iPad Pro’s Lightning Port Supports USB 3.0 Transfer Speeds, New Adapters in the Works
Apple’s larger-screened iPad Pro includes a Lightning port that’s capable of supporting USB 3.0 speeds, according to both an iFixit teardown and several sources that have spoken with Apple. When taking apart the iPad Pro, iFixit discovered a Fresco Logic FL1100 4-port USB 3.0 Host Controller, pointing towards support for USB 3.0 transfer speeds.
In its recent iPad Pro review, CNET also mentioned the tablet will support “USB 3-level speeds with forthcoming adapters,” which reviewer Scott Stein confirmed was information that came directly from Apple. Photographer Jeff Carlson also claims a source has told him the Lightning port on the iPad Pro is capable of transferring data at USB 3.0 speeds.
Support for USB 3.0 speeds is notable because the Lightning port on current iPads and iPhones can only transfer data at around 25 to 35MB/s, which is USB 2.0 speed. At USB 3.0 speeds, data transfers would be upwards of 60MB/s and up to 625MB/s. USB 3.0-style speeds for data transfers over Lightning have been rumored to be coming to Apple devices for several years now, but have thus far not materialized.
Both Stein and Carlson have pointed towards the upcoming release of new adapters that will enable the faster file transfers, but a release timeline is not yet clear. It is also not known if Apple plans on introducing new Lightning cables that will enable USB 3.0 speeds when transferring files from a computer to an iPad Pro.
Tests conducted by readers on the MacRumors forums and on Reddit with existing Lightning cables and accessories are only transferring files to the iPad Pro at USB 2.0 speeds, indicating new hardware is required to take advantage of the iPad Pro’s updated Lightning Port.
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F.lux for iOS No Longer Available After Apple Says Side-Loading Violates Developer Agreement
F.lux, a popular app for the Mac that allows users to adjust the color of their screen based on the time of day, yesterday expanded to iOS with a beta app, but as of today, the app is no longer available.
Because iOS does not have the necessary documented APIs to allow f.lux to function, f.lux was skirting the App Store with private APIs and asking users to install its iOS app through Xcode, using a technique called side-loading. Apple has now informed f.lux that asking people to side-load apps onto their iOS devices violates the Developer Program Agreement, so f.lux can no longer be installed on iOS devices using Xcode.
Apple has contacted us to say that the f.lux for iOS download (previously available on this page) is in violation of the Developer Program Agreement, so this method of install is no longer available.
We understood that the new Xcode signing was designed to allow such use, but Apple has indicated that this should not continue.
For those unfamiliar with f.lux, it’s an app that adjusts the blue light of a screen based on the time of day to avoid interfering with the body’s circadian rhythm. During the day, f.lux mimics natural daylight, but at as the sun sets, it cuts down on the amount of blue light and makes the screen more yellow, which is said to encourage better sleep.
F.lux is a popular Mac app that’s been downloaded 15 million times, but with side-loading no longer available, f.lux for iOS is non-existant. F.lux’s developers are urging customers who want f.lux for iOS to send feedback to Apple, as the company would need new documented APIs to introduce the app through official channels.
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How to Use Live Photos on iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
Apple’s latest flagship handsets, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, are the first to include the ability to take Live Photos. A Live Photo is a combination of up to a three-second .mov file and a still .jpg file that is taken automatically when you press the shutter button in your iPhone 6s or 6s Plus camera app. It grabs up to 1.5 seconds of 960×720 video before and 1.5 seconds of video after you tap the shutter button.
The camera app on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus automatically starts recording the moment you open the app. Then, after you tap the shutter button, it saves only that 1.5 seconds beforehand and discards the rest.
That means, if you open your camera app and leave it open for a few minutes, your iPhone will be recording video the whole time. However, once you tap that shutter button, everything recorded prior to 1.5 seconds beforehand will be deleted.
To help you get the most of Live Photos, we’ve put together this guide for how to get the best Live Photos, and what to do with them afterward.
How to Take a Live Photo
Most iPhone 6s and 6s Plus devices have Live Photos on by default. However, there have been cases where the feature is off.
- Open the Camera app on your iPhone.
- Tap the Live Photos icon in the center-top of the screen between HDR and the timer. It looks like a set of concentric circles.
- You will know when Live Photos is on when the icon is highlighted in yellow.
- The word “Live” will also appear at the top of the screen. This label will remain on until 1.5 seconds after you tap the shutter button. It signifies that the video recording is complete.
Your Live Photo is automatically stored in your Photos app, just like traditional photos are for non-iPhone 6s or 6s Plus users. However, when you use 3D Touch on the screen, they come to life.
iPad Pro Videos: 4K Video Exporting, Cases and Apple Pencil Tracking
Apple launched the iPad Pro yesterday online and in stores, and early adopters are now receiving their deliveries around the world. The trio of videos below provide a closer look at the iPad Pro, Smart Cover and Silicone Case accessories and a comparison between Apple Pencil and Surface Pen tracking.
YouTube creator Jonathan Morrison shared a video called My First Day with the iPad Pro, proving how powerful the iPad Pro’s A9X processor and 4GB of RAM are by exporting 30 seconds of 4K video in around only 38 seconds. He also provided a quick rundown of the 12.9-inch tablet’s tech specs, benchmarks and camera.
Despite his 4K video test, Morrison concludes that the iPad Pro’s hardware is mostly unutilized, due to the lack of true professional apps like Final Cut Pro X that take advantage of the processing power. Those apps could arrive in the future, but in the meantime the iPad Pro is essentially a bigger and better iPad Air 2.
YouTube channel DarGadgetZ went hands-on with the new Smart Cover and Silicone Case for the iPad Pro, available for $59 and $79 respectively in Charcoal Gray and White. The Smart Cover has its usual magnetic hinge and doubles as a stand, and can be paired with the Silicone Case for full front-and-back coverage.
The last video is an Apple Pencil vs. Surface Pen tracking comparison shared with us by GforGames. The 15-second test, slowed down from 120 FPS, shows the Apple Pencil has slightly less input lag compared to the Surface Pen on the Surface Pro 4 when sketching swirls with each stylus.
Limited quantities of the iPad Pro are available at select Apple Retail Stores in multiple countries, with Personal Pickup available at U.S. locations. Smart Covers and Silicone Cases are well stocked, but the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard are out of stock or in very limited quantities at most stores.
Also read our iPad Pro reviews roundup, tidbits and timeline for the latest news about the 12.9-inch tablet.
Tags: Apple Pencil, Surface Pen, Silicone Case, Smart Cover
Buyer’s Guide: iPad Pro (Buy Now)
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YouTube Launches New YouTube Music Service and iOS App
YouTube today unveiled YouTube Music, a streaming music service and app designed to compete with existing streaming music offerings like Apple Music and Spotify. YouTube Music is part of YouTube Red, the ad-free subscription service YouTube announced last month.
The new YouTube Music app is available for both iOS and Android devices, bringing the YouTube Music service to a wide range of smartphones and tablets. YouTube Music, which offers both songs and accompanying music videos, includes both an ad-supported free tier and a paid ad-free version that’s tied to a user’s YouTube Red subscription. YouTube Red costs $9.99 per month (or $12.99 in the iOS app to account for Apple’s 30 percent cut), but users can sign up for a free14-day YouTube Music trial when downloading the app.
Paying for YouTube Music via YouTube Red allows listeners to and stream songs on-demand, create playlists, and listen without ads. Music can also be saved and listened to offline. Without a subscription, users can still listen to songs and watch videos, but the service will include ads.
Like other streaming music services, YouTube Music lets users search for content, but it also includes curated lists of the top songs of the week and a section on music that’s trending. It also has dedicated artist pages with additional album recommendations as a way to discover content, and it offers a music library that includes classic videos, concert footage, live recordings, and other content that’s not available on other services.
The YouTube Music app for iOS can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]
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Some Mac App Store Apps ‘Damaged’ Due to Authentication Issues
A growing number of MacRumors readers and Twitter users have been experiencing an issue with some Mac App Store apps displaying a “damaged” error when opened since late Wednesday. The issue appears to be rather widespread, affecting popular apps such as 1Password, Acorn, Byword, Call of Duty 2, DaisyDisk and Tweetbot.
Mac App Store apps with a “damaged” error (Image: Graham/Twitter)
Mac users are prompted with this error message when opening Mac App Store apps:
“App Name” is damaged and can’t be opened. Delete “App Name” and download it again from the App Store.
Tweetbot developer Paul Haddad tweeted that the issue appears to be related to expired receipts for authentication certification, and speculated that the receipts now using SHA256 encryption may be causing problems with older OS X versions.
Wonder if the receipt now being SHA256 is causing problems with old OS versions? pic.twitter.com/ozOssXWlBR
— Paul Haddad (@tapbot_paul) November 12, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe issue, however, also appears to affect some users running OS X El Capitan, leading Haddad to believe that Mac App Store apps contacting Apple’s servers simultaneously may be causing a “self inflicted DDOS on Apple’s receipt generation service.”
Haddad says that rebooting your Mac on OS X 10.10 or later may resolve the issue, while some users have been forced to reinstall apps from the Mac App Store, disconnect from and reopen the Mac App Store or simply reenter their Apple ID password.
More details will be provided as they are known. Apple has been reached for comment.
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ICYMI: Trekkie health scanner, car vending machine and more
Today on In Case You Missed It: A vending machine for cars (by Carvana) just launched in Nashville, removing the necessity of talking to a car salesman — or anyone, really — before driving off in a new ride. Stanford engineers made a health scanner device that can detect a tumor in your body based on the energy vibration that it sends out. And two crowdfunded devices aim to help snoring sleepers put a sock in it. The first, Nora, comes with a pillow that deflates or otherwise moves, to reposition the offending sleeper’s head. The other, Silent Partner, is a nose wearable that allegedly creates a quiet zone around the sleeper by sending out canceling sound waves.
Firefox for iPhone and iPad Launches on App Store
Following a soft launch and months of testing, Mozilla has released Firefox for iOS on the App Store for free. The WebKit-based web browser for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch features a Firefox-like design, Intelligent Search, Firefox Accounts, Visual Tabs, Private Browsing mode on iOS 9 or later and more.
The web browser’s features are best suited for users that also use Firefox on Mac or PC:
- Intelligent Search: Suggested search results and list of search options, including Google, Bing, Yahoo, DuckDuckGo, Twitter, Amazon and WordPress
- Firefox Accounts: Firefox browser history, passwords and open tabs synced between Firefox on the desktop and your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
- Visual Tabs: A card-based grid of intuitive visual and numbered tabs easily let you find content for future reference
- Private Browsing: Firefox won’t remember any of your history or cookies, but new bookmarks will be saved
Mozilla Firefox was once a leading desktop web browser for PCs and Macs, but it has lost significant market share since Google launched its own Chrome web browser in late 2008. Firefox is now the fourth most popular desktop browser in many countries, trailing behind Chrome, Internet Explorer and Safari.
Mozilla was initially opposed to releasing Firefox on iOS because of Apple’s policy that requires third-party browsers to use its own WebKit framework and JavaScript engine, but the company eventually reversed course and announced plans to release an iOS app in December 2014.
Firefox for iOS is free on the App Store for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and requires iOS 8.2 or later. The app is written in Swift 2.0 and open source on GitHub.
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Apple Releases Third OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan Beta to Public Beta Testers
Apple today seeded the third beta of OS X 10.11.2 El Capitan to public beta testers, just a day after releasing the third beta to developers and two weeks after seeding the first OS X 10.11.2 public beta. Today’s update comes three weeks after the public launch of OS X El Capitan 10.11.1.
Those who have signed up to participate in Apple’s beta testing program can download the third OS X 10.11.2 beta using the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store. Non beta testers who want to participate can sign up on Apple’s beta testing website.
The first two OS X 10.11.2 betas did not appear to offer any obvious outward-facing changes, and the minor .2 update likely includes bug fixes, security enhancements, and performance improvements to address issues discovered since the release of OS X 10.11.1. Apple’s release notes for the developer betas asks testers to focus on Graphics, Wi-Fi, Calendar, USB, Notes, Photos, and Spotlight, giving some insight into areas where improvements might be made.
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iFixit pries open the iPad Pro
As they usually do, the folks at iFixit have welcomed the launch of a new device by grabbing their tools and taking a peek inside. This time the device being examined is Apple’s iPad Pro, the bigger and better addition to its tablet family. The teardown is still ongoing at this time, but they’ve managed to tease out the device’s logic board complete with 64-bit A9X CPU, 4GB of RAM and more. Interestingly, all of those components are now mounted in the center of the tablet, while its four speakers come at the cost of some potential battery space. Any nod on its repairability is yet to come, although the team has surprisingly discovered handy pull-tabs on its battery cells — check out the teardown here for a better look at how super-sized tablet is put together/comes apart.
Source: iFixit
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