Tim Cook Featured in TIME's List of '100 Most Influential People'

Apple CEO Tim Cook has made TIME's annual list of "the 100 most influential people" alongside several other notable celebrities, business executives, scientists, authors, healthcare professionals, iconic leaders and more.



Cook's segment was written by John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Democratic Congressman from Georgia. The chief executive last made TIME's list in 2012, less than one year after the passing of Steve Jobs.

"It could not have been easy for Tim Cook to step into the immense shadow cast by the late Apple co-founder, Steve Jobs. But with grace and courage and an unabashed willingness to be his own man, Tim has pushed Apple to unimaginable profitability—and greater social responsibility. He is setting a new standard for what business can do in the world. Tim is unwavering in his support of an individual’s right to privacy and is not only embracing equality and LGBT rights but advocating for change through his words and actions. His commitment to renewable energy is also leaving our planet a little cleaner and a little greener for generations yet unborn."

While not included in the list himself, Apple design chief Jonathan Ive also wrote a piece on Airbnb founder and fellow designer Brian Chesky, describing him as a "travel revolutionary" that has created a new way to build community through his startup. "Brian Chesky’s audacity is fabulous. He dares to believe that we shouldn’t be strangers, that we can have a sense of true belonging whenever, wherever we travel."



Notable inclusions in the tech industry include YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Xiaomi founder and CEO Lei Jun. Other highly recognizable names making the list include Emma Watson, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Hillary Clinton, Pope Francis, Tim McGraw and Vladimir Putin. Cook was also nominated for TIME's "Person of the Year" award in 2014.

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Posted in 2015 at 01:46PM, April 16

'Glide' Update Brings Video And Text Messaging Service to Apple Watch [iOS Blog]

Every day more and more companies announce Apple Watch versions of popular iOS apps. The trend continues today, with video and photo messaging app Glide confirming a companion app on Apple's new wearable will be available to its users when the Watch launches on April 24.



The Glide iPhone app allows users to send and receive live video messages from friends - up to five minutes long - even letting its users watch someone live as they record a Glide video, or catch up later if they missed anything.





The Apple Watch version will act as a companion to its iOS counterpart, notifying users of live Glides, missed messages, and allow them to peruse the app and watch videos right on their wrist. The wrist-worn app will only allow users to preview full video messages, however, pointing them towards the iPhone to view the full-length versions.



The app, like Apple's own Messages, will also allow users to send truncated text, emojis, or use speech-to-text to dictate a response to someone's Glide video. It will also support Handoff, so users can go from watching a video on the Watch to an iPhone without missing a single beat.






Although impossible with the current Apple Watch hardware, Glide CEO Ari Roisman looks to the future to envision Glide and future iterations of the Apple Watch - with a front-facing camera - working together to provide incomparable video chatting services to users right on their wrists. Speaking to VentureBeat , Roisman believes that live video messaging, via wrist-worn devices, will become the most widely used way in which to catch-up with friends and family, possibly even without a paired smartphone.

“We are very bullish on the Apple Watch and believe that live video messaging from your wrist will rapidly become the easiest way to keep in touch with friends and family on the go,” said Glide CEO Ari Roisman in a statement.



“We are going to be communicating with computers using natural language, in the same way we communicate with humans,” Roisman said. “What that feels like is what we’ve been dreaming up in the world of science fiction for years. This is nothing short of epic, and the Apple Watch is just the first, tiny little half-baked manifestation of that, but it’s here.”

Roisman's hopeful future is no doubt far away, but it's still interesting to note how current app developers, with their own skin in the Apple Watch game, view not only the device's current state but its long-term future, as well.



Glide can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

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Posted in 2015 at 01:46PM, April 15

Siri Control of HomeKit Devices While On the Go Requires Apple TV as Hub

One of the major focuses at CES this year was home automation, with a number of vendors announcing their plans for devices integrating with Apple's new HomeKit ecosystem. One of the key features of these HomeKit devices has been the ability to control them from iOS devices via Siri, allowing users to turn lights on or off, close garage doors, and more with just their voices.



As noted by The Verge , however, users hoping to accomplish such tasks while away from home will need to have an Apple TV on their home network to serve as the hub for these devices.

So, while commands like "Siri, turn off the lights in the living room" will always work while connected to your home Wi-Fi network, they won’t from the airport unless you have an Apple TV. But that’s it — you can still switch off the lights with an app, no Apple TV required. This behavior has been confirmed by a source close to HomeKit’s development as well as two launch partners who wish to remain anonymous. Only third-generation or later Apple TVs running software 7.0 or later will support HomeKit.

Apple has quietly included HomeKit in the Apple TV's software, but The Verge notes Apple will not be marketing the set-top box specifically as a home automation hub.



Many of the home automation vendors have been fairly vague about launch plans for their devices, and sources indicate that uncertainty is due in large part to the need to wait for Apple to finish polishing its HomeKit tools to ensure proper functionality. With HomeKit-enabled chips only recently beginning to ship to vendors and Apple's vendor licensing program still getting underway, most of these companies still have a few hurdles to cross before they can make their products available for sale.

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Posted in 2015 at 01:46PM, January 11