Apple

YouTube’s revamped Home feed is smart, too, thanks to Google’s deep neural network algorithm

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2016

Google just said that YouTube's mobile apps for iOS and Android are gaining a revamped homepage design today. The newly redesigned Home feed within the mobile app has a clean look and a simple format “that invites you to discover and enjoy,” said Google.

More importantly, the overhauled Home feed now does a better job spotlighting content you might be interested in with smarter recommendations based on deep neural networks and larger high-resolution video thumbnails which make it easy to identify videos you want to watch.

Hangouts 9 for iOS drops with Low Power Mode support and share extension

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2016

Google's Hangouts application wants to become a unified communications solution for all your messaging needs despite not seeing new features in months. Now we know why: Google's been busy working on a major new version.

Now available on the App Store, the new Hangouts 9.0 brings a pair of new features, including one that'll automatically suspend video sharing during VoIP calls when an iPhone enters iOS 9’s Low Power Mode.

How to remove Adobe Flash from your Mac

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 19, 2018

The succession of vulnerabilities found in Adobe's Flash Player shows no signs of dying down: not a month goes by without Adobe releasing another yet emergency update for Flash to patch a bunch of newly discovered vulnerabilities (measuring in the dozens).

Some of them can be pretty nasty as they introduce new attack vectors for spyware, ransomware, trojans and other malicious applications that you don't want anywhere near your computer.

A few years ago, Flash Player was impossible to avoid because a bulk of web video was encoded in Adobe's proprietary Flash format, but not anymore: YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and many other popular web services now use HTML5-based video players that work in any modern browser.

While Apple does block older, vulnerable versions of Flash in the Safari browser on macOS, you should do yourself a favor and remove Flash Player from your Mac using step-by-step instructions provided in this tutorial.

Facebook hopes a standalone camera app with Live Video might re-engage users

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2016

Facebook used to have a dedicated camera app on the App Store that didn't get much love from users so it was eventually pulled.

But now, the company is said to be working on a brand new, standalone mobile application designed to encourage its 1.6 billion users to create and share more photos and videos, including live video broadcasts, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday.

Upcoming Dropbox feature won’t take up storage space on a Mac until files are actually needed

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2016

Popular cloud-storage startup Dropbox said today at the Dropbox Open London conference that it's working to let you access your files through the Finder as you normally would, but without taking up storage space on a Mac until they're actually needed—no matter how small your hard disk, no matter how much stuff's in your Dropbox.

Code-named Project Infinite, the initiative will let you decide which files in your Dropbox will be instantly downloaded and which ones will be referenced.

Nokia is buying French health tracking company Withings for a reported $192 million

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Nokia said this morning that it's buying French health tracking company Withings for a reported €170 million, or about $192 million, as it looks to gain a foothold in the competitive digital health market.

Withings, which designs, builds and sells wearables with health and fitness tracking features, as well as devices for the connected home such as smart weighing scales, thermometers, blood pressure monitors, home and baby monitors and so forth, will become part of Nokia's Technologies business.

Apple slowing down recruiting efforts, report says

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple in the past few weeks has been dismissing all of its contract recruiters, reports VentureBeat. Citing a source familiar with the matter, the outlet says the Cupertino company has begun cutting full-time recruiter as well.

These moves are part of a broader plan to slow down recruiting efforts across the board, the report says, as Apple looks to reevaluate. At least 100 people are expected to be cut, and there are no new job postings for recruiters.

New iPhone 6s commercials are all about Touch ID, 4K video capture and chopping onions

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 25, 2016

Following its nicely done Earth Day ads featuring iMessage and a recycling robot dubbed Liam, Apple on Monday released a pair of brand new television commercials for the iPhone 6s, which promote Touch ID and the handset's ability to capture video in crisp 4K resolution through the lens of its twelve-megapixel rear camera.

The new commercials, titled “Fingerprint” and “Onions,” run thirty seconds each and are available on Apple's official YouTube channel, but we've embedded them into this article for your viewing pleasure.

One of the most reliable Apple analysts doesn’t see “many attractive selling points for iPhone 7”

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has arguably the strongest track record among his peers when it comes to anticipating unreleased Apple products. That being said, his most recent research note that he issued to clients last evening is something of a surprise to ardent Apple watchers.

In it, the revered analyst pours cold water on various iPhone 7 expectations, stating he doesn’t see “many attractive selling points” for the upcoming handset. A copy of Kuo's note to clients was obtained by AppleInsider.

As a matter of fact, Kuo believes Apple will be the only top-five smartphone vendor to see its shipments decline this year before they rebound in 2018, in time for a rumored monster iPhone 8 refresh.

iFixit tears down the 2016 Retina MacBook, finds minor hardware tweaks

Anthony Bouchard ∙ April 25, 2016

Just last week, Apple launched the second generation of its Retina MacBook lineup with a bump in CPU and SSD speed performance, as well as in battery life.

iFixit has now torn down the new 2016 Retina MacBook to reveal what kinds of hardware gems could be hidden inside of the very familiar aluminum enclosure.

Unsurprisingly, they have torn down the new rose gold-colored model. For the most part, a lot of the internals are similar, although there are a few tweaks to the design and internal hardware that users will love and hate.

WSJ: Apple Watch 2 will have cellular connectivity

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 25, 2016

In its report Monday which details the first full year of Apple Watch sales, the Wall Street Journal newspaper has revealed a previously unknown tidbit pertaining to a second-generation Apple Watch. According to the publication's sources, the Apple Watch 2 will feature cellular-network connectivity and a faster processor.

Although the Apple Watch can connect to Wi-Fi networks you have previously joined on your iPhone, the Cupertino company is reportedly aware that its wearable device suffers from limited usefulness because it cannot connect to cellular networks on its own and requires an iPhone for network connectivity if there are no known Wi-Fi networks around.

New rumor out of China claims that iPhone 7 sports a touch-sensitive Home button

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 25, 2016

According to Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes this morning, latest reports out of China claim an 'iPhone 7' will get rid of the physical Home button in favor of its digital, touch-sensitive counterpart, theoretically permitting Apple to engineer an iPhone with the completely flush front surface.

Additionally, these reports have reaffirmed previous rumors that the handset will be water and dust-proof.

Another interesting piece of information we haven't heard before: Apple might also introduce a brand new matte black color for the iPhone 7's chassis. The Cupertino firm's reportedly just completed the third test phase of the new handset, which should launch this fall unless it adjusts the iPhone's upgrade cycle.