Apple updated its HomeKit page with a fresh, new look. It includes a brief video that shows the power of HomeKit automation with iOS 10. Examples in the video include lights, window shades, coffee makers, door locks and thermostats. Apple also has several sections that give details of different areas of the Home app.
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Improve Your iPhone Screen With ProtectPax Liquid on Indiegogo [Update]
A company called ProtectPax is crowdfunding a special liquid that can strengthen your iPhone screen. It’s a goo made with titanium nanoparticles, and ProtectPax says it can make your iPhone screen as “hard as sapphire or ruby.” Andrew Orr explains what the company is offering on Indiegogo.
Appellate Court Rules Smartflash Patents Invalid, Saving Apple $533 Million
Apple won a significant victory in court this week in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. That court ruled three patents owned by Smartflash LLC were invalid, according to Reuters, a ruling that saves Apple US$532.9 million by negating a damage award.
Be More Productive: Try a Different Keyboard
Last week Dr. Mac showed you how you could improve your typing skills for free at www.typingtest.com. But that’s only half the story. He also types significantly faster on his third-party keyboard than any keyboard Apple has made in the last decade…
iOS 10 Spying Possible With iCloud Backups
A scary piece from Motherboard brings to attention a tool for iOS 10 spying. A company called Mobistealth sells a special monitoring tool that can pull data from iCloud backups. And the device doesn’t need to be jailbroken to work.
Apple's System Status Page Updated With Last Known Outages
Whenever Apple’s online services go down, the company provides basic information on its System Status page. In the past it just gave information on which service was down, with a brief timeline of the outage. Now, Apple updated the page to replace the timeline with something better.
YouTube Is Taking A Step Into the Live TV Business
If you’re frustrated with your cable or satellite service’s huge bundle (and cost), but want the convenience of a DVR, you’re about to have another option. Google just announced YouTube TV, a live TV service that will include all-you-can-eat DVR storage and more.
Get Your Photography Airborne With ROVA, the Flying Selfie Camera
If you’re tired of selfie sticks and other gimmicks, here’s a cool alternative. A tech startup from Sydney, Australia, The IoT Group, a has just announced ROVA. This is flying selfie camera that you control from your iPhone.
9 New Facts about Apple Park
We learned some new factoids about Apple Park—formerly known as Apple Campus 2.0—courtesy of The San Jose Mercury News. In coverage to the South Bay Transportation Officials Association, Cupertino public works director Timm Borden and senior civil engineer David Stillman offered up nine things I didn’t know about Apple Park.
Apple gets the Upper Hand on Qualcomm Thanks to Intel's CDMA Chips
Now that Intel is making cell phone radio chips that support CDMA as well as GSM, Apple can source more than just Qualcomm for CDMA-compatible iPhones. That doesn’t, however, mean Qualcomm is about to lose its Apple contract. Instead, Apple has two suppliers it can rely on.
AT&T Revamps Unlimited Data Plans with Tethering, Lower Prices
AT&T didn’t waste any time revamping its brand new unlimited data plans for the iPhone and other smartphones. Starting on March 2, AT&T’s new plans get a price drop and add tethering, but there are some catches.
iPhone Screen Repairs By Third Parties Now Get Some Warranty Coverage
Apple recently decided iPhone screen repairs by third-parties don’t fully void your warranty anymore. Affected iPhone will also qualify for warranty coverage as long as the repair isn’t related to the third-party display itself. Before, iPhones with third-party displays weren’t eligible for authorized repair under warranty from an Apple Authorized Service Provider.
iTunes Remote App gets Two-Factor Authentication Support
Apple released a new update for the iPhone and iPad iTunes Remote app on Thursday that adds two-factor authentication support when signing in to Home Sharing. The 4.3.1 update enhances security when remote controlling iTunes on our Macs because who decides which songs we listen to is seriously important.
New Mac Ransomware Leaves Your Files Permanently Encrypted
Mac users hoping to score Adobe Premiere Pro CC and Microsoft Office for free through BitTorrent sites are in for an ugly surprise thanks to a new ransomware making the rounds. The ransomware, called OSX/Filecoder.E, encrypts the contents of victim’s hard drives and demands payment in Bitcoin, but there isn’t any way to actually decrypt and recover files.
Acoustic Imaging and iPhone 8: Can You Hear My Fingerprint?
Rumors about the iPhone 8 are flying faster than snowflakes in a blizzard. Speculation about the new device using iris scanning, facial recognition, or something completely different abounds. In a recent patent filing, Jeff Butts has uncovered another possibility: acoustic imaging systems. In other words, the iPhone 8 might end up “listening” for your fingerprint. Let’s see how it might work.
New Apple Campus, Dubbed Apple Park, Opens in April
Apple Park, the official name for Apple’s new spaceship campus, is set to open for employees in April. The campus will hold 12,000 employees, and the on-location theater has been named the Steve Jobs Theater.
Be More Productive by Typing Faster
“If you’re not typing at least 40 words per minute, you’re wasting time. Possibly the easiest way to get more done in less time is to become a better typist.” Dr. Mac’s been saying it for nearly 30 years. Here’s why…
Apple Releases Logic Pro X 10.3.1 with Security Fix, Improved Regions and iOS GarageBand Support
Apple released Logic Pro X 10.3.1 Tuesday. The update includes a security fix for maliciously crafted GarageBand files. It also improves the way regions perform, edits, and the ability to share 44.1kHz projects to GarageBand for iOS.
Apple Takes Us on iPhone 7 'One Night' Tours of NYC, Johannesburg, Shanghai, Tokyo
Apple launched five new commercials through its YouTube channel Tuesday. Four of them are part of the “Shot on iPhone” series and take us on “One Night” tours of New York City, Johannesburg, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Each commercial is comprised of stills and videos from their respective cities, theoretically taken over one night.
Apple Watch 3 Shipping in Fall, Switching to Glass-film Touch Surface
Apple is reportedly planning to ship the third generation Apple Watch this fall, and it’s getting a new touch surface. This year’s model will launch with a glass-film touch panel instead of the touch on lens technology Apple currently uses in Apple Watch Series 2.
Apple Remote Desktop Updated with Touch Bar Support
Apple updated Apple Remote Desktop to version 3.9 Tuesday. The update adds support for the Mac Book Pro’s Touch Bar. It also features the ability to export computer lists and beefs up security.
Apple Using PrimeSense Tech for iPhone 8 3D Front Facing Camera
iPhone 8 rumors are pretty much a daily thing now and the latest says the smartphone’s front facing camera will include 3D sensing for facial recognition. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo told investors the camera system will be “revolutionary” thanks to the motion tracking and depth-sensing technology it scored from PrimeSense.
Rumors about March Apple Event for iPhone SE and iPads Get Serious
Rumors about an Apple media event in March got serious this week with a story from Japanese site Mac Otakara. According to the story, Apple will hold a media event in March—in keeping with last year—where the company will introduce a new iPhone SE and new iPad models.
Game of Thrones 'A Dance with Dragons' iBooks Enhanced Edition on Preorder
Apple’s iBooks Store added the Enhanced Edition of George R.R. Martin’s A Dance with Dragons over the weekend. It will ship on March 30th, and includes new artwork, an expanded glossary, more information about the houses, maps, and more.