Apple

Facebook halts WhatsApp data collection in UK following privacy probe

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

As of late-August 2016, WhatsApp has been sharing account data with Facebook in what the firm framed as an effort to improve targeted advertising on the social network. Although users can easily opt out of the WhatsApp → Facebook data sharing with just a few taps, most novice users are unaware that their WhatsApp usage data is being shared with Facebook.

In the United Kingdom, the Information Commissioner Office head Elizabeth Denham said her office had launched a probe into WhatsApp's updated Terms of Service a few weeks ago.

The new terms previously drew ire from European privacy watchdogs who expressed “serious concerns” over the policy change. As a result of the UK government probe, WhatsApp has now suspended account data collection and sharing with Facebook.

Apple aggressively boosting MacBook Pro orders with 15M estimated shipments in 2016

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 8, 2016

As the Internet keeps whining about supposed lack of features on the new MacBook Pro (let's bring back the floppy drive, shall we?) and Apple's master plan to make us buy more dongles, the Cupertino firm appears confident in the face of strong criticism that its latest notebook is indeed going to appeal to the general public and mainstream users.

According to supply chain chatter echoed by Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes, Apple's been pretty “aggressive” in placing orders for the new MacBook Pros.

Snapchat update enables new gestures for sharing Snaps and using Lenses

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 8, 2016

Snapchat today issued a small update to its iPhone application, which can be downloaded for free from the App Store. The app's version number has been bumped to 9.43.0.0 as the latest update enables two new gestures for easier sharing of content and navigating your Stories and the Discover tab. As a bonus, Snapchat fans now have an easier way to use Lenses.

TSMC posts record profits as iPhone 7 demand fuels orders for A10 Fusion chip

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 8, 2016

Chip manufacturer Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited (TSMC) today posted record profits and its shares have climbed to their highest level on record as strong demand for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus fuels orders for the handsets' in-housed designed A10 Fusion processor. That TSMC is the sole supplier of the A10 has no doubt helped it capture record profits amid a global slowdown in the smartphone market.

Samsung apologizes to users for Note 7 debacle with full-page ads in major U.S. newspapers

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 8, 2016

Samsung took a full-page ad in three major U.S. newspapers to apologize to its customers for the Note 7 recall. The Korean Herald newspaper is reporting that the company's letter to customers was signed by Gregory Lee, who is president and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America.

The ad appeared in Monday editions of The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and The Washington Post.

“An important tenet of our mission is to offer best-in-class safety and quality. Recently, we fell short on this promise. For this we are truly sorry,” reads the ad.

Apple acquires talent and technology from bankrupt music startup Omnifone

Cody Lee ∙ November 7, 2016

Apple has acquired talent and technology from defunct streaming music startup Omnifone, reports TechCrunch. It's not a full buyout, so you're not going to see the usual "Apple buys smaller companies from time to time" statement, but the outlet says it's hired at least 16 of their employees and purchased select technology.

Apple clamps down on fake shopping apps, invites users to report problematic apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 7, 2016

Fake apps that pretend to be from well-known brands have been an incredibly annoying issue for almost as long as the App Store has existed. Like clockwork, apps that spoof big brands manage to make their way into the App Store ahead of a pre-holiday surge and this year's no different.

As The New York Times reports, rogue app factories in China have been busy churning out counterfeit shopping apps by the hundreds, with one particular developer being responsible for an avalanche of fake apps for brands like Puma, Nike, Canada Goose, Celine and others.

Beware these apps as they're scams designed to fool you into providing your passwords and credit card data. Thankfully, Apple is clamping down on the latest round of fake apps as the Great App Store Purge continues unabated.

NBCUniversal to sell ads in Apple News following iAd’s demise

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 7, 2016

As you know, Apple shuttered its in-app iAd advertising network back in the summer because selling ads is “just not something we’re good at”. A new report this morning from Recode revealed that the iPhone maker is leaving the creation, selling and management of ads on its Apple News service to the ad sales teams over at NBCUniversal.

“Apple is going to hand over ad sales for the app to Comcast’s NBCUniversal in an exclusive deal that starts in January,” reports the outlet.

A quick look at Apple’s new TV app

Cody Lee ∙ November 7, 2016

Apple released the second betas of iOS 10.2 and tvOS 10.1 on Monday and in them, it included its new TV app. The company introduced the new app at its 'hello again' Mac event last month, saying they believe it's going to "completely change how you watch TV."

TV is essentially a television guide that helps you find and discover available content. So after using Single Sign-On to login with your cable credentials, the app will populate with movies, TV shows and live events, with a focus on stuff you might be interested in.

Apple seeds beta 2 of iOS 10.2, watchOS 3.1.1, and tvOS 10.1 to developers

Cody Lee ∙ November 7, 2016

Apple on Monday seeded the second beta of iOS 10.2 to developers. Folks enrolled in Apple’s developer program can install the update via the over-the-air mechanism in the Settings app, or from the dev center.

Beta 2 comes one week after the first beta was released, which revealed a number of user-facing changes and improvements like new wallpaper and emoji. Today's beta adds onto that with Apple's new TV app.

Video: developers read 1-star reviews

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 7, 2016

User-submitted reviews on the App Store can be quite mean. There's no denying the fact that people too often slam app makers with 1-star reviews without much thinking.

Now, some of the most unfavorable app ratings are based on complaints about the most mundane things such as the size of the font, the color palettes or the lack of features users think developers should have prioritized over the others and what not.

In case you haven't yet seen this video in which well-known developers read aloud some of the 1-star reviews their apps contend with, give it a quick watch now and meet us in comments.