Apple

Apple: more than 50 percent of devices are already using iOS 9

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

It's been less than a week since iOS 9 was released, but it's already being used by more than 50 percent of iOS devices, according to an Apple press release. The 50%+ adoption rate in less than a week is, as Apple puts it, the fastest iOS adoption ever.

In addition, Apple reiterated its upcoming launch of the iPhone 6s, stating that customers may come to their local Apple Store on Friday, September 25th, as it will be fulfilling walk-in orders. Customers are thus encouraged to arrive early, as supply will no doubt be limited, especially if there's a specific color/size/carrier combination that you simply must have.

Read More

Some Skype users experiencing issues with calling and messaging, Microsoft working on a fix

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 21, 2015

Are you plagued with various Skype issues, such as the inability to place VoIP calls, update your status or send instant messages? Are all of your Skype contacts showing as offline? Don't worry, you're not alone.

According to a support document published Monday morning, many people are reporting issues with Skype status and calling and Microsoft is working on a fix.

“We're doing everything we can to fix this issue and hope to have another update for you soon,” the company wrote. “Thank you for your patience as we work to get this incident resolved.”

Read More

New in iOS 9: a more detailed upload indicator in stock Photos app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 9, 2022

Apple's streamlined Photos app for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad has not gained major new features in iOS 9, unlike Photos for Mac whose upcoming OS X El Capitan release contains several new features that didn't make it into the inaugural version of Photos for OS X last fall.

But there's one tiny refinement in iOS 9's Photos app that I think will delight people like myself who rely on iCloud to keep their photos and videos synchronized across their devices: a more detailed upload progress indicator.

Read More

How to upload HD photos and videos on Facebook

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

One of the more annoying things about Facebook has got to be the diminished quality of photos and videos you upload to the service, be it via iOS's Facebook integration integration or through the official mobile app for the iPhone and iPad, a free download in the App Store.

For whatever reason, Facebook's mobile app defaults to low-resolution photo and video uploads, likely in an effort to minimize bandwidth usage in this digital age of capped cellular data.

Fortunately, there is an easy yet not immediately obvious way to configure Facebook for iPhone and iPad to record and upload videos and photos in glorious high-definition.

Read More

XcodeGhost: a new malware infecting many popular iOS apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 19, 2015

A few dozen iPhone and iPad applications, most of them developed for China, have been infected with XcodeGhost, a malware that collects information on the devices and uploads that data to remote servers.

Among them is WeChat, one of the most popular instant messaging applications in the world.

Rather than exploit an iOS vulnerability, the malware in question sneaks its way into apps indirectly, by targeting Apple's official compilers used to create legitimate apps. The malware was found to inject its malicious code into a Mach-O object file that was repackaged into some versions of Xcode, Apple’s official tool for developing iOS and OS X apps.

These Trojanized Xcode installers were then uploaded to Baidu’s cloud file sharing service used by Chinese app developers, explains Palo Alto Networks. The malicious code then inserts itself into any iOS app compiled with the infected Xcode without the developers’ knowledge.

It's not Apple's fault, really: this would have never happened had these developers downloaded Xcode files directly from Apple. Baidu has since removed all of the infected files from its servers and some of the infected apps have since removed the malware code in their latest builds.

Read More

How to only show the days you completed dedicated workouts with Activity app

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 9, 2022

Folks who track their workouts with the Apple Watch or a third-party fitness accessory tend to analyze their logged history in the iPhone's Activity app in order to gain a valuable insight into when they have—and more importantly, have not—met their personal goals.

Realizing you're consistently failing to hit your set workout goal on weekends, for example, is the first step toward changing your routine, working out more and leading a healthier life overall.

Though largely unchanged from its iOS 8 counterpart, Activity on iOS 9 has gained a useful, somewhat hidden toggle for switching between displaying Move, Exercise and Stand rings and highlighting the days you completed dedicated workouts.

Read More

New in iOS 9: two-column landscape layout in Notification Center on iPads

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 18, 2015

iOS 9 packs in a whole bunch of nice-to-haves and small refinements that haven't even made it into the official release notes.

Among other things, the operating system introduces a more streamlined Notification Center view in landscape mode which Apple designed to take advantage of the larger screen real estate on iPads.

The enhanced look is based on a two-column layout to allow the simultaneous display of your Today view in one column and your Notification Center widgets and app notifications in the other, so you don't have to switch manually between them.

Read More

Samsung finds a new angle to attack iPhone: lack of customization

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 18, 2015

Say what you will, but there's no denying that Samsung's marketing department has more or less successfully exploited the iPhone's perceived weaknesses in their anti-Apple ads.

As you know, ads for the Galaxy phones typically focus on stuff like the iPhone's non-replaceable batteries, battery life in general, non-curved screens, lack of wireless charging and what not.

But the latest Samsung commercials appears to have found a new anti-iPhone angle: the lack of customization.

Read More

Lag-Gate: some devices plagued with lagginess and general sluggishness after updating to iOS 9

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 18, 2015

According to a lengthy, and growing, thread on MacRumors Forums, an unknown portion of people who have updated their iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices to iOS 9 are now complaining about sluggish performance and unexpected crashes.

Some folks are even going as far as to suggest that iOS 9 is laggier than iOS 8.

Unfortunately, I'm one of them as well.

After upgrading my iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air to iOS 9 I couldn't help but notice overall sluggishness and considerable lag on both my devices, especially when I'm using the new task switcher or bringing up Spotlight Search.

Read More

Teardown reveals iPad mini 4 has 2GB of RAM, smaller battery and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 18, 2015

A teardown analysis performed by repair experts iFixit has confirmed that the iPad mini 4 (model number A1538) ships with two gigabytes of RAM, twice as much as the previous-generation and the same amount of RAM found inside the iPad Air 2, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

In addition, the device sports a fully laminated 2,048-by-1,536 pixels LED-backlit LCD IPS screen, an improved eight-megapixel iSight camera out the back, faster Touch ID and a thinner 19.1 Wh rechargeable lithium-polymer battery of lesser capacity.

Read More