Apple Seeds Fourth iOS 9.1 Beta, Third tvOS Beta to Developers
Apple today seeded the fourth beta of iOS 9.1 to registered developers for testing purposes, one week after seeding the third iOS 9.1 beta and releasing iOS 9.0.2, the second minor bug fix update to iOS.
The new iOS 9.1 beta, build 13B136, is available as an over-the-air update and through Apple’s Developer Center. Apple has also released a third tvOS beta.
iOS 9.1 offers new features and compatibility updates for upcoming Apple products like the new fourth-generation Apple TV and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. The iPad Pro ships with two accessories, the Smart Keyboard and the Apple Pencil, both of which are deeply integrated into the operating system.
The update includes Unicode 8, adding support for emoji like the taco, burrito, cheese wedge, middle finger, unicorn head, and more, along with a new Messages option in the Settings app, allowing users to disable photos for their contacts.
It is not clear when iOS 9.1 will be released to the public, but it’s likely it will come in late October, coinciding with the launch of the new Apple TV.
Microsoft Reveals New Band 2, Lumia Phones, Surface Pro 4, and Surface Book
At a media event today, Microsoft announced a handful of new products and several updates to existing products coming from the company in 2015 and beyond. Topics for today’s event included the Microsoft Band 2, Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones, Microsoft Surface Pro 4, and the all-new Surface Book.
The company started off by going into detail about the Microsoft Band 2, the second version of last year’s wearable device. Microsoft said it took in a great amount of customer feedback in designing and implementing the new Band, which includes a new curved screen that with durable Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and an improved touch display. New Cortana integration lets users speak to the Band in order to send texts and make reminders, and the device also includes a barometer that measures elevation for everything from hiking to climbing stairs.
The company’s Microsoft Health app fuels the Band and lets users dig deeply into the data on everything from calorie burns to estimated recovery time for particularly intense workouts. The Band even includes an extensive golf measurement feature that can interpret the stroke of a swing and includes a score card that the company says is like “having your own personal caddy” on your wrist. Third-party partnerships with companies like Uber and Facebook are also incoming for the Microsoft Band 2, which will be available on October 30 for $249.
Microsoft also announced the Lumia 950 and 950 XL which are the newest iterations of the Lumia smartphone line, with 5.2-inch and 5.5-inch displays, respectively. Each of the new phones include a new feature called Glance Screen which showcases important pieces of information when a user pulls the phone out of his or her pocket, without the need to interact with the device directly and without using battery life. The Lumia 950 line also includes a 20-megapixel camera, Triple LED RGB natural flash, optical image stabilization, and a dedicated camera button on the side of the phone.
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YouTube gives its iOS app a new look and in-app editing tools
YouTube has given its iOS app a full facelift, making it look a bit more like its Android counterpart. Now, the main page has three tabs on top: Home, which houses the usual recommended videos/channels, Subscriptions, which lists all the new uploads from the accounts you subscribe to, and Account, which shows a summary of your… account! It also comes with new in-app editing tools that you can use to polish videos to upload whenever you don’t have access to professional software. In addition, serious YouTubers can get the refreshed version of the Creator Studio app for an enhanced Analytics section. The latest version’s only available for iOS at the moment, but the Google-owned company promises that it’ll soon be out on the Play Store.
Source: iTunes, YouTube Creators (Google+)
Apple fixes ‘app slicing’ iCloud bug for latest iOS 9 update
The iOS platform’s “App Thinning” feature is now available, and you’ll be able to download leaner, smaller apps if you’ve already installed iOS 9.0.2. App Thinning or “app slicing” allows you to download only the parts of an app needed for your device, effectively saving you storage space. For instance, if you download an app for the iPhone 6, it won’t have the parts needed for an iPad, because the developer tagged its assets for specific devices. It was supposed to be part of iOS 9 from the start, but it unfortunately got delayed due to an iCloud bug that forced users to download universal versions of apps.
Here’s Apple’s complete announcement about the update on its Developer page:
The issue affecting app slicing has been fixed, and device-specific versions of apps will be delivered when downloaded by users running iOS 9.0.2 or later.
Via: Mac Rumors
Source: Apple Developer
Engadget giveaway: win an iPhone 6s courtesy of Spigen!
Live and learn, right? While having a bare-bottomed phone looks great, with one or two catastrophes under your belt, you may not be going commando again any time soon. This is especially true if you have a high-end handset like Apple’s iPhone 6s. That’s where companies like Spigen come in, to wrap your precious pocket computer in a slim, secure shell. The Neo Hybrid line of cases boasts upgraded polycarbonate frames with extra protection where it’s needed. Both the classic version and the Carbon offer military-grade protection, while the Ex provides a clear, flexible shell to show off your phone’s styling. This week’s giveaway pairs both an iPhone 6s (16GB, GSM, T-mobile) with a collection of Spigen’s protective cases to keep it safe and sound. Just head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to three chances at winning.
- Entries are handled through the Rafflecopter widget above. Comments are no longer accepted as valid methods of entry. You may enter without any obligation to social media accounts, though we may offer them as opportunities for extra entries. Your email address is required so we can get in touch with you if you win, but it will not be given to third parties.
- Contest is open to all residents of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don’t make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so direct your anger at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. One (1) winner will receive one (1) Apple iPhone 6s (Space gray, 16GB, MKQX2LL/A – GSM T-mobile), and six (6) Spigen cases (two of each: Neo Hybrid, Neo Hybrid Carbon and Neo Hybrid Ex).
- If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of being contacted. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Make sure that the account you use to enter the contest includes your real name and a contact email or Facebook login. We do not track any of this information for marketing or third-party purposes.
- This unit is purely for promotional giveaway. Engadget and AOL are not held liable to honor warranties, exchanges or customer service.
- The full list of rules, in all its legalese glory, can be found here.
- Entries can be submitted until October 7th at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Apple Now Accepting iPhone 6s In-Store Reservations in Second Wave Launch Countries
Apple is now accepting iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in-store reservations through its Reserve and Pickup program in six European countries where the smartphones are set to launch this Friday, October 9, including Belgium, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the Netherlands.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus reservations on Apple Online Store in Switzerland
European customers can select an iPhone model, color and storage size and make a reservation at a local Apple Store for in-store pickup on October 9. Most iPhone 6s models remain available for in-store reservation in all six countries, but iPhone 6s Plus models are very limited at most locations.
When you arrive at the Apple Store during your 30-minute check-in window, most locations should have a special line for customers with reservations. Only the person named on the reservation can pick up the iPhone — bring a government-issued photo ID. Reservations are limited to 2 per customer.
The new iPhones launch in 40 more countries on October 9: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Taiwan.
Apple plans to launch the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus in over 130 countries by yearend.
Video Shared With Apple Employees Shows ‘Softer Side’ of Steve Jobs
A video obtained exclusively by ABC News today aims to showcase the “softer side” of Steve Jobs, with the former Apple CEO addressing an assembly of Apple employees the day before the release of the original iPhone in 2007.
During the brief clips shared by ABC News, Jobs urges the company’s employees to go in to an Apple Store and “just give one of the Apple retail store employees a hug,” discusses his theory of corporate management, and debunks the history to his famous ripped jeans.
The footage was shared with Apple’s employees yesterday to mark the fourth anniversary of Jobs’ death on October 5, 2011. A handful of well-known Apple executives put together some personal essays in memory of the Apple co-founder, including current Apple CEO Tim Cook, calling him “brilliant” and with “a great sense of humor.”
http://abcnews.go.com/video/embed?id=34277612
A lot of Jobs’ past has been resurfacing recently alongside the release of a handful of films chronicling his life, including Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine and the upcoming Aaron Sorkin-penned Steve Jobs movie. A few of Jobs’ supporters aren’t backing many of these interpretations of him, including his widow Laurene Powell Jobs, who tried to cease production on the Sorkin script multiple times.
Twitter Launches ‘Moments’ to Discover Trending Stories
Twitter for iOS has been updated today with a new tab called Moments that will help users discover stories unfolding on the microblogging service, such as conversations between world leaders and celebrities, citizens reporting on world events, cultural memes, sports commentary and more.
Tapping on the new lightning bolt tab on your phone opens a list of Moments that matter now. As new stories emerge throughout the day, we continue to update this list. Looking for more? You can also swipe through to topics including “Entertainment” and “Sports” to find more stories from the past few days.
Moments can be found in a new lightning bolt tab at the bottom of the Twitter app on iPhone and iPad in the U.S. only at launch. Moments contain an introduction with a title and description, and users can swipe to scroll through the in-depth story with full-width images and autoplaying videos, Vines and GIFs.
Moments will often be updated as more information becomes available and will mainly be curated by Twitter employees, with some contributed by partners such as Bleacher Report, Buzzfeed, Entertainment Weekly, Fox News, Getty Images, Mashable, MLB, NASA, New York Times, Vogue and the Washington Post.
New! Find the best of Twitter in an instant with Moments: https://t.co/QAKGUSVBbT pic.twitter.com/KAjfkysVKC
— Twitter (@twitter) October 6, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Twitter for iOS [Direct Link] is free on the App Store and is now at version 6.38.1.
Porsche Chooses CarPlay Over Android Auto Due to Google’s Data Collection Policy
Porsche has announced that its forthcoming 2017 Porsche 911 Carrera and Carrera S will support Apple’s CarPlay platform. According to Moto Trend (via AppleInsider), Porsche selected CarPlay over Android Auto because under the agreement of partnering with Google, certain amounts of data would have been sent to the search giant.
Some of this data would have included vehicle speed, throttle position, and engine revs, all points of information that would constantly be flowing back to Google’s headquarters each time a driver gets in the car. Comparatively, all Apple’s CarPlay requires to know is whether the car is accelerating while the system is being used.
There’s no technological reason the 991/2 doesn’t have Android Auto playing through its massively upgraded PCM system. But there is an ethical one. As part of the agreement an automaker would have to enter with Google, certain pieces of data must be collected and mailed back to Mountain View, California. Stuff like vehicle speed, throttle position, coolant and oil temp, engine revs—basically Google wants a complete OBD2 dump whenever someone activates Android Auto. Not kosher, says Porsche.
Porsche’s reasoning behind the decision points to not wanting to share the information with Google that could include the ingredients to its “secret sauce that makes its cars special,” along with the fact that Google is reportedly building its own car at the moment. A few other vehicle manufacturers have announced support for CarPlay, but the service is just this year beginning to see a wider release despite being announced — as “iOS in the Car” — over two years ago.
Belkin Debuts ‘Charge Dock’ With First Integrated Chargers for Apple Watch and iPhone
Earlier this year, Apple expanded its Made for Apple Watch program to include Apple Watch stands with integrated chargers. Popular accessory maker Belkin has now worked with Apple to develop the an Apple Watch stand with an integrated magnetic charger, which also includes a built-in Lightning connector for charging an iPhone.
The new Charge Dock for Apple Watch and iPhone is the very first third-party product to incorporate a Lightning connector and a charging puck for the Apple Watch, letting both an iPhone and an Apple Watch charge through the dock without the need for user-supplied cables.
Ahead of the launch of the Charge Dock, I went hands-on with it to see how it measures up to other Apple Watch and iPhone charging solutions on the market and whether it’s worth its $130 price tag.
Design
Belkin’s Charge Dock consists of an aluminum platform with a built-in Lightning connector for the iPhone and a chrome arm that houses an Apple Watch charging puck. It’s a simple, unobtrusive design that fits well into any decor, but it does only come in silver, so it’s not going to perfectly match all iPhones and Apple Watches.
The mix of a matte aluminum base and a shiny chrome arm may not be appealing to everyone, especially with the black accents on the base where the iPhone rests and the black detailing on the back of the Apple Watch stand.
Size wise, the Charge Dock is compact so it’s not going to take up too much room on a nightstand or desk. It measures in at five inches long, three inches wide, and it’s less than an inch thick. In length, it’s a bit smaller than the iPhone 6s and about an inch smaller than the iPhone 6s Plus.
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