iPod Touch

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.

Go past the break for the latest...

Open-source components of Sparrow now available for download

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

Sparrow was recently snapped up by Google and people continue to have mixed feelings about this sell-out no one saw coming. The Sparrow team made it clear in a blog post they would cease work on new features (apart from minor updates) as Google has tasked its newly acquired team with improving Gmail mobile apps.

Today, the Sparrow team announced plans to open-source parts of the Sparrow apps for personal use only. If you're good at reverse engineering, why not take a closer look at the Sparrow code?

Relying on Apple for security could be developers’ biggest mistake

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 25, 2016

When it comes to security, Apple has gone to great lengths to make its iOS platform much less prone to exploits and has engineered measures such as sandboxed environment, protected app space and even encrypting every single file created on the iPhone with its own encryption key wrapped in the user’s passcode.

But developers have become increasingly reliant on Apple for app security and as a result security has now become an afterthought for many app developers. That's why security experts attending the Black Hat cybersecurity conference in Las Vegas think developers should take matters in their own hands and add more security above Apple's baked-in protections...

Apple snaps up NFC and smart sensors maker AuthenTec for $356 million

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 20, 2017

Apple has made an interesting acquisition, snapping up smart sensors maker AuthenTec in a transaction valued at $356 million, Reuters reported Friday. AuthenTec makes fingerprint sensor chips used in personal computers.

What's more, its swipe sensors can read the live layer beneath the skin's surface and comply with strict government standards. They also produce chips that utilize near-field communication (NFC) technology which is said to be a part of this fall's iPhone hardware refresh...

Google Earth, now with 3D cities on iPhone 4S and iPad 2 or later

Christian Zibreg ∙ July 26, 2012

Google on June 6 held a hastily organized presser to announce "the next dimension in Maps", in an effort to beat Apple's in-house mapping solution unveiling which came five days later at the company's annual developers conference in Sam Francisco.

While Apple Maps won't launch before fall, when the company is set to release iOS 6 alongside the next iPhone and possibly a smaller iPad, the Internet giant is set to beat Apple by updating its Google Earth app for the iPhone with a new 3D view later today.

UPDATE: the new version just went live on the App Store...