Apple

DisplaySearch: Apple prioritizes wearables, puts iTV on the back burner

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2013

So what's up with the supposed Apple television set, that elusive iTV? According to the latest chatter, the iTV plans have been put on hold as wearables take priority inside the 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino walls. The notion jives with Tim Cook's recent assertion calling for new a Apple product category in 2014 and a bunch of patent filings and high-profile hirings pointing to an iOS-powered wearable device with health and fitness sensors, the rumored iWatch.

Of course, that a non-Apple product is delayed by another unannounced product isn't necessarily newsworthy in and of itself, but given the source - DisplaySearch - we thought you should at least be informed about what's making the rounds across Apple's components and supply chain in Far East...

Feast your eyes on new iSpaceship renderings

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 30, 2017

Apple has overcome the last hurdle as the City of Cupertino in October approved the spectacular ring-shaped glass structure called Campus 2, also known as the iSpacehip project. Now, it's already over budget and behind schedule so don’t look forward to working in outer space before late-2015 or early-2016, when Campus 2 is slated for completion.

Wired has obtained a batch of new renderings which depict some interesting Campus 2 tidbits, including detailed shots of the interior design, including the cafeteria, the gym area, the upper level of the 1,000-person underground auditorium and even the parking garage. Jump past the fold for the full gallery...

Tweetbot 3 gets swipe actions, lists as timeline, text size independently of iOS 7 Dynamic Type

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated February 14, 2018

Tapbots' Tweetbot, the popular iPhone, iPad and Mac client for Twitter, has been updated today on the App Store with a dozen new tweaks that will enhance your productivity.

My favorite improvement has got to be the ability to set in-app typeface independently of my system-wide text size preference, as defined under iOS 7 Settings > General > Text Size.

The enhancements in Tweetbot 3.1, among other tweaks, include the new square avatars, the ability to email conversations and hide profile badgets, quick reply (or other action) via the right-swipe gesture and the return of the 'Last tweet x minutes ago' label and using a list as your timeline.

Changelog is right after the break...

BitTorrent Sync gets iOS 7 makeover, now supports iPads natively

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 23, 2018

BitTorrent's free Sync iOS app launched on the App Store in August, offering privacy freaks and NSA haters a way to securely share and sync files between devices. The software uses end-to-end encryption of everything transferred between your devices and bypasses the cloud altogether: your stuff is being moved directly between devices, using BitTorrent’s efficient P2P distribution architecture.

If you're concerned about NSA snooping, industrial espionage or good ol' eavesdropping, BitTorrent Sync is as robust a solution as these things get. And now, the teams has posted a long expected update to bring the app in line with the general iOS 7 design...

How to manage Diagnostic & Usage Data on iPhone

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 3, 2026

Learn how to view your iPhone or iPad’s diagnostic and usage data, and how to completely remove the diagnostic logs.

Five-inch iPhablet to comprise one out of each four iPhones in 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2013

Analysts think Apple will respond to competition by producing not one, but two large-screen iPhone models in 2014. According to Piper Jaffary's Gene Munster (infamous for its Apple-branded television set prediction), the iPhone 6 will make its debut in September 2014 and it’s going to be a “blockbuster” release thanks to a blown up screen.

His peer, Peter Misek over at Jeffries, thinks the iPhone 6 will offer a 4.8-inch screen. If anything, Samsung has managed to prove that phablets sell: the company predicts shipping a total of hundred million units of the five-inch Galaxy S4 smartphone and the 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3 devices this year.

Whichever way you look at it, phablets have quickly gone from a niche category to being the hot new form factor. How does this change in market dynamics affect Apple?

Apple expected to increase holiday-quarter iPad screen purchases from Samsung

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2013

Samsung of South Korea may have gotten itself into hot water with Apple over patents and design issues, but its semiconductor unit continues to churn out unabated the Apple-designed engine which powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod devices. As for Retina screens, Apple originally sourced mobile displays from non-Samsung suppliers such as Sharp and LG Display.

Last we heard, recent yield and quality issues have reportedly prompted the iPhone maker to turn to its frenemy for help. Korea’s ETNews last Friday claimed Apple has asked Samsung for help as Sharp struggles to solve burn-in issues with IGZO panels for the iPad Air.

At the heart of the production issues is Japanese giant's malfunctioning of the thin-film transistor display technology. Corroborating the report, a display research firm on Monday said Apple's purchase of Samsung-made panels for the iPad is about to skyrocket in the fourth quarter...

Twitterrific 5 refreshed with new profile layout and other tweaks

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 11, 2013

Following up on its mid-October update which brought you the ability to edit your Twitter profile in-app, developer Iconfactory today posted another Twitterrific update bringing a fresh new profile layout and a few other tweaks.

Twitterrific 5.5.3 includes some noticeable performance improvements: it feels really snappy and more responsive than it's ever been - and it wasn't like Twitterrific were a slouch to begin with.

There is also a brand new pull-to-refresh animation and you can now view profile banners by tapping on them. The full breakdown is right below the fold...

Samsung ordered to explain why it shouldn’t be sanctioned for leaking Apple docs

Cody Lee ∙ November 10, 2013

Last month, Apple filed a motion against Samsung in a California court for sharing confidential information. In the filing, the iPad-maker accused the Korean tech giant of disclosing details regarding its Nokia patent licensing agreement.

Samsung learned the terms of the deal during its court battle with Apple, and although the info was marked "attorney's eyes only," it used it to negotiate better licensing terms for itself—which Apple says is very illegal. And the judge agrees...

Bloomberg: curved-screen jumbo-sized iPhones coming in 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 10, 2013

We've been hearing a lot lately about jumbo-sized iPhones, but the iPhablet meme is so passé now. So how about a curved-screen iPhone? I'm not talking about a Galaxy Round type of device - according to a new Bloomberg report, a large-screen iPhone featuring a flat screen with the cover glass "that curves downward at the edges" is in the works.

This sounds a lot like the Lumia range as the high-end Nokia devices sport slightly curved screen edges. Note that this is the first time we've heard the curved-screen iPhone being mentioned by a major big media publication. The Bloomberg article also mentions two large-screen models planned for release in the second half of next year and a new pressure-sensitive screen technology. Jump past the fold for the full reveal...

Apple considered acquiring parts of BlackBerry?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 1, 2017

Although tech titans Apple and Microsoft both sought to buy parts of BlackBerry, the board shied away from breaking up the company, according to a report Friday by Reuters. The ailing smartphone pioneer has determined that selling the company in pieces isn't in its best interests, despite bids from Apple, Microsoft, Lenovo and others.

I'm not sure the board has necessarily made a wise choice. First and foremost, a full-blown instant comeback is literally impossible this late in the game. And while still profitable, BlackBerry is burning through its cash fast, unit sales are falling off the cliff, users are defecting to other platforms in droves and, worst of all, there are no cool new products on the horizon to be excited about.

And with the iOS-Android duopoly and Microsoft competing for the #3 slot, it's indeed too late to turn BlackBerry's fortunes around. Seems to me they should have just sold off parts of the company to become a competitive niche player, as one analyst suggested in August...

Blizzard confirms Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft coming to iPhone in second half of 2014

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 16, 2018

Back in March, we told you about Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, Blizzard's upcoming iPad battle card game set in the Warcraft universe. Back then, we were told the iPad edition would arrive after the initial release for the Mac and PC desktops. Blizzard has now confirmed at its annual Blizzcon conference, which kicked off today, that Hearthstone will be also coming to the iPhone and Android.

The iPhone edition should be due during the second half of next year. The free to play strategy card game will include nine Warcraft classes with fully customizable characters, as well as minions, spells and weapons based on available cards. Players will be able to slug it out versus each other and participate in friendly duels via Battle.net or practice matches against AI...