iOS 10 Now Installed on Nearly 80% of Active iOS Devices

Just over five months after iOS 10 was released to the public, the operating system is installed on 79% of active iOS devices, according to the latest adoption data shared by Apple.

iOS 9 remains installed on 16% of active iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch devices, while 5% of devices are running an earlier iOS version, as measured by the App Store on February 20.

iOS 10 adoption appears to be slightly outpacing iOS 9 adoption over the same time period. iOS 9 adoption briefly stalled at 77% of active devices last February.

iOS 10 could see further adoption when iOS 10.3, which is currently in beta for developers and public testers, is officially released. The software update’s key new features include “Find My AirPods” and a switch to the all-new Apple File System (APFS).

iOS adoption continues to significantly outpace Android. Nougat, the latest version of Android, is installed on just 1.2% of active Android devices as of February 6, despite being released six months ago today. Android Lollipop, released in November 2014, is still installed on 32.9% of active devices.

Apple’s control over both hardware and software gives it an advantage over the Android ecosystem, while Apple persistently notifies iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to update to the latest iOS version, including offering the option to have the software update install overnight while the device is plugged in.

Related Roundup: iOS 10
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Sinclair C5 gets a modern reboot as the IRIS eTrike

Before the Toyota Prius and Tesla Model S, there was the Sinclair C5. Launched in 1985, the electric tricycle was supposed to be the first of many battery-powered vehicles from inventor Clive Sinclair — renowned for developing personal computers such as the ZX Spectrum. The ambitious product was a huge flop due to its short range, low top speed and other limitations, selling only 5,000 before manufacturer Sinclair Vehicles folded. Perhaps it was ahead of its time, or at least that’s what Sir Clive’s nephew Grant Sinclair must be hoping, as he’s created a 25th century reimagining of the C5 called the IRIS eTrike.

The futuristic three-wheeler is part pushbike, part EV, with an eight-speed, twist grip gearing system. Its battery apparently has a one-hour charge cycle and a 50-mile range at a top speed of over 25MPH. But who wants the silver “Eco” version when you can get the matte black “Extreme” model with a top speed of over 30MPH? The eTrike will also be road legal, have a decent-sized boot, and is tall enough that Range Rover drivers should spot it (before crushing you anyway) — the low profile of the C5 wasn’t thought particularly safe, you see.

Unlike the C5, the eTrike is also built to be an all-weather vehicle thanks to its pod-like, mostly windscreen design. Inside, you get an LCD display for the essentials like speedometer and remaining charge, but curiously, you have to stick your smartphone into the included dock to get a live feed from the rear-view camera. Available to reserve right now for a £99 deposit, the IRIS eTrike is expected to launch this winter for £2,999 for the Eco model and £3,499 for the Extreme edition.

While there’s no doubt a legitimate, working prototype has been developed, it’s important to look at any Sinclair-associated product with a pinch of skepticism. For every ZX Spectrum re-release or re-design, there’s some sketchy project or another, like the ZX Vega+ handheld that’s been beset with delay after delay despite receiving over £500,000 in crowdfunding donations. Grant Sinclair himself still seems to be pursuing his POCO Zero micro computer idea after a failed Indiegogo campaign. And let’s not forget that Sir Clive announced a follow-up to the Sinclair C5 in 2010, but his two-wheeled X-1 e-bike never made it to market.

Via: Telegraph

Source: Grant Sinclair

Valve’s room-scale VR trackers will soon be sold separately

Valve has announced that it will soon be selling standalone SteamVR Tracking base stations directly. While you could previously order the tech from HTC, later this year, consumers and developers will be able to purchase the new and improved single-rotor tracking model from Valve’s online store. With the current standalone tracking stations costing $130 from HTC, the Steam owner states that the move from a dual-rotor to single-rotor design could bring “rapid cost reductions,” according to Road To VR. This suggests that the new tracking station may be significantly cheaper.

Interestingly, Valve has also seen fit to make life easier for peripheral developers, removing the previously mandatory Seattle-based $3,000 introductory course for new license holders. With the Steam owner developing the tracking technology and HTC creating the Vive headset, its plans to sell the SteamVR base stations separately suggests that Valve still owns the rights to the tech. Whether this means the trackers will eventually be compatible with rival headsets, however, remains to be seen.

To date, Valve has revealed that over 500 different companies are developing for the SteamVR base stations. In 2015, VR rival Oculus announced that it had similar plans to open up its tracking system Constellation to third parties. However, the company has failed to mention any news on the initiative since then.

With a recent patent suggesting that Sony is hard at work developing its own Vive-inspired sensor, it looks like motion tracking in VR is very much here to stay. While nothing has been formally announced, Valve’s decision to decouple the SteamVR sensor from the Vive suggests that the company is expecting a new range of compatible sensors and headsets to appear in the future.

Source: Road To VR

Verizon will test 5G wireless in 11 cities by mid-2017

Verizon isn’t going to let AT&T’s 5G plans go unanswered. The carrier (and our corporate overlord) says it will pilot the gigabit-class wireless in 11 cities by the middle of 2017, including major urban hubs like Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, Seattle and Washington, DC. These will be “pre-commercial services” offered to specific customers, so don’t expect to try extra-fast cellular data in your neighborhood. Instead, this is about investigating “scenarios and use cases” before Verizon is ready to ask for money.

It’s not certain when you’ll see honest-to-goodness paid service, although Verizon has been aiming for sometime in 2017. However, any widespread deployment is likely to be contingent on a formal 5G standard, which doesn’t exist yet — and that’s not including the necessary hardware. You might not want to get too excited, then. While 5G may well usher in an era where your smartphone data speeds are as fast as a fiber optic line, the technology is still very much in the early stages.

Source: Verizon

Apple’s spaceship campus will open in April as ‘Apple Park’

Forget ‘Campus Two,” “Spaceship” or “Doughnutsville,” because Apple’s new headquarters has been officially named Apple Park. The company has announced that the multi-billion dollar building will begin operations in April, with 12,000 employees moving in across six months. Apple has also revealed that the building’s 1,000-seat auditorium will be christened the Steve Jobs Theater in memory of the late co-founder.

Of the many innovations that Apple Park will boast include it being one of the most energy-efficient buildings in the world. Tim Cook claims that the facility will run “entirely on renewable energy,” with its solar roof generating 17 megawatts of energy. In addition, Apple Park will have a store and cafe that’s open to the public, as well as a 100,000 square foot fitness center for employees. Not to mention an artificially constructed orchard, meadow and pond within the doughnut’s center.

Source: Apple

Apple Campus 2 Officially Named ‘Apple Park’, Set For Grand Opening in April

Apple today announced that Apple Campus 2 will be open and ready for employees to begin moving in this April, while also officially naming the site “Apple Park.” Moving more than 12,000 employees to the site will take more than six months, the company said, and some smaller building construction and landscaping will continue into the summer.

In honor of the late CEO Steve Jobs — who would have turned 62 on Friday, February 24 — Apple announced that the theater at Apple Park will be named the “Steve Jobs Theater.” The theater will be one of the buildings that opens later this year, and is situated at one of the highest point on the campus, overlooking the nearby meadows and the large, circular main building at Apple Park.

“Steve’s vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us. He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The workspaces and parklands are designed to inspire our team as well as benefit the environment. We’ve achieved the most energy-efficient building of its kind in the world and the campus will run entirely on renewable energy.”

Apple’s press release also covered a collection of other buildings at Apple Park, including a visitor’s center that will include a full Apple Store and cafe, both of which will be open to the public. Apple worked in collaboration with Foster + Partners to build Apple Park, which occupies 175 acres and will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy.

The main building, which has been referred to as the “Spaceship” building, includes 17 megawatts of rooftop solar power, meaning Apple Park will be running one of the largest solar energy installations on the planet when it opens in April. Apple also takes pride in the Park’s landscaping initiatives, which has resulted in the replacement of 5 million-square-feet of asphalt with various greeneries, as well as over 9,000 native and drought-resistant trees.

Construction on the campus began back in 2013 and was originally pegged for completion in late 2016 before construction delays pushed back its opening date. Throughout the years, coverage of the campus has been ongoing thanks to reliable drone videos that have showed up every month or so, giving Apple fans the chance to see major construction milestones like the first time the Spaceship building took shape, all the way up to the day that lights began turning on.

Check out more images and a video about Apple Park here.

Tag: Apple Park
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Apple Names its New Campus Auditorium ‘Steve Jobs Theater’

Apple today announced that the 1,000-seat auditorium at its new Apple Park campus will be named the “Steve Jobs Theater” in memory of the company’s late co-founder, who would have turned 62 years old on February 24.

Steve Jobs Theater, a 20-foot-tall glass cylinder with the world’s largest freestanding carbon-fiber roof, is situated atop a hill at one of the highest points of the 175-acre campus, overlooking meadows and the main building.

Apple CEO Tim Cook:

“Steve’s vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us. He intended Apple Park to be the home of innovation for generations to come,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The workspaces and parklands are designed to inspire our team as well as benefit the environment. We’ve achieved the most energy-efficient building of its kind in the world and the campus will run entirely on renewable energy.”

Jobs’ widow Laurene Powell Jobs:

“Steve was exhilarated, and inspired, by the California landscape, by its light and its expansiveness. It was his favorite setting for thought. Apple Park captures his spirit uncannily well,” said Laurene Powell Jobs. “He would have flourished, as the people of Apple surely will, on this luminously designed campus.”

Apple design chief Jony Ive:

“Steve invested so much of his energy creating and supporting vital, creative environments. We have approached the design, engineering and making of our new campus with the same enthusiasm and design principles that characterize our products,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s chief design officer. “Connecting extraordinarily advanced buildings with rolling parkland creates a wonderfully open environment for people to create, collaborate and work together. We have been extremely fortunate to be able to work closely, over many years, with the remarkable architectural practice Foster + Partners.”

Apple Park will be ready for employees to begin occupying in April, and the Steve Jobs Theater will open later this year.

Tags: Apple Park, Steve Jobs
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Pad & Quill Debuts Leather Apple Pencil Grip Accessory

Pad & Quill has created a Leather Apple Pencil Grip that allows users to get a better hold of the Apple Pencil when drawing or working on a compatible iPad. The grip accessory comes in a two-piece construction, with one piece towards the bottom of the pencil to provide the holding grip, and the other towards the top that acts as a clip and Lightning cap holder.

Like all of Pad & Quill’s leather products, the Apple Pencil Grip is made of full-grade American leather so it’s unique and is “designed to age with use and break in like an old baseball glove.” Due to the Apple Pencil’s traditional, slippery nature, the company says that the grip gives users an advantage when using Apple Pencil, from more comfortable work sessions to not losing it when it rolls off of a table thanks to the custom pen clip.

At Pad & Quill, we firmly believe the pen, or in this case the Apple Pencil, is mightier than the sword. We love our Apple Pencil, and believe it is the greatest thing to hit the iPad since the finger. Our Leather Apple Pencil Grip turns the Pencil from useful tool into a work of art.

This is truly one of those Apple Pencil accessories you never knew you needed until you see it in action. No more hunting for lost lightning caps, that pesky charging cap stays put, even when plugged in. No more rolling away from you when you set it down or storage difficulties, the custom pen clip keeps your Apple Pencil in place on the table and in the pocket. And no more slippery fingers, the leather grip provides a sturdy tactile feel while letting you be as precise as you want.

Users can pre-order the Leather Apple Pencil Grip in Chestnut, Whiskey, and Galloper Black today for $49.95. Pad & Quill’s new accessory will then begin shipping sometime in early April, but the company didn’t give a specific launch date yet.

Some rumors have pointed towards a second generation of Apple Pencil coming as soon as next month, at what is believed to be an iPad-centric March event. Features for the device remain unclear, but potential possibilities might be an expansion of the areas within iOS that supports Apple Pencil use, as well as an integrated magnet that would let users attach the accessory to the side of the iPad.

Tags: Pad & Quill, Apple Pencil
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LinkedIn Lite leads trio of new apps launched by Microsoft in India

Why it matters to you

LinkedIn is the latest social platform to break down the barriers of low connectivity with its new Lite app, which runs four times faster than its original client.

Microsoft-owned LinkedIn is getting a set of new apps aimed at low-connectivity markets, starting in India.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced the products on Wednesday at his company’s Future Decoded event in Mumbai. He described them as a way of democratizing the jobs, business, and graduate placements markets in the country. All three apps are built upon existing features that were introduced by the LinkedIn India team in November.

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The primary offering in the new lineup is LinkedIn Lite — essentially the flagship app designed to be able to perform on all connectivity levels (including 2G). Nadella touted the app as four times faster than the original LinkedIn client.

Facebook offers a similar product in the form of its Facebook Lite app, which has witnessed tremendous growth since its launch in June 2015. The stripped-down version of the social network is now available in 100 countries (including recent additions such as Italy, South Korea, and Israel) and attracts 200 million users every month. Facebook’s introduction of its own job openings tool last week could also be the impetus behind Microsoft’s new apps.

Next up in Nadella’s presentation was “Starter Pack,” an app that bundles LinkedIn’s premium business solutions for small and medium-sized businesses in the country. It allows companies to access the platform’s hiring, talent management, marketing, and B2B sales tools. Nadella described it as a “critical, yet simple, powerful business system that you can deploy.”

Finally came “Placements,” an app aimed at recent college graduates that puts them in touch with the country’s top companies offering — for lack of a better term — placements. Again, Nadella hailed it as a way to level the playing field for students in the country by tapping into grads from any college, not just the high-ranked institutes. The platform already offers an app aimed at students in the United States.

Speaking of the new products, Nadella said they will be available to “every professional, on any phone, with any connectivity.” What this means is that Microsoft is hoping to widen LinkedIn’s net by bringing it to users in remote regions who may not have access to high-end phones and are stuck with low-bandwidth internet speeds. The move aims to capitalize on the career-oriented platform’s growth in the region, where it has thus far managed to accumulate 39 million members.

Microsoft acquired LinkedIn in December for approximately $26.2 billion. Nadella also announced a new LinkedIn-based training initiative for India’s low- and semi-skilled workers. Dubbed “Project Sangam,” the venture utilizes Microsoft’s cloud service to expand the reach of LinkedIn’s learning tools.

App Store change boosted paid apps, pushed down those with in-app purchases

Why it matters to you

The App Store’s algorithm change might no longer be in effect, but it gives us an idea about what Apple might do about app discovery in the future.

Clash Royale, Mobile Strike, and Candy Crush Saga might be completely different games, but the common thread that flows through all three is they make enough bank to land in the top 10 grossing iPhone apps in the App Store. All three games are also free, which could be why there was a shake-up in the App Store’s top 10 grossing apps during this past weekend, reports TechCrunch.

According to some eagle-eyed folks, the change not only affected Top Grossing charts for the App Store, but Top Grossing charts across all App Store categories. It seems that the change favored paid apps over those that emphasize in-app purchases, with apps that have consistently ranked near the top replaced by more obscure paid apps, like a test kit for United Kingdom drivers and a $15 translator app.

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As for why this algorithm shift occurred, some posit that Apple wants to put more significance on paid apps and less on apps with a recurring subscription revenue. Given how games like Clash Royale have been on Top Grossing charts for quite some time, the change allows Apple to spice up the lists and not have them be so static. More significantly, the shift allowed paid apps to compete on equal terms with subscription-based ones, since the latter’s lack of any upfront cost give them a leg-up over paid apps.

The algorithm change helped give some of these apps the exposure their developers probably wanted, but things went back to normal at the stroke of midnight on Monday. Even so, this gives us a hint as to what Apple might do in the future with the App Store, perhaps as a means to improve app discovery.