As we close out one week and kick off another, let’s take a moment to look back at the attention-grabbing headlines from the past seven days. Some of the news you may recall, some may be new to you, but all the topics below are worthy of a second mention.
Apple now processing online sales refunds in under a week
In a bid to boost sales from its online store, Apple is now processing refunds for returns in under a week in the U.S. It would previously take 10 days or even more for users to get a refund for returned items, so this is a big step from Apple.
Japanese website Macotakara claims that Apple may introduce high definition audio playback in iOS 8. The report also claims that Apple will launch new versions of in-ear headphones and Lightning cable.
iOS 8 will bring Split-Screen Multitasking to the iPad
Apple may finally add split-screen multitasking feature in iOS 8, according to 9to5Mac. The feature will allow users to run two apps simultaneously on the iPad. The report also claims the feature will allow apps to interact more easily with each other.
Nintendo takes down Popular Game Boy Emulator ‘GBA4iOS’
GBA4iOS, a popular Game Boy emulator for iOS has been shut down after Nintendo filed a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown request. GBA4iOS allowed gamers to play Game Boy Advanced, Game Boy Color, and original Gameboy ROMs directly on their iPads and iPhones.
iPhone 6 may feature 1704×960 Resolution Display with significantly higher pixel density
Apple is planning to make a significant change in the resolution with the launch of iPhone 6, reports 9to5Mac. The report claims the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 could feature a 1704×960 resolution display, which would be three times the base resolution (568 x 320).
Apple acknowledges iMessage issue that hijacks your number when switching to Android
The Messages iOS app ties your phone number to your Apple ID, and ensures that people sending texts to your number arrive over iMessage, a free service, rather than SMSes through carriers, which is paid. This is great for all iPhone users, unless you happen to switch to an Android or Windows Phone.
Even after switching to a different platform, the Messages app on your friends’ iPhone continues to think that you still have an iPhone, and texts they send are delivered over iMessage, which means that you won’t see these texts on your Android phone.
iPhone 6 mockup with 5.5-inch screen compared to iPhone 5s
We saw images of a physical mockup of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 last month, and new images posted on Rocket News 24 compare the mockup to the 4-inch iPhone, giving an idea of how big the larger model would actually be relative to the iPhone 5s.
Apple granted patent that prevents you from sending embarrassing messages to the wrong person
Apple has been granted a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office called “Generation of a user interface based on contacts”, which reveals the company is working on a user interface that dynamically changes its background based on who you’re talking to in Messaging applications.
Apple releases OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 with improved 4K support, iOS contacts and calendar sync
Apple today released OS X Mavericks 10.9.3 publicly, following several beta releases that were seeded to Mac developers. The update improves stability and security of your Mac along with better support for 4K displays, and the ability to let you sync contacts and calendars with your iOS device via USB.
Featured iOS App ‘Word Lens’ Acquired by Google
Word Lens–an app that originally launched on iOS 4 years ago–and its parent company, Quest Visual, are now under the ownership of Google according to a post of Quest Visual’s website. The app, which translates words seen through a smartphone camera and displays them on-screen in real time, wasn’t released on Android for almost two years after originally being touted for use with the iPhone 3GS.
Apple releases iTunes 11.2.1 to fix /Users folder disappearing issue
We told you about an issue with the OS X 10.9.3 update yesterday, that caused the /Users folder to disappear from Finder. Turns out the issue was actually due to iTunes 11.2, released on the same day, and Apple has released an update to fix the issue.
The top Mac OS X features we absolutely want to see in iOS 8
While Apple’s recent OS X releases have been mainly focused on bringing iOS-like features to the Mac, Apple has also introduced a number of new features only on OS X, some of which we’d like to see on iOS as well.
iOS 7.1.1 has been jailbroken by i0n1c and winocm
There was some good news on the jailbreaking front earlier this month when pod2g said that he’s working on iOS 7.1/7.1.1 jailbreak. We have some more good news for all of you — iOS 7.1.1 has been jailbroken by winocm and i0n1c.
Facebook reportedly making a video chat app to compete with Snapchat
In late 2012, Facebook released the Poke app to compete with Snapchat, whose ephemeral messaging model had made the app a hit amongst teens. Poke, however didn’t turn out to be a success, and Facebook pulled it off the App Store earlier this month.
