Mitchel Broussard

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...

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.“The...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office today published an Apple patent application revealing the company's interest in an iPhone or iPad home button that transitions form its normal functionality into a small joystick for gaming (via Patently Apple). The "multi-function input device" would serve its normal home button functions, ostensibily with Touch ID and all other current features, but with...

Facebook today plans to launch a new app for iOS and Android, simply titled "Work", that will allow businesses to build their own Facebook-like social networks to facilitate interaction amongst employees. The service, which will also available on the main Facebook website, has been beta tested in "a very small set" of businesses around the world, Lars Rasmussen, the engineering director at...

Microsoft today announced the release of an updated version of its Skype iOS client app bringing a few tweaks to the dial pad and chat picker alongside a new pre-release feedback program. The first major user interface overhaul focuses on the dial pad, streamlining the process by automatically detecting matching numbers as soon as the user begins inputting a phone number. The update to the new ...

A new survey from finance company Credit Suisse found that of the solely iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus owners questioned, 18 percent of them would "definitely" purchase Apple's upcoming wearable, the Apple Watch. As reported by Business Insider, the level of interest from iPhone owners could translate to 35 million units moved during the device's first year. Beyond the definite purchasers, 11...

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Education has found the Los Angeles Unified School District's $1.3 billion "iPad-for-all" education initiative, announced in the summer of 2013, had been "plagued by lack of resources and inadequate planning for how the devices would be used in classrooms," reports the Los Angeles Times. The iPad initiative was officially canceled last month amidst an...

Apple has seemingly ended its weekly iTunes "Single of the Week" promotion that gave out a free music single download each week on the iTunes storefront. As noted by Business Insider, a member of the Apple discussion forums claims an Apple support employee informed him the company decided to drop the weekly promotion. I contacted iTunes Support and they told me the decision was made to drop...

Apple on Saturday announced via Twitter a re-launch of sorts for a section of the App Store specifically aimed at children's apps. Apple originally rolled out a Kids category back in 2013, but the new feature offers a more tailored look at games designed for the various age ranges. The storefront's first showcase product is for an eBook, "Family Time With Apps," that hopes to "show parents...

Flickr over the weekend released data detailing the most popular camera rankings of 2014 for the online photo sharing service. With 100 million users uploading 10 billion photos last year, the usual standouts of Canon and Nikon edged out most of the competition, but most interesting was Apple moving past Nikon to take second place in the rankings (via The Next Web). Focusing solely on the...

Apple Pay has been exclusive to the United States since its launch last October, but it now appears Apple is preparing to take the mobile payments service international with an expansion to Canada as soon as this March. Citing sources "close to the situation," 9to5Mac reports Apple is currently in negotiations with Canadian partners, preparing and planning various promotional materials over the...

After sending out an email to developers earlier in the week detailing App Store price changes coming to a few territories, Apple has today raised the price of apps in all countries within the European Union, Norway, Russia, and Canada. The price increases are due to shifting currency exchange rates and tax increases in some countries. The price of the least expensive paid apps in the App...

Following a set of artist renditions that gave fans a basic look at Apple's long-rumored 12-inch Retina MacBook Air earlier this week, well-known 3D modeler and designer Martin Hajek has created a set of realistic renderings of the unannounced notebook on his blog. Hajek follows details found in previous reports of the machine, creating the model with an edge-to-edge keyboard relocating the ...

App Store customers worldwide set a new record in the first week of 2015, Apple announced today. According to the company, customers spent nearly half a billion dollars on apps and in-app purchases in the first week of January, with New Year's Day marking the biggest day ever for App Store sales. As noted by Apple, this opening salvo for 2015 follows in the footsteps of a successful 2014 that...

Earlier this week, mobile accessory manufacturer ibattz turned a few heads at the Consumer Electronics Show with a new external battery charger called the ASAP Fast Charge Power Bank that the company claims can fully charge an iPhone 6 from 0 to 100 percent in just 15 minutes. (See update at bottom of this article for correction.) Available in two sizes of 5,600 mAh and 11,200 mAh, the new...

Following on the heels of a recent announcement for its next-generation mobile security lock, security-focused accessory manufacturer Kensington also announced a new line of iPad cases for the iPad Air 2, called the -2">KeyFolio Thin X3 Plus. Building on Kensington's similarly-titled products for the original iPad Air and iPad Air 2, the X3 Plus features a larger 4,500 mAh battery inside of...