans the January 2007 iPhone introduction. Although he wasn’t there and his father was, the iPhone launch has impacted Bajarin's "life–temporarily–even before I got my hands on one".

The analysts dad was lucky enough to land himself a private demo of the original iPhone by an Apple executive whom he knew, right following Steve's legendary presentation. After calling his son using a demo iPhone unit, the phone number ended up showing up on the news, resulting in a minimum of 1,500 calls a day...

Samsung and Apple bosses fail to resolve patent disputes in mediation talks

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 14, 2014

We told you in January that Samsung and Apple CEOs were scheduled to meet for a new round of peace talks ahead of a trial next month. According to multiple reports today, the meeting between Apple CEO Tim Cook and Samsung mobile chief and co-CEO JK Shin indeed took place last week, but failed to yield tangible settlement opportunities.

As a result of the failed talks, the two frenemies are definitely going to slug it out in the courtroom all over again in a second California trial scheduled to kick off on March 31, 2014. Grab your popcorn...

Square Enix Montréal teases new turn-based Hitman GO mobile game, launching soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2017

Square Enix, the prolific studio behind the Final Fantasy franchise, today released Deadman’s Cross, a new card battle game for the iPhone and iPad. And now another studio, Square Enix Montréal, is set to bring the console-only Hitman franchise to iOS.

The company has confirmed that it is putting finishing touches on Hitman GO, a turn-based strategy game set in the Hitman universe. Hitman GO promises "diorama-style set pieces", will focus strongly on strategy planning and is “almost ready for launch”. Jump past the fold for additional tidbits...

Apple sold more Macs and iOS devices than all Windows PCs combined last quarter

Cody Lee ∙ February 14, 2014

Apple may not have impressed Wall Street with its holiday quarter, but it did reach a major [symbolic] milestone. During the 3-month period, the Cupertino company sold more Macs, iPhones, iPads and iPod touches than the total number of Windows computers combined.

According to data gathered by analyst Benedict Evans, this is the first time Apple has surpassed the PC market in hardware sales. Now this doesn't include Windows Phone. If you add that in, the two are more or less exactly equal, though Apple still wins in average selling price...

Bloomberg profiles head of Apple University Joel Podolny

Cody Lee ∙ February 13, 2014

Earlier this week, Apple announced that it was promoting its retail HR head Denise Smith to lead its human resources department company-wide. Smith replaces Joel Podolny, who will now focus all of his energy on a top-secret executive training program known as Apple University.

Not much is known about the project, other than that Steve Jobs hired Podolny—the former dean of Yale's School of Management—to put together a program to teach his methods to future execs. But a new Bloomberg report helps shine some light on the University, and its new leader...

Apple’s marketing head honcho Phil Schiller to appear on the witness stand again

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 13, 2014

Phil Schiller, Apple's Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, will take the witness stand again in the second Apple v. Samsung trial due in March, a pair of court filings PCMag spotted on Thursday have revealed.

Furthermore, Apple's former iOS boss Scott Forstall seems to be on Apple's and Samsung's lists for possible live testimony! Forstall hasn't spoken publicly since he got pushed out of the company on October 29, 2012 over the Apple Maps debacle...

Max Axe is App Store’s new Free App of the Week

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2019

It's Thursday and those of you who routinely follow Apple's ongoing Free App of the Week promo know what to expect. That's right, the App Store editors have cherry-picked a new iPhone and iPad application, a game this time around, and slashed it to zero bucks for a limited time.

Max Axe, a humorous arcade frenzy by ChangeYou.com (a publisher of free to play MMORPGs), is now available free of charge until next Thursday (it normally costs $1.99).

This also means that last week's free app, Toca Boca's kids driving game Toca Cars, is no longer available in this promotion...