Apple

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.

How to create blank disk images with Disk Utility

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2016

Should you ever find yourself in the need to create blank disk images, OS X's built-in Disk Utility is your friend. A disk image usually has a .dmg extension and appears, looks and behaves like any ordinary file, with one key exception: launching it prompts OS X to mount the volume on the desktop.

These mountable disk images can be useful in a number of situations. For example, you may want to create blank disk images for storage.

Furthermore, disk images can be used as a virtual disk for software distribution, to burn CDs or DVDs and so forth. In this step-by-step tutorial, you'll learn how to create blank disk images in Disk Utility, at any size, with optional password protection, formatting options and more.

Deal: Alto’s Adventure is 66 percent off today only

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2016

Alto's Adventure, an endless snowboarding odyssey, is currently available at a deep 66 percent discount as part of a Spring sale developer Snowman has been having since five days ago. The game is currently available for just 99 cents on the App Store, down from its usual asking price of $2.99 a pop. Alto's Adventure is a universal app so that's 99 cents to play this remarkable well executed triple-A on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Apple TV.

I have confirmed with Snowman that the discount will be up for at least another 24 hours so now's the perfect chance to grab this premium game if you haven't already.

WSJ: Hulu is working on a cable-like digital pay-TV service

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2016

Citing sources familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reports this morning that Hulu has been busy putting together a cable-like subscription offering that'd include content from partners like Disney and Fox while providing such advanced features as a cloud-based digital video recording (DVR) capability, live TV and more. The service sounds a lot like a rumored skinny TV bundle that Apple's been unsuccessfully trying to create.

Analysts have estimated that Hulu may charge consumers about $40 per month for the yet-to-be-announced service, which won't launch before 2017.

Latest drone footage provides a look at an impressive progress at iSpaceship site

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 2, 2016

Work on Apple's massive flying saucer-shaped Campus 2 building may be completed in time for the planed January 2017 opening after all. New drone footage, courtesy of Matthew Roberts, reveals that the underground auditorium where future media events and corporate meetings will be held is nearly finished, with other structures progressing nicely, too.

The clip offers an overview of a 100,000 square foot fitness center, a research and development center located next to the main iSpaceship building, multiple tunnels scattered throughout the site, the last iSpaceship section being framed, massive glass panels and solar panels on the building's rooftops and more.