Apple

KGI: iPhone 8 will have all glass casing to support wireless charging

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 23, 2016

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said many times over the past few months that Apple's Tenth Anniversary iPhone due next year will move from the current unibody aluminum industrial design to an all-glass front and back plate sandwiched between a stainless steel frame.

In a new note to clients, a copy of which was obtained by MacRumors, Kuo explains that the reason why so-called 'iPhone 8' will switch from metal to glass for its casing is to support advanced wireless charging technologies.

Apple reaches Apple Music deal with Indian ride-hailing firm Ola

Cody Lee ∙ November 22, 2016

Apple is teaming up with Indian ride-hailing firm Ola to push Apple Music, reports the L.A. Times. The outlet says that the deal will result in the company's streaming music service being available as part of Ola's in-car experience.

The platform is called Ola Play, and it already has several high-profile partners including Sony, Qualcomm and Audio Compass. It gives passengers the ability to control their vehicle's climate and entertainment via an in-car tablet.

DirecTV gains Single Sign-On support in iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1 betas

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 22, 2016

Single Sign-On, a feature that remembers and uses your cable/satellite logins across compatible video apps for the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV, was originally promised months ago and should finally go live alongside public releases of iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1 next month.

As noted by MacRumors, AT&T's DirecTV service is now being listed as a Single Sign-On compatible app alongside the previously listed compatible providers: Dish, Sling TV, Hotwire and GVTC Communications.

Apple, routers, external displays, and spreadsheets

Sébastien Page ∙ November 22, 2016

For a while now I’ve had this sentiment that there is a growing lack of focus or care at Apple, which has led me to feel pretty concerned about some of the company’s decisions. Yet one thing is helping alleviate these concerns and it’s Apple’s recent decisions to discontinue two major product categories: its family of AirPort routers, and its Thunderbolt display business.

Facebook is testing an upcoming Find Wi-Fi feature in the mobile app

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 22, 2016

Facebook appears to be testing a new location-based feature that permits some users to identify free Wi-Fi hotspots through the social network's mobile application for the iPhone and iPad.

As reported by The Next Web, some users, myself included, are now seeing a Find Wi-Fi option in the app's side menu, between the Nearby Places and Nearby Friends options. Tapping it puts up a prompt asking to grant Facebook access to your location so it can find public Wi-Fi hotspots around you.

Is Jony Ive no longer directly involved with iPhone and Mac product design?

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 22, 2016

In an article Tuesday titled “Pundits Believe Apple's Jony Ive No Longer Involved in iPhone, Mac Product Design,” AppleInsider reports that journalist Jason Snell and Daring Fireball's John Gruber speculated on a recent The Talk Show podcast that Ive, who is Apple's Chief Design Officer, may be now more focused on architectural projects like the upcoming Spaceship campus and special initiatives such as Project Titan than industrial designs related to the iPhone, iPad, Mac and other consumer products from Apple.

Developer ports classic FPS shooter Doom onto the new MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar display

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 22, 2016

Developer Adam Bell has successfully ported the classic first-person shooter Doom onto the new MacBook Pro Touch Bar's 2,170-by-60 pixel resolution OLED display complete with 3D graphics, the game's familiar head-up display and trademark sound effects. Doom, of course, runs on everything these days thanks to enthusiasts who port the game onto computing devices that can handle it.

GBA4iOS creator launching new SNES, Game Boy & Nintendo 64 emulator in beta this December

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 22, 2016

Developer Riley Testut, the brains behind a Game Boy emulator for iOS called GBA4iOS, said on Twitter yesterday that he is now focusing his energies on a brand new software designed to emulate the hardware of popular SNES, Game Boy and Nintendo 64 consoles. He's calling it Delta and it's launching this December in beta although a teaser website does not reveal if this will be an app that you'll be able to sideload onto an iOS device without jailbreaking.

Longstanding bug causes iOS devices to crash after playing a maliciously crafted video

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 20, 2023

YouTuber EverythingApplePro has has been sharing a bug in iOS which causes any iPhone, iPad or iPod touch to glitch out after playing a malicious video link in Safari. The device will first slow to a crawl before freezing or crashing altogether, requiring a hard reset. This appears to be a longstanding bug because iPhones and other iOS devices running iOS 5 were found to be affected by the glitch.

As noted on Reddit, the top level domains that are currently hosting the glitchy video are vk.com and testtrial.site90.net.

Apple to host one-day shopping event on Black Friday

Cody Lee ∙ Updated August 4, 2017

Apple late Monday updated its website with a new page teasing its upcoming Black Friday sale. The page shows the above graphic, along with links to gift ideas, gift cards, and a section for locating your nearest Apple Store. The company also notes that two-day shipping will be free on Friday for in-stock items ordered by 5:00 p.m.

Twelve South’s new HiRise Duet simultaneously charges iPhone/iPad and Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 21, 2016

Twelve South's versatile HiRise accessory is among the best stands I've used for charging my iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices. Recently, it's gotten even better with an overhauled version sporting refined looks, reduced footprint and increased stability with larger iOS devices.

But what if you own an iPhone and an Apple Watch and need a stand that can charge both devices at the same time? That's exactly what HiRise Duet does for you. In fact, it's the first dual charging stand that powers up your Apple Watch in Nightstand mode.

A $119.99 purchase gets you a fully assembled stand with an integrated Lightning connector for iPhone, a built-in magnetic charging disc for your Apple Watch and a single AC power cable to charge both devices simultaneously.

As a bonus, you get a bunch of international wall plugs.

Apple launches repair program for unexpected shutdown issues on iPhone 6s

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 21, 2016

Apple on Monday announced a new repair program to address issues where “a very small number” of iPhone 6s devices manufactured between September and October 2015 may unexpectedly shut down. The issue is apparently caused by a faulty battery, which Apple will replace free of charge if your iPhone 6s is affected. The program covers affected iPhone 6s batteries for three years after the first retail sale of the unit and may restrict or limit repair to the original country of purchase.