Apple

Assassin’s Creed: Pirates arriving next Thursday

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Announced more than two months ago as coming before 2013 wraps up, Ubisoft's companion iPhone and iPad game to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for consoles, called Assassin’s Creed: Pirates, will be available for download in the App Store soon.

The game will cost $4.99 a pop and is scheduled to launch next week, on December 5. From the looks of it, there seems to be a lot to be looking forward to in Assassin’s Creed: Pirates. I've included a nice teaser trailer which shows actual gameplay and naval battles right below...

Apple reportedly taps Quanta for late-2014 iPad Maxi and iWatch mass production

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Quanta Computer, an Apple supplier mainly responsible for assembly work concerning computers like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, may have been tasked with building Apple's two next big things, a rumored health/fitness wearable device and an assumed big screen iPad.

The company and its Fremont, California plant are listed on Apple's Supplier Responsibility Page as a final assembler for Macs and now the notoriously hit-and-miss DigiTimes is reporting that Quanta has inked a deal to product the so-called iPad Maxi for the late-2014, in addition to iWatch production for the second half of next year...

Apple confirms Black Friday will take place in both online and retail Apple Stores

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

This coming Friday marks the official beginning of the lucrative holiday shopping season in the United States. Black Friday, as the day following Thanksgiving is called, typically gives America's greatest retailer a nice boost. Last year, for example, Apple Stores outsold Microsoft Stores nearly 5 to 1 in Black Friday purchases - and that was with Apple's traditionally conservative deals and unimpressive discounts.

Some of Apple's retail outlets in the United States and Canada will be opening early on Black Friday. Although the company has yet to announce actual Black Friday deals, it confirmed Monday that the one-day shopping event will take place at both its brick-and-mortar retail outlets and online, with free shipping on online orders...

There will be one billion iOS devices in use by end of 2018

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Much fuss has been made in the tech press over the most recent market share data by IDC and Gartner showing Google's Android growing unabated and commanding a whopping 80 percent of smartphones, though some caution that these estimates are flawed because they include cheap no-name Android handsets as well as Android-based HDMI dongles and other non-smartphone devices from China.

Google said back in July that Android activations surpassed one billion devices. The bigger question is, when will there be one billion iOS devices in use?

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years now available on iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Following up on December 2012 release of Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V (which arrived back in May), publisher Square Enix has released a brand new game in the series. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, now available for the iPhone and iPad, takes place seventeen years after the characters and events of its predecessor.

The game also includes some of the original characters along with new heroes such as Ceodore, the son of Final Fantasy IV‘s Cecil and Rosa. I've included a trailer and a couple more highlights after the jump...

Apple reportedly closes PrimeSense deal for as much as $350 million [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

A week ago, a report surfaced from Israeli news outlet Calcalist claiming that Apple had reached an acquisition deal with the 3D sensor tech company PrimeSense. The purchase wasn't final, but the outlet seemed pretty confident it was close.

Today, Globes adds it weight to the story with its own report. Thepublication—who has a solid track record of providing accurate intel regarding high-level buyout talks—says the deal was completed Friday and will be announced next week...

Apple updates Genius Bar reservation page with new self-help option

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple products, for the most part, have a reputation of 'just working.' The company controls the entire experience, from hardware to software, and takes other measures to ensure that there is little room for consumer error.

But as with all electronics, sometimes things don't just work and you need help. And while Apple is known for its in-store Genius service, it's launched a new initiative encouraging users to stay home and get help online...

16/32GB Wi-Fi Retina iPad mini shipping times slip to 5-10 days

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 23, 2013

Apple's iPad mini with Retina display used to ship in 1-3 business days for the more popular versions with sixteen and 32 gigabytes of storage, with the more capacious variants with 64 and 128 gigabytes of storage being delivered in 5-10 days.

In another development that won't please holiday shoppers, the entry-level 16GB Retina iPad mini along with its 32GB variant have become harder to come by as shipping estimates on the online Apple Store slip to 5-10 days. Matter of fact, now all capacities, colors, wireless and carrier models (Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular) of the iPad mini with Retina display are shipping in 5-10 days...

Google+ gains full-res photo/video backup, location sharing, inline translation and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 4, 2013

The search monster Google has posted another update to its Google+ app for the iPhone and iPad, this time bringing a new iOS 7 perk: the ability to upload your iOS Camera roll photos and videos automatically and in glorious full resolution, to a private album on Google+ Photos, viewable only by you (unless specified otherwise). This brings the iOS app to parity with its Android counterpart.

It's really useful because your photos get sent to the cloud in the background, even if you haven't opened the app. You could previously enable Camera backup in Google+, but this would not back up full resolution images and the app would upload for only a few minutes after it quit.

It's a very interesting addition that turns the Google+ thing into a viable cloud backup of your iOS Camera roll. This Google+ update comes with other tweaks and nice-to-haves so jump past the fold if you're interested to learn more...

Honda says iOS mirroring will be available in 2014 Civic

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2013

It looks like Honda is going to be one of the first auto-makers to ship a vehicle compatible with Apple's new iOS in the Car feature. A representative for the company confirmed with a customer via Twitter that the tech will be available in its 2014 Civic.

For those unfamiliar with iOS in the Car, it's essentially Apple's next level of in-car device integration. Where 'Eyes Free' only let users access Siri, this will allow users to access apps like Phone, Maps, Music and more via their car's built-in touchscreen...

Some US, Canada Apple Stores opening early on Black Friday

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Black Friday is next week, and for those unfamiliar with the term, it's the Friday after Thanksgiving that kicks off the busiest shopping weekend of the year. Retailers open their stores early and offer significant discounts on their products in hope of luring in holiday shoppers.

And it looks like Apple will be participating in the festivities this year. While we haven't yet received word on the company's Black Friday deals, it does appear that many of its retail stores in both the United States and Canada will be opening early to accomodate the crowds...

Cellular Retina iPad mini hitting regional U.S. carriers, starting with Bluegrass Cellular

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 22, 2013

The United States wireless carrier Bluegrass Cellular started selling the iPad Air on November 1, along with many other regional U.S. wireless companies.

And as cellular models of the iPad mini with Retina display have recently begun trickling into Apple’s U.S. retail stores, the Kentucky-based carrier has started selling nearly every Retina mini model.

Moreover, Bluegrass is offering the device via both its web store and directly to customers who shop in one of its retail stores. Customers can buy the device either on or off-contract, with monthly installments making it easier on the wallet. The full breakdown is right below...