Tag Archives: apple

Trump reportedly told Tim Cook iPhones would be spared tariffs

President Donald Trump assured Apple CEO Tim Cook that the US government wouldn’t levy tariffs on iPhones, which are assembled in China, the New York Times reported Monday. Cook visited the White House last month to warn Trump that his trade policies with China could have an adverse affect on new corporate-tax rules and that …

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By 2022, today’s smartwatches will seem ‘quaint,’ predicts IDC

Are you all about gadgets? Are you into wearables? Then the next few years might be very exciting for you. Health and fitness are at the heart of smartwatches nowadays. But with rapid developments in cellular connectivity, especially 5G, and integration with more internet-of-things devices, IDC predicts that upcoming smartwatches will be all about making your life more efficient. “The …

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Facebook will let you make HQ Trivia knockoff videos now

Video on Facebook is about to get more interactive.  Facebook on Tuesday announced a grab-bag of developments for video on its giant social network, including the addition of interactivity features that can turn anyone into the Scott Rogowsky of their own HQ Trivia-like empire.  Facebook also said it’s widening ways for people to make money off their videos on Facebook, like …

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Here’s what Apple’s doing to get you excited about AR

This story is part of WWDC 2022, CNET’s complete coverage from and about Apple’s annual developers conference. The future of augmented reality headgear and smartglasses is still very much in flux. The long-awaited Magic Leap might emerge this year. Microsoft’s Hololens has hung in a state of enterprise limbo — one from which it may finally emerge next year. Little …

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Apple will share your location with 911 responders (The 3:59, Ep. 415)

On this podcast, we talk about: Apple’s push to give emergency responders your location during a 911 call JPEG’s potential successor, and why it may just end up to be another standards battle.  Why net neutrality fans are cringing at AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner The 3:59 gives you bite-size news and analysis about the top stories of the day, …

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You can’t book an Uber in Google Maps for Android anymore

The ability to book a ride with Uber disappeared from the Android Google Maps app with no explanation; it still gives you estimates and displays the available cars but now provides an “open app” button to perform the transaction. Google gave no explanation, just a throwaway bullet point in its Request a Ride help section for Google Maps. This brings …

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Get a refurbished Apple HomePod for $260

As a general rule, Apple products and “Cheapskate” don’t belong in the same sentence. But obviously zillions of people love Apple gear, price be damned. I like Apple gear, too, but damned if I’m going to pay full retail for it. That’s why I always advise people to choose refurbished hardware whenever possible. It’s usually good as new or darn …

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Roku reportedly plans Amazon Channels

Roku may soon make the need to constantly log into different subscriptions go away. Roku plans to launch a video subscription marketplace that can handle payments for different channels and services, Variety reported Monday. The feature will allow multiple subscription channels to run within a single app on Roku, which it also calls a channel. The bundling of different channels …

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JPEG XL could let you pack twice as many photos into your phone

JPEG turns 25 this year, a remarkable achievement when you think about how the latest smartphone becomes ho-hum in a matter of months. But to celebrate JPEG’s birthday, we might finally be seeing something better. That’s because the Joint Photographic Experts Group has begun work on a successor, called JPEG XL that at a minimum should cut photo file sizes …

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Apple fined $6.6M in Australia after Error 53 controversy

The time has come for Apple to pay for the infamous Error 53 that bricked iPhones and iPads taken to a third party for repairs. The Federal Court of Australia announced Monday its order for Apple to pay AU$9 million (around US $6.6 million converted) for telling customers who encountered the error they weren’t entitled to a refund. The error …

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