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Tech NewsApple
In a Rare Moment of Self-Doubt, Steve Jobs Wanted a Back Button on the iPhone
Steve Jobs was legendary for knowing what he wanted and leaning on his designers until he got it. But according to a new book on the history of the iPhone, he insisted that it should have a back button. After one of his people presented a good argument for the distinctive single home button, he … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech NewsApple
Which Tech Industry Leaders Ditched the White House Tech Summit Today?
Trump summoned his group of tech-world minions to the White House today for another round of nervously nodding and accomplishing nothing. But attendance was down a little bit this time around. Sure, plenty of cowards still showed up with a foolish but optimistic gleam in their eye. But some, at least, seem to be feeling … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech NewsApple
America’s Top Hypocrites Are Meeting at the Trump White House For Technology Week
America’s largest tech companies made a big, public fuss after President Trump vowed to pull out of the Paris Climate Accord earlier this month. But top executives from many of those same companies are meeting with members of the Trump regime this week. Who needs principles when there’s money to be made? Yes, this week … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsApple
So Uh, Is Tim Cook Running for President, Too?
A gloomy Tim Cook stalks Bloomberg Businessweek’s cover today, and he has some thoughts. Some thoughts that sound suspiciously like a preamble to a “my fellow Americans” speech. Editor Megan Murphy’s conversation with the Apple CEO isn’t substantively different from the sprawling, 10,000-word interview he conducted with the Washington Post last year—whole paragraphs of boilerplate … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech NewsApple
Is It Really Time for Apple to Add Wireless Charging to the iPhone?
Wireless charging has struggled for years to gain ground in consumer electronics. For one hot second, it looked like the option would be available in every smartphone, then manufacturers started to bail out, then it started to come back. And now, we have the biggest confirmation yet that Apple is jumping into the game. Has … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech NewsApple
Binky Is a Perfect Pacifier App for People Who Can’t Stop Looking at Their Phone
The fact that we all walk around with our heads down compulsively tapping on our phones is no longer even worthy of satire, it’s just a fact of life. Binky is an app that’s kind of like a social network that doesn’t connect you to anyone. It understands the banality of our mobile screen time … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech NewsApple
The Tech Industry’s Rich Cowards Are Still Advising Trump
Once again, Silicon Valley’s oligarchs have been summoned to Donald Trump’s golden table, this time to assist the Jared Kushner-led American Technology Council in “modernizing” the government, a goal which is at once vague and arguably antithetical to every promise the president ran on. The guest list includes the top brass of Facebook, IBM, Google, … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech NewsApple
Taylor Swift Returns to Spotify Because She’s Rich Enough Now
What do you do when you finally have everything? If you’re Taylor Swift, you give a little something back. And take a swing at Katy Perry, of course. To celebrate her album 1989 selling over 10 million copies, the 27-year-old pop singer announced last nightthat she would let fans stream her old albums on apps … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple Sure Has Some Weird New Hobbies
Forget the HomePod or the latest version of iOS. The big news out of WWDC was related to something that Apple, and most consumers, don’t really care about: Virtual Reality. In between Kaby Lake refreshes and Siri voice demos, Tim Cook announced a wide range of software and hardware changes that will finally bring VR … Continued
By Alex Cranz -
Tech NewsApple
Apple’s Upgrades to Location and Photo Privacy Features Are Pretty Great
Apple is making changes to the way apps get information about users’ location and photos, giving users more control over what data they share and when they share it. These are the changes that are coming in iOS 11: all apps that use location data will be required to offer an “only when using” option, … Continued
By Kate Conger -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Rolls Out New Feature That Permanently Associates Devices with Apps, Even After Deletion
Tim Cook once scolded Travis Kalanick about Uber’s practice of tracking users even after they deleted the app from their iPhones. But in its newest operating system, iOS 11, Apple is rolling out a feature that will allow the same type of tracking—but with fewer privacy implications. Apple’s new feature is called DeviceCheck and, if developers … Continued
By Kate Conger -
Tech NewsApple
Watching Apple’s New Shark Tank-Inspired TV Series Is Like Slowly Dying
Last night, Apple premiered its first attempt at an original TV show, Planet of the Apps, a Shark Tank meets American Idol unscripted series where app developers appeal to a panel of celebrity judges for outside funding. The first episode is currently available for free on Apple Music. It is also very bad. In fact, … Continued
By Avery Ellis -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Just Made Its Top Secret iPhone Screen Repair Machine a Little Less Secret
Have you ever been to the back room of an Apple Store? That’s a trick question, because the back room at the Apple Store is a mythical place, filled with elves, warlocks, and a magical machine that fixes iPhone screens. At least, it was until this week. Apple just revealed that it’s going to start … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
The Best Unannounced Feature on iOS 11 Is Screen Recording
Apple packed a bunch of cool new features into the new iOS 11 update coming later this year, but it’s possible none of those are cooler than a simple screen capturing tool that makes it easier than ever to record videos of your iPhone in use. Anyone who previously tried to record screen footage knows how … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Tim Cook Thinks Donald Trump Is ‘Wrong’
Apple’s CEO has an opinion about Donald Trump. In fact, Tim Cook can sum up his views on the embattled president’s latest actions with one word: wrong. And that’s exactly what Tim did right after Monday’s big WWDC keynote address. “He didn’t decide what I wanted him to decide,” Cook told Bloomberg in a post-event … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Here’s How Safari Will Keep Ads From Stalking You Around the Internet
Safari is getting an update that will prevent those annoying ads that follow you from one website to the next as you browse the internet, encouraging you to hurry up and buy that one item you looked at on Amazon two weeks ago. Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, announced the tweak … Continued
By Kate Conger -
Tech NewsApple
Apple Busted Misleading Customers in Sting Operation, Lawsuit Claims
Apple really doesn’t like its customers having the right to repair their own devices, and while Apple fights it out in the US, it’s being accused of sneakily trying to get around Australian law. The Guardian has obtained court documents that detail a sting operation by Australia’s consumer watchdog that showed Apple willfully misled customers about … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech NewsApple
Uh, Apple, Did You Think This Through?
The crowd cheered in California on Monday, when Apple announced HomePod, a new smart speaker armed with Siri, the company’s virtual assistant. Minutes later, an image of the product appeared on Apple’s website and, well, holy shit, it looks just like HAL 9000! Is Apple fucking with us? The resemblance is almost too uncanny. Of … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
The Coolest Stuff Apple Announced Today at WWDC 2017
Apple just kicked off its annual developer conference with a customary jumbo keynote, where it announced the next major updates for iOS and macOS. The company also launched a ton of new hardware, including upgraded MacBooks and a brand new smart speaker powered by Siri. There’s plenty of news to get into, so let’s go … Continued
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Tech NewsApple
Apple’s New HomePod Looks Fine as Hell
It’s game-time! Apple just announced its long-awaited take on a smart speaker, completing the smart speaker triumvirate along with Google and Amazon. The gadget itself isn’t particularly remarkable, but it is an Apple gadget. That’s a big deal for a lot of people. The new Apple HomePod is a lot like its competitors: Amazon Echo … Continued