Apple

Offline mode finally coming to SimCity for Mac, EA confirms

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 2, 2017

Following numerous delays, Electronic Arts in August 2013 finally unleashed SimCity on the Mac.

Unfortunately, the long-expected launch quickly turned into a PR catastrophe as players started to complain about some very steep system requirements, crashes and installation issues.

The bug-ridden rocky launch put super-publisher Electronic Arts on the defensive, especially after the media slammed EA over SimCity's reliance on an Internet connection. Electronic Arts today finally confirmed that a future update will remove that restriction, allowing players to enjoy the city-building simulator when offline...

The Apple-Nokia patent deal is expiring December 31, 2016

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 13, 2014

You may remember that back in June 2011 Apple lost a patent infringement case that the Finnish handset maker Nokia had filed against the Cupertino company, resulting in an undisclosed one-time payment and ongoing royalties to Nokia for use of their patents. The Nokia CEO Stephen Elop was “very pleased” to have Apple join Nokia licensees.

However, the essentials of the contract have for the most part remained confidential. Today, we get to learn more about the terms of the deal as Samsung told a U.S. court that the patent pact is expiring on December 31, 2016...

Vosis for iPad creates cool synthesizer effects from photos and live video

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 13, 2014

There's certainly no shortage of music-creation apps for aspiring musicians on the App Store, even if most of the available programs strive to perhaps dumb down the process of composing music. But every once in a while someone out there comes up with another great idea for music creation on the go.

Although ImageSonification‘s new iPad app called Vosis is not meant to compete with the likes of Apple's GarageBand and similar apps, I can easily see it used in the production and creation of live effects.

Now available in the App Store free of charge, Vosis creates cool ambient and synthesizer effects by analyzing greyscale image pixel data in your photos and live video feed. I've included a nice video after the break so do give it a look to learn what image and video “audification” is all about...

WinZip overhauled for iOS 7, now with Dropbox integration, AirDrop support and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 13, 2014

WinZip Computing has finally updated its WinZip application for iOS which lets you access archived ZIP files on the go, create your own ones and more.

Now available in the App Store in both free and paid flavors, WinZip 3.0 brings out the all-new flattened interface that feels very natural on iOS 7, with AirDrop support making it real easy to share ZIP archives between iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices using Apple's new AirDrop peer-to-peer sharing technology in iOS 7.

WinZip 3.0 also allows you to upload files to your Dropbox and download them on your device, copy or send sharable links of files in Dropbox, take advantage of an improved workflow making it easier to manage your ZIP files on iOS devices and more...

Beats Music coming January 21, here’s nitty-gritty on their ‘trusted curator’ concept

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

Beats Music CEO Luke Wood told us last October to soon expect a brand new subscription music service, one not only making a difference to how we consume songs but also changing our perception of what streaming music services should be all about. Yesterday, Beats Music announced it will be definitely opening for business on January 21.

In an effort to drum up excitement ahead of the impending launch, the headphone manufacturer likened existing music service to "servers" that provide little more than access to a catalog.

But how the heck does Beats Music expect to stand out in the crowded space of streaming service? By curating music from trusted human sources like established industry magazines, that's how. They even hired professional DJs! "In our experience it’s always been a living, breathing human who has brought us that song we fell in love with," the company said.

What's in it for you? More than meets the eye. Read on...

Apple airs new ‘Your Verse Anthem’ iPad Air ad

Cody Lee ∙ January 12, 2014

Apple began airing a new commercial for its iPad Air today, during this morning's NFL playoff game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers. The ad, entitled "Your Verse Anthem,' feels familiar in that it shows how people from different walks of life use the iPad.

But that's about where the familiarity stops. The spot itself is set to a voiceover from the film “Dead Poets Society," which carries a very serious tone, arguing that the need for poetry, beauty and love outweigh the need for more noble pursuits such as business, engineering, and the like...

US appeals court: Apple did not violate Google’s Motorola push notifications patent

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said on Friday that Apple does not use patented technology owned by Google unit Motorola Mobility in making its iPhones. This means Apple is off the hook in regard to Motorola's assertion of patent infringement.

The appeal court's ruling upheld a decision by the International Trade Commission in April, which also concluded that the iPhone didn’t violate Google’s patents...

CES 2014: NueVue’s new cases claim to remove 99% of bacteria on iDevice screens

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 10, 2014

Case maker NueVue at CES 2014 unveiled a new line of cases which it claims have been designed to remove up to 99 percent of bacteria residing on the surface of your iPhone and iPad's screen. The cases clean the screen and offer antimicrobial protection every time you remove the device.

Available for the iPhone, iPad and iPad mini, with tablet sporting a handy leather strip to keep the device secure, the new cases make possible antimicrobial protection by using microfibers licensed from medical company BioCote...

Confide brings off-the-record messaging to iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 9, 2014

With the recent Snapchat data breach (and the company's subsequently poor handling of the situation) and given the ongoing NSA snooping scare, little wonder some folks would think twice before downloading a messaging app to their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices.

Storing your chat transcripts in the cloud introduces an attack vector so that's a big no-no, right?

And you definitely at all cost want to avoid the contents of your communication kept on the device itself, no? So how about a 100 percent off-the-record messaging software, one that would bypass the cloud while allowing for Snapchat-like disappearing text messages?

That's Confide for you...

Pegatron expected to land half of Apple’s iPhone 6 orders

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 17, 2017

For it only being January, there sure has been a lot of information tossed about regarding the next-gen iPhone. Insiders claim to know what size the display will be, what kind of camera it'll have, and even who is going to make it.

A new report out of Taiwan this afternoon is claiming that Pegatron will likely be tapped to manufacture half of Apple's [so-called] iPhone 6 orders—a huge win for the Taiwanese supplier, who currently assembles the iPhone 5c...

PAC-MAN goes free as Apple’s App of the Week

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

Apple has named Namco Bandai’s classic PAC-MAN game its App of the Week for this week. This means that through next Thursday, you’ll be able to pick up the application for both your iPhone and iPad, for free—a sizable savings of $7.

For those unfamiliar with the game, it's essentially an iOS port of the popular arcade game that first debuted in 1980. In it, you navigate a tiny character around various mazes while trying to eat pellets and fruit and avoid deadly ghosts...

Fitbit Force’s iPhone-exclusive Caller ID integration shown off on video, coming February

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

FitBit released its Force fitness tracker last October, but not all of the planned software features were ready for the launch, namely notifications for incoming calls. According to a company representative, Called ID functionality is currently being worked on and is scheduled for delivery in February 2014 via a free software update.

They've also shared a video showing Caller ID integration on the Force and I've included it below the fold for your viewing pleasure...