Apple

Google teases “the next dimension” of maps, should Apple be worried?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 20, 2017

Not content with being outclassed by Apple, Google today sent out invitations to select members of the press. The invite graphics teases "the next dimension of Google Maps". The search giant's presser takes place next Wednesday, June 6, at 9:30am, five days ahead of Apple's worldwide developers conference that kicks off with a keynote in San Francisco's Moscone West on June 11.

Looks like both tech titans are keen on taking the maps experience to the next level, which can only be a good thing for us consumers and market watchers. But As Apple debuts its own in-house mapping solution, market dynamics will inevitably change due to Apple's size, brand power and for the simple fact that Cupertino will no longer be paying fees for using Google's tiles in Mac and iOS applications and services.

Of course, it's also the question of pride...

Rumor: App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore getting facelift and Facebook integration

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 1, 2012

Corroborating iDB's scoop that all Apple's apps which ship with iOS software are about to get a major overhaul in iOS 6, the latest chatter in the rumor mill now has it that Apple at WWDC is launching redesigned front-ends for the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore.

As for the new look, you can probably expect the App Store, iTunes Store and iBookstore apps to adopt that sexier silver appearance.

But wait, there's more to this redesign than meets the eye...

iOS-Facebook integration reportedly a reality

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 1, 2012

Following months of rumor mongering and speculation, it would seem that one of the headline new features of iOS 6 indeed is system-wide Facebook integration, TechCrunch has learned from sources. This capability will reportedly work as seamlessly as Twitter integration in iOS 5.

You'll simply provide your Facebook account credentials in Settings and then approve apps to automatically use your account when needed. The report jives with news of apps, not the OS itself, being the focus of iOS 6 that iDB broke today.

As our credible source with deep connections at Apple pointed out, big stuff is expected in stock apps across the board as Apple has apparently re-written them from the ground up to take advantage of new iOS features.

At this point, there's no reason to doubt that Facebook sharing will be rolled out across Apple's apps in iOS 6,, much like Twitter comes enabled in Safari, YouTube, Maps and so forth...

Scoop: big iOS 6 features are in stock apps across the board

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 1, 2012

With just ten days until Apple’s keynote at WWDC in San Francisco, details about iOS 6 and the next iPhone have been trickling out steadily on a daily basis in past weeks.

A credible source has now stepped forward, casting more light on growing expectations concerning the next major update to Apple’s iOS operating system which drives the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

In a nutshell, there’s going to be little, if any, Earth-shattering additions to core OS features. Instead, I was told, headline enhancements are focused on stock apps across the board…

Analyst says iOS 6 brings “notable upgrade” to native Camera and Photos apps

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 1, 2012

Sterne Agee analyst Shaw Wu writes in today's note to clients that Apple is working on a "notable upgrade" to its stock Camera and Photos apps which come included with the iOS mobile operating system powering iPhones, iPads and iPods.

This isn't terribly surprising given that "notable upgrades" are presumably needed to enable new photo and video sharing functionalities recently mentioned by more credible sources.

I guess Wu's a regular reader of the Wall Street Journal newspaper, which reported last month that iOS 6 will bring the ability to synchronize video clips across devices through iCloud, as well as share sets of photos with other iCloud users and comment on them...

iPhone allegedly going prepaid on Boost Mobile in early September

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 18, 2019

Apple made waves earlier this week by diving into the prepaid market with the addition of Cricket Communications, America’s seventh largest wireless company which has thus officially become the nation's very first prepaid carrier to offer no-contract iPhones come June 22.

Cricket iPhones are gonna be available with a cool $150 discount compared to Apple's asking prices for unlocked devices, along with unlimited everything month-to-month plans. Per new rumor, the iPhone is about to go prepaid on Boost Mobile, too...

Munster on iTV: ‘if’ has been decided and now the question is ‘when’

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 1, 2012

Riding on his iTV predictions, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a note to clients today that a number of factors, including Tim Cook's D10 talk earlier this week, have led him to confidently assume that a full-fledged television set from Apple is a now a matter of 'when', not 'if'.

He is expecting iTV models ranging from 42 inches to 55 inches, costing between $1,500 and $2,000. Apple will announce its standalone television set later this year, he speculated, with general availability six months later...

Apple’s 40 percent smaller Nano SIM proposal gets a go-ahead

Christian Zibreg ∙ June 1, 2012

Following an amusing public back and forth between Apple on one side and Research In Motion, Motorola and Nokia on the other, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) this morning decided to officially back Apple's proposal for an upcoming miniaturized SIM card standard that provides for a thinner, smaller mobile devices...

Video compares 4.07-inch iPhone 5 glass panel vs. current iPhone

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 31, 2012

Japanese blog Macotakara just posted an interesting video which seems to compare an alleged next-generation iPhone glass panel against the current iPhone model. The clip depicts a taller but wider glass panel, supporting the mounting evidence that the iPhone 5 will introduce a new display size measuring slightly above four inches diagonally...

iPhone 5 likely has S5L8950X CPU, 1GB of RAM and SGX543 GPU variant

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 31, 2012

9to5Mac did an awesome job combing through an iOS 6 build running on a prototype next-generation iPhone unit.

They were able to surface a couple interesting details which help paint a pretty accurate picture of the innards likely to power the final product.

These reportedly include a variant of the A5x chip sporting an ARM S5L8950X processing core, 1GB of RAM and "something entirely new" for the graphics subsystem...

Office for iPad reportedly landing November 10

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 31, 2012

News Corp.-owned The Daily reported this morning that Microsoft's development team has apparently locked the code for Office on the iOS platform last month, followed by the design team's approval of the user interface. The long expected office suite is now being tested, with Microsoft internally shooting for an October 10 release date, giving Redmond a five-month lead time to smooth out the rough edges...

Labor watchdog says Foxconn sweatshops haven’t improved much

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 31, 2012

Labor watchdog Student & Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour (SACOM) today criticized Apple (again), arguing that conditions in Foxconn's manufacturing facilities in China haven't really improved following the FLA audits. In fact, they claim higher-ups continue to impose "humiliating disciplinary measures on workers", audits be damned...