iOS 9 iPad Keyboard Scales to Larger Size, Hinting Towards ‘iPad Pro’

iPhone developer Steven Troughton-Smith has discovered that the new iPad keyboard on iOS 9 beta is capable of scaling to a larger size with rearranged keys, providing further evidence that Apple could be planning to release the much-rumored 12.9-inch “iPad Pro” in the future.

UIKeyboard view on iOS 9 scales to a larger iPad size (Image: Twitter/Steve T-S)
At a larger resolution, the UIKeyboard view automatically adjusts with repositioned keys to fill the extra screen space available. Specifically, the new keyboard has wider keys, a new row of symbols at the top, Caps Lock and Tab keys on the far left and some other moved keys.

The secondary keyboard view has also gained the new chiclet-sized row of symbols and has enough room to fit all symbols and characters on one page, potentially eliminating the need for a tertiary keyboard view normally accessed by tapping the “#+=” button on the left or right.

iOS 9’s new Slide Over, Split View and Picture in Picture features on iPad Air 2 further suggest that Apple may be working on a larger iPad, as the new split-screen multitasking views would be ideal for a larger screen and take advantage of the tablet’s extra processing power.

The so-called “iPad Pro” is rumored to feature a 12.9-inch flexible display with increased pressure sensitivity, built-in NFC chip, Force Touch, USB-C port and possibly a pressure-sensitive Bluetooth stylus. The tablet would also likely have an A9 processor with 2GB of RAM and Touch ID.

Ahead of ‘iPhone 6s’ Debut, a Look at Feld & Volk, the Biggest Source of iPhone 6 Leaks [iOS Blog]

In the months leading up to the introduction of the iPhone 6 last September, Moscow-based luxury modified iPhone company Feld & Volk shared a wealth of information about the device, starting with high-quality photos and video of a rough rear shell and moving on to individual components like the embedded Apple logo and protruding rear camera.

Later on, the company was able to obtain nearly all of the parts for the iPhone 6, including the logic board that revealed such details as an NFC chip, Qualcomm LTE modem, and a base 16 GB storage option.

Feld & Volk’s iPhone 6 built from parts shown booting to “Connect to iTunes” screen
Eventually, Feld & Volk was even able to build a working device from the parts, supporting theories the device would include a 1334 x 750 display, which were ultimately proven correct.

Many MacRumors readers are anxiously awaiting part leaks from the next-generation “iPhone 6s” expected to debut around the usual September timeframe, and while the device is expected to be visually nearly identical to the current models given Apple’s pattern of iPhone designs, there will undoubtedly be some improvements and other changes any upcoming part leaks will help us identify.

Ahead of those part leaks, we spoke with Feld & Volk’s Alexander Volkov about his background, the company’s history and products, and the difficulties in offering luxury products built around Apple’s designs.
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Apple Launches Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless Earphones in Apple Watch Sport Band Colors

Somewhat lost among all of the announcements coming out of WWDC last week, Apple on Monday introduced a new set of colors for the Beats Powerbeats2 wireless in-ear headphones, with the new colors matching the Apple Watch sport band options of black, white, blue, green, and pink.

Carrying the same $200 price as the original Powerbeats2 introduced last June after Apple had announced it was acquiring Beats but before the deal officially closed, the new versions are identical with the exception of the new colors. The new headphones have begun showing up in Apple’s retail stores, where they are being given a significant amount of promotional space.

The Powerbeats2 have received mixed reviews over the past year, with reviewers disagreeing over whether the headphones suffer from the excessive bass that has been common with Beats products over the years. The headphones come with a set of ear tips in various shapes and sizes, and the listening experience appears to vary significantly for many users depending on which tips are used.

As Bluetooth headphones, the Powerbeats2 can connect wirelessly to a wide variety of devices, including the iPhone, iPad, and now the Apple Watch. With the Apple Watch’s ability to store music on the device for playback via Bluetooth and serve adequately as an exercise tracker under certain circumstances even without a paired iPhone present, wireless headphones are proving to be a popular accessory for Apple Watch owners and something Apple has clearly chosen to capitalize on with the new Powerbeats2 colors.

(Thanks, Ben!)

Apple reportedly scrapped a Sonos-like Beats speaker

Shortly after it acquired Beats, Apple spiked one of Dre and Co.’s pet projects, according to a report from Variety. The product was supposedly a WiFi-connected speaker that could directly play internet subscription music, similar to offerings from Sonos or Google’s Cast. Beats wanted to make a large speaker supporting WiFi, Bluetooth and NFC, that would play as soon as you walked into the room or paired it with your phone. The plan was to later introduce smaller satellite speakers for other rooms, exactly like Sonos. The price was reportedly as high as $750.

So what happened? Well before Apple acquired it, Beats reportedly decided to build the speaker itself rather than contracting it out. But it had component problems and other development issues, forcing it to push the launch back several times. After Apple purchased Beats and saw all the problems with the project, several sources said it decided to either ditch it completely or, at a minimum, put it on hiatus.

Variety noted that nearly half of Beats employees have left since the acquisition, including its chief product officer and speaker engineering head. When Apple purchased Beats, many believed that it was far more interested in its music service than the headphones and speakers. That’s backed up by the fact that Apple just launched Beats 1 as part of Apple Music, but hasn’t introduced any major new Beats hardware products recently. Apple also offered full refunds for the recalled Beats Pill XL speaker (rather than replacing or repairing it), and appears to have permanently pulled it from its Store.

So now that Apple Music is here, how are you supposed to listen to it? Sonos, for one, said that the new service doesn’t support its hardware for now, so the only way to stream over WiFi is via AirPlay. Apple may well be working on its own speaker system, though it obviously hasn’t revealed anything yet. But it’s generally as patient as it needs to be with development and proved again that it’s also perfectly willing to kill projects that aren’t up to snuff.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Wireless, Apple

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Source: Variet

Hands-On With iOS 9’s New iPad Multitasking Feature [iOS Blog]

In iOS 9, the iPad is gaining a feature that will completely change the way a lot of us use our tablets, introducing functionality that will make it much easier to use the iPad as a serious computer replacement. That feature, which has been much-desired for several years now, is multitasking.

We went hands-on with iOS 9 to check out the multitasking feature on an iPad Air 2, and made a quick video to share what the new features look and feel like.

There are three different aspects to multitasking on the iPad: Slide Over, Split View, and Picture in Picture. Slide Over can be activated in any supported app. Pull over from the right side of the screen to the left to open up a second window, which takes up 1/3 of the screen.

This isn’t true multitasking because it pauses the background window, but it’s a way to quickly send an email or answer an incoming email without having to stop what you’re doing. You can change the app shown in the Slide Over by swiping down from the top of the screen.

On an iPad Air 2, if you pull the Slide Over window further to the left, it’ll enter Split View. Split View shows two apps at once and is a true multitasking feature. You can use both apps independently of one another and both are fully functional, with each taking up half the screen.

The third new multitasking feature is Picture in Picture, which works similarly to the picture-in-picture function on televisions. When watching a video or participating in a FaceTime call, the video window can be minimized to one corner of the iPad so you can continue to use other apps while you watch (or chat).

For now, all of these features are compatible only with Apple’s apps, but third-party apps will also be compatible with multitasking with developer support. Slide Over and Picture in Picture work on the iPad Air, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 2, and iPad mini 3, but Split View feature is limited to the iPad Air 2, which has a more powerful A8X processor.

Multitasking is built into iOS 9, which is currently only available to developers. Apple plans to release a public beta of iOS 9 in July, with the official public launch coming in the fall

For more on what’s new in iOS 9, make sure to check out our detailed iOS 9 roundup.

Apple and Beats Scrapped Sonos-Like Speaker Post Acquisition

Before it was acquired by Apple, Beats Electronics was working on a Sonos-like Wi-Fi-connected loudspeaker that would play music from services like Pandora and Spotify straight from the Internet, reports Variety. The news comes days after learning that the new Apple Music streaming service will not immediately be compatible with Sonos speakers.

Beats Pill speakers

Case in point: Beats Electronics, which Apple acquired for $3 billion last year, was working on a Wifi-connected loudspeaker that could be used to play subscription music services straight from the Internet, according to multiple sources familiar with the project. That would have put Beats in direct competition with Sonos, a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based speaker manufacturer succeeding with a very Apple-like product lineup.

The product was set to be launched during the holiday season of 2014 but was scrapped after Apple acquired Beats. The headphone maker was looking to first introduce a powerful speaker for the living room before introducing smaller, more affordable speakers for other rooms like kitchens and bedrooms. The speakers would incorporate Bluetooth alongside Wi-Fi and NFC to make music playback as seamless as possible when entering rooms. The biggest speaker would cost around $750, according to Variety.

Beats was looking to build the technology for the speakers from scratch, but ran into problems and had to switch chipset manufacturers and delay the project multiple times. Because of these issues, Apple decided to kill the project. However, another source tells Variety that Beats and Apple management have simply decided to put the project on hiatus.

It’s unclear if or when the project will be revisited, especially as Variety reports that the workforce at Beats is far smaller than it was pre-Apple acquisition, with one source saying the headphone company is 50% smaller than before. Additionally, Beats chief product officer T.J. Grewal and head of loudspeaker engineering David Titzer have left the company, according to their LinkedIn accounts. In July 2014, it was reported that Apple trimmed 200 employees from Beats in areas where Beats and Apple overlapped.

Apple has discontinued speaker projects in the past, most famously the iPod Hi-Fi in 2007. More recently, the Cupertino company has had to recall Beats Pill XL speakers due to a possible fire hazard, with Apple issuing customers a $325 refund rather than replacing the units.

How to Add Reminders and View Your Daily Schedule on Apple Watch [iOS Blog]

Apple Watch is the perfect device for quickly glancing at the things you need to do today or to fill you in on your plans for the weekend. It is also a useful device for quickly setting up a reminder without needing to pull out an iPhone.

While much of the setup for Calendars is done on iPhone, you can use Apple Watch to respond to invites, add a quick event, and get alerts to remind you when to leave for your next appointment.

Using the Calendar App

The Calendar App on Apple Watch is tied to Apple’s native Calendar app on iOS, which is also compatible with OS X. I sync my Calendar app with Google Calendar, but it is compatible with a number of services, like Exchange, Facebook, Yahoo, and remote servers via CalDAV. In order to use the Calendar app on Apple Watch, you must be using it in some form on iPhone.
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MacRumors Giveaway: Win a Jamstik+ Smart Guitar for iOS and Mac [iOS Blog]

For this week’s giveaway, we’ve teamed up with Zivix to offer MacRumors readers a chance to win a Jamstik+ Smart Guitar, the company’s latest and greatest product. The Jamstik+ is a MIDI guitar controller that feels like a real guitar and works with the iPad, iPhone, and Mac. It’s 16-inches long and comes with real metal strings and frets to capture each musician’s unique playing style.

Compared to the original Jamstik, the new version connects to your iPad, iPhone or Mac using Bluetooth instead of WiFi, and it includes a new magnetic pickup to improve pick detection to better mimic an electric guitar.

Jamstik+ is a great way for novices to learn how to play the guitar because it comes with a dedicated series of JamTutor instruction apps, and there’s no experience necessary — anyone can use the Jamstik+. It uses the Jamstik’s finger-sensing technology to teach the basics of guitar playing. Jamstik+ can connect to a Mac, iPad, or iPhone wirelessly using Bluetooth, so there’s no cable to deal with, and its size makes it more portable than a traditional guitar.

Jamstik+ works with several exclusive apps, but it’s also compatible with the hundreds of music apps in the App Store. Unlike a real guitar, Jamstik+ does not need to be tuned, and it has a rechargeable battery that lasts for a full playing session (eight hours). The Jamstik+ is currently available for pre-order for $299.

To enter to win the Jamstik+, use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter your email address. Your email address will not be given to any third party and is used solely for contact purposes. You can earn additional entries by subscribing to our weekly newsletter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, following us on Twitter, or visiting the MacRumors Facebook page. Due to the complexities of international laws regarding giveaways, only U.S. residents who are 18 years of age or older are eligible to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
This contest will run from today (June 12) at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time through 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time on June 19. The winner will be chosen randomly on June 19 and will be contacted by email. The winner has 48 hours to respond and provide a shipping address or a new winner will be chosen.