Apple Store App Updated With Expanded 3D Touch Support
Apple today updated its Apple Store app to add expanded 3D Touch support for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus devices. 3D Touch Quick Actions were previously available, allowing users to quickly access orders, a store list, accessories, and the shop, but as of today, the Apple Store app also supports Peek and Pop gestures within the app itself.
Using a force press on a link listed in the app will now bring up a “Peek” preview of the content, with a “Pop” able to fully open a window. These gestures are limited to devices with 3D Touch.
Today’s update also makes the Apple Store app available in Korea, Russia, and Thailand, three locations where it was not previously available for download.
The Apple Store app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Apple Releases Second OS X 10.11.5 El Capitan Beta to Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded the second beta of an upcoming OS X 10.11.5 update to public beta testers, just one day after releasing the second OS X 10.11.5 beta to developers and a month after releasing OS X 10.11.4, the fourth update to the OS X 10.11 operating system.
The second beta of OS X 10.11.5 is available through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store for those who are enrolled in Apple’s beta testing program. Those who want to join the program can sign up on Apple’s beta testing website.
Most of the updates to OS X 10.11 have been minor in scale, and OS X 10.11.5 is no exception. The update appears to focus on under-the-hood bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements with no obvious outward-facing changes discovered in the first two developer betas.
Related Roundup: OS X El Capitan
Tag: OS X 10.11.5
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Apple CEO Tim Cook Named to TIME’s Annual List of 100 Most Influential People
Apple CEO Tim Cook was once again named one of “the 100 most influential people” by TIME magazine in its annual list recognizing individuals who have made a major impact on the world. Tim Cook is recognized as a “Titan” alongside people like Yuri Milner, Binny and Sachin Bansal, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Wang Jianlin, and Pope Francis.
Each person included on TIME’s list is featured alongside an essay written by an associate, with Cook’s 2016 note penned by Disney CEO Bob Iger.
Apple is known for elegant, innovative products that change the world by transforming how we connect, create and communicate, as well as how we work, think and act. Its continued success requires a leader of great courage and character who demands excellence, upholds the highest ethical standards and routinely challenges the status quo, including encouraging vital conversations about who we are as a culture and a community.
Tim Cook is that kind of leader.
Behind his soft-spoken demeanor and Southern manners is a focused fearlessness that comes from deep personal conviction. Tim is committed to doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right time and for the right reasons. As CEO, he’s led Apple to new heights, and he continues to build a global brand that is universally recognized as an industry leader and widely respected for its values.
Tim Cook has been included on the list of most influential people several times, and in 2014, Cook was nominated for the TIME person of the year after making the bold move of publicly announcing his sexual orientation despite being a notoriously private person.
Other notable people included on TIME’s 2016 list include actors, world leaders, scientists, and notable people from the tech world. Priscilla and Mark Zuckerberg, YouTuber Pewdiepie, Aziz Ansari, Sundar Pichai, Stephen Curry, Adele, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Barack Obama were some of this year’s most influential people.
Tag: Tim Cook
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Apple’s New 12-Inch MacBook Now Widely Available for Store Pickup
Following the launch of the new 12-inch Retina MacBook earlier this week, Apple Stores in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Spain, U.K. and other countries have begun receiving limited stock of the notebook to set up as display models and to fulfill in-store purchases.
Apple today reenabled its web-based Personal Pickup tool for the 12-inch MacBook, and the availability checker shows that select models are currently in stock at select Apple Stores in or near major U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.
Outside of the U.S., the 12-inch MacBook is also available in or within the surrounding metropolitan area of a number of major international cities, including Adelaide, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Brisbane, Hamburg, Ottawa, London, Madrid, Milan, Montréal, Munich, Naples, Paris, Perth, Rome, Sydney, Toronto, and Vancouver. Many other locations offer the notebook on a ship-to-store basis.
Due to limited per-store availability of the 12-inch MacBook during launch week, it is highly recommended that prospective buyers call their local store ahead of time to confirm in-store stock. A crowdsourced list of Apple Stores with new 12-inch MacBook stock is also available in the MacRumors discussion forums.
The new 12-inch MacBook is also coming to Apple Authorized Resellers like Adorama, Amazon, Best Buy, B&H Photo, MacMall, and others.
Related Roundup: Retina MacBook
Tag: Apple retail
Buyer’s Guide: MacBook (Buy Now)
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FBI Paid Upwards of $1.3 Million to Unlock San Bernardino Shooter’s iPhone
United States Federal Bureau of Investigations Director James Comey today gave some hints on how much the agency paid to access the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook, suggesting a sum upwards of $1.3 million.
According to Reuters, Comey said the FBI paid an amount exceeding what he will make in the next seven years and four months as director of the FBI. Comey’s annual salary is at $183,300, and without raises or bonuses, will result in earnings of $1.34 million.
Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum in London, Comey was asked by a moderator how much the FBI paid for the software that eventually broke into the iPhone.
“A lot. More than I will make in the remainder of this job, which is seven years and four months for sure,” Comey said. “But it was, in my view, worth it.”
According to anonymous law enforcement officials, Farook’s iPhone did not contain contacts or messages resulting in new leads in the investigation, but it did clarify that Farook did not make contact with a third-party following the attack, suggesting he and his wife did not have assistance from friends or family members.
The FBI reportedly paid the sum in question to “professional hackers,” at least one of which is a “gray hat” researcher that sells security flaws to governments, black market groups, and companies creating surveillance tools.
The method used to gain entry to the iPhone 5c owned by Farook does not work on the iPhone 5s or newer, but the FBI can continue to use it to access iPhone 5c devices running iOS 9.
Note: Due to the political nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Politics, Religion, Social Issues forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.
Tag: Apple-FBI
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WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM ANDROID MARSHMALLOW?
It’s not quite an all-out overhaul yet the new Marshmallow update looks the part and is filled with some superb tweaks and improvements that will go a long way in boosting the overall quality of your current Android 6.0 smartphone. The latest version of Google’s software is filled with welcome enhancements that include an OS clean up, more internal storage and superior battery life.
It’s been nearly 6 months since version 6.0 was unleashed on the market, notably onto various Nexus devices, and then slowly but surely a whole host of other devices have been receiving the update. With the arrival of the previous update came plenty of excitement which unfortunately as users familiarised themselves with turned a little more into slight frustration and added disappointment. Thankfully, with the release of Android Marshmallow the majority of bugs and more undesirable elements of the previous update have been given a much needed facelift.
Marshmallow is set to polish up your smartphone in many ways boasting lots of brand new features and developments. First up Google Now has been significantly improved and is pretty much present at every corner on the new operating system. What makes it all the more better than previous efforts is its focus on understanding the actual context of your searches and requests.
There’s an all-round smoother app experience on the latest update which is great for gamers in particular and those who enjoy online gaming and playing online casino sites such as onlineroulette.org.uk. The smoother experience allows players to play slots without the interference of lag and jittering. For those app lovers who fill their phones to the brim with various games will be pleased to hear that managing storage on their smartphone will be easier than ever. The new OS will give users a chance to keep a closer eye on the space they’ve used especially thanks to a much more efficient interface. Coupled with its new Doze feature, which will automatically detect if your phone is inactive and not moving and adjust applicable settings in order to preserve battery life, Marshmallow looks set to be Google’s most impressive OS update to date.
Apple Pay has been a big highlight of recent Apple smartphone releases and now Marshmallow users will be able to utilise Android Pay. It allows you to pay for goods and services in-store wirelessly and more securely with the use of a virtual-based account number and also allows you to keep track of all your past transactions and purchases using the Android Pay app.
As already mentioned there are plenty of improvements on the Marshmallow update just as much as there are new and exciting features to enjoy. One of which is the addition of a new System UI Tuner which allows you to pick and choose which info you want included across the top status bar. And there’s even a nice little add-on text box below the lock screen that will allow users to create their own personal message.
Carnage TV is a zombie survival game worth picking up (review)
Do me a favor: go to Google Play, and search ‘zombie’. My goodness…you will quickly be facing over 100 games & apps that use zombies as their main theme, obstacle, and/or villains. Wading through these looking for a quality title to play on your Android can be quite a challenge. Chances are you’ve played the big titles out there, and you’d like to find another good challenge to give a go. 
Well, I happen to have one for you. It’s Carnage TV, from Brutal Studios, and I can highly recommend this game for you. It’s based on Smash TV, and 1990’s arcade game with a very similar story line and gameplay.
After downloading the free game from the Google Play store, you dive right in with a setup screen. The game takes place in the future. This part may seem a bit familiar: severe overpopulation has caused the government to impart martial law on all; now an evil group has created a grisly game show that puts normal folks up against waves and waves of engineered ‘creatures’. After a quick tutorial you are thrown into your own episode of the ghoulish spectacle.
Controls, Story Line, and Gameplay
My favorite part of this game is the control system, as you play from looking above. You use a left on-screen joystick to move your character around the screen; you use a right on-screen joystick to fire your weapon in the direction that you choose. These controls are actually very fluid and smooth; my main replay interest was to confirm these intial controls were not just an anomaly…but I can assure you there are that good (even on my aging Galaxy S5).
The gameplay works like so: you are locked in a room, and waves of zombie-like creatures advance on you from enter-only gates. Your job is to move-and-shoot, avoiding contact with the hordes. Killing certain enemies awards you with various items, including money (for between-room upgrades) and supporting weapons such as grenades and called-in air strikes. These supporting weapons were appreciated as they area powerful and you can drag-and-drop them on screen as you wish to do the most damage.
Once you’ve wiped out all enemies on the screen, one to four doors open in the room for you to choose to exit. As mentioned earlier, between rooms you can go to the ‘shop’ screen to use your found money to upgrade your weaponry and such. There are even some ‘bonus rooms’ that are filled with bonus items, and you are given a very limited time to simply run around and grab as much booty as possible before the remaining items disappear.
Sound & Graphics
OK but slightly disappointing. The music and voice-overs are well done but repetitive. Graphics are pretty detailed, but this means that on my phone everything is very very small. I found myself having to take a break due to my squinting. On a tablet this game will be much easier to digest.
Overall
Again, I do recommend this game. Based on the control system alone I find myself wanting to push this game onto friends and family (the ones that partake in zombie games, anyway).
Roundup: Speck’s case lineup for the Nexus 6P
Here at AndroidGuys, we love phone accessories. Cases are the most popular type of phone accessory, everyone seems to have one! Today we’re going to be taking a look at the product lineup from one of the biggest brands in the world, Speck! It’s been gracious enough to send over some of its Nexus 6P cases, so let’s get to it!
CandyShell Grip
The CandyShell Grip case from Speck is one of the most recognizable phone accessories out there. The raised ridges meet a hard, military grade case. The CandyShell Grip meets or exceeds military standard MIL-STD-810G drop tests to keep your phone safe from drops and falls.
I’m especially struck by the white case with black ridges. The contrast, especially on the black Nexus 6P just looks wonderful. The cutouts for the camera, fingerprint sensor, USB type-C port, headphone jack, and microphone are all nice and large to allow use of third party accessories. Nothing is worse than not being able to use your nice headphones because the case interferes.
While Speck does its best to make this a thin case, it does feel a bit bulky. Part of this is because of the ridges. The case itself isn’t very thick, but the ridges add just enough to make a big phone feel even bigger. This isn’t a huge case like an Otterbox or something, but it definitely doesn’t feel thin. The Nexus 6P is already a big phone so it’s very noticeable when you add bulk to it.
But, the ridges aren’t all bad. Boy, do they add grip! The Nexus 6P has never been easier to hold as when I have it in the CandyShell grip case. And, if I do drop it, the extra bumpers on the corners of the case help keep my Nexus 6P from absorbing the impact.
The buttons are an area where the CandyShell Grip case shines. The buttons are big and extend long enough to find easily, while providing good travel. They don’t feel mushy as case’s buttons tend to do. I wouldn’t mind if there was some way to differentiate between the volume and power buttons since they’re on the same side, but that’s my only complaint.
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Conclusion
Speck is one of the biggest names in case, and its legacy remains safe in the CandyShell Grip line. These beautiful cases do feel a bit thick, but the advantages outnumber the small disadvantages. I love how secure my the phone feels in my hand with the added grip, and I have no doubt that the raised lip over the front will help out in case of falls.
If you’re interested in picking up any of Speck’s cases, you can check them out at Amazon, Best Buy, and Speck’s website
HooToo’s VR headset is just $22 at Amazon
Amazon’s Deal of the Day can score you some sweet savings on HooToo’s VR headset, dropping the price to just $22. This headset can be used with iPhone and Android smartphones, and it’s as easy as sliding your phone into the headset to get started. Designed with comfort in mind, HooToo’s VR headset has three adjustable straps, very similar to the Gear VR headset.
With over 300 VR apps available for iOS and Android, there is no shortage of content available to play in this headset. Keep in mind, this deal is only good for today, April 21, so don’t wait too long to get your order in.
See at Amazon
Acer’s Liquid Zest Plus has a 5,000mAh battery for under $250
That’s a lot of juice!
At its next@acer event in New York City, Acer announced its latest Android device, a mid-tier smartphone with a funny name: the Liquid Zest Plus.
Sporting a 5.5-inch HD display and a 13MP rear camera with laser autofocus, and a wide-angle 5MP front camera, the Liquid Zest Plus may have a memorable name (and not in a good way), but it does have one particular standout feature: its 5,000mAh battery.
Acer notes that the Liquid Zest Plus has one of the largest integrated batteries on the market, and certainly in its sub-$250 price range.
AIVAnet 