Apple teams up with Best Buy to expand repair services to hundreds of stores
The next time you have a problem with your Apple product -- be it an iMac, MacBook, iPhone or iPad -- you could take it to Best Buy for repair rather than an Apple store.
The new repair options are thanks to Apple's expansion of its authorized service network. There are almost 1,000 Best Buy stores with over 7,600 newly Apple-certified Geek Squad technicians ready to help you out.
Satechi launches Dual Smart Outlet with Apple HomeKit support
While smart home devices are very popular these days, Apple's HomeKit sadly isn't. This is a shame, as I rather like the company's centralized approach to controlling the home. If all of your devices are HomeKit compatible, you can expect an elegant experience where you don't have to jump from app to app. Unfortunately, there are many popular smart home device manufacturers that don't put resources into supporting Apple's solution.
Today, Satechi announces a new smart outlet adapter that thankfully is compatible with Apple HomeKit. Called "Dual Smart Outlet," it can control power to two devices -- not just one like many other models. Don't want to use HomeKit and Siri? You don't have to -- you can use Satechi's app instead.
Feast your eyes on how Apple's iPhone 11 should look
We’ve still got a few months to wait before Apple unveils the follow-up to the iPhone XS, although there have already been a number of leaks and a lot of speculation regarding the next iteration of the iPhone.
It’s believed that Apple will add under-display cameras, allowing for notch-less full screen, introduce reverse-wireless charging -- so users can charge AirPods directly from the handset -- and swap the Lightning connector for USB-C.
The Twitter app is returning to macOS
For more than a year, macOS users have been without an official desktop Twitter client -- more on that shortly. But now, thanks to Project Catalyst for macOS 10.15 Catalina, a Twitter app is making its way back to Mac.
Twitter says that Apple's Project Catalyst means that it has been easy to use the code from the iOS version of the client to create a native macOS app. The company has also revealed just why it was the Mac Twitter client disappeared in the first place.
Apple makes Windows 10 less terrible with refreshed iCloud app in Microsoft Store
Most iPhone users do not own a Mac. If they did, Apple's desktop market share wouldn't be so low compared to Windows. That's historically not a big deal for Apple, since its Mac business was never really about volume -- the company make a fortune off the marked up machines as it is.
The problem, however, is the company is increasingly focusing on services. And as great as iCloud is, the Windows experience has been abysmal. Yes, iCloud on Windows is functional, but it is not even close to the elegance of macOS. So when an iOS user needed to use Windows 10 for iCloud, it made the OS seem sort of... terrible. While Microsoft's desktop OS has lots of problems, and some consider it to be quite bad, the iCloud deficiencies (slow, buggy, etc.) were not really the fault of the OS -- that was Apple's failure. Well, except that one time.
Apple explains what the closure of iTunes means for you and your music
At WWDC this week, Apple not only unveiled the new Mac Pro and an insanely expensive monitor stand, but also confirmed that iTunes is going away -- for Mac users, at least.
This did not come entirely as a surprise, but it has left iTunes users wondering just how the transition to the new Apple Music app will work, and what will happen to their music, playlists, credit and so on. Now Apple has explained how the whole process will work.
Urban Armor Gear (UAG) launches rugged NATO Strap for Apple Watch
Apple Watch is a very popular product despite its many flaws. I wore one for a while, but ended up getting rid of it due to many frustrations. The wearable has a terrible user interface -- very unlike most Apple products. Ultimately, I found it more convenient to simply pull my phone from my pocket.
With all of that said, I am probably not the best candidate for an Apple Watch. I'm a fairly sedentary fellow, working at computers and avoiding the outdoors. People that like hiking, running, and other forms of exercise will probably find a lot of value in Apple Watch. Today, popular company Urban Armor Gear (UAG) launches a watch strap that should delight consumers that are into being outdoors.
'Sign in with Apple' neatly balances privacy and convenience
At WWDC yesterday, Apple made numerous announcements and one of the more interesting was the company's new alternative to social sign-in buttons. Endless apps and website let you sign in with your Facebook, Twitter or Google account for the sake of convenience, but it comes at the cost of privacy -- which is precisely why Apple came up with "Sign in with Apple".
The basic idea is the same as existing social sign-in options -- it's a quick and easy way to sign into various services without the need to create a dedicated account. The difference is that "Sign in with Apple" protects your privacy and avoids the tracking of the current crop of alternatives.
macOS 10.15 Catalina is the most exciting version of Apple's operating system in years
So, like, here's the deal folks. macOS is a really great operating system, but it has gotten a bit stale in recent years. That isn't necessarily a bad thing -- the lack of excitement is largely due to the maturity of macOS. But also, it was because Apple wasn't paying as much attention to the desktop OS. And hey, I get it, iOS is the company's bread and butter. With that said, Mac users are a ferociously passionate bunch, so Apple made a big mistake by neglecting them -- especially as iPhone sales are slowing.
Thankfully, Apple has finally gotten the message from its loyal customers, and it has begun focusing on Mac again. The keyboard on its laptops are still a problem, but the iMac and even the Mac mini are now modern and well-received. Earlier today at WWDC, Apple even unveiled the upcoming redesigned Mac Pro, and it is a friggin' stunner! It is exactly what professional Mac users have wanted for years.
iPadOS is Apple's new operating system for iPad
At its WWDC in San Jose, California, Apple today took the wraps off iOS 13, the future iteration of its mobile operating system for iPhone. It also revealed that going forward, the iPad will run a special variation, called iPadOS.
This is much the same as iOS -- it gains all the new features found in iOS 13 -- but in addition it comes with a new Home Screen, better multitasking, and more ways to use Apple Pencil.
Apple introduces the all-new Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR
The focus of Apple’s WWDC is predominately software, but the tech giant likes to occasionally introduce new hardware there too.
At the event being held today, Apple lifted the lid on iOS 13 and watchOS 6, but also introduced the redesigned Mac Pro workstation and Apple Pro Display XDR.
Apple unveils the stunning iOS 13 with a system-wide Dark Mode, Sign In with Apple, and all-new Photos app
At its WWDC in San Jose, California, Apple today took the wraps off iOS 13, revealing many of the new features we were expecting see, as well as plenty of new additions we weren't.
We’ve previously seen concept videos of iOS 13, and two months ago my colleague Mark Wyciślik-Wilson revealed Apple's new mobile OS would be introducing a system-wide dark mode, and better multitasking. But what else is new?
Bye bye, iTunes -- we never really loved you anyway
Apple is due to kick off its Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, and at the event the company is expected to kill off iTunes.
Having been with us for nearly two decades, it seems that the software everyone (well, a lot of people) loves to hate is finally being put out to pasture. At WWDC we should see Apple kill off iTunes, breaking it up into a number of individual apps for macOS, just as has happened on iOS.
The iPhone-maker doth protest too much? Apple launches new site to wax lyrical about the App Store in the face of criticism
Apple has become more familiar with controversy than it might be entirely comfortable with in recent times. Once a near-untouchable company that could, in many people's eyes, do no wrong, there have been numerous scandals over the last few years -- legal battles, problematic hardware, canceled products, and accusations of anticompetitive behavior.
Faced with an antitrust legal battle after complaints of "monopolistic" practices in the App Store, Apple has launched a new site that appears to be a very public defense of what it stands accused of. The new "principles and practices" pages find Apple going out of its way, falling over itself to expose just how anticompetitive the App Store isn't. This is a company on the defensive.
Surprise! Apple unveils a brand new iPod touch with AR and Group FaceTime
It was the iPod touch that first turned me on to iOS. The gateway drug to getting an iPhone if you will. I had the second and third gen models before graduating to Apple’s smartphone (and the iPad), and if it wasn't for that, I'd probably be an Android user with a Samsung Galaxy S10.
I wouldn’t buy an iPod touch now that I have an iPhone XS, but if you want to enjoy the delights offered by the App Store, without spending a fortune on a flagship phone, then it’s the perfect solution, and Apple has just introduced a new, much faster and more capable model.
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