Apple finally kills off the iPod
Although MP3 players existed long before Apple got into the music game, the iPod really took things up a notch. The iconic music player has evolved and improved over the years, but now after over two decades (the original model was introduced on October 23 2001), Apple has decided the iPod has had its day and announced plans to cease production.
The news has been a long time coming of course -- these days most people stream music on phones, so don’t need a standalone player -- but the announcement will sadden a lot of people. It really is the end of an era.
Apple reveals redesigned MFi logos
Apple has unveiled new logos for its MFi Program. The Made For iPhone/iPad/iPod Program is a certification program used to indicate that third-party accessories meet Apple's standards for quality.
Having launched a new set of simplified logos, Apple is giving manufacturers 90 days to switch to the new designs. The change may seem minor, but there are three tweaks worth noting.
Apple kills iPod nano and shuffle, but makes touch more affordable
When every day you're looking at cool new gadgets that push the envelope it is easy to forget about relics like the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle. Apple has kept them alive alongside the iPhone for what seems like an eternity, even though they are pretty much pointless in this day and age.
But, hey, what better time to talk about the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle than the present, right? Sadly, the news isn't good for those of you who still want one, because Apple just announced that the iPod nano and the iPod shuffle are finally being put out to pasture.
99 percent of fake Apple chargers are unsafe
When the time comes to buy a charger for your Apple device, you better make sure that what you are getting is the real deal. Why? A new report from UK's Chartered Trading Standards Institute says that the vast majority of counterfeit chargers for Apple products are not safe to use.
CTSI purchased 400 fake chargers from suppliers across the globe and discovered that 397 of them -- or 99.25 percent -- fail to meet what it considers a "basic safety test". In other words, if you use one to top the battery on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, MacBook or other Apple product you risk damaging the device -- or worse.
Apple doesn't seem to have decided which devices will support iOS 10
When Apple announced iOS 10 yesterday, there was one question that people around the world were asking themselves: will my device run it? The company sent out rather confusing signals yesterday in answer to this question.
Slides shown during the announcement presentation revealed the iPads, iPhones and iPods that will be able to upgrade to iOS 10. But the official iOS 10 preview page told a different story. Devices that were previously absent from the support list -- such as 3rd generation iPad -- were suddenly listed as supporting iOS 10. Now Apple has changed its mind again, and updated the list once more.
Griffin PowerDock Pro Premium Charging Station now available
On my nightstand next to my bed, I have an iPad, Kindle Voyage and iPhone which I am often charging. While I like to keep a tidy and organized home, this ends up being a spaghetti-like mix of wires. With that said, I am sure there are people with many more devices than I, including families with multiple tablets. I shudder at the thought of all of the USB outlet adapters and cables everywhere.
Yes, it is a "first world problem", but a problem nonetheless. Today, Griffin begins shipping its elegant solution that could remedy this woe for many. You see, the PowerDock Pro Premium Charging Station will not only charge your devices, but more importantly, make it a tidy and attractive affair too.
Apple previews upcoming iOS 9.3 features for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch
If you want a very secure and feature-rich Unix-like mobile operating system, Apple's iOS is incredible. In fact, many forward thinking folks, like myself, envision a day where it becomes a desktop OS too, potentially replacing OS X. While iPad Pro is a good first step, the iOS operating system still has a long way to go in that regard.
Today, Apple announces the features for the upcoming iOS 9.3 -- currently in beta. While hardly revolutionary, this evolutionary upgrade is packed full of some really cool new things. It may even be able to help you sleep better. No, really; iOS 9.3 could improve your overall health and well-being.
Zune is dead
The writing has been on the wall for some time now, but Microsoft has today officially killed Zune. After nine years, the music service is no more, driven to the grave by the competition.
Zune players just never managed to fight off the iPod, and with smartphones taking on the role of music player in addition to everything else, it didn’t take long for Microsoft's player to become surplus to requirements. Microsoft is not learning from history, though; the company continues to try its hand at music with Groove.
Is iOS 9 adoption REALLY 50 percent?
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.
Apple iPod touch 6th Generation: A fun and powerful work of art [Review]
When Apple unveiled the first iPod, it was a game-changing moment. While not the first portable digital music player, it was the first to nail the interface and experience. Later models would feature the legendary click wheel and expand to photos and videos too.
With the release of the iPhone, however, the death of the traditional iPod was guaranteed, but it hung around longer than most expected. It was the iPod touch that was the obvious successor, as it not only played music, but ran iPhone apps too. Apple recently released the new 6th Generation iPod touch, and I've been testing it out. Is it the best iPod touch yet?
Apple Music won’t work with your iPod Nano or iPod Shuffle -- not even offline
Apple has made a few big announcements lately, not least of which is the launch of its streaming service, Apple Music. Even more recently came an update to the iPod line including options at the cheaper end of the scale -- the iPod Nano and iPod Shuffle. But if you were thinking about offsetting the cost of an Apple Music subscription with a low-cost iPod, you might want to think again.
Of course the main stumbling block to lack of Apple Music support is the absence of Wi-Fi on the two devices which knocks the idea of streaming on the head. But even if you have an iOS device with an Apple Music subscription, you'll not be able to take advantage of the offline listening option on your Shuffle or Nano. What gives?
Think the iPod is dead? Apple disagrees, revamps range with new colors, and 'best iPod touch yet'
There has been talk over the past few days that Apple was planning to release updated iPods, and today the rumors are proved correct. As well as a new lineup of colors for all iPod models, including space gray, silver, gold, pink and blue, Apple has unveiled what it’s calling "the best iPod touch yet".
The new iPod touch features the same A8 chip as in the iPhone 6, delivering 10x faster graphics performance, an 8 megapixel iSight rear camera, and improved FaceTime HD front camera for selfie lovers. Fitness tracking is improved too thanks to the inclusion of the M8 motion coprocessor.
DJs and music fans warned iTunes 12.2 could corrupt music libraries and add DRM
With the launch of Apple Music came a new version of iTunes. Apple's new streaming music service initially hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons thanks to Taylor Swift, and now it is the turn of iTunes. It's an app that many love to hate, and now there is another reason to dislike the music management tool.
It's not just runners with iPhone and iPod users looking for a musical accompaniment to their daily exercise who use iTunes to organize their music collection, it is also used by professionals. The software is used by DJs to keep their music collections in check, but anyone who relies on their music library might want to heed the warning of website Digital DJ Tips -- "Warning to DJs: Do not upgrade to iTunes 12.2!"
How to jailbreak iOS 8.4
With previous versions of iOS we have had to wait a while for a jailbreak to finally come out, but for iOS 8.4 one is already available. The TaiG team has moved extremely quickly to update its tool, releasing an updated version that supports iOS 8.4 shortly after Apple made it available to the public yesterday.
Apple has packed dozens of security fixes in the new version of the mobile operating system, but the TaiG team announced on Twitter that the exploit it uses to jailbreak iOS has not been patched.
How to jailbreak iOS 8.3
While iOS has become more permissive and powerful in recent years, there are still users who find the mobile operating system to be too limiting. There are few customizations one can make without running into Apple's barriers, but that can be easily fixed through jailbreaking.
Jailbreaks are usually available awhile after Apple releases a new iOS version, and in the case of iOS 8.3 the first jailbreaking tool, made by the TaiG team of modders, just arrived. Here is what you need to know about it.
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