Apple

Cut the Rope 2 coming this holiday season

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2013

Cut the Rope series won over fans of physic-based puzzlers with its amusing concept of feeding candy to a little green monster named Om Nom while collecting stars. Who knew, right? Last month, Apple featured Cut the Rope as its Free App of the Week (it's never been free on the App Store before).

Today, Russia-based developer ZeptoLab confirmed that a sequel is coming this holiday season.

Cut the Rope 2 will bring new amusing characters, interactive backgrounds and physics-based challenges while retaining the familiar candy-dropping gameplay mechanics. I've include more information after the break...

Google outs Shopping Express same-day delivery

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 26, 2013

Yes, Google is now in the package delivery business, sort of. The New York Times last October reported that the Internet giant was testing a new service that had been more than a year in the making.

In partnership with select few San Francisco retailers, Google was reportedly testing its own same-day delivery service akin to the likes of Wal-Mart, Amazon.com, eBay and the United States Postal Service.

Yesterday, the search monster announced that Shopping Express is now open to people living in the Bay Area delivery zones, from San Francisco to San Jose. Marking the launch, Google also posted an iOS and Android app which lets you buy stuff from participating retailers with same-day express shipping...

How to set up your Apple TV using an iOS device

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 23, 2017

Yesterday, I let you in on a trick to selectively show or hide unwanted app icons from your Apple TV's Home screen. Today, I want to talk about another great Apple TV enhancement, one just implemented as part of the newly-released Apple TV 6.0 software update: tap-to-setup. In a nutshell, you can now use an iOS device to quickly set up your $99 hockey puck.

Sure, the third-generation Apple TV does allow for greater flexibility by letting folks pair a Bluetooth keyboard in order to quickly type in any pertinent information during the setup procedure (or afterwards). Tap-to-setup, however, takes easy to the next level by automatically transferring common settings from your iOS device...

Apple posts iOS 7 Tech Talks schedule, agenda

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Back in April, Apple announced it will be holding a series of Tech Talks focused on iOS 7 some time this Fall. With the software now out in the wild and the iPhone 5s/5c officially released, the company today moved to announce a tour schedule for a bunch of technical sessions which are set to take place across major cities the world over.

It's a unique opportunity for developers to convene with Apple engineers and evangelists outside the jam-packed WWDC and discuss developing for iOS 7 in a more personal setting and with hands-on labs targeting both iOS 7 app and game developers...

Apple launches internal website to showcase iTunes content by employees

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 25, 2013

Since Apple's inception, Steve Jobs very intentionally positioned his baby as the underdog, one that builds the ultimate tools for the creative types. These days, Apple is powerfully corporate and anything but the underdog of the pre-2000 era. One thing hasn't changed: the tools Apple builds nowadays are still aimed at creatives, with a heavy focus on prosumers.

It takes talented engineers to come up with such sticky devices and Apple happens to hire some of the brightest minds in the industry.

And guess what?

Like us regular fans, Apple's employees rely on company products to create interesting videos, compose music, write electronic books and so forth so Apple though it'd be cool to highlight their work via a private website...

Apple wins right to use iPhone name in Brazil

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated May 16, 2016

A Brazil judge Wednesday ruled that Apple can use the iPhone name, clearing the way for the tech giant to compete in South America's burgeoning smartphone market. The ruling reverses an earlier finding that gave a Brazilian company exclusive rights to the iPhone trademark. In his ruling, the judge declared Apple and IGB Electronica must share the iPhone name, writing the U.S. company had built a well-known line of iDevices...

Instagram updated with iOS 7 style UI, larger and higher resolution photos

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 25, 2013

Joining the growing trend of revamping App Store software for iOS 7 look and feel, Facebook-owned Instagram just rushed out a new version of its iPhone and iPod touch app. It's bringing with it flattened, minimalistic design focused on edge-to-edge images and videos. On the downside, this Instagram release skimps on headline new frameworks (that's why it feels rushed out) which Apple created to help developers tap new iOS 7 technologies.

Nonetheless, it's a nice little update and fans should be happy that Instagram no longer looks out of place and behaves like a good citizen on iOS 7...

Nine regional U.S. telcos announce October 1 iPhone 5s/5c availability

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Weeks into its September 2012 debut, Apple started gradually rolling out the iPhone 5 to more than two dozen regional wireless carriers in the United States. The move signaled a change in the company's longtime strategy of offering the iPhones only through major U.S. telcos such as AT&T, Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile USA and Sprint Nextel.

Following the September 10 iPhone 5s/5c announcement and subsequent September 20 availability, nine regional carriers today announced that both new iPhones will land on their respective networks next Tuesday, October 1, 2013...

EA denies reports that Apple paid to delay Android version of Plants vs. Zombies 2

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 14, 2018

Electronic Arts-owned studio PopCap released the highly anticipated sequel to its popular Plants vs. Zombies game on the 16th of August, and it only took them two weeks to rack up a staggering 25 million downloads.

As you can imagine, this played out very well for Apple, as the game has been and still is an iOS-exclusive. And according to a report, the Cupertino company paid EA a 'truckload' of money to make that happen...

iOS 7 user experience beats Android and Windows Phone, survey says

Ed Sutherland ∙ Updated October 12, 2018

After being available for just one week, Apple's new iOS 7 is making daily headlines. The latest kudo to the revamped mobile operating system is a win for best user experience. Measuring how iOS 7 performs for everyday users, the software handily defeats Android, Windows Phone 8 and BlackBerry 10.

Apple's mobile software rated 73.25, placing it far ahead of Google's Android with 57.25. The version of Android available on Samsung smartphones ranked third, just behind Apple's previous mobile software, iOS 6...

France probes Apple’s iPhone contracts with carrier partners

Ed Sutherland ∙ September 25, 2013

Apple is yet again under investigation. An arm of France's finance ministry is probing how the iPhone maker contracts with French cell phone carriers.The examination comes less than a week after Apple released two new smartphones, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the administrative section of the country's finance department is "investigating the terms of contracts between cellphone suppliers and French phone operators for the sale of devices such as the iPhone."...

Samsung shockingly launches gold Galaxy S4

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 14, 2016

It's not surprising the slightest bit that gold colorway is becoming all the rage in cellphones. That's almost single-handedly due to Apple offering its flagship iPhone 5s in gold, in addition to silver and space gray finishes.

Somewhat surprising: Samsung following in Apple's footsteps by offering the flagship Galaxy S4 in gold - after the fact. "Elegance is a touch of gold," reads Samsung's tagline for a phone "style that's uniquely yours".

Fast follower, indeed...