Articles about Apple

As a suburbanite homeowner, nothing brings me more joy than having a nice yard. Yeah, it can be hard work to mow the lawn, rake leaves, and pull weeds, but it is totally worth it. Earlier this year, I even installed the Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller to more intelligently water my grass, and I came away very impressed. Not only does it keep my lawn looking good, but it saves me money too. How? It knows to skip watering based on the weather -- no more running sprinklers in the rain!

Believe it or not, starting today, the Rachio 3 is getting even better. No, the company is not upgrading the hardware. Actually, it is improving thanks to all-new Apple HomeKit support! Yes, owners of iPhone, iPad, HomePod, or other Apple devices can now control Rachio 3 using either the HomeKit app or Siri.

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Apple has today completed its purchase of music-identification app Shazam after lengthy investigation by the EU -- and there's good news for anyone who uses it.

The app's millions of global users will soon be able to enjoy an ad-free experience. Apple just says that this will be happening "soon", without giving any sense of timescale.

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While the iPhone XS and XS Max look to be great smartphones, they are hardly revolutionary. In fact, as is customary with Apple's "S" models, they are simply evolutionary. This isn't a bad thing. Hell, for owners of prior iPhone devices, it is sort of a good thing -- there should be less of a desire to spend money on an upgrade. For instance, earlier this year, I chose the 8 Plus over the X, and none of the newest models (including the budget-friendly XR) have me chomping at the bit to spend my hard earned money on an upgrade.

One feature that got me to upgrade from the 6S Plus to the 8 Plus is wireless charging. I didn't have it before, and after buying the new iPhone, I did. Sadly, Apple still hasn't released its own such charging pad, so as more and more folks get iPhone devices with the capability, they must rely on third-party offerings. One such company that consistently releases quality accessories is Belkin, and to coincide with the release of the XS, XS Max, and Apple Watch Series 4, it announces the BOOST↑UP Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone + Apple Watch. Yes, as the name implies, it can wirelessly charge both an iPhone and Apple Watch.

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Donald Trump has imposed import tariffs of $200 billion on Chinese goods brought into the US, with the threat of even more on the way.

The tariffs have been blamed on China's "unfair policies and practices", but despite the president's pleas for Apple to shift production from China to the US, the Apple Watch will be exempt from the 10 percent import tax. Also exempt are Apple's AirPods and a range of other technology products.

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If you own an iPhone (5s or newer), or an iPad, you can now officially update it to iOS 12, the latest and greatest version of Apple’s mobile operating system.

iOS 12 offers performance improvements, new AR experiences, Memoji, Screen Time, and Siri Shortcuts for apps, to name just a few of the new additions.

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Just a couple of days ago, Apple revealed its new range of iPhones and an updated Apple Watch. Today most of these devices are available for pre-order, ready to ship in a week.

If you mosey on over to the Apple website, or head down to a physical Apple Store, you can now place your order for an iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max or Apple Watch Series 4. If you're ready to hand over your money, you can pre-order your phone or watch right now.

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Researchers at cyber security company F-Secure have discovered a weakness in modern computers' firmware that attackers can use to steal encryption keys and other sensitive information.

Physical access to the computer is needed to exploit the weakness, but once an attacker has gained this they can successfully perform the attack in around five minutes.

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Yesterday, Apple took the wraps off three new iPhones -- the XS, XS Max, and the XR. These are attractive, powerful smartphones, with a premium price to match.

If you have the money to buy one, you’ll also perhaps need to factor in the cost of AppleCare, Apple’s insurance policy, which includes up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage (although you’ll still need to pay an excess charge for each repair). If you decide not to go for AppleCare and you break the screen, or damage the phone in another way, then the cost of an official repair will leave you stunned.

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Yesterday's Apple event was mostly about heralding the arrival of the new -- a trio of new iPhones, and a new Apple Watch -- but it was also about losing a couple of things. None of the new handsets now feature home buttons, but this is not all that has gone.

Although the price of the new batch of phones is high by pretty much anyone's standards, Apple has taken the decision to stop including a headphone dongle in the box. If you want to use traditional wired headphones with your new iPhone, you'll have to shell out on an adaptor.

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If you're thinking of getting an iPhone battery replaced, now is the time to do it. The announcement of the new iPhone pricing may well have made you consider hanging on to your existing handset for a little while longer, but if the battery is starting to show signs of age, a replacement will cost you more from next year.

This is not something that was announced on stage, but while Apple was busy talking about the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR, the iPhone Battery & Power Repair page of its support website was updated with new pricing information.

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Trendsetter Apple has done it again! Just when you thought there was no innovation left in the smartphone market, CEO Tim Cook delivers the wildly price-disruptive iPhone XS Max 512GB for heart-stopping $1,449. Smartphones simply don't cost this much. What other company would stoop so low by reaching so high? This thing is a monster with its 6.5-inch (nearly) edge-to-edge display; 2688 x 1242 resolution at 458 pixels per inch (less than Google Pixel 2 XL at 2880 x 1440 and 538 ppi); and dual-SIM support (so telemarketers can ring more often on two numbers).

For anyone whose hands aren't too small to hold the new thang, iPhone XS Max is sure to draw maximum attention, letting all the little people know just how big a deal you are. Praise be Mr. Cook. Only the privileged can afford this beautiful, beastly slab, short of taking out a second mortgage or cashing in their 401K.

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I generally love Apple products. Every day, I use an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. For the most part, I am very satisfied with these devices. With that said, not all Apple products are great. For instance, Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePod are spectacularly terrible. Not surprisingly, the products I hate are the ones released after the death of Steve Jobs.

The HomePod may offer high sound quality, but its high price and limited usefulness make it an overall poor product. Oh and don't forget -- it can ruin your furniture. For the money, you are much better off with a smart speaker powered by Alexa or Google Assistant -- Siri pales in comparison. In an effort to make HomePod less terrible, today, Apple announces a new software update which will improve it. Not only will the speaker get new features (including the long-awaited ability to make and receive phone calls), but new languages too -- Spanish (for those in Mexico, Spain, or USA) and Canadian French. While the update is appreciated, it is simply too little too late.

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As ever, there has been much hype and excitement about this year's Apple event and the promise of new iPhones. This year there have been more leaks than normal, and now everything has been revealed at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino

This time around -- as expected -- Apple has announced three new handsets: the "cheap" iPhone XR, the 5.8-inch iPhone XS and the huge 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max (not the XS Plus as had been thought for a little while). Here's what you need to know about the trio of smartphones, including confirmation of dual-Sim support.

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Today at the Steve Jobs Center in Cupertino, Apple took the wraps off the latest addition to its Watch range. Apple Watch Series 4 comes in two sizes -- 40mm and 44mm -- and the screen is over 30 percent larger in both instances.

Despite the large screen, the casing has hardly changed in size -- in fact it is thinner. Faces and apps have been redesigned to take full advantage of the edge-to-edge screen, and Apple says that it has managed to maintain the same battery life as the previous model, thanks largely to the new S4 chip with a custom 64-bit dual-core processor. New features include fall detection, and a new sensor that makes it possible to use Apple Watch to take ECG readings

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From an overall market share perspective, iOS trails Android quite dramatically. It’s not hard to see why -- devices running Google’s operating system are often far more inexpensive compared to Apple’s. That’s not necessarily a bad thing for Apple -- there are far more General Motors vehicles on the road than Mercedes, for instance.

People that prefer quality hardware and actual operating system upgrades choose Apple when possible -- iOS is an absolute delight to use with many quality apps available. Today, to highlight the success of the operating system, Apple CEO Tim Cook made a shocking revelation regarding how many iOS devices have been sold.

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