Google today announced an update for its Chrome iOS app with several new features, perhaps most notably the ability to transfer from Chrome on your mobile device to a browser on OS X thanks to integration with Handoff.
The Handoff support works seamlessly, allowing users to continue browsing a mobile webpage on their desktop of choice, but the update also brings a couple of other updates to Chrome on iOS, namely a graphical overhaul in line with Google's Material Design aesthetic and general optimization for "bigger phones."
The Chrome team is excited to announce Chrome 40 for iPhone and iPad. Chrome 40.0.2214.61 contains a number of improvements including:
-New look with Material Design bringing bold graphics, fluid motion, and tactile surfaces -iOS 8 optimizations and support for bigger phones -Support handoff from Chrome to your default browser on OS X -Stability improvements and bug fixes
The update is available now and Chrome can be downloaded for free from the App Store. [Direct Link]
Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus may boost the company's iPhone sales to a new record in the year-ending Q1 2015, says Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty in a recent investor note. In line with other analyst predictions, Huberty and her team expect iPhone sales in the December holiday quarter to reach as high as 69 million units, eclipsing last year's quarterly record of 51 million units sold in Q1 2014.
Huberty also predicts strong Mac sales based on IDC's estimate of 5.8 million units, well above Morgan Stanley's earlier estimate of 5.2 million units and exceeding the record-setting 5.5 million Macs the company sold in fiscal Q4 2014. While the iPhone and Mac climb, iPad demand year-over-year is expected to remain weak with 22 million units shipped in Q1 2015, down slightly from the 26 million sold in the same quarter of 2014.
Looking ahead, Huberty believes Apple is on the cusp of a "super" iPhone upgrade cycle that will see an increased number of iPhone owners upgrading from their older iPhone models. The results from Morgan Stanley's Alphawise survey suggest that 35 percent of iPhone owners have an iPhone 4s or older. These older model iPhone owners are likely to upgrade in the next two years with nearly two-thirds of the predicted 200 million iPhone shipments in 2015 being purchased by these upgrade-eligible customers.
The Apple Watch also is expected to command interest in 2015 with 3 million units shipped during the first quarter of availability, predicts Huberty. Surveys suggest the wearable will be popular among iPhone owners, pushing sales to a predicted 30 million units in 2015.
Apple will announce the results for its first fiscal quarter of 2015 (fourth calendar quarter of 2014) and provide future earnings guidance on Tuesday, January 27. The quarterly earnings statement will be released around 1:30 PM Pacific/4:30 PM Eastern, with a conference call to discuss the report following at 2:00 PM Pacific/5:00 PM Eastern.
On a trip to Washington, D.C. last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook met with various senators to discuss a variety of topics, and Bloomberg points to the trip as a sign of the company's increased lobbying in recent years.
Though Apple was previously known to have a very small presence in Washington under Steve Jobs, Cook has quietly stepped up those efforts since taking the reins as CEO in 2011.
“They’ve learned what others before them have learned -- that Washington can have a great effect on their business,” said Larry Noble, senior counsel at the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington-based non-profit that scrutinizes money in politics.
Even with its increased spending in Washington, Apple still trails a number of other companies in the area. According to OpenSecrets.org, a website which tracks spending, from January through September 2014, Apple's $2.9 million in lobbying expenditures was well below that of Google ($13.7 million) and Microsoft ($6 million).
Bloomberg also mentions Apple's increased hiring of staff in Washington, last year naming Amber Cottle - a Washington insider and former chief of staff for the Senate Finance Committee - as the head of its new lobbying office.
Perhaps explaining some of the increased lobbying, Cook knows the intense scrutiny the company will be under in the coming months with the upcoming launch of the Apple Watch and its various personal data-tracking applications, and government officials have no doubt been concerned over the possibility of new privacy-related issues.
Meetings in the past with the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission to discuss health and security issues related to mobile medical applications and ultimately the Apple Watch have helped the company explain its commitment to privacy and security of individual users, while also hinting at possible user-based technology the company could be focusing on in the future. Finance has also been an area of concern for government officials, with Apple Pay putting the company into the spotlight and the company's tax practices being called into question.
With the company also having faced a number of lawsuits concerning everything from e-book pricing to lackluster data storage the company is no doubt looking to increase its dialogue with government officials to address current concerns while also looking to the future.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
LVMH luxury watch chief and TAG Heuer interim head Jean-Claude Biver spoke recently with Bloomberg, revealing some early details about the company's upcoming smartwatch product. Biver was a notable early critic of the Apple Watch, saying Apple's wearable effort looked like it was designed by "a student in their first trimester," although he appears to have shifted his perspective more recently.
In this week's Bloomberg interview, Biver recognizes the technological shortcomings of the Swiss watch industry, which lacks the communications and hardware background to produce a smartwatch. Instead, TAG Heuer will develop its smartwatch using a "different craftsmanship" that merges the mechanical know-how of the Swiss watch makers with the technology expertise of Silicon Valley.
For a smartwatch, "we can’t produce the engine, the chips, the applications, the hardware -- nobody can produce it in Switzerland," Biver said. "The hardware and the software will come from Silicon Valley. But the watch case, the dial, the design, the idea, the crown, that part of the watch will, of course, be Swiss."
Biver earlier confirmed TAG Heuer was looking to work with technology companies on its smartwatch device and told Bloomberg in his latest interview that the company will reveal these partnerships in the next six weeks. Google and Intel are among the companies rumored to be collaborating with the luxury watch maker.
Besides the typical smartwatch functions of GPS location tracking, step counting, and smartphone integration, TAG Heuer may also differentiate its product by offering exclusive apps that promote its brand and partnerships such as the sports teams that it sponsors.
Though he may be creating a competing product, Biver told Bloomberg he plans to buy an Apple Watch when it launches.
"It’s a fantastic product, an incredible achievement," he said. "I’m not just living in the tradition and culture and the past, I also want to be connected to the future. The Apple Watch connects me to the future. My watch connects me to history, to eternity."
Popular free password management service LastPass today is launching a new Mac app to make it easier for Mac users to access their passwords on their laptop and desktop computers. The new LastPass Mac app offers a full-featured vault for storing login information, passwords, credit cards, and more, and it comes equipped with several other useful tools such as Quick Search and Security Check.
Quick Search, one of the Mac app's key features, lets users search for a website or keyword to quickly locate logins, notes, and passwords. Sites can be launched directly from their default browser using a keyboard shortcut, with LastPass filling in the username and password for super quick site logins.
Security Check is another built-in feature of the LastPass Mac app, letting users continually monitor the strength of their passwords to make sure each one is secure enough. LastPass for Mac offers both offline access and automatic syncing between the Mac app and the iOS app.
Before the introduction of the Mac app, LastPass was web-only when used with Mac and Windows computers, offering browser plug-ins for Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and more to access password management features.
"We are living in a time when using the same password across every online account, or storing passwords for critical accounts in an insecure document on your computer, means you will inevitably get hacked. At the same time, memorizing dozens of unique passwords is virtually impossible," said LastPass CEO and Co-Founder, Joe Siegrist. "The LastPass Mac App functions as a vault that safeguards sensitive information. It allows our customers to have convenient local access to their data, saving them the distraction of recalling passwords or manually typing in their login details."
Last month, LastPass debuted Auto-Password Change, a useful feature designed to let users change their passwords for supported sites with just the click of a button.
The service is supported by ads, but ads can be removed with a $12 per year subscription fee, which also adds priority tech support and multi-factor authentication.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today granted an Apple patent, originally filed in April of 2012, that deals with eye-tracking technology used to control a user interface on a computer or smartphone (via AppleInsider). The specific invention involves a method for ensuring users do not lose track of a cursor while controlling their devices through eye-tracking movements.
The patent, with inventor credit going to David P. Julian, describes future Mac, iPhone, and iPad devices that could include the new camera technology, allowing movements of a user's eye to translate to the movement of a cursor on screen. The patent doesn't go into deep detail describing any further practical use of the "gaze control" technology, though it does mention in passing the possible use such advancements could have in vehicles, game consoles, and entertainment systems.
The patent mostly attempts to battle the Troxler Effect, an optical effect that causes objects in the periphery to begin to disappear when a user focuses on a particular point on-screen. This is a particularly troubling issue with retina-tracking technology, which requires a user to focus on various on-screen interface prompts to properly work.
Apple's invention seeks to counteract the Troxler Effect by monitoring eye movements and blinking to estimate when a user is likely to be losing track of a mouse pointer or other cursor due to the effect. The system would automatically move the cursor to bring it back to visibility.
In certain configurations, the eye tracking system may persistently render the movable indicator wherever the user looks in the GUI. This rendering of the movable indicator may be accurate to the degree that the movable indicator becomes a stabilized retinal image with respect to the user's eyes. As such, the movable indicator may fade with respect to the user's perception of the GUI. In other words, the movable indicator may no longer be visible to the user. In such situations, it is desirable to restore the user's perception of the movable indicator to counteract this fading effect. Accordingly, the eye tracking system described herein may automatically alter the position, appearance, or both of the movable indicator so that it is no longer a stabilized retinal image and can be perceived by the user.
A handful of older patents filed by the company have been released by the Patent and Trademark Office as of late, including a transforming home-button-to-gaming-joystick just last week. Like all other patents, the possibility of the eye-tracking tech showing up anytime soon in an Apple product is very slim, but is an interesting glimpse into the company's possible future nonetheless.
Apple has posted a new video on its official Chinese retail website showing renowned calligrapher Wang Dongling creating a mural for the company's upcoming West Lake store in Hangzhou. The video shows the artist using precise brush strokes to form characters around an Apple logo on a surface, which is then shown covering the West Lake retail location.
Last week, Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts commented on Apple's expansion strategy in China, which involves the opening of five new retail stores in the next five weeks to coincide with the festive shopping of the February 19 Chinese New Year holiday. With the addition of five new stores, Apple would be operating a total of 20 locations in China and Hong Kong with an ultimate goal of 40 stores in China over the next several years.
Luxury watch maker Montblanc earlier this month announced the "e-Strap", an accessory band that will add notifications, music control, and other smartphone-connected functions to a traditional analog wristwatch, marking one of the first efforts by traditional watchmakers to offer smartphone integration as the Apple Watch's launch nears.
Alexander Linz of the Watch-Insider blog had the opportunity to examine the e-Strap first hand during a demonstration by Montblanc CEO Jerome Lambert that was held over the weekend in Geneva.
Detailed photos of the watch accessory reveal how it sits on a traditional watch band to rest firmly on the underside of the wrist. The display portion appears rather bulky, making discomfort a possible issue during daily use.
Other photos showcase the 0.9-inch monochrome touchscreen display which shares information such as incoming phone calls, upcoming appointments, and more. The display quality is not nearly as good as depicted in Montblanc's renderings of the strap, with text and icons appearing rather jagged due to the low 128 x 36 resolution.
Not a standalone device, the e-Strap will connect to an iOS or Android smartphone via an app that will allow users to customize the information being displayed on their wrists.
The e-Strap is expected to cost 250 euros and will be available as an optional accessory to select Timewalker Urban Speed watches. The e-Strap also may be compatible with other Timewalker watches that ship with 42-mm or 43-mm diameter cases.
Facebook today began testing a new feature on its Messenger service, automatically transcribing voice messages sent through the service directly into text.
Announced by the Facebook's VP of Messaging David Marcus on his Facebook page, the update is meant to be more helpful for people who enjoy sending and receiving voice messages but find themselves in situations such as a meeting where audio is less suitable to the environment (via The Next Web).
"Today we are starting to roll out a small test that helps people read the voice clips they receive instead of having to play them out loud. So, for example, if you’re at a concert or in a meeting, and would prefer to read a voice clip from a friend, you now can if you're part of the small test we're rolling out."
Marcus goes on to mention that the current plan for the update is to keep it at a "tiny scale for now" and see how it performs in the wild. After seeing what the small scale of users think of the new feature, Facebook will decide whether to make the feature "more widely available."
Though the Facebook Messenger app retains a low rating in the App Store due to customer complaints over the company's continued attempt to separate individual services into various apps, it retained the top spot on 2014's list of most downloaded apps when results were announced late last month.
Civilization designer Sid Meier along with 2K and Firaxis Games have announced a new game, Sid Meier's Starships, reports Gamespot. The interstellar strategy game was developed by a small team at Firaxis who worked closely with Meier on the game's design.
Sid Meier's Starships builds upon the success of last year's Civilization: Earth Beyond, moving beyond the initial colonization of planets to the world of space exploration.
"What happens after we colonize our new home and eventually build starships to take to the stars?" he said. "What has become of our long-lost brothers and sisters from the planet Earth? My goal was to create an experience that focuses on starship design and combat within a universe filled with interstellar adventure, diplomacy, and exploration."
The latest chapter in Sid Meier's game lineup allows users to control a fleet of starships as they journey through the universe completing a variety of missions that expand the influence of their federation. Though specific details were not revealed, Beyond Earth and Starships may share some cross-connectivity that will benefit gamers who own both games.
Sid Meier's Starships is slated to debut in early 2015 and will be available on the PC, Mac, and iPad. Pricing and an exact release date will be announced soon.
Google late last year launched its all-new Google Calendar app for Android with a smarter, more automated version of the platform, with a promise that the app would someday hit Apple's iOS-enabled devices.
Thanks to a few leaked screenshots sent in to The Next Web, it appears the revamped Google Calendar app is ready for an imminent launch on iPhone and iPad. The images show off an app that looks pretty similar to the Android version, with Calendar pulling photos and map information straight into the app.
When the app debuts, it will be the first time a dedicated Google Calendar app launches on iOS. There's no confirmation yet as to whether the iOS version will encompass all of the features from its Android counterpart, like Schedule View or Assists, but, as The Next Web points out, with the images leaking it shouldn't be long until the app launches to find out.
Google has a number of regularly updated apps on Apple's mobile platform, including fan favorite Google Maps and Google Translate, which was just updated with instant camera-based translation software Word Lens.
Apple today updated its website to celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day with a full page memorial on the company's home page. The image on the site is accompanied by a message to honor the civil rights leader and his work, “Today we reflect on the life and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the work that continues in service of the broader concerns of humanity.”
Following the rollout of the website change, Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted his own commemoration that highlighted Apple's remembrance of King's legacy.
Previously, Tim Cook has publicly expressed his admiration for Dr. King, noting in a Charlie Rose interview last year that he keeps photos of King and politician Robert Kennedy in his office at Apple.
"I had the — just tremendous respect for both of them, and so I do," he said. "I look at them every day because I think for people — there’s still too many cases in the world and in the United States where there’s a class kind of structure or where voting or people are trying to convince each other that this other group of people don’t deserve the same rights. And I think it’s crazy, I think it’s un-American."
Besides the web page refresh, Apple reportedly also is encouraging its employees to volunteer with a donation matching program, reports 9to5Mac. Instead of a paid day off, Apple is offering to donate an additional $50 for each voluntary hour worked by employees.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is back with another report outlining his belief that Apple will launch a stylus as an optional accessory for the company's rumored 12.9-inch "iPad Pro". With the new iPad's larger screen, it will likely prove popular with enterprise and creative users who tend to have more need for a stylus and Kuo believes Apple will fill that need with an in-house solution.
Given that it’s more precise than a person’s fingers, a stylus can be more convenient to use than the combination of keyboard and mouse in some cases. Therefore, we believe Apple’s stylus will improve the user experience of 12.9-inch iPad.
Apple's proposed haptic stylus from a 2010 patent application, not necessarily reflective of the company's current thinking on such a device
Kuo believes the stylus will be an optional accessory rather than included standard with the new iPad, as the relatively expensive stylus would drive the base cost of the iPad too high.
We don’t think all users will need a stylus initially. Coupled with its unfavorable cost structure, high selling prices may turn consumers off if the 12.9-inch iPad is always bundled with it. We therefore expect the stylus to be an optional accessory before sufficient user feedback is received.
Looking at technical details of the stylus, Kuo predicts it will charge via a Lightning connector, believing a more convenient wireless charging solution would be too expensive and require difficult antenna design that Apple will likely forego initially. Kuo also believes the initial stylus model will not include a gyroscope accelerometer, but future models could include the component to support "3D handwriting" to allow the user to write on other surfaces or even in the air.
Kuo believes Apple will launch this new stylus in the second or third quarter of this year, roughly the timeframe predicted for the iPad Pro launch. The company has filed for a number of patents related to stylus technology, with the most recently publicized one being a "communicating stylus" that would automatically transcribe handwritten notes into digital form.
The upcoming Steve Jobs biopic penned by Aaron Sorkin has entered production, with film crews setting up at Steve Jobs' childhood home in Los Altos ahead of filming that's set to take place on Friday afternoon.
CNET's Shara Tibken was on scene at the house Friday morning, watching as the film's production team finished transforming the garage into what it might have looked like back in 1976, when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were working on the original Apple I computers.
The biopic, which is based on Walter Isaacson's best selling Steve Jobs biography, is said to cover three of Jobs' most important product launches -- the Macintosh computer in 1984, the NeXT computer in 1988, and the release of the iPod in 2001. Filming is starting at Jobs' childhood home, but later, film crews are expected to move on to areas in San Jose and Berkeley.
Directed by Danny Boyle, famous for Slumdog Millionaire, the biopic will star Michael Fassbender as Steve Jobs and Seth Rogen as Steve Wozniak. Fassbender has had high-profile roles in movie like 12 Years a Slave and Inglourious Basterds, but he is perhaps most well-known in recent years for his role as Magneto in X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past. Rogen recently starred in The Interview and is also known for Neighbors, Pineapple Express, Knocked Up, and This is the End. Though mostly known for his comedic roles, Rogen has also had roles in more serious movies like 50/50 and Take This Waltz.
Kate Winslet, known for Titanic and Divergent, will take on a leading female role, and Jeff Daniels of The Newsroomwill play former Apple CEO John Sculley. Steve Jobs' former girlfriend Chrisann Brennan will be played by Katherine Waterston, and Michael Stuhlbarg will play early Apple employee Andy Hertzfeld.
A full gallery of photos of early production on the Steve Jobs biopic in Los Altos can be found over at CNET.
As we mentioned in last week's Buyer's Guide post, the deals in the month of January aren't great, but there are still a few discounts to be had on various products like the previous-generation iPads, the Retina iMac, the MacBook Air, and a few Retina MacBook Pro models.
We've also got a handful of accessory deals for you this week, on iPhone cases, iPad keyboard cases, Thunderbolt docks, and the Jawbone Big Jambox, plus some deals on Mac and iOS apps.
iMac
As of yesterday, Apple is selling the new 27-inch Retina iMac in its online refurbished store, offering discounts of 15 percent off, which beats any Retina iMac price that can be found in store this week.
Selection varies, but there are quite a few configurations available for purchase at a discount, which gives consumers looking for a Retina iMac deal a lot to choose from beyond the standard configuration.
For example, the 4.0GHz Retina iMac with 8GB RAM and 1TB Fusion drive can be purchased for $2,339, a discount of $410 compared to the price when purchased new, and the stock 3.5GHz/8GB/1TB Retina iMac is available refurbished for $2,119, a discount of $380.
All of Apple's refurbished machines come with a 1 year warranty, but stock fluctuates often, so potential buyers may need to wait for a desired machine to show up in the store.
iPads
We don't recommend buying an iPad Air 2 or Retina iPad mini 3 this week if you can help it because there are no sales going on, but Best Buy is still offering now-discontinued higher-capacity Cellular versions of the iPad Air and the iPad mini 2 at discounted prices up to $130 off the standard price.
- 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/128GB (Adorama) - $1,149, $150 off - 13-inch 2.6GHz/8GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,399, $100 off
MacBook Air
- 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (Best Buy) (B&H Photo) - $829.99, $70 off - 11-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $999, $100 off - 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/128GB (Best Buy) - $849, $150 off - 13-inch 1.4GHz/4GB/256GB (Adorama) (B&H Photo) - $1,099, $100 off
Mac Pro
MacMall is offering $50 off its stock of Mac Pros through 1/31, and the discount can be applied by using the coupon code MWBCJMACRUMORS. MacMall has several different configurations, but the base stock 4-core model is priced at $2,839.99 before the $50 discount, and the stock 6-core model is priced at $3,739.99. With the discounts, MacRumors readers can get a total of $201 and $301 off, respectively. MacMall also has many other quad-core to 12-core configurations available for purchase.
Apps
Apple's free app of the week is Marvell Pinball, a game that's normally priced at $0.99. It'll be available for free for the next seven days.
Goat Simulator is 60 percent off for a limited time, dropping the price to $2.99. Space Age: A Cosmic Adventure is also on sale for a limited time for $1.99, down from $3.99. For more app deals, make sure to check out our sister site AppShopper, which has a section dedicated to price drops.
StackSocial is offering 10 Mac apps for $10, a bundle that includes Disk Map, MenuTab Pro for Facebook, NotesTab Pro, CopyClip 2, Privacy Protector, Share Bucket, StatsBar, StockTab, Alerts for Gmail, and InstaReel for Instagram.
MacHeist also has a bundle of Mac Apps for $14.99, which includes Default Folder X, VirusBarrier, uBar, Speedy, TotalFinder, Parallels Access, CodeKit, and Cocktail. Little Snitch and Postbox will be included if enough bundles are sold.
Apple Accessories
Groupon is offering a refurbished Jawbone UP24 for $69.99, down from the original price of $99. The Speck CandyShell Case for the iPad mini is also available from Groupon for $11.99, down from its regular price of $44.95.
The Nintendo Clip Case for the iPhone 5/5s is available for $7.99 from Groupon, down from $29.99, and the site is also selling custom iPhone cases for the iPhone 5/5s/6/6 Plus from PrinterPix for $7.99 to $14.99. Cases are normally priced at $39.99.
Logitech's Ultrathin Bluetooth keyboard for the iPad mini can be purchased for $37.99 from Groupon, down from $79.99, and Daily Steals has Apple Earpod earphones for $9 instead of $29.
Daily Steals is also selling the Belkin USB 2.1 Swivel Charger for $8, down from $29.99, and the Jawbone Big Jambox can be purchased from Best Buy for $199, a $100 discount.
MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors.
Apple is continuing its behind-the-scenes work on the upcoming iOS 8.1.3 update, and as of yesterday, retail employees that have been testing the software received a second iOS 8.1.3 beta, build 12B466, which is six builds newer than the previous seed they received on Wednesday, January 7.
Last week, we speculated that the iOS 8.1.3 beta was close to release due to the fact that it was shared with quite a few retail employees, but it appears there are still bugs that Apple is working on fixing before it provides the 8.1.3 update to the public. MacRumors continues to see an uptick in the number of visits received from devices running iOS 8.1.3, and while we expect the update will be released to the public in the next week or two, it is not clear exactly when a launch could come.
Overall visitors to MacRumors.com from devices running iOS 8.1.3
According to our source, iOS 8.1.3 appears to contain only under-the-hood bug fixes with no readily apparent visual changes to the operating system. Apple has not provided employees with release notes.
With iOS 8.1.2 and iOS 8.1.3 positioned as minor updates, Apple has opted not to share the software with developers ahead of its release, instead testing the updates in house. Testing the iOS 8.1.3 update with retail employees is a new move for Apple, as it marks the first time retail workers have been invited to participate in the testing of an iOS beta. Retail employees have been involved in the beta testing of OS X for years.
Apple may have avoided seeding the iOS 8.1.2 and 8.1.3 betas to developers in order to focus developer testing on iOS 8.2, which is currently on its fourth beta. iOS 8.2 is a major update that is expected to be released alongside the Apple Watch in the spring months.
As we mentioned last week, along with iOS 8.1.3 and iOS 8.2, our site metrics indicate that a small number of Apple employees in Cupertino are also working on iOS 9, the successor to iOS 8 that we expect will be previewed in the summer and released in the fall alongside new iPhones.
An iOS 8.3 update that was also observed in testing months ago has declined in activity according to our web logs, with visits from devices running it having peaked in late November and not rebounding significantly in the new year following the holiday lull.
Digital agency Huge yesterday released a set of renderings showing off their concepts for how existing popular apps like Fandango, Foursquare, Chase Bank, and others could take advantage of the Apple Watch when the smartwatch launches in the coming months.
Breaking down the major new features of the Watch, including the Taptic Engine, Voice command, and the Digital Crown, Huge reminds readers that none of the renderings are based off any confirmed apps from the companies or Apple itself, but they do offer an interesting look at the possibilities.
Huge also smartly points out that the success or failure of apps on the platform lies in developers embracing its smaller-scale and not just shoehorning existing iOS user interfaces and features into the Watch but making something new and unique. Interaction between the Apple Watch and the iPhone will of course be key, however.
Features such as native voice control, haptic feedback, and a digital crown that can be used to magnify, scroll or zoom within apps crack open a whole new world of design requirements and opportunities. The smartest companies will do more than offer facsimiles of their existing apps; they'll create custom experiences that exploit the watch's unique interface.
Tackled first are "existing apps" that the company reimagines for the wearable platform, namely Uber. Pointing out Uber's dependency on tracking a car, Huge thinks possible voice control, a quick messaging system between the user and driver, and easy peeks at real-time car tracking would push the app to be even more popular on the wrist.
On the banking side, the company takes a look at the possibilities for an app like Chase, thinking the transfer of money, checking balances, and alerts for bills due and deposits made could provide even more ease-of-mind for customers banking on the go.
On the more social side, Huge mocks up an idea for movie-going app Fandango consisting of electronic ticketing, alerts for movie times, and, of course, theater time listings for movies nearby.
Perhaps most questionable, but also one of the most interesting, are Huge's ideas for Instagram on the Apple Watch. Though most users probably wouldn't mind taking out their iPhone to check the service, Huge envisions the Watch version of the app as more of a companion piece: alerting users to photo comments, tags, and likes, with possible photo browsing relegated to the digital crown. The company also points out the significant gain any news outlet, like The New York Times, could receive from having alerts and breaking news sent right to their readers' wrists.
Next, the company looks at "new use cases" the Apple Watch will enable, thanks to the release of WatchKit to developers a few months ago. Though iBeacons have been the source of some questionable developments about the possibility of location-based advertisements hitting the Apple Watch, Huge points to a few clever alternatives, like the watch notifying a user passing a grocery store that they have milk or bread on their shopping list, for example. More broadly, Huge envisions a native to-do list app in the vein of Apple's Reminders but which could easily best its iPhone counterpart due to its easier-to-access location on the Watch.
The Apple Watch launch is rapidly approaching, although a rumored March release date has yet to be confirmed by Apple. Apple has promised it will share more information on the Watch as its launch nears, and third-party developers have been hard at work on their Apple Watch projects for some time now. But for the time being, readers can see the possibilities outlined above, as well as others including a kitchen assistant, haptic feedback-fueled navigation, and a sports-focused news app, in Huge's feature published at Fast Company.
As expected, the top programming languages ranked by RedMonk include JavaScript, Java, and PHP in the top three slots with Objective-C rounding out the top ten.
Though it does not rank as high as its Objective-C counterpart, Swift was singled out by the researchers for growth that "is essentially unprecedented in the history of these rankings." In two calendar quarters, Swift has climbed from the 68th slot in Q3 2014 to the 22nd slot in Q1 2015, a jump of 46 slots. Given this meteoric rise, Swift is expected to become a Top 20 language sometime this year.
According to Chris Lattner, head of Apple's Developer Tools department, the Swift programming language was in development for four years before its official unveiling during WWDC 2014. From its conception, Swift was designed to be more approachable and fun, allowing developers to produce apps quickly and easily. Developers can use Swift code to build new apps or to add it alongside Objective-C into existing apps.
On a 
LVMH luxury watch chief and TAG Heuer interim head Jean-Claude Biver spoke recently with 
