Tag: Pokes

Quick Takes: Samsung Pokes Fun at iPhone X, CBS Launches Sports HQ, Xbox One Games on Mac, and More

In addition to our more in-depth coverage of the latest Apple news and rumors at MacRumors, Quick Takes is a new column that will provide a bite-sized recap of other Apple-related headlines on weekdays.


February is generally a slower time of the year for Apple, but Monday’s news cycle has been slightly busier given it is the first day of Mobile World Congress in Spain, where many Apple rivals unveil new products.

Monday, February 26:

  • Apple CEO Tim Cook will be co-chairman at the annual China Development Forum next month, according to The Wall Street Journal. It will be the second consecutive year that Cook speaks at the forum, and reportedly his fifth appearance at a major event in China in a little over a year.

    Context: Cook has been visiting China more frequently in recent years as he attempts to strengthen Apple’s relationship with the Chinese government. Apple is often at the mercy of Chinese laws, such as one requiring iCloud accounts in China to be hosted by a Chinese data center by the end of this month.

  • CBS today launched CBS SPORTS HQ, a 24-hour digital network offering live streaming of sports news, highlights, and analysis, but not actual games. The stream is free to watch in the United States on the CBS Sports website, and through the CBS Sports app for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and other platforms.


    Context: CBS SPORTS HQ should cater to cord-cutters, and the best part is that no cable TV subscription is required. It should be the sports equivalent of CBS’s successful CBSN streaming news network.

  • Billionaire investor Warren Buffett told CNBC that his company Berkshire Hathaway has purchased more shares of Apple than any other stock over the past year. Berkshire Hathaway increased its Apple holdings by 23.3 percent, to 165.3 million shares, according to SEC filings published a few weeks ago.

    Context: Berkshire Hathaway has been increasingly bullish on Apple over the past few years. Buffett believes Apple has an “extraordinary consumer franchise” with a very strong ecosystem. AAPL is up over two percent following the positive comments, and up over 15 percent since February 8.

  • Samsung indirectly poked fun at the iPhone X during its Galaxy S9 introduction on Sunday. During the presentation, the company’s marketing chief Justin Denison said “and as always, you know, there’s no notch,” referring to the cutout at the top of the iPhone X for the TrueDepth camera system.

    Skip to the 18:00 mark to listen to Samsung poke fun at the iPhone X

    Context: While some other Android smartphone makers like Huawei and Asus appear to be embracing the notched design, the Galaxy S9 looks virtually identical to the Galaxy S8, with slim top and bottom bezels that uniformly stretch across the device. The device even retains a 3.5mm headphone jack.

  • A new unofficial app called OneCast has launched that claims to bring Xbox One game streaming to the Mac with 1080p video and low input lag. Features include support for multiple profiles, full screen or windowed mode, and playing with an original Xbox One wireless controller on Mac via USB or Bluetooth.


    Context: The app allows Xbox One games to be played remotely, whether in another room away from the TV, or even while away from home by streaming over an internet connection. Keep in mind this app isn’t sanctioned by Microsoft, which only officially supports Xbox One streaming on Windows 10.

    For more Apple news and rumors coverage, visit our Front Page, Mac Blog, and iOS Blog. Also visit our forums to join in the discussion.

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    MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors – All Stories

    • The Cryptos is a witty comic strip that pokes fun at cryptocurrencies


    Cryptocurrency and blockchain are finally making waves in mainstream media – a trend that has sent thousands of recreational enthusiasts hastily flocking to talk crypto on various online discussion boards like BitcoinTalk, Steemit, Telegram and Twitter. But perhaps most popular among these is Reddit. The self-proclaimed ‘front page of the internet’ has gradually established itself as one of the go-to places for heated discussions on cryptocurrency, blockchain, and the culture around these still-nascent technologies. Among other things, crypto-nerds frequent Reddit to share investment advice, drop trading tips, vent about silly decisions – and quite often, post dank memes. But there…

    This story continues at The Next Web
    The Next Web

    Facebook’s new ‘Greetings’ buttons are like Pokes on steroids


    Our own director of social media spotted a curious new feature on Facebook last night: a row of ‘Greetings’ buttons beneath a user’s display picture on their profile page. It’s about as bad as you imagine – almost like the return of the SuperPoke from a decade ago. Essentially, the social network is now adding a bunch of variations to the ‘Hello’ greeting it quietly introduced last month for some users. In addition to saying ‘Hello’, you can now send a hug, wink, poke or high-five. These options become available when you hold the ‘Hello’ button, similar to how the additional…

    This story continues at The Next Web

    Or just read more coverage about: Facebook
    The Next Web

    Tim Cook Pokes Fun at Windows During MIT Commencement Address

    Apple CEO Tim Cook delivered the 2017 commencement address at MIT on Friday morning. Beyond speaking about Apple’s history and his own experience with co-founder Steve Jobs, Cook also took the opportunity to poke fun at Windows.

    During one portion of the speech, Cook expanded on the difficulty of finding his true purpose in life, while throwing in a playful swipe at Microsoft’s flagship computer. “I tried meditation. I sought guidance in religion. I read great philosophers and authors. And in a moment of youthful indiscretion, I might even have experimented with a Windows PC, and that obviously didn’t work.”

    Cook went on, however. It was this inability to find true meaning or purpose that eventually brought him to Apple, he said. This was in 1998, when Apple was on the brink of bankruptcy. But Cook arrived in Cupertino around the same time that Steve Jobs returned to the company. Jobs had just begun the company’s breakthrough “Think Different campaign,” Cook explained. “Before that moment, I had never met a leader with such passion or encountered a company with such a clear and compelling purpose: to serve humanity.”

    And it was working with Jobs that ultimately led Cook to embrace a similar purpose, he added. “It was in that moment, after 15 years of searching, that something clicked. I finally felt aligned with a company that brought together challenging, cutting edge work with a higher purpose…

    Steve and Apple freed me to throw myself into the work and embrace their mission and make it my own. How can I serve humanity? This is life’s biggest and most important question.”

    Ahead of today’s commencement address, Cook toured the MIT campus yesterday. “So impressed by MIT students and faculty who are finding new ways to tackle the world’s biggest challenges. Thanks for sharing your work,” Cook tweeted. He concluded his speech Friday with a similar sentiment, saying that he’s optimistic in the next generation’s future and urging students to use minds, hands and hearts to build something “bigger than yourselves.”

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    CBS’ ‘Candy Crush’ Game Show Trailer Out, Jimmy Kimmel Pokes Fun at It

    A few months back we talked about Candy Crush [Free] becoming a TV game show, and a few weeks back we heard that Mario Lopez, of Saved by the Bell, was going to present it. Jimmy Kimmel was able to read Mario Lopez’s mind, and he re-did the TV game show’s trailer with a bit more honesty at the end, so make sure you watch the whole video below. We shouldn’t be surprised that Candy Crush will become a TV game show since the brand has been stepping outside the world of mobile gaming for some time now (including sponsoring the big Coachella party this year). And with most mobile gamers at least knowing—if not actually playing—Candy Crush on their phones, the game show has a ready-made audience.

    As you can see from the trailer, the game show will take place in a huge arena with huge screens. It will, of course, be all about matching the right candy, but I’m hoping we have a bonus level where you have to sell your car to have enough money for the necessary IAPs. The game show will go live next month on CBS.

    TouchArcade