Apple spent $6.6 million lobbying Congress and other federal officials in 2018, newly released records show. While that’s approximately in line with the $7 million it spent in 2017, it’s considerably less than the amount spent by some of Apple’s FAANG rivals.
During the same period, Facebook spent $12.6 million, Amazon spent $14.2 million, and Google — the biggest lobbyist by far — spent a massive $21 million. That’s an increase on Google’s $18 million spend in 2017.
The iPod touch hasn’t been updated in three-and-a-half years, the longest period in the product’s history without an upgrade. However, a recent trademark application from Apple gives the slightest hope that its touchscreen music player could have a future.
That’s because Apple has extended the trademark coverage for “iPod touch” to include “Hand-held units for playing electronic games; Handheld game consoles.” While there have long been games available on the iPod touch, this hints that Apple could see gaming as a future primary category for the product to exist in.
These days the job market demands that we be more flexible than ever. So even if you’re not a graphic designer, you might find yourself needing to create graphics for a website, flier, email blast, or some other bit of content. What do you do?
Tim Cook was among the CEOs spotted having dinner at Davos with controversial far-right Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro has made numerous comments that won’t have endeared him to Cook, such as telling an interviewer in 2011 that he would, “rather his son die in a car accident than be gay.” In another interview he said that he was, “proud to be homophobic.” He became president of Brazil in January 2019.
iPhone sales might be struggling right now, but they could see a surprising boost from … climate change?
Apple believes that the negative impacts of climate change, particularly the increase in natural disasters, will make its smartphone even more vital. It points out a number of reasons where the iPhone can help “in the arena of personal safety.”
If buttons, ports, and speaker grilles give you real anxiety when looking at your smartphone, Meizu has the perfect handset for you. It’s called the Zero, and it’s the first phone that completely ditches all of the above for a gorgeous ceramic unibody design.
But is it really worth it?
Back Market, a marketplace dedicated to preowned electronics, now offers a range of iPhone models refurbished by Apple. Before going to Back Market, Apple checks over these units and always replaces some of the components that typically wear out.
In addition, this reseller refurbishes iPhones itself, just not as thoroughly. These sell for considerably less, however.
If you hanker after the point-and-click adventure games of the 1990s (think Full Throttle), you’ll find plenty to like about Pixel Crow and 11bit Studio’s Beat Cop — which just brought its pixellated stylings to iOS.
Inspired by 80s cop shows like Miami Vice, the game puts you in control of an NYPD beat cop in 1986-era New York City. Your character has been busted down from detective after getting in over his head in a previous job. As a result, he’s stuck writing tickets and busting minor hoods, until he can redeem himself.
Check out the stylish trailer below.
Australia’s largest bank, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (abbreviated to CommBank), has announced that Apple Pay is finally coming to its customers.
The bank previously promised that Apple Pay support was coming soon, although it did not give an exact date. “Thanks for all your gentle prompts,” it stated in a tweet sent today. “We read them all. Now you #CanApplePay.”
Updated AirPods are supposedly on their way in the first half of 2019, possibly bringing new health-monitoring functions to Apple’s wildly popular Bluetooth earbuds. The upgraded AirPods’ impressive new features are “expected to receive enthusiastic market responses,” according to the report.
With other companies, such as Google and Amazon, supposedly launching rival wireless earbuds this year, the move could keep Apple ahead of the curve when it comes to innovation.
Every MacBook Pro since 2016 harbors a hidden design flaw that inevitably will require an expensive repair, according to DIY repair website iFixit.
The problem supposedly lies in “delicate” ribbon cables that connect the screen with the display controller inside the main body of the laptop. Opening and closing the clamshell case eventually causes these to wear out and begin to tear, iFixit says.
The Dynamic Desktop is a great macOS Mojave feature. It changes the desktop image throughout the day, so your wallpaper always matches the time of day — nighttime images at night, shadowless glare at noon, and so on. Today we’ll see how to switch it on, and where to find new Dynamic Desktop images to add to the defaults.
Coach’s new lineup of Apple Watch bands are ready to glam up your wrist just in time for winter.
The company has come out with a limited number of new straps that add a splash of couture to your Apple Watch without totally busting your bank account.
Apple’s next billboard may be in your pocket.
Apple is inviting iPhone photographers around the world to submit their best shots for its next “Shot on iPhone” marketing campaign.
Imagine letting a friend connect to your Wi-Fi network just by tapping a hockey puck-sized chunk of wood. That’s the promise of Wifi Porter, an accessory from Ten One Design that saves guests from having to type in a password to get on the net.
It uses NFC and doesn’t require users to install any software.
The dark days of dongle hell might finally be over thanks to a brilliant new accessory that packs five different ports in one cable.
Vonmählen, a smartphone accessory maker based in Germany, revealed its new creation called the High Five. The company claims it’s the first ever 5-in-1 cable that’s so small it fits on your keychain. Best of all, it’s super cheap too.
Fortnite’s newest update brings a brand new item to Battle Royale, while removing one of its most frustrating weapons.
Players can surprise their enemies using the Sneaky Snowman, but it won’t be quite as easy to get around anymore, with reduced spawn chances for Quad Crashers, planes, balloons, and more.
HomePod has a feature that is only available in China and could prove popular with busy parents and the kid who just wants to hear a story.
Apple’s version of a smart speaker made its debut in China and Hong Kong on Jan. 18 with the ability to command “Siri, tell me a story.”
The first iOS update of the year is finally ready for the masses.
Apple is releasing iOS 12.1.3 today, bringing a number of bug fixes and performance improvements to the iPhone and iPad. iOS 12.1.3 is a minor update and doesn’t contain any big UI changes or new features, but it resolves some important issues with CarPlay, iMessage, Photos and the iPad Pro.
Apple’s iPhone XS Max has one of the best cameras in a smartphone – as long as you’re not pointing it at yourself.
The flagship handset tied the Samsung Galaxy X9 Plus for fourth place in a new set of test protocols from DxOMark Labs, which has tested and ranked digital cameras for 10 years.
For the twelfth year in a row, Fortune has ranked Apple number one in its list of “most admired” companies.
Despite Apple’s iPhone-lead decline in recent months, the publication considers that Apple has beaten the opposition in nine different criteria. These include innovation, people management, use of corporate assets, social responsibility, quality of management, financial soundness, long-term investment value, quality of products and services, and global competitiveness.
Apple Pay is now rolling out in Target stores throughout the United States, and will soon be available at Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, and other top retail locations.
The expansion means that 74 of the top 100 merchants and 65 percent of all retail locations in the U.S. now offer support for Apple’s mobile payment platform.
Pixelmator Pro, one of the finest and more affordable alternatives to Photoshop, just got a big new update that adds a bunch of new features and improvements on macOS.
Image editors can take advantage of clipping masks, layer tags, quick opacity and blending controls, and more in version 1.3.
With the endless hours of videos out there, it’s easy to fall deep into a YouTube rabbit hole or binge watch an entire season of reality TV on Netflix. But let’s be honest, that’s often not a very enriching experience. So if you need a regular video fix, it might as well be with content worth watching.
Apple has admitted in court that, when it transitioned to 4G connectivity with the iPhone 5, Qualcomm was the only company capable of providing the chips Apple needed.
The admission of Qualcomm’s technical superiority over rivals came from Matthias Sauer, Apple’s director of cellular systems architecture. Sauer said that Apple considered working with Ericsson, Broadcom and Intel — but that none could deliver the chip specifications that Apple wanted.