Apple

Alleged iPhone 6 prototype shown off in new images [update: it’s fake]

Cody Lee ∙ February 12, 2014

A batch of new images surfaced online this afternoon, purportedly showing an authentic iPhone 6 prototype. The photos are believed to have originated from China, and they show the front and back of what appears to be a larger handset designed by the Cupertino company.

It's impossible to know if these are legitimate iPhone 6 parts—one thing that immediately stands out is that the back appears to show FCC markers, somewhat odd for a prototype—but even if the photos are fake, they do give a good idea of what a larger iPhone could look like...

Despite the bigger screen, iPhone 6 could be lighter than 5s

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 30, 2016

With a 4.7-inch and a massive 5.5-inch iPhone versions reportedly in the pipeline, you'd expect both new iPhones to be a tad heavier than the current-gen four-inch iPhone 5s, simply due to a larger and thereby heavier enclosure/screen assembly.

Not so fast.

According to a new report, Apple's engineers are scrambling to slim down next-generation iPhones by switching to a lighter backlight module and possibly using a lighter device frame, too...

VSCO Cam 3.0 lets you follow people, brings out a myriad of refinements

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2016

VSCO Cam should be on every iPhone photography fan's Home screen. The software offers a variety of advanced features making it easy to edit, crop and filter your snaps on the go.

Our own Lory Gil wrote in her review last summer that VSCO Cam for the iPhone and iPod touch is worth downloading, even more so considering that a set of filters included in the free download (with more available via in-app purchases) is enough to keep averages users occupied for some time.

VSCO Cam version 3.0, now available in the App Store, adds a bunch of new features aimed at improving your mobile photography experience. Plus, it wants to become your next Instagram by including the ability to follow individual profiles, a novel feature for a camera phone app and the number one request from users...

Verizon brings same-day delivery service to ten more U.S. cities

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 12, 2014

Verizon Wireless, the nation's top wireless carrier by subscribers and revenue, announced Wednesday its same-day delivery service is now available in an additional ten cities in the United States. The expansion comes on top of the five launch markets.

In July 2013, Verizon became the first wireless carrier to offer this service with a pilot program in Philadelphia, which was then expanded in October to include New York City, Dallas, Pittsburgh and San Francisco. The Big Red carrier charges $19.99 to get your mobile device delivered the same day, with delivery guaranteed by 7pm local time...

Rumor: the next iPhones have sharper 4.7″ and 5.5″ Retina screens with sapphire protection

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 12, 2014

According to a new report by the South China Morning Post, Apple is reportedly gearing up to launch two new iPhones with bigger screens sporting sapphire crystal protection. The handsets are reportedly scheduled to launch in September 2014.

In corroborating previous rumors by Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, sources claim the upcoming iPhones have 4.7 and 5.5-inch screens coated in sapphire, the expensive gemstone Apple uses to protect its Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 5s and iSight camera lenses on iOS devices. And, the screens will be flat, not curved...

Former Apple designer explains why he walked out on his dream job

Cody Lee ∙ February 12, 2014

From the outside, Apple seems like the perfect place to work. After all, who wouldn't want to be a part of one of the most renown companies in the world, transforming industries and creating revolutionary products? Sounds like the perfect job, right? Not according to Jordan Price.

Price, a former mobile designer at Apple, has caused quite the commotion these last few days with a blog post entitled "I wanted to work at Apple really bad, and now not so much." And in it, he describes how his dream job in Cupertino became so unbearable he felt he had to quit...

New mockups visualize Apple’s rumored iOS 8 ‘Healthbook’ app

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 16, 2018

A couple of mockup images surfaced on the web today, hoping to visualize what Apple's rumored health-tracking app could look like. A January report from 9to5Mac said that the app, codenamed 'Healthbook,' would gather health and fitness data from iWatch and launch alongside iOS 8.

In its current state, the Healthbook app is said to resemble the UI of Apple's Passbook application, with various cards offering health and fitness data points. This is what designer Carlos Quijano based his concept on, and according to those with knowledge of the app, it's vaguely accurate...

Apple names Denise Smith as new head of human resources

Cody Lee ∙ February 11, 2014

Hoping to continue its efforts to attract and retain top talent, Apple has named Denise Young Smith its new head of human resources. Smith replaces Joel Podolny, who will now focus all of his energy on Apple University—a platform for teaching 'Apple' culture.

The announcement is notable for a few reasons. First, Smith will be the latest woman to join Apple's top ranks— the company has taken heat recently over the lack of diversity on its executive team—and two, she will be in charge of attracting and retaining talent...

Developers say iOS 7.1 fixes issue impacting location-based apps

Cody Lee ∙ February 11, 2014

It appears that an issue in iOS 7 that disabled the geolocation functions on apps that were force-closed by the user is being corrected in iOS 7.1. Developers say that in the latest iOS 7.1 betas, force-closing an app does not disable its location-aware functions.

This has been a major problem for developers since the launch of iOS 7 last fall—particularly for those who had location-based apps. Some devs have even reported that their App Store ratings have plummeted in the last 6 months due to the technical change...

Good-bye, grainy selfies! Sony tipped as FaceTime camera supplier for 2015 iPhones

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2014

Your selfies will receive a significant and much welcomed upgrade next year as Sony - which last week announced plans to unload its computer business and spin off its TV segment - is gearing up to kick off production of front-facing cameras for next-generation iPhones in 2015, if a report from Japanese business site Nikkei is an indication.

The Japanese consumer electronics giant has been making iSight back cameras since the iPhone 4s, with current estimates in the ballpark of a hundred million CMOS sensors a year. It also makes cameras for Samsung and Huawei smartphones.

Therefore, landing that contract would mark a major win for both parties and a huge loss for OmniVision, which currently supplies CMOS sensors for the iPhone's rather unimpressive front-facing camera...

Flappy Bird creator: it’s become ‘an addictive product’ so I killed it

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2014

If you can't get enough of Flappy Bird news, the app's creator has come clean on the reasons behind the app's sudden removal. Speaking out for the first time since he pulled his sleeper hit of a game from Apple's App Store and Google's Play store, Vietnam-born Flappy Bird creator Dong Nguyen said in an exclusive interview with Forbes that he made the decision to kill the game because it has become "an addictive product".

I wish I could kill half as much addictive product of my own! Some have suspected that Flappy Bird got yanked out of the App Store over intellectual property complaints from Nintendo, but the Japanese games took the unusual step of going on the record yesterday to confirm that Mario had no hand in killing Nguyen's game...

iPhone 6 to feature ‘bezel-free’ display, rumor has it

Christian Zibreg ∙ February 11, 2014

Analysts and high-profile outlets like The Wall Street Journal are expecting not one, but two new iPhones this year, each outfitted with a display significantly larger than the current four-inch iPhone 5/5s/5c. The Japanese magazine Mac Fan claimed in a report last October that the iPhone 6 will be the first phablet on the market optimized for one-hand operation.

A month earlier, analyst Ming Chi-Kuo opined that Apple would want to honor its self-imposed “unwavering principle of one hand use”. But how does one make a five-inch iPhablet optimized for one-hand use? By dropping the side bezels, that's how...