Apple launched four new iPad commercials that respond to real tweets from real folks. The first (included below) is in response to a tweet about iPad not being a real computer. The second spot addresses a tweet about poor Wi-Fi. The third answers whether Microsoft Word is on the iPad (it is), and the fourth notes that iPads aren’t subject to PC viruses. The Twitter accounts are real (Tweet 1 account, Tweet 2, Tweet 3 account, Tweet 4), and The Verge reported that Apple contacted at least one of the tweeters before using their tweets. There’s almost zero chance Apple didn’t do so with all of them. But, Apple used actors to represent the Twitter account owners. It’s an interesting campaign. Some have already noted it’s reminiscent of Apple’s “Get a Mac” campaign. More interesting, though, is that this is the first time I can remember Apple addressing questions like these, especially in an ad. The company is also leveraging social media, an area that hasn’t typically been a strong suit for Apple. They’re not my favorite spots from Apple, but they’re solid. It will be interesting to see if this becomes a major campaign.
iPad
Photon Strike is a Fun Arcade Scroller for iOS
You may known of my penchant for tower defense games, but I also have a not-so-secret love for arcade scrollers. The good news for your time-sucking pleasure is that I found a new one called Photon Strike. It’s a solid vertical scroller for iPhone an iPad (I played on iPad) with good graphics and fast action. In fact, it’s very fast. It’s similar to others in the genre. You have to steer your ship (with your fingers), firing as long as your finger is on the screen. Waves of enemies fly around the screen, and you have to shoot/avoid them. Powerups are available throughout each level, and you get credits for each enemy you destroy for buying upgrades. It’s free to download, but for real-world cash, you can get yourself a whole heap of credits. You can also watch videos for free credits. Every five waves there’s a boss at the end. It’s ad-supported, but the ads go away with any purchase (the ads are not obnoxious). That said, this is the kind of game where I’m happy to pay to unlock ads to directly support the developer.
32-bit iPhone and iPad Apps Are on Death Row
Apple’s look-forward philosophy means 64-bit iPhone and iPad apps are the future and 32-bit apps are fading into the past. That means the day is coming where 32-bit apps that haven’t been updated to 64-bit will stop working, and if you don’t have a replacement app ready to go you’ll be out of luck.
Ebook Sales Take a Hit, Apple Watch Battery Band Patent - TMO Daily Observations 2017-02-02
Ebook sales are down, tablet and ebook reader sales are down, and there may be a correlation. Bryan Chaffin and John Martellaro join Jeff Gamet to look at the state of ebook sales, plus they weigh in on an Apple patent for an Apple Watch battery wristband.
Apple Profits, Mac Sales, and Fun with Apple's Cash Hoard - ACM 396
Apple turned in a record December quarter this week, and Bryan and Jeff look at the numbers. They also look at this one weird trick Apple did to goose Mac sales—the company released a new Mac. And for grins, they discuss some of the things Apple could do with the astounding $246 billion in cash the company has squirreled away.
Iconfactory Gets iPad Sketch Apps Right with Linea
The Iconfactory is jumping into the iPad sketch app market with its brand new Linea app, and based on our tests, it’s pretty cool. Linea is going for drawing and sketching, not digital painting, and it has the right tool set for the job. It comes with four pen tips an dan eraser tool, support for five layers, blending and transparency modes, graph paper grids, and one of my favorite features: tap a swatch on the color palette to see several shades for that color. It also includes Apple Pencil support and offers pretty flexible image export options. Linea is priced at US$9.99, and it’s one of the few sketching apps that gets to stay on my iPad Pro.
HBO Go Gets TV App, Single Sign On Support
HBO is finally going all in with Apple’s TV app thanks to a just released update for its HBO Go app. The new version adds TV support, just like the HBO Now app already had, so you can search for HBO content and keep track of what you’re watching in Apple’s app.
How To Fix The iPhone Rainbow Emoji Message Crash
Another messaging crash for iOS devices is making the rounds. This time, it involves the colorful rainbow emoji. The bug affects both iPhones and iPads running iOS 10.1 or below, but a variant of the crash can affect devices running iOS 10.2. Luckily the fix is very easy, and we’ll show you how.
Apple TV and Amazon Prime TV, iPad Rumors, Apple Departures - ACM 393
Nvidia is adding Amazon Prime TV to its Shield TV settop box, leaving Apple TV as one of the only devices that doesn’t support the #2 streaming service. Bryan and Jeff think Apple needs to fix this. They also look at some sketchy iPad rumors and talk about key departures from Apple’s executive ranks.
iOS 10: How to Prioritize Downloads
If you’ve ever been stuck waiting for an important app to download when you’re doing a bunch at once, then you need to know about iOS 10’s “Prioritize Download” feature. It’ll let you tell your iPhone or iPad to push the one you need to the front of the line, pronto!
How to Transfer Files Between Mac and iPhone With iTunes
There are multiple ways to share files between Apple devices. You can use AirDrop, iMessage or even email. But an oft-overlooked feature is iTunes File Transfer. Andrew Orr explains how to use this feature to transfer files between your iPhone and Mac.
Super Mario Run Available for iPhone and iPad
As promised, Super Mario Run for the iPhone and iPad launched on Apple’s App Store on Thursday. The game marks Mario’s first official appearance on Apple’s mobile devices and was first teased this fall, and if the hype is any indication productivity is going to take a serious hit for the rest of today.
TMO Background Mode: Interview with Co-Founder of Brydge Technologies Nicholas Smith
Brydge Technologies makes outstanding aluminum, color matched keyboards for most iPads. Co-founder Nicholas Smith took over the original, failing company founded on Kickstarter and breathed new life into it. That was in the form of an outstanding customer relationship and order fulfillment systems. In this episode I chat with Nick about how he turned the product around, moved his company, with 15 people, from SIngapore to Park City, Utah (more consumer focus), decided not to use Apple’s Smart Connector and flourished in a market that now embraces iPads with keyboards. Nick also talks about what prepared him for this kind of venture, his turn-around artistry, and his vision for keyboards on our beloved iPads. He also provides a glimpse of his next new keyboard project. Bonus: we talk about skiing.
iOS 10: Deleting Previous Handwritten Messages
If you haven’t tried out iOS 10’s new handwriting mode in Messages, you’re gonna want to check out today’s Quick Tip. We’ll cover not only how to use this feature but how to erase the (potentially embarrassing) things you’ve drawn!
Understanding 'Press Home to Open' and 'Press Home to Unlock' in iOS 10
iOS 10 kills the famous “slide to unlock” and introduces a whole new way of accessing your iPhone. Here’s how Raise to Wake, TouchID, and the lock screen all now work, and how you can (mostly) change it back to the old unlock method if you want.
Apple's Swift Playgrounds for iPad Hits the App Store
Apple released Swift Playgrounds for iPad along side iOS 10 on Tuesday, giving us the tablet-based developer learning tool first shown off earlier this year at the company’s Worldwide Developer Conference. The app teaches coding skills without needing any prior experience.
The iPad Pro 9.7-inch Keyboard Case for Road Warriors
In a perfect world, Dr. Mac says he’d ditch his laptop and hit the road with just a svelte 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Two recent events make it possible; find out more in Dr. Mac’s Rants & Raves #189: The iPad Pro 9.7-inch Keyboard Case for Road Warriors
iOS Messages: Leaving Group Conversations
This Quick Tip is all about a neat Messages feature called “Leave this Conversation.” Melissa Holt will discuss why you need it and why you might not be able to use it in certain situations.
iPad Pro 9.7-inch vs. iPad Air 2
Dr. Mac’s has been running an iPad Pro 9.7-inch and an iPad Air 2 side-by-side for the past month. Wanna know which one he’d buy?
iOS: Fixing Color Casts on Pictures
If you’ve never played around with the photo-editing tools available on your iPad or iPhone, you really should check them out! Today’s Quick Tip is about one of the easiest to use. We’ll talk about how you can adjust for unwanted color cast in your images, so you can make ’em cooler and warmer as needed!
3 Great iPhone Apps for Learning about Juno and Jupiter
NASA’s Juno probe spent five years traveling to Jupiter, and on July 4th it safely arrived and slid into orbit. That means we’ll have loads of new information about the gas giant soon, and thanks to our iPhones and iPads, we can stay on top of the latest discoveries. The Mac Observer put together a few apps for your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch so you can find out more about the mission, get the latest Juno news, and learn about Jupiter and the Juno probe, too.