Apple

Disney’s Movies Anywhere out for Android, makes cross-platform movies a reality

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 2, 2018

In a somewhat ironic twist of fate, Disney is helping blur the lines between Apple's and Google's respective ecosystems with Tuesday's release of its Movies Anywhere app for Android, now available free of charge in the U.S. Google Play Store. That's right, the app now lets folks buy and enjoy Disney content on both iOS and Android devices.

The movie-curating app debuted as an iOS exclusive in February 2014 with support for free streaming of any Disney, Pixar and Marvel content previously purchased from Apple's iTunes Store. Any of the 450 Disney movies you bought using the app would immediately register as purchased inside the iTunes Store.

Now that Disney Movies Anywhere is available for both iOS and Android, not only can you watch your Disney movies across Apple's and Google's platforms, but also purchase any Disney, Pixar or Marvel Universe movie on Google Play and have it available on iOS and vice versa.

AT&T’s new Next 24 plan lets you pay off your iPhone in 30 months

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2014

Joining the existing Next 12 and Next 18 plans, U.S. wireless carrier AT&T at Tuesday's AT&T Consumer Industry Analyst Conference took the wraps off its new Next 24 plan which allows customers to take 30 months to pay for their iPhone (or other smartphone) in monthly installments beginning November 9.

Just like the Next 12 and Next 18 plans which allow subscribers to pay off their device in 20 and 24 months, respectively, the Next 24 plan upgrades you to a new device after 30 months have passed and you've brought in your current smartphone in good condition.

As a bonus, the carrier also announced a $150 bill credit for switchers who activate a new line of service with a smartphone on AT&T Next.

Rumor: Microsoft developing next-generation Surface Pro with 13″ to 14″ screen

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2014

Software giant Microsoft is reportedly considering developing a bigger Surface Pro tablet with a thirteen to fourteen-inch screen that should appeal to business users for whom productivity is the chief concern, according to a rumor Tuesday out of Taiwan.

As reported by DigiTimes, a Taiwanese trade publication, success of the current twelve-inch Surface Pro 3 — Surface business revenues surged 127 percent to $908 million in the third quarter of 2014 — has encouraged decisions makers at the Redmond firm to consider an even bigger tablet.

First HomeKit certified chips now shipping to smart home device makers

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 4, 2014

Although Apple hasn't officially launched its HomeKit yet (they're still finalizing the protocol), first certified chips that run a beat version of the upcoming HomeKit firmware have begun shipping to smart home device vendors such as makers of connected climate controls, lighting, security cameras and door locks, Forbes reported Tuesday.

The iPhone maker requires that accessory makers use officially certified Bluetooth and Wi-Fi chips from Apple-approved chipmakers Texas Instruments, Marvell and Broadcom, which have now started shipping HomeKit chips to device vendors. By all accounts, there shouldn't be too long a wait until first HomeKit-certified smart home devices arrive.

Apple seeds first iOS 8.1.1 beta to developers

Cody Lee ∙ November 3, 2014

Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 8.1.1 this evening, with build number 12B432. The release comes just a few hours after Apple pushed out the first beta of OS X Yosemite 10.10.1, and roughly two weeks after it officially launched iOS 8.1 to the public.

Folks who are jailbroken may want to hold off from updating, until it's clear that this won't hamper the Pangu Untether in anyway. Otherwise, feel free to check it out, although you'll likely disappointed—we're not expecting much more than bug fixes here.

Apple rumored to drop iPad mini development to focus on larger ‘iPad Pro’

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple is dropping iPad mini development in order to focus its efforts on the so-called 'iPad Pro,' according to a sketchy new report from Taiwan's Economic Daily News this evening. The site claims that this year's iPad mini 3 model will be the last for the 7.9-inch tablet line.

Such a move wouldn't be surprising, as Apple gave little attention to the smaller iPad at last month's event. It's believed that the mini is far less popular than its larger sibling in terms of sales, and due to production costs and pricing, it provides much smaller profit margins.

Apple seeds first OS X 10.10.1 Yosemite beta to developers

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple has seeded the first beta of OS X 10.10.1 Yosemite this evening. The update, labeled build 14B17, is available through the Update tab in the Mac App Store and the Mac Dev Center for all registered developers.

Today's release comes nearly three weeks after Apple officially launched OS X Yosemite to the public, which brought about a number of improvements, including a redesigned UI, text message forwarding and more.

Christian Bale withdraws from Steve Jobs biopic deciding he wasn’t ‘right for the part’

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 3, 2014

Following the confirmation that he was going to play Steve Jobs in an upcoming Sony movie about Apple's legendary co-founder, actor Christian Bale has reportedly changed his mind and pulled out of the upcoming project deciding he was “not right for the part,” according to a report Monday by The Hollywood Reporter.

This marks another high-profile actor who decided against portraying Apple's mercurial co-founder after Leonardo DiCaprio earlier this year passed on the Steve Jobs role after weeks of discussions with the producers.

The unexpected development arrives less than two weeks after screenwriter Aaron Sorkin told Bloomberg Television’s Emily Chang in no ambiguous terms that the British actor, 40 years old, was picked as “the best actor on the board in a certain age range,” Sorkin said.

Native Google Calendar app with Material Design coming to iPhone soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 3, 2014

Fantastical, Sunrise, Readdle, Tempo... You can safely add Google to your list of stock calendar replacements on iOS as the search giant confirmed today bringing the native Google Calendar experience to the iPhone and iPad soon, though without providing a timeframe for availability.

Google currently does not have a Calendar app in the App Store, but that's going to change soon as it's now started rolling out a brand new Calendar experience to first Android 5.0 Lollipop devices.

“Yes, we’re also working on a version for iPhone,” the Gmail team said in a blog post Monday announcing the new Google Calendar for Android 5.0 with Material Design.

Your iPhone becomes virtual room key in select Starwood hotels beginning Wednesday

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 17, 2019

Following an extensive pilot program of a new SPG Keyless service at select Manhattan and Silicon Valley locations since January 2014, Starwood Hotels & Resorts has now begun rolling out virtual room keys that do away with key cards altogether to let guests enter their rooms using smartphones.

Beginning this Wednesday, ten Starwood properties around the world under the Starwood's Aloft, Element and W brands will allow guests to walk past the check-in desk and enter their rooms by using an iPhone as a room key.

This includes hotels in Beijing, Hong Kong, New York, Los Angeles and Doha, the company said in a media release Monday. The service is set to become available on 30,000 doors in 150 hotels around the globe by early 2015.

Microsoft starts signing up early adopters for Skype Translator early preview

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 3, 2014

Windows giant Microsoft, which owns the popular VoIP platform Skype, on Monday announced it's started taking sign-ups for an early preview of Skype Translator, an awesome real-time voice translation feature coming to Skype that was shown off at Recode’s Code Conference back in May 2014.

The Redmond headquartered software giant said that it's started accepting submissions for a Skype Translator Early Preview, which will be released later this year, via a sign-up page.