Apple held its annual WWDC keynote event today! We watched, we blogged, we oohed and aahed, and we cringed at bad dad joke after bad dad joke. During the two-hour event, Apple talked about everything from the newly branded macOS to the much anticipated iOS 10. One major thing we didn’t see were new MacBook Pros. Yet another thing to look forward to this Fall, I suppose. Let’s jump in and take a look at what’s coming with WatchOS 3, the updated tvOS, macOS Sierra, and iOS 10.
Apple Events
Best Tech Gifts for the Grads of 2016
By Conner Carey
It’s that time of year again when young people everywhere leave the safety of education for the wild west..I mean job market. Congratulate them on getting that higher education and the very important piece of paper that comes along with it. Regardless the grad or chosen career path, there’s a tech gift out there for every individual. Here’s some of our favorites from across the web.
Everything We’re Expecting to See at WWDC in June
By Conner Carey
With Apple’s Spring Event over and its new products, the iPhone SE and the smaller iPad Pro, on store shelves, it’s time to look to the future. What can we expect to see at WWDC in June? Hopefully everything the Spring event couldn’t provide (...Macbooks) as well as updates to iOS and OS X. Apple holds its Worldwide Developers Conference at the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco, California each year, and according to Macrumors, the only time frame potentially available at the convention center is June 13 to 17.
Opinion: Apple’s Spring Event Leaves Much to Be Desired
By Conner Carey
We all sat around the table as Tim Cook made his closing remarks saying, “this can’t be the end. It’s only been an hour. Is that it?” Beginning at 10 a.m Pacific Time, the Apple Spring Event was exactly what the rumors predicted with a couple unexpected features. Tim Cook began by addressing the ongoing controversy between Apple and the FBI stating, “we did not expect to be in this position, at odds with our government,” but, “We will not shrink from this responsibility.”
Apple Event Live Blog: Aw look! It’s a baby iPad Pro! 9.7-inch iPad with Apple Pencil Support
By Conner Carey
9.7-inch iPad Apple released today is the second iPad Pro. With over 1 million apps in the App Store for iPad and 600 million iPads active that are over five years old, Apple saw a market for a smaller laptop replacement. Even though the original iPad Pro is still fairly new, the iPad Pro line-up is clearly taking over.
Apple Event Live Blog: It’s Official the New iPhone is the iPhone SE; Releases March 24
By Conner Carey
“The most powerful 4-inch iPhone ever.” Apple announces Special Edition iPhone with 64-bit A9 chip, giving it the same performance as the iPhone 6s but in a smaller package. So, the new iPhone will be faster than the iPhone 6s because of size alone. Plus, the iPhone SE will have improved battery life across the board. Apple has focused lots of attention on its camera with 12mp iSight camera, and it can capture Live Photos. The iPhone SE has improved low light functions, slow motion functions, and can capture 4K video.
True to my geek nature, I am more excited about Apple’s March event than a child on Christmas morning. And we’re less than a week away. Next Monday, March 21 Apple will (finally) hold its Spring event and introduce its first product line-up of 2016. Rumors have consistently predicted a 4-inch iPhone SE, smaller iPad Pro (or Air 3, who knows), additional Apple Watch bands, and one more thing. But Apple also loves to add a little spice to its announcements, so I’ve got my fingers crossed for a closing performance by Adele.
It’s Official: Apple March Event Set for March 21
By Conner Carey
“Let us loop you in,” is Apple’s tagline for the March event, officially set to take place on March 21. Rumors as to whether the event would take place on March 15 or March 21 have been circulating for months and now we have our answer. On Thursday, Apple sent out its invitations to select press for its event in Cupertino, California. Apple is expected to debut the 4-inch iPhone SE and a smaller version of the iPad Pro.
Apple March Event: Everything You Need to Know
By Conner Carey
We’re less than a month away from Apple’s first big event of the year. The latest rumors indicate Apple will hold its keynote event the week of March 21, instead of the previously thought March 15. Apple’s Spring event will likely be slightly smaller in scale; rumors indicate the company will hold the event at the Town Hall Auditorium on the 1 Infinite Loop campus. It was originally thought we’d see a new Apple Watch 2, but the rumor mill seems to now agree that will have to wait until September. Here’s everything you need to know about the products we do expect Apple to release in March.
Apple’s Q1 2016 Earnings Report: Everything You Need to Know
By Conner Carey
If you have stock in Apple, take a sigh of relief. Yesterday afternoon the company announced record quarterly profit, netting $18.4 billion dollars in Q1 2016. “Our team delivered Apple’s biggest quarter ever, thanks to the world’s most innovative products and all-time record sales of iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. The quarter, which ended December 26, 2015, saw record breaking revenue as well, raking in $75.9 billion dollars. Wall Street warned Apple’s soaring numbers couldn’t last, but the company continues its upward climb.. for now.
Save 5 Percent on Apple Watch at Target
By Todd Bernhard
Review: Twelve South Forté Apple Watch Stand
By Todd Bernhard
"Nailed it!" That's what I imagine it sounds like to work at Twelve South. The folks there seem to repeatedly and reliably come up with accessory after accessory that makes the Apple experience better. I use a MacBook stand from the company, and used to have an iPad BookBook case for my original iPad and a BookBook case for my new iPhone 6s. In fact, the BookBook is probably Twelve South's most notable product. It is an iPad or iPhone case disguised as a leather-bound book, and the iPhone versions have slots for credit cards and ID. You get the best of both worlds: handmade, old-world-book style and modern e-books and apps! It's very charming and functional, and could protect your iOS devices from unwitting thieves.
I called it. Yesterday, in my article discussing T-Mobile's new pricing options, I wrote "T-Mobile is shaking things up, as usual, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the other carriers revise and revamp their offerings in response." Sure enough, Sprint has answered the call and not only met T-Mobile's pricing, it undercut the "uncarrier" in an almost desperate bid to be your next carrier.
How Live Photos Work—More Details Emerge
By Jim Karpen
One of the new features of the iPhone 6s is Live Photos. Turned on by default, this feature captures images for 1.5 seconds before and after the actual still photo that you take. When you tap on your still photo, you see what appears to be a three-second video of that moment. As you can see in the embedded video below, a still photo of rippling waves can show the actual rippling when you touch the display. Apple emphasized, however, that this is not a video, and that it doesn't greatly increase the file size. Any Live Photos you take can be viewed across iOS devices. And they appear as simple jpeg images when viewed on other devices.
If you’ve followed my Game Centered column, you’re likely already familiar with SteelSeries. The company makes some of the best gaming peripherals available for Apple devices and is a brand that I’ve included in my articles numerous times before, with good reason. Whether you are a casual Crossy Road player looking for an affordable but excellent pair of headphones, or a Vainglory gamer on the pro-circuit looking for a high-end pair of headphones, SteelSeries has you covered. The company also specializes in designing game controllers for the iPhone and the iPad, and now it's unveiled its latest controller, the Nimbus, designed specifically to deliver a console-type gaming experience on the new Apple TV. On the day of the Nimbus’ announcement, we interviewed the SteelSeries CEO Ehtisham Rabanni about the controller and his thoughts on the future of gaming.
I will probably upgrade to the iPhone 6s, but not for the reasons you might think. Yes, Apple claims "The only thing that’s changed is everything" and that's true. Almost every element of the iPhone 6 has been enhanced. The metal is stronger. The screen has 3D Touch. The camera is a big improvement. The processor is faster, as are the graphics and networking. If your job was to repair iPhones, there are almost no components from the older iPhone 6 that could be reused in the iPhone 6s. It is entirely new. Everything has indeed changed. Apple has a valid point and it is also trying to head off the inevitable "nothing's changed" criticism that comes with any "s" model.
Why You Might Want to Pass on Apple’s New iPhone Lightning Dock
By Todd Bernhard
It got barely a mention during Apple's action-packed announcement on September 9, but Apple now offers an iPhone Lightning Dock, in four different colors. And if you want one, it's one of the few items announced that is actually available to order and shipping within 1–3 business days. The dock is sold in silver, space gray, gold, and rose gold to match the latest lineup of iPhone 6s colors. The dock itself is compatible with more than the iPhone 6s, specifically the iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, 6, 6 Plus, 5s, 5c, 5, and iPod touch 5th and 6th generation. But it still may not be the Lightning dock for you.
iPhone Life Podcast Episode 001—iPhone 6s Announcement Preview and Rumors
By Sarah Kingsbury
We are excited to announce launch of the iPhone Life Podcast! Tune in to hear our editors share with you the latest Apple news, best apps, iPhone tricks, and the coolest accessories.
In the first episode of the iPhone Life Podcast, Sarah, Donna, and David discuss the latest iPhone 6s and Apple TV rumors leading up to the Apple annoucement. We answer all of your burning questions including: "What is Force Touch?", "Do we need a 12 MP Camera?", "Will Apple release a streaming service?", and much more.
Tip of the Day: How to Correct Siri With Typing Instead of Voice
By Sarah Kingsbury
As anyone who has used to Siri to make calls, search the web, or send messages knows, Siri doesn't always understand what you say. This can be followed by increasing frustration levels if Siri fails over and over to understand your voice corrections. But when Siri gets it wrong, you don't have to repeat yourself. Instead, you can edit your query via typing.
If there was a single theme in today's Apple event, it was the company's extraordinary commitment to be constantly envisioning great products, and then continually refining them. No other company seems to have such a dedicated focus, nor the resources to bring it off.