Apple

You’ll soon be able to open iOS app content straight from Google Search

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

Google will soon start indexing iOS apps, allowing you to open content in your favorite apps straight from Google Search, the company announced Wednesday.

Google has been indexing content from Android apps for a while and now it's about to help Apple fans discover relevant content from iPhone and iPad applications, right inside search.

“Starting today, we’re bringing App Indexing to iOS apps as well,” the company announced. “This means users on both Android and iOS will be able to open mobile app content straight from Google Search.”

Chevrolet bringing CarPlay to 14 new vehicles

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

Chevrolet, a General Motors-owned brand, today announced bringing both CarPlay and Android Auto platforms to as many as fourteen new vehicles for the 2016 model year.

Offering CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility in more models than any automotive brand, General Motors said its all-new 2016 Cruze compact car is among the fourteen new vehicles getting CarPlay compatibility. Cruze, which will debut on June 24, is Chevrolet’s best-selling passenger car, with more than three million units sold since launch.

Jeff Williams: the car is the ultimate mobile device

Cody Lee ∙ May 27, 2015

In addition to Apple Watch talk, Jeff Williams made some other interesting comments at the Code Conference on Wednesday. During his interview with Recode, Apple's SVP of Operations seemingly confirmed the company's rumored interest in cars.

"The car is the ultimate mobile device," Williams nonchalantly noted, in response to a question regarding what the Cupertino firm will do with its staggering cash hoard beyond returning money to investors. "We are exploring a lot of different markets."

Apple confirms native apps with direct access to Apple Watch sensors arriving this fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

In announcing WatchKit and an accompanying SDK for developing apps for the Apple Watch, the Cupertino firm originally said in a November 2014 press release that “starting later next year, developers will be able to create fully native apps” for the wrist-worn device.

As Apple's op-chief Jeff Williams joined journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher on stage at Recode Conference earlier this morning, we got our official confirmation that native watch apps are indeed arriving this fall.

CBS will ‘probably’ sign up for Apple’s TV service

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

CBS CEO Les Moonves says his network will “probably” sign a deal with Apple for its upcoming streaming TV service. Speaking at the Code Conference on Wednesday, Moonves told Recode's Kara Swisher that he met with Apple's Eddy Cue last week to discuss the service.

“The talks are still early, but we’re very excited about it,” he told Swisher. The executive went on to say that he believes the age of the 200-channel universe is slowly dying, and if companies like Apple are going to offer trim 15-20 channel packages, CBS has to be included.

Apple Watch, health and other topics from Jeff Williams talk at Recode Conference

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

As announced previously, Jeff Williams, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Operations, sat down this morning with journalists Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher at the Recode Conference at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes.

He discussed some wide-ranging topics, including Apple's gamble with the Apple Watch, how they went about solving reliability issues with Taptic Engine, how native apps will improve the Apple Watch experience come this fall, Apple's focus on health and fitness and more.

Here's a recap of his chat with Swisher and Mossberg.

New report details Siri API, Apple’s Google Now, ‘Browse Around Me’ in Maps and more iOS 9 stuff

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

Apple is reportedly reading a Siri Application Programming Interface (API), according to a new report. Called Breadcrumbs, it should let developers enhance iPhone and iPad applications by implementing Siri intelligence in a limited fashion. Another new initiative seeks to create a Google Now experience for iOS devices.

In addition, the Cupertino firm is reportedly adding augmented reality features to Apple Maps, including one dubbed Browse Around Me.

The way it's supposed to work, you'd point your iPhone's camera toward a particular business or an area and Maps would put up relevant information such as a virtual view of menu items or daily specials, 9to5Mac said Wednesday.

WWDC app receives Apple Watch support

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

Apple's official iOS app for the Worldwide Developers Conference has received an update ahead of next month's WWDC 2015 with support for the Apple Watch, conference and schedule information and more.

WWDC 3.0 for the iPhone and iPad puts important conference information right on your wrist. The app can be used to keep tabs on related WWDC news, access floor plans, watch session videos and more.

HBO GO for iPhone and iPad adds support for playback through HDMI output

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

I'm an avid fan of the HBO GO service, one annoyed that their iOS application wouldn't support HDMI output. As someone who travels fairly often but doesn't carry an Apple TV wherever I go, it's depressing not being able to send the latest episode of Game of Thrones from my iPhone to a TV set in a hotel room using an HDMI adapter.

But if you own a Lightning to HDMI adapter and are an HBO GO subscriber, you can now hook up your iPhone or iPad to a TV set and enjoy lag-free video playback through HDMI output.

PayPal finally adds Touch ID protection to iPhone payment app

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

PayPal's official iPhone app in the App Store has at last received support for Touch ID authentication, nearly two years following Apple's debut of fingerprint scanning with the iPhone 5s's fall 2013 introduction.

As a daily PayPal user, it was annoying that the mobile app would ask me to provide my PayPal password on each run. Now that Touch ID has come to the rescue, this option, once enabled in settings, lets me authorize app access easily and securely with my fingerprint.

This is what Touch ID was created for, to protect sensitive personal information like online banking, PayPal transactions and so forth. I wish PayPal supported Touch ID much sooner but it's better late than never, I guess.

Fleksy Keyboard introduces Imoji stickers, smart suggestions for GIFs and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 9, 2018

Fleksy, the powerful iOS 8 keyboard which lets you use gestures, GIFs and emoji, has increased its functionality in the latest update issued today.

Now the app features an integrated Sticker keyboard in partnership with Imoji, taking visual communication beyond animated GIFs. You can easily browse, search and send Imoji stickers directly in Fleksy: just tap a sticker to copy it, then paste it in a message.

To add a sticker to your favorites, double tap it from the keyboard. You can access your recently used stickers, browse endless collections of reactions, check out what's trending and more.

Kindle update adds new font and a number of readability enhancements

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 27, 2015

Amazon's Kindle for iOS app received an update this morning adding new features for “faster reading, less eye strain.”

Kindle 4.9 for the iPhone and iPad now includes larger font sizes, in addition to an exclusive new font that was specifically crafted for prolonged reading on digital screens.

The application now does hyphenation and has smoother word spacing, with layouts that dynamically adapt drop caps, text and images as you change fonts and adjust font sizes.