RooCASE Video Review: Hands-On With Four iPhone 6 Plus Cases [iOS Blog]

With hundreds of iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases on the market, it can be difficult to find the perfect solution for your needs, managing the fine line between enough protection and too much bulk. Popular casemaker RooCASE has some promising options that may suit those of you looking for full body protection, which we’ve outlined in the video below.

We went hands-on with the RooCASE Skinny Slimm, the Glacier Tough, the Gelledge, and the VersaTough. Prices below are Amazon prices, which are somewhat cheaper than the price points listed by RooCASE.

Of the four cases, the Skinny Slimm is RooCASE’s answer to a minimalistic case, leaving the thin design of the two devices largely intact while offering protection. The Skinny Slimm protects the rear camera of the iPhone, but doesn’t have a lip around the front to protect the screen when facedown on a surface like a table.

The Skinny Slimm is available on Amazon for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus at prices that start at $7.98. There are a range of different color options available.

The three other RooCASE options offer full protection for the iPhone, with varying amounts of bulk. The Glacier Tough case offers complete iPhone protection with a built-in screen protector and it has a clear back so you can still see your iPhone. It’s not too thick, but it leaves ports open except for the Lightning port, so it’s not resistant to dust and water. The Glacier Tough case is available for the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6 in a range of colors from Amazon.com. It’s priced at $18.98.

RooCASE’s VersaTough is another full case that offers a bit more protection than the Glacier Tough. It doesn’t have a clear backing and it feels a bit bigger, but it has a solid design with a TPU backing and a built-in screen protector. It also leaves ports open, with the exception of the Lightning port, but volume and power buttons are covered. The VersaTough case is available for the iPhone 6 Plus and the iPhone 6 from Amazon for $17.98

We also took a look at the Gelledge case for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, another full-protection offering, but we were unimpressed with how difficult it was to get on to an iPhone, the unresponsiveness of the screen due to the built-in screen protector, and the difficulty of pressing the volume and power buttons. For that reason, we recommend choosing one of RooCASE’s other options over the Gelledge.

Tim Cook Commemorates Steve Jobs’ 60th Birthday: ‘Love What You Do’

Tim Cook tweeted this morning to honor what would be the 60th birthday of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who passed away in October 2011 following a lengthy battle with a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Cook shared a quote from Jobs’ heartfelt commencement address at Stanford University in 2005, in which he said “the only way to do great work is to love what you do.”

Jobs co-founded Apple alongside Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in 1976, with the roots of the company based in the garage of his childhood home in Los Altos, California. After turning the Macintosh into a commercial success in the decade following, Jobs was essentially ousted from Apple in 1985 following a power struggle and went on to found NeXT Computer the same year.

Apple went on to acquire NeXT in 1997, bringing Jobs back as CEO, at which point he led the company to become one of the most valuable in the world on the strength of products such as the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Apple has continued to be successful under the leadership of CEO Tim Cook, reporting the most profitable quarter in the history of any company to close out 2014. The Apple Watch, set to launch in April, will mark the first major new product since the passing of Jobs.

Remembering Steve, who would have turned 60 today. “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” pic.twitter.com/0YD0gZ7jvm

— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 24, 2015

Today also marks the 15th anniversary of MacRumors, launched in February 2000 by Arnold Kim. MacRumors was a relatively early entrant in the Apple online community, arriving before the introduction of the iPod, iPhone, iPad, OS X and several other products and services used by millions of users today. As always, we express our gratitude to the several readers, contributors, sponsors and all those that allow us to continue sharing the latest Apple news and rumors.

Happy birthday, Steve.

ExoLens Review: Hands-On With a Professional Photography System for iPhone 6 [iOS Blog]

Apple’s iPhone has topped Flickr’s list of the top mobile cameras for years, with Apple even surpassing Nikon to be the number 2 camera brand on the service earlier this year. Smartphone photography is booming and there has been no shortage of accessories to help users take even better pictures, and one of the latest entries in this category is the ExoLens system.

Apple came to us two years ago looking for a higher end lens system for their upcoming devices” says John Willenborg, CEO at ExoLens. “The goal was to engineer something that reflected the quality and precision of the iPhone 6 with the power of a mini DSLR.”

What’s in the Box

The ExoLens system comprises two lenses — a 3x telephoto lens and a 165º wide angle lens — that screw into a machined aluminum bracket that slides onto an iPhone. The bracket has an integrated 1/4″-20 tripod mount, which will also work with some selfie sticks/monopods. Also included are lens caps, a lens hood for the telephoto lens, and a microfiber carrying pouch. ExoLens officially launches today for the iPhone 6 with a retail price of $129.95, with a model for the iPhone 6 Plus planned for release in May.
Read more

‘Pebble Time’ Debuts on Kickstarter With Slimmer Design and Color Display

Pebble today revealed the Pebble Time, a new smartwatch in its line of smart wearable devices that includes the company’s first color-based display and introduces a thinner, more ergonomic design than its predecessor.

Launched on Kickstarter earlier this morning, Pebble promises that power consumption of the new device is greatly lowered thanks to the e-paper display, giving the Pebble Time a battery life of up to 7 days. The company also introduced a new voice-control feature to send voice replies or take notes using a select few compatible apps. The feature is a bit more full-fledged on Android, and on iOS currently will only work with Gmail notifications.

The Pebble Time also features a new curved design to ergonomically conform to any wrist, and is about 20 percent slimmer than the original Pebble. The company says the lens is made of scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass with a stainless steel bezel, enabling a water-resistant device that Pebble still warns from being fully submerged.

Pebble Time comes with a soft silicone band in the color options of black, white, or red, but the company says any 22mm watch band will fit the new device. The watch also lives up to its name thanks to the chronological curating of multiple apps into one new feature called “Timeline.” With past, present, and future buttons residing on the right side of the device, users can easily scroll through completed tasks and events, see what they need to be doing now, and check reminders for the future.

This is the new app menu, featuring new app faces with glanceable content. With timeline we’ve also created a system that dynamically loads and caches apps as needed, letting you access as many apps as you need.

As with all Pebble software, we’ve built an open platform. You can allow apps and developers to add ‘pins’ to your timeline, so you can keep track of things like upcoming events, sports, weather, traffic, travel plans, pizza specials and more.

Pebble has been undeterred by the announcement and imminent launch of the Apple Watch, poking fun at Apple’s overly enthusiastic unveiling of the device and pointing out their superior battery life and entry-level pricing in the process. Most recently the company claimed its new 2015 products would focus less on apps and more on something customers have never seen.

Those interested can visit the Pebble Time’s Kickstarter page to claim their own rewards. The lowest pledge for the device begins at $159 for one watch, and ramps up from there. The Pebble Time’s $500,000 goal, which launched at 7:00 AM PT, reached its goal in just under twenty minutes of the Kickstarter going live. As with most projects on the site, there are 31 days left to join in on the campaign.

Samsung Said to Supply Memory Chips for Next-Generation iPhone

Samsung Electronics has inked a deal with both Apple and LG to supply advanced DRAM memory chips in next-generation iPhones and the LG G4 respectively, according to sources “familiar with the deal” for The Korea Times.

The deal, rumored to be worth billions of dollars, would see Samsung produce at least half of the memory chips that Apple would need for its next-generation iPhone lineup. The report claims that Apple could ask Samsung to ramp up manufacturing of the chips if needed, with the alleged contract lasting at least a year.

“Under the agreement, Samsung will start providing LG Electronics with 100 percent mobile DRAM chips it needs for LG G4 smartphone, which will be unveiled in April. Also, Samsung will handle at least half of the amount that Apple needs for its new iPhone ― tentatively named iPhone 6S,” an industry official who is familiar with the deal told The Korea Times.

The agreement was reached just a few months after Samsung began mass production of new 20-nanometer 8-Gigabit LPDDR4 memory chips, which are said to offer more than double the density and performance compared to its 4-Gigabit LPDDR3 predecessor. The sources say that on the LG side of things, Samsung will be providing 100 percent of the chips for the company’s flagship G4 smartphone, set to be unveiled in the Spring.

Though Apple and Samsung have partnered in the past for manufacturing purposes, the two companies have been fierce rivals for several years. This two companies have dropped litigation against each other outside of the United States in recent months, however, and this agreement further suggests that the tech giants have an improved working relationship as of late.

While not expected to launch until September, news and rumors about the so-called “iPhone 6s” have begun circulating recently, with Samsung reportedly responsible for the majority of A9 chip production based on its 14nm process. Conflicting reports suggest that TSMC may supply Apple with the remaining chip orders.

Visa to Launch Tokenization in Europe in Mid-April for Mobile Payments [iOS Blog]

Visa announced on Tuesday that it will be rolling out tokenization in Europe, an essential technology that allows for secure and convenient contactless payments using various technologies (via The Next Web). The tokenization service will be available to financial institutions in mid-April and helps pave the way for the launch of Apple Pay in Europe.

“This is an exciting time to be in the payment industry. We believe that 2015 will be the year that mobile payments will be in the hands of consumers across Europe,” said Sandra Alzetta, Executive Director, Core Products for Visa Europe. “Tokenisation is one of the most important technologies to emerge in digital payments and has the potential to start a whole new chapter in the kinds of products that are developed.”

Visa, MasterCard and American Express were among the credit card companies that launched tokenization in the United States ahead of the launch of Apple Pay last October. The technology replaces your credit card information with a randomized series of numbers during payment authorization to secure your account details when you tap your smartphone on a contactless payment terminal.

Apple Pay remains limited to the United States, although an international expansion could start with Canada as early as March. The NFC-based mobile payments service requires an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, and will also be compatible with the iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c and iPhone 5 when paired with an Apple Watch.

Apple Acquires Popular Instrument and Effect Plug-In Maker Camel Audio

Apple appears to have acquired popular music plug-in and effect maker Camel Audio, based on information found on corporate registry site Companies House [PDF]. Camel Audio’s address has been updated to 100 New Bridge Street, which is Apple’s London address, and the company’s sole director is now listed as Apple lawyer Heather Joy Morrison, suggesting the company is in the possession of Apple.

Camel Audio is known for its range of plug-ins, synthesizers, effects, sound libraries, which were available via the company’s Alchemy software. Previously available for $249, Alchemy included more than 1000 sounds, 5.5GB worth of samples, a powerful additive resynthesis engine, spectral resynthesis, a virtual analog synthesizer, and more. Its powerful engine was highly useful to those who liked to create and manipulate audio for unique sounds.

Camel Audio first shut its doors on January 8, 2015, removing all access to its software from its website. At the time, the company did not divulge why it had suddenly ceased selling its content, but Camel Audio fans speculated about a potential takeover.

We would like to thank you for the support we’ve received over the years in our efforts to create instruments and effects plug-ins and sound libraries. Camel Audio’s plug-ins, Alchemy Mobile IAPs and sound libraries are no longer available for purchase.

We will continue to provide downloads of your previous purchases and email support until July 7, 2015. We recommend you download all of your purchases and back them up so that you can continue to use them (Instructions: How to Download and Backup Your Products).

It is not known what Apple plans to do with Camel Audio, but it’s possible the company’s technology could be incorporated into a future version of Logic Pro X, Apple’s software designed for professional musicians.

(Thanks, Sepp!)

Google Launches ‘YouTube Kids’ for iPhone and iPad [iOS Blog]

Google announced on Monday that it has released YouTube Kids [Direct Link] on the App Store for iPhone and iPad. The new app provides children and families with a kid-friendly portal to discover and explore videos about anything they can possibly imagine. The family-focused content is appropriate for children and broken down into four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore.

YouTube Kids allows children to discover new facts about dinosaurs from National Geographic Kids, learn about technology from Reading Rainbow, watch Thomas the Tank Engine leave the world of Sodor and more. Families and children can also watch video series on YouTube channels such as DreamWorks TV, Jim Henson TV, Mother Goose Club and Talking Tom and Friends.

Google offers a number of parental controls to ensure that families can fine-tune their viewing experience:

Timer: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to.

Sound settings: Sometimes you need a little peace and quiet! You have an option to turn off background music and sound effects, so your kids can keep watching while you catch a breather.

Search settings: If you’d rather limit your children to just the pre-selected videos available on the home screen, you can turn off search.

Product feedback: Our goal is to improve YouTube Kids all the time, so we’ve included a space for you to give us your feedback.

YouTube Kids is free for iPhone and iPad on the App Store, and is also available for Android. The app is Google’s first step towards offering an improved YouTube experience for children and families, providing parents with the comfort of knowing they can hand off their iPad to their children and know that only appropriate content can be viewed.

Apple Seeds Second OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite Beta to Developers

Apple today seeded the second beta of OS X 10.10.3 Yosemite to developers, two weeks after releasing the first OS X 10.10.3 beta and three weeks after releasing OS X 10.10.2 to the public.

The new beta, build 14D87h, is available for registered developers through the Software Update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Mac Dev Center.

OS X 10.10.3 brings several new features to Yosemite, including the new Photos for OS X app. Photos is designed to serve as a replacement for both iPhoto and Aperture, and is on track to see an early 2015 launch. Early reviews have suggested that while Photos is a suitable replacement for iPhoto, with more advanced tools and performance optimizations, it may leave professional users disappointed, at least in its initial incarnation.

The first beta of OS X 10.10.3 also brought a new emoji picker that consolidates emoji into a single page with clear labels, and support for Google 2-step verification when setting up accounts in System Preferences.

Update: Today’s 10.10.3 update introduces new diversified emoji options and new skin tone modifiers for emoji, as hinted at in the previous 10.10.3 beta. There are also new country flags and updated emoji for the iPhone, iMac, and Apple Watch.

Apple Now Selling Updated World Travel Adapter Kit With Lower Price, No 30-Pin Cable [iOS Blog]

Earlier this month, Apple began selling an updated World Travel Adapter Kit, which offers a set of seven AC plugs and prongs to fit in different electrical outlets around the world.

The new kit that Apple’s selling no longer includes a 30-pin to USB cable, and rather than adding a Lightning to USB cable, Apple has instead opted to ship the kit with no cable and drop the price by $10.

Apple’s updated World Travel Adapter Kit includes seven pieces (up from six plus a 30-pin cable) and specifies that it supports outlets in Brazil in addition to North America, Japan, China, United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Korea, Australia, and Hong Kong. Apple has also updated the language specifying which devices the kit is compatible with to reflect its newest products.

The kit is designed to work with iPod, iPhone, and iPad, and is compatible with Apple MagSafe and MagSafe 2 Power Adapters (for MacBook, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Air), 10W and 12W USB Power Adapters, and Portable Power Adapters.

The updated World Travel Adapter Kit can be purchased from the online Apple Store for the new lower price of $29. It’s also available in many Apple retail locations.