Articles about Apple

We all demand to be connected at all times; losing connection to the internet is like losing a limb for some people. With this in mind, handset manufacturers have taken it upon themselves to introduce technologies that ensure as stable a connection as possible, switching between Wi-Fi and cellular as and when necessary.

It's something that can be found in iOS 9, but many people who have made the upgrade to the latest version of the operating system, or have just taken delivery of a new iPhone 6s or iPhone 6s Plus, have been taken by surprise by it. The reason? iOS 9 has a feature called Wi-Fi Assist which will automatically switch to a cellular connection when Wi-Fi signal is weak, and it has led to a massive increase in data usage for some people. The solution to hefty data bills? Disable the feature.

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Unless you’re a hard-core Apple fan, or simply must have the latest and greatest iPhone at all times, there’s no need to jump on every new mobile device Apple releases. I switched from the iPhone 5s to the 6s this year, and found the difference between models to more than justify the upgrade.

If you’ve ever wondered how the different generations of iPhone compare when it comes to things like start up speed, performance, web page loading, camera quality, and more, a new experiment has the answer. And before you shout out that the iPhone 6s Plus is going to be the clear winner, here’s a spoiler: it isn’t.

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Look what email greeted when I rolled out of bed and in front of the computer this AM (Pacific Time). Apple Music wants my business. That's not happening. After signing up for the three-month trial, which ends September 30, I returned to using Chromebook Pixel LS and Nexus 6. The streaming service supports neither device, so, yes, I turned off autorenewal.

This brief post is a reminder to you to do likewise, if having signed up you're not planning to keep the service. Apple Music turns on autorenew by default, so if you want out, don't wait. Opt out now. On the other hand, if you enjoy the service, do nothing and listen. You're covered.

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Perhaps inspired by the backlash Microsoft has faced over privacy concerns in Windows 10, Apple has published its own privacy policies on a new page that's designed to be easy to read. Written in plain English, the site sets out Apple's position regarding privacy in OS X and iOS. As well as touting the steps to which the company goes to protect its customers' privacy, Apple also uses the documents to trumpet numerous security features.

This is Apple riding the waves of interest concerning privacy, using it as an opportunity to get one over the likes of Microsoft and Google. There are promises of "telling you up front exactly what’s going to happen to your personal information and asking for your permission" as well as the offer that "if you change your mind later, we make it easy to stop sharing with us". Sounds great in theory, but does it stand up to scrutiny?

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PayPal Here users will be able to use the new PayPal Chip Card Reader to accept payments via Apple Pay and Android Pay, in addition to the more familiar credit and debit card options. The new reader launches in the US on 30 September, before spreading to the UK and Australia further down the line.

The updated card reader features a display to guide users through the process of making a payment, but it is the addition of contactless payment that is the key new feature. The PayPal Chip Card Reader has a price tag of $149, but some people will be able to get hold of it for $49.

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If you are thinking about buying a new iPhone to get Apple Watch, reconsider. Hard. There's a new Android Wear timepiece that is just as stylish, if not more, but costs much less. If Huawei Watch isn't the Apple Watch killer, it foreshadows what could be.

For the comparison today, my quick review focuses on the two smartwatches that I purchased, with which materials and attractive designs are most similar (other than their shapes—squairsh vs circular). To reiterate: I paid for both devices. Neither manufacturer sent a loaner for review. The one came from Apple Store and the other from Amazon.

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The iPhone 6s is a great phone. Mine arrived on Friday and I’ll be reviewing it in the next couple of days or so. It has some very welcome improvements over my previous Apple phone -- the iPhone 5s -- and 3D Touch has the potential to be a real game changer.

However, my enjoyment of the new phone has been tainted thanks to an incredibly annoying bug that makes the iPhone 6s next to useless when out and about. In fact, when I went out for the day yesterday, I was forced to leave the shiny new iPhone 6s at home and take my aging Android phone with me instead.

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I can't confirm Bloomberg's report that the the U.S. Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department allegedly are beginning a joint investigation into Google's Android licensing agreements. But I can explain what it means. Striping to the bones, from an antitrust perspective, there are two pivot points: Monopoly position and exclusive contracts. Then there is the broader regulatory agenda: Correcting (or preventing future) consumer harm.

Globally, Android is unquestionably a monopoly in the market for smartphones. However, its dominance in the United States is comparably muted by competition from iPhone. Based on smartphone subscribers, Android's share was 51.4 percent for the three months ending July 31, 2015, according to comScore. iOS ranked second with 44.2 percent. By cell phone manufacturer, Apple leads the market, with the same share, followed by Samsung (27.3 percent). Android is leading but declining—down 0.8 points, while iOS is up 1.1 points, from April to July.

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Among the new features added to Apple’s new iPhone 6s is 4K (3840 x 2160) video recording at 30fps. The super-sized iPhone 6 Plus adds optical image stabilization to the mix -- sadly missing from the smaller 6s -- which makes it a potentially great device to film high quality movies on (even if you aren’t able to watch them back in 4K on either your phone or the new Apple TV).

To show off the new phone’s potential as a film making tool, Apple approached RYOT Films and asked them to shoot a short movie in 4K entirely on the iPhone 6s Plus, and the finished result is now available to watch for free on YouTube.

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One of the key features of iOS 9 -- and one of the reasons 16GB iPhones were not killed -- is app slicing. This innocuous-sounding feature reduces the amount of space apps take up on iPhones and iPads... or at least it does when it is working.

At the moment Apple has a problem with iCloud which is preventing app slicing from working correctly. The feature works by only downloading the components of an app that are needed to perform specific tasks on a particular device, but at the moment regular, universal apps are delivered by default.

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You see them in the elevator with their shiny white earbuds. You hear them gabbing by the espresso cart while thumbing through their Instagram feeds. They’re the new crop of iPhone-toting corporate interns, and they’re out to take your job!

Not right away, of course. But eventually, somewhere down the line, when you’ve checked-in your last MDM code update and handed over your server room key card, they’ll be there. Watching. Waiting for their turn to "run the IT show". And if the author of a recently published article on the future of OS technology is to be believed, those interns will be dancing on the grave of the legacy Windows and Linux systems they just ripped and replaced with -- you guessed it -- Apple iOS.

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In my last post, I joke about the other five people who also bought Nexus 6 to make a broader point. Apple laps up positive PR—and rubs Android's nose in stinky sidewalk dog poop—by touting rapid iOS 9 adoption. Based solely on devices accessing the iTunes App Store, the number is 52 percent as of September 19. By the same measure, as of September 7, from Google Play: 20 percent of Androids run the newest version, Lollipop. iOS 9 released last week, and Android 5 arrived last year. Ouch!

Google shouldn't let the comparison stop there. The company should release Lollipop adoption data selectively, for stock Android devices like Nexus 6. That makes the comparisons to iOS more equal, being devices for which both companies control updates. Apples to, ah, Apple is more appropriate and responsive public relations management.

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As has become the norm after a new iOS launch, Apple has been keen to crow about the high adoption rate for iOS 9. The company recently claimed that in just three days, more than half of iPhones, iPads and iPod touches had iOS 9 installed. Seems a little high? You're not alone in feeling that way. Has Apple massaged the figures about iOS adoption rates?

While there are many reasons to make the upgrade to iOS 9, the 50 percent figure is not in line with measurements from other sources. It's fair to say that only Apple has access to the real raw data, but Crittercism suggests that on the measurement date of 19 September used by Apple, adoption of iOS 9 was possibly less than half of what's been claimed.

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With OS X 10.11 El Capitan set to launch at the end of the month, Apple has already started working on the first update for its latest Mac operating system. The early OS X 10.11.1 build was released last week for developers, and is now also available to those of us who are enrolled in the public beta program.

Given that it is a relatively minor update, OS X 10.11.1 El Capitan is not expected to introduce any major changes. Nonetheless, let's take a look at what's new.

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The latest version of the OS that powers Apple’s first wearable was supposed to be released last week, on the same day that iOS 9 hit devices. However, a last minute bug delayed things, leaving Watch owners like myself disappointed.

Since it was only the one -- albeit major -- bug delaying things it was always going to be a case of the updated OS being held back by no more than few days, and today Apple has finally (and quietly) released the new version. If you own an Apple Watch, you can update it now.

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