iOS

The Republic of Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC) has concluded that TikTok has violated various aspects of GDPR as it relates to "child users". The social media giant faces a "reprimand" as well as a multi-million-euro fine for its apparent failure to close loopholes that might have allowed an unsafe level of access to those under 16 on its platform. It also has a three-month deadline to address these failings.

Apple has clarified that it will be issuing an OTA update to address the French government's high radiation concerns with the iPhone 12. This comes in the wake of France giving an ultimatum to the Cupertino-giant of banning iPhone 12 sales in the country if not rectified. Unlike most other countries that mandate SAR values for head and whole body, France performs SAR testing for limbs as well wherein the iPhone 12 had 43.5% higher RF emissions than permissible.

Kingston insists it has brought "ultimate portability" to the external SSD market with the new XS1000. It has a footprint estimated at half that of a pack of cards, yet still allows the user to tote a capacity of up to 2TB in a pocket. The XS1000 is also touted as a highly trustworthy form of storage despite its small size, and to transfer files in a flash thanks to its USB interface.

With Apple’s iPhone 15 series launching in the next few weeks a new rumor has surfaced pointing to the colorways we can expect from the iPhone 15 Pro and Ultra models. The Gold and Deep Purple options will make way for a new ‘Titan Gray’ and a yet-to-be-named dark blue hue.

Although translation support in Gmail has been introduced to desktop users quite a few years ago, the mobile Gmail apps are only receiving this feature now. To translate all text on the mobile Gmail, the user can simply enable automatic translation, but on-demand translations are also available.

Jabra is now tipped to update its Elite series of TWS earbuds with new flagship and Active variants. They have reportedly leaked as the 10 and 8 Active respectively, and may launch as Made for iPhone- (MFi) and Hey Google-certified devices. The higher-end models might get the better ANC specs, while the Actives may be touted as the "world's toughest earbuds" thanks to advanced ingress-protection ratings.

In something of a surprise, Apple could be upgrading its current iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models to USB-C along with the anticipated upgrade to USB-C ports for the next-generation iPhone 15 series. The move would allow Apple to keep the devices on sale into 2024 when EU legislation mandating the use of USB-C as the universal smartphone port standard kicks in.

Apple is said to have a replacement for the classic iPhone mute switch in the works, thought of as an "Action Button" as it mirrors the new re-programmable analog from the Watch Ultra. Now, code outlining how it will work as part of a smartphone has allegedly emerged.

Elon Musk has announced that the site heretofore known as Twitter will "bid adieu" to its former brand identity, iconic blue bird avatar included. Company CEO Linda Yaccarino has touted the announcement as a pivotal stage in the social media platform's evolution into an "everything app" that integrates payments as well as multimedia messaging.

Apple has introduced the Beats Studio Pro as its latest headphones. They are rated for "Class 1" Bluetooth - yet are also rated to support "lossless" audio thanks to its DAC for wired connections - which are done via USB type-C rather than Lightning. Beats has also thrown active noise cancellation (ANC) with a Transparency mode along with new 40mm drivers into these new cans.

Thanks to the in-house developed Copilot, Canary Mail now provides AI-powered email writing capabilities to its users across the supported platforms, which include Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. Those who need pinned emails, a built-in calendar, end-to-end encryption, and other premium features can get them starting at US$20 per year.

TCL is an OEM with a smart TV line-up boasting variants with up-to-date technologies such as QLED and mini-LED. Now, the company has indicated that the next wave of these screens will come with access to "thousands" of movies and TV shows for free out of the box - albeit with ads. They will be part of a new UI provided by Cineverse, a global name in ad-supporting streaming services.

ESR's HaloLock Geo Wallet Stand has proven a hit on Kickstarter, finishing its campaign with over 36x its original goal in terms of backing. Now, it is available for general sale online. The accessory is hailed as the first of its kind with full support for Apple Find My, thereby potentially boosting the chances of recovering a lost wallet, the iPhone it was mounted on via MagSafe, or both.

The latest version of iOS 17 brings a whole uses of features such as AirDrop and always-on displays (AODs) to Apple's iPhones. The major software upgrade also confers a new way of dealing with both known and unknown callers in the Phone app. The OS' new ability to make Stickers do more (even be made of photos or gifs) is also included in this update.

Apple Savings has reportedly attracted about US$100 million in deposits since launching in the US in April 2023. Now, however, some of its customers have gone public with claims that trying to get their money out of the accounts in question took weeks in some cases, while others claim that their balances never updated following such a transaction. Is the Cupertino giant's consumer 'financial wellness' drive all that healthy?

SUPER73 is celebrating the release of its S2 e-bike with the offer of US$400 off its normal price - so long as the buyer wants it in a specific colorway new to the variant. The "urban cruiser"-style two-wheeler comes with a 750W motor rated to go for up to 75 miles per charge, and has a "comfortable" long 2-UP seat.

For fans of OpenAI’s hugely successful ChatGPT generative AI-powered chatbot, a source of frustration has been the need to access the service via the OpenAI website. While some workarounds and third-party solutions have been available on mobile devices, an official first-party mobile app has not been available - until now.

Apple has taken the unusual step of previewing features coming to iOS 17 ahead of its expected announcement at WWDC 2023. The new features are focused on enhancing accessibility for users with disabilities with Apple flexing its AI prowess in the process.

FREEDARE has announced that it will bring its new option in electrified mobility to Indiegogo later in May 2023. The start-up describes it as "the world's first smart fat tire e-bike", which seems to mean the multi-terrain IP5X two-wheeler comes with battery management, theft detection and route-planning via its own smartphone app. Its range, comfort and early-bird prices are also now being hyped ahead of its debut.

Google has heralded "a major step" toward a future in which the password is obsolete with a new Account option sign-in option. They enable the user to generate a passkey instead of setting a password, and link it to their stored biometrics or PIN in order to access services from the Mountain View giant. The emerging login method is touted as a more convenient and secure form of authentication, although it may have its own drawbacks.

First announced last summer at WWDC, Apple is rolling out the first publicly available Rapid Security Response update for iOS and macOS. While details concerning what the security update patches are not yet known, this marks the first instance of Apple pushing a minor system update focused only on security.

Snapchat's latest feature, a ChatGPT-enabled bot, has been available to its users for seven days now. In that time, My AI has reportedly turned app-store reviews negative and gave the Snap Inc. share price a hammering. It is also persistently available in the chat service's UI - unless you pay for it, that is.

With Apple's software update season right around the corner, rumors are flying as to which devices will be able to upgrade to the latest OS. Unfortunately, some popular (but older) iPhones and iPads will be left in the dust this update cycle.

The Worldwide Developer's Conference (WWDC) of 2023 is already touted to go down in history as the event during which Apple's first-gen VR/AR headset is unleashed. However, the latest version of iOS is now also projected to vie for the spotlight by unlocking app sideloading on iPhones for the first time. The Conference is also now rumored to introduce iPadOS optimized for OLED and watchOS optimized for an underwhelming hardware upgrade.

Dasung is now selling its Link E Ink smartphone companion on Indiegogo, where it starts at US$299. Available in wired or wireless variants, the Dasung Link has a 6.7-inch E Ink display that is suited for note-taking, drawing or reading.

Android smartphone OEMs have led the way in terms of the "co-processor", a secondary, custom chipset touted to augment the power and performance of the main, often premium, SoC in question by taking some tasks and functions off its hands. Now, Apple is allegedly ready to unleash its answer in the next-gen iPhone 15 series. A new leak outlines the Cupertino giant's plans to outdo its rivals with this new addition to the main A17 Bionic platform in 2023.

The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max' successors are already thought to be the first to switch to solid-state buttons. This upgrade is now tipped to unleash a whole new wave of functionality that would be beyond those of simple physical controls. They include the replacement of the mute switch with an Action Button that could do much more than turn system sounds on and off.

The 360-degree full-view 70mai Dash Cam Omni has just made its debut in North America. With a list price of US$199.99 for the US and CAD$279.99 for Canada, this 1080p dash camera features AI motion detection, built-in GPS and 128 GB eMMC storage, collision detection with a total buffered emergency recording of 15 seconds, and more.

Apple has issued the fourth major update for iOS 16 and iPadOS 16. iOS 16.4 and iPadOS 16.4 make several small changes for modern iPhones and iPads, including 21 new emojis. iPadOS 16.4 should also improve the versatility of the Apple Pencil 2 too.

Amazon has advised Alexa voice assistant users that it will soon turn off a feature aimed at improving usability on smartphones. The feature will cease to work at the end of the month, with nothing replacing it.

The iSteady M6 is the latest generation of motorized gimbals from Hohem, and as such is touted as the most advanced and premium iteration of its series thus far. To this end, the OEM sells it as a bundle with a magnetic module to provide both an RGB fill light and "AI auto-tracking" rated to work in all the apps one might want. It also has the expansion screws to secure more accessories, and is rated to handle that weight as well as that of a smartphone.

Fiido is offering its fans the chance to buy one of its e-bikes with "time" alone. In other words, participants in this deal can stack up coupons for select models by logging routes and their duration online. This "environmentally conscious" promotion runs from now until later in March 2023.

Apple has unveiled a Classical dimension of its Music service that, as the name suggests, is dedicated to streaming tracks from composers such as Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Chopin. It will be free from the App Store, albeit to current Music subscribers. Its announcement might be the Cupertino giant's way of responding to Spotify's preview of its upcoming TikTok-eqsue mobile UI overhaul.

The latest Windows Insider update brings support for integrating iPhones and iMessage directly into Windows via the Phone Link app. However, there are some major drawbacks, such as a lack of message history and multimedia support.

WhatsApp has been working on a feature in which a video chat can be put into picture-in-picture (PiP) mode, albeit as a beta only. However, it has now been made available to the stable channel of its iOS-compatible version. Meanwhile, its beta counterpart has also just added the ability to share photos in HD as well as SD.

In a move supposed to help users protect themselves from impersonation and to gain direct access to customer support, Meta Verified is rolling out this week to increase security across the brand's services. Australia and New Zealand will be the first countries to get it, for a monthly price of US$11.99 (web) and US$14.99 (iOS).

Apple has released iOS 16.4, iPadOS 16.4 and macOS Ventura 13.3 Beta 1 builds. Available to download now, the updates introduce several new features to iPhones, iPads and Macs that will ship to all users in the next few weeks.

The Ultralite OEM Platform is something of an all-in-one reference design for next-gen smart glasses from Vuzix. The manufacturer asserts that the new, lightweight form-factor for wireless, smartphone-linked spectacles can leverage the "fast-growing capabilities" of Visual GPT or OpenAI for consumer-grade augmented reality (AR) or heads-up display applications.

Heybike's "most advanced" new e-bike has a fairly standard 750W motor, foldable form-factor, augmented with hydraulic front-fork suspension and disc brakes with "excellent stopping power." Then again, it also has the in-built connectivity rated to track its location if necessary via its own app. The Tyson is currently available to pre-order online.

Fiido has announced that it will start 2023 by breaking into a number of brand-first e-bike and scooter types. The company has also revealed some more information on these new models, its new "heavy-duty" Titan flagship and M31 "E-MTB" included. They will be joined by the seated Q2 and Kidz push-bike.

A popular leaker has highlighted seven contestable areas where the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S23 could be seen as a superior flagship phone to the Apple iPhone 14. While some of the chosen Galaxy S23 specs seem clearly better for the average smartphone user, die-hard iPhone fans will still be able to pick plenty of holes in the selection.

New information about Apple iOS 17 has been leaked by a noted source, with Cupertino’s focus going forward apparently resting on “stability and efficiency” for the iPhone operating system. Visual alterations to iOS will be downplayed for the 17th iteration, with multiple changes headed by improvements to the Music app and Home app.
Update: Another well-known Apple observer has disputed the alleged leak.

Garmin has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has finally given its ECG App for the Venu 2 Plus a go. Therefore, its units in this country can now use the electrocardiography hardware found in their wearable for the first time. Users can view their "revolutionary" cardiac graphs right on their wrist or sync them to the Connect smartphone app.

Fiido has announced that it will start the new year with a new website, which comes with hints as to the launch of a whole new range of electric bikes, some of which may come in brand-first form-factors. They include one touted to come with a display of unprecedented upgrades; a first-gen mountain-style vehicle and something with "bigger wheels, bigger power and bigger adventure".

LG Innotek has announced a new smartphone camera micro-component that can enable 4x-9x optical zoom without loss of quality and one that will alleviate the need for massive camera bumps. The company is partnering with Qualcomm to develop software for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 to take advantage of the module's zoom actuator that can move in 1 µm increments.

If the words of a prominent Apple analyst are to be believed, Apple could soon introduce sideloading to iOS. This would allow users to install applications on an iPhone without using the App Store, opening the door to applications not officially sanctioned by Apple.

Apple has now released a stable version of iOS 16.2 for the iPhone 8 and later. Apple reserves some new features for its latest iPhones though, as it has also done with iPadOS 16.2 and Apple M1 or Apple M2-powered iPads.

Apple has released iOS 16.1.2 for the iPhone 8 and later. While the update is available for multiple iPhone models, iOS 16.1.2 primarily addresses an issue that resulted in iPhone 14 series units erroneously thinking they had been involved in car crashes.

1MORE has announced a 41% discount on its flagship EVO TWS earbuds as part of its Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2022 sale. The brand's SonoFlow "wireless audiophile" headphones are also 20% off, as are its latest Spatial Audio Aero earbuds, and ComfoBuds Mini. The ComfoBuds Pro may be the best deal for some shoppers, however.