Jake Smith

It’s a new year: Take back your Mac this weekend

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

It's a new year, and as such, I wanted a fresh start. Over the past few months I had become increasingly frustrated with the sluggishness of my MacBook Pro. My laziness over the summer left me behind on OS X Yosemite betas - and the smoothness and flow of the SSD on my work machine was absolutely in terror.

I took this weekend to wipe the slate clean on my MacBook Pro, and it was such a liberating feeling. Not only did I rid of files and applications that I absolutely never used or would need again, but I brought back the speed my Mac once had. As such, I challenge you to take back your Mac this weekend.

Twitter planning native video service to rival YouTube

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

In an effort to drum up more engagement from users, Twitter plans a native video player as an extension of its Vine service, and as a rival to Google's YouTube. Instead of just tweeting a URL to a video elsewhere, Twitter wants users to actually upload videos to its site to keep engagement and sell you products through advertisements.

The Twitter Video website, with limited access, appeared for a short time on Friday evening, clueing us in on some of the features Twitter Video may feature when it launches in the first half of 2015. While Twitter provided a few small details about its video service on a conference call in November, this is the first time we've gotten some real details.

Apple’s ‘Start Something New’ campaign extends to Apple Store walls

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple has extended its "Start Something New" campaign, to highlight art and photography created on the iPhone and iPad, past the web and into its retail stores.

Twitter user Storeteller noted on Friday that the Regent Street Apple Store in London began displaying the art Apple began showing on the "Start Something New" webpage earlier this week.

Throwback: Concept turns iPhone 6 into old school iPod Classic

Jake Smith ∙ Updated October 14, 2018

I'm a sucker for a good product concept, and as such, Claudio Gomboli has captured my heart and mind with a smart accessory that turns the front of your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus into an iPod Classic.

Here’s a look at Apple Japan’s 2015 ‘Lucky Bags’

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple kicked off its 2015 annual "Lucky Bag" promotion in Japan on Thursday, giving customers big discounts on Apple products and accessories. A "Lucky Bag" is a Japanese New Year tradition, also known as a Fukubukuro, that offers a bag for a set price filled with unknown random items, sold for a discount.

Twitter brings ‘While you were away’ feature to your timeline on iOS

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Twitter has expanded its "While you were away" recap feature to more users worldwide, in a greater attempt to boost user engagement within its Twitter for iOS app. The "While you were away" feature posts a recap of tweets you may have missed, and is the first time Twitter has brought non-chronological tweets to your timeline.

The feature doesn't appear to be in the hands of all users yet, but a Twitter search reveals it's rolling out - with mixed reactions from users. Twitter had previously announced the feature in November, but it's just now hitting the masses.

Apple quietly increases pricing of Apple Developer Programs in UK, Germany

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple has raised the price of the iOS and Mac Developer Programs in the UK and Germany on Thursday, probably not a coincidence on the first of the year. In Germany, Apple has raised price to €99/year ($120) from €80/year ($97) in 2014, and in the UK pricing has been adjusted from £60/year ($93) to £79/year ($123).

‘Price is Right’ contestant thinks iPhone 6 costs $7,500

Jake Smith ∙ January 1, 2015

This is one of those moments where all you can think to yourself is: "Oh. Oh, no."

Two contestants on the 'Price is Right' shocked host Drew Carey when they thought the retail price of the iPhone 6 was $7,500.

Top startup investor Fred Wilson says the Apple Watch will be a flop

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Fred Wilson, a prominent startup investor and partner of Union Square Ventures, has posted a series of predictions for 2015 and his forecast isn't looking too good for Apple's first new product category in years.

Wilson, who has put money in Twitter, Zynga, and other large companies in their early stages, doesn't think the Apple Watch will be able to live up to Apple devices before it like the iPhone and iPad, both of which reshaped the consumer electronics industry.

Apple pushes ‘Start Something New’ webpage worldwide to highlight iOS’ artistic nature

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Apple's marketing team has pushed a new webpage worldwide titled "Start Something New" to highlight the iPad as a way of creating art through drawings and photographs.

Phones4U liquidating its entire iPhone, iPad stock in the UK

Jake Smith ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

If you live in the UK and have been wanting to get your hands on some killer Apple deals, now may be your chance. UK retailer Phones4U is entering administration - aka bankruptcy - and as a result is liquidating its entire stock of products, including iPhones, iPads, and Beats headphones.

Apple faces class-action lawsuit over how much storage iOS 8 takes up

Jake Smith ∙ Updated June 11, 2018

"The biggest iOS release ever."

SiliconBeat reports Apple has been hit with a class-action lawsuit alleging it doesn't inform its customers how much storage iOS 8 takes up on their device, and then asks them to buy more space on iCloud.

The case was filed in a San Francisco Bay federal court on Tuesday, claiming iOS 8 can take up to 23.1 percent of storage on the iPhone 5s and 23.1 percent on an iPod. It says Apple isn't truly representing the storage available on its devices.