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iOS 13 Announced: Dark Mode, New Reminders app, Enhanced Privacy, and more
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Corporate News, Handhelds, Software,
During today's WWDC 2019 keynote, Apple announced iOS 13, the next major release of its major mobile operating system platform.
- iOS 13 is even faster and performance has been tuned across the board. This results in 50% smaller app downloads, 60% smaller app updates, and 2x faster app launching than in iOS 12.
- Dark Mode was announced for iOS 13, a feature that users have been asking for for years. We saw Notes, Messages, News, Music, Photos, and other Apple apps in dark mode.
- Swipe gesture support is added to the keyboard
- New share sheet will offer suggestions when it finds people in photos, and offer people you typically share with.
- Apple Music now supports time-synced lyrics
- New apps - Notes gets a gallery view and shared folders, Safari, Mail
- New Reminders app will recognize what you type, keep smart lists, allows for tagging people, and more
- Maps are being rebuilt from the ground-up, completely rolled out in the US by the end of 2019. Collections allows you to save a bunch of locations in a folder. New Look Around feature brings Street View functionality to Apple Maps. You'll be able to share an up-to-date ETA with friends going forward.
- Privacy: You can now grant apps access to your location just once. Wi-Fi & Bluetooth backdoor tracking is shut off. New Sign In with Apple allows you to sign into Web sites without being tracked the way you are with Facebook and Google sign ins - you can choose what info you provide to an app. If you give them email access, Apple will give them a fake email that forwards to your real email.
- HomeKit: Apple announces HomeKit Secure Video - videos are analyzed in your home instead of in the cloud, using iPad, Apple TV, HomePod, and more.
- Messages: You can share your name and photo in Messages, which lets you control who sees your name and picture.
- New Memoji options let you add eye shadow, lipstick, piercings, teeth, earrings, hair, hats, glasses, AirPods, and more. Memoji Stickers will take your Memoji and add a bunch of expressions that can be used on any device with an A9 processor or later.
- Camera: New High Key Mono portrait lighting effect. You can also move the lights closer or further away from your subject when in Portrait Lighting mode.
- Photos: New photo editing tools in Photos allow you to adjust your pictures in new ways. Apple also says these same effects can be used with videos as well - filters and effects are supported. Browsing large photo libraries is now easier as Apple intelligently hides duplicates, receipts, whiteboards, etc. You can still get to them, but they won't show up right in the main library. Apple will also let you sort by year, month, days, and All Photos, making it really easy to browse the greatest hits of your photo library.
- AirPods: Siri can instantly read you your new messages as they arrive, and you can respond with your voice right away. New Audio Sharing feature allows you to share audio with a friend.
- HomePod: Apple brings Handoff to HomePod. Bring your phone near a HomePod to have it continue your music, phone call, podcast, etc. right where you left off. HomePod will also recognize who's talking and personalize its response, giving it multi-user support, including for apps like Music, Notes, Messages, Reminders, and more.
- CarPlay: Siri will work with third-party apps like Pandora and Waze in the car.
- Siri now sounds a lot more natural with cadence and emphasis, using Neural TTS. The voice is now completely generated in software rather than using clips from a voice actor.
- You'll also be able to sent calls from unknown callers directly to voicemail.
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Unboxing Live 164: iPod touch 6th generation
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Features, Handhelds, Portable Audio, Portable Video, Videocasts,
In this episode I open up the brand new iPod touch (6th generation), new from Apple. The new iPod touch features the Apple A8 processor, which is the same 64-bit chip found in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, while maintaining the 4-inch Retina display. This brings the iPod touch out of the virtual stone age that it was in, making it a modern iOS device with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.1 (a first for any Apple device), and 1GB RAM. Join me as I open up the package in this episode of Unboxing Live, and give you a full overview of the device!
You can pick up the iPod touch 6th gen now.
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Click to continue reading Unboxing Live 164: iPod touch 6th generation
Apple releases iPhone Lightning Dock
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Smartphones,
Apple has just released the new iPhone Lightning Dock, an accessory that will allow you to easily charge an Lightning port-equipped iPhone from a vertical base. The device supports the newest iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as the iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5s. The iPod touch 5th generation is also compatible. As you can see in the image above, this is simply a Lightning connected that is rising up out of the base, which leads us to believe that this should easily support future models as well.
The iPhone Lightning Dock is powered by your own Lightnint to USB cable, and also has a 3.5mm headphone port, allowing you to listen to your iPhone audio through headphones while it is docked.
You can pick up the iPhone Lightning Dock now for $39.
Apple releases iOS 8.1.3, here’s what’s new!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,
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Apple has released iOS 8.1.3, a maintenance and bug fix release for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The company says that one major feature is that 8.1.3 reduces the amount of free storage required in order to perform the iOS 8 upgrade, which should help some who were "stuck" on iOS 7 and wanted to update, but didn't have enough storage to continue. For me, the update has finally fixed an issue on my 128 GB iPhone 6 Plus that would cause it to crash and reboot when using the multitasking app switcher that's plagued me since release day. Hit the jump for the full changelog that Apple has provided.
Click to continue reading Apple releases iOS 8.1.3, here’s what’s new!
Apple releases iOS 8.0.2 with HealthKit & iPhone 6 Touch ID, cellular fixes
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
After releasing iOS 8.0.1 yesterday, and then subsequently pulling it due to critical bugs it introduced on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple has released iOS 8.0.2 today. This release does everything that yesterday's iOS 8.0.1 update was supposed to do, while also eliminating a bug that caused both Touch ID and cellular connections to stop working on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Here is the full rundown:
- Fixes an issue in iOS 8.0.1 that impacted cellular network connectivity and Touch ID on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made available on the App Store
- Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode
- Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library
- Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages
- Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for In-App Purchases
- Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups
- Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari
In addition to the quick update, the company also issued an apology to the 40,000 iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were affected by the bug for the past day or so, saying "iOS 8.0.2 is now available for users, it fixes an issue that affected iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who downloaded iOS 8.0.1, and includes improvements and bug fixes originally in iOS 8.0.1. We apologize for inconveniencing the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users who were impacted by the bug in iOS 8.0.1."
We've downloaded the new update here on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus units, and everything is looking fine. The iOS 8.0.2 update is available now over the air, or through direct iTunes connection. Be sure to check out our full iOS 8 review.
You can order the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus from Apple.
Apple releases iOS 8.0.1, fixes HealthKit, third-party keyboards, more
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
EDIT: There is a bug in iOS 8.0.1 that breaks cell service and Touch ID on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus--hold off on updating until this is fixed!
Apple has released iOS 8.0.1 (build 12A366,) bringing with it a bunch of bug fixes and improvements to the new operating system that was released a week ago. The big change is that 8.0.1 brings a fix that enables HealthKit integration, so we can expect to see apps start integrating data into the Health app shortly. Third-party keyboards have been made more reliable, as has the Reachability feature found on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Here’s the full rundown:
- Fixes a bug so HealthKit apps can now be made available on the App Store
- Addresses an issue where 3rd party keyboards could become deselected when a user enters their passcode
- Fixes an issue that prevented some apps from accessing photos from the Photo Library
- Improves the reliability of the Reachability feature on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
- Fixes an issue that could cause unexpected cellular data usage when receiving SMS/MMS messages
- Better support of Ask To Buy for Family Sharing for In-App Purchases
- Fixes an issue where ringtones were sometimes not restored from iCloud backups
- Fixes a bug that prevented uploading photos and videos from Safari
You can download iOS 8.0.1 right now--it's a small update that took us less than 10 seconds to download. Be sure to check out our comprehensive iOS 8 review.
iOS 8 now available for download!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,
Apple has release iOS 8 to the world, bringing with it a host of new features for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. Users will find improvements to just about every stock iOS app, as well as new additions like Health, Continuity, and Handoff. We published our full iOS 8 review this morning, which you can read for a full rundown of what to expect. Here’s a list of the compatible devices:
- iPhone 5s
- iPhone 5c
- iPhone 5
- iPhone 4s
- iPod touch 5th generation
- iPad Air
- iPad mini with Retina display
- iPad mini
- iPad with Retina display
- iPad 2
You can update to iOS 8 now, either through an over-the-air update, or by plugging in to iTunes and having it perform the update for you. Of course, iOS 8 will ship on the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus this Friday.
iOS 8 review: A more powerful iPhone experience arrives
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews, Software,
iOS 8 is the follow-up to last years radical redesign of Apple’s mobile operating system. After the visual overhaul, the company went to work on adding a bunch of features that would make its devices more open with features like extensions and third-party keyboards, yet more secure with improved permissions and more widespread Touch ID integration. With iOS 8, Apple looks to refine the experience that was introduced last year, while allowing features for the power users of the world to shine.
It’s been shown that Apple follows a two-step release process with its iOS device hardware and software. For example, one year the company will release a new design for the iPhone, and the following year it’ll keep that design and refine the device, releasing it as an “S” class upgrade. iOS seems to follow a similar pattern, especially this year, which follows last year’s big redesign. With iOS 8, Apple has introduced a layer of polish on top of its mobile operating system, bringing with it a bevy of new features. The question remains, do all the changes come together in a meaningful way? Join us for our full iOS 8 review as we explore the answer.
Click to continue reading iOS 8 review: A more powerful iPhone experience arrives
Apple releases iOS 8 Golden Master to developers prior to September 17 public release
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Software,
After all of the We Wish We Could Say More announcements from Apple today that saw the unveiling of the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Watch, and Apple Pay, the company released the Golden Master seed of iOS 8 to developers. Build 12A365 should be the same version that is pushed to the world when iOS 8 is released on September 17th via an over-the-air update. Registered iOS developers can grab the download in the iOS Developer Center now.
iOS 8 will be released on September 17
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds, Software,
During today's We Wish We Could Say More event, Apple announced that iOS 8 would be released to consumers as a free update on September 17th. If you're curious if your device supports the next Apple mobile operating system, check out the image above which details all of the iOS device it will run on. iOS 8 brings with it a host of new features, including:
- Photos: The new Photos app will allow you to access your entire photo collection with the iCloud Photo Library. New editing tools also make it easy to make your shots look even better, with all edits syncing back to the cloud and available on all your other devices.
- Messages: In iOS 8, Messages will allow you to easily send voice messages, quick selfies, and videos to your contacts. Easily share your location and see the location of friends you've chosen to share that info with as well.
- Keyboard: There are a few notable improvements to the keyboard in iOS 8. First, Apple now has a predictive typing system that learns the way you talk, offering up a quicker typing experience. Even more exciting, though, is that you will be able to download third-party keyboards from the App Store that will take the place of Apple's keyboard entirely. If you've been waiting for Swype on iPhone, it's almost here.
- Interactive Notifications: Notifications are interactive in iOS 8. For example, you can reply to a message right from the notification without having to switch over to the Messages app, or accept/decline a calendar invite right from the dropdown. Notifications are also interactive on the Lock screen as well.
- Family Sharing: Family Sharing makes it easy for up to six people in your family to share each other’s iTunes, iBooks, and App Store purchases. Whenever one person buys a new song, movie, or app, everybody gets access to that content. Accounts must all share the same credit card number to be added to a family account. Members of a Family Sharing account also get access to a family Photo Stream, calendar, Reminders list, and can share location.
- iCloud Drive: Apple is finally allowing access to data stored on iCloud with the iCloud Drive feature. You can use iCloud as a storage folder for anything you'd like to put there, and can add storage space by upgrading to a higher tier.
- Health: Fitness tracking is one of the pillar features in iOS 8
- Continuity: Continuity will allow your Apple devices to talk to each other over Bluetooth. Start an email on your Mac, and continue it on your iPhone. Start messaging someone on your Apple Watch, and continue on your iPhone 6 Plus.
Apple also released the iOS 8 GM seed today.
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