Mitchel Broussard

Google yesterday updated the iOS version of Google Chrome with two new features for the iPhone and iPad web browsing app. On iOS devices that support 3D Touch, users can now 3D Touch on Google Chrome to bring up a quick access menu that now includes "Scan QR Code," directly integrating a feature that traditionally requires users to download a random third-party app to be able to scan codes. ...

A new collaboration between Apple, IBM, and United Airlines was announced today, with the companies joining together to bring "a robust suite of enterprise iOS apps" to United's flight attendants and gate agents as a means to make the customer's flying experience smoother. In total, Apple and United Airlines have issued over 50,000 iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches to front-line employees of...

Last night news broke that a collection of major technology companies, including Apple among them, were prepping an open letter to United States President Donald Trump as a means to voice opposition to the immigration executive order that he signed last Friday. Today, a draft of the full letter has been shared online, and it goes into detail about the importance of immigrants in the U.S.,...

Nintendo's newest mobile smartphone game, Fire Emblem Heroes, is officially out on the iOS App Store in the U.S. [Direct Link], as well as in Japan, Australia, Europe, and over 30 other countries. Announced last spring, Fire Emblem on smartphones adopts the tactical role-playing gameplay of the popular franchise, with a few mobile-optimized tweaks. These changes mainly center around battle maps...

Snap is said to be working on a collection of "smarter lenses" that would let users overlay virtual images and objects onto landscapes in the real world, "not just faces," and let them interact with the virtual objects similar to augmented reality (via The Information). The smarter lenses are an advancement of the "world lenses" that came to Snapchat last year, which placed various simple...

Smart payments company Coin this week announced the shutdown of its various product services, officially closing product support, social media channels, and the connected Coin app on iOS and Android devices on February 28, 2017. The news follows the discontinuation of all Coin products last May, when Coin was acquired by Fitbit and the company subsequently ceased selling its line of smart payment ...

Apple today quietly put out a firmware update for the AirPods, bumping the Bluetooth headphones from version 3.3.1 to 3.5.1, as spotted by a user on Reddit. The update to AirPods is automatic for any AirPods in their Charging Case and connected to a nearby iOS device. After making sure the AirPods are connected, users can check their current firmware version by going to the Settings app on iPhone ...

Twelve South today launched the "MagicBridge," an accessory that combines Apple's Magic Keyboard with a Magic Trackpad 2 into one connected control surface, letting users "type and swipe more efficiently," according to the company. The versatile accessory supports orientations for both left-handed and right-handed users. MagicBridge has cutouts in the back for the on/off toggles and...

Streaming media application Plex today announced its acquisition of Watchup, a free app that offers viewers a collection of local, national, and world news videos from 160 trusted news sources that they can further personalize by liking and disliking each news story (via TechCrunch). Watchup originally began as an iPad app back in 2012, and since launched apps on iOS, Apple Watch, Apple TV,...

Nintendo today rolled out an update to Super Mario Run that includes a collection of feature additions and bug fixes, along with a new "Easy Mode." The relaxed mode turns off time limits for each course and provides players with unlimited bubbles, so they can take as long as they want to complete a course and die as many times as needed to get past tricky sections. The update comes the same...

Electronic payments company Square today announced a new partnership with Apple that will allow small businesses to obtain free processing fees with Apple Pay and compatible Square Readers. Starting today, eligible small businesses across the U.S. will have the chance to process over $12,000 worth of Apple Pay payments for free (based on the 2.75 percent contactless transaction fee charged by...

Starbucks today launched a limited iOS beta test for a new artificial intelligence assistant called "My Starbucks barista," which will let customers order their favorite menu items by speaking with a virtual barista within a new messaging interface in the company's mobile app (via TechCrunch). If they choose to, users can also opt to simply type their order to Starbucks, similar to chatbots...

United States President Donald Trump and his administration have drafted an executive order that intends to overhaul the work-visa programs that various technology companies -- including Apple -- rely on to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. According to a draft of the order acquired by Bloomberg, affected visa programs include L-1, E-2, and B1. Directly affecting tech companies...

A pair of drone videos covering the construction progress of Apple Campus 2 have been posted online recently, providing interested viewers with an ongoing glimpse into the construction on the campus, which is nearing completion in several sections as February approaches. In Duncan Sinfield's drone video, workers are seen installing rocks within the inner fountain of the main "Spaceship"...

After teasing fans to "come see our latest creation" in the weeks leading up to one of its famous media events, seven years ago today former Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the first-generation iPad to the world. The iPad was announced as a larger-screen counterpart to the company's three-years-old iPhone, with Scott Forstall pointing out during the conference that the tablet could run "virtually...

Last October, Twitter began testing out an enhanced version of a new "Explore" tab on its iOS app, giving a small group of users access to trending topics, simplified search tools, and "Moments," the news aggregating feature which previously had its own dedicated tab within the app. Beginning today, the "Explore" tab will be available to all users on the iOS Twitter app, giving them one-stop...

Dong Nguyen, creator of the popular iOS game Flappy Bird, today launched an all-new game on the iOS App Store and Google Play Store called Ninja Spinki Challenges!! [Direct Link] (via TouchArcade). The game is a collection of six mini-games that task users with completing a set of trials centered around training to become a ninja. TouchArcade went hands-on with the game earlier this week,...

Google Translate recently updated its iOS and Android applications, bringing Japanese-to-English and English-to-Japanese translation support to its augmented reality "Word Lens" feature. Thanks to the added support, English-speaking users can point their smartphone camera at Japanese text and instantly get an English translation on screen. The same can be done for Japanese tourists visiting...

After copying Snapchat inside of Instagram with last year's "Instagram Stories" update, Business Insider today learned that Facebook is gearing up to launch the exact same feature in its mainline Facebook mobile app. Now called "Facebook Stories," the social media company is bringing over the same circular user interface to its main app for users in a small test in Ireland, letting them post...

Apple has updated the App Store in Australia to mark the beginning of celebrations for the country's national holiday Australia Day, which takes place annually on January 26. The landing page for the iOS App Store now sports a collection of apps and categories that highlight Australia's green and gold national colors. The update includes an emphasis on in-game additions with Australia...