News - page 621

It’s one thing to be reminded that Apple turned 43 earlier this week. But it’s another when a major anniversary comes around for something which, seemingly, arrived just a couple of months back.

That’s how I feel about the fifth anniversary of ustwo’s Monument Valley. One of the most stunning iOS games yet created, the beautiful puzzle game landed in the App Store this month in 2014. To celebrate its birthday, its creators have given it a neat anniversary update. And thrown in a couple of videos for good measure.

WhatsApp Business for iOS has begun its worldwide rollout.

The new app, which lets businesses connect with their customers in an instant, made its debut on iOS last month — but only in a small number of countries. Now you can get your hands on it anywhere.

India is cutting the price of the iPhone XR by up to 22 percent in an attempt to boost sales.

Apple has long wanted to make meaningful inroads into India with its potential customer base of 1.3 billion people. However, this is the first time that it been willing to reduce the selling price of one of its latest iPhones in order to do so.

Want to hear Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak talk about his career and the future of tech? As part of Purdue University’s Ideas Festival, Woz is headed to West Lafayette, Indiana, later this month.

Wozniak will join Purdue Engineering Dean Mung Chiang to discuss the early days of Apple, and Woz’s vision for the future of technology. The event is free to attend, but you’ll need to book tickets ahead of time.

Vizio has started inviting TV owners to test AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support.

The invites come just over a month after users started registering their interest in the beta. Apple’s frameworks are baked into Vizio’s new SmartCast 3.0 platform, which is managed via an iOS app.

Apple permanently slashed the price of HomePod in the United States and a number of other countries. The company’s first smart speaker now lists for $299 — a full $50 less than its original price.

Update: In a statement, Intel says: “As we said in November 2018, Intel plans to support customer device launches in 2020 with its XMM 8160 5G multimode modem.”

Apple replaced Qualcomm with Intel when it comes to producing modem chips for iPhones. But now Intel is the subject of its own “increasingly stormy” relationship with Apple — and the immediate future of 5G iPhones is at stake.

According to a new report, Intel was supposed to be the main provider of 5G modem chips for Apple’s 2020 iPhone. However, it has continually missed deadlines along the way. As a result, users may not get the super-fast iPhone connectivity they’re hoping for until a bit later.

A smartphone chassis, allegedly destined for the 2019 iPhone, has leaked out on Chinese social media.

The metal plate seems to indicate Apple’s next-generation handset will have an additional rear-facing camera. And just as other rumors have hinted, they will be arranged in a strange triangular formation.

Apple has promoted Adrian Perica to the role of Vice President of Corporate Development. The company updated its Leadership webpage to highlight Perica in the new role.

He will now report directly to Tim Cook. In his new role, he will be responsible for Apple’s mergers, acquisitions and strategic investing efforts.

Cupertino’s congestion problems are about to get little bit of help from Apple’s wallet.

The iPhone-maker has offered to spend $9.7 million on bikeways and pedestrian projects in the city in light of a proposed ballot measure that could cost Apple $9 million a year in taxes.

People find Google Duplex both amazing and slightly creepy. And this service, which can make restaurant and hotel reservations via synthesized voice calls, is now available for iPhone or iPad.

Duplex can be unnerving because it works so hard at mimicking human voice habits.

A side-by-side test of four iPhones running current and older iOS versions found that the more recent ones drain batteries more quickly.

This result is likely to feed the concerns of people who refuse to upgrade their iPhone’s operating system for fear that doing so will render the device useless.

Apple is preparing an entry-level “iPhone XE” that will be introduced this fall, according to a sketchy new report.

The device is claimed to be an iPhone SE successor with huge improvements, including an edge-to-edge display and Face ID. It could also pack Apple’s latest A12 Bionic processor.

A new music app release from Klevgrand is always something to get excited about. And a new guitar amp simulation app? Almost as rare as an in-the-wild sighting of an AirPower mat. Combine both, at an introductory price of just $10, and you have a pretty special day. The app is called Stark, and it’s also the first Audio Unit amp sim for iOS.

The first truly wireless Beats earbuds have finally arrived.

Beats unveiled its new Powerbeats Pro earbuds today which are a successor to the Powerbeats 3 buds that feature an over-the-ear support system. The new Powerbeats Pro feature some of the same features you’ll find on the new AirPods, only in a sporty, sweat-resistant package with more color options and a larger price tag.

Check out the teaser:

Verizon’s rollout of 5G mobile data service is finally underway in the U.S. after nearly a year of hype about the technology.

Certain parts of Chicago and Minneapolis are the first two places Verizon customers will find 5G coverage, though it is fairly limited. At least 30 cities are expected to get Verizon 5G by the end of the year, but getting on the network isn’t so simple.

The new iPad Air has suffered a customary teardown after finding its way into the hands of iFixit.

As expected the device shares a lot in common with the 10.5-inch iPad Pro. But if you look closely, you’ll find Apple has made a whole bunch of big changes that make this more of a mid-range iPad than a smaller flagship.

Here’s what was found under its hood.

Some reports have suggested that a 5G iPhone may arrive this year (not likely) or next (a lot more likely). However, UBS analyst Tim Arcuri thinks both of these are too optimistic as forecasts.

In a new note to clients, Arcuri suggests that the chance of a 5G-capable iPhone for 2020 are “not good.”

Think Fortnite is all good fun? Not according to doctors it’s not. Some health professionals are likening the hit game’s addictive effects to hard drugs.

“[Players] are not sleeping. They are not going to school. They are dropping out of social activities. A lot of kids have stopped playing sports so they can do this,” Michael Rich, director of the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders at Boston Children’s Hospital, said.

A 10-year Apple employment plaque signed by Steve Jobs is up for auction. The 6 x 12-inch framed plaque was given to Apple employee Suzanne Lindbergh in 2000. It is signed in black felt tip by Apple’s former CEO and co-founder, whose autograph is considered one of the most sought-after from collectors.

Online bidding is currently at $4,189. The item is expected to sell for upward of $15,000 when biding closes on April 10.

Apple has emerged triumphant in a seven-year legal battle with the company RXD Media over who owns the name “iPad.”

RXD had claimed that it owned the rights to the name based on its ipad.mobi platform, which launched two years before Apple debuted the iPad. The resolution to the case, which backs up a 2018 trademark hearing, finally brings an end to the saga.

Samsung will give you a minimum of $200 for any old iPhone — no matter what condition it’s in.

As long as your device turns on, has been restored, and is not blacklisted, you’ll qualify for the offer. But there is a catch: Your credit can only be spent on a new Samsung phone.

Japan Display will supply OLED screens for the upcoming Apple Watch Series 5, according to a new report.

This will be the Japan Display’s first foray into OLED screens. The deal is said to be a “breakthrough” for the company, which has been suffering as a result of Apple’s move from LCD to OLED displays for the iPhone.

An Apple employee was allegedly illegally harassed by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) while passing through Customs. Andreas Gal, founder of Silk Labs, an AI startup acquired by Apple, says he was asked for the passwords to his Apple-issued phone and computer.

When he asked to speak with a lawyer, due to the contents being covered by a nondisclosure agreement, CBP officials reportedly refused. Instead, Gal was threatened with prosecution.

The electrocardiogram (ECG) feature of the Apple Watch was only turned on last week in Europe there’s already a report of it discovering a serious heart condition in a German man.

This is exactly what it’s intended to do: find heart problems for which there are no obvious symptoms.