Apple

Apple’s plans for TV growing less ambitious with Time Warner deal

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

As we’ve heard a few times over the past month, Apple and Time Warner Cable appear to be very close to inking a deal that would bring a TWC app to the Apple TV’s Home screen. It would mark the first time that the set-top box would be capable of streaming live TV.

Initial details regarding the service have been scarce, but a new report this morning helps add a bit of color. Citing people familiar with the matter, Bloomberg warns users not to get too excited, as the TWC app will save them little more than a click of the remote...

Unauthorized charger likely the blame for Chinese woman electrocution

Cody Lee ∙ Updated July 5, 2017

Earlier this week, reports surfaced that a 23-year-old China Airlines flight attendant died after being electrocuted by her iPhone 5 charger. She reportedly suffered a fatal electric shock when she answered a call using her iPhone 5 that was recharging.

At the time, details surrounding the event were a bit foggy, with officials saying that they could not identify the source of the current that killed her. But a new report is out this morning claiming that a 'knockoff' charger could have been the culprit...

Apple opens up iWork for iCloud beta to non developers

Cody Lee ∙ July 18, 2013

During its June WWDC keynote, Apple introduced a new version of its popular productivity suite called iWork for iCloud. Just as the name suggests, the offering brings Apple's iWork apps—Keynote, Numbers, and Pages—to your browser.

For a while now, developers have had access to iWork for iCloud through Apple's beta iCloud portal. But today, the company has reportedly begun inviting non-developer users to join in on the fun by giving them access to the software...

Welcome to the post-PC world, Microsoft: $900M in unsold Surface RT inventory

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

Microsoft last June unveiled its iPad contender, the ARM-powered Surface RT tablet. We've suspected all along that it hasn't been much of a smash hit.

Nine months later, the Windows giant admits defeat by announcing it will be taking an astounding $900 million loss over unsold Surface RT inventory.

The top dogs called it an “inventory adjustments”. Our take: these things would not have been collecting dust in the warehouse if they were flying off the shelves like hotcakes...

If Gunner Z is half as good as the trailer…

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2013

In a flurry of unimaginative iOS games releases every now and then a brave developer comes forward, daring to change the status quo.

While the premise of BitMonster's upcoming shooter Gunner Z may revolve around milking the zombie theme for all its worth, top-notch execution will make it worthwhile, courtesy of the all-powerful Unreal engine.

At any rate, you have to give it to BitMonster for the novel night-vision turret combat style. If the game is half as good as the trailer, I'm definitely sold...

Flurry: average iPhone app costs 19 cents, 50 cents for iPad

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated February 27, 2018

When it comes to apps, free is best. New research finds consumers are willing to accept ads in their apps to avoid paying for their favorite iOS or Android apps. According to Flurry, the number of free apps available in the App Store and Google's Play store continues to rise.

Matter of fact, the trend toward free apps has grown to comprise 90 percent of applications in Apple's App Store. The overwhelming vote for free means the average iPhone app cost nineteen cents, with iPad apps averaging fifty cents.

For Android apps, the fascination with free is even greater, driving the average cost of apps using Google's mobile software down to just six cents...

VLC media player makes a comeback, following a 2-year App Store hiatus

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2013

Following a range of issues with copyright holders that had forced the team to pull it from the App Store some two years ago, the popular video player VLC has returned to Apple's platform as a brand new iPhone and iPad app.

Re-written from the ground up to take advantage of modern technologies, the new VLC brings with it a refined user interface that's reminiscent of the original release and features such as subtitles and support for multi-core decoding and a bunch of iOS-unfriendly media formats, including .mkv files.

Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

Verizon confirms early smartphone upgrade program Edge coming August 25

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2013

DroidLife on Monday leaked Verizon's upcoming early upgrade initiative that some critics readily labeled a knee-jerk reaction to AT&T's Next initiative,in and of itself a hastily created response to T-Mobile's Jump, arguably "the best upgrade program in America" (in T-Mobile's parlance).

Ending speculation, the Big Red telco during today's earnings call officially announced the rumored program dubbed Edge. Available only to subscribers who are on one of Verizon’s Share Everything plans, Edge is being pitched as a "flexible equipment payment plan" which lets you spread the retail price of a new phone over a 24-month period...

NYT spells out Apple’s living room strategy

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 18, 2013

Apple's plans for the living room have rested largely on the Apple TV the company's leadership continues to call "a hobby project." While there's been talk that the tech giant could unveil its own television set, rumors of revamping the television experience have been greeted with industry concern and fruitless negotiations.

However, now comes word Apple wants to be friends with Time Warner, Disney and other content producers - and along the way improve some of the worst aspects of current television viewing.

One result of the partnerships is an upcoming Time Warner Cable Apple TV app that would turn Apple's $99 set-top box into a channel guide for live and on-demand programming much superior to the clunky software now offered by the distributor...

Verizon activates 3.9M iPhones in Q2 2013

Ed Sutherland ∙ July 18, 2013

Despite concerns about a shrinking pool of U.S. cell phone owners who have yet to upgrade to smartphones, Verizon Wireless announced it activated 3.9 million iPhones during the second quarter, an increase of 44 percent surpassing analyst forecasts of 3.5 million iPhone subscribers.

In other words, of the 7.5 million smartphones Verizon activated in the June quarter, over 50 percent were iPhones. Smartphones now account for more than half of Verizon Wireless customers, rising to 64 percent from a previous 50 percent, according to the official earnings results the carrier posted Thursday...

Meet Apple’s iWatch dream team

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2013

As evidence pertaining to a rumored Apple smartwatch mounts, so do Apple's recent tech celebrity hirings. For example, the past few weeks saw the poaching of former Adobe CTO and Flash proponent Kevin Lynch, who joined Apple as VP of Technology.

Another example: the outgoing French fashion label Yves Saint Laurent CEO Paul Deneve is joining Apple to work on special projects as a Vice President reporting directly to Apple’s boss Tim Cook.

Along with the company's long-time hardware guru Bob Mansfield, head of all Design and Human Interfaces across the company, Jonathan Ive, iOS/OS X boss Craig Federighi and other high-profile execs, Apple is assembling an all-star cast tasked with figuring out its next breakthrough - wearables...

Suppliers say Apple ramping up iDevice chip orders

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 18, 2013

We've witnessed recently a mishmash of wildly unlikely predictions, genuine-looking iPhone 5S production shots, plenty of various other leaks and big media confirmations, all seemingly pointing to Apple flexing its manufacturing muscle ahead of upcoming new product launches.

Hot on the heels of this chatter, a Taiwanese trade publication chimed in Thursday claiming Apple's chips suppliers are seeing a boost in orders from Apple, which could be interpreted as another solid indication that the company is ramping up production as it gears up for the next iDevice refresh cycle...