Apple

Apple bought a firm that made a smart balloon platform for capturing impressive aerial imagery

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

The company best known for the iconic smartphone may be working on satellites, as per Bloomberg. This is cool, but here's something even cooler: back in 2015, Apple acquired a startup called Aether Industries LLC that specialized in “near-space technology.”

That's interesting because no one knew about this deal before Bloomberg's write-up today.

Among other technologies, Aether Industries developed high-altitude balloons used for capturing aerial images, anywhere on Earth, at up to ten times the resolution of the highest-resolution commercial mapping satellite in orbit today.

Apple may be funding Boeing’s satellite system for global broadband coverage

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

Today's report from Bloomberg on Apple's latest high-profile hirings includes a passage that sheds light on Boeing's alleged talks with Apple regarding a broadband satellite service. According to Boeing's regulatory filing, the aerospace giant is planning to blanket the Earth with more than a thousand satellites providing fast Internet coverage throughout the United States and internationally. According to authors Mark Gurman and Mark Bergen, Boeing has talked with Apple about investing in or partnering on the project.

Apple recruits top Google satellite executives for whole new hardware team

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

Mark Gurman and Mark Bergen, reporting Friday for Bloomberg, have learned from sources who didn't wish to be named that Apple is in the process of starting a brand new hardware team for which it recruited a pair of top Google executives specialized in satellites for collecting images and those for communications.

It's unclear from the report what Apple's secretive new hardware team might be focusing on, but it could be inferred from the hirings that Tim Cook & Co. might be considering a satellite constellation of their own for either image collection or some sort of communications services.

3D model of iPhone 8 casing based on likely fake schematics depicts rear mounted Touch ID

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

A pair of purported iPhone 8 design drawings that “leaked” recently depict Apple's upcoming flagship as having a vertical dual-camera layout and a rear-mounted Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Today, these alleged schematics received a cool CAD treatment, courtesy of Instagram user bro.king. He went about creating a 3D model of a future iPhone with a rear-mounted Touch ID sensor, based on supposed technical drawings, and this is what he came up with.

Apple Watch Series 3 may rock thinner, lighter & power sipping micro-LED display

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

Apple's secret research and development lab in Taiwan has been researching an emerging micro-LED display technology since at least 2015. A new report today by Business Korea alleges that an advanced micro-LED display could make its debut on the next Apple Watch, replacing flexible OLED panels of its predecessors (DigiTimes was first to report on such a possibility in June 2016). micro-LED displays are thinner, lighter and more energy-efficient than OLED or LCD screens.

Google Home can now distinguish up to six users by the sound of their voice

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

Yesterday, Google announced a major software update for its Home smart wireless speaker that enables it to support and distinguish up to six separate users, with each person receiving their own personalized results. Powered by Google Assistant, the wireless speaker can now distinguish your voice from others, a feature TIME claims Amazon's been developing in secrecy for its Echo family of smart devices.

Apple’s Danish data center to warm homes and provide fertilizer to farmers

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

After analyzing Apple's environment report for 2016, which was released yesterday, MacWorld spotted that the company's data center being built in Denmark will return excess heat to the community, helping warm local homes. The facility in Denmark’s central Jutland region will be partly powered by recycling waste products from farms. Apple is working with Aarhus University on a solution that could turn some of the waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer for local farmers to use on their fields.

Apple’s Hollywood strategy remains murky

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

Apple is launching a show about apps and their makers, titled “Planet of the Apps”, as well as a Carpool Karaoke spinoff this spring, marking its first two original reality shows. However, the company's overall programming strategy when it comes to original video content production is still a moving target as to what exactly it wants to do in that space, several people in the industry have told Mashable.

WhatsApp for iPhone gains Siri voice support for reading new messages & other new features

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2017

The popular messaging app WhatsApp for iPhone was update yesterday with a few new features, bringing the ability to have Siri read new messages you have received via the service. The Facebook-owned software now supports the Persian language while the Group Info, Contact Info and Calls sections have been revamped to make them easier to use. WhatsApp's two-factor authentication interface was tweaked as well.

Close those rings: Apple issues Earth Day 2017 activity challenge

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

In addition to teaming up with World Wildlife Fund on a praiseworthy money-raising initiative, Apple is also honoring Earth Day 2017 with a new activity challenge for Apple Watch owners. MacStories, which first spotted Apple's notification, explains that Apple Watch owners are being challenged to complete at least half an hour workout on Saturday to earn a new medal in the Activity app and unlock special iMessage stickers.

Apple partners with World Wildlife Fund on money-raising Earth Day 2017 initiative

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

Last year, Apple honored Earth Day with an App Store promotion that sent 100 percent proceeds from select app purchases to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). It ended up being wildly successfully as the company revealed it donated $8 million to the fund. This year in celebration of Earth Day 2017, the two brands are collaborating on a similar money-raising initiative involving Apple retail stores.

Limited edition Apple Watch NikeLab launching next Thursday

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2017

Launching a week from today, a new Apple Watch variant created in partnership with Nike pairs a Space Gray Apple Watch Series 2 aluminum case with a strap featuring a new creamy color and black perforations (they're calling this color combo “Light Bone”). Marketed as Apple Watch NikeLab, this limited-edition version of the wearable device will be available on nike.com, at NikeLab doors and at an Apple Tokyo popup store in Isetan beginning next Thursday, April 27.