Luke Dormehl - page 141

One of the cool things about iOS gaming has been seeing how developers incorporate Apple’s new technologies into the games that they offer. At first, it was features like the accelerometer and now, thanks to the TrueDepth sensors used for Face ID, Apple’s face tracking tech is set to be incorporated into next-gen titles.

One of the first out of the gate is the upcoming Reigns: Game of Thrones. According to a new report, the title will use facial tracking technology in an innovative way: by asking you to carry out stare-downs with the various characters.

One of the sources named in Bloomberg‘s recent report on alleged Chinese spy chips in motherboards used by Apple and other companies has cast doubts on the story.

Speaking on a podcast published this week, security researcher Joe Fitzpatrick said that the hardware implant approach described “doesn’t make sense.”

Apple is reportedly in talks with U.K. telecommunications company BT, regarding a possible partnership in which Apple TV boxes are provided to subscribers.

As per the Daily Telegraph, both groups are, “in early discussions over a deal that would make BT’s mobile brand EE a major distributor of Apple TV set-top boxes.”

A lawsuit against Google, claiming to represent 4.4 million iPhone users, has been thrown out of court by a U.K. judge.

The Apple-using coalition, a group called “Google You Owe Us,” was asking for up to $1 billion in damages. This was to have been split among Safari users affected by Google’s allegedly unlawful data collection, which involved Google supposedly bypassing privacy settings to categorize users for advertising.

There are plenty of stories published about Apple that I’m sure it would rather not floating around the internet. But when it is accused of having had its motherboards — along with those used by dozens of other companies — breached by Chinese spy chips, it springs into action.

That’s what Apple did over the weekend when it told Congress that there is absolutely no evidence that it has been the victim of a sophisticated attack on its supply chain. This is what had been alleged in a recent article by Bloomberg BusinessWeek.

The Department of Homeland Security says that it believes Apple’s denial of claims that Chinese spies had inserted malicious chips into its computer system. Based on current evidence, at least.

Today marks seven years since Steve Jobs passed away at the age of 56. Paying homage to his former boss, Apple CEO Tim Cook posted a message on Twitter in which he made clear how much Steve meant to him personally — and to Apple as a whole.

The U.K.’s national cyber security agency has chimed in with its assessment of the recent report claiming that multiple companies — including Apple — had malicious chips inserted by Chinese spies into their computer systems.

Both Amazon and Apple, two of the companies named, have so far denied the claims. Now Britain’s National Cyber Security Center has said there’s no reason to doubt them.

An iPhone gravestone spotted in Russia marks the final resting place of a young woman who reportedly worked in an Apple retail position.

A video posted online shows the iPhone-inspired grave marker. The unique monument boasts an Apple logo, side buttons and an image of the deceased 25-year-old on the screen. It’s the ultimate tribute to an Apple fan!

Apple has revealed that it will shutter its Apple Carrousel du Louvre retail store in Paris later this month.

The Apple Store, which has been open for nine years, is located beneath the pyramid in front of the world-famous, iconic Louvre museum. Don’t fret, however: If you live in the area, Apple is about to open new, better retail store in the area.

Samsung is expecting to rake in record operating profits for the three months ending in September — and it owes Apple a debt of gratitude for helping.

The South Korean tech giant said on Friday that it’s expecting to pull in $15.6 billion in operating profits for the most recent quarter. This would be a jump of more than 20 percent compared to the same quarter in 2017, and Samsung’s highest ever quarterly earnings. They should send Tim Cook a bottle of champagne to thank him!

In the event that your 2018 MacBook Pro or iMac Pro runs into problems outside warranty, would you try and save money by going to third-party repair shop? If so, Apple seemingly has some bad news for you.

According to a new report, Apple has introduced new software locks that will brick these machines if they’re operated on by anyone not using Apple’s proprietary diagnostic software. Failing to do so will, “result in an inoperative system and an incomplete repair.”

Following in the footsteps of fellow ex-BBC presenter Zane Lowe and others, UK-based hip-hop DJ Charlie Sloth will be leaving his job presenting on the BBC to join Apple Music.

Sloth is a presenter on both BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra. He has been a BBC broadcaster for the past decade, and is best known for hosting the popular rap freestyle segment, “Fire in the Booth.”

Facebook is taking another crack at providing a way to help us meet up with friends offline. Having seen its “Facebook Nearby Friends” feature fail to gain much traction, the social media giant is now supposedly planning on a Snapchat-inspired redo to try and change its fortunes.

According to TechCrunch, Facebook is testing a redesign of its “Nearby Friends” that looks a whole lot like Snap Map. This feature will replace the list view of “Nearby Friends” with a map that shows friends grouped according to their city.

Apple introduced its super useful AirDrop file transfer feature way back in 2011. However, a patent licensing company called Uniloc — sometimes referred to as a “patent troll” by critics — claims that Apple is infringing on its intellectual property.

Uniloc says that Apple’s AirDrop tech infringes on a patent first filed in 2000, a decade before Apple debuted AirDrop. And it wants some sweet Apple cash for its troubles!

Police might have cracked the crime ring behind the spate of snatch-and-grab robberies in Apple Stores across California, but Apple’s taking no chances. According to a new report, it has contracted local police departments to bring officers in as extra security in some of its stores.

Specifically, the report notes that Apple is doing this in Sacramento. However, we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple followed a similar strategy in other locations which have been the target of criminals.

There are some technological feats that just hammer home how far we’ve come in a few short years. One of those is the fact that, through what we can only presume is the software engineering version of witchcraft, Sid Meier’s epic Civilization VI game has been squeezed onto iPhone.

And it’s available in the App Store right now — with a 60 percent price discount if you hurry!

Apple made a big deal of people being able to make and receive phone calls with your Apple Watch, but you know what it turns out people prefer doing to answering calls with their Cupertino smartwatch? Declining them, you unsociable bunch!

At least, that’s according to a new Creative Strategies survey of Apple Watch users, shared by researcher Ben Bajarin. Based on the Silicon Valley research firm’s analysis, here’s what else they found Apple Watch owners do on a regular basis:

Respected consumer testing publication Consumer Reports has released its full review of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.

While neither Apple handset quite dethrones Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 as the group’s top-rated smartphone, the testing results do highlight multiple improvements from previous iPhones.

Apple has joined Alphabet, Amazon, and Facebook in opposing a proposed Australian law requiring tech companies to let law enforcement access private encrypted data in suspected criminal investigations.

The law would seek to punish companies which don’t comply with $7.2 million fines, along with prison terms for individuals. It would make Australia one of the first nations to pass major legislation in this area, although other countries may be keen to follow in its footsteps.

Apple Music is teaming up for an exclusive playlist deal with the popular Ministry of Sound music label. The first playlist is set to debut on Thursday, October 4.

The move isn’t just about helping Apple, however. It also hurts Spotify, the only other streaming music company to offer much of a challenge to Apple Music. At present, the Ministry of Sound has several popular playlists on Spotify, which will be removed from all non-Apple streaming services in the days to come.

Okay, so the new iPhones are more waterproof than ever, but if you don’t fancy taking your Apple handset for a dip, the next best thing is a new game that landed in the App Store today.

Called True Surf, it’s a surf sim which claims to be the most authentic surfing experience you’ll find on a mobile device. Check out the trailer below.

The Appel community is all over Samsung these days. And, no, before you accuse us of failing to properly proofread these articles, we’re talking about Appel, a hamlet in the Netherlands with a population of just a few hundred residents.

In an effort to drum up a bit of publicity, Samsung recently handed out free Galaxy S9 handsets to people living in Appel as a marketing stunt. Because, you know, getting people who live in a town with a kinda similar name to that of your competition is totally the kind of thing that keeps Tim Cook up at night!

Apple has rolled out its Business Chat platform in new countries, including Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Singapore, the U.K., and Hong Kong.

The platform is designed to make it easy to exchange messages with companies — whether that is for making purchases, scheduling appointments, or simply asking questions.

Starting today, students at three U.S. universities — including Tim Cook’s alma mater, Duke University — can use their Apple Watch or iPhone for their campus ID.

The feature, also available at the Universities of Alabama and Oklahoma, lets students add their ID cards to their Apple Wallet app. This can then be used by campus ID holders to pay for laundry, lunch, book supplies and more, along with accessing dorms, the gym, or the school library.