iPad

Apple covered a lot of ground today in its fast-paced virtual WWDC 2020 keynote, announcing all the new features coming to macOS Big Sur, iOS 14, iPadOS 14, tvOS 14, and watchOS 7 along with plans to switch from Intel processors to Apple silicon for the Mac. When it came to software updates, a unified user experience seemed to be the theme of the day, with the Mac getting a customizable Menu Bar with a Control Center and app icons that match those on the iPhone and iPad, and the iPad getting sidebars similar to those on the Mac, among other improvements. Additional highlights included a Home screen redesign for the iPhone, handwriting recognition for the Apple Pencil and iPad, sleep tracking for the Apple Watch, new privacy features, AirPods with surround sound, and more. We've got all the details below.

Next week at its Wordwide Developers Conference, Apple will share all the details about what we can expect from the newest versions of its software for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. While a majority of the conference keynote is expected to focus on iOS 14 improvements, there will also be dedicated time set aside to discuss its superset, iPadOS. Features in iOS 14 will be replicated in iPadOS 14, whith added UI improvements specifically for the iPad platform. Since Apple is rumored to be replacing Intel CPUs with its own custom ARM processors in future macOS-based laptops, the differentiation between macOS and iPadOS will essentially boil down to a legacy OS that doesn't support touch and a modern OS that does. Apple's recent addition of mouse and trackpad support in iPadOS makes it clear that Apple intends to make iPadOS the successor to macOS, and perhaps in a few years, the two operating systems will merge into a single unified next-gen OS. But for now, the incremental improvements we expect Apple to announce at this year's WWDC include the following. 

Can you use a Bluetooth mouse with an iPad? You can now! We've long been able to use accessories like Bluetooth speakers, headphones, or the Apple Pencil with our iPads, but starting with iPadOS 13, iPad mouse and trackpad support finally arrived in a limited way as an Accessibility feature. Now, with iPadOS 13.4, pairing and using a mouse with your iPad is a fully integrated feature. In even better news, Apple announced a new Magic Keyboard with a trackpad with a cursor for navigating, editing, and gestures. We've already gone over iPad tutorials and tips such as how to take a screenshot on an iPad, how to use an iPad as a second monitor with Sidecar, and even recommendations for the best iPad Pro apps for professionals. Now, let's learn how to pair and use your iPad with a wireless mouse or trackpad.

Your iPhone and iPad are useful for many things; one of the most important is helping you keep in touch with friends, family, and coworkers. If you're looking for both an audio and video chat, whether for just two people, a small group, or even groups of up to one hundred people, you should check out Zoom. Zoom is a web and app-based service that offers the ability to chat, make a phone call, host a webinar, create a virtual conference room, and host or join online audio and video meetings with people around the world. Zoom works for both Android and iPhone, PC, and Mac, so all your contacts can communicate with ease. We've shown you how to create a group text on an iPhone, how to group FaceTime, and how to make a conference call on your iPhone. Now, let's get started learning how to use Zoom, including how to download, create a Zoom account, log in, participate in meetings, and all the Zoom features and settings you need to know to navigate the platform successfully. 

The world is a chaotic place right now, and in the midst of it all, Apple announced a new iPad Pro with a 3D scanning camera, a new Magic Keyboard with a trackpad, and an iPadOS update that includes trackpad support. The iPad Pro 2020 is Apple's most advanced tablet to date, featuring 3D scanning camera technology for an improved augmented reality experience, as well as the A12Z Bionic Chip, edge-to-edge Liquid Retina display, dual-camera, and Pro Audio system. The new Magic Keyboard's trackpad will finally go head to head with most Windows PC laptops, with its new cursor for navigating, editing, and gestures. Here's everything you need to know about the new iPad Pro and Magic Keyboard, including pre-order and release date, cost, and shipping dates. Let's get started!

If you don't like either of the Apple Pencils that Apple offers, the folks at Adonit have a wide range of Apple Pencil alternatives. They even have a chart on their website to help you decide which one is right for you, with eleven models from $10 to $100. I previously wrote about their Adonit Note, and they sent me the upgraded Note Plus Stylus ($69.99) to try and it answers several of the issues I had. For starters, it uses USB-C instead of microUSB to recharge. This is important because, since my previous review, Apple has moved to standardize on USB-C for the iPad Pro. The fewer cables I have to carry around, the better, and microUSB has always been a pain because it's not reversible.

I have used an Apple Pencil long enough to lose the cap a few times and even temporarily lose the pencil itself as it rolled off my desk. Logitech has an alternative that addresses those issues and more. The company sent me a review unit of the Crayon ($69.99) to try. Originally, a $50 option was marketed for educators, but it's now easily found for that lower price for anyone on Amazon and Best Buy.

Gaming on the iPhone and iPad has certainly evolved over the last few years. What was expected straightforward pricing in the early days has become a multi-faceted marketplace of everything from freemium, in-app purchases, and an exclusive premium subscription via Apple Arcade to premium pricing matching that of traditional PC gaming costs. Dire Wolf Digital's latest digital conversion of a well-known board game (at least among board gaming enthusiasts) has opted for the higher-end premium pricing model. Reiner Knizia's Yellow & Yangtze ($9.99) is charging a penny short of ten dollars for the game on either the Android or iOS platform (with the PC version asking for a $14.99 payment for the privilege to play on that platform). Does the price justify the amount of entertainment packed into this board game conversion? Read on to find out.

Apple has once again set the standard for wireless earbuds with the AirPods Pro. Consequently, the market has followed with competitors approaching the market to either compete against Apple head-on, or flank Apple with low-cost alternatives. This article examines two sub-$100 AirPods alternatives that deliver adequate sound quality at less than half the cost of Apple's Airpods Pro.

It has been quite a year for new affordable, cross-platform wireless earbud alternatives to Apple's Airpods. Around the same time that I received the excellent Jabra 75t earbuds, I received another company's (that just so happens to start with a J) top of the line offering for review. How do the Jaybird Vista ($179.99) wireless earbuds compare to the recent competition in this rapidly expanding market segment? Read on to find out.

I am always on the lookout for the ideal way to charge all of my gear, which is typically made by Apple. The folks at Pitaka may have the answer. Their upcoming AirTrio and AirQuad (starting at $119) is currently a bargain on Kickstarter; and while crowdfunded projects don't always come to fruition, Pitaka is an established manufacturer and I've reviewed its other items before. The company sent me an AirQuad to review, so I can confirm that it's real. And it's really nice.

One of the main reasons I enjoy writing about technology so much is the significant advances made by innovators and manufacturers in such a sort time span. A perfect example of this is the breakneck pace of wireless earbud development. A year ago, I heaped praise on what I subjectively proclaimed at the time were the best wireless earbuds on the market, Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless Earbuds. While that product still holds up well today, the competition hasn't been idle. One manufacturer that has made significant strides in the wireless earbud market is Jabra, a company that has been in the phone headset business for decades. Does their latest recently released Elite 75t ($179.99) wireless earbuds exceed last year's top headset in my assessment?  Read on to find out.

Apple is blurring the lines between computers and iPads and that's a good thing. The newer iPad Pros use USB-C, just like the latest MacBooks. But there are so many times I need to plug in USB-A devices like keyboards, headphones, an HDMI monitor, memory cards, and more, so it puts USB-C only devices at a disadvantage. Numerous vendors have offered a variety of adapters to address this, but often they are molded to fit the form factor of a specific iPad or MacBook and that limits what you can use the adapter with, now and in the future.

It’s official. Apple has killed off iTunes, marking the end of its oldest and most iconic piece of software. Beginning with the new update, macOS 10.15 (Catalina), iTunes is no more, prompting many to ask: How do I back up my iPhone without iTunes? The answer is simple: You can back up your iPhone in Catalina by using Finder on your Mac and, of course, you can back up your iPhone to iCloud. This article covers both options.

Apple's Notes app is a handy, native application that's one of the best note-taking apps available for the iPhone and iPad. iOS 13 and iPadOS came with new features for the Notes app, including the ability to view notes in Gallery View. Gallery View allows Notes users to see all their entries with or without visual thumbnails, making it easier to find particular notes.