Apple

Analyst: Apple poised for a “decade-long malaise” as it “lacks the courage to lead innovation”

Apple's reliance on the iPhone is well documented, but that didn't stop analysts at Oppenheimer from issuing an unusually scathing investor memo describing “strategic issues” at the Cupertino firm.

In the note, a copy of which was obtained by Business Insider, analyst Andrew Uerkwitz and his team charge Apple for being too reliant on the iPhone and headed in the wrong direction, saying the company “lacks the courage to lead the next generation of innovation”.

Apple issues iOS 10.2 beta 5 to developers

Apple on Friday released a fifth beta of iOS 10.2 (build 14C89) to its registered developers enrolled in the Apple Developer Program. The updated beta software can be deployed over-the-air through Settings → General → Software Update on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad which has installed a prior iOS 10.2 beta and an appropriate configuration profile. The full installer can be downloaded from Apple's dedicated portal for developers at developer.apple.com.

Apple: unexpected iPhone 6s battery shutdowns caused by a manufacturing issue

iPhone 7 battery

Two weeks ago, Apple issued a global battery replacement program to address a problem where some iPhone 6s handsets manufactured between September and October 2015 may unexpectedly shut down (see if your phone is eligible for a free battery via Apple's web tool).

While the company originally did not say why these devices are shutting down when the battery indicator drops below the 30 percent mark, MacRumors points us to a message posted in a support document on Apple's website in China which blames the problem on a manufacturing issue.

Apple is switching App Store pricing from USD to regional currencies in 9 countries

Apple's emailed its registered developers to inform them of some upcoming App Store pricing policy changes in Egypt, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Tanzania and Vietnam.

No longer will prices of paid downloads on these local App Stores be shown in US dollars. According to the communique, the App Store in these markets will now show prices of apps and In-App Purchases in their domestic currency.

Apple’s free app of the week: Toca Hair Salon 2

Like every Thursday, Apple today updated its Free App of the Week promotion on the App Store with a brand new item, a kids-friendly game called Toca Hair Salon 2. This means that for the next seven days, you’ll be able to download this app free of charge—a savings of $2.99.

In Toca Hair Salon 2, you play as one of the six charming characters and run a hair salon of your own.

There are lots of virtual tools of trade at your disposal which you'd find in any hair salon that let you cut, color and style any way you want, from a simple comb and scissors to a curling iron and a straightener.

iHeartRadio launches two on-demand subscription tiers in beta

iHeartRadio started out in April 2008 as a simple Internet radio service at the website iheartmusic.com before becoming both a music recommendations system and a radio network that aggregates content from hundreds of local radio stations across the U.S. On Thursday, the company stepped into on-demand streaming with a pair of subscription tiers, launching in beta, that let listeners create playlists from tracks, listen to music offline, play songs in any order, skip tracks and more.

You can now create your own Moments in the Twitter app

Twitter's bird logo set against a transparent background

Twitter launched Moments more than a year ago as a way of helping users discover trending stories and highlights representing “the best of Twitter”.

Well, it's now possible to create your own Moment from any tweet, whether your own or someone else's, right within Twitter's official mobile apps for iOS and Android. The feature first made its debut in the web interface at twitter.com before expanding in May 2016 to Twitter's desktop app for the Mac.

Google Santa Tracker goes live

Google today launched its Santa Tracker in Google Maps. If you find NORAD's own Santa Tracker lacking in terms of visuals and overall design, Google's web app may be right up your alley. By visiting santatracker.google.com from any device, you can take a peek at at Santa's Village as the white-bearded man gets ready for the big day.

Unfortunately, the Santa Tracker does not work in Apple's Safari browser so use Chrome instead or another browser of your choice.

Google updates Docs, Sheets and Slides with Trash view

Google has updated its productivity mobile apps on the App Store—Docs, Sheets and Slides—that act as alternatives to Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The new versions of these apps have added a brand new Trash view which lets you easily recover previously deleted documents, spreadsheets and presentations. In addition to Trash, the most recent updates to Docs, Sheets and Slides come with the usual bug fixes and performance improvements.

iPhone 7 demand reportedly starts fading as iPhone 8 rumors continue picking up steam

Apple has enjoyed success with the new iPhone 7 family as the Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus models saw strong demand, in some part due to Samsung's Note 7 debacle. But demand for latest iPhones may have started to fade recently, forcing Apple to cut back on orders, Taiwanese supply chain sources told trade publication DigiTimes.

That's especially true with the rumor-mill in high gear regarding next year's massive iPhone 8 upgrade and all the talk of the so-called Tenth Anniversary iPhone gaining all-glass, bezel-free industrial design and a wraparound OLED displays akin to that on the Galaxy S7 edge.

Here is how to find out if your iPhone 6s is eligible for a free battery replacement

After launching a repair program two weeks ago for iPhone 6s devices experiencing unexpected shutdowns due to a faulty battery, Apple has now updated its support document with a web tool that lets you check if your iPhone 6s is eligible for a free battery, MacRumors reported Thursday. You only need to enter your device's serial number to see if you're eligible for a battery replacement service.