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In the past, all the major carriers offered new iPhones for $199 as long as you signed a two-year contract with them. But starting two years ago with T-Mobile and ending most recently with Sprint, all the major carriers have moved away from subsidizing phones. In fact, AT&T is the only one left still offering a two-year contract option. Instead, the carriers now structure their plans around data.  

At first I thought it was just me. Then again, as someone who uses the iOS keyboard shortcut feature a great deal, I thought I had a pretty good grasp of how it works. And as an early adopter of iOS keyboard shortcuts I also know that it's had a history of glitches. I've been dealing with one of the most persistent and troublesome of the text shortcut glitches  for over a year now: the inability to simply delete old, unwanted text shortcuts from iOS, which is more problematic than it sounds.

I wrote a preview of PetBot on National Dog Day and now it's available for pre-order via Indiegogo. The PetBot might look like other Internet-of-Things webcams, but this one has a twist. Through the remote control app, you can release a pet treat on demand. Billed as "The first PetCam that calls you," the PetBot enables your pet to be trained to reach out to you, and take a "Pet Selfie" to get your attention. You get a notification and can interact with your pet thanks to the built-in microphone and speakerphone.

When Apple first bought Dr. Dre's Beats brand last year, I wrote a lot about the merger. Not because I'm a fan of Dre per se, but because it was a radical move. Radical because I remember Dre back in his infamous N.W.A. days; and for Apple to bring on board such a controversial figure seemed to be either absolutely crazy or sheer genius, or perhaps a little bit of both.

Google has announced that it is now just one of the many business units that will be owned by a new holding company dubbed "Alphabet," and Google stockholders now own stock in Alphabet instead of Google. In the past, Google has launched or acquired a myriad of businesses that aren't directly related to search engines. This has caused some confusion for investors so they cheered this week's announcement. 

I tried the Apple Watch Sport band for several months, but I'm not a fan. It was a great way to get the most affordable version of the Apple Watch, without stepping up to the stainless steel model which offers more band choices. My preference was the Milanese Loop. Thanks to the magnetic closure, it is infinitely adjustable and I find it to be more comfortable and breathable than the Sport band. But I wasn't prepared to shell out $150 just for a band.

Last Friday Buzzfeed reported that Apple is planning an event for the week of September 7 — most likely on September 9 — and that we'll get a trifecta: iPhones, iPads, and Apple TV. Yippee! They cite "sources familiar with Apple's plans." It's not too surprising that we'd get an iPhone announcement that week, given that the iPhone 6 was announced on September 9, the 5s on September 10, and the 5 on September 12. But what's surprising is the news that we'll also hear about new iPads and an Apple TV. In recent years Apple has introduced new iPads at a separate event later in the fall. But in this case, given that the iPhone 6s will mainly have internal upgrades that won't be earthshaking, it would make sense that Apple might also cover the new iPads. According to the report, there's a chance that the iPad news will include the new "iPad Pro" with a 12.9-inch display. Apple likely hasn't yet decided, and no doubt it depends on how soon the device will be ready to ship.