News

Samsung caught using drawings of Apple Watch in its own smartwatch patent filing

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

The iPhone's look and feel isn't the only design feature Samsung “borrowed” from Apple (100+ top designers agree), for which it was ordered to pay nearly $1 billion to the Cupertino firm in damages (later slashed to $548 million). No, the South Korean company is notorious for frequently borrowing a page from Jony Ive's design book when it comes to other things like the look and feel of software, packaging, marketing material and more.

As was discovered by Patently Apple, the Galaxy maker appears to have borrowed a few familiar looking images from Apple in its latest patent filing for a ”Wearable Device” which includes drawings of Apple's smartwatch that depict the Digital Crown, crystal back, heart rate sensor and even several of its proprietary band designs.

Apple gives away Brushstroke painting effects app

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Brushstroke is one of those image effects app with a unique twist. Not only does it transform your photos into faux paintings, but optionally lets you order mounted canvas prints of your images directly from the app that you can hang on the wall.

Apple named Brushstroke its Free App of the Week in December 2014. If you forgot to grab this nicely done $2.99 iPhone and iPad app for $0 back then, now's your chance.

Google Photos gains 3D Touch shortcuts and storage optimization feature

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated November 16, 2024

Google today issued a minor refresh to its native Photos app on the App Store, introducing 3D Touch shortcuts for the Home screen and a much-needed new feature designed to optimize storage space on your device. Bumped to version 1.13, Google Photos for iPhone and iPad produces a 3D Touch menu upon pressing its Home screen icon, giving you access to the following shortcuts: I'm Feeling Lucky, Free Up Space and Make Shared Album.

In addition to these 3D Touch shortcuts and the new storage-optimization feature, this edition of the app packs in unspecified performance improvements.

Report: Apple talking to programmers about creating a digital TV guide

Cody Lee ∙ Updated May 1, 2018

Apple has started talking to TV programmers about creating a digital TV guide, reports Recode. The guide would work on both Apple TV boxes and other devices, like iPhones, allowing users to quickly find their desired TV shows and movies, and play them with a single click.

The new direction is a spinoff of the skinny-bundle TV service the company wanted to launch last year. After several years of failed negotiations with networks and studios, Apple has decided to just build an interface for content, and let everyone else worry about the red tape.

Facebook tweaks its algorithm to further reduce clickbait in your News Feed

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Facebook began removing deliberate hoaxes from users' News Feeds in April 2014. The following year, the company stepped up fight against spammers with more changes aimed at helping reduce the number of misleading posts, also known as clickbait. Today, the social networking firm announced a set of new measures to further reduce clickbait in your News Feed by using a brand new system which can automatically spot phrases commonly used in misleading headlines.

U.S. regulator grants Apple Energy permission to sell solar-generated power to public utilities

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Apple Energy LLC, a subsidiary of Apple, Inc. registered in Delaware last month, has successfully obtained federal approval from the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to sell excess energy generated from its solar facilities into the wholesale market, joining Google parent Alphabet in the energy-trading business.

The firm sought permission from FERC to begin selling power within 60 days of its filing on June 6. Sales can officially begin on Saturday, Bloomberg said, as FERC's determined that Apple Energy doesn't pose a risk of being able to hike up prices.

Will overhauled Apple Store shopping app launch today or next Thursday?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated September 6, 2017

Welcome to Thursday, when Apple typically refreshes its app and content stores with new apps, games and media. Bloomberg said last week that Apple was working on a totally overhauled Apple Store shopping app that should include a “For You” tab and have the same basic features and interface across the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Reports on Twitter and MacRumors reveal that a banner for the new Apple Store app has now gone live on some international App Stores, suggesting imminent launch.

iOS 9.3.4 released with an “important security fix” that patches Pangu jailbreak

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Apple on Thursday unexpectedly released iOS 9.3.4, a minor update to the mobile operating system powering the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Release notes accompanying the small download mention that iOS 9.3.4 provides “an important security update” and is recommended for all iOS 9 users. The update can be applied over-the-air on iOS 9 devices in Settings → General → Software Update and has been confirmed to patch the Pangu jailbreak.

Gwyneth Paltrow and Gary Vaynerchuk join Apple-produced “Planet of the Apps” as mentors

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and Internet personality and entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk joined “Planet of the Apps”, an unscripted television show about apps and their creators co-produced by Apple and Propagate Content's Ben Silverman and Howard Owens, Variety reported today.

“We’re Apple. We don’t wear suits. We don’t even own suits.”

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

A week ago, disgruntled (scared?) network executives ran to the press to complain about Apple’s “hard-nosed” negotiation tactics and, in their view, unreasonable demands regarding the Cupertino firm's rumored skinny TV bundle.

Reflecting on a 2013 meeting between Apple's Eddy Cue and Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, the elusive “people familiar with the matter” revealed that Cue had arrived ten minutes late “wearing jeans, tennis shoes with no socks and a Hawaiian shirt” while all the other executives were wearing suits.

As pointed out by Daring Fireball, this isn't the first time a third-party has fought Apple over wardrobe. A few years back ahead of the original iPhone's introduction, an AT&T representative suggested that then Apple CEO Steve Jobs wear a suit to meet with AT&T’s board of directors.

Square Enix releases free-to-play Mobius Final Fantasy on App Store

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Developer Square Enix yesterday announced availability of Mobius Final Fantasy, its new free-to-play role-playing game set in the Final Fantasy universe and created by producer Yoshinori Kitase and writer Kazushige Kojima, who are both known for their work on the Final Fantasy VII and the upcoming Final Fantasy VII Remake.

The iPhone, iPad and iPod touch game is available on a free-to-play basis with optional In-App Purchases and can be played with just one hand as it was “custom-tailored for mobile platforms”.

Leaked video shows Camera app running on a working iPhone 7 prototype

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 4, 2016

Earlier this morning, we ran some pretty convincing photographs which appear to picture a functional, powered on iPhone 7 running Apple’s internal testing software, called SwitchBoard. Geekbar, the Chinese team who leaked these photos, has now published on Weibo video evidence to convince naysayers. The fit and finish of the claimed device shown in the photos and on this video screams an Apple product.