Apple

AT&T resurrects unlimited data but only for DIRECTV or U-Verse customers

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 11, 2016

United States carrier AT&T on Monday announced a brand new unlimited data plan since removing that option a few years ago, but there's a catch: you have to be using the carrier's DIRECTV or U-Verse service.

According to the fine print, the new $100 per month plan is limited to smartphones. But what about those who'd like to take advantage of it on an iPad?

Well, they'll have to pay an additional $40 per month to add a tablet device or another smartphone to the plan, or fork an additional $10 to add a smartwatch to the service.

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Poll: should iPhone 7 be thinner or have a longer-lasting battery?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

There has been lot of talk lately about Apple's relentless pursue of engineering ever-thinner iPhones. A next-generation iPhone, for example, is said to be iPod touch-thin. As you know, the iPod touch actually has a poorer battery life than any iPhone model simply because it doesn't have the space for an iPhone-grade battery.

This is prompting some people to wonder if the iPhone 7 should just be as thick as the current iPhone 6s, or even a bit thicker, if that meant boosting its battery capacity for an improved run time.

This poll seeks to figure out if you'd be willing to trade thinness for battery life, or vice versa. So, would you prefer the iPhone 7 to be thinner or have a longer battery life?

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Rumor: 4″ iPhone refresh to be named ‘iPhone 5e’ and run A8 chip with 1GB of RAM

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 11, 2016

The rumored refresh of the four-inch iPhone is widely expected by multiple sources to include Apple's latest A9 chip with two gigabytes of RAM, but now a new rumor published Monday by Chinese-language MyDrivers is pouring cold water on those claims.

According to the site, the handset will actually run the previous-generation A8 processor that powers the iPhone 6 series and won't include twice the RAM as previously suspected. In addition, Apple will apparently market the device under an 'iPhone 5e' moniker, like to suggest that it's actually an enhanced version of the iPhone 5s.

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Apple Music hits important milestone as it reportedly passes 10 million paying subscribers

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 10, 2016

Newsflash: Apple Music is not the failure that naysayers were rooting for it to become. Citing people familiar with the matter, The Financial Times newspaper reported today that Apple Music has passed ten million paying subscribers after just six months in existence.

If true, the service, which launched in more than a hundred countries in June of 2015, now has half as many paying customers as Spotify, which has been in the streaming-music game for years now.

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Move to Android: EU carriers pushing Apple to provide an app to help people leave iOS ecosystem

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 10, 2016

Due to complaints by European mobile operators, Apple is reportedly under pressure to provide software that would permit iPhone owners to easily switch to Android, The Telegraph reported yesterday.

Carriers contend that Apple's decision to only provide the 'Move to iOS' app but not a similar tool to shift user data over to an Android device is limiting competition while weakening their hand in negotiations with Apple over contractual terms.

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Native Facebook Messenger for Mac app revealed in leaked photo

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 29, 2016

Facebook may be bringing its popular messaging app to the desktop, according to a blurry photo obtained by TechCrunch which appears to show a native application being tested on a Mac notebook by an employee.

Facebook currently provides the Messenger app for a number of mobile platforms, in addition to a dedicated web interface at messenger.com and built-in messaging functionality available through its desktop UI at facebook.com.

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Apple in talks with NFL to live-stream next season’s London games

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018
NFL

Apple is in talks with the National Football League regarding streaming rights, reports Reuters. Citing two sources familiar with the situation, the outlet says the iPhone-maker is among a group of tech firms pursuing the opportunity to live-stream 3 NFL games next season.

More specifically, the companies are looking to buy the rights to conduct live streams for all three of the NFL games to be played in London next year. Yahoo hosted a live stream of a single London-based game this season, and by most accounts it was a success for both parties.

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How to set your iPhone to automatically delete audio messages after you have played them

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 7, 2023
Audio messages in the iPhone Messages app

When I'm in a hurry, I prefer to send my friends short audio recordings by tapping the microphone icon in the Messages app than pecking away on my iPhone's keyboard. Apple calls this Tap to Talk, and it's even better with Messages' walkie-talkie-like Raise to Listen function, which lets me listen to or respond to an audio message by lifting the phone to my ear.

On the downside, audio messages pile up and can waste precious storage space over time. Therefore, in this post, we're going to tell you about a handy switch to prevent the Messages app from automatically keeping every audio message you receive.

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Apple has registered Apple.car and other similar domain names

Cody Lee ∙ January 8, 2016

Apple has registered a handful of rather interesting domain names within the last few weeks. As noted by MacRumors, the company purchased three top-level domain names in December including apple.car, apple.cars and apple.auto, through sponsored registrar MarkMonitor.

The acquisitions only posted on Whois this morning, and they aren't active yet, but given the ongoing chatter regarding Apple's secret car project, they do arouse curiosity. There's certainly a precedent of the firm purchasing domain names for rumored projects: iCloud and iPhone 4.

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Apple is reportedly building wireless earphones that will fit inside your ear and come with charging case

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 8, 2016

Apple is reportedly building brand new, completely wireless earphones that will fit inside of a user’s ear, along with a charging case, as per 9to5Mac.

The in-house designed hardware is similar in concept to the Motorola Hint headset and Bragi’s new Dash and said to include a noise-cancelling microphone system. The accessory will be “a premium alternative” to a Lightning-enabled version of the EarPods headset that's also in the works (EarPods are the wired in-ear headphones that came with your  iPhone).

Three days ago, Japanese blog Macotakara first reported on Apple's plans to bundle the iPhone 7 with a wireless headset. The following day, Fast Company said Apple is working with a supplier on a new noise-canceling technology to be used both in the iPhone 7 and the new earphones to help remove background noise in music playback and in phone calls.

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