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Tag: iPhone

  • Apple Is Going to Break iPhone Sales Records This Weekend, Says Foursquare

    Foursquare, which has gotten out of the check-in business (well at least they’ve put it off to the side) and focused more on local recommendations, has a lot of location data at its disposal.

    And it recently used said data to make a prediction about this weekend’s iPhone 6s mania.

    According to Foursquare, Apple will sell between 13 and 15 million new iPhones this weekend. That would be a record for the company.

    To make this prediction, Apple looked at historical foot traffic to Apple stores leading up to previous launches, as well as Apple’s public sales data.

    “For each launch, visits to the Apple stores spike in the week leading to launch day with a major spike on launch day and shortly thereafter. Over the last three years, foot traffic has increased by 200 to 300 percent on launch days over the average Friday,” says Foursquare.

    “Looking at Apple earning reports from the same period, we can assess how launch weekend sales volumes perform versus normal weeks. In 2012, Apple reported sales of around 5 million units — an increase of around 140% over the normal weekly sales volumes that quarter. In 2013 and 2014, Apple sold around 9 and 10 million units, an increase of around 245% and 230% respectively.”

    Based on this link, Apple says foot traffic at Apple stores this Friday will push 360% that of a normal Friday.

    Of course, a lot more goes into sales that foot traffic and historical sales data. But Foursquare’s prediction isn’t that much higher than Apple’s own shipping figures.

  • The Pope May Screw Up Your New iPhone 6s Deliveries, Ugh

    If you live in New York, consider your Friday ruined.

    There’s a decent chance that you won’t be taking tequila shot selfies on Friday night – well, you probably will, just not with the iPhone 6s’ cool new screen-flash.

    Apple has sent out an email to New Yorkers who purchased the new iPhone, warning them that their pretty new rose-colored devices may not arrive on Friday, September 25th – the day IT’S SUPPOSED TO.

    “Thank you for your recent Apple Store purchase. Your iPhone 6s 64GB Rose Gold is scheduled for delivery on Friday, September 25th. However, due to traffic restrictions expected for that day in New York City, your delivery may be delayed. If we’re unable to complete the delivery on Friday, we’ll also be making Saturday deliveries at most locations,” reads the email. “We know you’re looking forward to receiving your new iPhone, and we apologize if your order is affected.”

    Damn right looking forward to it. What traffic restrictions, ugh?

    Oh yeah.

    The Pope’s coming to America. Blame #coolpope for your day-late iPhones. Just another reason to boycott, right?

  • iPhone 6s Lands Sept. 25 with 3D Touch, Live Photos, and 4K Video

    As expected, Apple unveiled its new iPhones today at its big event – the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. Surely trying to battle the notion that the “S” versions of iPhones are only minor upgrades, Apple’s adopted the slogan “the only thing that’s changed is everything” for this new set of phones.

    The iPhones haven’t changed in size – the 6s is still 4.7 inches and the 6s Plus is 5.5. They do have plenty of hardware improvements, however, including a new 64-bit A9 chip and new ion-strengthened glass.

    One of this biggest additions to the new iPhones is 3D touch, which uses pressure to differentiate tapping actions. Basically, the new iPhones will perform different actions based on how hard you press it.

    “iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus introduce new ways to navigate and experience iPhone by sensing pressure to enable new gestures — Peek and Pop™ — so you can dip in and out of content without losing your place. Press lightly to Peek at a photo, email, web page or other content, and press a little deeper to Pop into the content itself. With Quick Actions, 3D Touch provides shortcuts to the things you do most, so you can send a message or take a selfie with just a simple press from the Home screen,” says Apple.

    Some of the cooler new elements to the iPhone 6s come from upgraded cameras, which are now 12 megapixels on the back and five for the front-facing one.

    Live Photos is Apple’s new ‘wow’ feature, and it allows you to tap on a photo and have it animate. These aren’t videos, rather photos that take a little bit before and little bit after the photo in order to create brief moving images. According to Apple, Facebook will begin supporting these soon.

    The iPhone 6s now shoots video in 4K, 3840 x 2160 resolution.

    And when you’re taking a selfie, the iPhone 6s uses the entire retina display as the flash.

    “The only thing that has changed with iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is everything — 3D Touch lets users interact with iPhone in entirely new and fun ways, and the innovative Live Photos brings your pictures to life,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “These are the most advanced iPhones ever, with 7000 series aluminum, ion-strengthened glass, the new 64-bit A9 chip, 12-megapixel iSight and 5-megapixel FaceTime HD cameras, faster Touch ID, LTE and Wi-Fi. Customers are going to love them.”

    Prices start at $199 for the 16GB iPhone 6s on contract. The price increases by $100 as the space doubles, all the way up to 128GB. The iPhone 6s Plus is $100 more than that. Apple is also offering an iPhone upgrade program starting at $32 a month.

    Screen Shot 2015-09-09 at 3.26.02 PM

    The phones will hit Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, and the US on Friday, September 25, with pre-orders beginning Saturday, September 12.

  • Google Launches Android Wear For iOS

    Google Launches Android Wear For iOS

    Google is rolling out Android Wear, its wearables operating system, for iOS so that people with iPhones can use their devices along with devices like Android watches.

    Android Wear now supports iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus running iOS 8.2+.

    In a post on the official Google blog, the company says, “When you wear something every day, you want to be sure it really works for you. That’s why Android Wear offers countless design choices, so you can find the watch that fits your style. Want a round watch with a more classic look? Feel like a new watch band? How about changing things up every day with watch faces from artists and designers? With Android Wear you can do all of that. And now, Android Wear watches work with iPhones.”

    AndroidWearforiOS

    For now, Android Wear for iOS just works with the LG Watch Urbane, but all future Android Wear watches, including models from Huawei, Asus, and Motorola, will support iOS.

    Images via Google

  • New iPhones Coming Sept. 9, As Apple Announces Event

    Apple’s next big event will take place on September 9th.

    The company has just sent out press invitations, which feature the phrase “Hey Siri, give us a hint.”

    It’s widely expected that Apple will unveil two news iPhone models at the event – likely the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

    As is the case with all of Apple’s mid-number change upgrades, the iPhone 6s is not expected to go through any significant design changes. Reports have suggested that it might be a bit thicker, but as far as screen size of overall frame dimensions things will likely stay the same. Having said that, Apple is pretty confident that you’re going to want one.

    The new phone is expected to come equipped with Force Touch technology, which basically consists of tiny sensors in the retina display that make the device able to distinguish between a light tap and a firm press. It’s already in use in the Apple Watch and gives users a wider range of controls and options based on the pressure they put into any action.

    The Siri shoutout could mean a lot of things, or it could mean nothing. It is a cryptic Apple invite, after all. Alongside the new iPhones, Apple is rumored to be gearing up to unveil a new Apple TV – one that would sport Siri support and a full App Store.

    The new operating system iOS 9 is also due out soon, so we’ll probably get some additional updates/demo on that.

    We’ll be covering the event, as usual. What do you want to see at Apple’s big event?

  • iPhone Users Can Now Use WhatsApp on the Web

    iPhone Users Can Now Use WhatsApp on the Web

    WhatsApp Web, the web app that lets you chat via WhatsApp on your desktop, has just added support for the iPhone.

    Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and Nokia s40/s60 owners could already use WhatsApp Web, but this marks the first time it’s been available for iOS users.

    All you have to do to enable WhatsApp Web is to head over to your WhatsApp app, tap your settings, and head to WhatsApp Web.

    There, the app will ask you to scan a QR code visible on your desktop at web.whatsapp.com.

    Ta-da, you’re connected.

    I was able to connect with my iPhone, but some are saying it’s not yet available to them, so it appears to be still rolling out.

    via reddit

  • Apple Disappoints On iPhone Sales

    Apple Disappoints On iPhone Sales

    Apple just released its quarterly earnings report. The company surpassed Wall Street estimates on revenue and earnings per share, but iPhone sales were not on par with expectations. iPad sales were also down 18%.

    The company sold 47.5 million iPhones during the quarter. Analysts had expected closer to 49 or 50 million.

    CEO Tim Cook said, “We had an amazing quarter, with iPhone revenue up 59 percent over last year, strong sales of Mac, all-time record revenue from services, driven by the App Store, and a great start for Apple Watch. he excitement for Apple Music has been incredible, and we’re looking forward to releasing iOS 9, OS X El Capitan and watchOS 2 to customers in the fall.”

    Apple shares began to sink after the report’s release.

    Here’s the company’s full earnings announcement:

    CUPERTINO, California — July 21, 2015 — Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 third quarter ended June 27, 2015. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $49.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $10.7 billion, or $1.85 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $37.4 billion and net profit of $7.7 billion, or $1.28 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.7 percent compared to 39.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

    The growth was fueled by record third quarter sales of iPhone® and Mac®, all-time record revenue from services and the successful launch of Apple Watch™.

    “We had an amazing quarter, with iPhone revenue up 59 percent over last year, strong sales of Mac, all-time record revenue from services, driven by the App Store, and a great start for Apple Watch,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The excitement for Apple Music has been incredible, and we’re looking forward to releasing iOS 9, OS X El Capitan and watchOS 2 to customers in the fall.”

    “In the third quarter our year-over-year growth rate accelerated from the first half of fiscal 2015, with revenue up 33 percent and earnings per share up 45 percent,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We generated very strong operating cash flow of $15 billion, and we returned over $13 billion to shareholders through our capital return program.”

    Apple is providing the following guidance for its fiscal 2015 fourth quarter:

    • revenue between $49 billion and $51 billion
    • gross margin between 38.5 percent and 39.5 percent
    • operating expenses between $5.85 billion and $5.95 billion
    • other income/(expense) of $400 million
    • tax rate of 26.3 percent

    Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of $.52 per share of the Company’s common stock. The dividend is payable on August 13, 2015, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on August 10, 2015.

    Apple will provide live streaming of its Q3 2015 financial results conference call beginning at 2:00 p.m. PDT on July 21, 2015 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsq315. This webcast will also be available for replay for approximately two weeks thereafter.

    This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue, gross margin, operating expenses, other income/(expense), and tax rate. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product introductions and transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the continued availability on acceptable terms, or at all, of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; risks associated with the Company’s international operations; the Company’s reliance on third-party intellectual property and digital content; the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors, carriers and other resellers of the Company’s products; the effect that product and service quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the continued service and availability of key executives and employees; war, terrorism, public health issues, natural disasters, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; and unfavorable results of legal proceedings. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended December 27, 2014, its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 28, 2015, and its Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 27, 2015 to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.

    Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, the Mac and Apple Watch. Apple’s three software platforms — iOS, OS X and watchOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay and iCloud. Apple’s 100,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and to leaving the world better than we found it.

  • Apple Thinks You’re Really Going to Want an iPhone 6s

    Apparently, Apple is pretty damn confident that you’re going to want a new iPhone that simply sports a handful of hardware changes (and no difference in overall design).

    Apple is reportedly telling manufacturers that it needs up to 90 million of the iPhone 6s, which it is expected to debut this fall.

    From the Wall Street Journal:

    Apple is asking suppliers to manufacture between 85 million and 90 million units combined of two new iPhone models with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays by Dec. 31, according to people familiar with the matter. The screen sizes are the same as in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

     

    By comparison, Apple last year ordered a then-record initial production run of 70 million to 80 million for its first larger-screen iPhones.

    The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus are the best-selling devices that Apple has ever made, so this is a pretty big vote of confidence from Apple on the demand for the 6s.

    As is the case with all of Apple’s mid-number change upgrades, the iPhone 6s is not expected to go through any significant design changes. Reports have suggested that it might be a bit thicker, but as far as screen size of overall frame dimensions things will likely stay the same.

    The new phone is expected to come equipped with Force Touch technology, which basically consists of tiny sensors in the retina display that make the device able to distinguish between a light tap and a firm press. It’s already in use in the Apple Watch and gives users a wider range of controls and options based on the pressure they put into any action.

  • Here’s Google’s Google I/O Talk For iOS Developers

    You don’t typically associate Google developer events with iOS, but while Google I/O was largely about Android, there was a surprising amount of iOS discussion from the company last week.

    For one, the the company announced that it’s expanding app indexing (which is now a ranking signal for mobile search results) to iOS. At Google I/O, the company held a session about developing with Google on iOS.

    Here’s the official description for the session:

    If you’re an iOS developer, you might not think of looking to Google first to find the top of the line APIs and services. But Google has a lot to offer iOS developers that you may not know about. Come learn about ways we’re going to make developing on iOS easier and more powerful with Google services.

    The talk is presented by Google developer advocate Todd Kerpelman.

    At the show, Google announced that it is extending some APIs to iOS developers via Cocapods.

    Image via YouTube

  • Google Starts Indexing iOS App Content

    Google Starts Indexing iOS App Content

    Google just took its App Indexing initiative to the next level with the announcement that it is bringing app indexing to iOS apps.

    This is huge news considering that many app developers build for iOS before Android if they even bother to build for Android at all. Google recently named app indexing as a ranking signal in mobile search results as well.

    Product manager Eli Wald says in a blog post:

    We’ve been helping users discover relevant content from Android apps in Google search results for a while now. Starting today, we’re bringing App Indexing to iOS apps as well. This means users on both Android and iOS will be able to open mobile app content straight from Google Search.

    Indexed links from an initial group of apps we’ve been working with will begin appearing on iOS in search results both in the Google App and Chrome for signed-in users globally in the coming weeks.

    Google says it wants to make the technology available to more app developers ASAP, so if you want to get a head start, you should add deep linking support to your iOS app, make sure it’s possible to return to search results with one click, provide deep link annotations on your site, and let Google know you’re interested.

    For Android, read: How To Set Up App Indexing For Ranking In Google

    Google I/O is about to begin this week, and you can count on there being plenty of content related to this coming from there.

    Last week, Google Search Console (formerly Webmaster Tools) added new reports to show how Google understands and treats app content in search results.

    Image via Google

  • Tangerine, a Sundance Hit Shot with an iPhone 5s, Gets a Trailer

    The red-band trailer has dropped for one of Sundance’s most talked-about features.

    It’s called Tangerine, and it’s about two transgender women in Hollywood. It was also shot with an iPhone 5s.

    Of course, it wasn’t just an iPhone. The iPhone was the only device filming, but filmmakers needed a handful of extras. According to The Verge, those included an app called Filmic Pro, a set of anamorphic adapter lenses, and a steadicam.

    You’ve seen YouTube videos. You know why the steadicam was necessary.

    Without further ado, here’s the trailer:

    Here’s the film’s official description:

    It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend (James Ransone, STARLET, “Generation Kill”) hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra (newcomer Mya Taylor), embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity. Director Sean Baker’s prior films (STARLET, PRINCE OF BROADWAY) brought rich texture and intimate detail to worlds seldom seen on film. TANGERINE follows suit, bursting off the screen with energy and style. A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the streets of L.A., TANGERINE defies expectation at every turn.

    The film generated a lot of buzz and has since received some pretty good reviews. Vulture calls it “the trans revenge movie you’ve been waiting for” and the New York Times called it a “perfectly cast, beautifully directed movie.”

    It’s due out on July 10.

    Image via Magnolia Pictures, YouTube

  • iPhone, Mac & App Store Give Apple Another Big Quarter

    iPhone, Mac & App Store Give Apple Another Big Quarter

    Apple released its financial results for its fiscal 2015 second quarter ended March 28. Thanks to strong performance by its iPhone, Mac and App Store businesses, the company posted 27% revenue growth and 40% EPS growth, setting records for the second quarter.

    The company managed to exceed Wall Street expectations.

    Quarterly revenue was $58 billion and quarterly net profit was $13.6 billion compared to revenue of $45.6 billion and net profit of $10.2 billion for the same quarter last year.

    Gross margin was 40.8% compared to 39.3% last year, and international sales accounted for 69% of the quarter’s revenue.

    Apple credits record second-quarter sales of iPhone and Mac as well as an all-time record performance from the App Store with driving the company’s impressive growth.

    CEO Tim Cook said, “We are thrilled by the continued strength of iPhone, Mac and the App Store, which drove our best March quarter results ever. We’re seeing a higher rate of people switching to iPhone than we’ve experienced in previous cycles, and we’re off to an exciting start to the June quarter with the launch of Apple Watch.”

    Note that he didn’t include the iPad in there as sales of those were reportedly worse than expected.

    “The tremendous customer demand for our products and services in the March quarter drove revenue growth of 27 percent and EPS growth of 40 percent,” said CFO Luca Maestri. “Cash flow from operations was also outstanding at $19.1 billion.”

    For its fiscal 2015 Q3, Apple is projecting revenue between $46 billion and $48 billion and gross margin between 38.5% and 39.5%.

    Image via Apple

  • New iPhones Will Have Force Touch Tech – Report

    At this point, it doesn’t matter how hard you tap your iPhone screen – as long as it’s hard enough for the device to sense it. With the next generation of iPhone, you may have to think about just how hard you’re pressing your device because the pressure you exert may influence the action it takes.

    According to a new report in the Wall Street Journal, Apple is planning on incorporating its “Force Touch” tech into the next iPhones. Force Touch basically consists of tiny sensors in the retina display that make the device able to distinguish between a light tap and a firm press.

    Apple revealed that this feature would be coming to the new Apple Watch, the new MacBook, and the updated MacBook line.

    For the Apple Watch, Force Touch will give users access to a “Range of contextually specific controls, such as an action menu in Messages, or a mode that allows you to select different watch faces.” For the MacBook, Force Touch “enables new capabilities, like quickly looking up the definition of a word or previewing a file just by clicking and continuing to press on the trackpad.” Kind of like Apple embracing the right click – but with force as the actor.

    These new pressure-sensitive iPhones could appear this fall.

    The same report indicated that Apple is also working on a pink iPhone.

    This isn’t the first time we’ve heard reports of Apple putting Force Touch into the new set of iPhones. AppleInsider cited sources back in February who said that the new phones would gain the tech.

    Image via Apple.com

  • Pinterest App Pins Let iOS Users Install Apps

    Pinterest App Pins Let iOS Users Install Apps

    Pinterest announced the launch of new App Pins, a new type of Rich Pin for iOS apps, which lets users actually install apps directly from Pinterest.

    A spokesperson for the company tells WebProNews, “App Pins are the first truly actionable Pin, as Pinners can download apps right from Pinterest with just the click of an ‘install’ button.

    “We introduced Rich Pins in May 2013 to make Pins more useful by adding information like real-time pricing and availability to product Pins,” the spokesperson adds. “App Pins is our sixth type of Rich Pin joining recipes, products, articles, places and movies. With more than 75% of usage to Pinterest coming from mobile devices, we want to make it easier to discover apps for all types of interests.”

    “Let’s say you’re Pinning workout inspiration to your Marathon Training board,” writes product manager Julie Black in a blog post. “If you see a fitness app that helps you reach your goals, you can download it right from Pinterest.

    Users can already find app Pins on Apple’s own App Store Pinterest account or Pinterest’s Staff Picks board. For now, the feature is only available for iOS, and it’s unclear whether or not it will be coming to Android eventually.

    The spokesperson notes, “The more people save apps, the more they’ll get discovered on boards and in the home feed.”

    As veteran Pinterest marketer Vincent Ng told us in a recent interview, rich pins are a ranking factor for Pinterest’s search feature, so if you have an app, and you use the new App Pins, don’t be surprised to find some increased visibility.

    Image via Pinterest

  • Guess How Much App Store Developers Have Earned

    Apple announced some new numbers for the App Store, as it has reached some new milestones.

    First off, during the first week of January, customers spent about half a billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases, while New Year’s Day was the biggest day ever in App Store sales history.

    During 2014, billings increased 50%, and apps generated over $10 billion in revenue for developers. To date, developers have earned $25 billion from the sales of apps and games. Over $8 billion of App Store income has been earned by U.S. developers.

    “This year is off to a tremendous start after a record-breaking year for the App Store and our developer community,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “We’re so proud of the creativity and innovation developers bring to the apps they create for iOS users and that the developer community has now earned over $25 billion.”

    “Apple ignited the app revolution with the launch of the App Store in 2008, and since then, an entire industry has been built around app design and development,” Apple says. “In just six years, the iOS ecosystem has helped create 627,000 jobs in the US alone.”

    According to the company, 1,027,000 jobs in the U.S. are either created or supported by Apple. There are 380,000 members of Apple’s paid developer program. 78% of companies making apps are located outside of Silicon Valley.

    There are currently 1.4 million apps in the App Store in 155 countries. Over 725,000 of the apps are made specifically for iPad.

    Image via Apple

  • Chevron Readies Apple Pay At The Pump

    Chevron Readies Apple Pay At The Pump

    One day in the not too distant future, you may be able to pay for gas at Chevron stations with your iPhone right at the pump. Chevron recently tweeted this (via MacRumors):

    Chevron was actually one of the launch partners for Apple Pay listed when Apple first announced its payment product, and already offers its customers the ability to pay with Apple Pay inside some of its stores. A pay-at-the-pump feature would be new, however, and could lead other gas stations to follow suit. Texaco stations also currently accept Apple Pay in-store.

    MacRumors reports in an update:

    Chevron has clarified that a potential timeline for the rollout of Apple Pay at the pump remains unclear, with no official early 2015 launch planned. The company also plans to continue to roll out in-store Apple Pay support to 3,000 stores in 2015.

    In fact, it’s not news that Chevron has had plans to integrate Apple Pay at the pump. SFGate quoted a company spokesperson as far back as October:

    “Initially, Apple Pay payments will be made in the store, but we are working along with Apple Pay on developing the technology out at the fuel dispensers as well,” said Chevron spokesman Braden Reddall.

    The tweet, however, would seem to suggest that the feature is getting closer.

  • iOS 8.1 Released With Apple Pay, Bug Fixes & More

    At its big press event last week, Apple announced that it would launch Apple Pay on Monday, and it has with iOS 8.1 now available for download.

    Let’s hope this update goes off without a hitch. Its first iOS 8 update (8.0.1) launched to immediate complaints about the disabling of Touch ID and problems connecting with cell networks. That was quickly followed by 9.0.2, which fixed the issues, and came with an apology from the company.

    It would appear that iOS 8.1 is a successful launch based on early reactions.

    In addition to Apple Pay (for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus), are MMS/SMS Handoff support on Macs, some new Photos features and new Messages features. There’s a new option for selecting between 2G, 3G or LTE networks, AirDrop support for Passbook passes, and an option to enable dictation in Keyboards settings. It also enables HealthKit apps to access data in the background.

    The update includes fixes for Wi-Fi performance and Bluetooth connection issues. It also fixes a screen rotation bug and a few other things. iMore has a rundown of all the fixes and features here.

    Image via Apple

  • Apple Pay Is Launching On Monday

    Apple Pay Is Launching On Monday

    Apple announced at its iPad event on Thursday that Apple Pay, which it unveiled in September, will officially launch on Monday. It is also now supported by 500 more banks in the U.S.

    Apple Pay is the company’s new payment solution, which enables iPhone users to pay for goods and services both online and off. It was already supported by 222,000 retail locations upon announcement, though some key retailers have resisted.

    “Now paying in stores happens in one natural motion — there’s no need to open an app or even wake your display thanks to the innovative Near Field Communication antenna in iPhone 6,” Apple says. “To pay, just hold your iPhone near the contactless reader with your finger on Touch ID. You don’t even have to look at the screen to know your payment information was successfully sent. A subtle vibration and beep lets you know.”

    “On iPhone, you can also use Apple Pay to pay with a single touch in apps. Checking out is as easy as selecting ‘Apple Pay’ and placing your finger on the Touch ID,” it adds.

    Apple Pay is the only use for the new iPhone’s NFC technology.

    Recent reports suggest that Apple Pay will be supported by Square.

    Image via Apple

  • iPhone 6 Lands in China October 17

    Apple has announced that the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will be available to purchase in China on October 17. Pre-orders will kick off on October 10.

    “We are thrilled to bring iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus to our customers in China on all three carriers at launch,” said Apple’s CEO Tim Cook. “With support for TD-LTE and FDD-LTE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus customers will have access to high-speed mobile networks from China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom for an incredible experience.”

    The announcement comes after a long approval process, in which the Chinese government thoroughly scrutinized the new technology to make sure the “smartphones did not have security ‘backdoors’ through which U.S. agencies can access users’ data,” according to Reuters.

    The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology just issued the license for the two new phones to operate on Chinese cellular networks.

    Last Friday, both of the new iPhone 6s made their way to 22 more countries. The phones are now available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the UK, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates.

    Demand should be high, as Apple recently revealed record sales for the new phones during their first weekend on the market. In just three days, Apple sold over 10 million iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Pluses.

    Image via Apple

  • iPhone 6, Plus Bend Their Way into More Countries

    Last Friday, Apple’s new smartphone lineup, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, launched in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK.

    Today, add 22 more countries to the list of places where people can buy the new devices. The new iPhones have just launched in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey and United Arab Emirates

    Demand is sure to be high, as Apple recently revealed record sales for the new phones during their first weekend on the market. In three days, Apple sold over 10 million iPhone 6s and iPhone 6 Pluses.

    That’s not to say that the launch hasn’t been fraught with complications and headaches for the Cupertino-based company. Not only has the rollout of iOS 8 been a mild disaster thanks to flawed updates, but Apple has been dealing with bending iPhones, now known across the internet as ‘Bendgate.”

    Word got around that some users were complaining that their brand new, giant iPhone 6 Pluses were actually bending in their pockets. The whole thing snowballed into an outright PR crisis, even though Apple claims that only a handful of actual iPhone 6 owners have complained about this problem.

    Image via Apple

  • Apple Pushes iOS 8.0.2 After 8.0.1 Blunder, Apologizes Again

    A week after pushing iOS 8 to iPhone users, Apple released its first update – iOS 8.0.1. Immediately, complaints flooded Twitter and the blogosphere, with people reporting that the update disabled Touch ID and prevented them from being able to connect with cell networks.

    Apparently only iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users were negatively affected by the update, and according to Apple, less than 40,000 of them experienced the problems (though that still seems like a lot of people to me).

    Apple has released another update – iOS 8.0.2 – to fix the issues, and has apologized (which seems to be a common theme with new iOS/iPhone releases in recent years). TechCrunch shares this statement from the company:

    iOS 8.0.2 is now available for users, it fixes an issue that affected iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who downloaded iOS 8.0.1, and includes improvements and bug fixes originally in iOS 8.0.1. We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1.

    Apple has also been taking a beating from the media about the iPhone 6 Plus bending in people’s pockets. The company addressed that too (via MacRumors):

    Our iPhones are designed, engineered and manufactured to be both beautiful and sturdy. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature a precision engineered unibody enclosure constructed from machining a custom grade of 6000 series anodized aluminum, which is tempered for extra strength. They also feature stainless steel and titanium inserts to reinforce high stress locations and use the strongest glass in the smartphone industry. We chose these high-quality materials and construction very carefully for their strength and durability. We also perform rigorous tests throughout the entire development cycle including 3-point bending, pressure point cycling, sit, torsion, and user studies. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus meet or exceed all of our high quality standards to endure everyday, real life use.

    With normal use a bend in iPhone is extremely rare and through our first six days of sale, a total of nine customers have contacted Apple with a bent iPhone 6 Plus. As with any Apple product, if you have questions please contact Apple.

    Samsung has even gone so far as to capitalize on “bendgate” for its ads, which in turn were parodied on Conan.

    Image via Apple