iPhone 6 Plus Owners Use Twice as Much Data as iPhone 6 Owners

There’s a new mobile analytics report out from Citrix [PDF] and it’s filled with interesting data on mobile usage, including a tidbit that suggests iPhone 6 Plus owners use far more data than other iPhone owners.

People who own the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus consume twice as much data as people who own the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and iPhone 6 Plus data usage is 10 times higher than data usage on the 3.5-inch iPhone 3GS. That last statistic isn’t surprising — along with a small screen, the iPhone 3GS is much slower with hardware that’s almost six years old.

Citrix suggests that the higher iPhone 6 Plus data usage is due to its users treating it like a tablet, consuming more media like streaming movies on the device.

iPhone 6 Plus subscribers generate the most data volume, double that of an iPhone 6. This increase impacts subscribers when choosing a new device — be careful to select a data plan that matches your super-sized screen.

Clearly the phablet sized iPhone 6 Plus shows data usage patterns more akin to tablet usage. For mobile operators, this increase provides an opportunity to shift subscriber Wi-Fi usage towards mobile networks.

Other details covering all smartphone usage (not just iOS) suggest that interest in mobile health apps is on the rise, with 78 percent of mobile health app users using fitness apps. Sports video watching on mobile devices is up from 21% in Q3 2014 to 50% in Q1 2015.

The report also has an enterprise section, which confirms that iOS is still the dominant mobile platform. iOS devices are responsible for 64 percent of devices managed in the enterprise, compared to 27 percent for Android and 9 percent for Windows Mobile.

Apple Confirms Aperture to Be Removed From Mac App Store After Launch of Photos for OS X

Shortly after last week’s deployment of OS X 10.10.3 to developers, Apple updated its official Aperture page on its website, adding a notice stating that Aperture will be removed from the Mac App Store when the Photos for OS X app launches.

The same notice can also be found in the app’s Mac App Store description, as noted by MacGeneration [Google Translate]. Once removed from the Mac App Store, it will no longer be possible for new users to obtain the Aperture software, but those who have previously purchased Aperture will continue to be able to download it from the “Purchases” tab.

Apple first announced the shuttering of both Aperture and iPhoto back in June, but the company did not specify at that time that the software would be removed from the Mac App Store entirely. Instead, it said only that there would be “no new development of Aperture” as it focused its resources on Photos for OS X.

Our first look at Photos for OS X came last week alongside the developer launch of 10.10.3, as several sites were given preview copies of the software ahead of its release. Reviews have suggested that the Photos for OS X feature set lies somewhere in between that of the consumer-oriented iPhoto and the pro-oriented Aperture.

iPhoto users will find they have more control over photos with new tools, while Aperture users will be disappointed to find that many tools, like the loupe, brushable adjustments, and custom metadata are missing. The general opinion is that in its current iteration, the Photos for OS X software is not suitable for professional users, and those who currently use Aperture will want to continue with the software or switch to an alternative like Lightroom.

The Photos for OS X software could see updates over the coming months to add more pro-oriented features such as third-party plugins, and there are certainly some benefits to the app — it integrates with iCloud Photo Library, its editing tools are easy to use, and it’s said to be much faster than iPhoto.

Photos for OS X will be released in the spring when the OS X 10.10.3 update is seeded to the public. Ahead of the official launch, Apple is planning to do a public beta, though a date for that is unknown.

Starbucks iOS App Gains Support for Apple Pay [iOS Blog]

Starbucks today updated its iOS app to add support for Apple Pay, making it possible for iOS users to reload their Starbucks cards using Apple’s payments service.

Starbucks was listed as an Apple Pay app partner when Apple Pay launched in October, but it has taken several months for the feature to be available to Apple Pay users. Apple Pay can only be used in the Starbucks app for reloading Starbucks cards because Starbucks is not an Apple Pay retail partner.

The coffee chain uses its own bar code-based system for in-store purchases with the Starbucks app and Starbucks locations are not outfitted with the NFC technology that would enable Apple Pay. There has been no word on whether Starbucks plans to implement NFC and support for in-store use of Apple Pay.

Along with Apple Pay support, today’s Starbucks app update also introduces an enhanced menu with calorie counts and a better experience for Mobile Order & Pay in Portland.

Introducing Apple Pay and a Few Helpful Changes

Now you can use Apple Pay to quickly reload your Starbucks Card. Touch ID makes it faster than ever.

By popular demand, the menu is enhanced. When you browse our menu you’ll now find additional calorie information on menu items. We’ve also enhanced the experience for Mobile Order & Pay in Portland.

This update addresses various bugs and stability issues.

The Starbucks iOS app can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

LaCie Mirror Review: Hands-On With LaCie’s Latest Designer Hard Drive [Mac Blog]

At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, Seagate-owned hardware company LaCie debuted its newest design-focused hard drive, the $280 USB 3.0 LaCie Mirror Portable Hard Drive, which has recently become available for purchase. MacRumors met up with LaCie at CES, and we managed to get our hands on one of the company’s new hard drives to share with our readers.

LaCie has a history of producing “Extreme Design” products that are aimed at people looking for an attention-catching desk accessory that also performs a useful function, which last year resulted in the LaCie Sphere, a silver-plated sphere that housed a 1TB hard drive. This year’s LaCie Mirror follows in the footsteps of the Sphere, offering a 1TB hard drive in a mirrored enclosure, albeit with a slightly more traditional shape.

What’s in the Box?

As a premium product, the LaCie Mirror ships in a premium box, which folds out in two tiers to unveil the hard drive in a padded compartment, a cord to connect it to a computer, and a wooden stand.

There’s also a carrying pouch for keeping the Mirror free from scratches during transport, a cleaning cloth for removing fingerprints from the surface and a Quick Install Guide for getting the hard drive set up right out of the box. The hard drive itself ships covered with adhesive plastic screen protectors, so make sure to remove those before use.

Design

The LaCie Mirror was designed by French designer Pauline Deltour, who has created a range of modern furniture and home accessories, including several pieces that are sold by Alessi and MUJI. The Mirror is similar to much of Deltour’s previous work, with a simple, clean look that’s able to fit in with any office design, from opulent to minimalistic.
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Parallels Desktop 10 Update Brings Windows 10 Technical Preview to Macs [Mac Blog]

Parallels today announced an update to Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac, the company’s software for running non-Apple operating systems safely on a Mac. The new update brings “experimental support” for Windows 10 and Office Preview for Windows 10 – including the expected Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs – into Apple’s OS X Yosemite ecosystem.

With the update available as a download within the Parallels Desktop app for existing users/a>, the company promises the Mac-based Windows 10 experience will provide users with “everything Windows 10 has to offer.” This includes everything from the new Start menu, Photos, Maps app, and Cortana, to the Windows Store beta which offers Office Preview for Windows 10, all available without having to erase the existing functioning operating system.

Parallels Desktop 10 for Mac is available to download for $79.99, with a Student Edition coming in at $39.99. Similarly, users upgrading from existing Parallels Desktop versions, like 8 or 9, can get a discount for version 10, with upgrade pricing set at $49.99. A two-week free trial is available to anyone who wants to try out the program’s features, including the new technical preview of Windows 10, for a limited time frame.

iPhone Theft Continues to Drop in Three Major Cities Thanks to Activation Lock [iOS Blog]

Authorities from two major U.S. cities and London on Tuesday reported (via Reuters) that smartphone theft has dropped drastically since the release of remote-access “kill-switches” that allow users to lock their missing smartphone before any crucial information is stolen. Specifically, the number of stolen iPhones dropped 25 percent in New York, 40 percent in San Francisco, and 50 percent in London.

The study was based on the 12 months following the launch of Activation Lock in September 2013 as part of iOS 7. These numbers have jumped up slightly from a similar report released last summer that saw iPhone thefts in each city fall by 19 percent, 38 percent, and 24 percent, respectively.

According to Reuters, officials from each of the three cities – London Mayor Boris Johnson, San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, and New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman – were each lobbying for laws that required the implementation of remote kill switches into every smartphone sold.

“We have made real progress in tackling the smartphone theft epidemic that was affecting many major cities just two years ago,” said London Mayor Boris Johnson.

From data collected by the National Consumers League, Reuters reports that 1.6 million Americans reported stolen handheld devices in 2012. And in California alone – specifically San Francisco, Oakland, and a few other cities – smartphone theft accounts for more than half of all crimes perpetrated in each city.

“The wireless industry continues to roll out sophisticated new features, but preventing their own customers from being the target of a violent crime is the coolest technology they can bring to market,” Gascon said.

Apple’s default Activation Lock feature received much praise following its launch in 2013. A few months later Apple and a few other notable smartphone makers, like Samsung and Google, entered into a voluntary agreement to have every smartphone sold on or after July 2015 come pre-installed with a kill-switch, a date that’s rapidly approaching. California itself issued a law last August, designating a similar July 2015 date for every smartphone sold in the state to have the anti-theft software pre-installed.

‘Anki Overdrive’ Bringing Modular Tracks and New Cars to AI Racing Game

Anki today announced a sequel to its innovative iOS-compatible Anki Drive slot car racing game. Called “Anki Overdrive” and set for launch in September, it will include brand new cars, a customizable track – courtesy of magnetically interlocking track pieces and “bridges” that adjust track height – and even jump ramps (via Re/code).

Originally debuted on stage at WWDC 2013, Anki has slowly grown support for the original Anki Drive by adding new cars and track support but keeping the same basic static roll-out mat technology. The sequel, which the company plans to announce today at the New York Toy Fair, will retain the same basic concept of using a smartphone to control a physical toy car around a track, battling against an A.I. opponent or other players.

The Anki Overdrive starter kit, which will retail for $150 and come with two cars, will include 10 modular track pieces that the company says can create up to eight different track options out of the box. They’ll also be selling “expansion packs” that will give users the ability to add four way intersections, U-turns, and jumps into the mix. Those expansion packs will cost between $10 and $30, and additional cars will be around $50.

The team has boosted the software component, as well. Talking to Re/code, Anki co-founder Hanns Tappeiner said when the cars interact with a new, user-made track, they’ll drive slowly and cautiously as they “map” the track to their memory, after which they’ll begin speeding up. Tappeiner also highlights the potential for user imagination in weaving tracks around everyday household objects, not just limiting users to designated objects provided by Anki.

Tappeiner and I combined the pieces from two of the starter kits to make one criss-crossing mega-track stretching across a conference table. As advertised, we were able to use the stuff already on the desk — soda cans, water bottles, computer cables — to buttress the rising and falling pieces of the track.

Tappeiner also promised the much-loved meta game of advancing player levels – courtesy of the Anki Drive [Direct Link] companion app available as a free download – as you race and battle around tracks will remain firmly intact with Anki Overdrive. “Even though it’s a physical thing, we think of it as a video game,” Tappeiner said. “If this were a video game, every time you advanced a level you’d be in a different world.”

Sprint and T-Mobile Make Improvements in 2014, but Continue to Trail Verizon and AT&T in Performance [iOS Blog]

The latest report from network monitoring firm RootMetrics shows that both Sprint and T-Mobile made improvements in overall performance during the second half of 2014. Verizon was ranked as the top carrier in the United States for the third consecutive study, trailed by AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, based on several categories: speed, reliability, call performance, text performance and data performance.

The new data reveals Sprint closed out the second half of 2014 on a high note with significant improvements in network speed, reliability and call performance. While it continues to trail market leaders Verizon and AT&T, Sprint’s network enhancements were enough for it to surpass T-Mobile in the United States and on a state-by-state level during the final six months of the year.

While the network still trails the leaders in every category, Sprint made tremendous strides—particularly in reliability—in the second half of the year. In fact, Sprint improved its tally of reliability index wins by 25 (all shared) compared to what we saw in the first half. Also consider that in the first half of 2014, Sprint recorded a download success rate below 97% in 108 out of the 125 markets that we tested; in this round of testing, that market count had dropped down to 52.

Despite ranking last in the United States and on a state-by-state level, T-Mobile continued to make improvements in large metro areas, with fewer dropped calls, blocked calls and failed downloads. RootMetrics predicts T-Mobile could place even more pressure on leading carriers Verizon and AT&T if it continues to make improvements in these regions, such as New York City, Chicago, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Houston, Seattle and Las Vegas.

Overall, Verizon and AT&T continue to offer the best network coverage and reliability nationwide, but T-Mobile and Sprint are stepping up the competition with continued improvements. The full RootMetrics report provides a comprehensive look at all four major carriers in the United States.

Apple invests in a solar farm that can power 60,000 homes

Apple makes much ado about using clean energy sources to power its buildings these days, and it just put its money where its mouth is… a lot of money. The company is investing a whopping $848 million in a First Solar plant in California’s Monterey County that, according to Apple chief Tim Cook, should generate enough electricity to power 60,000 homes. Apple will get a 130-megawatt supply from the solar farm to light up buildings such as its future spaceship-like campus, while the remaining 150 megawatts will go to Pacific Gas & Energy’s grid. Reportedly, this is the largest commercial deal to date in the solar industry — it certainly eclipses many of the other green energy initiatives we’ve seen in tech, which tend to “only” require tens of megawatts.

Filed under: Misc, Household, Apple

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Source: First Solar