Apple Raises iCloud Contacts Limit to 50,000 [iOS Blog]

Apple has updated a support document on its website to reflect that iCloud now has a limit of 50,000 contacts, double the previous limit of 25,000 contacts (via iFun.de). iPhone, iPad and Mac users can now store up to 50,000 contacts between their iCloud-enabled devices, while all other limits for calendars, reminders and bookmarks have not been changed.

Contacts

Total number of contact cards: 50,000

Maximum size of a contact card: 256 KB

Maximum size of a contact photo: 224 KB

Maximum size of a contact group: 256 KB

Maximum size of all contact cards:

Card text: 24 MB

Card photos: 100 MB

Supported file types for a contact photo: JPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF

vCard import limits:

Total number of vCards: 50,000

Maximum size of a vCard: 256 KB (photo + text)

Maximum photo size for a vCard: 224 KB

Apple wants to stop RadioShack from selling your data

When RadioShack went bankrupt, it put shoppers’ data up for sale alongside its brand name and stores. Well, Apple isn’t happy with that data scattering to the four winds — it’s joining AT&T and other objectors by filing a motion to block attempts to sell customers’ information. The Cupertino crew argues that the info isn’t part of RadioShack’s bankruptcy estate, and that selling off this content would breach both Apple’s privacy policy as well as a reseller deal. There’s no question that the motion is as much about protecting Apple’s hide as it is yours (the company doesn’t want to lose data to competitors), but it could mean a lot if it prevents a shady marketing firm from annoying you down the road.

[Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images]

Filed under: Apple

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Via: AppleInsider, iMore

Source: Law360

What to Do if Your Apple Watch Disconnects From Your iPhone [iOS Blog]

Apple Watch depends on the iPhone for almost all of its functionality, connecting to and communicating with the iPhone using two methods: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. If your iPhone and Apple Watch are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (an Apple Watch connection to a known Wi-Fi network is established through the iPhone), they can be as far apart from each other as the Wi-Fi signal will allow.

The two devices are also connected to each other through Bluetooth. Bluetooth requires the two devices to be within 30 feet of each other or they will disconnect.

A few days ago, I experienced an issue that showed my iPhone and Apple Watch disconnected, even though they were on the same Wi-Fi network and only about two feet from each other.

While I don’t know why it happened, I do know how to fix it. If you run into the same connection problems, give these quick fixes a try.

Airplane Mode

If you see the disconnect icon the first thing you should try is Airplane mode on Apple Watch to end and re-establish a connection.

1. From the watch face on Apple Watch, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
2. Swipe to the right until you see the Control Center.
3. Tap the airplane icon to turn Airplane mode on.
4. Tap it again to turn it off.

This should reset Bluetooth so that the devices sync back together.
Read more

‘Pennies’ for Apple Watch Makes Budgeting Your Money Simple [iOS Blog]

While I have tried a variety of personal finance management and budgeting tools on iPhone, iPad and the web in the past, most have been too complicated to become part of my daily routine. Pennies for Apple Watch takes a different approach, however, offering a clean and simple solution for managing your finances on your wrist.

After downloading Pennies from the App Store, open the iPhone app to customize your budget, including name, start date, frequency, currency type, budget amount and money left in your budget at the time of setup. The budget will then automatically appear on Apple Watch, with a Glance view showing your daily amount remaining and the full app providing deeper functionality.

Firmly pressing the Apple Watch using Force Touch in the Pennies app will bring up options for inputting amounts spent or received, alongside a history of your spending and quick access to the Glance view. You can add notes to amounts spent or received by tapping on the label below the dollar figure and choosing from the preset options or using Siri to set your own.

With color coded rings that appear green when you are well within your budget, and red when you are getting close to your spending limit, Pennies for Apple Watch is a simple and convenient way to manage your finances on the go. If you are at a shopping mall, for example, you can easily input amounts spent at each store without needing to take your iPhone out of your pocket.

Pennies for Apple Watch is $2.99 on the App Store.

What to Do if Your Apple Watch Disconnects From Your iPhone [iOS Blog]

Apple Watch depends on the iPhone for almost all of its functionality, connecting to and communicating with the iPhone using two methods: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. If your iPhone and Apple Watch are connected to the same Wi-Fi network (an Apple Watch connection to a known Wi-Fi network is established through the iPhone), they can be as far apart from each other as the Wi-Fi signal will allow.

The two devices are also connected to each other through Bluetooth. Bluetooth requires the two devices to be within 30 feet of each other or they will disconnect.

A few days ago, I experienced an issue that showed my iPhone and Apple Watch disconnected, even though they were on the same Wi-Fi network and only about two feet from each other.

While I don’t know why it happened, I do know how to fix it. If you run into the same connection problems, give these quick fixes a try.

Airplane Mode

If you see the disconnect icon the first thing you should try is Airplane mode on Apple Watch to end and re-establish a connection.

1. From the watch face on Apple Watch, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
2. Swipe to the right until you see the Control Center.
3. Tap the airplane icon to turn Airplane mode on.
4. Tap it again to turn it off.

This should reset Bluetooth so that the devices sync back together.
Read more

Apple Pushes Back HomeKit Launch to August or September

Apple has pushed back the target release date of its home automation platform, HomeKit. According to a new report from Fortune that cites sources involved with the program, the May-June target launch date has shifted to late August or September.

HomeKit, announced at last year’s Worldwide Developers Conference, is Apple’s platform that links multiple home automation devices together with a single set of protocols to allow them to be controlled through the Apple ecosystem. Apple has demoed HomeKit just once, back in June, and at the time, the company did not give a prospective release date.

Many manufacturers began preparing HomeKit-compatible products following the initial debut of the platform, and several of those were shown off at CES. iDevices, for example, introduced a HomeKit-enabled smart plug, while Schlage demoed its “Schlage Sense” smart lock designed to work with HomeKit.

At CES, many of the companies gave prospective spring release dates for their products, leading us to believe that HomeKit was perhaps going to debut during April or May, but Fortune‘s sources say HomeKit is not quite ready for an official launch. Apple may, however, show off the platform again in the near future, perhaps at this year’s Worldwide Developers Conference alongside an updated Apple TV.

Sources close to the situation say Apple is planning a smaller announcement around HomeKit in the near term, but not the official launch. Apparently, making it easy to sign in and get your devices (door locks, light blubs, et cetera) online is much harder to do than Apple anticipated. One source says the code base associated with that part of the process “blew up” and required way too much memory for smaller, battery-powered devices, so Apple is trying to shrink the code back down to size.

HomeKit promises to make a major advance towards a introducing a fully connected home, using the Apple TV as an automation hub and relying on Siri for simple voice commands to control hardware in the home. With HomeKit-enabled products, Apple’s voice assistant Siri can be asked to perform tasks like “Close the garage,” “Turn off the lights,” or “Lower the temperature.”

When HomeKit is ready to launch, manufacturers will have a wide selection of products available that will work with the system. Apple finalized its HomeKit specification in October and is working with several notable partners include Philips and Honeywell, among others.

Apple could be delaying HomeKit by a couple months

Citing sources close to the project, Fortune reports that Apple plans to delay the release of its much anticipated HomeKit platform. While the company has never actually provided a firm release date, it’s been widely speculated that HomeKit would hit sometime mid-summer, around June or July. Now it would appear that users will have to wait until August or September to begin smartening up their homes. Fortune‘s sources blame rapidly bloating code for the delay. Apparently, the current programming iteration demands far too much memory from smaller IoT devices and Apple figures it will need an extra month or so to trim the code down to more functional specs.

Filed under: Apple

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Source: Fortune

LifeProof FRE Power Waterproof Battery Case for iPhone 6 Now Available for Pre-Order [iOS Blog]

LifeProof today announced that its FRE Power waterproof battery case for iPhone 6 is now available for pre-order through its website, retailing for $129.99 with an estimated shipping date of mid-to-late June. The protective case guards the iPhone 6 against damage from water, drops, dust and snow, and has a 2,600 mAh lithium-ion battery that doubles the smartphone’s battery life.

FRE Power, available in white, black and blue, features auto-stop charging so that your iPhone automatically stops charging once it reaches 100% capacity. The case also has a built-in scratch protector to protect the iPhone’s touchscreen, an anti-reflective optical-glass camera lens and an included Micro USB port and cable for charging and syncing. LED lights on the back of the case indicate the battery pack’s level of charge.

The case has a waterproof rating of IP-68, the highest possible for solids and liquids, meaning it is able to withstand circulating talc for 8 hours and water immersion up to 6.6 feet or 2 meters for up to 1 hour. The case also has military standard 810G-516.6 drop and shock protection, safeguarding your iPhone against drops, fumbles, vibrations and bumps. FRE Power is available now on LifeProof’s website for $129.99.

LifeProof originally announced the FRE Power waterproof battery case at CES 2015.

Apple Objects to Customer Information Being Included in Sale of RadioShack Assets

After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy back in February, confusion began to swirl surrounding the future – or lack thereof – regarding RadioShack’s brand name and the sensitive customer data the tech seller has accumulated over the years. Yesterday, the auction for those assets ended and New York-based investment firm Standard General came out on top, winning the brand with a $26.2 million bid.

Last week, as bidding went underway for the bankrupt company’s IP and data, Apple chimed in with a filing of its own at the bankruptcy court in Wilmington, Delaware where the proceedings were underway (via Dallas Business Journal).

Apple’s objections note that RadioShack was not holding up its end of a previous reseller agreement made between the two companies that would prevent the retailer from the selling of Apple customer information. The Cupertino company went so far as to say that that information does not fall within RadioShack’s estate, meaning anyone who buys the company – namely Standard General – has no right to access any of that sensitive data.

Apple isn’t the only objector to the sale of customer data, with AT&T reaching a settlement with RadioShack and any “purchaser of its assets” to prevent the bankrupt company from the selling, disclosure, or transferring of AT&T’s protected information. The state of Texas itself filed an objection in March, claiming the sale of customer data should be prevented as it violates the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and basic consumer protection laws set in place within the state.

Frances Smith, a law partner at Dallas-based Shackelford, Melton, McKinley & Norton, LLP, believes the disruption by the complaints set against RadioShack’s consumer data sale could prevent the sensitive information from being included in the auction, and possibly even shift the true price of RadioShack’s estate and assets at auction.

“What could happen is the judge approves the sale of everything or approves the sale with the carve out for the customer info,” She said. “I don’t think there’s a scenario where he just doesn’t approve the sale because there are a lot of other things going on.”

Although it has the winning bid, Standard General isn’t out of the woods yet. The judge overseeing the case still needs to grant approval of the bid for the hedge fund to truly take over the RadioShack IP and any estate deemed fit by the court to be properly under the now-defunct company’s ownership. This includes that sensitive customer data Apple and the other companies are worried about, which boils down to about 67 million physical addresses and 8.5 million email addresses, as AppleInsider points out. The hearing regarding all of these claims is set for next week on May 20.