News

Next-gen Magic Keyboard reportedly in the works with e-ink display on every single key

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2016

According to a post by an anonymous user named “Foxconninsider” that surfaced Wednesday morning on Reddit, Apple is allegedly working with a startup called Sonder on a next-generation Magic Keyboard that's supposedly outfitted with an individual e-ink display on every single key.

Having e-ink-enhanced keys would let the graphics on each individual key change depending on the app currently in use. To me, that sounds a lot like an OLED strip that the rumor-mill believes will be debuting on the next MacBook Pro.

Pandora refreshes its brand identity ahead of on-demand music streaming service launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2016

Whether you listen to ad-supported Pandora or Pandora Plus, an improved version of its $5 per month Pandora One offering, you'll be enjoying Pandora's new logo and brand identity which the company unveiled in a blog post today. As Pandora Plus is now available to everyone, Pandora has decided to celebrate that milestone by unveiling “a new brand to enhance your Pandora experience and help bring your music to life.

Adobe pushes Flash Player security update fixing critical vulnerabilities

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2016

Adobe today released a new security-focused update for its Flash Player software in an effort to patch a series of vulnerabilities that could give attackers control of your computer. Although Safari on macOS Sierra disables web plugins like Flash by default, Mac owners who have a standalone Flash Player installed on their system are at risk, even if they're using Flash Player that's built into Google's Chrome browser.

Jimmy Iovine discusses Apple Music’s “hybrid” future in new Billboard interview

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2016

Billboard yesterday published a wide-ranging interview with Apple executive and music industry mogul Jimmy Iovine, who dropped hints of Apple Music's “hybrid” future. He also discussed the difference between the engineer culture in Silicon Valley and the creative culture in Hollywood and underscored the importance of technology in popular culture and other tidbits. Here are some choice quotes from that interview.

Amazon Music Unlimited launches: $9.99 per month, $3.99 for Echo-only streaming

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 12, 2016

Amazon today announced its long-rumored music streaming service to better compete with the likes of Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play Music, Tidal and others. The service is called Amazon Music Unlimited and starts at $9.99 per month for individual accounts or $14.99 per month for a family of six, which is the standard pricing offered by Apple Music and others.

However, Amazon has undercut Apple Music with a $7.99 per month tier for members of its $99 per year Prime service. And if you want to only stream music to your Echo wireless speaker, Amazon Music Unlimited is just $3.99 per month.

Apple given Didi Chuxing board seat after $1 billion investment

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple was granted a seat on the board of Didi Chuxing following its staggering $1 billion investment in the ride-hailing company, reports The Information. Citing a regulatory filing, the outlet says the appointment occurred in late June—a few weeks after the deal was finalized. Adrian Perica, Apple's mergers and acquisitions chief, represents Apple on the board. Perica also played a major roll in the company's $3 billion Beats acquisition back in 2014.

Apple to open R&D center in Shenzhen next year to boost China ties

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 17, 2018

Apple plans to set up a new research and development center in China's manufacturing capital Shenzhen, reports Shenzhen Economic Daily (via Reuters). The outlet says Tim Cook announced the plan during a meeting with senior city officials while attending a nation-wide event on innovation. Apparently Foxconn CEO Terry Gou was also in attendance.

Snapchat launches Story Playlist, no longer automatically loads the next Story

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2016

Snapchat is removing the Auto Advance feature to give users control of their Story viewing experience once again. It was about goddam time, if I might add. Shortly after Auto Advance debuted in March of this year, folks began complaining that Auto Advance made it impossible to individually choose Stories to watch. The updated app has now replaced Auto Advance with an all-new feature they're calling Story Playlist.

Dropbox for iOS gains iMessage app, PDF signing, iOS 10 widget, PiP video & more

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2016

Cloud storage startup Dropbox today announced a major update to its mobile application for the iPhone and iPad, bringing new iOS 10-focused features that will make you more productive. Dropbox 18.2 for iOS packs in a brand new iMessage app for sharing Dropbox files through Apple's Messages app.

You can now sign legal PDF documents with your finger, and see newly updated Dropbox files on your Lock screen via a new Today widget, and much more.

Samsung “paying extra careful attention” to Galaxy S8 development due to “huge changes”

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2016

Unperturbed by its ill-fated Note 7 flagship, which Samsung has now permanently stopped building due to ongoing battery woes, development of a next-generation Galaxy smartphone is in full swing. Reportedly, the troubled South Korean company is “paying extra careful attention” towards the development of the Galaxy S8.

That's not just because of quality control issues with the Note 7, but also due to the fact that the Galaxy S8 packs in some “huge” hardware and design changes, according to a new report Tuesday from Korean news site ET News.

Apple seeds macOS 10.12.1 beta 4 to developers and public beta testers

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2016

Apple on Tuesday released a fourth beta of what would become the first major software update to macOS Sierra following its public release last month. macOS 10.12.1 beta 4 (build 16B2548a) is now available to members of Apple Develop Program and public beta testers on Apple Beta Software Program.

The latest build is available as an over-the-air update via the Mac App Store and the Software Update mechanism on Macs that run a prior beta of macOS Sierra 10.12.1.

Facebook targets Slack, Google Apps and others with new Workplace for iPhone app

Christian Zibreg ∙ October 11, 2016

Facebook yesterday announced a new Workplace mobile app which it has used to run its own company “for many years”. Available at no charge from the App Store, Workplace for iPhone (formerly known as Facebook at Work) is now available to any company or organization that wants to use it. In a nutshell, Workplace puts the best of Facebook at your fingertips while packing in a few notable productivity features businesses may like.