Guide to Mac, iPod, iPad and iPhone news and reviews
The resolution of the iPhone 6 is getting quite a bit of attention lately. On August 19, a new report suggested that the new generation of iPhones could launch with a resolution of 828 x 1472. Now, there’s word that a long-rumored 960 x 1704 resolution could in fact be the resolution of choice for the new devices.
According to a new report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the much anticipated launch of Apple’s “iWatch” could be delayed into 2015. Kuo claims that difficulties with manufacturing the new device will likely be the cause of the delay: We reiterate our view that iWatch, as compared to existing products, and as Apple’s (US) first […]
The Apple Stores keep opening up. In early August, the latest store to open in The Hague’s Passage mall opened their doors on August 9. Now, in the United States, the sixth Apple retail site in Connecticut will be open for business soon.
Battery life is quite a precious commodity when it comes to the iPhone. So it is important to optimize the settings on your iPhone to ensure that you can extend its battery life as much as possible based on your usage.
A lot also depends on the type of apps we use on our device. One of the reasons for poor battery life can be an app that is running in the background.
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Every now and then an Internet craze will spread around the world with everyone trying their hands at it. From the cinnamon challenge to the fire challenge, each one brings its own risks and sometimes even pain. The latest challenge…
Earlier today, we discovered a new potential resolution for the iPhone 6: 828 x 1472. This finding came several months after sources first told us that Apple is testing an iPhone 6 resolution of 960 x 1704. Now, phone reseller Feld & Volk has put a purported iPhone 6 screen panel under the microscope and […]
Mercedes-Benz and Volvo won’t be offering Apple’s CarPlay until 2015, 9to5Mac reports. Both carmakers were previously said to include the functionality in car models by the end of this year. While Volvo’s upcoming new XC90 will be able to use the feature, the functionality won’t be included until 2015. Hyundai has yet to incorporate CarPlay into its 2015 Sonata, but a spokesperson said the functionality will indeed be included…
As we near September, and the iPhone 6 event scheduled for September 9, we’re still sifting through plenty of leaks and information as it becomes available. A new report suggests that the iPhone 6 could boast a new resolution, something different than what we’ve heard in the past.
Last week I posted an editorial extolling the virtues of Apple-branded routers: I think the AirPort Extreme, Time Capsule and AirPort Express make a lot of sense, even if their price and performance can be trumped by other products. There are loads of other cases where I wouldn’t even think twice to go with a third party instead. Here are some of them.
I admit that the Magic Mouse is nice for its support of gestures on the smooth, featureless surface, but I have to tell you that of all the products that Apple makes, it’s my least favorite. I infinitely prefer the feel and features of third party mice.
Lately I’ve really been enjoying the Razer Taipan mouse that I reviewed back in July. It had a terrific feel and remarkable sensitivity, loads of programmable buttons and absolutely amazing software drivers that let me get the most out of it.
One of the reasons I prefer third party mice to Apple’s own is because I play games, and for the most part, games play wretchedly with the Magic Mouse. That’s because most game developers assume – rightfully, in the case of PC gamers – that their users will have scroll wheels, distinct right buttons, possibly programmable macros and other things that make playing games easier.
While the Magic Mouse may be well-integrated with the operating system and with plain-vanilla apps, games are a different story. I realize I’m an edge case here, but there are other arguments for third-party mice too — they come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit different hands, designs vary to accomodate different mouse holding techniques and more.
I have an Apple Wireless Keyboard and I use it with my Mac Pro, but I don’t really like it all that much. My desk setup for my Retina MacBook Pro incorporates a Matias Mini Tactile Pro keyboard, which I infinitely prefer for its mechanical design.
Apple’s keyboard is nice and quiet, but Matias’ has a much stronger key feel that I like, as I prefer to get a bit of resistance from my keyboard as I’m typing. I’ve been using personal computers since the late 70s, when almost all computer keyboards were mechanical, so I’m a bit old-school in this respect.
Even if Matias’ products don’t suit you, it’s not that hard to find a keyboard with Mac-specific layout. Assuming you’d rather go with a commodity keyboard designed for Windows, that doesn’t matter: OS X’s support for PC keyboards is spectacular. If it doesn’t recognize your keyboard, it simply asks you to press a few keys so it knows what type of keyboard you’re using, and it’s off to the races.
Apple’s Thunderbolt Display is, as I’ve opined before, too long in the tooth for me to bother with. What’s more, it’s $999 — way, way out of my price range. That’s why the last two displays I got came from an online reseller called Newegg.com. I got good deals — sales, in fact — on ViewSonic displays that I’ve been very happy with.
Of course, the downside of buying a third party display is that it often doesn’t integrate visually with your Mac as nice as you might like — the Thunderbolt Display’s design language is consistent with the Mac’s, even if it echoes an older iMac design. But the ViewSonics’ black bezel basically disappears for me when I’m using it (I pay no attention to it), so I haven’t found it to be that much of a distraction.
It may cost you a bit of extra money to get the display working with your Mac. If your Mac is equipped with mini DisplayPort or Thunderbolt, you’ll need to buy an adapter to connect a DVI or (heaven forbid) a VGA display to your Mac — that means budgeting another $20-$30 depending on whether you go with Apple or get a third-party interface. But compared to what Apple charges for its one, singular display, you’ll still be get a much better value shopping for a third party display and buying the adapter.
Apple charges a premium for its own branded Lightning and 30 pin Dock Connector cables. You can find less expensive alternatives anywhere — I even see them at the gas station near my house. But stay away from the really cheap ones. I’d spend a bit more money and get something that carries the Made for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch logo, which shows that it’s been given the thumbs up by Apple.
In the case of Macs that have upgradeable memory — the standard MacBook Pro, the 27-inch iMac, the Mac mini and older models — you can save a fair amount of cash by going third-party instead of paying Apple’s premium price when you get your Mac configured at the factory. Now, in the case of systems like the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro, you have no choice, since the memory is soldered to the motherboard. But I’ve never had a Mac with upgradeable memory that I didn’t go with third party RAM on, and saved myself a ton in the process.
There’s other stuff I left out, like external storage and printers, since Apple doesn’t make any devices like that anymore. But I imagine there are some peripherals and accessories that I’ve left out which you prefer to get from third parties rather than buy from Apple. So what do you have? Let me know.
Fiddling around with your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad while driving or riding a bike is dangerous as it takes your eyes off an important task, which is why things like texting and driving are made illegal. Many of us use our iPhones and iPods in the ca…
An iOS 8 preference list file has been found with an iPhone resolution of 736×414, reports 9to5Mac, which would translate to a Retina “2X” screen resolution of 1472×828. At a 4.7” screen size, this would be around 359 pixels per inch (PPI), versus a 307 PPI resolution for 5.5” — the latter just enough pixel density to qualify as a Retina display. If displayed on a 4” screen, this would equal 422 PPI. Previously, 9to5Mac…
Early this year, we heard from a source that Apple had been testing multiple resolutions for the iPhone 6’s larger display, including a resolution of 960 x 1704. As we outlined, the benefit of that resolution is that it allows both developers and consumers to smoothly transition to the new display without losing high-quality imagery […]
Apple has steadily been adding new cities and locations with support for its 3D Flyover feature to its Maps app this year. The latest Flyover addition to Apple Maps includes support for two new locations: Wellington, New Zealand and Yosemite National Park, California. The addition of Wellington marks the third location in New Zealand to support […]
Mobile-first transportation service, Uber, is dabbling in deliveries with a new service called Corner Store. Those inside of two limited Washington D.C. delivery zones can now order from a catalog of over 100 items they’ll have in stock, and have the items delivered to their precise location. This service will only go for a couple of weeks to see what the reception’s like.
The way it works is you order an Uber like usual, but check the Corner Store option and set the delivery location. You’ll get a text with a list of available items, then your driver will call to take your order. The Uber Corner Store can deliver all of the necessities: cough syrup, shaving gel, Tylenol, toothpaste, diapers… The list goes on. Current hours are 9 AM to 9 PM, and over the course of the experiment there will be no delivery charges.
Uber Corner Store is an interesting expansion of the service into new areas, and could very well be one that pays off in the long run. Uber has also recently tested a bicycle courier service called Rush. Whether or not Corner Store gets to the point where it can properly compete with Amazon Fresh or Google Shopping Express is another question altogether.
How do you guys feel about Uber? Would you try out their delivery service, even with alternatives readily available?
Source: Uber via VentureBeat
Earlier this afternoon, we reported that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Tuesday granted Apple with a large portfolio of 48 patents covering a broad range of inventions. Following the curved touch panel patent, we now look at a major patent for an electronic device with a multimode fingerprint reader.
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Earlier this year our friends at Pad & Quill generously gave away several items from their collection of luxury bags and cases for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and more, and now the accessory company is back for another round of hooking our readers up with the launch of a couple of new products. Specifically, Pad & Quill […]