Formerly built and distributed by defunct Canadian smartphone-maker, Research in Motion, BlackBerry devices were among the most popular smartphone flagships in the world — long before Apple came around with iPhone in the summer of 2007 and upended the smartphone landscape as we know it. And while the BlackBerry brand still lives on to this […]
Once upon a time, predictive policing systems (akin to the one seen in 2002 film Minority Report) were thoroughly fictional. Those days might very well be over. According to an investigative report by The Verge, CIA-funded data-mining firm Palantir Technologies has deployed a proprietary predictive policing system in New Orleans since at least 2012. The […]
The main goal of using a VPN is to protect your identity while browsing the web. Reasons to protect your personal data or staying unnoticed online are infinite, and more obvious now than ever before. See if you identify with the top five most common reasons for using a VPN, reported in our recent survey. You want […]
We’ve covered a seemingly countless number of reports in which Apple’s iPhone has been accused of sparking fires — in some instances, causing grave bodily harm to those caught in the fray. But the latest incident of an iPhone 6 gone up-in-flames, which took place back in 2016, is arguably the most heart wrenching among […]
Apple has been granted a patent that imagines using an OLED or LCD display as a dynamic keyboard — hinting at a possible addition to the MacBook or iPad Pro lineup. Patent number 9,904,502, titled “Dual display equipment with enhanced visibility and suppressed reflections,” was published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this week. […]
Apple on Wednesday is officially moving iCloud accounts belonging to Chinese users to state-run servers in the country, worrying both human rights groups and digital privacy advocates. The Chinese iCloud accounts — and the encryption keys needed to unlock them — are being transferred from a hosting service in the U.S. to servers owned and […]
Hot on the heels of the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Apple has added the ability to track two major snow-related sports to the Apple Watch Series 3. Starting today, skiers and snowboarders running watchOS 4.2 can use their wearable to track detailed activity data about their respective sports. That includes a variety of specialized snowboarding- […]
As the cost of commodities like food, clothing, and consumer electronics continue to rise, savvy shoppers are increasingly scouring for ways to boost their disposable income and save cash by taking advantage of the many fantastic rewards and rebate offers available on the web. The App Store is home to several must-have mobile apps designed to […]
AT&T and Sprint’s 5G rollout plans have been freshly announced. But T-Mobile wants consumers to know that it isn’t falling behind — and that it might even one-up its competitors. T-Mobile said it is laying the groundwork infrastructure for 5G networks in 30 cities by the end of 2018, the Uncarrier said in a press […]
For quite a while, Spotify has been the dominant music streaming platform. It’s ubiquitous and packs a wide set of features. Spotify was probably the best streaming service at one point, but it might be losing that crown to Apple Music. Use the Right Arrow to Learn 9 Reasons Why Apple Music Is Better Than Spotify.
California’s Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) this week announced sweeping new rules and regulations which inherently pave the way for companies including Uber, General Motors, and Faraday Future to begin testing their “fully autonomous” vehicles — self-driving cars without safety drivers behind the steering wheel — on the Golden State’s open roads. In its announcement, the […]
Apple will soon launch its own health care network for company employees and their dependents, according to a new report and a quietly published website. The Cupertino tech giant is slated to open a pair of health clinics this spring in Santa Clara County, where Silicon Valley is located, sources familiar with the matter told […]
Apple has been diving deep into the world of original TV content for quite some time now, and the list of star-studded features the company plans to release continues to lengthen. A Variety report posted today sheds light on another exciting Apple TV-series in the works, this one written by Tony Basgallop and produced by Shyamalan’s Blinding […]
The race to rollout 5G is heating up. Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T have already announced their 5G plans, and today, Sprint announced its own. Sprint said it will roll out “5G-like capabilities” across three U.S. cities starting in April, including Chicago, Dallas and Houston. By the end of the year, the telecom company will roll […]
Samsung over the weekend unveiled its next-generation Galaxy S9 and S9+, which represent the South Korean tech titan’s 2018 flagship offerings and boast a myriad of cutting-edge features and innovations. But while they may be the company’s latest, greatest, and most powerful smartphones on offer, a new slate of benchmark scores published this week reveal […]
Indicating that new iTunes security updates are on the horizon, Apple on Monday announced via the web that it plans to discontinue iTunes support for select “older devices” beginning May 25, 2018, which will prevent them from using the latest version of its popular digital music management software. According to Apple’s announcement, impacted devices will […]
iPhones are normally incredibly secure devices. But an Israeli data extraction firm recently announced that it can bypass the strong encryption on basically any iPhone currently on the market. Cellebrite, an Israel-based data extraction vendor and high-profile U.S. government contractor, is apparently advertising that it can unlock Apple devices running iOS 11 — which includes […]
Multiple reports have converged around the idea that Apple will introduce three new iPhone models this fall — a revamped 5.8-inch iPhone X, a 6.1-inch LCD iPhone model, and a much larger, 6.5-inch OLED iPhone model dubbed iPhone X Plus — all of which will allegedly flaunt advanced, Face ID technology and iPhone X styling. […]
A third-party microphone manufacturer is claiming that the final release of iOS 11.3 is due out next week — but you should take that with a grain of salt. Shure, which produces professional-grade audio recording hardware in addition to iPhone-compatible microphones, made the claim in a tweet responding to a user inquiry on Feb. 23. […]
Apple uses Google’s public cloud to store data across its various iCloud services, the company revealed on a webpage updated last month. The update to the iOS Security Guide was first spotted by CNBC and disclosed in a report published Monday. It’s Apple’s first official confirmation that it relies on the Google Cloud platform for its […]
Samsung over the weekend took the wraps off its next-generation Galaxy S9 and S9+ smartphone flagships. While the handsets look nearly identical to their predecessors, the company’s S9 duo flaunts a myriad of new and highly-advanced features, which Samsung hopes will make them appeal to consumers as a ‘better alternative’ to Apple’s iPhone X. But […]
Apple could unveil a pair of high-end, over-ear headphones as soon as this year, according to a new analyst prediction on Monday. Those over-ear headphones would be Apple-branded, unlike similar devices already released under the company’s Beats Electronics subsidiary, according to a KGI Securities research note penned by well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. They’ll sport an […]
Price doesn’t necessarily equal quality. That’s true for physical products as much as it is for software. When it comes to the Mac, there’s a wealth of apps that are completely free, yet incredibly useful or surprisingly powerful. And because these apps don’t cost anything, there’s little excuse not to try them out. From media […]
Back in August of 2016, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) published an Apple patent titled “Electronic devices with sidewall displays” which described the company’s vision of an iPhone boasting side-mounted display panels. These panels, according to the original patent, “may alternately function as virtual buttons, virtual switches, or informational displays” which are supplemental […]
We’ve witnessed a trove of vintage, obsolete, and historic Apple products — from ages-old Mac computers deemed the last in existence, to a pair of ultra-rare never-before-worn Apple tennis shoes — hit the auction block, some going on to fetch unprecedented sums of money. And while it stands to reason that a 30-year-old Mac in […]
There is a repair facility in Elk Grove, California where Apple devices go to be restored and refurbished. But, apparently, those devices keep butt-dialing 9-1-1. That may sound humorous, but the sheer volume of false alarm calls is actually snarling the local emergency response system. Since October 2017, Apple devices have made approximately 1,600 accidental […]
For years, iOS and Android users have been requesting a proper dark mode for their respective operating systems. And now, it seems, the latter camp is getting their wish fulfilled. A Google Issue Tracker post seems to confirm that dark mode is coming to Android. The post was made by a Google employee in response […]
A new report on Friday has corroborated previous rumors about the launch date of Apple’s AirPower wireless charging mat. According to these reports, the wireless charging accessory could hit shelves as soon as next month. Earlier this month, a Best Buy tipster told The Apple Post that the Cupertino firm would launch AirPower and its […]
As a publicly-owned, worldwide leader in technology, innovation and design, Apple’s stock (traded under the NASDAQ ticker symbol, AAPL) has endured a wild ride over the years. From its Initial Public Offering (IPO) of just $22 per share back in December of 1980, to the tech giant’s unprecedented growth, resulting in massive, per share gains […]
If you’re an Apple user, you automatically get 5 gigabytes of iCloud storage for free. Unfortunately, most of us know how quickly that space can get filled up. Your iCloud storage is used — obviously — when backing up your iOS devices. That’s convenient, but if you have a larger device with a lot of […]
Apple is currently holding discussions to secure long-term supplies of cobalt, a metal used in smartphone batteries, according to a new report. Reportedly, Apple is in talks to begin buying cobalt directly from mining companies. Cobalt, a hard silver-gray metal, is an essential material in the production of lithium-ion batteries used across Apple’s product lineup. […]
Despite their array of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual voice-driven assistant capabilities, a new survey out this week found that the majority of smart speaker owners use their devices almost exclusively to carry out basic tasks (like listening to music).
Though 89 percent of owners indicated they’re still satisfied with their purchase.
The data, which was analyzed in a report published by Loup Venture founder and former Piper Jaffray analyst, Gene Munster, was collected via a poll of 520 U.S. consumers — 31 percent of whom indicated that they owned a smart speaker, be it an Amazon Echo, Google Home, Apple’s HomePod, or other device featuring AI capabilities.
Of that 31 percent, the survey found that just over half (55 percent) of active smart speakers are Amazon Echo devices, 23 percent are Google Home devices.
Surprisingly enough, Apple’s HomePod (which has only been available since earlier this February) has already managed to capture 3 percent of the market.
Interestingly, another 15 percent of respondents said they used a product reliant on Microsoft’s Cortana virtual assistant, which is impressive given Cortana hasn’t enjoyed nearly the amount of publicity as its competition. The Harman Kardon Invoke is just one example of a Cortana-powered alternative to the Apple, Google, and Amazon monopoly.
With market penetration at around 30 percent, Munster says the results of the survey “roughly resemble the current market landscape” — save for what he believes is a “slight overrepresentation” of Cortana users, relative to an underrepresentation of Echo users.
While Munster acknowledged the burgeoning nature of the market, his survey most interestingly found that of those who own a smart speaker device, 89 percent report satisfaction with it.
Moreover, that already impressive metric can be even further broken down, with 59 percent of respondents saying that they’re “satisfied” and the remaining 30 percent saying they’re “very satisfied” with their purchase.
Such high satisfaction, however, could be a reflection of user’s “relatively low expectations,” Munster added, noting how the survey revealed that most users don’t expect much from their smart speakers in the first place.
It found top three smart speaker uses were playing music, checking the weather, and asking general questions — in that order.
Less than 15 percent of respondents said they’ve used other functions such as placing a call, text, or controlling smart home accessories. Just 5 percent reported using them for tasks like pulling up directions or making an online purchase.
“The top use cases for smart speakers today make sense because they are well defined and they work consistently,” Munster noted, adding that “This works really well for simple Google-able questions or fetching info from a weather app, but as the use cases broaden, it is not always clear where to send a query.”
Munster noted that the survey findings represent a mere “stepping off point” for what could, over the next few years, grow into a thriving market of AI-powered hardware and software devices.
Indeed, smart speaker usage patterns could evolve substantially, too, as tech giants like Apple and Google work to enhance their respective software/hardware ecosystems — potentially even paving the way to a ‘paradigm shift’ in how users interact and engage with the world around them.
The future of 5G is nearly upon us. Intel today announced that 5G-capable laptops could be coming as soon as next year.
Intel’s XMM 8000 modems — packed with commercial 5G technology — are expected to show up in Dell, HP, Lenovo and Microsoft notebooks in the second half of 2019, the company wrote in a press release.
“Imagine immersing in untethered VR from anywhere in the world, or downloading a 250 megabyte file in seconds from a parking lot,” Intel wrote. “Or imagine being able to continue participating in a multiplayer game as you ride in an autonomous vehicle on the way to class.”
The company said it’ll show off what 5G might look like in a laptop at a special Mobile World Congress demonstration next week. That sneak peek will be a concept “2 in 1” device powered by an early prototype of Intel’s 5G modem.
While Intel’s press release focused on its partnership with Windows PC makers, it stands to reason that the company will also supply Apple with its 5G modems — eventually, at least.
The next-generation broadband technology is largely expected to revolutionize a variety of industries. It’ll change the way we compute, communicate, and even the way we commute through the proliferation of connected driverless cars.
While much of the hype around 5G centers around nascent technologies and ultrafast smartphone speeds, the new broadband standard is just as likely to impact PCs and notebooks. Even though LTE notebooks are still relatively rare, with blazingly fast 5G technology, laptops with cellular chips could become the norm (and could even replace wired computers).
Theoretically, a 5G-connected laptop would be able to harness extremely fast mobile speeds with a low latency. That means the notebook of the future could play online games just as easily as it could stream multiple 4K videos at once.
Intel isn’t the only company jumping on at the chance to spearhead 5G. Earlier this week, AT&T announced that it would be one of the first telecom companies to roll out 5G networks in the United States. By the end of the year, AT&T said it will deploy 5G in three U.S. cities.
Apple is planning some big upgrades for upcoming generations of its AirPods wireless earbuds, according to a new report.
Those upgrades will be part of a larger effort to boost the company’s wearables business. And, like with the Apple Watch and its other products, the Cupertino firm will update new versions of its Bluetooth headphones periodically.
As soon as this year, Apple could unveil a new generation of AirPods with upgraded wireless capabilities and components, sources familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. Presumably, an upgraded wireless chip — likely a successor to Apple’s W1 or W2 chip — will allow for faster and more stable Bluetooth connections.
The new AirPods, designed by the same department that worked on HomePod, could also sport always-listening “Hey Siri” functionality. This would allow wearers of the wireless earbuds (dubbed B288 internally) to activate the digital assistant without tapping on the headphones, which is how AirPods users currently summon Siri.
Next year’s AirPods, on the other hand, is slated to feature some degree of water resistance. While they likely won’t be submersible, the idea is to make them less prone to damage by splashes or rain, the sources said.
AirPods this year are likely to launch with a new wireless charging case that will be Qi-compatible and designed to work with Apple’s new AirPower charging mat.
While the wireless charging case is also slated to be a standalone product for purchase, Apple could also bundle the new case with the second-gen AirPods. In fact, some tentative rumors have suggested that this will be the only way to get a wireless charging case from third-party retailers.
Last December, well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicted a new model of the wireless headphones to debut in the second half of this year.
While details on the headphones’ upgrades were sparse at the time, Kuo noted that it would likely feature a “smaller quartz component.” That may be part of the rumored upgraded wireless chip and components.
While the launch of AirPods was met with some skepticism, the wireless earbuds have been generally well-received by consumers and critics. Bloomberg points out that the product has been one of Apple’s top-performing devices since it launched a year ago.
Its positive reception was reflected in the fact that Apple faced serious supply constraints when the product first launched. For quite a while, it was fairly difficult to purchase a pair of AirPods. Kuo called the demand “brisk” last holiday season.
That may be due to the fact that AirPods were arguably the product that took truly wireless headphones to a wider mainstream market. According to analysis by research firm NPD Group last year, AirPods sales have made up a staggering 85 percent of the total amount of money spent on wireless headphones in the United States.
Apple’s “Other Products” category, which includes the company’s wearables, has seen revenue growth of 36 percent year-over-year, Bloomberg reported.
If you’re an iPhone or Mac user, or even if you aren’t, there’s a good chance that you’ve been to an Apple Store. These clean and sleek retail outlets are like small bastions of the company’s design aesthetic and customer philosophy. And they’re spread out across the world and of course, staffed by Apple Store employees.. But even if you are an Apple Store regular, there are actually quite a few things that you might not know about the brick-and-mortar outlets and the people who work there. Use the Right Arrow to Learn 9 Things Apple Store Employees Really Want You to Know.
Your iPhone is available at your disposal to help in dire situations – and it takes care of a multitude of things. It has your watch, a compass, a level, and can obviously make a phone call when you need help. But it can’t do everything. So consider all of the utilities that it doesn’t have, then check out the following tactical survival gear; it could save your life one day.
When you’re traveling alone, or even with friends and family, you need to be prepared for anything. Whether that’s an unwelcome visitor or even a car accident, this emergency auto survival kit will get you out of sticky situations safely.
Included in the package is the T3 Tactical Triage and Rescue Tool. The T3 features a seat belt cutter, a spring loaded window punch, and even a flashlight.
Imagine being able to free yourself or a loved one from their seatbelt after a car accident (in complete darkness), then punching out the vehicle’s glass window without bruising your elbow or hand. Also included in the package is a glow stick, emergency drinking water, gauze pads, nitrile gloves, bandages, antibiotic ointment, and more. Get it and save 29% here.
Imagine being stranded in the wilderness. It’s you against the elements. You haven’t had anything to drink in 24 hours. You’re getting weak.. There’s a stream nearby, but is the water safe to drink? Well, it might not have been before, but it’s safe to drink now because you remembered your LifeStraw emergency water filter.
According to the product’s Amazon description, the “Time Magazine Invention of the Year winner, the LifeStraw contains no chemicals, no batteries and no moving parts to wear out. It features a high flow rate and weighs only 2oz. The ultimate survival tool for hiking, camping, ultralight backpacking, hunting, travel, scouting, and emergency preparedness, its straw design is ideal for purifying water from streams, lakes, ponds and other contaminated sources. No disaster kit or bugout bag is complete without a LifeStraw, an essential component of any prepper gear lineup.”
The LifeStraw removes a minimum 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites, 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria, filters to 0.2 microns, and surpasses EPA filter standards. That’s pretty amazing. Get it and save 20% here.
Flashlights are not all created equal. And when it comes to flashlights, brighter is better. 500 lumens of power and an adjustable zoom provides up to one mile of range and a handy built-in SOS mode could help save the day.
Better yet, this package features two UltraBright Tactical Military Flashlights for the price of one 490 lumen Maglite. Now that’s something that will brighten anyone’s day. Get it and save 50% here.
Regular lighters are laughable. The flame from a traditional Bic can’t withstand the slightest gust of wind. Imagine relying on that in an emergency situation. Truth is, you can’t. Enter the next generation of lighter tech. This plasma lighter works by creating electric-current arcs with just the press of a button. Charge it up using USB and light nearly anything without worrying about the windspeed. No gas or lighter fluid required. Get it here, in one of three colors, for only $17.97.
It might not save your life per se, but this endoscopic Wi-Fi camera will certainly make your life a lot easier. Having trouble with your car’s engine and need to see what’s going on in a tight space? Or need to see exactly what’s clogging your bathroom drain? Wherever you need to see, this camera is going to give you eyes in places you never thought were possible. It’s waterproof, features an HD 1080p sensor, and can slip into the tightest places like inside the dryer, behind the bed, and or anywhere in between (literally). Get it and save 60% here.
When it comes to survival, the more tools you have, the better. Why not have all of them in one device? This multitool features 14 tools including a knife, pliers, screwdrivers, wire cutters, a wire stripper, scissors, a package opener, bottle and can openers, a file, and even a ruler. Even better yet, all of these tools can be accessed with one hand. It’s compact, lightweight, and even features a 25-year limited warranty. Get it for $49.95 here.
So you’ve got all of the tools to survive the most epic travels at home or abroad, except an electrical outlet. Never run out of juice with free energy from the sun.
Charge any device over USB with this solar charger’s dual 1A and 2.1A ports. This sun-powered battery pack features a 5,000 mAh hour battery, which could recharge an iPhone from 0% to 100% and then some. Best of all, you can take it outdoors (obviously) and never worry about water damage. Get it and save 60% here.
So, you’ve got a lot of survival gear. And when you’re out in no-man’s land you simply can’t afford to lose an item. That’s where a tracker comes in. This 3-pack of mini trackers allows you to locate a lost item using Nut’s companion app. Each device features audible alerts and will even notify you when you’ve left an item behind. Get the 3-pack and save 53% here.
This super-slim portable battery features 3.0 HyperCharging technology, meaning it will charge your Fast Charge compatible devices up to twice as fast as a standard wall charger. Not only that, but its large 3,300mAh battery can fully charge a dead iPhone from 0% to 100%. Best of all it’s compatible with iPhone 5 and later, or any other USB device. Don’t get stranded without power. Get it and save 50% here.
While all of the previously listed gadgets can help you in a dangerous situation, no item is better equipped to help save your life than flamethrower. Need to scare a bear? Flamethrower. Need to light up some brush? Flamethrower. Need to make delicious s’mores? Flamethrower. Need to keep warm? Flamethrower.
Unfortunately, Elon Musk’s insane (yet useful) flamethrower is no longer for sale, and it sold out surprisingly quickly. But luckily, you can still pick up a plasma lighter to get that campfire started.
When you want to tweak your iPhone’s preferences, you’ll usually open up the Settings app. That’s basic iOS 101. What you might not know is that there is actually another way to interact and change your device’s settings.
They’re called USSD codes, and they’re a communication protocol used by cellular telephones. But, in practical usage, they’re a way to tweak certain hidden settings and access secret features of your phone.
USSD codes harken back to a time before smartphones and touchscreen. Think your old, brick-like Nokia. As such, they’re entered via the Phone app in the same process as dialing a phone number.
Once the code is inputted, you can access, change or view the preferences of certain features or settings. Beyond just generally being a cool thing to know, they can even be useful.
Of course, you’ll want to be careful with some of these codes. Randomly entering some of these codes can negatively impact important settings that are pretty critical for your device. As a good rule, try not to go disabling things unless you know exactly what it is you’re turning off or on.
Use the Right Arrow to Browse 19 USSD Codes That Unlock Hidden Features in Your iPhone.
A New York woman is crediting FaceTime with helping to save her life after she suffered a stroke during a video call on Apple’s proprietary service.
Opokua Kwapong, a food scientist who lives alone in New York City, says she was on a FaceTime call with her sister in Manchester, England. Kwapong’s sister, Adumea Sapong, said she noticed that her older sibling “didn’t look right” and began to slur her speech, the BBC reported.
Kwapong, 58, said she had just awoken from a nap when her sister gave her a FaceTime call. At the time, Kwapong said she did not realize how dire the situation was.
“My sister looked at me and said she could see that my face didn’t look right,” Kwapong told the BBC. “She also said that I was slurring my words, but I thought she was just fussing and I didn’t believe her.”
Sapong first advised that her sister take some aspirin with a glass of water. But when Kwapong struggled to pick up the glass or even walk, Sapong said she knew the incident was serious.
“Then I noticed on the FaceTime video call that her face was drooping. I told her she needed to hang up and immediately see a doctor,” Sapong said, adding that she conferenced in another of her sisters — who happened to be a doctor and also recommended immediate emergency assistance.
Kwapong finally agreed, hung up and dialed 911. Following a series of scans at the hospital, Kwapong was diagnosed with a brain clot. The stroke left her paralyzed on her left side, according to the BBC.
“There is no doubt that FaceTime saved my life,” Kwapong told the British publication. She added that, since the incident, she has come to rely on the video calling technology to conference for work since she is not able to travel as much.
“You hear a lot of negative stories about the internet and technology, but I think this is an example of how technology can be a force for good,” Kwapong said.
This isn’t the first time that someone has attributed an Apple product with helping to save their life.
In October, a Brooklyn man tweeted that his Apple Watch saved his life when it alerted him to a spike in his heart rate, which prompted him to call his doctor. The man later found out that he had a dangerous condition called a pulmonary embolism.
Last April, another man said his Apple Watch allowed him to quickly call emergency services after a car crash left him suspended by his seatbelt.
And just a week ago, a Pennsylvania mother said her Apple Watch’s SOS feature helped save her and her 9-month-old baby after a drunk driver struck the vehicle they were in, according to Shape.
After promising earlier this year that it would be among the first domestic wireless providers to begin rolling out its next-generation 5G network, AT&T this week officially announced the first three U.S. cities in line to be blanketed with the carrier’s multi-gigabit 5G network by the end of 2018.
The first recipients of AT&T’s next-gen network include: Dallas, Texas; Waco, Texas; and Atlanta, Georgia.
The other nine cities will be announced in the coming months, AT&T said.
“We plan to offer mobile 5G to customers in a dozen cities, including parts of Dallas, Atlanta and Waco, Texas, by the end of this year. We’ll announce additional cities in the coming months,” AT&T said in its official press release.
Both AT&T and Verizon previously announced plans to begin rolling out their next-generation 5G broadband networks, which promise substantial — albeit variable — speed enhancements in comparison to 4G LTE. But while 5G speeds will vary, depending on each carrier’s respective network configurations, AT&T stressed in its announcement that its network will be based on ‘3GPP standards.’
3GPP is regarded as the “international body comprising a range of telecoms associations,” which was formed for the purpose of establishing and agreeing upon universal standards for 3G wireless services, the publication noted.
“Our initial mobile 5G deployments this year will be based on 3GPP standards and operate over mmWave spectrum. We will use mmWave to provide mobile 5G in some areas, and then we will deploy the technology on additional spectrum bands,” the company said, noting that the way its “implementing 5G in the initial deployments will also seamlessly integrate with current LTE technologies using the non-standalone configuration outlined in 3GPP release 15.”
The carrier noted how the LTE-capable equipment its deploying today will allow its customers to “easily migrate to 5G” when it becomes more readily available — however it’s worth noting that some, if not most current devices, including Apple’s latest iPhone and iPad models, are unable to take advantage of the new speeds.
It’s more than likely that a next-generation iPhone, perhaps in 2019, will include support for AT&T’s upcoming mmWave network frequencies.. Apple hasn’t rushed to adopt new wireless technologies, historically speaking. The Cupertino company lagged years behind its competition in adopting 3G and 4G LTE so it could unfortunately be even longer until we see an iPhone that’s compatible with AT&T’s network.
Chanel is partnering with Apple Music to produce a collection of playlists curated by “friends of the house” and inspired by previous runway show soundtracks.
The Sound of Chanel, as the compilation is being called, features a series of playlists curated by a host of the French fashion house’s celebrity fans, including Pharrell Williams, Sébastien Tellier, and Caroline de Maigret.
Pharrell’s playlist, for example, contains tracks from artists like the Talking Heads, Solange, Calvin Harris and Future. De Maigret’s tracklist has songs by a range of more classic artists such as Nina Simone, The Velvelettes, Elvis Presley, and Little Willie John.
There is also a “best of” compilation of previous Chanel runway soundtracks put together by Michel Gaubert, one of the fashion industry’s leading sound designers. It features songs by Khalil, Elton John, Kraftwerk, Daft Punk and Konx-Om-Pax.
Presumably, Chanel will continue to add celebrity-curated playlists to the collection as time goes on. Gaubert’s “Chanel Show” soundtrack is also likely to be continually updated.
The Apple Music partnership is a first for Chanel, though it makes sense considering the fashion house’s focus on music, Vogue points out.
The fashion house’s creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, once said that “music gives color to the air of the moment.” And, together with Gaubert, Lagerfeld has created an impressive series of musically underscored shows.
You can listen to the Chanel compilation on Apple Music, or via the dedicated hub in the iTunes Store.
Though it might be Chanel’s first musical partnership, it’s not the first time that Apple has teamed up with a fashion house for a collaborative project. The company is famous for partnering with the likes of Balmain, Alexander Wang, Hermès, Fendi, and Undefeated to produce exclusive or limited edition products and devices.
This week, Apple received certification from the Eurasian Economic Commission (ECC) covering new products (including at least one, if not two, new iPad models) which the company could unveil as early as next month, MacRumors reports.
The filings, which were first uncovered by French publication Consomac, are legally required for any encrypted devices sold in select Eurasian countries like Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, among others.
Notably, the filings presented in this report consist of two new iPad models — A1893 and A1954 — which interestingly do not appear to correspond with any of Apple’s existing iPad, iPad mini, or even iPad Pro model numbers.
It’s unlikely that the odd numbers indicate there are new or even “drastically revamped” iPads on the horizon.
More logically, given the timing of their certification, is that Apple could be working on a refreshed variant of its $329 budget-centric 9.7-inch iPad, which was released in March of last year via an official press release.
Other possibilities are that Apple could be working on a new iPad mini model, though we’ve heard the company has given up on its smallest iPad form factor before — notably as the size of its iPhone screens are expected to increase substantially this fall.
As you can see in the short list provided by Consomac, above, there are additionally a number of “sample” products listed among the ECC filings, some of which have model numbers beginning with ‘AA’ and ‘CC’, which MacRumors was quick to note is “uncharacteristic” of past Apple products and therefore it’s unclear, at this time, what products they could even be.
Two possibilities include Apple’s AirPower wireless charging mat, which we haven’t heard much of lately and its previously announced AirPods wireless charging case, but only time will tell…
Back in December, 2017, we covered a DigiTimes supply chain report which cited that Apple could be working on an even cheaper, budget friendly iPad model which could cost just $259.
And while it’s not entirely clear what kind of power and capabilities we can expect of an iPad priced so affordably, we can venture to guess it will retain the 9.7-inch form factor complete with a Home Button, Touch ID, an LCD display and more than likely a reasonable performance boost thanks to the inclusion of a newer A-series chip.
The current budget iPad flaunts Apple’s A9 SoC — a Dual-core 1.84 GHz — while the new device could potentially be bumped up to an A10 Fusion of unknown specifications.
Other features of the current iPad include an 8-megapixel rear camera, 1.2-megapixel front camera, dual speakers, Touch ID, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth 4.2.
Unlike iPad Pro, however, it does not support Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard input.
Speaking of iPad Pro, meanwhile, its worth noting that Apple is believed to be preparing a major iPad Pro refresh for sometime this year.
That device will be a more premium model, however, boasting design hues similar to the iPhone X, an Octa-core CPU, Face ID and TrueDepth camera system in place of Touch ID, and advanced AR applications — although we’re probably not going to see the first signs of that model until Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, 2018, at the earliest.
While we have no indication of a firm release date at this time, MacRumors noted how Apple could announce its new iPad models via an official press release — similar to how it announced the current iPad model last March, alongside the stunning, PRODUCT (RED) variants of its iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
In years past, Apple has been required to obtain similar certifications through the ECC, covering devices including its 10.5- and 12.9-inch iPad Pros, Apple Watch Series 2, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and even the MacBook Pro with OLED Touch Bar — all of which were released within just weeks of their respective certifications.
Fast Company this week published its 2018 list outlining the world’s most innovative companies, with Apple scoring the top slot for its role in “delivering the future today,” according to the publication.
“The 2018 edition of the World’s Most Innovative Companies spans more than 350 enterprises across 36 categories,” Fast Company noted. “From the world’s most valuable firm and its continuing transformation of consumer electronics, to a small outfit selling natural gum to preserve rainforests. We hope you’re as inspired learning from these businesses as we were in selecting them.”
Of the top ten corporations on this year’s list, Apple was given the No. 1 slot for its unique “approach to the hardware and software engineering that creates its experiences,” which according to Fast Company “has never been more ambitious.”
“Our North Star is making the best products in the world,” said Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook.
In its extended company profile praising the tech titan, Fast Company noted how “Apple has continually revolutionized the consumer electronics industry.”
Other companies who made the top ten include Netflix, Square, Tencent, Amazon, Patagonia, CVS Health, The Washington Post, Spotify, and the National Basketball Association (NBA) — in that order.
Each firm who made the list is accompanied by an extended profile on its history, including its most notable achievements, as well as commentary on its potential to maintain its current level of innovation.
To view the complete list, be sure to visit Fast Company’s website.
The Federal Communication Commission’s rollback of net neutrality rules will be officially published this week, and could take effect in April.
While the FCC voted in December to rescind the Obama-era net neutrality protections, the actual order dismantling those rules is expected to be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, two sources close to the matter told Reuters.
The repeal will take full effect 60 days after it is formally published in the Federal Register, an online government journal containing agency rules, proposals, and public notices.
If it is published Thursday, that means the new FCC rules will take effect around April 23.
But the formal publication in the Federal Register also means that state attorneys and consumer advocacy groups will be able to sue to block the order from going into effect, Reuters reported. Similarly, Congress also has a 60-day deadline to introduce legislation that would overturn or block the FCC’s vote.
While a slew of advocacy groups filed petitions to block the net neutrality repeal in January, they’ll need to refile within 10 business days of the new rules’ publication. Many state attorneys have also threatened to sue to protect the old net neutrality rules.
The FCC, headed by Trump-appointed chairman Ajit Pai, voted 3-2 in December along party lines to overturn the net neutrality protections. The rules, introduced under the Obama administration, were meant to bar internet service providers from throttling speeds to certain content or charging more for priority access.
Broadly, internet providers and many Republicans in government support the FCC repeal. On the other hand, Democrats, consumers, and internet and technology firms are overwhelmingly against it.
Congressional Democrats are already planning on proposing a resolution in the Senate to block the FCC’s repeal — and they’re fairly close to doing so. Google parent company Alphabet, Facebook and Amazon have also lent their support to bids hoping to save net neutrality, Wired reported.
But such a resolution would have to make it through the House of Representatives, where the GOP holds a greater majority. From there, it would go to the White House, where President Trump can — and is likely to — veto it.
We have less than a week to go before Samsung unveils its Galaxy S9 and S9+ flagships, though we already know just about everything there is to know about them, including a number of their key specifications, physical design, release date and more.
According to a new GSMArena report, which cites multiple mobile industry sources in the United Kingdom and Norway, we now [potentially] have an idea of what the S9 and S9+ will cost when they finally hit store shelves sometime in mid-March — though each source appears to hint at a slightly different price point.
Techradar confirmed that a 64 GB Galaxy S9 will retail for £739 ($912) in the United Kingdom — marking a £50 ($61) price hike relative to a Galaxy S8 with the same storage.
The publication went on to note that sources originally cited the S9 could cost as much as £100 ($123) more than its predecessor, the Galaxy S8. However, “A £100 price hike from the S8 is no longer on the cards and it’s looking much more like a £50 increase instead,” said one U.K. mobile industry source cited in the report.
Interestingly, U.K.-based mobile phone specialists, Clove Technology, cite on their website that an unlocked Galaxy S9 will retail for even more — as much as £800 ($986.90), which is just a few dollars more than the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 cost when it launched last September.
In Norway, meanwhile, at least one mobile industry source alleges that a 64 GB version of the Galaxy S9 will cost as much as 8,790 NOK ($1,121) while a Galaxy S9+ of the same capacity will cost a whopping 9,790 Norwegian Krone ($1,248).
Given that the S9 duo hasn’t officially been released yet, we highly recommend taking these pricing details with an extra grain of salt.
Moreover, while the price of U.S. Galaxy S9 and S9+ variants was not revealed, it’s definitely worth pointing out that the price of mobile phones in European countries generally runs higher than here in the U.S.
So while it’s somewhat difficult to discern what they could cost through a U.S. carrier like T-Mobile or Verizon — if anything is apparent from these pricing leaks, it’s that U.S. customers holding out for the Galaxy S9 or S9+ should be prepared to pay a premium, too.
North Korea is ramping up its hacking efforts. The existence of a new group of hackers in the hermit kingdom has been disclosed Tuesday. And they’re allegedly targeting major international firms.
A new group of North Korean spies and hackers has been identified, and their available methods and tools are extremely sophisticated. The group — known alternatively as “Reaper,” “Labyrinth Chollima,” or “APT37” — can even steal documents from computers that are disconnected from the internet, according to a research paper published Tuesday by cybersecurity firm FireEye.
Worryingly, FireEye’s intelligence arm has tracked the group’s efforts and says that Reaper has “expanded its operations in both scope and sophistication.” It has been active since 2012 and focuses on South Korean defense targets.
Reaper is apparently an entirely different group than the one that has been previously tied to alleged North Korean cyber attacks in the past, including the 2014 Sony Pictures attack and the WannaCry ransomware campaign last year. That hacking outfit is known as Lazarus.
But according to FireEye, Reaper could become a global threat that both governments and companies should take seriously.
John Hultquist, FireEye’s director of intelligence analysis, told CNN Tech that Reaper has been stepping up its spying initiatives on South Korean companies. These companies, Hultquist added, are multinational firms with offices and infrastructure across the globe.
And while he declined to name any particular firms, he told the publication that the South Korean firms are Fortune 500 companies and are “crown jewels” of the economy in the country.
Some notable firms that fit that description? LG Electronics, Hyundai and South Korean tech juggernaut Samsung Electronics, which is the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world.
In a separate interview with NBC News, Hultquist said that North Korea’s cyber campaigns have become “increasingly aggressive.” And along with espionage, the efforts have branched out into disruption attacks and cybercrime.
There’s evidence that the group is expanding its focus beyond South Korea, too — and picking targets in the Middle East, Japan and Vietnam. And FireEye believes that Reaper is only going to become more active.
“We expect very aggressive activity in the near future,” Hultquist told CNN Tech.
Amid the rollout of its iOS 11.2.5 software update, some iPhone users are complaining that a number of Christian and Jewish holidays are mysteriously absent from Apple’s mobile calendar app, according to multiple media reports.
It’s unclear at this time, however, if the omission of certain Judeo-Christian holidays (including Easter Sunday and Good Friday) is the result of a software glitch, or some kind of conspiracy. But their absence, for many customers, prompted a whirlwind of outcry over on Apple’s official support forums this weekend.
“How come Easter isn’t showing up on my calander [sic] but all the other holidays are?” one user posted, initiating the discussion, while another subsequently claimed Apple support informed them that the holiday had been removed intentionally.
Easter Sunday — the culmination of a week-long celebration commemorating the life and resurrection of Jesus Christ — falls out on April 1, 2018. However the holiday does not appear on some user’s calendars in the latest iOS update — even though it was interestingly present in the previous version of iOS 11.2.2.
Default iOS calendar settings include U.S. holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas and Independence Day, and users even have the option to customize their calendars by adding a range of ‘Alternate Calendars’, including Chinese, Hebrew, Islamic and many more.
A Christian Calendar, however, is absent from this list in iOS 11.2.5.
Christianity is the world’s largest religion, according to a 2015 Pew Research Center survey which estimated that around 2.3 billion of the world’s 7.6 billion inhabitants follow it.
In addition, Apple’s Hebrew calendar doesn’t appear to show major Jewish holidays, such as Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah — however it does show others, including Tishri and Hevan.
Multiple media outlets, including FOX, Breitbart, and LifeSite News, have reached out to Apple for comment, but the company has yet to respond as of Tuesday morning.
It’s highly likely, given the inclusion of other Christian holidays like Christmas and Christmas Eve, that the absence of Easter and other key dates is merely a software glitch due to the annually-changing nature of the date Easter Sunday falls on — however we’ll just have to wait for Apple’s acknowledgment until we know for sure.
Learn More: 5 Excellent iPhone and iPad Calendar Apps You Have to Try
The iOS Calendar app helps many people manage their day-to-day schedules. It supports multiple calendars, integrates with iOS, and has excellent widgets users can add to Notification Center. But as great as it is, it may not be the best choice for everyone.
Maybe you want to be able to customize your calendar’s look. Maybe you want a calendar that’s a little bit smarter. Or maybe you want to combine your calendar with your to-do list.
Whatever you’re looking for, there may be a third-party app that fits your needs on the App Store. Use the right arrow to browse five excellent iOS calendar alternatives.
Apple is widely rumored to be working on a successor for its popular iPhone SE device. And today, a supply chain report might shed a bit more light on what that so-called iPhone SE 2 could look like.
The report comes from Chinese news site QQ.com and cites sources who are extremely close to Apple’s supply chain in Asia. And while the QQ.com report lines up with rumors that have been circulating since last August, the publication’s sources have revealed new possible details about the device. The report was first spotted by Italian outlet KeyforWeb.It.
For one, the iPhone SE 2 is expected to be a thoroughly mid-range device. That means it won’t adopt some of the higher-end features of the iPhone X. Rather, the second-generation iPhone will appear similar to the current iPhone SE, complete with top and bottom bezels, a Home button, and a metal back construction.
That means no gesture-based controls, no wireless charging, and likely no Face ID. QQ.com corroborated the fact that the iPhone SE 2 will likely retail Touch ID as its primary authentication method.
Interestingly, the sources also claim that the device will sport a slightly larger 4.2-inch display. While that might make the device a bit more unwieldy in the hand, Apple could slim down the bezels to pack some extra display real estate into the same form factor.
As far as its internals, the Chinese news site says that the device will pack an upgraded A10 Fusion chipset and 2GB of RAM. Two storage configurations will be available: 32GB or 128GB.
QQ.com’s sources say that the iPhone SE 2 will retail for about 4,000 yuan when it launches. That’s roughly $630. Which is quite a bit more than the $399 mid-range price point for the current 16GB iPhone SE.
On the other hand, Apple’s devices typically retail for slightly more in other countries than they do in the U.S. The present model 16GB iPhone SE, for example, currently retails for about 2,988 yuan in China. That’s $470 in U.S. currency, and about a $70 markup over the U.S. price.
All things considered, the rumored iPhone SE 2 could still fit within Apple’s mid-range pricing (Estimates were made via Google’s currency converter.)
The report claims that Apple will unveil the iPhone SE 2 at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
That’s not outside of the realm of possibility. Apple has unveiled iPhone devices at the event in the past — though the last time it did so was with the iPhone 4 in 2010.
Reports about a possible second-generation iPhone SE 2 first surfaced in August 2017. Many of them claimed the device could play a central role in Apple’s “Made in India” strategy.
Notably, today’s QQ.com rumors line up extremely well with a previous spec rumor about the iPhone SE 2. Last year, India-based news site Tekz24 reported that the device could sport an A10 Fusion CPU and 2GB of RAM, and that it would come in 32GB and 128GB configurations.
Additionally, other reports corroborate the fact that the iPhone SE 2 won’t be upgraded with wireless charging or Face ID.
A June announcement date at WWDC is a possibility, and is supported by analyst forecasts. But it’s worth noting that Apple could just as likely announce the iPhone SE 2 in March — which would line up with the company’s track record for the 4-inch device.
Apple on Sunday released iOS 11.2.6, an emergency update that patches a critical text bug that plagued Apple ecosystem users over the last week.
That issue is the “Telugu” text bomb that was widely disclosed last week. The bug, which involves a Unicode character in the Indian Telugu language, caused a range of issues with Apple’s various operating systems.
When sent to a device, the bug could crash whatever messaging app was used to receive it. In many cases, the app kept crashing upon re-opening. Users reported having to delete and reinstall the app, or attempt to erase the messaging thread with the afflicting characters, to stop the crashing.
Additionally, since the bug involved issues with rendering the Unicode character, the Telugu letter could cause problems in any app in which the character was pasted. That included web browsers on both iOS and macOS, and other applications. If displayed in a notification, the bug could also cause issues with SpringBoard — the under-the-hood application that manages the iOS Home screen.
Reportedly, the issue stems from how the character is displayed in Apple’s own San Francisco font. As such, apps that use a different font are seemingly unaffected according to anecdotal reports.
Thankfully, Apple is issuing fixes for the bug across its entire lineup of operating systems. The fix comes just a few days after it was revealed to the general public, and less than a week after developers first began reporting it.
iOS 11.2.6 is available as a free download for eligible devices. You can install it via Settings > General > Software Update.
The issue has also reportedly been patched in beta testing versions of Apple’s upcoming iOS 11.3 operating system. The third iOS 11.3 beta was seeded to developers on Monday, with a final release expected to rollout this spring.
Not only does Apple continue to enhance and perfect its mobile camera technology with each iPhone and iOS update, but the burgeoning popularity of iPhone photography has, over the years, given rise to a trove of third-party accessories designed to enhance Cupertino’s already second-to-none camera tech.
While Apple doesn’t currently offer any self-branded iPhone camera accessories of its own, the company is certainly no stranger to how popular they’ve become with mobile photographers.
A new Apple patent application published earlier this week by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office appears to cover what Apple ironically describes as a next-generation small format factor (SFF) camera lens attachment — an after-market accessory compatible with Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, and even MacBook.
Apple’s patent application, as described by Patently Apple, quite simply talks about an accessory lens which may be “attached, mounted or held relative to the camera lens of a device such that the accessory lens directs light passing through the accessory lens to the camera lens.”
Apple’s invention, additionally, may be capable of producing “improved image quality” for iPhone cameras when using accessory lenses, given that these lenses can be used to “shrink or expand the focal length of the camera lens, or to enable closer-focusing macro capabilities.”
See (FIG. 1A), above, which illustrates Apple’s invention in its CAD-rendered form — and (FIG. 8), directly below it, which outlines the process of how Apple’s advanced SFF system works, functionally.
Sadly, the likelihood that Apple is actually working on an after market camera lens attachment like this is slim to none — though it’s definitely worth pointing out that the company is currently working on several augmented and virtual reality projects, some of which could potentially incorporate an ‘advanced camera accessory’ similar to what Apple is describing here.
Keep in mind, of course, that given this is merely a patent application, we have no real way of knowing if a product like it will ever come to market.
Apple, for better or worse, has a known penchant for patenting more than it produces. While the thought of an Apple-branded camera accessory is bound to excite iPhone fans and mobile photographers, it’s worth pointing out that the third-party mobile camera accessory market is already brimming with a number of high quality iPhone and iPad camera lens attachments.
Like this powerful, 8x Telephoto Smartphone Lens Attachment, enabling you to capture crisp images boasting up to 8x the zoom. Its simple and easy-to-use design clips onto your smartphone in just seconds, and the unit’s clever ‘twist-to-zoom’ architecture gives you quick and precise control of your zoom level. Get it here for just $12.99 (74% OFF)
Those who’d prefer more options than stationary zoom will find great value in this fantastic five pack of Clip & Snap smartphone camera lens attachments. Not only are these high-quality glass lenses designed to enhance your photo’s crispness and clarity, but a variety of lenses, including a 180-degree Fish Eye, Telephoto, Wide Macro and more, ensure you’ll be equipped to capture the perfect shot no matter where the journey takes you. Get it here for just $17.99 (74% OFF)
If you’re trying to get extra “up-close-and-personal” with the object in your iPhone’s viewfinder, then you’ll fall in love with the Blips Macro smartphone lens kit. Powered by a dedicated iOS app, this unique lens kit includes two (Macro and Super Macro’ lenses, designed to easily attach to and detach from your iPhone. According to The Verge, this Blips lens kit is by far ‘The best way to put a microscope in your pocket.’ Get it here for just $24.99 (24% OFF)
Professional and novice iPhone photographers will delight in the affordable (yet capable) LimeLens Universal Smartphone Camera lens set. Consisting of a powerful 10x Macro Perspective lens; a 0.67x wide-angle dual-purpose lens; a 190° Supreme Fisheye lens, and three Limeclip attachments — this set truly contains all you’ll need to capture fantastic photos on the fly. Get it here for just $39.99 (59% OFF)
