Joe Rossignol

Facebook today rolled out a new virtual assistant called "M" inside its Messenger app for a limited number of users in the Bay Area, reports Wired. "M" is powered by both artificial intelligence and Facebook employees, enabling Messenger users to ask questions and complete tasks such as making restaurant reservations, ordering birthday flowers or discovering the best places to go hiking in...

Apple CEO Tim Cook and Senior Vice President Eddy Cue received 560,000 and 350,000 restricted stock units respectively this week, worth a combined $93.8 million based on AAPL's closing price of $103.12 on Monday, according to a pair of filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Tim Cook and Eddy Cue at an Apple Store in 2014 (Image: Bloomberg) Cook was awarded with 280,000...

While the stainless steel Link Bracelet is one of the nicest looking Apple Watch bands available, it is also the most expensive with a $449 price tag for the 38mm or 42mm version. For comparison, you could purchase an entire Apple Watch Sport for $100 less than the Link Bracelet. But for those looking to give their Apple Watch more of a premium Rolex-like appearance without breaking the bank,...

VMware today launched Fusion 8 and Fusion 8 Pro, the latest versions of its virtualization software for running Windows on a Mac without rebooting. Fusion 8 and Fusion 8 Pro include full support for Windows 10, OS X El Capitan and the latest Retina Macs, in addition to always-on access to Microsoft Cortana. Fusion 8 and Fusion 8 Pro support DirectX 10 and OpenGL 3.3 for up to 65% faster...

British power technology company Intelligent Energy has developed an iPhone 6 prototype with a built-in fuel cell that supports hydrogen cartridges delivering up to a week's worth of battery life, according to The Telegraph. It also demonstrated a hydrogen-powered MacBook Air. The patented fuel cell system, reportedly poised for its first major commercial deployment in cell towers across India ...

Apple has stopped signing iOS 8.4 for compatible iPhone, iPad and iPod touch models, meaning that users can no longer upgrade or downgrade to that version using iTunes. Apple is now signing iOS 8.4.1 and later only. iPhone, iPad or iPod touch users that have jailbroken their device on iOS 8.4 should refrain from updating to iOS 8.4.1, as the latest software update breaks the iOS 8.4 untethered ...

Apple shares dipped below $100 in pre-market trading today amid a wider Dow Jones and stock market downturn, with AAPL fluctuating around the $98-$100 mark prior to the Nasdaq and New York Stock Exchange opening bell at 9:30 AM Eastern. Apple shares last dropped below $100 in October 2014, four months after opening at $92.69 following a 7-for-1 split that took effect in June 2014. AAPL dips ...

Apple has seeded OS X El Capitan Recovery Update Version 2.0 for Mac that includes improvements to OS X Recovery. The software update can be installed through the Mac App Store and is recommended for all users running a pre-release version of OS X 10.11 El Capitan. OS X Recovery is a feature on Mac that includes tools to reinstall OS X, repair your disk and restore from a Time Machine backup....

Amid rumors that Apple is working on a top-secret automotive project ranging from its own electric car to a CarPlay-related technology platform for vehicles, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler AG remains open to "different types" of cooperation with Apple, reports Reuters."Many things are conceivable," Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said in an interview with quarterly magazine Deutsche...

Apple has quietly disabled Dashboard by default in the seventh beta of OS X El Capitan, an unsurprising move given the ten-year-old widget feature on Mac has not been updated in over four years and looks increasingly poised for retirement. Dashboard was similarly disabled by default on OS X Yosemite. Latest OS X El Capitan beta disables Dashboard by default. Not long now, old friend 😥 pic.twitt ...

Taiwanese website DigiTimes today reported the "iPad Pro" will enter production by the end of the third quarter and go into mass production in the fourth quarter, corroborating a recent KGI report that said the rumored 12.9-inch tablet would enter mass production in September-October. "iPad Pro" mockup places 12.9-inch tablet alongside iPad Air and iPad mini The report claims the "iPad Pro"...

Intel has shared new details about its faster, more power-efficient Skylake processors at IDF 2015 in San Francisco. PCWorld reports that Intel engineers have suggested the sixth-generation Core processors could launch in around "two weeks," setting the stage for a possible announcement of new chips appropriate for Macs at the IFA Berlin trade show on September 4-9. Skylake processors will...

WhatsApp has updated its website with instructions on how to access WhatsApp Web on iPhone, and the new settings appear to be rolling out for some users now. To access WhatsApp Web from iPhone, open the app, tap on Settings and a WhatsApp Web menu option should appear once live. WhatsApp Web settings on iPhone (Image: Reddit) WhatsApp Web connects to your iPhone to sync messages with your...

Mobile analytics firm AppSee reports that an iPad with model identifier "iPad6,8" and a resolution of 2,732×2,048 pixels -- likely the 12.9-inch "iPad Pro" -- has appeared within its analytics logs. The firm is also seeing the "iPhone8,1" and "iPhone8,2" in its logs, as others have, which are likely the model identifiers for the so-called "iPhone 6s" and "iPhone 6s Plus." A few months ago,...

Parallels today announced the release of Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac with dual support for OS X El Capitan, Windows 10 and always-on access to Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant Cortana. Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac Business Edition and Parallels Desktop for Mac Pro Edition were also released for business customers, developers, designers and power users. Parallels Desktop 11 for Mac ...

Despite being announced just over two years ago, CarPlay is only now becoming a built-in option in select new 2015 and 2016 vehicles by Chevrolet, Honda, Volkswagen and other car manufacturers. The in-dash system enables drivers to use Siri for hands-free access to Maps, Phone, Messages, Music, Podcasts and third-party apps such as Spotify, Rdio, iHeartRadio and MLB At Bat. CarPlay touchscreen ...

A new study by consumer research firm MusicWatch finds that 77% of iOS users in the United States are aware of Apple Music, with 11% currently using the streaming music service. Additionally, among those that signed up for Apple Music's three-month trial, 48% said they are no longer using the service and 61% reported they have turned off the auto-renewal subscription option in iTunes. Apple...

Apple updated its Apple Pay participating issuers list today with 18 additional banks, credit unions and financial institutions supporting the contactless payment service in the United States. Apple Pay now has over 400 participating issuers nationwide, and several more plan to support the NFC-based mobile payment service in the future. The newly added Apple Pay participating issuers are...

Apple Pay on iPhone is a convenient and secure way to make payments without taking a debit or credit card out of your wallet, but you still need to take the smartphone out of your pocket to make a purchase. For that reason, Apple Pay has proven more transformative on Apple Watch, since the device is worn on the wrist and readily available for contactless payments. Apple Pay with a phone is ...

Nearly ten months after Apple Pay launched in the United States, an increasing number of retailers including Rite Aid and Best Buy have reversed course and announced support for the mobile payments service. Nevertheless, the United Kingdom is the only country that Apple Pay has expanded to since last October due to roadblocks from major banks and financial institutions in other countries....