BitStream is all of yesterday’s small helpings of news and rumours all in one place. It’s an essential part of a balanced, tech-reading diet.
For iOS 9, stability will be a feature and not a footnote
9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman explains that for Apple’s big software release in 2015, Cupertino may be just focused on making sure the operating system sucks less after years of new additions and features have made the platform a little wonky. Gurman explains:
For 2015, iOS 9, which is codenamed Monarch, is going to include a collection of under-the-hood improvements. Sources tell us that iOS 9 engineers are putting a “huge” focus on fixing bugs, maintaining stability, and boosting performance for the new operating system, rather than solely focusing on delivering major new feature additions. Apple will also continue to make efforts to keep the size of the OS and updates manageable, especially for the many millions of iOS device owners with 16GB devices.
So iOS 9 may be like the Snow Leopard of iPhone updates.
This is still all just rumours at the moment, but if true, the iOS of 2015 won’t look much different (if at all) from last year’s, though what devices will still supported remains a question. iOS 8 pretty much made the iPhone 4s obsolete from a software perspective, and Gurman thinks it could continue its device-killing ways with iPhone 5c, the original iPad Mini, and the fifth generation iPod Touch. [9to5Mac]
[And no, that GIF isn’t really an “Samsung wanted to make more Windows Phones but wouldn’t do so with the current royalties agreement in place. It’s possible that Samsung used the promise of a renewed hardware partnership as a bargaining chip.
Dial S for Snapchat… then Dial M for Murder
Man, kids these days.
In a suburb of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, a 16-year-old teenager is being charged with the murder of the fellow classmate. Usually, that’s enough to make for a pretty macabre story, but it gets even weirder. The main evidence in the case? A Snapchat he sent to friends(?) of himself posing with the dead body after he had shot his victim in the face. O_O
The clearly deranged teenage killer hoped Snapchat would wipe the message away in a few seconds, but one recipient had a quick smartphone trigger finger and saved the image. [Pittsburg Tribune-Review]
Rumourtown
- An admittedly sketchy rumour says that Apple’s mysterious camera-equipped vans could be “giving Tesla a run for its money” with deeply integrated iPhone support….but we’re still pretty sure it’s just Street View-style maps. [9to5Mac]
Your Apps, Updated
- Skype adds back the ability to use the service with third-party apps, one of the more popular features with developers. [VentureBeat]
- Now anyone can sign up and look at the preview of Microsoft Office 2016. [Neowin]
- Imgur removes makes all its pro features free but brings back ads and downgrades all of its previously “pro” users. [The Next Web]
De(vices)
- There are still a lot of unknowns when it comes to Windows 10, but it seems that lower end devices will not be blessed with all its software upgrades. [The Verge]
- Sony releases the Xperia E4, a budget-smartphone that promises 2-day battery life. But whether it will be making its way overseas is still uncertain.
Bucket of Random
- Qualcomm finally puts to rest its antitrust problems in China — as long as they pay $US975 million that is. [Bloomberg Business]
- Netflix comes to Cuba but is really only good news for the rich. Internet availability is a more concerning issue. [Netflix]
What You Might Have Missed on Gizmodo
A Decade of Our Favourite Google Maps Screwups
This Guy Went Around the World in 80 Days the First Time He Travelled
Crave Vesper: A Stealth Vibrator That’s Also a Necklace
The AI Revolution: How Far Way Are Our Robot Overlords
How Do I Look in These Genes? The Science of DNA Dating
/”Uber for Helicopters” Is Gross, Absurd and I Want to Use It Every Day