Hulu’s reworked iPhone app helps you find favorite shows
Hulu knows that you sometimes want to plow through a TV series on your smartphone instead of a bigger screen, and it’s making that easier through a freshly redesigned iOS app. The new version gives you an “all-new” iPhone interface that helps you find your favorite shows considerably faster. If you can’t help but watch South Park, it’ll be near the top. This is also a big upgrade for parents, as Kid’s Lock is finally available on the iPhone — you won’t have to worry about Junior leaving the children’s hub to watch Wolf of Wall Street. These updates are arguably overdue, but they’ll certainly be welcome in those moments when you can’t catch up at home.
Via: iMore
Source: App Store
AT&T Offering ‘Buy One Get One Free’ Deal on iPhone 6s
AT&T on Friday launched a new “Buy One Get One Free” promotion for the Galaxy S6, Galaxy Note 5 and select other Samsung smartphones, and MacRumors has learned the deal also applies to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Beginning today until December 31, 2015, AT&T customers who activate or upgrade to an iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus on AT&T Next are eligible to receive a second 16GB iPhone 6s for free, or a $650 bill credit towards the purchase of another iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus model.
The $650 bill credit is spread out into 28 or 30 monthly payments. AT&T Next 24 customers will receive $21.67 over 30 months, while AT&T Next customers with a down payment will receive $23.22 over 28 months, both totaling $650.
Any down payments are due at the time of sale, and monthly bill credits will appear within 2-3 bill cycles. The first payment will be a lump sum of any AT&T Next payments to that date. The original AT&T line must remain in good standing for eligibility.
AT&T has not publicly advertised its “Buy One Get One Free” deal for the iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, but customers should be able to visit participating AT&T stores or contact the carrier otherwise to learn more, including exact terms and conditions.
Discuss this article in our forums
Apple Pushing iPhone Upgrades During Holiday Shopping Season
Apple this week has encouraged customers to trade in and upgrade to a new iPhone through its website, email and an App Store banner advertisement.
Apple’s new section on its iPhone website reminds customers about trading in their current smartphone at the Apple Store or online through partner Brightstar for up to $320 instant credit. Apple accepts the iPhone 4 or later for trade in.
Apple’s website, left, and email, right, promoting iPhone upgrades this week
Apple’s mass email to U.S. customers promotes the iPhone Upgrade Program and shares details about how the financing program works. The email also provides similar details about trading in a smartphone for up to $320 instant credit.
Apple has also made the controversial decision to advertise the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus to older iPhone users directly in the App Store, with a pop-up banner advertisement that can be dismissed by tapping on “skip” in the top-right corner.
iPhones are unsurprisingly one of the hottest gifts during the holiday shopping season, so it is unsurprising that Apple is pushing its latest smartphones at this time of the year alongside free shipping, extended returns and complimentary gift wrapping. Undoubtedly, though, the move will also stir discussion about iPhone sales.
Apple sold 48 million iPhones in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015, up from 39.2 million in the year-ago quarter. iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus sales topped a record 13 million during their launch weekend, but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently predicted the iPhone 6s may not outsell the iPhone 6.
Discuss this article in our forums
Bumpy ride for Apple at expense of LG, ASUS tweets
Apple usually receives accolades for the design of their devices, from computers to phones to tablets. However, the new Apple Smart Battery Case is raising some eyebrows as it seems to stray from the typical clean lines produced by the company. The accessory also provided LG and ASUS some fodder to take some potshots at Apple in some tweets.
The Apple case does not bring much new to the market that third-party vendors are not already providing. It packs in an external battery that can be used to extend the life of the device between charges. In doing so, Apple introduces a distinctive bump to house the battery itself within the case.
LG takes a shot at Apple by calling out the bump and offering a moment of silence for anyone who has to deal with it. They contrast the bump and the case with the LG V10 that is sleek and only offers “goosebumps” thanks to its design.
A moment of silence for those experiencing a bumpy ride. Life's Good. #TheHump #LGV10 pic.twitter.com/OX9i4Bo4UE
— LG Jordan (@LGJordan) December 9, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Meanwhile, ASUS focuses more on the lack of innovation the battery pack brings. They go so far as to point out the battery pack does not even provide users with the battery life available from the built-in battery of the ASUS Zenfone Max.
You don’t need that extra pack when you have the maximum power in one. #ZenFone #Max pic.twitter.com/McjMJbzij5
— ASUS (@ASUS) December 9, 2015
http://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
source: LG (Twitter), ASUS (Twitter)
Come comment on this article: Bumpy ride for Apple at expense of LG, ASUS tweets
Uber food delivery gets an app of its own
Uber has tried a wide variety of services as of late, but they’ve always been crammed into the company’s main app. More than a little awkward, don’t you think? Mercifully, it’s splitting things up by giving UberEats an app of its own. The dedicated title (currently iOS-only) tries to beat GrubHub and Seamless at their own game by emphasizing simplicity in your food selection. There’s an Instant Delivery menu that offers just a handful of items you can get in less than 10 minutes, and a popular item list for each restaurant. While you can order from full menus, Uber is betting that you’d like to avoid poring over dining choices at the end of a long day.
The app is currently only useful if you happen to live in Toronto, which serves as the test market. You may well see it in your neck of the woods before long, though, as Uber is hoping to bring it to other cities once it learns what works. If that happens, there could be a day where many people use Uber without even touching its ridesharing option — and when the company is trying to diversify as much as it can, we doubt it’ll mind.
Via: Wired
Source: Uber Canada (Twitter), App Store
Microsoft officially launches Cortana on iPhone and Android
After several months of beta testing, Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana is officially making her debut on competing platforms. You’ll be able to snag the Cortana app for iPhone and Android phones on their respective app stores, or via Microsoft’s Windows 10 companion app, starting today. It’ll also be deeply integrated into the Cyanogen OS-powered OnePlus One come December (with the 12.1.1 Cyanogen update). If you’ve been following along with the Cortana beta releases, there won’t be much new with these finalized apps: At the most basic level, you’ll be able to track reminders and notifications for things like flights and packages across all platforms, as well as manually ask Cortana questions. Beyond that, Cortana’s feature set will be different for each platform.
On Android, you can use the “Hey Cortana” command to shout questions when you’re in the app or on your home screen, and you can even get text notifications sent to your Windows 10 PC. Unfortunately, those are features iPhone users probably won’t see for a while, if ever, since Apple likely won’t open up iOS enough to make them possible.
As for Cyanogen, Cortana will be pre-installed and you’ll be able to use the “Hey Cortana” command just about anywhere, even if you’re in another app. You’ll also be able to use the virtual assistant to do things like changing network modes, powering down your phone and going into silence mode. It’s not quite as extensive as Cortana’s Windows Phone capabilities, where it has access to a wider variety of settings and can even open and close apps, but it’s close.
“It’s been a fascinating experience to learn how you think about a personal assistant that runs across multiple platforms,” said Marcus Ash, a program manager at Microsoft who’s been heading up the Cortana iPhone and Android effort. Microsoft has been working since March to port Cortana, and while Ash’s team was able to take some notes from other teams that have built cross-platform apps, like the folks behind Office, OneDrive and Skype, this particular project presented entirely new challenges. For example, it’s still unclear how it’ll update the apps going forward, since they do very different things on each platform.
Unfortunately, the Cortana apps will only be available in US and China at launch. As with Cortana on the desktop, it’ll eventually make its way to other territories. You’ll need a device that’s running iOS 8 or Android 4.1.2, at the very least, to run the Cortana apps.
Source: Microsoft
Instagram brings ‘3D Touch’-like functionality to Android
When Apple rolled out its latest handsets, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, the company took great pains to highlight a snazzy feature called “3D Touch“. With the help of a pressure sensitive screen, users can more efficiently access the phone’s various menus and options. Turns out, Instagram is working on a very similar feature for its Android app, no pressure sensitive screen required.
Honestly, it’s really just a glorified long-press menu. When looking at another user’s image grid, you can press and hold on a thumbnail to pull up a near full-size preview image. Conversely, drag your finger to the edge of the screen to shrink it back down. Hold and swipe down towards the Share and Like buttons to activate them — all without lifting the finger. This feature is currently in beta but is expected to migrate to the official app within a few update cycles.
Source: Android Police
iOS 9.2 gives you more control over Apple Music and iBooks
Apple is clearly hoping to clear its slate before the year is over. On top of that iPhone battery case, it just posted an iOS 9.2 update that brings big improvements to Apple Music and iBooks. For a start, it’s much easier to reconcile your iCloud Music Library with the streaming service — you can see whether or not any song has been downloaded, and quickly download whole albums or playlists. It’s easier to start a new playlist or add a song to a recent list, too. iBooks, meanwhile, supports both 3D Touch (for peeking at pages) and background audiobook listening while you browse books inside the app.
There’s more under the hood. This update USB Camera Adapter support to the iPhone, Mail Drop (from OS X El Capitan) for giant email attachments and Siri support in Arabic. The 9.2 release may also include AT&T’s unified NumberSync calling, although later betas didn’t include it — if you see it, let your fellow readers know in the comments. All told, there’s enough here that you’ll likely want to install the new version tout suite.
Photo by Will Lipman.
Via: MacRumors
Apple Watch 2 will reportedly debut at March event
If the rumors are true, Apple’s next big reveal will happen in March. 9to5Mac reports that Cupertino is planning to pull the wraps off of the Apple Watch 2 at the event, which would be the second consecutive year the company held a product announcement in that month. Details are scarce on version 2.0 of the company’s smart watch for now, but reports suggest that Apple has a new camera, wireless connectivity, revamped sleep tracking and upgraded health sensor tech in the works for the device. Bands with built-in senors are also rumored to be on the way and the report says that the Watch 2 will go on sale in April.
What’s more, 9to5Mac’s sources say it’s possible that we may also see the long-rumored iPhone 6c break cover at the event. If you’ll recall, the 6c is said to offer a 4-inch handset in a metal chassis, differing from the “unapologetically plastic” shell of the iPhone 5c. The iPhone 6c is also rumored to house Apple’s A9 chip and NFC to drive mobile transactions with Apple Pay. As is the case with these reports, the company could change plans leading up to the event, especially given the fact that we’re three months out. That being said, 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman has a solid track record as of late, so don’t be surprised if both of these gadgets are revealed this spring.
[Image credit: John Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Source: 9to5Mac
Apple’s iPhone 6s Battery Case: iOS Integration Is Nice, but Better Options Exist
Apple’s new first party iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case launched quietly overnight onto the company’s online store, and now this morning a handful of sites around the web are publishing reviews for the new accessory. Most reviewers agree that it’s time Apple acknowledged the lesser battery life of the 4.7 inch iPhone 6s, when in comparison to its 5.5 inch iPhone 6s Plus alternative, but some still aren’t convinced that the case’s design, power, and price point are justified.
The Verge appreciated Apple’s attempts at expanding the case’s functionality beyond a simple battery extension, like its built-in antennas to improve cellular performance or the iOS integration that showcases the accessory’s current battery level. Still, the site had issues with the protruding lump on the back of the case and the fact that it doesn’t fully charge a dead iPhone from 0 to 100 percent due to its slightly weaker (when in comparison to comparable third party cases) 1,877 mAh battery.
The Verge also noted that the Smart Battery Case doesn’t allow users to choose when the case begins or ends charging, it just starts the moment you plug the iPhone 6s into the case’s Lightning adapter, perhaps a downside for more intensive iPhone users. In the end, they noted that casual, passive users who want to stay within the Apple family will get what they need out of the case, but that there are cheaper alternatives with more battery life selling points on the market.
Apple’s smart battery case is good, then, if you want a softer case or a “passive” battery charging experience, with zero control over or understanding of how the case actually charges your phone. Maybe that’s what Apple is hoping: that buyers of this thing will slip it on and never take it off, charging their iPhones entirely through the case’s Lightning port going forward, forgetting about its big ol’ bump in the back. They will be pleased, finally, with their iPhone 6’s or 6S’s battery life, and the memory of spending an extra $99 for it, rather than having it just work that way in the first place, will eventually fade away.
It’s fine if you don’t want exterior indicator lights, or a even a case that gives you a 0 to 100 percent charge. After all, this one was designed for the iPhone, by the same company that made your iPhone. For some people, that’s a big draw.
As opposed to The Verge‘s dislike over any lack of outward LED indicator lights regarding the Smart Battery Case’s charge level, The Wall Street Journal appreciated Apple’s attempt at discreetness. The site was overall more positive on the new product, noting that while the case’s fully charged battery only brought an iPhone from 0 to 83 percent, it still provided about 5 hours more use time in a standard looping video battery test and alleviated most battery life quibbles the reviewer had with the iPhone 6s previously.
After five days of living with the Smart Battery Case wrapped around my iPhone, I no longer feel so powerless. Even better, Apple fixes many of the issues I’ve had with cases over the years. It uses the same Lightning cable as the iPhone to charge, and it tells you how much power is remaining right on the phone’s screen. Besides, the case doesn’t feel like the stuff plastic forks are made of.
For all its virtues, the Smart Battery Case is still a Band-Aid for Apple’s iPhone battery problem. We need longer-lasting batteries and easier ways to charge them—not silly battery backpacks. I plan to spend the $99, but I hope one day the Smart Battery Case will just be an artifact from a time before iPhones could run for days.
Engadget admitted to disliking the design of the case’s battery bump upon initially viewing it, but grew to become familiar with the battery protrusion. The site noted that while some may dislike the visual design of the accessory, it “isn’t cumbersome” to hold for extended periods of time and is “actually pretty comfortable,” although the usual stickiness of silicone in tight jean pockets will remain an issue for some. In a similar vein to other reviews, Engadget ended with stating that those tied into the Apple ecosystem will benefit from the Smart Battery Case’s iOS integration, but most others can find cheaper alternatives.
Apple’s first battery case works, and it works well. Here’s the rub, though: There are plenty of cheaper, more capacious options, and some of those are prettier too. What the Smart Battery Case offers over its rivals is a sense of cohesiveness that stems from Apple controlling both the hardware and software experience. The convenience of a Lightning pass-through for easy data transfers and power reminders in iOS might make the case’s $99 price worth it for some of you, but everyone else could spend half that on a third-party case.
Those interested in trying out the iPhone 6s Smart Battery Case for themselves, or purchasing it for someone as a Christmas present, can visit the Apple online store to order the new accessory. Shipping estimates currently sit at 1-3 business days, and those who live near an Apple Store will be able to select a personal pickup option, as well.
Discuss this article in our forums
AIVAnet 