Imagination Tech Starts 'Dispute Process' With Apple Over Chip Licensing Rights

Thursday May 4, 2017 4:08 am PDT by
Long-time Apple chip supplier Imagination Technologies has started a "dispute resolution procedure" with Apple after failing to resolve a disagreement over licensing between the two companies (via Reuters). Last month, Apple informed the British chipmaker that it plans to cease using its graphics technology in consumer devices over the next two years as it transitions to using its own in-house ...

Apple's App Analytics Platform Now Includes Info on Where Customers Discover Apps

Wednesday May 3, 2017 6:40 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that its App Analytics platform in iTunes Connect now provides developers with insight into where customers discover apps, a welcome change that will give developers more information on where app referrals are coming from. Developers will be able to see if customers are finding apps from App Store browsing and search, from within other apps, or from web referrals.App...

Apple Updates 'Clips' Video App With Live Title Improvements

Wednesday May 3, 2017 2:48 pm PDT by
Apple today updated its Clips social video creation app for the first time, introducing some minor feature tweaks and improvements. When using Live Titles, which is designed to allow users to add captions to videos via voice transcription, there's now an option to edit the title by tapping on it. Clips has also gained a new feature that makes it easier to share content with people who...

Brookfield Residential Announces Plans to Offer HomeKit Standard in New Homes

Wednesday May 3, 2017 11:26 am PDT by
Homebuilding company Brookfield Residential today announced plans to offer Apple HomeKit as standard in new communities where it builds homes. The Delano neighborhood in the Eastwood Village of Irvine, California will be the first to feature all connected homes that are able to interface with HomeKit and will be equipped with HomeKit-compatible accessories like lights, thermostats, locks, and...

SoundCloud Introduces Daily Personalized Music Curation With 'The Upload'

Wednesday May 3, 2017 10:40 am PDT by
SoundCloud today launched a new feature called "The Upload," which will act similarly to Apple Music's My New Music Mix and Spotify's Discover Weekly playlists by curating a list of new songs specifically personalized to each user's listening habits. The company said that The Upload will make it much easier to filter through SoundCloud's ever-expanding library of music, which sees new tracks...

Brother's Entire Lineup of Mobile Printers Now Certified by Apple's Made for iPhone Program

Wednesday May 3, 2017 10:10 am PDT by
Brother today announced that every series in its mobile printer lineup now features at least one model certified by Apple's MFi Program. MFi-certified printers are fully compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, enabling users to print instantly from an iOS device via Bluetooth, without the need to download special drivers. That's in addition to existing AirPrint support on select...

Sprint Announces 'Magic Box' to Improve LTE Data Download and Upload Speeds By 200%

Wednesday May 3, 2017 8:39 am PDT by
Sprint today announced the "Sprint Magic Box," a small plug-and-play device that the carrier said will "dramatically improve" LTE data services and connections for any Sprint customers in its range. The indoor consumer device is built to be placed near a window, and is free for qualifying customers, with no installation, labor, or rental costs attached to its use. The Magic Box doesn't require ...

Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat With Both HomeKit and Built-In Alexa Now Available to Pre-Order For $249

Wednesday May 3, 2017 8:10 am PDT by
Ecobee today announced that its next-generation ecobee4 smart thermostat with built-in Amazon Alexa voice services is now available to pre-order for $249 on its website in the United States. Pre-orders are estimated to start shipping on May 15, the same day it will hit shelves at Lowe's, Home Depot, and Best Buy. Like the ecobee3, the ecobee4 continues to support Apple HomeKit, IFTTT, and...

Apple Pay Launches for HSBC Australia and 20+ U.S. Banks

Wednesday May 3, 2017 4:15 am PDT by
HSBC has launched Apple Pay support for customers in Australia for the first time, enabling any Visa and MasterCard branded credit card issued by the bank to be added to Apple's mobile wallet. HSBC said the majority of its customers' credit card payments are already contactless and it expects Apple Pay will be quickly embraced as part of the wider shift towards tap-and-go payments. "Our...

Apple Offering Free Redeem Codes for Hit Game 'Chameleon Run'

Wednesday May 3, 2017 3:09 am PDT by
Apple has made highly rated autorunner game Chameleon Run a free download for anyone who uses the Apple Store iOS app. The fast-paced, colorful runner offers some unique jump mechanics amid the stylish graphics. The aim of each level is to reach the end of the course without touching a platform that has a different color to the main character. To do this, players must jump and switch between...

Friday Labs Debuts New HomeKit-Enabled 'Friday Lock'

Tuesday May 2, 2017 5:46 pm PDT by
Friday Labs today announced the long-awaited launch of its Friday Lock, which was originally introduced in 2015 as part of an Indiegogo campaign for the "world's most advanced smart lock." When the lock was first conceived, HomeKit-compatibility wasn't mentioned as a feature, but the release version of the device supports Apple's smart home system. According to Friday Labs, the Friday...

Facebook Messenger's Instant Games Now Rolling Out Worldwide, New Features Added

Tuesday May 2, 2017 5:19 pm PDT by
Facebook's Instant Games feature, first introduced in November, is now available worldwide. Along with expanding Instant Games worldwide, Facebook is also introducing new functionality first announced at its F8 conference, including turn-based gameplay and additional games. Turn-based gameplay has been a highly requested Instant Games feature. Prior to today, games were single player, with...

Apple's 'Other Products' Category Sees Strong Growth in Q2 2017

Tuesday May 2, 2017 3:33 pm PDT by
Apple's "Other Products" category, which includes the Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, iPod, and Apple-branded and third-party accessories, is seeing solid growth according to Apple's Q2 2017 earnings results. Revenue from "Other Products" was at $2.87 billion during the quarter, up from $2.19 billion in the year-ago quarter. Apple Watch sales doubled year-over-year during the...

App Store Revenue Up 40% Year-Over-Year, Sets New Quarterly Record

Tuesday May 2, 2017 3:18 pm PDT by
During today's earnings call for the second fiscal quarter of 2017 (first calendar quarter), Apple announced that its App Store revenue was up 40 percent year-over-year, setting a new all-time quarterly record. Overall, services brought in $7 billion during the quarter, up from $6 billion in the year-ago quarter. Apple's "Services" category includes the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay,...

Elevation Lab Debuts New 'BatteryPro' iPhone and Apple Watch Charger

Tuesday May 2, 2017 9:00 am PDT by
Elevation Lab today introduced its latest product, the BatteryPro charger that's designed to be an on-the-go charging solution for both the Apple Watch and the iPhone. The BatteryPro features an integrated Apple Watch charging puck, so there's no need to supply your own Apple Watch charger, and it has a USB-A port (and included cable) for charging the iPhone. At 8,000 mAh, it's able to...

Strava Expands Social Features With 'Athlete Posts' to Enable Sharing Beyond Workout Updates

Tuesday May 2, 2017 7:15 am PDT by
Running and cycling app Strava today announced a new update focused on expanding the social aspect of the app's toolset, launching first for 36 professional athletes and expanding to all users later this summer. Called "Athlete Posts," the new feature will let the group of athletes post personal stories, ask their fans questions, share gear tips and recommendations, detail their workout plans,...

Alleged Leaked Fitbit Photos Show Upcoming Smartwatch Looks Like a Blaze

Tuesday May 2, 2017 5:44 am PDT by
Photos emerged online overnight that allegedly reveal the design of Fitbit's first "true" smartwatch, rumors of which we covered last month. The images were originally published by Yahoo Finance and appear to show that the company's upcoming Apple Watch rival looks very similar to the $150 Fitbit Blaze fitness watch, which has been on sale since early 2016. The watch's square face, physical...

Apple Exploring Electronic Tagging Solution For Easily Tracking Dietary Intake

Tuesday May 2, 2017 4:56 am PDT by
Apple is exploring an electronic tagging solution to make it easier for Apple Watch users to track their calorie and nutritional intake as part of a healthy lifestyle, as shown in a patent newly granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Many of today's healthy eating and diet-based food apps require users to manually input nutrition information into their mobile devices, whether by...