Buyer’s Guide: Discounts on iPad Mini 3, Retina MacBook Pro, Apple Accessories and More

Now that the iPad mini 4 is out, the iPad mini 3, which is basically an iPad mini 2 with Touch ID, has been discontinued by Apple. That means retailers have begun dropping prices on iPad mini 3 models that remain in stock, so it may be possible to get a good deal on an iPad mini 3 if you need to save a few bucks.

Prices are finally dropping on the Retina MacBook, five months after it first launched. Discounts are up to $150, so it’s a good time to pick up one of Apple’s ultra slim notebooks.

As always, we’ve also hunted down some great accessory deals and outlined a list of apps and games that are currently on sale.

iPad Air 2

There are some iPad Air 2 models available for discounted prices from Amazon, but none are at the lowest prices we’ve seen, so it might be best to wait for a better deal because iPad Air 2 discounts pop up pretty often.

The 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 in gold is available for $425, while the 64GB version is available for $533. The 16GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 in silver is available for $432.99, while the 64GB version is available for $537.98. The 128GB WiFi only iPad Air 2 in Space Gray is available for $627.83.

The 16GB Cellular iPad Air 2 in Gold is available for $544, and the 64GB Cellular version in Space Gray is available for $668.89.
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The best iPad stylus

This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer’s guide to the best technology. Read the full article here.

We spent 15 hours testing a total of 13 iPad styluses with a graphic designer and independently arrived at the same conclusion: The best iPad stylus for most people is Adonit’s newly redesigned Jot Pro ($30). The Jot Pro’s unique clear plastic tip allows for precise input: It doesn’t block the iPad’s screen like rubber-tipped styluses, so you can see what you’re doing as you draw. It’s also comfortable to hold, and a number of small details, such as a spring-loaded tip that better mimics the feel of pen on paper, make the overall experience a pleasure.

How we decided

A handful of styluses we tested.

You want a stylus with enough weight and glide to move freely but with enough friction to be predictable. The idea is to replicate the feeling of pen on paper. We tested each stylus by navigating a maze, tracing the alphabet, sketching a variety of items, and tapping around a tablet. After our initial assessment, we started all over again, testing the pens in a different order to reduce any chance that our becoming accustomed to a stylus might have skewed the results.

Our pick

The best iPad stylus, Adonit’s Jot Pro, has a clear plastic tip so you can see what you’re drawing or writing

The best stylus for most people and most uses is Adonit’s newest version of the Jot Pro. It’s the best for quick note-taking thanks to its precision tip, which allows for fast and small writing. Instead of the slightly unnatural feeling of a rubber tip on glass, the sensation of using the Jot Pro is akin to stroking a pen on paper. It also feels good in the hand, even after extended use. It’s a beautifully designed stylus that works very, very well.

The tip is spring-loaded for cushioning, which makes it feel a bit more like using a pen on a thick notebook as opposed to a stylus on a rigid screen. It’s also the most accurate of all the styluses we tested, as the line on the screen flows from the tip, and you can actually see the tip during use.

The runner-up

The Jot Mini and Jot Pro, compared.

If our main pick is sold out, if you prefer a slightly shorter stylus, or if you’re willing to give up some frills to save a few dollars, we also really like Adonit’s Jot Mini ($20). The Jot Mini shares a lot of the Jot Pro’s traits, including the disc tip and the clip, though it omits the spring-loaded cushioning and textured grip.

A rubber-tipped option

The Sensu Artist Brush & Stylus with the cover removed.

Some people prefer styluses with rubber tips over the plastic-disc design Adonit uses. For them, we recommend Sensu’s Artist Brush & Stylus. At $40, it’s more expensive than most of the styluses we tested, but it offers an attractive design and writes much better than we expected. One end works well for drawing and writing, while the other has a capacitive paintbrush that artists will love.

A note on the Apple Pencil

Apple announced the Apple Pencil ($100), a stylus that works exclusively with its new iPad Pro. The Apple Pencil supports pressure sensitivity and recognizes the angle at which it’s being held, among a number of other interactions between the hardware and iOS. It charges through a Lightning plug, meaning it can be plugged into the iPad Pro’s port when it’s out of juice. Because the Apple Pencil only works with one version of the iPad, it likely won’t end up being a top pick, but we’ll still be testing it when it’s available in November.

In closing

For most people who sketch or write notes on their iPad, Adonit’s Jot Pro is the best stylus. This elegantly designed writing tool offers the most precise, pen-and-paper-like experience of any stylus we tested. Professional artists love it, and so do casual note-takers.

This guide may have been updated by The Wirecutter. To see the current recommendation, please go here.

Apple News to Offer Exclusive Early Access to Select Content

Apple News launched on iOS 9 this week in the U.S., delivering the latest stories from large publications and independent blogs alike in one mobile-friendly format on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.

Apple has set attractive monetization terms for Apple News, allowing publishers to collect 100% of revenue earned from ads they sell and 70% of revenue from iAds inventory sold by Apple.

In return, publishers appear ready to give Apple News a chance. In addition to several high-profile publications that have signed on for the service, including Bloomberg, CNN, ESPN and The New York Times, at least one has decided to offer exclusive early access to select content through the app.

Re/code editor Peter Kafka recently tweeted that an upcoming Wired feature about “starchitect Bjarke Ingels” will be available exclusively on Apple News at 3 PM Eastern today, with expanded availability on the web next Tuesday — a four-day exclusive window on Apple News.

New Wired feature about "starchitect Bjarke Ingels" exclusively on Apple News 3pm today. Available on Web Tues. pic.twitter.com/BK5za4zflu

— Peter Kafka (@pkafka) September 18, 2015

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsWired parent company Conde Nast, which also publishes Vanity Fair, GQ, Epicurious, Teen Vogue and Code Nast Traveler, will be pushing sponsorship opportunities to advertisers, which is perhaps a more viable monetization strategy with the emergence of content blockers on iOS 9. It has already signed up Burberry, Ford, Campbell Soup and Reynolds to flat-rate deals.

Apple News has the potential to command a large audience due to widespread adoption of iPhones and iPads, but it remains to be seen how popular the app will be with Facebook, Twitter and other platforms for consuming digital content vying for reader attention. News Corporation shut down its iPad newspaper The Daily in 2012, while Conde Nast has attempted exclusive iPad content in the past with little fanfare.

But I recall Conde and Apple pushing windowed "exclusives" to iPad editions in 2010. No one cared.

— Peter Kafka (@pkafka) September 18, 2015

http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe full potential of Apple News should become clearer as iOS 9 adoption rises and Apple News Format becomes widely available for publishers to create custom editorial layouts geared towards their individual brands.

Apple No Longer Offering ‘One to One’ Training as Add-on During Online Store Checkout

Apple continues to move toward retiring its One to One training program aimed at Mac customers, with the company’s online store checkout process no longer offering the program as an add-on option for Mac purchases as of today.

Current online store checkout process for Macs with no mention of One to One
Today’s change comes a few weeks after MacRumors initially reported rumors of One to One’s impending demise and later confirmed meetings with retail staff to announce the change. The program will officially be discontinued on September 28, although with today’s change it’s clear the company is looking to halt new signups as much as possible ahead of that date.

Previous checkout options with both AppleCare and One to One offered
Priced at $99 per year and valid for up to three years following the purchase of a new Mac, Apple’s One to One program offered to teach customers unfamiliar with the company’s products everything from basic setup to more specialized sessions on apps like GarageBand and Final Cut Pro.

Apple will continue to offer free workshops and training in its stores, but with the more advanced paid One to One option being discontinued, it could offer an opportunity for resellers to promote their own similar programs.

Apple’s Revamped Company Store to Feature Full Product Lineup Alongside Corporate Gear

Earlier this week, Apple announced that the grand reopening of the Company Store at its One Infinite Loop headquarters in Cupertino, California is set to take place tomorrow, September 19. The store won’t just sell Company Store products of Apple-branded t-shirts, mugs, and accessories, however, but be a hybrid location that also acts as a traditional Apple Store that offers visitors the opportunity to purchase iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches (via MacMagazine) [Google Translate].

One of the only features not making a debut at the hybrid store is the Apple Genius Bar. The actual design is worth noting as well, with new walls and store features made of concrete and glass and a large central screen displaying the newest products and advertisements. The first mockup image of the store, and information gained from MacMagazine, points to the new location bearing an overall similarity in design to the Apple Store in Brussels, Belgium that will open on September 19, as well.

Apple talks to California DMV about self-driving cars

According to a new report from The Guardian, Apple recently chatted with the California Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) about self-driving cars. The report says that Cupertino’s senior legal counsel Mike Maletic met with the DMV’s self-driving car experts and other officials for an hour last month. Back in August, The Guardian also discovered that Apple was looking into a test site for so-called Project Titan at a former military base near San Francisco. As you might expect, the technology outfit isn’t commenting further and the DMV only spilled that the focus of the meeting was to go over the state’s self-driving vehicle regulations. Details are still scarce on the project as a whole, but we do know that Apple recruited automotive talent to come work for the company a while back. And as The Guardian points out, it’ll have to disclose a lot more if it wants to secure a permit for testing.

[Image credit: Josh Edelson/AFP/Getty Images]

Source: The Guardian

Apple Met With California DMV to Review Autonomous Vehicle Regulations

Apple senior legal counsel Mike Maletic held an hour-long meeting with the California Department of Motor Vehicles last month to review “autonomous vehicle regulations,” according to internal documents obtained by The Guardian. The revelation comes amid widespread rumors that Apple has hired hundreds of employees to develop an electric vehicle over the past several months.

California DMV headquarters in Sacramento
Maletic reportedly met with a trio of DMV executives familiar with self-driving cars, including deputy director Bernard Soriano and chief of strategic planning Stephanie Dougherty, who are co-sponsors of California’s autonomous vehicle regulation project. Brian Soublet, the department’s deputy director and chief counsel, was also in the meeting, according to the report.

California’s DMV is developing regulations for the eventual deployment and public operation of autonomous vehicles. These rules will establish requirements that manufacturers must meet to certify that their driverless vehicles have been successfully tested, meet safety criteria, and are ready for consumers to operate on public roads.

Apple would be required to obtain an Autonomous Vehicle Testing Permit from the California DMV to test autonomous vehicles on public roads, which Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Google, Tesla Motors, Nissan, BMW, Honda and others have already done. Given the Cupertino-based company’s culture of secrecy, however, that is an unlikely scenario.

If Apple does seek a testing permit for its Project Titan self-driving car, it will have to sacrifice much of its legendary preference for secrecy. Manufacturers applying for a permit have to detail the make, model and vehicle identification number (VIN) of cars they want to test, share details of autonomous features and capabilities, and identify test drivers by name.

If rumors about Apple testing an electric vehicle are true, it is more likely that the iPhone maker will use a private testing facility such as GoMentum Station, a 2,100-acre former naval base in the San Francisco Bay Area run by the Contra Costa Transportation Authority. Apple could also use its own property to test vehicles with complete privacy, something it may already be doing.

Apple’s rumored “Project Titan” electric vehicle research and development could be based at a top-secret office and lab complex in Sunnyvale codenamed SG05, the report corroborates. Bloomberg reported in February that Apple aims to begin electric car production as early as 2020, but the company’s roadmap is not entirely clear due to the highly secretive nature of the project.

Apple Accepting Red Cross Donations Through iTunes to Support Migration Crisis

Apple has added a banner to its website that allows customers to donate to the American Red Cross through the iTunes Store to support the refugee and migration crisis across the Mediterranean Sea and Europe. The donation tiers available include $5, $10, $25, $50, $100 and $200.

The entire proceeds from donations, which are processed as a regular iTunes Store transaction, are sent to the American Red Cross.

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