Apple

Apple collaborates with device makers on MFi hearing aids

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Apple's given its 'Made for iPhone' (MFi) initiative a nice little kick in the pants by introducing all-new support in iOS 7 for physical gaming controllers (examples: Moga's Ace Power and Logitech's PowerShell), but now the company is looking to give another industry vertical a much-needed boost: the market for hearing aids and associated devices.

According to a new report Monday by Reuters, Apple has worked closely with Copenhagen, Denmark-based GN ReSound on the first batch of iPhone-connected devices for hearing-impaired customers.

The new gear is much more compact than before and taps the 2.4-gigahertz band using Bluetooth 4.0's low-energy mode. The hardware works in tandem with special iOS software not only to improve one's hearing, but to also stream music and double as a two-way headset for receiving phone calls...

Apple could enhance Touch ID with trackpad capabilities, embed sensor right into display

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Last week, Patently Apple shed light on an Apple patent filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office which covers the various aspects of its Touch ID fingerprint scanner, a new feature exclusive to the iPhone 5s.

The invention is entitled Capacitive Sensor Packaging and details collapsing the full fingerprint maps into a hashed, encrypted data securely stored on the A7 chip's Secure Enclave. It's curious that the patent's main inventor, Wayne Westerman, developed Multi-Touch technology at Fingerworks, a startup Apple snapped up in 2005.

In another massive 612-page patent application Apple filed with the World Intellectual Property Organization in May 2013, the iPhone maker indicates it's been researching mobile screens with Touch ID embedded, along with trackpad capabilities allowing for panning of on-screen content by moving your finger over the Touch ID Home button...

Apple job post tips off next-gen payment platform

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 3, 2023

A punditry consensus has been forming for some time that Apple of California is planning on entering the mobile payment space with a service of its own. Conventional wisdom has it that such a product would tap into more than half a billion iTunes accounts with credit cards on file.

In between Apple's purchase of smart sensor maker AuthenTec and the company's iWallet shopping app patent, Apple has done little to indicate that a branded mobile payment solution is in the works, until today.

An Apple job listing now indicates in black and white that Apple's management is in the process of hiring experts who will "help build a next-generation payment platform" to help its retail "enter new markets"...

T-Mobile’s 4G LTE goes live in 22 new markets, faster 20+20 LTE network launching in 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 19, 2018

The nation's fourth largest wireless carrier, T-Mobile, has flipped the switch on its fourth-generation Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network in twenty new markets across the country while confirming that even faster LTE roll-out is to be expected starting early next year. This new technology uses 20+20 towers on the 20MHz band and is capable of delivering a theoretical download speed of up to 150Mbps, or at least 50 percent higher than the download speeds offered by the current LTE implementation in use today...

Assassin’s Creed: Pirates arriving next Thursday

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Announced more than two months ago as coming before 2013 wraps up, Ubisoft's companion iPhone and iPad game to Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag for consoles, called Assassin’s Creed: Pirates, will be available for download in the App Store soon.

The game will cost $4.99 a pop and is scheduled to launch next week, on December 5. From the looks of it, there seems to be a lot to be looking forward to in Assassin’s Creed: Pirates. I've included a nice teaser trailer which shows actual gameplay and naval battles right below...

Apple reportedly taps Quanta for late-2014 iPad Maxi and iWatch mass production

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Quanta Computer, an Apple supplier mainly responsible for assembly work concerning computers like the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, may have been tasked with building Apple's two next big things, a rumored health/fitness wearable device and an assumed big screen iPad.

The company and its Fremont, California plant are listed on Apple's Supplier Responsibility Page as a final assembler for Macs and now the notoriously hit-and-miss DigiTimes is reporting that Quanta has inked a deal to product the so-called iPad Maxi for the late-2014, in addition to iWatch production for the second half of next year...

Apple confirms Black Friday will take place in both online and retail Apple Stores

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

This coming Friday marks the official beginning of the lucrative holiday shopping season in the United States. Black Friday, as the day following Thanksgiving is called, typically gives America's greatest retailer a nice boost. Last year, for example, Apple Stores outsold Microsoft Stores nearly 5 to 1 in Black Friday purchases - and that was with Apple's traditionally conservative deals and unimpressive discounts.

Some of Apple's retail outlets in the United States and Canada will be opening early on Black Friday. Although the company has yet to announce actual Black Friday deals, it confirmed Monday that the one-day shopping event will take place at both its brick-and-mortar retail outlets and online, with free shipping on online orders...

There will be one billion iOS devices in use by end of 2018

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Much fuss has been made in the tech press over the most recent market share data by IDC and Gartner showing Google's Android growing unabated and commanding a whopping 80 percent of smartphones, though some caution that these estimates are flawed because they include cheap no-name Android handsets as well as Android-based HDMI dongles and other non-smartphone devices from China.

Google said back in July that Android activations surpassed one billion devices. The bigger question is, when will there be one billion iOS devices in use?

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years now available on iOS

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 25, 2013

Following up on December 2012 release of Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V (which arrived back in May), publisher Square Enix has released a brand new game in the series. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, now available for the iPhone and iPad, takes place seventeen years after the characters and events of its predecessor.

The game also includes some of the original characters along with new heroes such as Ceodore, the son of Final Fantasy IV‘s Cecil and Rosa. I've included a trailer and a couple more highlights after the jump...

Apple reportedly closes PrimeSense deal for as much as $350 million [updated]

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 26, 2016

A week ago, a report surfaced from Israeli news outlet Calcalist claiming that Apple had reached an acquisition deal with the 3D sensor tech company PrimeSense. The purchase wasn't final, but the outlet seemed pretty confident it was close.

Today, Globes adds it weight to the story with its own report. Thepublication—who has a solid track record of providing accurate intel regarding high-level buyout talks—says the deal was completed Friday and will be announced next week...

Apple updates Genius Bar reservation page with new self-help option

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Apple products, for the most part, have a reputation of 'just working.' The company controls the entire experience, from hardware to software, and takes other measures to ensure that there is little room for consumer error.

But as with all electronics, sometimes things don't just work and you need help. And while Apple is known for its in-store Genius service, it's launched a new initiative encouraging users to stay home and get help online...

16/32GB Wi-Fi Retina iPad mini shipping times slip to 5-10 days

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 23, 2013

Apple's iPad mini with Retina display used to ship in 1-3 business days for the more popular versions with sixteen and 32 gigabytes of storage, with the more capacious variants with 64 and 128 gigabytes of storage being delivered in 5-10 days.

In another development that won't please holiday shoppers, the entry-level 16GB Retina iPad mini along with its 32GB variant have become harder to come by as shipping estimates on the online Apple Store slip to 5-10 days. Matter of fact, now all capacities, colors, wireless and carrier models (Wi-Fi-only and Wi-Fi + Cellular) of the iPad mini with Retina display are shipping in 5-10 days...