Apple

Apple looking to beef up its iTunes team amid ‘overhaul’ rumors

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

According to recent reports, Apple is looking at various ways to remedy declining music sales, and better combat the competition. Billboard says the company is considering everything from launching an on-demand streaming music service, to giving its iTunes Store a dramatic overhaul.

And it certainly appears Apple is working on something big in regards to the media manager. A number of iTunes team-job listings have popped up on its website this week calling for iTunes Software Engineers, Senior Software Engineers, and an iTunes Recommendation Platform engineer...

Apple said to be considering adding high-resolution music to iTunes soon

Cody Lee ∙ April 11, 2014

Rumor has it that Apple is considering taking drastic measures to reverse declining music sales. Billboard says the company is looking into several options, including giving its iTunes store a 'drastic' overhaul, opening up iTunes to Android users, and launching an on-demand streaming music service.

Apple may also be planning to add high-resolution audio to its digital library soon as part of its turnaround efforts, according to music blogger Robert Hutton. Citing sources familiar with the company's plans, Hutton says the iPhone-maker could launch new hi-res music downloads as early as WWDC...

Apple updates iMovie for Mac with new title options, speed effects and more

Cody Lee ∙ April 10, 2014

Apple pushed out a notable update for the Mac version of its iMovie software this afternoon. The release, which brings the app to version 10.0.3, includes a handful of new features—like new title customization options—and various other improvements.

iMovie users can now sort events in the app's side bar by date, and change the font, size and color of new titles. Additionally, you can crop and rotate clips in events and add speed effects to clips using the Adjustments Bar. We have the full change log below...

iOS, OS X and key iCloud services not affected by Heartbleed, Apple confirms

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

If you've as much as glanced at what's your inbox lately, chances are you've encountered messages in which your favorite apps and services announce emergency password resets in the wake of Heartbleed, a nasty bug that's attacking millions of websites. And unless you've been sleeping under a rock for the past week, you must be aware by now that a shockingly high number of websites are at risk.

The latest security scare stems from a devastating flaw in the OpenSSL software many websites use to authorize login sessions and encrypt and transmit user data. Long story short, the exploit allows attackers to easily scoop up the website’s encryption keys, passwords and user content, prompting tons of emergency password resets by some of the Internet's most popular services.

But what about your Apple ID? Have the keys to your account in the Apple cloud been compromised? How about iCloud or the App Store? According to an Apple spokesperson, its iOS and OS X platforms are protected against Heartbleed. Do I hear a collective sigh of relief?

Jaw-dropping iPad Pro concept: MagSafe, better multitasking, surround sound and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 10, 2014

So, is there a room for a new-category device, something between the tablet and the notebook? If you ask rumormongers, apparently there is.

Those of you who've been keeping tabs on the rumor mill are aware that Apple may or may not release a rumored 12.9-inch iPad this year - the latest intel points to a 2014 launch.

Maybe that's why we're not seeing compelling iPad Pro concepts, except for this one, but that has changed today thanks to Ramotion, an iPhone app development company. You may remember Ramotion for their previous eye candy concepts such as the OS X 11 mockup with an iOS 7-style flat interface or this one envisioning what Viber's iOS 7 redesign should look like.

Ramotion's Denis Pakhaliuk, was kind enough to send a couple high-resolution iPad Pro renderings my way, to share them with you guys. Their mockup will knock you off your seat so check out the images below the fold and meet us in comments...

Facebook removing messaging feature from iOS app in favor of Messenger

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 26, 2018

Feeling chatty? Love Facebook? Good, get ready to embrace Facebook's polished Messenger app if you haven't already.

That's because the social networking giant is reportedly gearing up to kill chatting in its main iPhone and iPad application (available free in the App Store) and force users to download the nicely done Messenger software, also a free download.

The writing has been on the wall ever since Facebook revamped the Messenger app and rechristened the full-featured messaging tab in its mobile client as 'Messenger'. Instead of showing your messages, tapping that tab yanks you out of the Facebook app to launch Messenger...

T-Mobile’s Operation Tablet Freedom: 4G LTE iPads at Wi-Fi prices, free data through 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

It is no secret that T-Mobile CEO John Legere is not one to mince words or back down from competition. Thus far, he’s delivered. The Deutsche Telekom-owned carrier, the fourth largest in the United States, has taken aim at rivals once again by unleashing the latest three-phase initiative that solves another customer pain point.

The new Uncarrier moves started yesterday with the announcement of a new Simple Starter Plan that includes unlimited talk and text with 500MB of 4G LTE data with no overage fees, for just $40 per month.

Thursday, T-Mobile made another huge announcement. For a limited time only, the carrier is offering 4G LTE tablets at Wi-Fi-only prices, with its interest-free financing that requires no downpayment and spreads the retail price of the device across 24 monthly installments.

Knowing Apple’s cellular-capable iPads cost $130 more versus their comparable Wi-Fi-only models, that’s a not-to-be-missed $130 savings right off the bat. Also, if you add a tablet to your voice plan, T-Mobile will treat you to up to sixteen gigabytes of free high-speed 4G LTE data through the end of the year...

RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile for iOS is now available for download

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

As we recently reported, Atari promised to unleash a mobile version of RollerCoaster Tycoon unto Apple's iOS platform soon. Based on the original RollerCoaster Tycoon franchise, the mobile which simulates amusement park construction and management has just arrived in the App Store. The game challenges you create the amusement park of your dreams and exchange rollercoaster blueprints with friends on Facebook and Game Center.

RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile is available for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad devices, will run you $2.99 and is now available in the App Store...

Twitterrific 5 for iOS enhanced with several usability improvements, bug fixes

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 10, 2014

If you've been reluctant to purchase Iconfactory's excellent Twitter client for iOS, Twitterrific, there's no longer any reason not to give it a whirl as the team last month took the freemium route by making the app free with ads.

Of course, in-app purchases are available to unlock specific advanced features such as push notifications, ad removal and tweet translation. Now available free in the App Store, the freshly updated Twitterrific version 5.7.1 brings out several improvements and bug fixes, detailed after the jump...

Apple confirms iPhone UI creator’s departure, shoots down ill-founded power struggle claim

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2018

Yesterday, blogger Mark Gurman reported that Apple's Vice President of Human Interface, Greg Christie, will be leaving the company. Christie's name is on a hundred Apple patents, among them the famous slide-to-unlock invention asserted in its second California patent trial against Samsung.

The herald of Apple’s iOS design aesthetic, his departure was framed as a significant loss for the company based on Gurman's assertion that Christie was forced out due to his falling out with Jony Ive, Apple's SVP of Design, over iOS design direction.

However, turns out that Gurman's sources were wrong: Apple on Thursday denied the claim of an internal power struggle. Christie's departure after 18 years of service was planned and is part of a leadership transition inside the Human Interface group, Apple said in a statement to several media outlets...

iWatch to come in two sizes, feature wireless charging and be ‘fashionable’

Cody Lee ∙ April 9, 2014

Since we first began seeing 'iWatch' rumors back in early 2013, I've been wondering what the smartwatch will look like. Will it look like a traditional watch, similar to those from Samsung and Motorola? Or will it look more like a fitness band, like Nike's FuelBand? What kind of features will it have?

Admittedly, there's been no shortage of reports on the so-called iWatch, but a new research note from KGI Securities’ Ming-Chi Kuo offers perhaps the most comprehensive look at the device we've seen. The analyst says the watch will come in two sizes, feature wireless charging, and will be "fashionable."