Alex Heath

How to Quickly Launch Apps With Siri

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 6, 2017

One of the glaring features that Apple left out of Siri is the ability to integrate with and launch apps. You can do all sorts of things with your voice and Siri, but you can't use third-party apps (short of a few exceptions and the services Apple officially partnered with for launch) or open apps with a voice command.

Thanks to the widely undocumented world of iOS URL schemes, you can actually trigger app shortcuts with Siri on your iPhone 4S. While it's not the cleanest method, there are tons of possibilities for quickly launching apps with Siri. Let's take a closer look...

10 Things Siri Can Do That May Surprise You

Alex Heath ∙ Updated August 13, 2019

Can't get enough of Siri? We've gathered several hidden tips and tricks for you to enjoy and learn from.

There's been plenty of Siri coverage already, but these are 10 tips that you may have not noticed...

AT&T Expected to Merge With T-Mobile in “First Half” of Next Year

Alex Heath ∙ Updated July 7, 2017

AT&T has leaked its estimation for when the T-Mobile merger will close in a recent filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Spotted by Electronista, the filing says that AT&T expects the merger to take place in the "first half" of 2012.

Several organizations, including the US Justice Department, have kept AT&T and T-Mobile battling with the courts since AT&T announced the acquisition back in March. If all goes according to plan, T-Mobile will be owned by AT&T before Spring of next year...

Latest RedSn0w Will Jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 Beta 2

Alex Heath ∙ November 4, 2011

MuscleNerd has spoken. The Dev Team front man has tweeted that the latest version of RedSn0w will in fact jailbreak the just-released iOS 5.0.1 beta 2.

The jailbreak is still tethered, and you'll need to point RedSn0w to the iOS 5.0/5.0.1 IPSW to perform the jailbreak for the time being...

The iPhone Accounts for Over Half of the Entire Mobile Phone Industry’s Profits

Alex Heath ∙ November 4, 2011

Apple's iPhone accounts for 52% of the overall profits for the entire mobile phone industry, according to a new report by Cannacord Genuity analyst T. Michael Walkley. The iPhone consisted of more than half of the industry's profits in the last business quarter.

The iPhone 4S is expected to push Apple's share of the mobile industry's profits to 60% in the final quarter of 2011. According to the report, the iPhone 4S was the best-selling handset on Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint for the month of October.

iOS 5 Tip: Show Hourly Forecasts in Weather App

Alex Heath ∙ November 4, 2011

Apple added a nifty feature in the iOS 5 weather app that lets you see the hourly forecast. Instead of the daily forecast, you can drill down each day and see hour-by-hour temperatures and rain percentages.

Simple tap on the current day in the Weather app to trigger a drop down with the hourly forecast for the day. Nifty!

Android Phones Require More Repair Costs Than iPhones

Alex Heath ∙ November 3, 2011

Android phones have been proven to break, malfunction, and require more repair costs than iPhones and even Blackberries.

The cheapness of most Android handsets is costing the telecoms a staggering $2 billion per year, according to a report from wireless services firm WDS...

Sparrow is Ready to Fly Onto Your iPhone, Here’s a Teaser Image

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

The folks at Sparrow make one of the slickest email apps for the Mac around. You can buy Sparrow for Gmail in the Mac App Store for $9.99. The app looks and feels a whole lot like the official Twitter app and the deceased Tweetie client.

A report from months agosaid that Sparrow was coming to the iPhone, and the app's developers have posted a teaser image to whet our appetites...

Lots of People Are Using Hotmail on iOS 5

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Apple added quick setup support for Microsoft's Hotmail email service in the Mail app on iOS 5, and the Redmond company has announced that it's seen a massive surge in Hotmail activations since the public launch of Apple's latest mobile software.

Microsoft is seeing 100,000 new iOS 5 devices log into the email provider every day, and over 2 million users have linked their iDevices to Hotmail on iOS 5.

Square Makes Mobile Payments With the iPhone Totally Hands-Free, Thanks to iOS 5

Alex Heath ∙ Updated February 19, 2018

Mobile payment solution Square has issued a big update for its Card Case iPhone app that takes advantage of the location-awareness features in iOS 5. Users can enable the geofencing feature in iOS 5 to make hands-free payments when 100 meters or closer to a store that supports Square.

This new feature allows you to basically start a tab somewhere, like a local coffee shop, and pay by telling a worker your name. Your Square ID automatically shows up on the merchant's iPad or iPhone Square app, and your purchase is charged to your account.

Gmail’s New iOS App is a Disgrace

Alex Heath ∙ November 2, 2011

Google recently released—and immediately pulled—its official app for the iPhone and iPad in the App Store. After a long time coming, Google finally got on the ball and released an App Store app for its popular email service, but not before realizing that there were several bugs that needed fixing.

While many called Gmail's app "fantastic" and "wonderful" at first glance, more than 5 minutes with the app will show you what an utter disgrace this app is for Google...

Gmail for iPhone and iPad Goes Live in the App Store

Alex Heath ∙ November 2, 2011

Google has released its official app for the iPhone and iPad in the App Store. The app offers Gmail-specific features like notifications, messages threads, and Priority Inbox.

It was rumored that Google would launch a native Gmail app for iOS yesterday, and the app has now been made available for free in the App Store.