Apple

Apple researching a Home button that pops up and transforms into a thumb joystick

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 12, 2018

On any given Thursday the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) would publish newly granted patents and patent applications and today was no exception.

We already told you about one invention for a technology that would make it possible to synchronize your fingerprint data between devices through iCloud in a secure manner.

And now, PatentlyApple points us to another Apple patent application describing a Home button that would pop up and transition into a tiny thumb joystick for playing games.

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Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts talks expansion in China

Jake Smith ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Apple is planning up for a big retail expansion in China, opening five new stores in the region in roughly five weeks time.

"We are opening five new stores before the Chinese New Year this year. Four of the stores are in brand new cities for us," Angela Ahrendts, Apple's senior vice president of retail and online stores, told Xinhua in a telephone interview on Thursday.

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Microsoft now gives you first month free when you sign up for an Office 365 subscription

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

Microsoft's Word, Excel and PowerPoint apps for the iPhone and iPad allow anyone to edit, create and view Office files on the go at no cost, but advanced features such as a more powerful editing capability, Dropbox integration and more is locked behind a paid for Office 365 subscription.

In the hope of encouraging as many Office for iOS users as possible to move up to the subscription model, the software maker on Thursday said it's now treating you to the first month free if you sign up for an Office 365 subscription.

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Apple patents Touch ID iCloud sync, Apple Pay POS with embedded fingerprint sensor

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2015

Thursday, the United States Patent and Trademark Office published a very interesting and curious patent application by Apple which describes a technology seeking to synchronize Touch ID fingerprint data between devices through iCloud.

Titled “Finger biometric sensor data synchronization via a cloud computing device and related methods,” the invention would permit biometric data to be collected on a primary device, say your iPhone, and then uploaded to iCloud for dissemination to secondary devices.

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Following record Q4, TSMC migrates to finer 10nm tech and allegedly picks up A9X orders in 2015

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2015

Apple supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) on Thursday announced record profits in the fourth quarter of 2014 buoyed by its lucrative chip-making deal with Apple for the new iPhones.

In addition, the firm announced migrating to a much finer 10-nanometer process technology this year after being among the first to adopt 20-nanometer chip-making technology in 2014.

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming Chi-Kuo, TSMC would not only pick up 100 percent of orders for Apple's “A9X” chip, which should be used in an iPad refresh this Fall, but also get to produce an “S2” processor for a second-generation Apple Watch and an “A10” chip that should power a 2016 iPhone model, likely to be called “iPhone 7”.

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Apple knockoff maker Xiaomi takes aim at iPhone 6 Plus with 5.7″ Mi Note phablet

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2015

Apple knockoff maker Xiaomi, which according to IDC is now the world's third largest smartphone maker, has launched a new phablet-class handset.

The Mi Note takes on the iPhone 6 Plus with powerful hardware features while undercutting it on price. The inexpensive phone sports a 5.7-inch screen and a flatter camera than the iPhone.

The four-year-old company has made a name for itself producing affordable handsets that critics frequently diss as rip offs of the iPhone. Xiaomi has become the world’s most valuable technology startup after raising $1.1 billion last month, giving it a valuation of more than $46 billion.

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Google Maps gains better restaurant search, enhanced weather info and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 15, 2015

Google has bumped its Maps for iOS app to version 4.2, bringing out a few new features and improvements that enhance your experience concerning searching for restaurants, retrieving weather information and more.

You can now find restaurants by cuisine type in Google Maps 4.2 for the iPhone and iPad and (at last) access weather information for other cities around the world, not just for your current location.

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Apple, Google reach new deal to end employee poaching suit

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple, Google, Intel and Adobe have reached an agreement that would settle their long-standing antitrust class action lawsuit with Silicon Valley employees, reports Reuters. The suit, filed in 2011, accused the 4 tech giants of conspiring to avoid poaching each other's employees in an effort to keep a lid on salaries.

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