Apple has added GreatSchools and GasBuddy to its list of sources for data in its Maps program. The latter company is said to be supplying Apple with gas station locations, exact business names and what major gasoline producer they are affiliated with, rather than the gas pricing spot-check that the company is known for. GreatSchools is likewise likely to be providing school locations information rather than specific school information.
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Pebble has released a new version of its smartwatch SDK, in preview. Version 3.0 is built with the Pebble Time in mind, including support for 64 colors in apps, a new animation framework, PNG and Animated PNG support, and automatic detection of which platforms the developer wants to build for when compiling. According to the company, developers looking to make apps for the new SDK will need to make relatively few changes to the application to get it to work.
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The latest Good Technology Mobility Index Report on the mobile enterprise space, based on a survey of Good's customer base for its own enterprise-level email services, shows iOS gaining ground by taking away share from Android in calendar Q4 2014, with the former growing by four percentage points to hit 73 percent share of global enterprise activations. Android fell by the same amount to 25 percent, while Windows Phone held steady at one percent.
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The curiously-named CoconutBattery 3.2 is a free app that examines the batteries in your MacBooks and your iOS devices. One click and you know everything: it gives you the skinny on every possible scintilla of information about the state your battery is in.
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12 hours ago | Posted in: iPhone
In addition to sandwich chain Panera Bread and Subway, and fast food king McDonald's, some 860 branch locations of sub sandwich chain Firehouse Subs will now officially begin accepting Apple Pay starting today. Apple Pay allows users to pay for food by simply holding the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus to a terminal while holding the Touch ID button on the devices. The franchise is hoping to more than double the number of locations it has in the US to over 2,000 by 2020.
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14 hours ago | Posted in: software, Apple
PC users that have been curious to try out Apple's suite of productivity programs, formerly known collectively as iWork, are now able to do so from the main iCloud.com website, the feature having been taken out of Apple's beta.icloud.com lab. Earlier this month, Apple made a free 1GB account available to any users who wanted to sign up but did not have an Apple device, but only within the beta site. Now the applications (in their web versions) are available free for anyone with an Apple ID to use.
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As expected, the Federal Communication Commission's votes today have not gone unnoticed by the telecommunications and Internet industry. There are no surprises in the commentary generated by the vote, with posturing and veiled threats being delivered by those impacted negatively by the vote.
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Welcome to Daily Deals, the time when we search for deals, offers, discounts, and sales on hardware, software, and other technology for you, the discerning MacNN and Electronista reader. Alongside our usual recap of still-active deals, the new batch of offers include a 28-inch 4K-resolution monitor, a cheap 42-inch Vizio TV, and a digital camera bundle featuring the Fujifilm FinePix S9250.
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18 hours ago | Posted in: Apple
Apple has today invited the media to an event on March 9. The "Spring Forward" event is taking place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, and is likely discussing firm release dates, and details of the final shipping version of the Apple Watch. The title of the event makes reference to time, suggesting the upcoming change in most first-world nations that sees clocks moved forward an hour -- in effect, a brief leap into the future.
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The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved the net neutrality rules, including Title II regulation of Internet Service Providers as proposed by FCC Chair Tom Wheeler, with minor modifications. The vote wasn't unanimous, nor was it expected to be, and predictably split across party lines. The two Democratic members and the Chair voted to approve the contentious policy, and the two Republican members voted against it.
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19 hours ago | Posted in: hacks, Apple
Despite the Apple Watch not yet shipping, design company Brikk has unveiled the Lux Watch product line. Their new collection includes 30 precious metal-plated, diamond encrusted luxury models across three lines of the upcoming wearable from Cupertino.
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20 hours ago | Posted in: security
On the eve of the net neutrality vote at the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), chairman Tom Wheeler has reportedly made some changes to the proposal. Reportedly extracted by request of Google and some other public interest groups is a clause that could allow Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to charge websites for delivered content.
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We truly do not appreciate how good apps are -- until we hit a problem. You join us now live as we head in to London by train, and have had to go hunting for new apps. We've ended up buying Tube Map Pro to help us get around, and we're very happy with it -- but there is a yin and a yang with apps.
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Storage company WD, today expanded its suite of network attached storage (NAS) solutions with four new products that address the increasing demands for content storage, management, protection and streaming among prosumers, creative professionals and small businesses. Released today are the My Cloud Expert two-bay My Cloud EX2100, and four-bay EX4100. In the My Cloud Business lineup are the two-bay My Cloud DL2100, and four-drive DL-4100.
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Bedside alarm apps are hardly new by any stretch of the imagination, and we'd be willing to bet that most iPhone users have tried one at some point. Often times these apps tend to be fairly simple, providing the user with little more than a clock and an alarm, both features that the iPhone comes with by default. But what if you desire more from your bedside setup? Weather Clock Pro, by iHandy, brings quite a bit more to the table.
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A weekend move by China has stricken Apple, Intel, Cisco, Citrix, and McAfee from approved vendors for governmental purchase. Ostentibly to protect national security interests, the move appears to be more about giving state run and other Chinese companies a leg up on procurements in the country, similar to regulations inside the US government that does the same.
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