Following Comcast’s unsuccessful takeover bid, high-level talks have reportedly taken place between Charter Communications and Time Warner Cable over a possible merger, in spite of the bad blood between the two companies.

Source: Apple Insider

The YouTube app has disappeared from many second-generation Apple TV units, users noted on Monday, with both the home screen icon and references to the app in Settings vanishing overnight.

Source: Apple Insider

Third parties are able to use the small diagnostic port hidden inside one of the Apple Watch’s lugs to charge the device, according to one accessory maker, opening up the possibility of a “Made for Apple Watch” program down the line.

Source: Apple Insider

By MacLife Staff

Source: Maclife

By J Keirn-Swanson Well, May the Fourth be with you. We’ve got some sales of games galore this weekend and one of the big names topping that list is Star Wars. With their “Jedi holiday” fast approaching, this franchise is sensing a disturbance in the price column, as if loads of apps cried out and got suddenly cheaper. If that makes sense to you, head on down to the App Store. We’ve highlighted some of them, but by no means all, and we’ve got a bevy of non-Lucas-related titles on the price chopping block for the weekend as well.

Source: Maclife

By Giancarlo Saldana

Source: Maclife

By Leif Johnson In today’s Apple Daily, we learn that Apple is behind schedule on Apple Watch shipments because of production problems centered on a key feature of the device. In other news, a third-party app glitch keeps dozens of American Airlines flights grounded after it shows up on pilots’ iPads, and insider sources claim that an Apple Store app could be coming to the Apple Watch sometime this summer.Faulty Taptic Engines Hampering Apple Watch ProductionAt last, we have some idea why the Apple Watch is behind on production, to the point that many of pre-orders still haven’t made their way to customers. According to a new report from The Wall Street Journal, the initial rollout has been hampered by issues with the Taptic Engines supplied for the device by AAC Technologies Holdings of Shenzhen, China. In essence, as Apple discovered as early as February, AAC’s units would wear down quickly after use.The Taptic Engine is a key feature of the Apple Watch, as it simulates the sensation of someone tapping on your wrist — thus the name — through the help of a small rod when a notification comes in.Source: iFixitBut the catch is that the Taptic Engines built by Japan’s Nidec Corp do work, and Apple has apparently shifted almost all production of the engine over to Nidec. Unfortunately, it may take some time before production gets up to Apple’s needs owing to Nidec’s having to adjust to the increased demand from its lines.Apple apparently hasn’t told any of its other suppliers about the specifics of all this, which seems to have caused some confusion on their ends after Apple first them that inventory for the Apple Watch was insufficient and then later told them to slow production until sometime in June. iPad App Glitch Grounds American Airlines FlightsOne of the biggest bits of Apple news from the world of aviation over the last couple of years is the shift from using paper navigation charts in the cockpit to using iPads for the same purpose. American Airlines has been using Apple’s signature tablet for that very purpose since 2011, but a problem with the third-party app used for the charts caused “dozens” of American Airline flights to stay grounded over the last couple of days. Fortunately, the trouble now appears to be over.Specifically, as reported by CNN, the glitch caused delays for 24 flights on Tuesday and 50 more today. That sounds like a lot, but considering that American Airlines reportedly sends off around 6,700 flights on a daily basis, it’s not anywhere near as bad as it could have been.”Some flights are experiencing an issue with a software application on pilot iPads,” American Airlines said in a statement from earlier today. “In some cases, the flight has had to return to the gate to access a WiFi connection to fix the issue.” In addition, pilots were also told that they could pick up physical copies of the maps at the airports.American Airlines also made sure to point out that the third-party application was to blame, not the iPad itself, but that hasn’t stopped a wave of negative reactions directed at the iPad from angry customers on social media outlets such as Twitter.The airline claims that their reliance on iPad-focused digital charts saves American Airlines at least 400,000 gallons of fuel every year, presumably because of the comparative precision involved. In addition, the 8,000 iPads used by American Airlines reportedly replaced the 24 million pages used for the original charts. Apple Store App Said to Come to Apple Watch This SummerIf you’re looking to have more Apple in your Apple, insider rumors suggest that you may be able to access the Apple Store directly from your Apple Watch later this year without having to switch over to your iPhone.As reported by 9to5Mac, the feature apparently won’t support more “complicated” purchases that would work best with your keyboard, but you will be able to order an assortment of products straight from your wrist. The feature should be available sometime this summer, at which time Apple Store employees will reportedly be pressed to play up the convenience of using the app in the presentations.While you’re waiting on Apple’s official Apple Store app, though, be sure to check out our list of the 20 best Apple Watch apps so far.Follow this article’s writer, Leif Johnson, on Twitter.

Source: Maclife

By J.R. Bookwalter

Source: Maclife

By Kelly Guimont The convenience of a secondary screen can be very handy, either for monitoring something like your email at a busy time, or for extra tools, such as productivity or creative apps, but investing in an additional monitor (especially if you’re mobile and using a laptop) isn’t always practical. This is where Duet Display comes in, letting you use an iPad as a wired extra monitor. Duet Display’s performance is impeccable — as smooth as an external monitor.The requirements are simple: any Mac that can run OS X 10.9 or higher, and any iOS device that can run iOS 7 or higher. Grab the free Duet Mac utility from duetdisplay.com, install it on your Mac, get the app on your iPad, then launch both and you’re ready to go. One of the notable things about this app is speed, there’s effectively no lag displaying to the iPad, which there is with AirDisplay, an equivalent wireless solution. Another thing to note is that the audio will only come from the computer, not from the iPad, so if you have them some distance apart but video is playing on the iPad it might be disconcerting for the audio to be playing elsewhere.You can tap on items on your iPad, but it’s definitely a suboptimal experience, mostly because Mac OS isn’t made for touchscreens. It’s much better as a display for static information you don’t need to interact with. You can also use Duet Display with your iPhone, but even with a 6 Plus it doesn’t seem like enough real estate.Aside from the audio, the only other thing to really be aware of is that if you are using Duet Display with a laptop, plugging in that cable means you’re also charging your iPad. This means if you don’t have your laptop plugged in, the battery will drain even more quickly due to the iPad charging and never turning off the screen. This isn’t really a problem, but it’s an issue that may affect some users more than others.If you want a way to extend your screen, Duet Display is a solid choice. If you are put off by the power requirements of running both devices off your laptop battery, there are other options for displaying static information on your iPad. Obviously, there are dedicated apps for things like email, or you can use an app such as Status Board to give you a customizable “heads up” display of information from different, customizable sources.The bottom line. A very useful utility for portable productivity.Review Synopsis
Product:

Duet Display

Company:

Rahul Dewan

Contact:

www.duetdisplay.com

Price:

$15.99

Requirements:

iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch running iOS 7 or later; Mac running OS X 10.9 or later

Positives:

Lag-free Mac display on your iPad. Works anywhere and charges iPad.

Negatives:

No audio feed. Touch control can be awkward.

Source: Maclife

By Richard Moss and Andrew Hayward

Source: Maclife