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Amazon puts Alexa inside your iPhone
Now you can talk to Amazon's intelligent assistant whenever you use the Amazon app on your iPhone. Alexa will be able to do much more than just deal with your Amazon account, like play songs from Amazon Music, give you news updates, or even tell a (bad) joke or two. You'll also be able to use any of your previously enabled skills that are available within the Alexa ecosystem. According to Amazon, the one thing you won't be able to do just yet is to ask Alexa to open your door locks with your voice.
Russia finds Apple guilty of fixing iPhone prices
Google isn't the only American company facing regulatory trouble in Russia. The country's antitrust body has ruled that Apple is guilty of fixing prices for iPhone 5 and 6 variants at 16 local retailers. Reportedly, the company tracked prices at these stores and would ask them to raise the price if it was ever deemed "unsuitable." If they didn't comply, Apple supposedly had the authority to terminate their reseller deals without so much as an explanation.
Apple's latest hire proves privacy is more important than ever
If you've followed iOS security news over the years, there's a distinct chance you've heard of Jonathan Zdziarski. He isn't always flawless, but he has a knack for both finding Apple device exploits (he even worked on early jailbreaks) and conducting forensics. And Apple has heard of him too, apparently. Zdziarski has confirmed that he's joining Apple, taking up a position inside the company's Security Engineering and Architecture team. Just what he'll do when he's there isn't apparent, but he describes this as a "matter of conscience" move where he'll defend privacy with a like-minded team.
This iPhone case is basically an Android phone
iPhones have a reputation for being user friendly, but ultimately, Android can do a lot of things iOS can't. Aspects of Android could be useful to all phone users, but straying from the Apple ecosystem can be intimidating. Now, there's a new way for iPhone users to easily access Android features like expandable storage and multiple SIM cards. Entrepreneur Joseph Savion and his company ESTI Inc. decided to (almost literally) strap an Android phone to the back of an iPhone. That sounds like a strange idea, but that's basically what ESTI's Eye phone case does.
Once-banned Vigilante app now warns of nearby emergencies
Late last year, Sp0n released a Vigilante mobile app that was supposed to warn you of nearby crimes and emergencies. Or rather, it tried to release the app -- Apple quickly pulled the title after worrying that the name and focus encouraged users to thrust themselves into dangerous situations. After a few months of retooling, however, it's back. The newly rebadged Citizen for Android and iOS will still warn you when someone nearby has reported an emergency to 911, but the emphasis this time is on safety. If there's a robbery in progress down the street, you're encouraged to avoid it. If you are caught up in an incident, however, you'll have tools at your disposal.
VSCO brings GIFs to its main iPhone app
In October, Giphy reported that it has over 100 million users every day. Yes, GIFs are huge, and camera app VSCO wants in. That's why, back in 2015, it introduced DSCO. The iOS-only spin-off app allows users to create looping images and share them on the company's own portal or their favorite social networks. Today, VSCO announced that it's reducing phone clutter by bringing DSCO's GIF-making capabilities to its main app.
Prisma lets you create your own photo filters
If you like to use filters in photo apps, you've probably had that moment where the available filters weren't quite what you were looking for. Wouldn't it be nice if you could craft your own? Prisma thinks so. It's updating its service with an option to create your own styles -- specifically, you're training the machine learning system to generate what you want. It's not the same as making a filter in-app, but it could go a long way toward giving your photos a personal touch.
WSJ: 10th Anniversary iPhone will have a curved OLED screen
The chorus of voices claiming that Apple will release a limited-edition iPhone with an OLED display just got a little bit louder. The Wall Street Journal's anonymous sources, familiar with the matter, claim that the 10th iteration of the device will pack a curved OLED screen. Unfortunately, this is likely to further split Apple's formerly seamless lineup, since the regular iPhone refreshes are believed to pack LCD displays.
iPhone muggers turn to phishing to access the device
If your phone was stolen or got lost somewhere, keep an eye out for any suspicious texts or emails: thieves and muggers could have a high-tech trick up their sleeves. A Brazilian woman who got robbed began receiving phishing attempts not long after the event. Her husband told Krebs on Security that he located the device using Find my iPhone and sent it text messages asking if he could buy it back. After that, he began receiving texts telling him that his iPhone had been found -- all he needed to do was click on a link to retrieve it.
Google adds voice typing, Doodles and more emoji to Gboard on iOS
Google's powerful Gboard app might now be on Android, but it's the iPhone version that is receiving most of the updates. As part of its most recent overhaul, the search giant has extended support to 15 new countries*, and also added a number of new features that make it easier to say what you have to say. As of now, users have access to all of the latest emoji in iOS 10. If you don't remember, one of the most useful Gboard features is the ability to search and find the perfect emoji, allowing you to decorate texts and emails without scrolling through endless lists of icons.
Report: Apple might be revamping its iPad lineup in March
Japanese website Macotakara reports that Apple's upcoming March event will see the release of a new line of iPad Pros as well as 128GB iPhone SE and a new bright red color choice for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. The company is expected to unveil iPad Pros in 7.9-inch, 9.7-inch, 10.5-inch, and 12.9-inch models.
Apple reportedly buys an AI-based face recognition startup
Those rumors of Apple exploring facial recognition for sign-ins might just have some merit. Calcalist reports that Apple has acquired RealFace, an Israeli startup that developed deep learning-based face authentication technology. The terms of the deal aren't public, but it's estimated at "several million dollars." Cupertino would mainly be interested in the promise of the technology than pure resources, in other words.
The Morning After: Thursday, February 16 2017
Welcome to the return of iPhone rumors. It's already that wonderful time of the year as leaks, rumors and supply chain-side intel offer a glimpse into what Apple's cooking. Or not. Global gaming show E3 is starting sooner this year, with Xbox set to reveal its new console on the weekend before it begins. And like Pokémon? How about more of 'em?
Analyst rumor: iPhone 8 'function area' to replace home button
While we're still months away from finding out exactly what's what with any new iPhone, the rumor mill is already running at full tilt. Following up on earlier reports of a 5.8-inch edgeless OLED-screened device arriving as the "iPhone 8," well-connected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is telling investors more about what its home-button-less front screen could be like. As explained by AppleInsider and 9to5Mac, the analyst notes that this presumed OLED iPhone with its $1,000+ price tag will be similar in size to the current 4.7-inch iPhone. However, instead of the home button, it will include a "function area" that can also display controls for video or games.
BlackBerry's share of the smartphone market is virtually zero
BlackBerry may be hoping for a recovery in its smartphone business, but it's hitting rock bottom right now. Gartner analysts estimate that BlackBerry's once-dominant platform hit 0.0 percent market share in the fourth quarter of 2016. Yes, zilch. The company did ship 207,000 phones, but that gives it less than half the unit volume of the "other OS" category. This wasn't hard to see coming given BlackBerry's years-long decline, gradual shift toward Android and recent focus on services. It's still incredibly symbolic, however, and shows that the company's deal with TCL effectively amounts to starting from scratch.
Apple takes a big step toward wireless charging on iPhones
Rumors have swirled for a while that Apple might embrace wireless charging beyond smartwatches (including for the next iPhone), and the company only seems to be stoking those expectations. Apple has quietly joined the Wireless Power Consortium, which governs the Qi standard you see on most devices with wireless charging. This doesn't guarantee that this year's iPhone will tout wireless charging, or even that Apple will use the Qi standard at all (the Apple Watch uses a modified take on Qi). However, it does say a lot about Apple's broader wireless charging strategy.
Apple's 10th anniversary iPhone could cost over $1,000
To mark 10 years of metal and glass slabs, Apple is expected to debut an ultra high-end version of the iPhone alongside its next scheduled update. According to a report from Fast Company, Tim Cook and company will likely roll out three new phones this year: the incremental iPhone 7S in the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes, as well as a slightly larger, even more expensive 5.8-inch iPhone 8 with an edgeless OLED display and a few completely new features.
Google opens the code for Chrome on iOS
Google's Chrome browser has been open source from the get-go (through the Chromium project), but not on iOS. Apple demands that browsers use WebKit instead of their own rendering engines, so Google couldn't just use its typical code base and call it a day. However, that all changes today: Google has added the iOS Chrome code into Chromium. Developers who want to build on the iOS app, or just poke around looking for security holes, should now have an easy time seeing what makes it tick.
'Super Mario Run' made Nintendo $53 million
How well has Nintendo's first experiment in mobile gaming fared so far? Quite well... though it's not enough for the company's tastes. The gaming giant has revealed that Super Mario Run has pulled in more than ¥6 billion ($53 million) in revenue since its December launch. That isn't a whole lot for a company used to selling far more expensive games, but it's very healthy for a mobile title that's less than two months old. And Nintendo is better than most at turning users into paying customers. Out of 78 million total downloads, more than 5 percent forked over the money to unlock everything. Games consultant Serkan Toto tells the Wall Street Journal that this is "amazing" for a game with one $10 in-app purchase. Most rivals can't hit 5 percent even with $1 or $2 purchases.
Apple wants to make app developers less thirsty for reviews
Apple may finally be putting an end to the annoying slew of review requests that often pop up while you're using an app. According to Recode, the iPhone maker is working on a mechanism that limits the number of times that developers can ask for reviews and ratings to three per year.
