Apple

Find My Watch, new Complications, Apple TV integration and more coming to Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 18, 2015

Since its April 2015 debut, the Apple Watch to this date runs Apple Watch OS 1.0 as Apple has yet to release an update to the wrist-worn device's operating system. As per a new report filed by 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman, a software update is in the works that'll improve the Apple Watch's connectivity with other devices like the Apple TV.

Other noteworthy perks reportedly include enhancements aimed at strengthening the security of the Apple Watch, boosting built-in health and fitness capability, bolstering Wi-Fi features and tightening integration with third-party applications.

In addition, a new Apple TV hardware with a “fancy” new remote, even tighter Apple Watch integration and support for downloadable applications is on its way, too.

Fashion design house Kate Spade New York launching iPhone-charging women bags this fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 18, 2015

Kate Spade New York, a U.S.-based fashion design house, has partnered with the seed-funded startup Everpurse on a new autumn range of iPhone-friendly bags, purses and backpacks.

These fashionable accessories for women will sport the ability to recharge iPhones, including all Lightning-based models from the iPhone 5 through the iPhone 6 Plus, The Wall Street Journal learned Monday. The fashion label was founded as Kate Spade Handbags in January 1993 by handbag designer Kate Spade.

Court rules iPhone looks can’t be protected, adjusts Samsung’s $930 million penalty

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Monday, The United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said it's ruled that Samsung violated Apple's design patents but did not infringe on the Cupertino firm's trade dress intellectual property.

As reported by Reuters, the appeals court has now reversed part of Apple's $930 million verdict versus Samsung, ordering that the penalty be adjusted accordingly.

SoundCloud for Apple Watch is here

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 18, 2015

An update Monday to SoundCloud's free of charge iPhone and iPad application has added an Apple Watch component allowing you to listen to user-submitted music and audio right from your wrist, identify songs playing from your iPhone and more.

“The new app makes it even easier for you to hear the freshest tracks when you’re out and about, from your daily to commute to going out for a run,” Germand developers noted.

Dubai reportedly becoming home to world’s largest Apple Store this summer

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

A report Monday by the Khaleej Times says Apple will be opening the world's largest retail store in Dubai, the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with population of more than 2 million people.

In fact, not only will it file as the world's largest Apple Store, but also as UAE's very first Apple Store, too. Located at Dubai's Mall of the Emirates, the store is currently under construction and is expected to open doors to fans in August 2015. Dubai is a popular tourist destination known for its luxury goods market and high-profile shopping malls.

Cool Google project automatically creates amazing time-lapse videos from public photos

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 18, 2015

Google researchers teamed up with scientists from the University of Washington on a unique project which taps into a rich poll of public photos on Yahoo's Flickr, as well as on its own Picasa and Google+ services and other places, to automate the creation of amazing time-lapse videos of popular tourists landmarks, Engadget reported Monday.

Leveraging sophisticated algorithms, the project clusters a whopping 86 million photos and stitches them together into landmarks and popular viewpoints.

Tim Cook talks early days at Apple and more in George Washington University commencement speech

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Tim Cook took the stage in front of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. today, to give the commencement speech for George Washington University's class of 2015. Cook accepted the invitation back in February, and is being awarded an honorary doctorate from the school.

Most of the speech is typical affair for a graduation address—"your values matter; they are your north star," etc.—but Cook has sprinkled in some interesting anecdotes from his childhood and early days at Apple. He also talks about the impact that Steve Jobs had on his life.

Apple acquires GPS firm Coherent Navigation

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

Apple appears to have quietly acquired San Francisco-based GPS firm Coherent Navigation, MacRumors reported on Sunday. Several of the company's employees, including the CEO and co-founders, all started working for the iPhone-maker in recent months, and its domain servers were recently updated to point to Apple.

Among Coherent's technology is something called High Integrity GPS, which offers greater accuracy and precision and higher signal integrity versus standard GPS. It accomplishes this by combining signals from both mid-earth orbiting GPS satellites low-earth satellites used by data provider Iridium for voice and data.

Apple looking for Apple Watch feedback via market research survey

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple has begun emailing Apple Watch owners, asking for their feedback on the just-released wearable. The email requests that users take a lengthy (took us about 15 minutes) survey, in which it asks a wide variety of questions regarding their reasons for purchasing the device, and satisfaction with it thus far.

The survey is interesting because Apple doesn't typically employ market research—we have seen questionnaires in the past, but it's not a frequent thing. Steve Jobs famously loathed the practice, telling Fortune in 2008 "We do no market research. We don’t hire consultants. We just want to make great products.”

Touch ID could gain new gaming features, scrolling and more

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Touch ID could get significantly more useful in future iOS devices, according to an Apple patent filing revealed this week. The filing, first spotted by Patently Apple, is extremely lengthy (combines several patents) and offers an overview of where Apple thinks fingerprint technology is headed.

One of the more interesting inventions is a portable touch display with integrated fingerprint sensors. So instead of touching the Home button, you could simply touch a designated part of the display to unlock your device or authenticate something. Apple says it could even offer tactile feedback.

Analyst “confirms” 12MP camera with smaller pixels for the next iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 30, 2016

Apple's forthcoming iPhone refresh — presumably an ‘iPhone 6s’ and ‘iPhone 6s Plus’ — is set for a major upgrade in the camera department as Apple has reportedly relented and decided to join the megapixel race with a twelve-megapixel iSight camera on the back of the new phone(s).

But the megapixels don't tell the whole story.

According to Kevin Wang, IHS's Technology Research Director for China, the pixel size will be smaller, raising questions about the camera' performance in low-light conditions.

Apple doubles previous iCloud Contacts limit to 50,000 contact cards

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 15, 2015

As indicated in the official support document which was updated last evening, Apple has now doubled the previous iCloud Contacts limit from 25,000 contacts to 50,000 items.

These contact cards can be shared and synchronized with the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices, as well as with Mac and Windows PCs, and can be accessed through any modern web browser at iCloud.com.