iPod Touch

Twitter Lite launches, takes only 1MB of storage & can save up to 70 percent on data

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 6, 2017

If you're a heavy Twitter user whose device is running low on storage and you'd like to reduce data usage in the mobile Twitter app, the company today announced a new solution that may interest you, aptly named Twitter Lite. It's a client-side Progressive Web App written in JavaScript and running in Safari on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Taking up only one megabyte of storage on your device, Twitter Lite loads in under five seconds on a 3G cellular connection and can save up to 70 percent on data.

Facebook is turning your friends who aren’t hip enough to use Stories into ghosts

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 5, 2017

Facebook last week rolled out a Snapchat-esque Stories feature to all users of its mobile app. So far, most users seem to be ignoring these glorified auto-vanishing slideshows so the company is introducing some visual tweaks, possibly in an effort to boost usage of the feature.

As first noticed by The Verge, friends who aren't using Stories now appeared ghosted at the app's top as a bit of encouragement for the new feature.

Audio-only calls rolling on Google Duo

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 5, 2017

Google announced during its Spring event in São Paulo, Brazil that audio-only calls would be coming soon to Duo, its one-to-one video calling app for iOS and Android. Today, the company pushed a small update to Duo for iPhone that enables this feature (which first rolled out to users in Brazil) for everyone. Available free of charge on App Store, Google Duo version 9.1 brings out VoIP audio calling along with unspecified bug fixes and product improvements.

Has iOS 10.3 randomly turned on your previously disabled iCloud services in Settings?

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 4, 2017

Released nine days ago, iOS 10.3 appears to be randomly re-enabling iCloud features that users previously disabled in Settings. The software update consolidates the various iCloud and Apple ID-related features under one central place at the top of the Settings app. The new organization has nothing to do with this behavior. It's a bug, Apple told customers in an email message obtained by MacRumors, that affects a small number of users.

Starbucks rolls out iMessage app for gifting digital cards with Apple Pay support

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 13, 2023

As previously announced, Starbucks today updated its iPhone app with the ability to send gifts through Apple’s iMessage system and pay for them with Apple Pay directly in the Messages app. Named Starbucks Gifts, the software requires you to set up Apple Pay on your device before you can purchase gift cards in $5, $10 or $25 denominations. Today's update also brings notifications, a store location filter for the Nitro cold brew and other perks.

How to identify legacy 32-bit apps on your iPhone or iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 18, 2017

iOS 11 drops support for legacy 32-bit apps. In this tutorial, we're going to lay out how you can quickly identify any 32-bit apps that are installed on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

Apple releases iOS 10.3.1 with Wi-Fi vulnerability fix, brings back support for iPhone 5/5c

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2017

Apple on Monday issued a minor update to iOS 10.3, which released on March 27, 2017. The new iOS 10.3.1 software update comes with a build number of 14E304 and is recommended for all users. According to release notes accompanying the download, iOS 10.3.1 includes bug fixes and improves the security of your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. The software update can be downloaded over-the-air via Settings → General → Software Update on your iOS device.

Facebook testing Explore feed which surfaces content you haven’t connected with yet

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2017

Facebook has been caught testing a new kind of feed on its mainland mobile app, designed to surface relevant posts from people and pages that you haven't befriended or liked. According to Mashable and Wired, some users noticed a new rocket-shaped icon at the bottom of their News Feed. Tapping it displays content from an alternative News Feed.

Labeled Explore, it's focused on posts, articles, photos, videos and other content from people, media organizations and pages you're not following.

Facebook is currently testing this feature with a small subset of users and could pull it any time it wants. We'll be making sure you're among the first to know when, and if the new Explore tab launches to everybody.

Benchmark GPU performance of your iPhone, iPad and Mac with Geekbench’s updated app

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2017

Available on App Store free of charge, Primate Labs' refreshed Geekbench app now lets you measure the performance of mobile GPUs in iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Mac devices. Geekbench 4.1 brings a new Compute Benchmark to iOS and macOS. Written using Apple's new graphics API, Metal, it measures the performance of the GPU at executing common compute tasks such as image processing and computational photography.

ESPN releases revamped Apple TV app with on-demand content, live streams & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 3, 2017

ESPN today refreshed its app on App Store with an overhauled user interface on Apple TV and other features. Renamed from WatchESPN to just ESPN, the free of charge universal binary now works across your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV and Apple Watch. It now supports auto-playing live streams, replays and full episodes of on-demand content. The app is rolling out today so check back later if it's not live yet on your local App Store.

Apple is developing its own GPU chips

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

In a bombshell press release issued Monday, UK chip designer Imagination Technologies said Apple told it that it would end a fruitful deal to use Imagination's blueprints for customized graphics cores in its own A-series chips powering iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch and Apple TV devices.

Apparently, the Cupertino company is now looking to create independent GPU designs that could be ready in about two year's time. Shares of Imagination immediately plunged over 70 percent to their lowest level since the financial crisis in 2009, wiping over $625 million off the company's market value.

Apple may offer HBO, Showtime and Starz in a combined premium TV bundle

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 2, 2017

Recode reported Sunday that Apple is considering offering a “premium TV bundle” with content from the networks HBO, Showtime and Starz.

As I'm sure you'll recall, the Cupertino company's long been rumored to have been interested in creating a $30-$40 per month skinny bundle of top TV programming from multiple content owners.

While App Store offers apps from each of those channels individually, Apple has reportedly approached the three networks about rolling them up into a single package, as conventional pay TV operators sometimes do.