News

Save your custom edits and share them as reusable looks via QR codes in latest Snapseed update

Google today rolled out another update to its free of charge photography app, Snapseed. In Snapseed 2.16, you can now save your complex edits as reusable looks.

You can apply saved looks to other images with a few taps or share them with friends and other Snapseed users via QR codes. This Snapseed update also lets you apply the Structure filter to individual areas with the Selective tool.

Foxconn and TSMC joining together to bid for Toshiba’s flash memory business

Aside from other firms, companies like storage maker Western Digital, iPhone manufacturer Foxconn and Apple mobile chip maker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) have all been named as potential bidders seeking a stake in Toshiba’s memory business.

According to a new report in the Chinese-language Liberty Times, quoted by DigiTimes, Foxconn and TSMC are joining forces in an attempt to acquire a majority stake in Toshiba's NAND flash business. A successful bid by the two Apple suppliers may pose a great challenge to Samsung Electronics' leadership in the flash memory market.

WikiLeaks reveals CIA’s tactics for breaching iPhones, iPads, Windows, smart TVs & more

WikiLeaks today published a cache of 8,761 secret documents detailing tactics the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) relies on for breaching iPhones, iPads, Android smartphones and tablets, Windows PCs and even routers and smart TVs. It's currently unclear if the documents—available to peruse on the group’s website—have serious privacy and security implications. Dubbed “Vault 7”, the leak has been teased on WikiLeaks' Twitter account for a few weeks prior to its release.

WSJ: Sharp investing $878 million into OLED production for future iPhones

The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday morning that Sharp is investing a trillion yen, or about $878 million, into a manufacturing facility solely dedicated to churning out the superior organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panels.

Sharp is owned by iPhone manufacturer Foxconn and the facility is expected to focus exclusively on OLED panel production for future iPhones.

Apple may have removed limitations on its price matching program

Apple has a lesser-known program which lets would-be buyers get some of its latest products at a discount. The Cupertino firm used to match up to ten percent off a product's original list price from authorized retailers, under certain conditions, but that ceiling is reportedly no longer in effect, as per an Apple store employee on Reddit.

First sign of macOS 10.13 spotted on Mac App Store

Visits from Mac computers identified as running macOS 10.13 have been increasing across iDownloadBlog and various other publications in recent weeks. And now, what looks to be the first public sign of macOS 10.13 has been spotted on Mac App Store, as per Pike's Universum which provided reliable information in the past. Apple will preview the next major versions of macOS, iOS, watchOS and tvOS at its annual developers conference which kicks off with a keynote on June 5.

Apple shares details about WWDC 2017 Scholarships

Worldwide Developers Conference will be returning to San Jose and Apple this morning shared details on Scholarships that reward talented students and STEM organization members with the opportunity to attend this year’s conference. Young developers selected for a scholarship will receive a free WWDC17 ticket and lodging. Submissions open March 27.

Steve Jobs originally thought Genius Bar would never work

When Apple's former retail chief Ron Johnson presented the idea for tech support stations—dubbed Genius Bar—that would be located inside the company's brick-and-mortar stores, Steve Jobs loathed the concept and thought it would never work.

“I remember the day I came in and told Steve about the Genius Bar idea and he says, ‘That’s so idiotic! It’ll never work!’”, Johnson told Recode.

iPhone 8 could release later than September

As you know, iPhone 5, iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 models were each released in September of 2012, 2014 and 2016, respectively.

This year, Apple is expected to release a pair of iterative updates in the form of LCD-based iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus models along with an all-new model based on power-saving organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screen and other technological perks.

Based on recent reports, however, it doesn't look like iPhone 8 will be ready in time for a September launch, creating a unique situation where Apple could pre-announce the new flagship in September before its arrival later in the year.

Facebook is testing Reactions and all-new Dislike button in chats on Messenger

Some users of the mobile Facebook Messenger app have noticed that the empathetic Reaction emojis, which launched in the company's mainland mobile app in February 2016, are now available to them inside the standalone messaging app, along with a brand now iMessage-like Dislike button that's yet to launch in the main Facebook app.

Facebook's confirmed this new feature to TechCrunch.

Nikkei corroborates iPhone 8 has 5.8″ OLED screen, iPhone 7s/Plus to use LCD panels

Nikkei Asian Review in a research note Monday corroborated previous reports which said that only a brand new iPhone 8 model would switch to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens, with the two smaller models—iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus—expected to retain their existing LCD panels.

Korean publication The Bell also said this morning that about forty percent of 2017 iPhones would have OLED screens, predicting that all new iPhones introduced in 2019 would sport power-sipping OLEDs.

Apple to shift all iPhones to OLED in 2019

Apple is expected to use organic light-emitting diode (OLED) screens for all new iPhones in 2019, according to a report Monday by The Bell. Meanwhile, suppliers Samsung Electro-Mechanics (a parts unit of Samsung) and Interflex are allegedly boosting production of flexible printed circuit boards (FPCB) for iPhone 8, the first iPhone to adopt OLED display technology.

Apple should use OLED screens on about 60 million iPhone units this year and double the adoption next year. By 2019, all iPhones should use power-sipping OLED screens.