Apple

Apple hires Google X Lab co-founder and Nest’s former tech boss for health projects

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 4, 2016

Apple has hired famed robotics expert Yoky Matsuoka, a former head of technology at the smart thermostat maker Nest before it was acquired by Google and one of the co-founders of the search giant's X Lab, a research and development unit tasked with conceiving moonshot projects.

According to her LinkedIn profile, she won a MacArthur Foundation grant in 2007 for a neurorobotics project that helped disabled people and stroke victims regain the use of their limbs. Fortune has confirmed with an Apple representative that Matsuoka will work on health-related initiatives at the Cupertino firm.

A more intuitive Apple Music to launch at WWDC next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 4, 2016

Since its debut, Apple Music has received its fair share of criticism as fans complained about various issues, from the confusing, complicated user interface to a number of design inconsistencies. Thankfully, your prayers haven't gone unnoticed by the powers that be at 1 Infinite Loop, California.

As reported by Bloomberg, Apple is set to show off at WWDC next month a “more intuitive” version of Apple Music that should be easier to use.

Changing your Apple ID payment method on Mac or PC

Anthony Bouchard ∙ Updated January 7, 2021

Not too long ago, we showed you how you can edit your Apple ID payment information from your iOS device, but the same task can also be accomplished from your Mac or PC in a similar number of steps.

Whether you've received a new credit card that you want to use, or you wish to change the credit card you have on file for your Apple ID, changing your payment information allows future purchases made through Apple's online stores, such as the App Store, Books Store, or iTunes Store, to be billed to the new credit card you're adding.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how you can change your Apple ID payment information from your Mac or PC.

How to view recent Safari history on iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2023

On any given day, I browse the web a lot—be it catching up on the news, doing research on future stories or skimming through my favorites to learn what's the latest. And more often than not do I find myself struggling to make my way back to an article I stumbled upon a few hours ago.

Locating a specific item in browsing history can feel like finding a needle in the haystack, especially if you're on the go.

Yes, I could just tap Safari's back button multiple times or swipe to go back a single webpage at a time until I found the webpage I was looking for, but that's a time-consuming process which unnecessarily wastes my iPhone's cellular data.

As you'll discover in this tutorial, Safari provides a very handy, though not immediately obvious shortcut which allows you to quickly jump to any previously visited webpage.

Deal: get 93% off the new MacPhun photo creativity bundle

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2016

After delighting iPhone photography fans with free high-quality filters for Photos for Mac, California-based developer MacPhun is back with a very tempting offer in the form of a photo creativity bundle “unlike any other”. They're calling it the Creative Kit XXL and let me tell you something—“XXL” is used there for a very good reason.

Not only do you get six premium photo-editing applications for your Mac in this bundle, but a ton of other goodies.

Some of the bonus content ad benefits you get with Creative Kit XXL: 40+ guides from leading photographers, 1200+ creative presets, six additional Mac apps for watermarking and resizing images and deep partner discounts.

And all of these perks can be yours in exchange for just $129, a cool 93 percent discount over the combined $2,000+ price for the included apps, tools and materials. Yup, that's a massive savings of $1,871.

Apple seeds new betas of iOS, tvOS and OS X

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2016

Apple on Tuesday seeded brand new betas of the iOS, tvOS and OS X operating systems to members of the Apple Developer Program. iOS 9.3.2 beta 4 (build 13F68), tvOS 9.2.1 beta 4 (build 13Y772) and OS X El Capitan 10.11.5 beta 4 are all available for download on devices running earlier betas. Standalone installers can be downloaded through Apple's Dev Center for developers and are also available for public testing for members of the Apple Beta Software Program.

Apple barred from selling used iPhones in India

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2016

The Indian government has turned down Apple's request to sell refurbished iPhones in the country after Samsung and local phone vendors voiced their opposition to the move on environmental grounds, Bloomberg reported today.

This is a setback for the Cupertino firm: its iPhone has a minuscule two percent markets share in India, where half of the population is about 25 years old.

Satellite TV provider Dish launches iPhone repair service

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

In a surprise move today, satellite television provider Dish Network unveiled a brand new smartphone repair service for customers in the United States who can ask for a technician to visit them and fix their iPhone's screen or battery. The service is called 'Smart Phone Repair On Your Turf'.

Dish has deployed its nationwide fleet of technicians who can reach homes or businesses in any of the 50 U.S. states to repair iPhones for consumers whether or not they are Dish customers.

So, what kind of prices does Dish charge for screen and battery repairs?

iPhone SE is more popular than Apple anticipated so it’s boosting production

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2016

Due to stronger-than-expected sales of the four-inch iPhone SE, Apple has boosted production of the handset in the second quarter of this year, Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes reported Tuesday.

Citing industry sources, DigiTimes claims Apple's just increased orders for the iPhone SE to more than five million units from the original plan of 3.5-4 million units in the second quarter of 2016.

It’s now technically possible to embed a fingerprint scanner beneath a smartphone display

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 12, 2017

Apple's 'iPhone 7' hasn't arrived yet but that hasn't stopped analysts from predicting that an 'iPhone 8' will ditch the iconic Home button. Conventional wisdom has it that 3D Touch will simulate Home button presses while fingerprint recognition should be realized by incorporating the Touch ID sensor into the display itself.

What conventional wisdom doesn't help explain is how such a technology might work. Well, now we know: LG announced its Innotek division has achieved a major technological breakthrough in producing the world's first in-screen fingerprint scanner.

“LG Innotek cut a shallow furrow of 0.01 inches (0.3 mm) thick on the lower backside of the cover glass and installed the fingerprint sensor inside of it with using their supreme precision and combination technology,” explains the company.

Alleged iPhone 7 part has 3.5mm headphone jack we thought would be going away

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 3, 2016

An image of a purported component for Apple's unannounced next-generation iPhone has leaked out yesterday courtesy of French blog NowhereElse.fr and—surprise, surprise—it depicts a 3.5mm headphone jack. Remember, the rumor-mill has been cognizant for months that the century-old analog audio jack will be removed from an 'iPhone 7' in favor of Lightning-powered or wireless headphones.

The image appears to show a Lightning cable assembly, supposedly for an iPhone device, and it looks a tad different compared to the same part found in the current-generation iPhone 6s.

Tim Cook tells CNBC Apple has ‘great innovation in the pipeline’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Tim Cook on Monday appeared on CNBC's 'Mad Money' to talk with host Jim Cramer about Apple's recent earnings report. The iPhone maker announced weaker-than-expected Q2 sales last week, and its stock has since dropped more than 10 points.

While the interview is transparently a PR move to let Wall Street know that Apple is still on the right path, Cook did offer up some interesting comments about the future of his company. Naturally, we've highlighted some of our favorites for you below.