iPod Touch

iOS 6 Passbook shopping gets simulated in real-world

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

iOS 6 brings a new app called Passbook that Apple argues isn't a direct payment product (yet). Instead, the program lets you collect and organize discount coupons, gift cards and some such. Patents, however, reveal that Apple is actively thinking about leveraging NFC technology to turn Passbook into a comprehensive mobile shopping solution, referred to as the iWallet.

You could create fake coupons to play around with in the Passbook app, but I'd bet my shirt that you'd still be scratching your head as to how exactly Passbook is supposed to work in real-life. A nice two-minute clip embedded below will help clear up the confusion by showing some interesting possibilities for Passbook through real-life examples...

Google Search iOS app to get Google Now in a couple of days

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 8, 2012

Google is holding a search-related press event in San Francisco and the company just mentioned that it will be updating its Search app for the iPhone and iPad with Siri-like Google Now functionality, which we first caught a glimpse of at Google's Nexus 7 tablet announcement back in June.

The prettified interface features smooth animation and capabilities mimic those found in its Jelly Bean counterpart, including contextual awareness of where you are, what you may be interested in and what you are searching for...

Full on image of the next iPhone dock connector suggests MagSafe functionality

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 8, 2012

Both big media and bloggers agree that with the next iPhone release come this September, Apple is going to debut a brand new dock connector to replace the aging 30-pin thing present on existing devices. The company will allegedly deploy the new dock connector across all future iOS devices.

Built with space in mind, the new connector was originally said to have 19 pins or fewer. A new report surfaced today sporting a crisp shot of the new dock connector with a metal ring inside the casing cutout, suggesting an exciting possibility: that the cable could attach magnetically, just like the MagSafe connector for Apple's notebooks...

You’ll soon be able to pay for lattes at Starbucks using Square

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Twitter and Square founder Jack Dorsey last evening announced an interesting partnership with Starbucks, an international coffeehouse chain, that will allow coffee lovers to pay for their lattes via Square's iOS and Android app, as well as its merchant software and the iPhone credit card reader dongle.

Micro-payments will be initially accepted at nearly 7,000 Starbucks locations in the United States. Furthermore, Starbucks will invest millions in Square as part of the company’s Series D financing round. Not bad for a little more than two-year-old mobile payment startup...

Poll: how often do you use the stock iOS YouTube app?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Yesterday's release of iOS 6 Beta 4 has brought another proof of the de-Googlification of iOS, with Apple unexpectedyl removing the native YouTube app because "our license to include the YouTube app in iOS has ended". Google, of course, was quick to point out that it will be releasing its own YouTube client on the App Store shortly.

It's much ado about nothing, really: the vast majority of videos embedded in web pages play in-line in the mobile Safari browser and users can always browse a much larger selection of clips via the mobile YouTube site.

That didn't stop Twitter and Techmeme from lighting up yesterday with hysteric reports over Apple's move. Heck, it apparently rattled one guy so much that he announced switching to Android...

Here’s how much Apple is demanding in damages per each Samsung device

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

It was recently suggested that Apple wanted Samsung to pay as much as $2.5 billion in damages for allegedly copying its iOS devices: $500 million in lost profits, $25 million in royalty damages and a whopping $2 billion for the profits Samsung “unjustly received” using Apple’s intellectual property.

A new report breaks down the figure on a per-device basis, as outlined in an exhibit prepared by accounting consulting firm Invotex Group, which specializes in calculating royalty rates for litigation...

Steve Jobs warned Samsung not to steal inertial scrolling patent

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

As part of iOS chief Scott Forstall's deposition in the Apple v. Samsung mega-suit, it was revealed that Steve Jobs explicitly advised Samsung against copying or stealing the rubber band scrolling, a feature Jobs specifically underscored during his January 2007 iPhone keynote.

Another tidbit describes how Jobs felt about Samsung lifting the iPhone's rectangular appearance and its icons...

Apple to roll out smaller dock connector to all iOS products this fall

Cody Lee ∙ August 6, 2012

We've been hearing that Apple was going to be changing the iPhone's dock connector since February of this year. Not only has the change been confirmed by a number of news outlets, but we've seen several leaked next-gen iPhone parts with the smaller charging port.

Along with its new smartphone, Apple is also expected to be using the new port in its iPad mini, which is rumored to debut this fall. But apparently it's not stopping there. iMore has learned that Apple is rolling out the smaller dock connector across its entire iOS line...

AT&T confirms Mobile Share plans, launching on August 23

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated August 4, 2016

U.S. carrier AT&T, the nation's leading telco by subscribers, today shed more light on its upcoming shared data plans available to new and existing subscribers later this month. The new plans are designed to help folks share their cellular data across up to ten smartphones, tablets and other devices while enjoying unlimited voice minutes and text messages domestically. First hinted at in mid-July, the new plans will be officially put into effect on Thursday, August 23...

Android peaking in US as iOS gains ground

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Strategy Analytics is out with a new survey this morning suggesting that device unit sales and market share for Google's Android platform in the United States has declined during the second quarter of this year as devices powered by Apple's iOS software continue to gain ground...

NYT: Apple talking to Twitter about investing hundreds of millions of dollars

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 10, 2018

Apple has apparently been in talks with Twitter officials in recent months about making a possible investment in the micro-blogging platform, reports The New York Times. Described as "a strategic investment", it could value Twitter at more than ten billions.

Apple's attempts at social were limited thus far. Its social thing for music, Ping, will likely be discontinued with the next major iTunes update. That promised Facebook integration in Ping had been pulled last minute was blamed on “onerous terms that we could not agree to”, as Jobs put it. Nonetheless, Apple has opted to partner with both Twitter and Facebook to support their services throughout iOS and OS X.

UPDATE: The Wall Street Journal says Apple talked to Twitter about this a year ago, claiming no immediate acquisition is in the cards.

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