Apple

How to share your real time location on Google Maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 21, 2023

Google recently introduced a location-sharing feature in the mobile Google Maps app that's somewhat similar in functionality to Apple's Find My Friends app. On your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Google Maps allows you to share your location with others for up to 72 hours, choose who can see where you are, hide other people's locations from a map and more.

In this step-by-step tutorial, you'll learn how to share your real-time location on Google Maps with friends and family in case you'd like to let them know where you are and when you’ll get there.

Researchers demonstrate passcode detection method that uses your phone’s motion sensors

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 12, 2017

A team of researchers from the United Kingdom's Newcastle University have demonstrated how criminals could steal your passcode simply by tracking the motion of your phone. Don't worry, Apple issued patches last year to prevent anyone from collecting sensor data, but Android users remain at risk of having their passcodes stolen if they visit a rogue website or tap a malware link. Although Google is aware of the issue, they're still looking into a fix.

Popular PC strategy title Total War: Warhammer is coming to Mac next week

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 12, 2017

Feral Interactive today announced that Total War: Warhammer will be coming to your Mac next week.

Filing as the first game in the trilogy, it was originally developed by Creative Assembly in partnership with Games Workshop and published by SEGA.

Feral has ported Total War: Warhammer to macOS using Apple's low-level Metal graphics framework. The turn-based strategy game is out now on Linux and will launch on Mac App Store next Thursday, April 18.

New app being developed would finally bring Spotify onto Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 12, 2017

There's a new app in the works that would finally bring Spotify onto Apple Watch. Called Snowy and created by developer Andrew Chang, it will permit Apple Watch owners to play their favorite Spotify tracks, browse playlists, access a Now Playing screen via a complication and more.

According to Chang's recent update on Reddit, Spotify will be working with him to add Apple Watch functionality and playlist syncing into its mainland iPhone and iPad app.

Facebook unveils group payments via Messenger for desktop

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

Facebook announced this morning that sending or receiving money between groups of people is now supported on the Messenger service. The social networking company debuted peer-to-peer payments on Messenger in March 2015. The new group payments feature, currently limited to users in the United States, is available starting today on Messenger for Android and via the company's desktop app at messenger.com. Group mobile payments will be coming to Messenger for iPhone and iPad at a later stage.

Minecraft: Pocket Edition gains Chinese Mythology mashup pack & other goodies

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

Microsoft announced today that Minecraft: Pocket Edition is gaining a Chinese Mythology mash-up pack along with a few other goodies and improvements, such as a free Redstone Mansion map available via a new Worlds section in the in-game store.

The new features are available at no charge to existing players and require Minecraft: Pocket Edition version 1.0.6, which is rolling today on App Store.

iPhone modem supplier Qualcomm countersues Apple

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

iPhone modem supplier Qualcomm is countersuing Apple in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, saying the Cupertino company could not have “built the incredible iPhone franchise” without its fundamental cellular technologies. The chip maker accused Apple of contributing “virtually nothing” to the development of core cellular technologies.

Instagram Direct now combines ephemeral and permanent messages in one thread

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

Photo-sharing service Instagram today announced an update for its direct messaging feature, called Direct, which now combines auto-dissapearing photos and videos along with your text conversations in a single thread. Previously, disappearing photos and videos were separated under their own Stories bar at the top of the Direct section. A redesigned Direct feature is rolling out today via Instagram's version 10.16 update.

Analyst predicts Apple will build its own power management chips for iPhones by 2019

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

Apple's been designing mobile chips for iOS devices in-house since 2010 and could soon be making its own GPUs as well. But one analyst predicts that the California company is set to build its own iPhone power management chips, too, within two years.

Analyst Karsten Iltgen with German investment bank Bankhaus Lampe wrote in a note to clients Tuesday, a copy of which was obtained by Bloomberg, that there is “strong evidence” that Apple is developing its own power-management integrated circuits that should replace the chip made by Dialog Semiconductor “at least in part”.

Apple sues Swatch over “Tick Different” slogan

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 11, 2017

Apple has filed a complaint against Swatch in a Swiss court after the watch maker has used the slogan “Tick different” to promote its Bellamy quartz wristwatch with built-in NFC Visa payment technology. Apple argues that Swatch is unfairly using a grammatically incorrect slogan that bears too many similarities to its “Think Different” ad campaign.

Watson explains that Apple must prove that Swatch's slogan prompts an association with Apple products in the minds of at least 50 percent of consumers.

Tip: save storage space on your iPhone and iPad by clearing Periscope’s stored data

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 15, 2019

Clearing caches in your favorite apps is one of the many ways of saving storage space on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch that may be lost to the cruft accumulated on your devices. We've already shown you how to clear Twitter's web and media storage as well as delete Dropbox's caches.

In this tutorial, we'll discuss how to clear any cached files in Twitter's Periscope app for iOS, which will help save that precious storage space on your device.

Minecraft’s upcoming update will let creators sell their skins, mini-games, textures & worlds

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 10, 2017

Minecraft developers announced on their blog today that a community Marketplace feature is coming soon to the mobile Minecraft: Pocket Edition game via an upcoming Discovery update. Marketplace will let Minecraft players and creators sell their custom skins, mini-games, textures, worlds and more.

At launch, Marketplace will offer content created by well-known community members, including Noxcrew, BlockWorks, Qwertyuiop The Pie, Blockception, Sphax, Eneija Silverleaf, Imagiverse, Polymaps and Razzleberry Fox.