When you plug your iOS device into a power source or set it on a Qi-enabled wireless charger, be it an iPhone or and iPad, you’ll usually hear a charging chime so long as the device isn’t configured to be in silent mode.
Apple doesn’t provide you with a way to change your handset’s charging chime out of the box, but a new jailbreak tweak called Bezon by iOS developer DevelopApple can help in this department.
I've never personally enjoyed the badge-centric aspect of iOS’ notification system, and with that in mind, I’m always looking to try new jailbreak tweaks that present novel ways of communicating when an app has a missed or pending notification that needs attention.
One of the latest releases in this department is a tweak called Firefly by iOS developer Sean Caissie. It replaces the standard application icon badges with something that’s both easier on the eyes and a bit more pronounced: a colorized underglow.
Apple Music's strengthened its publishing arm with creative services head Lindsay Rothschild who arrives from Google where she led YouTube's songwriter and publisher relations.
As Apple continues to build out its family-friendly original video service ahead of fall launch, news reached us today that the company has signed a deal with director and producer Jon Favreau for a CGI documentary series about dinosaurs, titled "Prehistoric Planet".
Apple's new Powerbeats Pro sporty earphones are sweat and water resistant, but official technical specifications fall short of detailing the level of water resistance.
Apple yesterday released a new video advertisement via its YouTube channel. If my memory serves me correctly, this is the first ad that promotes Apple's handset trade-in program.
When it comes to technology, privacy wants to be universally accessible and useful to everyone, Google's CEO Sundar Pichai has argued in an op-ed written for The New York Times, which was published yesterday following the I/O keynote.
In case you missed it, Warren Buffett's Paper Wizard hit App Store earlier this week as Apple's first iPhone game since Texas Hold'em, which was released when the App Store made its debut back in 2008. As MacRumors noted, the App Store listing has Wildlife Designs as the app's developer, but the game's terms and conditions reveal that the newspaper-tossing title is actually copyrighted, maintained and operated by Apple.
There’s obviously a lot of controversy over Cydia vs. Sileo because the latter has been designed with a modern iOS aesthetic in mind. But those who prefer the tried and true Cydia over something that’s relatively young in comparison can still take advantage of jailbreak tweaks to make Cydia better.
One such release that grabbed our attention as of late was cyder by iOS developer CreatureSurvive, which brings a plethora of modern features to the official Cydia app by way of Cydia Substrate. Obviously, this means it only supports pre-A12(X) devices, but it’s worth checking out if you happen to have a supported handset in your possession.
If you’ve ever used iOS 6 or earlier, then you’re undoubtedly familiar with a very different Home screen folder interface that you’re using today. I can’t exactly say that I enjoy the newer folder format better than the older one, and for that reason, I’m excited to talk about a jailbreak tweak called ClassicFolders 2 by iOS developers CoolStar and Jeremy Goulet.
The primary reason that you would want to install ClassicFolders 2 is if you miss the classic Home screen folder interface and you want to use it again on your jailbroken iOS 7-12 device. This tweak works quite well, and it even includes a few bells and whistles to give it an aesthetic appeal such as blurred background modes that match iOS’ modern-day appearance.
Apple's mobile payments service is now available in Iceland, a Nordic island nation with population of about 340,000 people, with launch support from Arion Bank and Landsbankinn.
I/O, Google's annual developers conference, kicked off today with a keynote talk and there are some notable announcements Apple fans should be aware of. We've summarized all the news in a bulleted fashion so check out what's new in the Google world, then meet us in comments.
Here's what was announced today at Google I/O 2019.
Android QThe next major iterations to Google's mobile operating system (Android is reaching version 10) is Android Q. It includes a system-wide dark theme along with some cool AI-driven features, such as suggested replies from the notifications and live captioning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL-8Xfx6S5o
With Android Q, Google is promising (stop me if you heard this) background security updates that won't require a restart and new privacy options that will hopefully limit what developers can do with your data. Android Q is getting its own Screen Time—they're calling it Focus Mode and it lets you limit distracting apps, like Instagram and Facebook—while new parental controls let parents limit apps their kids can access on a per-app basis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgXVd60f02o
A Smart Reply feature will offer up suggested actions, similar to how Siri suggestions work on iOS devices. Android Q, like iOS 13, will have a built-in system-wide dark mode option.
The Android Q beta for all Pixel phones is available today.
Cheaper PixelsThe Pixel smartphone brand now includes additional options covering the lower end of the market, with Pixel 3a and 3aXL offering features from the premium Pixel devices at lower price, starting at $399.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc7LlUtQgNw
These phones have smart cameras the Pixels are known for and include the AI-powered Night Sight feature that boosts night shoots with a little help from machine learning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLtWyLVjDg0
Google's adaptive battery technology delivers up to 30 hours of run time on a single charge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HcEath46Ks
A new Home hubGoogle is renaming all of its smart home products under the Nest brand whilst unveiling a new screen and camera-outfitted hub, dubbed Nest Hub Max. You can play YouTube videos on it, watch movies and television shows, enjoy pictures or even use it as a digital photo frame. Like Apple TV, it acts as a remote hub for all your smart hopme products.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RW9-8ih147A
The device doubles as a security camera that streams video to the cloud. Multi-user support is also part of the package, thanks to Google's Face Match technology.
Priced at $229, Nest Max Hub is arriving this summer.
Search goes augmented realityGoogle Search is getting support for augmented reality objects in search results. Similar to AR QuickView in macOS Mojave and iOS 12, people will be able to just click an object to enter augmented reality mode, which should be cool for certain shopping scenarios.
https://twitter.com/Google/status/1125810617774772224
As part of Google's newly-found privacy angle, Search is getting Incognito Mode like Google's Chrome browser. So, rather than use a privacy-browsing mode in your browser, you'll be able to enter Incognito Mode on Google Search for those times when you don't want your searches to be saved in your Google Account.
https://twitter.com/Google/status/1125811318597005312
Search will also index podcasts and let you play episodes inline. Lens, Google's impressive AI-powered visual search technology, can now calculate a tip by scanning a receipt, read aloud a menu and even highlight the most popular dishes.
TidbitsHere are some other notable announcements:
New domains for DuplexDuplex, Google's creepy human-sounding AI that can book a reservation for you, can now book a rental car from a supported service on your behalf, as well as reserve a movie ticket and even fill in web forms for you.
Incognito in MapsGoogle Maps is getting an Incognito mode akin to the Chrome browser which lets you research directions and get directions without sharing your data with Google.
https://twitter.com/Google/status/1125818881543634951
Another legitimately cool feature in Google Maps: an augmented reality walking mode, something we've suspected would come to Apple Maps, too.
https://twitter.com/googlemaps/status/1125829356834775040
A faster AssistantGoogle has done some plumbing work so now Assistant is 10x faster, responding to rapid fire requests with ease without needing to hear the Hey Google hot word multiple times. According to Goole, Assistant will be running directly on the new Pixel phones launching later this year.
https://twitter.com/Google/status/1125815241026166784
The algorithm has been perfected so Assistant is now smarter, and you'll get some new recommendations as well, such as podcasts and recipes. On top of that, Assistant will be picking up a new Driving Mode on Android this summer.
Assistant will be also coming to Waze soon, Google has said.
What's your favorite announcement from Google I/O 2019?
Let us know in the commenting section down below!