Apple has, without too much fanfare, decided to cut down its iPhone returns policy from 30 days to just 14, meaning that new purchasers now have only a two-week grace period after which they can no longer change their mind. The move is part of a wider play aimed at offering a more coherent, uniform returns policy across the company's range of products, while also tying in with similar systems offered by mobile carriers.
Apple is toying with the idea of handing its iTunes Radio streaming audio service its very own app, which the company hopes will help boost adoption rates. Launched alongside iOS 7, the number of users subscribing to iTunes Radio has been modest, but considering the leverage that Apple has in the form of the iTunes Music Store - which boasts one of the broadest libraries of digital songs and albums with over 26 million - the company reportedly has a more proactive strategy in the offing.
In the ongoing patent dispute between Apple and Samsung, it has now emerged that the Cupertino-based company has demanded, in front of a jury, that its Korean competitor stumps up the almighty sum of $40 per infringing device. The total, which Apple has arrived at by highlighting five separate patents per device (around $8 a pop), would equate to an eye-watering total sum, and even FOSS Patents' Florian Mueller - a guy that tends to see these matters from Apple's side - seems to think this is a step too far.
Apple finally brought folder functionality to iOS way back in 2010 with iOS 4, but up until September's iOS 7 update, the feature was extremely limited. As well as making some dramatic aesthetic alterations with the latest firmware, several features, including folders, were greatly expanded. The limitation of around a dozen icons - arbitrary in the eyes of many - was lifted, and pages were introduced, meaning we didn't have to make several folders for one category. As well as all that, iOS 7 also accidentally made it possible for nested folders to exist, but now, thanks to iOS 7.1, the jig is up.
In bringing forth its in-house Maps app along with iOS 6 - a decision that saw Google Maps ousted from the native roster - Apple oversaw what was considered to be one of the greatest tech fails of 2012. But having shaken up its iOS software development team and made a host of improvements, Maps is finally starting to look like a navigation service that folks can rely upon. 9to5Mac has word that with iOS 8, continuing the enhancement of Maps is high on the priority list, with public transport directions services being the main implementation, and beyond that, the Cupertino is also toying with the idea of integrating indoor mapping into Maps.
Apple finally released iOS 7.1 yesterday, bringing some big improvements to Siri and iTunes Radio while also introducing CarPlay - the company's in-car flavor of iOS. But for some iOS 7 users, such as those on the antiquated iPhone 4, the update brought forth some significant speed improvements, reinstating some of the snappiness lost following the iOS 7.0 release back in September.
Apple has just dropped iOS 7.1 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch owners, with features spanning from Siri improvements to the introduction of CarPlay. But precisely which features you'll be getting depends largely upon the region in which you reside, and if you're unsure as to what to expect after downloading and installing iOS 7.1, then Apple has created a useful check-list.
In between the major upgrades to its iOS device roster, Apple often quietly pushes refreshed hardware, tweaking a certain fault or improving overall efficiency or performance. Today's iOS 7.1 update appears to indicate that the iPad range has been subject to one or two subtle alterations, with the list of devices compatible with the new firmware revealing two new unidentified iPad device numbers. iOS 7.1 for iPads 4,3 and 4,6 - neither of which have been announced by Apple - suggest that the Cupertino has been doing a little hardware-based housekeeping, but since no announcement was made, any changes are probably rudimentary, with no immediately apparent differences.
The next Apple smartphone, unofficially dubbed the "iPhone 6," will reportedly arrive in two different configurations - both of which are said to be larger than any iPhone released hitherto. As well as a 4.7-inch model, there will, it has been suggested, also be a 5.5-inch variant, and both of these new handsets could, as other bits of info have implied, be notably thinner than its would-be predecessor, akin to the new iPad Air. With this in mind, one concept maker has come through with an 'iPhone Air' concept, and as well as a stunning appearance, it also boasts a fairly tasty list of specs. Check it out below.
The beauty of Kickstarter is that it makes it possible for people to launch products that would normally never see the light of day. In the technology arena especially, we've seen all kinds of awesome and not-so-awesome things come out of the crowd-sourcing funding machine that is Kickstarter. We're not really sure which side of that fence we're going to put the SlatePro desk just yet, but it sure looks nice.
