Apple

Apple developing Siri SDK and device to compete against Amazon Echo

Cody Lee ∙ May 24, 2016

Apple has big plans to step up its game in the field of intelligent assistants, reports The Information. Citing sources familiar with the plans, the outlet claims the company is preparing to introduce a Siri SDK for third party app developers at WWDC next month.

Additionally, the report says that Apple is also working on an Amazon Echo-like device with a speaker and always-on microphone that people can use to do things like turn on music, get news headlines or set a timer. Google unveiled a similar device last week.

Apple seeds first betas of iOS 9.3.3 and OS X 10.11.6 to public testers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Following Monday's developer release of the first iOS 9.3.3 beta, Apple has made the software available to public testers. This means that folks in the Beta Software Program can now install iOS 9.3.3 on compatible devices via the over-the-air update mechanism.

The update comes just one week after iOS 9.3.2 was released to the public, which brought about a Bluetooth fix for iPhone SE models and other improvements. As we said yesterday, it appears that iOS 9.3.3 has also been earmarked for under-the-hood bug fixes.

Apple brings back security expert Jon Callas following FBI dispute

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple this month brought back software engineer and top expert in practical cryptography Jon Callas, reports Reuters. The move follows Apple's high-profile battle with the FBI, and amidst a growing war between governments and tech firms over encryption.

Callas worked at Apple in the '90s, and again between 2009 and 2011, when he designed encryption to protect data stored on Mac computers. He rejoined the company in May, to help add more powerful security features to its wide range of consumer products.

Watch the full Tim Cook interview at Startup Fest

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

Apple's chief executive officer Tim Cook sat down this morning with retired European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Nellie Kroes, to discuss a range of topics at Startup Fest Europe, a conference aimed at boosting the European Union's startup scene.

The full video of the interview is now available and we've embedded it into this article, along with a few choice quotes that should pique your interest.

Google Maps gains new voice controls in navigation, Street View tweaks and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

Google's native mapping application for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad was bumped to version 4.19 this morning, bringing out a few enhancements meant to improve your navigation and Street View experience.

For starters, a few new voice controls are now available in navigation to mute, unmute or turn on alerts only. You can also move around Street View by swiping, and more.

Spotlight Suggestions expand to seven new countries, including India and Hong Kong

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

Spotlight Suggestions, a feature that recommends content from the Internet when searching with Spotlight on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad with iOS 9.0+ or a Mac running OS X 10.11 El Capitan or later, has expanded to seven additional markets: Hong Kong, India, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and United Arab Emirates.

Counting these regions, Spotlight Suggestions are now available in a total of 26 major markets around the world, listed on Apple's iOS Feature Availability webpage.

Apple TV’s universal search feature picks up support for NBC shows

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

After adding support for finding CBS television shows last month, owners of the fourth-generation Apple TV can now use tvOS's universal search feature to find video content from NBC, like “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” using Siri or Dictation.

Tip: using emojis in iOS Spotlight Search

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

iPhone, iPod touch and iPad users can use emoji as search terms in Spotlight Search to some rather interesting effects. It's unclear when this feature was added or activated.

That being said, bringing up iOS's built-in Emoji keyboard to type an emoji in Spotlight's search field will produce matching results related to the character's meaning, as highlighted by Cult of Mac.

Say hello to three new pebbles: Pebble 2, Pebble Time 2 and Pebble Core

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

Smartwatch and wearable devices startup Pebble on Tuesday unveiled three new devices: a second-generation Pebble, dubbed the Pebble 2, a new version of the Pebble Time and the Core, a pocket computer for runners wit built-in cellular connectivity.

Twitter confirms it’ll stop counting media and @names within the 140-character limit

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

In perhaps the biggest change to its service since its inception, Twitter on Tuesday announced a bunch of changes meant to distance itself from the controversial 140-character-per-tweet rule.

As previously rumored, media links generated by attaching photos, animated GIFs, videos, polls, quoted tweets and direct messages—along with @names in replies—will no longer count toward the limit.

Other changes include the addition of the retweet button on your own tweets and automatically exposing any tweets which begin with a username to all your followers.

Apple’s boss talks Watch potential at European startup conference

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

Tim Cook is at the Startup Fest Europe conference in Amsterdam, Netherlands today. In an on-stage interview with Nellie Kroes, who is a retired European Commissioner for Digital Agenda, Cook waved off any suggestion that the Cupertino firm might enter the telecommunications business by becoming an MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator).

The CEO also spent some time talking about future potential of the Apple Watch as a health-monitoring device, hinting that it'll soon be possible to outfit wearable devices with additional sensors to help monitor more and more of what’s going on in your body.

Apple granted a patent that’d allow advanced car control via your iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 24, 2016

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Tuesday granted Apple a patent that could be a perfect fit for Project Titan, its not-so-secretive electric car project.

The proposed invention outlines an advanced vehicle access control system that would permit an iPhone to do things like open your car doors, start or shut off the engine for specific time frames and for specific duration of time, adjust and activate personalized car settings and more.

“The feature set described in this invention went far beyond anything that could have been conceived working with CarPlay,” explains Patently Apple, which first caught wind of the granted patent.