News

Facer brings Instagram feeds, flash style cards and more to your Apple Watch face

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2016

About a month ago, Facer, a smartwatch customization platform, landed on the Apple Watch via a free of charge App Store app. Unlike most other apps for customizing watch faces, Facer puts your style and individuality on full display with thousands of custom watch faces and the ability to design your own with an online creator tool.

The app can pull watch face images from a variety of sources, including your Instagram feed, and it even has neat flash card style faces for learning things like languages, constellations, Solar System's planet names, the elements of the periodic table and so forth.

Spotify will be launching a dozen original shows this summer and fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated October 16, 2018

According to Bloomberg, the popular Swedish music startup Spotify will be introducing as many as twelve new original video shows on its platform later this summer and fall as it works to diversify its offering and keep customers coming back for more.

Starring the likes of actor Tim Robbins and Def Jam Records co-founder Russell Simmons, the new shows will be available to both free and paid Spotify users in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and Sweden, with individual episodes ranging from a few minutes to fifteen minutes.

Sacramento, California gains transit directions on Apple Maps

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2016

Having recently rolled out support for transit directions for Sydney Trains in Australia's New South Wales and for buses, subways, commuter rails and other transportation options in Seattle, Portland, Oregon and Montreal, the second-largest city in Canada, the Transit feature is now available to Apple Maps customers who live in Sacramento, California. To use transit directions on Apple Maps, simply enter navigation mode and then tap the Transit button, if available.

OneDrive implements 3D Touch previews for files and folders

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2016

Microsoft issued an update to OneDrive, its free of charge mobile cloud-storage client, adding some new features.

In addition to a fresh coat of paint and a revamped app icon, OneDrive for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad was bumped in the App Store yesterday to version 7.1 with support for Peek and Pop in-app gestures for previewing content with 3D Touch on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

In the refreshed app, you can now peek at any folder or file by pressing it lightly, or pop right into it by pressing a little deeper.

Google+ gains search autocomplete, Reply button on posts and more in latest update

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 9, 2016

Google+, the search giant's social thing, introduced a few new features in its mobile application for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad, which can be downloaded at no charge from the App Store. Google+ 5.5 for iOS now includes search autocomplete, allowing you to search faster with suggestions appearing as you type.

The new Reply button on each comment lets you respond to posts with fewer taps and you can now create and delete circles from within the app's People tab.

Another technical drawing suggests iPhone 7 has same width and height as iPhone 6s

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Reliable French leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer via his blog NowhereElse.fr and Twitter handle @OnLeaks published this morning another claimed technical drawing of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 7 which suggests that the device will be as tall and wide as the current-generation iPhone 6s, measuring in at exactly 67.1 mm wide and 138.3 mm tall.

The leaked drawing does not specify the depth of the iPhone 7, but previous rumors did point to an iPod touch-thin phone so it's too early to tell if existing cases will fit the iPhone 7 or if these will need reengineering for a thinner form factor.

Apple meets with top podcast producers to hear their complaints

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 7, 2016

Unhappy that Apple's been neglecting iTunes podcasts for years now, top producers were invited to meet with Apple executives at the company's Cupertino headquarters and voice their grievances, The New York Times reports.

It's true that the iTunes podcasting hub's remained virtually unchanged since its 2005 debut so it shouldn't surprise Apple if producers think that this might have something to do with the fact that podcasts bring the Cupertino firm nothing in direct revenue.

While Apple essentially gave life to the podcasting industry, and it still dominates that sector, company officials made no promises to these producers. Small wonder some of them are now concerned that Apple may no longer care about podcasting.

Leaked screenshots show off minor design changes in upcoming iTunes 12.4 update

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 7, 2016

Apple is working on a minor update for desktop iTunes and MacRumors was able to obtain screenshots which show off several design improvements in tow for the app. This isn't the top-to-bottom overhaul we've been all waiting for though the changes in iTunes 12.4 should make this infamous Mac and Windows app a bit easier to use.

As per the leaked screenshots, iTunes 12.4 packs in a redesigned media picker, a persistent sidebar for quick access to different sections of your iTunes library, a slightly reworked mini player and a tad simpler menus.

Dedicated HomeKit app is reportedly in the works for iOS 10 launch this fall

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 7, 2016

In addition to an overhauled Apple Music app, the forthcoming iOS 10 software update is likely going to bring out a brand new stock app for your Home screen: HomeKit.

First spotted by MacRumors, an Amazon reviewer who works in the marketing department at Apple apparently made the claim that the next version of iOS due this fall will have a standalone HomeKit app.

Apple’s reportedly decided not to add Smart Connector to iPhone 7

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 6, 2016

An unconfirmed iPhone 7 part which leaked out of China back in March had us wondering whether the iconic smartphone might come outfitted with the iPad Pro's Smart Connector. Since then, various analysts and sources have speculated that this could indeed be the case, including the fairly reliable Japanese blog Mac Otakara.

Today, however, Mac Otakara reports that Apple has decided not to include the Smart Connector on the iPhone 7 after all.

Dedicated Connect tab is going away in iOS 10’s Apple Music overhaul

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 6, 2016

Apple is going to pull plug on the dedicated Apple Music Connect tab when iOS 10 launches this fall, if a new report from 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman is anything to go by. Citing sources familiar with the upcoming Apple Music overhaul, the publication claims that the Connect tab will be “demoted,” its functionality integrated into the For You recommendations section.

“Connect will still exist within applicable artist pages as it does today, but its demotion from the set of Apple Music tabs indicates that the feature has not lived up to Apple’s expectations from last year,” reads the article.

Apple wants to lease a 800,000 square foot warehouse for Project Titan R&D work

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 6, 2016

The Wall Street Journal yesterday shared some rather interesting development regarding Silicon Valley's worst-kept secret, an Apple-designed electric car, dubbed Project Titan. The firm is apparently seeking a massive 800,000 square foot warehouse, presumably to keep research and development work on Project Titan secret for as long as possible.

Furthermore, the iPhone maker is said to be in the process of expanding Project Titan team, which reportedly had about 600 employees last year, according to sources.