Author

Mike Beasley

Keymoji keyboard for iOS 8 translates everything you type into emoji

Mike Beasley Sep 17 2014 - 4:09 pm PT

The Apple Watch may be able to share your heartbeat with someone across the world, but I think we all know that the future of communication actually lies in those little smiling faces called emoji that are usually tucked away in a secondary keyboard on our phones. To ensure that the future of interpersonal conversation is not hindered by the relative difficulty of tracking down just the right icon to express your feelings, one iOS development team has released a keyboard that translates everything you say into emoji.

The keyboard is called Keymoji, and it uses a crowdsourced database of emoji combinations that can then be substituted for words in your text messages, emails, tweets, and other communications (via Re/code). As you type, Keymoji will figure out what you want to say and translate it into a collection of icons that properly convey your message.

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Jailbreak tweak developer releases three new iOS 8 widgets for monitoring your calendar, weather, and more

Mike Beasley Sep 17 2014 - 3:12 pm PT

In March we reported on a new jailbreak tweak called ProWidgets that introduced a whole suite of widgets to the iOS 7 Notification Center. With today’s release of iOS 8, Avanio Labs, the company created by Alan Yip, has released several native widgets for the new operating system. These new add-ons will help you keep track of your calendar and to-do list, monitor the weather, and perform a ton of useful actions on the text stored in your clipboard.

The first of these is Agenda+, which you can see in the screenshots above. Agenda+ combines a list view of your calendar events with a summary of your iOS Reminders. iOS typically breaks these two up into separate widgets, with the Calendar widget showing a full timeline of your day (which can take up a lot of space depending on how many events you have and how late in the day they are).

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Public version of Google Chrome for Mac will go exclusively 64-bit in November

Mike Beasley Sep 12 2014 - 10:42 pm PT

Last month Google released a 64-bit version of the Chrome browser for OS X on its developer channel. However, this version of the app has not yet been made available to the general public. Google announced today in a blog post (via iMore) that the browser would be updated in version 39 not only to add 64-bit support, but to remove 32-bit support.

That means that any 32-bit plugins built on the Netscape Plugin API will no longer function until they are updated for 64-bit systems. This update will be released in November, though an exact release date hasn’t been given yet. Because Chrome uses a silent auto-update mechanism, users won’t have to do anything special to get the update.

AT&T boasts record-breaking iPhone sales following first night of preorders

Mike Beasley Sep 12 2014 - 7:14 pm PT

AT&T announced in a press release today that last night’s iPhone 6 and 6 Plus preorders had set a new record for iPhone sales. As usually happens when a new Apple device goes on sale, the carrier’s backend was so overwhelmed with incoming orders that in stopped responding for most customers, forcing Apple to move to a reservation system that waited several hours until the carrier systems were available before completing many orders.

Unfortunately the company hasn’t given any indication of exactly how many units were sold during last night’s frenzy. Apple reportedly ordered a combined 80 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus units, which was then distributed to Apple Stores, carrier outlets, and other retailers. That 80 million figure is in and of itself a new record, and supplies of the 6 Plus had started running dry at most carriers and Apple’s own store only a few short hours after the phone became available.
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Square and Apple acquisition talks reportedly fell apart over pricing disagreements

Mike Beasley Sep 12 2014 - 3:01 pm PT

TechCrunch is reporting today that Apple and mobile payment processor Square were briefly in talks about a possible acqusition. The talks didn’t get far, it seems, as the two companies couldn’t reach an agreement on how much Square was actually worth. Eventually, Square walked away:

Separately, TechCrunch has heard that Square and Apple were in acquisition talks, but that Square walked away. Apple wanted the company to come aboard, but the discussed price was a sticking point: Apple wanted to buy Square for around $3 billion, one source said. Square, valued at the time at a firm 66 percent delta to that price point, declined to accept.

It’s interesting to consider what Apple Pay might have looked like if the merger had gone through. You can read the more over at TechCrunch.

Tim Cook appears on Charlie Rose, talks Steve Jobs, Beats, and Apple TV

Mike Beasley Sep 12 2014 - 2:09 pm PT

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPp0Sc6KEnQ&channel=CharlieRose&op=9to5]

Tim Cook appeared on Charlie Rose in a multi-part interview, the first of which airs today. In three clips released by the show, Cook discusses Steve Jobs’s continuing inspiration at at Apple, the Beats Electronics acquisition, and the Apple TV, the company’s “hobby device” turned full product category.

The second half of the interview will air on Monday night. You can see the other two clips below:

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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus now available for pre-order through Apple and cell carriers

Mike Beasley Sep 12 2014 - 12:33 am PT

As expected, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are both now available for pre-order on Apple’s online store and carrier websites, at least for some users. As the stores start to catch up to the load, more and more and customers should be able to get in their orders. Initial buyers seem to have the most luck on carrier websites as well as the Apple Store App. The store is almost an hour late in opening.

You can get the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 starting at $199 for the 16 GB model. Unlike previous years, there is no 32 GB option, which was replaced by a larger 64 GB model at $299 and a new 128 GB version for $399.

The iPhone 6 Plus sports the same internals as the smaller model accompanied by a 5.5-inch display and a camera with optical image stabilization. You can get the larger version of the phone in 16 GB for $299, 64 GB for $399, or 128 GB for $499 with a 2 year plan.

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New rumor claims 12-inch Retina MacBook Air will come in space gray and gold

Mike Beasley Sep 11 2014 - 6:21 pm PT

Gold is best

Gold is best

If you’ve just been dying to get your hands on a gold MacBook Air, a new rumor floating around the web is sure to make your day. According to a tech website aptly named A Tech Website, the long-rumored line of 12-inch MacBook Airs that are expected to be released next year will be available not only in the usual silver, but also in iPhone-style “space gray” and gold.

This seemingly insane claim allegedly comes from “someone familiar with Apple’s plans.” More reliable sources have previously claimed that we’ll see a 12-inch MacBook Air sporting a Retina display sometime in 2015, possibly with a fanless design thanks to a more power-efficient processor.

Reuters: Some future model of the Apple Watch will probably have more sensors

Mike Beasley Sep 11 2014 - 4:07 pm PT

Reuters has some big news about future generations of the Apple Watch: according to people familiar with Apple’s plans, the device will eventually get more health-releated sensors. Which generation we can expect to see these sensors or what types of data they’ll collect wasn’t exactly specified, but the company is definitely planning to include additional capabilities in future upgrades.

Of course, this isn’t exactly the most shocking or unexpected news. It would be hard to believe that Apple had hired a group of fitness experts only to give up on improving the headline fitness features in the wearable device after the first version hit the market, and the company is still adding new sensors to the iPhone seven years after it first debuted.

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Samsung releases new set of ads taking jabs at the iPhone 6’s battery, screen, and more

Mike Beasley Sep 10 2014 - 8:51 pm PT

Samsung was already taking shots at the iPhone 6 this morning with some new ads, but the Android handset maker has gone even further by releasing a set of new videos on YouTube today mocking everything from the iPhone 6 livestream problems to the device’s hardware (via Engadget). The ads are part of the “Note the Difference” campaign, and these specific videos belong to a playlist called “It Doesn’t Take a Genius.”

The ads feature two guys in blue shirts—the titular Apple Store “Geniuses”—discussing the upcoming device’s features (and lack of a stylus) and the companion Apple Watch. Each ends with a promotion for Samsung’s Galaxy Note 4 smartphone. You can check out all six ads in the playlist below:

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Apple reportedly pushes back iPhone 6 rollout in China due to regulatory problems

Mike Beasley Sep 10 2014 - 8:03 pm PT

According to a report from The New York Times, Apple is facing issues in China that have led the California tech giant to delay the launch of its latest devices in that country. While many countries will be getting the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus on September 19th, Chinese carriers have been told not to expect it on that date.

Last year’s iPhone 5s and 5c were the first iPhones to hit China the same day as the United States, whereas previous devices had been made available several months after their initial launches. The Times notes that all three of the country’s major carriers were already preparing staff to begin sales on the 19th, and the companies had already bought advertising campaigns for the phones with the expectation that they would have it on day one.

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U2’s new album might be on your iOS devices right now even if you haven’t downloaded it

Mike Beasley Sep 10 2014 - 7:27 pm PT

Yesterday Apple and U2 announced that the band’s newest album Songs of Innocence would be given away to all 500 million iTunes customers for free. Most users likely assumed that they’d have the option of downloading the album if they wanted it, but that’s not exactly how it worked out.

In order to claim the record for “biggest album launch in history,” U2 and Apple needed every single iTunes customer to own the album, so they added it to everyone’s account as a purchase automatically. If you go into your iTunes purchase history right now, you’ll see it there. There’s another place you might see it as well, even though you weren’t expecting it…

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New iCloud plans go live, up to 1 TB of storage space now available for purchase

Mike Beasley Sep 10 2014 - 3:48 pm PT

Yesterday Apple revealed the finalized pricing for its revamped iCloud plans, but at the time they weren’t available for purchase. Today the plans have officially gone live for all customers. As you can see in the screenshot above, users can now buy up to 1 TB of storage space, which will cost $19.99 per month.

You can upgrade your current iCloud plan through the iCloud settings on your iOS device or Mac running an iCloud-compatible version of its operating system. Since the plans are account-based and not device-based, you’ll have access to all of that storage on all of your other devices, as well.

Apple is also refunding existing customers and automatically upgrading them:

We recently announced new, more affordable iCloud storage plans. As a thank you for being a current iCloud storage plan subscriber, we’ve increased your storage plan and you will be receiving a refund based on the reduced plan price.

Your plan has been upgraded from 15 GB of total storage at $20.00 a year to 20 GB at just $10.99 a year. You will receive a prorated refund of $0.52, which is based on the price reduction and the remaining months on your subscription. On September 30, 2014 this 20GB plan will automatically renew and you will be charged $10.99.

We increased the amount of storage in our new plans so you can get most out of our new features like iCloud Drive, which lets you store
and access any type of file from all your devices. All edits you make are automatically updated, which means you’ll always have access to the latest version of all your documents. If you need more storage, you can choose a different plan from iCloud Settings at any time, right from your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. Learn more about iCloud storage pricing.

The iCloud Team
NOTE: This annually priced storage plan is only available to current iCloud storage plan subscribers. You may cancel or downgrade from your device at any time. If you choose to change to one of our new plans, you won’t be able to switch back to this annual plan. You can contact Apple for a refund within 15 days of an upgrade. Partial refunds are available where required by law.

‘Siri, what song is this?’ The iOS 8 GM doesn’t have a clue, but it’s coming back next week

Mike Beasley Sep 10 2014 - 2:56 pm PT

Remember when Apple announced during WWDC that Siri in iOS 8 would be getting several cool new features, including the ability to figure out what song is playing with a music recognition engine powered by Shazam? In the recent GM build of iOS 8, the feature has been removed completely. Apple notes that it should be back in time for the general public release of the OS, however.

In earlier betas, Siri would automatically start listening for music when invoked, and identify anything playing. This approach proved to be a bit counterproductive, as the software would often misinterpret air conditioners, wind, or a sneeze in the background as music and keep trying to identify it even after the user had finished issuing a command.

[tweet https://twitter.com/ChristopoulosZ/status/509817977538379776 align=’center’]

To resolve that, later betas removed the automatic listening mode and required the use of a command such as “what song is this?” However, in the GM build (which by definition is identical to the one that will ship to all users next week), the feature is totally non-functional. Asking “what song is playing” or similar will attempt to ID the song playing from the user’s library, which often results in a response of “You’re not listening to anything right now.”

[tweet https://twitter.com/Jamie367p/status/509819859589685248 align=’center’]

Why the feature was removed in the GM build is a bit of a mystery when it seemed to work perfectly fine when triggered by a voice command. Other new Siri features, like “Hey Siri” mode, are still available in this version. It’s possible this could just be due to some sort of bug that went undetected or a server-side issue that will be resolved before the official release.

Jony Ive discusses Apple Watch design in new ABC News interview clip

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 10:35 pm PT

Earlier this week, ABC News teased an exclusive look at Apple’s newly-revealed product lineup. Today, the network put the first clip from that segment online, giving viewers a peek at an interiew with Tim Cook conducted right after the press event. Now ABC anchor David Muir has posted another clip, this time featuring Apple’s design chief Jony Ive.

In the clip, Ive notes that the entire Apple Watch project has been in development for about three years and discusses the “millions” of possible band, face, and casing combinations that make up the full family of wearables.

You can view the two-minute video below. The full interview aired earlier this evening, but is not yet available online.

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Apple rumored to be in acquisition talks with Path for another attempt at social networking

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 10:03 pm PT

ping

Apple tried to get social with the iTunes Ping network in 2010. Things didn’t work out so well. (Image via Wired)

Apple and social networking don’t have such a great history, but the Cupertino tech firm is ready to give it another go, if new rumors regarding a potential acquisition of the Path social app are true. According to PandoDaily, Apple is already in talks with the mobile social network and the merger is “essentially a done deal.”

Path, for the uninitiated, is a mobile-only social networking app launched in 2010 that features photo sharing, private messaging, and other features you’d expect from a basic social service. It isn’t as widely popular as something like Facebook or Twitter, but it’s estimated to have somewhere around 25 million users and could provide Apple with a decent platform to create its own network.

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Sprint debuts new ‘iPhone for Life’ plan with unlimited data and iPhone upgrades every two years

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 6:10 pm PT

Sprint has debuted a new iPhone-exclusive plan that allows users to “rent” an iPhone for two years, then upgrade to the newest model for $70 a month (via Bloomberg). The plan allows users to get the latest Apple smartphone for no money down and no tax, then pay $50 a month for unlimited data, texting, and calling, plus $20 each month for the phone, for a total of $70 monthly.

After two years, users will be able to switch to the newest iPhone model. However, because the phone is only being “rented” from the carrier, it must be returned in at the time of upgrade, where customers on a typical two-year contract would be allowed to keep the device after they paid it off.

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Apple releases iTunes 11.4 update for OS X Mavericks, adds support for iOS 8

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 3:41 pm PT

iTunes 11.4 has been released following Apple’s announcement that iOS 8 will be available next week. The GM seed of the software is available now for developers, and the new iTunes update enables syncing with devices running the mobile update.

Many users on OS X Yosemite trying to install the iOS 8 GM seed have run into a serious issue, however. The current version of iTunes 12 crashes after erasing a user’s device, leaving them stranded in DFU mode with no way to actually get back to a usable state (unless they have a Mavericks machine handy). If you are running Yosemite exclusively, it’s probably best to wait for an iTunes 12 update before attempting to install the GM.

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ABC News goes one-on-one with Tim Cook to talk Apple Watch and Steve Jobs

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 2:45 pm PT

Yesterday ABC News teased an exclusive interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, and following today’s keynote address we got a chance to see ABC’s David Muir talk to the executive about the new Apple Watch, which Cook notes in the clip was only started after Steve Jobs passed away in 2011.

Cook notes that he thinks Jobs would have been “incredibly proud” of the company’s work and its first foray into the new wearables product category.

You can see the clip below.

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Tim Cook’s memo to employees: I am ‘excited’ about ‘this new chapter in Apple’s story’

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 1:52 pm PT

Tim Cook sent a memo to Apple employees praising them for the work that was put into the new products announced during today’s media event and expressing his excitement for what he calls “this new chapter in Apple’s story.”

Earlier today Apple unveiled its newest line of products, including two new iPhones and the Apple Watch, the company’s first entry into the wearable market.

You can read the full letter from Cook below:

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Apple publishes new iPhone 6, Apple Watch pages on redesigned website

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 12:05 pm PT

Apple has just wrapped up its media event and has pushed several new pages online. The first is a new page dedicated to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and the second is a page for the Apple Watch. But Apple has gone even further, revealing a whole new look for its entire website that features a flattened navigation bar.

A new page about the U2 “Songs of Innocence” album is also live, and includes details on how to redeem your free copy of the album.

Apple has also, for the first time ever, released an iPhone-optimized version of its site. Check it out below:

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Apple announces new wireless technologies in iPhone 6, including VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling

Mike Beasley Sep 9 2014 - 10:31 am PT

Apple has announced several new wireless features for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, including faster Wi-Fi that achieves speeds of up to 3x faster than previous models. New LTE technology is also preset, allowing speeds of up to 150 Mbps.

Perhaps more importantly, Voice over LTE calling has been enabled, and can take advantage of the new Wi-Fi hardware to place calls over a Wi-Fi connection while still using your cellular phone number. T-Mobile is one of the first carriers rolling this out in the United States.

The iPhone 6 will operate on over 200 carriers on 20 different LTE bands.

Mayo Clinic will reportedly take part in HealthKit presentation during Apple media event

Mike Beasley Sep 8 2014 - 11:44 pm PT

Apple first unveiled its Health application and associated HealthKit framework during WWDC earlier this year with a quote from Dr. John H. Noseworthy, CEO of the Mayo Clinic, a development partner for the iOS Health platform. Now a new report from the Star Tribune claims that the Mayo Clinic will have a role in revealing the next-generation health capabilities of an upcoming device at tomorrow’s event.

It’s not yet clear whether this will happen during a look at iOS 8 or during the preview of Apple’s first wearable device and its health-tracking capabilities. Apple is expected to give details about both during the event, along with two new versions of the iPhone.

Despite denial from band, U2 still set to perform at Apple event tomorrow says New York Times

Mike Beasley Sep 8 2014 - 5:16 pm PT

Recent rumors that indicated U2 would be involved in the launch of tomorrow’s iPhone 6 and iWatch have been shot down by the band, but the New York Times said today the musicians will in fact have a role in the event. According to three sources who spoke to the Times, U2 is scheduled to perform during the event and announce an “integration” of its upcoming album with one of Apple’s new devices.

Apple and U2 have had a longstanding relationship since the launch of the original iPod, when the band revealed a special edition black and red “U2” model. Tomorrow’s event is one of the most-hyped Apple events in recent years, and has been given a full-page countdown timer on the company’s home page. Earlier today ABC News called the upcoming announcement “groundbreaking” and “historic.” It would make a lot of sense for Apple to team up with U2 again for such a big reveal.

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