Apple

Chrome for iOS gains Today widget, 1Password and LastPass support, pull to reload and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Google on Thursday issued an update to its Chrome browser for the iPhone and iPad. Available free of charge on the App Store, Chrome now lets you start using the app faster by providing a nifty little Today widget in the Notification Center with handy shortcuts to quickly access the voice search feature and tab creation functionality.

Moreover, the browser now plays nice with iOS 8's App Extensions, starting with support for 1Password and LastPass extensions so you can use your previously stored passwords on websites.

Microsoft’s Halo: Spartan Strike and Halo: Spartan Assault hit iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 31, 2018

Thursday, Microsoft Studios unleashed a pair of new triple-A games for the iPhone and iPad unto the App Store. Both Halo: Spartan Strike and Halo: Spartan Assault pit you against an insurmountable Covenant force and are now available at $5.99 each.

Spartan Strike files as a top-down shooter which makes you a Spartan supersoldier tasked with battling evil forces.

Spartan Assault is the original Halo top-down shooter that plays through the historic first missions of the Spartan Ops program featured in Halo 4 as Commander Palmer.

Search images faster without typing in Bing

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Windows maker Microsoft today announced that Bing for iPhone and Android now makes it easy to find images faster than before, without typing or by typing less.

The new search experience is now live on iPhone and Android devices in mobile browsers and lets you search images with “no typing required to discover more”.

Astropad now works with FiftyThree’s Pencil stylus

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Astropad, an awesome iPad application which turns your Apple tablet into a professional-grade graphics tablet for your Mac, now works with the Pencil stylus by FiftyThree.

A major update, Astropad 1.1 includes major accuracy and wavy line improvements for the Jot Touch Pixelpoint stylus, improved palm rejection for Adonit styluses, support for Adobe Ink (choose Adonit when pairing), new settings and built-in help.

Apple is building two solar power plants in China

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

In another environmentally friendly move, Apple and SunPower Corporation today announced a partnership that will result in two solar power plants, currently under construction in China, marking SunPower's first international solar collaboration with the iPhone maker.

Located in the ABA Region of China's Sichuan Province, these power plants will initially provide a total of forty megawatts of power. This is just the start, Apple's vice president for environmental initiatives, Lisa Jackson, told The Associated Press.

Apple said to adopt Apple Watch Sport’s strong 7000 Series aluminum for next iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 9, 2016

Taiwan's Economic Daily News reported Thursday that Apple will adopt 7000 Series aluminum for the next iPhone, a custom alloy the company developed for the Apple Watch Sport.

The iPhone maker says that the 7000 Series aluminum used to make the entry-level Watch is sixty percent stronger than standard alloys but just as light, meaning the chassis of the upcoming iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus could be significantly more durable than that of the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models.

IFTTT’s ‘Do’ apps now available on Apple Watch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 31, 2018

A trio of dedicated task-automation apps for the iPhone released on the App Store back in February by the IFTTT (If This Than That) service are available on the Apple Watch as of today.

The refreshed Do Button, Do Note and Do Camera apps now feature compatibility with the Apple wearable, empowering users with the ability to assign complex actions to the virtual button on the Watch's tiny screen, including actions that tie into third-party services that have not yet rolled out first-party support for the Apple Watch.

In addition to Apple Watch support, these apps have also gained native iPad interface in today's update while adding the following new channels: Scout Alarm, ecobee, iSmart Alarm, Zubie, Mojio, Moni.ai, Nimbus Note, Harvest, WallyHome, HomeSeer, ThermoStat and Wireless Tag.

Apple buying 36,000 acres of US forest land for sustainable product packaging

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Apple has partnered with The Conservation Fund on a far-reaching initiative designed to permanently protect working forests in the United States while ensuring steady supply of paper products for sustainable product packaging, according to a press release Thursday by The Conservation Fund.

The “breakthrough” deal will see the Cupertino firm purchase over 36,000 acres of vulnerable forestland in the Maine and North Carolina regions, which is larger than the land area of the City of San Francisco.

The collaboration will ensure that America’s working forests stay working forests. “For Apple, this is the beginning of a worldwide effort, one that represents a new approach as it reassesses its impact on the world’s paper supply chain,” noted the company.

Apple testing two Force Touch pressure sensing designs for iPhone 6s

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Apple is reportedly testing two different designs for incorporating Force Touch pressure sensing into the screen of the next iPhone, according to a supply chain report Thursday published by DigiTimes, a hit-and-miss Taiwanese trade publication.

In considering how to best add the Apple Watch-style Force Touch technology to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, which should debut this fall, the Cupertino firm could either place the pressure sensor underneath the touch panel backlighting layer or between the outermost protective screen cover and the in-cell touch panel.

Google launches new features in Docs, Sheets and Slides mobile productivity apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Google's suite of free of charge productivity services and applications, collectively marketed under the Google Docs brand, has been refreshed Thursday with new features.

As announced Thursday on the official Google Apps Updates blog, new versions of document editor Docs, presentation software Slides and spreadsheet application Sheets are now available in the App Store.

Among other changes, these applications now include such enhancements as object reordering on a slide, table editing in spreadsheets, tracking changes and accepting suggestions in Docs, faster loading and scrolling of PowerPoint documents and more.

Apple Watch Sport band is indeed adjustable via unique three-piece solution

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Following a recent TechCrunch report which claimed the Apple Watch Sport would ship with a three-piece band, the updated “What's In The Box” section on the Online Apple Store has now confirmed that the fluoroelastomer band indeed includes three pieces to make either a Small/Medium (S/M) or Medium/Large (M/L) strap. The discovery was first made by MacRumors on Thursday.

Internal memo confirms Apple Watch unlikely to be available for in-store purchases before June

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 16, 2015

Facing low yields and high customer demand for its wearable device, Apple has now confirmed in a memo to retail staff obtained by 9to5Mac that the Watch won't be shipping before June.

Moreover, the company's removed the April 24 date from its website last night, indicating that few of those who have pre-ordered their device will actually receive it by April 24.