iPhone owners may soon have an easier way to determine whether a friend is available to take a call, as a new Apple patent describes a system in which devices automatically send out IM-style system status information that can be viewed dynamically by other users.
In a behind-the-scenes look at an upcoming "Modern Family" episode shot completely on iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2, co-creator and executive producer Steve Levitan said using the iOS devices didn't dramatically change the production process, and revealed that tomorrow's show is not the first time producers turned to Apple's handset for in-show footage.
Apple on Tuesday was granted a patent for a method by which two or more mobile device users can share and interact with app data in real time, including the ability to see each other's screens during a FaceTime call.
A forthcoming episode of hit television comedy Modern Family puts Apple's iOS and OS X communication services — notably iMessage and FaceTime — front and center, with the production crew shooting footage exclusively on the iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2.
Apple continues to expand the range of offerings covered by its two-step verification scheme, with security-conscious users now able to count iMessage and FaceTime among those features protected by the service.
In its ranking of electronic messaging systems for safety and security, the Electronic Frontier Foundation said no mainstream products passed all of its criteria, but that Apple's iMessage and FaceTime "stood out as the best of the mass-market options."
Patent holding company VirnetX's infamous $368 million win over Apple — which most notably resulted in changes to FaceTime that riled consumers — has been thrown out by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit after review.
As Apple gears up to defend itself against another lawsuit from patent holding firm VirnetX, the iPhone maker was dealt a blow late last week after the presiding judge issued a series of pre-trial rulings denying Apple's motion to preemptively invalidate some of VirnetX's patent claims and preventing the use of invalidity as a defense against others.
The clean and simple design of Apple's iconic iPhone could become even simpler, thanks to a new concept that describes concealing the FaceTime camera within the earpiece speaker slot, and even adding a camera flash module that would illuminate forward facing pictures.
Patent holding company VirnetX on Tuesday announced that it will attempt to add Apple's most recent slate of products — including the iPhone 5s and iPad Air — to an ongoing patent infringement action that accuses Apple of violating VirnetX's secure networking patents.
When Apple seeded the first OS X Mavericks 10.9.2 beta build to developers on Thursday, it was discovered that FaceTime audio had been quietly integrated into the Messages and FaceTime apps, suggesting the company will soon bring its first-party VoIP solution to the Mac.
The iTunes Store now accounts for more than 3 percent of all downstream Web traffic in North America, while FaceTime video chat accounts for 1.4 percent of all upstream Internet usage, new data shows.
Apple's new operating system has received acclaim for many of its interface tweaks and service additions, but one of the less heralded features Apple built into iOS 7 is also quite useful: a privacy setting that allows users to block specific people from contacting them.
Modifications Apple has made to its FaceTime video calling service due to a lost patent lawsuit are reportedly causing complaints from customers, as well as a hefty $2.4 million per month fee for relay server costs.
A newly published patent application from Apple outlines teleconferencing and video capture technology that would process video from an iPhone's front and rear cameras simultaneously, and automatically determine which feed to stream based on voice or visual cues.
When his son Austin was born on Monday, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Brandon Carr wasn't able to be there in person, so he turned to Apple's FaceTime video chat as the next-best option.
Lingering issues with Apple's Internet-based services caused its company's digital storefronts and FaceTime video chat to be unavailable for some users for hours on Wednesday.
Apple has tweaked the phone button layout in iOS 7 beta 4, replacing the original, full-width "borderless buttons" with more obviously defined targets for answering, dialing extensions or ending calls. The new icons reduce the use of text on button labels, and allow FaceTime to go full screen.
AT&T appears to be in the midst of rolling out support for Apple's FaceTime video calling service for iPhone on its cellular network, making good on a promise to support all video chat apps over wireless by the end of the year.
With iOS 7, Apple will introduce FaceTime Audio, a first-party voice over IP extension of the company's video calling service that could disrupt the mobile industry by bringing free long distance and international calling to iPhone users around the world.
{{ summary }}
Mikey Campbell
AppleInsider Staff
Sam Oliver
Daniel Eran Dilger
Neil Hughes
Shane Cole
Kevin Bostic
