Apple

Apple treats Greek customers to free 30-day extension for their paid iCloud storage

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 13, 2015

Due to the ongoing financial turmoil in Greece which has spawned uncertainty over the country's seemingly looming bankruptcy, Apple has decided not to charge its Greek customers for their iCloud storage for a month, local blog iPhoneHellas reported this weekend.

After Greece's creditors prompted the government to implement capital controls in the country, customers grew worried that they would lose access to their iCloud data such as photos, contacts and more as iTunes would not be able to charge their credit cards for paid cloud storage.

“Our sympathies are with our customers in Greece who have experienced an interruption in their iCloud accounts as a results of the fiscal crisis,” an Apple representative told CNBC.

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iPad Pro rumored to arrive first in mid-November, but in limited quantities

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2016

Apple's rumored jumbo-sized iPad may be available in limited quantities when it first ships in mid-November as the Cupertino company has been “rather cautious” with build orders for the device, according to DigiTimes, a hit-and-miss outlet.

Supply chain sources who spoke with the Taiwanese trade publication said that initial shipment volume for the 12.9-inch 'iPad Pro' is “much lower” than what most people expect. While DigiTimes is a pretty accurate source of supply chain talk, they've had their fair share of misses regarding the timing of Apple product launches.

Back in 2013, DigiTimes incorrectly said an iPad Pro would release in the second half of 2014, for example.

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Review: Twelve South HiRise for Apple Watch—an unassuming charging dock and a great stand

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 11, 2015

Apple Watch stands are multiplying like rabbits and getting more useful. Today, I get to tell you all about the HiRise for Apple Watch.

This is one of the first stands for Apple’s wearable device and the very first watch stand from Twelve South, a company based in Charleston, South Carolina which has been designing premium accessories exclusively for use with Apple devices.

Like their popular HiRise stand for iPhone and iPad, the Apple Watch edition helps protect your device while it's charging. And like other Twelve South products, it looks gorgeous and was designed to support all Apple Watch sizes, models and bands.

But is it worth your attention? Read on for all the details.

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How to disable Apple Music Connect

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2017

If you choose to hide Apple Music on an iPhone, iPod touch or iPad, the Music app gains a new Connect tab.

Described by Apple as a place where “musicians give their fans a closer look at their work, their inspirations, and their world,”Apple Music Connect permits music lovers to view and follow an artist's stream, like and comment on their posts and more.

Apple Music Connect is basically Ping 2.0. The feature is a tad crude in appearance and feels rough around the edges so little wonder that some folks don't view Connect as valuable enough for it to deserve its own tab.

Wouldn't it be great if you could get rid of the Connect tab? Thankfully, there is.

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Connect feature couldn't be disabled: Apple has made sure to burry and hide it in an obscure place. In this post, I'm going to explain precisely how you can disconnect from Connect in Apple Music on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad or Mac.

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Google releases Ivy, an experimental big number calculator for iPhone and iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 10, 2015

Google on Friday released a brand new iOS application in the App Store. Called Ivy and available free of charge, the app is being described as an experimental big number calculator for the iPhone and iPad.

Dedicated calculator apps are a dime a dozen these days so what's so special about Ivy, you might ask?

According to Google, Ivy takes advantage of what's referred to as exact rational arithmetic, basically a precision math technique which lets the app handle arbitrary precision with ease.

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Samsung’s latest Galaxy ad paints iPhone owners as ‘a nation of checkers’

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 10, 2015

Samsung's marketing department has admittedly become very skilled at the craft of Apple-bashing, always eager to find an interesting new angle to discredit the iPhone.

Forget about wall-huggers—Samsung's latest television commercial for the Galaxy S6 Edge flagship attempts to diss those who would use an iPhone, likening them to “a nation of checkers.”

You know the type.

Those rude people that destroy your moviegoing experience by checking out their email and ruin your dinner by constantly glancing at their iPhone screen under the table.

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How Apple could reinvigorate the iPod line

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

It's no secret that iPod sales continue to decline year after year. Many of the people who were once targets for the iPod now opt for iPhones or iPads.

This isn't exactly a terrible problem for Apple to have. The company has never had qualms about cannibalizing its own products for the sake of the greater good.

But with Apple's historic, and now renewed, love of music, it just wouldn't seem right to let the iPod—at least its conceptual existence, and not so much the name—fade out into the sunset.

For that reason, I think that Apple should go back to the drawing board. Even if this year's rumored across-the-board iPod update is nothing more than just a meager spec bump and minor changes—I think that ultimately, the line is due for a complete overhaul.

How could Apple reinvigorate its flagship music player? By doing the following five things...

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MasterCard accepting Apple Pay for 2015 MLB All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 10, 2015

MasterCard on Friday announced it'll enable Apple Pay at Great American Ball Park in time for the 2015 MLB All-Star game. Fans attending the game in Cincinnati will be permitted to pay for on-site food and merchandise with their iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or Apple Watch during the week-long festivities, the card issuer has said.

Realized through partnership with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the initiative will bring NFC contactless payment acceptance to the 2015 MLB All-Star Week festivities so owners of NFC-enabled Android handsets may be able to make on-site purchases with their phones.

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WSJ: Samsung moving up Galaxy Note 5 launch to August to beat iPhone hype

Cody Lee ∙ July 10, 2015

Samsung is moving up its Galaxy Note 5 launch to August this year in hopes of beating the new iPhone hype in September, reports The Wall Street Journal. Until now, the South Korean company has leveraged the annual IFA Berlin conference to debut the big-screened handset.

Citing a source familiar with the matter, The Journal says the move is part of a bid to give the Note some breathing room before mid-September, when Apple typically unveils its new iPhones—a product that often dominates both the news cycle and consumer attention for weeks.

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New iPods could be announced next Tuesday

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 10, 2015

If you're buying an iPod music player these days, hold off your purchase for just a little bit longer as Apple is thought to be unveiling new iPod touch, iPod nano and iPod shuffle models next Tuesday.

According to French blog iGen.fr, a pretty reliable source of Apple leaks, the iPod touch could get a substantial refresh in the form of a 64-bit processor.

The iPod nano and shuffle models are said to be receiving only cosmetic changes.

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Apple launches two new “If it’s not an iPhone” ads

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated May 7, 2018

Today, Apple launched two new iPhone advertisements touting the device's uniqueness and how much its customers love them. In the first ad, entitled Hardware & Software, Apple big-ups the way the iPhone's hardware and software are both created by the same company.

In the second advertisement, entitled Love, Apple touts how 99% of iPhone customers love their devices. It then ends both advertisements with a similar tag line: If it's not an iPhone, it's not an iPhone.

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