Apple

Video: life, death and black-market reincarnation of an iPhone, seen from its point of view

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 22, 2015

Most smartphones are built to last until a user's two-year contract expires, and that's just a fact of life. True, iPhones tend to last markedly longer than the industry average but even their life expectancy isn't particularly long either.

To capture the essence of what being an iPhone is like, filmmaker Paul Trillo set out to create a smart and funny movie depicting what the world's most popular handset typically goes through in just twelve months before it's replaced with a newer, sexier model.

Apple lays out why it relented to compensate artists during free Apple Music trial

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 22, 2015

Apple is in full-on PR damage control mode with a sudden change of heart after pop artist Taylor Swift posted her strongly worded editorial on the controversial and much maligned decision to not pay musicians during Apple Music's free of charge three-month trial period. Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services, took to Billboard to discuss what prompted this decision.

Apple to eliminate Home button by integrating Touch ID fingerprint scanning into iPhone screen

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 17, 2016

In addition to getting rid of the unsightly bands on their back, future iPhones could create more room for the screen without enlarging the whole device by putting a virtual Home button along with Touch ID sensors right into its screen.

Not only would such a solution eliminate a “chin” at the iPhone's bottom but the Cupertino firm has already developed necessary technologies in-house, claimed a report Monday by Taiwanese trade publication DigiTimes.

Future iPhones could get rid of unsightly antenna bands as Apple invents a new metallic material

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 22, 2015

In addition to a protruding camera, those antenna bands represent the most controversial design feature of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Blame the unsightly bands on the law of physics.

Though iPhones and cellular iPads and iPods would have decidedly looked sleeker without the bands, the radio waves cannot penetrate metal so an all-metal iPhone would be quite useless despite a stunningly seamless appearance.

But if a patent application Apple filed with the United States Patent & Trademark Office is an indication, future iPhones could easily get rid of the antenna bands on the back as Apple has apparently invented a metallic looking material that doesn't interfere with the functioning of RF antennas.

Initial developer interest in Apple Watch higher than in early iPhones and iPads, Cook says

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 22, 2015

During his China tour last month that took him to the eastern city of Hangzhou, home to the largest Apple Store worldwide, CEO Tim Cook said the Apple Watch has attracted greater adoption by developers than the earliest iPhones and iPads had, according to an interview published Monday by the Chinese language edition of Bloomberg Businessweek.

He said developers have been working on more than 3,500 apps for the watch, a data point Cook reiterated during the WWDC keynote earlier this month. By comparison, the App Store launched with 500 iPhone apps back in the summer of 2008 and there were about a thousand apps available for the first iPad in 2010.

Apple will pay artists for streaming their songs during Apple Music free trial after all

Sébastien Page ∙ Updated September 6, 2017

Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue put an end Sunday night to several days of controversy by saying that Apple will pay artist for streaming their songs during the customer's free trial period of its new Apple Music service.

In a series of tweets representing a change of stance for the company, Cue clarified that Apple will always make sure that artists are paid.

Apple denies claims that it’s threatening artists to force Apple Music deals

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple denies claims made by some artists that it's threatening to remove their songs from iTunes if they don't sign up for Apple Music, reports Rolling Stone. A company spokesperson told the outlet that music "will not be taken off" as a result of license negotiations.

The controversy arose earlier this week when Anton Newcombe of psychedelic rock group Brian Jonestown Massacre took to Twitter to complain about Apple and its bullying tactics. "I said what if I say no, and they said we'll take your music off itunes. hard ball?"

Watch this now: politician Newt Gingrich publishes his video review of Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2015

In case you haven't yet seen the video everyone's talking about, stop what you're doing, grab some popcorn and watch former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination Newt Gingrich review the Apple Watch. And he gets a little help from his friends, too: Senator Cory Booker and Republican Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

Samsung allegedly taking on iPhone 6 Plus with giant-sized Galaxy S6 Edge Plus

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2015

It is no secret that Samsung has taken quite a beating on the high-end since last fall's release of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. According to the latest in the rumor-mill, which comes from the blog Sam Mobile and serial tech leaker @OnLeaks, an unreleased jumbo-sized Galaxy phone is about to increase pressure on Apple's 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus.

According to a purported render that leaked earlier this morning, the tentatively named 'Galaxy S6 Edge Plus' will keep the industrial design largely unchanged but have a screen measuring between 5.5 and 5.7 inches diagonally.

It's hard to tell from the renders as anyone can scale up the official press shots, but the device appears to be both taller and wider than the original S6 Edge, measuring approximately 155mm wide, 76mm tall and 6.85mm deep.

Original iPad mini disappears from Apple Stores, resulting iPad lineup is now all 64-bit

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2015

Introduced in October 2012, the original iPad mini is no longer available to purchase from Apple's brick-and-mortar stores and has been pulled from the Apple Online Store as well, as first discovered by 9to5Mac. Another indication that the Cupertino firm no longer intends to carry the device: the iPad mini product pages have vanished from its web site, too.

Google secretly buys technology for streaming smartphone apps without downloading

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 19, 2015

Late last year, the Internet giant Google stealthily snapped up a startup called Agawi whose technology let people stream an app to a phone without the need to actually download and install it first.

The deal went under the radar until yesterday, when it was reported by The Information's Amir Efrati. Agawi's tech can stream Android apps and Windows PC games to connected TVs, as well as iOS and Android devices.

While it's unclear whether Google plans to bake app streaming into Android, the acquisition signals a potential new direction for mobile software deployment.

Apple Music will not feature Taylor Swift’s hit album ‘1989’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple was unable to secure the streaming rights for Taylor Swift's '1989' album, BuzzFeed reports. The outlet says both Swift's label and Apple have confirmed the story, meaning the massively popular album won't be available on Apple Music at launch.

Apparently Apple Music will feature Swift's back catalogue, however, which includes 4 other highly sought-after records. But those can already be found on other subscription services such as Rdio and Tidal, so they won't serve as a differentiating feature.