Apple

You can now control Keynote presentations with Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2018

Not to be outdone by rival Microsoft which earlier this morning updated its PowerPoint for iOS presentation software with the ability to start and navigate the slideshow on your iPhone from you wrist, Apple has quickly followed with a similar update of its own which brings the same functionality to Keynote for iOS, its PowerPoint alternative. Eagle-eyed readers would be right to note that controlling Keynote presentations from your wrist was first mentioned during Apple’s October 2014 media event.

Apple gives developers a chance for an expedited Apple Watch order

Cody Lee ∙ April 21, 2015

Apple on Tuesday began sending out emails to select iOS developers, giving them the chance to purchase a 42mm Apple Watch with a Blue Sport band that is guaranteed to arrive by April 28, 2015. Supplies are of course extremely limited, so Apple says that it is choosing the developers via a lottery system.

The move is part of an ongoing effort to help app developers test their WatchKit apps directly on Apple Watch, which can help them gather much better performance data than the Mac simulator. Prior to pre-orders, Apple was said to be inviting some developers to its Cupertino headquarters for such testing.

WhatsApp for iPhone rolling out VoIP calling, gains iOS 8 share extension and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 31, 2023

Following months of promises and multiple delays, Facebook-owned WhatsApp, which commands more than 800 million active users worldwide, on Tuesday started rolling a voice calling feature in its iPhone application.

WhatsApp Calling is a staggered release and will be rolling out “slowly over the next several weeks,” the company said, meaning it may not be available for you immediately.

In addition to calling other people for free over Wi-Fi networks, regardless of where they may live, the app has gained other enhancements, too, starting with a much welcomed app extension on iPhones running iOS 8. Sadly enough, this update hasn't brought out support for iOS 8's Interactive Notifications.

Survey: Apple Pay surpasses PayPal in mobile payments

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 2, 2018

Apple Pay is picking up steam and has hit an important milestone: the service is outperforming PayPal in mobile payments, according to a new 451 Research survey shared with iDownloadBlog on Tuesday. It's been gaining momentum in the mobile payments space since becoming available six months ago, primarily at the expense of PayPal.

The March study, conducted by 451 Research’s ChangeWave service, consisted of 4,168 respondents primarily based in North America, and looked at planned use of mobile payment applications and the issue of security.

Respondents interested in buying an Apple Watch are twice as likely (54 percent) as all other smartphone owners to say they’ll use mobile payment apps (29 percent said 'Very Likely' and 25 percent said 'Somewhat Likely').

And overall consumer interest in Samsung's mobile payments service (which is launching this summer) sits at a meager eight percent of respondents who are 'Very Likely' or 'Somewhat Likely' to use Samsung Pay in the future.

Apple awarded patents for Apple Watch Sport Band, Classic Buckle and Link Bracelet designs

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 21, 2015

Innovation that went into conceiving, designing and engineering the Apple Watch extends to the bands, too. And as we count down the remaining days until Watches start shipping, the United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) has just granted Apple a trio of patents covering designs for the most popular Watch straps, branded the Sport Band, Classic Buckle and Link Bracelet.

Interestingly enough, all three patents are titled just “Band” and described as covering “the ornamental design for a band”. The newly issued patent grants arrived just one month following another USPTO patent award for the Watch's Modern Buckle strap.

Microsoft updates PowerPoint with remote Apple Watch functionality

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

Microsoft on Tuesday issued a refresh to its PowerPoint presentation software on the App Store, adding remote functionality for Apple Watch users.

The newly added PowerPoint Remote feature allows you to control slides running on your iPhone, such as starting the slideshow and easily navigating to the next and previous slides.

In addition, the Watch app provides you with an at-a-glance overview of the elapsed presentation time while putting the current slide number and total number of slides on your wrist.

Apple preparing initial batch of Apple Watches for shipment

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple on Monday began notifying pre-order customers that it is preparing their Apple Watch orders for shipment. Multiple members of the iDB team saw the status of their Watch orders change from 'Processing Items' to 'Preparing for Shipment' this afternoon.

Apple also began charging customer credit cards for their orders on Monday, something that it typically doesn't do for new products until they are ready to be shipped. Combined, these signs bode well for Apple's ability to get Watches out to customers this week.

Twitter now lets you receive DMs from anyone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 2, 2018

Twitter apps for mobiles are getting a small yet significant update Monday, bringing out the ability to receive direct messages (DMs) from anyone. The company originally rolled out this feature as an experiment in October 2013 only to pull it the following month because it was unfinished and not ready for prime time yet. You opt-in to use the new feature by ticking a box next to “Receive Direct Messages from anyone” in the settings.

This lets anyone on Twitter send you a private message, regardless of whether or not they're following you. Previously, direct messaging has only been possible between users who follow each other.

The current implementation doesn't pose a major threat to established messaging services due to an account limit of 1,000 DMs sent per day. Once you hit this limit, you won't be able to send any more DMs for the day. The update is currently rolling out to App Stores around the world so check back in a few hours if it's not live yet.

How Apple Watch measures your heart rate

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2015

A support document Apple published earlier this month contains a number of interesting tidbits and nice-to-knows regarding the Watch's built-in heart rate monitor. We thought it'd be useful to give you a quick summation of the technologies the wrist-worn device uses to provide accurate readings of your heart rate.

The document also confirms that the Watch can connect wirelessly to external heart rate monitors such as Bluetooth chest straps for even more precise readouts.

All in all, Apple's done a fine job outlining in Layman's terms the tech and the sensors that measure a user's heart rate, a feature many reviewers have described as seamless. In Apple's parlance, it just works and here's exactly how it works.

Video suggests Apple Watch may take twice as long to boot as iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2015

A new video surfaced on the web Monday, ostensibly showing the Apple Watch booting up to the Clock face in a little more than sixty seconds, or twice as long as the iPhone's average startup time of about thirty seconds, depending on the model.

The clip, first shared by 9to5Mac, was recorded inside an Apple Store by an enthusiast and should be taken with a grain of salt because it shows an in-store unit which runs demo software that may or may not be exactly the same as the actual shipping Watch OS.

Apple posts ‘Better Starts Here’ video highlighting environmental progress during 2014 fiscal year

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 20, 2015

Apple on Monday published 2015 Environmental Responsibility Report and an accompanying video entitled 'Better Starts Here', which highlights “significant progress” the company has made in terms of its commitment to preserving our environment during the 2014 fiscal year.

“We don’t want to debate climate change,” said the iPhone maker. “We want to stop it.” The video, along with the latest Environmental Responsibility Report, highlights projects that focus on renewable energy, climate change and forest preservation, as well as Apple's efforts to preserve resources throughout its supply chain, data centers and solar power plants and get rid of toxins in its products.

Apple quietly confirms CarPlay coming to future Porsche vehicles

Jake Smith ∙ April 19, 2015

Apple quietly confirmed in an update to its CarPlay webpage that Porsche is the latest brand to commit to providing CarPlay in its line of future automobiles.