How to recover trashed files on a Mac
Have
you dumped an important file you meant to keep? Did you change a file
and then save it when you didn't intend to? Don't worry: there are
techniques and software tools that are able to recover trashed or
altered files if this occurs.
If you've trashed a file and then
realized you need it, you can recover it if you haven't emptied the
Trash. Just open the Trash folder and drag it out. If you've emptied the
Trash and are using Time Machine to make regular backups, switch to the
Finder, then open Time Machine, and use the arrows at the bottom-right
of the screen to "go back" to a point when you know you had the file.
Locate
the file, click on it, and hit Restore. For other backup software,
refer to its manual to find out how to recover a file. Not running
regular backups? Set up a regular schedule now. At least two: both on
and off-site.
It isn't time to panic yet. Trashed files aren't
deleted from your drive, but their entry in the directory is removed and
the space made available to be overwritten. As soon as you realize you
need the trashed file, stop using your Mac for anything that's not
necessary to recover the file.
Help is at hand
There are a number of software tools that can help recover trashed files.
ProSoft's Data Rescue is one;
Clever Files' Disk Drill
is another. Both apps have free demo versions that allow you to scan a
drive for trashed files. If neither tool can find your file, the next
step is to take your Mac to a specialized data recovery firm. (Warning:
this may be expensive.)
If the document hasn't been trashed but
has been changed and you need an earlier version, OS X's Versions
feature may be able to help. The app you use to work on the document
must support it, though.
With the current version open, click on
the File menu, then go to "Revert to" and select "Browse all versions."
Use the checkmarks on the right to navigate to the version you want, and
click "Restore." Or, hold down the Option key and hit "Restore a Copy"
to open the old version in a new document.
Read More ...
PayPal is about to help Apple Pay take over
PayPal is a handy tool for buyers and sellers, but it could also now help bring
Apple Pay support to more businesses.
Its
PayPal Here card reader is designed as a cheap way for small or
seasonal businesses to take payments on the go, as there are no monthly
fees attached to it. The only other hardware that's needed is a
smartphone or tablet with the PayPal Here app.
Version one of the
card reader has been around for a while, supporting swipe and
chip-and-PIN payments, but version two has arrived adding NFC support
for contactless payments, including Apple Pay.
Apple Pay for everyone
You can already use Apple Pay in thousands of stores (
anywhere with a contactless reader
in fact) but with an affordable option like PayPal Here that number
could grow substantially and move beyond major chains, allowing
potentially any business to accept Apple Pay.
Of course, being
contactless, it doesn't just accept Apple Pay. You can also use it with
Visa, Maestro and MasterCard credit and debit cards and there's every
chance that it will support
Android Pay once that launches.
With
big names like Apple supporting contactless at one end and the likes of
PayPal helping sellers get contactless readers in their hands at the
other, we could be on the cusp of NFC payments really taking off.
Read More ...
Huawei Watch finally looks ready to launch
Huawei entered the smartwatch game back at Mobile World Congress in March - or at least it announced its intention to.
One of the main highlights of the Chinese manufacturer's press conference was the announcement of the
Huawei Watch, but the caveat was that it wouldn't be coming soon.
However, one of
Huawei's US sites now states, "It's right around the corner" with a picture of the Huawei Watch right next to it.
Are we there yet?
You
can throw your email address into the box on the site to get updates on
when it'll be coming. The wearable has already passed FCC certification
so it's likely the watch is launching very soon.
As for the rest
of the world, we don't know exactly when it'll be launching. We've put
our feelers out to try and find out when the watch is landing.
Read More ...
Updated: OnePlus 2 release date, news and features
OnePlus 2 release date, news and features
OnePlus 2 launched today, so if you're still carrying that 15-month-old
OnePlus One phone around and haven't sought a new invite, you're officially violating the company's "Never Settle" motto.
The
good news is that the OnePlus phone makes some significant improvements
to the specs while keeping the OnePlus 2 price relatively low.
It
features a better everything, from the display on the front, to the
camera in the back and to the internal chips in between. OnePlus has
what it boldly calls a "2016 flagship killer."
Even
the OnePlus 2 invite system has been improved, with the company
promising to fulfill demand even more quickly than before. It's just a
matter of time before you're able to upgrade.
Although the company has already tipped a
OnePlus 3, or some iterative update,
by Christmas, it's safe to say that this is the Chinese manufacturer's next big smartphone, in more ways than one.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? The Chinese firm's next cut-price flagship smartphone
- When is it out? August 11 is the official release date, except in North America
- What will it cost? $329 (£239) 16GB, $389 (£289) for 64GB
OnePlus 2 release date
The 5.5-inch OnePlus 2 with 64GB begins rolling out to phablet-sized hands on August 11 in the UK, Europe and India. It's
delayed in the US until late August and comes to Malaysia Indonesia and Singapore later this year.
The
entry-level 16GB model model is also slated to ship later this year,
too, and while it's cheaper, it comes with less internal storage and 3GB
of RAM instead of 4GB of RAM. It's not the Android that early adopters
have been looking for anyway.
Of
course, even if you're in the UK, Europe or India, whether or not you
get one on day one depends on your place in a virtual line. This phone
is going to be in high demand, just like the original OnePlus One.
The
Chinese manufacturer is using an invite system and friend-referral
approach like it did before, but says it's more confident about getting
more phones to more people this time around.
OnePlus 2 price
OnePlus
One was novel because it offered high-end specs on a budget, and while
the OnePlus 2 price is higher than its predecessor, it's still
relatively cheap.
It
starts at $329 (£239) for the 16GB version, while the more desirable
64GB option costs $389 (£289). The latter is really the one you want to
go for.
That contrasts with last year's phone that now costs $250
(£180) for the 16GB, and $300 (about £219) for the 64GB configurations.
It's still far cheaper than a similarly sized 5.5-inch
iPhone 6 Plus at $750 (£619) and 5.1-inch
Samsung Galaxy S6 at $600 (£560).
OnePlus 2 specs
There's
certainly more here for the extra money. While the OnePlus 2 sticks
with a 5.5-inch LCD display at 1080p, it's brighter than before, and
that matters.
Seeing
a phone's screen sunlit conditions outweighs the need for a 4K
resolution, any sunny day. And, really, 401 pixels per inch is enough
for most smartphone buyers on a budget.
OnePlus is a little bit
thicker than before, but reduces the bezel just a tad, too, for a
shorter length and width. Its dimensions are 74.9 x 151.8 x 9.85mm and
it now weighs a heavier 175g instead of 162g.
That's okay, because
what's sandwiched in the middle of this meaty smartphone is a faster
processor, two slots for nano SIM cards, a bigger battery and a better
camera.
OnePlus
2 uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor that's been tweaked in order
to overcome the overheating issues we experienced in the
LG G Flex 2. The results await our final review.
The
octa-core CPU runs at 1.8GHz and has a high memory ceiling with 4GB of
RAM if you opt for the phone with 64GB of internal storage. The 16GB
version has just 3GB of RAM. Both versions have a Adreno 430 GPU running
graphics duty.
There's no microSD card slot here again and the phone new
lacks an NFC chip. NFC is just "not as widespread as originally thought," said to a OnePlus spokesperson to TechRadar.
However,
the OnePlus 2 does feature dual nano SIM support, which is handy for
frequent travelers or anyone who has two numbers (business people, drug
dealers, etc).
The
most interesting addition is the new USB Type C port and charger that
gives the OnePlus 2 a reversible USB input and included cable.
Warning,
it's going to make all of your existing micro USB chargers
incompatible. The phone does come with an adapter, but you'll likely
lose it in a jiffy.
New MacBook owners can attest to this.
OnePlus 2 design and software
You
can get the OnePlus 2 in any color as long as it's Sandstone Black.
That shouldn't stop you from adding one of the stylish new covers after
the fact, however.
Swappable OnePlus one backs include Bamboo,
Black Apricot, Rosewood and Kevlar. They'll cost an affordable $26.99
(about £17, AU$37) through the official OnePlus website.
While the
new OnePlus is thicker in 2015, it does sport a more premium design by
the way of an aluminum-magnesium alloy frame. You'll also find polished
stainless steel accents line the LCD screen.
All of a sudden, the new
Moto X Style and Motorola's Moto Maker website has a metal-framed smartphone with customizable backs to defend against.
OnePlus
2 also has the benefit of launching with the Android 5.1-based OxygenOS
operating system, which the company touts as a "refreshing" take on the
pure Android experience.
Expect subtle customizations, the
return of screen gestures and apps you can configure to your liking.
It's supposed to be lighter and more refined this time around.
There's
a lot going on with the upgrade to OnePlus 2. Improved internal specs, a
sturdier design and an easier-to-see display are key features that
await the first users on August 11. That is, if they are lucky enough to
snag a coveted OnePlus 2 invite.
OnePlus One impressed us by
seemingly coming out of nowhere, so it'll be interesting to see if the
Chinese phone maker has a sophomore hit on its hands, at least until we
try the mysterious
OnePlus 3.
Read More ...
Samsung just confirmed the Galaxy S6 Edge+, and this is what it looks like
Oops. Samsung has just slipped up with its French division
posting pre-registration details online for the much rumoured
Galaxy S6 Edge+. Or perhaps it's a cleverly orchestrated leak to whip up interest.
Either
way, the cat appears to be out of the bag now, with the site clearly
stating the Galaxy S6 Edge+ name with a shot of the handset alongside a
pair of Samsung Level headphones.
The site also gives up a
possible release date for the handset, citing pre-orders will open on
August 21 with a probable Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ release date pegged
for September 3 (that's when pre-orders close).
Change up the Edge
A
separate leak has shed more light on new possible edge features for the
handset too, after a series of images were picked up by
Phone-probe.
According
to the press shots it appears users of the Galaxy S6 Edge+ will be able
to get a column of apps as well as top contacts on their edge screen.
It's hardly game changing news, and we hope Samsung will have a few more tricks up its sleeve during its August 13 event.
Read More ...
Going beyond data scientists: What is machine teaching?
Introduction and artificial intelligence
Machines
that can learn and adapt marks a massive step forward for computing,
but who's teaching them? Computer systems only get smarter when they get
data – from where and from whom they get that data is critical.
Machine learning
researchers have so far focused on how they can build better, faster
and more precise algorithms, but what do data scientists and computer
programmers know about the world? What machines really need is to be
trained by experts in every field of human endeavour.
What is machine learning?
Machine
learning is essentially all about getting computers to take the
initiative without input from humans. They do this by statistical
learning after identifying patterns in data.
While the basic idea of
machine learning
is very simple, its execution is complicated. "Thanks to machine
learning, your email inbox is mostly free of spam and other unwanted
email, and your smartphone can constantly improve its understanding of
what your personal needs are based on what you say and do," writes
Microsoft, also citing the real-time voice translation found in the
upcoming Skype Translator and Cortana, and even
Bing.
"In
essence, machine learning runs through various possible actions and
predicts which action will be most successful based on the collected
information," says Dr Kevin Curran,
IEEE
Technical Expert. "Of course, the computer can only solve problems it
is programmed to solve as it does not have any generalised analytical
ability."
Artificial intelligence
Everyday
examples of machine learning include search engines ranking web pages,
your smartphone producing a map of where you've been using geo-tag data
from the photos you've taken, automated spam filters, spell correction
in word processing software, face recognition in cameras, speech
recognition by all virtual personal assistants, and all kinds of
recommendations while shopping, browsing the web or streaming music or
movies. Its next destination is the
connected car.
"Machine
learning has become a hot area within computer science in recent
years," says Curran, who name-checks autopilot and the magnificent
gyroscope ability of Segways as places where machine learning algorithms
are running. "In fact, many large computing giants are spending on big
salaries to attract those with machine learning experience."
When ML goes wrong
But machine learning – a form of
artificial intelligence
– does not always work. Take Uber, which has an algorithm that responds
to high demand by raising the price. That makes perfect business sense
under normal conditions, but is
quadrupling the price of a taxi during a siege really the kind of thing a human-run business – aware of the public relations implications – would ever do?
Uber's
algorithm, and hundreds like it, needs some human-like morality in the
form of a specific model that relates to real-world scenarios, not just
the basic number-crunching of a data scientist. Ditto Siri's habit of
relying only on keywords, thus replying to calls for help with alcohol
and gambling with details of nearby off-licences and casinos. A business
knowingly doing that would be called psychotic.
Machine teaching
The next phase
In a
video
posted in July, Microsoft Research described its efforts to help people
without a machine learning background to teach their systems to learn
from experience. "No one has really built a machine learning tool for
the layman," said Patrice Simard, Distinguished Engineer and a Deputy
Managing Director at Microsoft Research, who is leading a new
machine teaching research project. His aim is to make the process of training a machine 'easy, fast and universally accessible'.
"Surprisingly,
machine teaching is neglected by ML practitioners both in the academic
and the industrial communities," says Simard, who calls machine teaching
a 'paradigm shift'.
What is machine teaching?
Machine learning's in-tray is bulging. So good is
machine learning,
goes the argument, that there are not enough people with machine
learning expertise to work on such projects. Machine teaching is a
specialised subset of machine learning that attempts to find an optimal
training set given a machine learning algorithm and a target model. Say
what? "Machine learning is where software algorithms 'learn' to
typically 'classify' data in an 'intelligent' form," says Curran.
What is Azure Machine Learning?
Stuffed with tried-and-tested algorithms,
Microsoft's Azure ML
is designed exclusively for data scientists to use, largely to save
time on repetitive tasks. The goal is to produce a machine learning
model quickly, and to host it in the cloud for easy accessibility. Niche
industry will benefit. For example, with over 400 possible errors,
ThyssenKrupp's 1.1 million lifts/elevators are tricky to diagnose and
fix, so they feed data into an intelligent information loop created
using Azure ML that displays real-time performance on an online
dashboard, and tells its technicians how to fix them. At its best, it's
predictive, and even pre-emptive.
Machine learning for the masses?
It's
time for data scientists and machine learning experts to get out of the
way. Microsoft Research wants to widen the field of people who can
create, teach and maintain computer models. "Normal non-techies could
potentially be 'teaching' machines in the near future, but the reality
is more likely that they will be using bespoke highly tailored niche
computer applications which are tailored to certain vertical markets
that help these people 'teach' machines," says Curran. That still means
capturing the as yet untapped 'analogue' expertise of millions of
high-levels experts, academics, and others.
How important is Microsoft's involvement?
At
present, machine learning is in the hands of Google. That's hardly
surprising since language, speech, translation, and visual processing –
an evolving search engine's bread and butter – all rely on it. Many of
the leading AI and machine learning researchers work for Google. "This
effort by Microsoft is to be welcomed," says Curran. "Entry into the
field of machine learning is not trivial, and tools to make it easier
for non-experts to adopt machine learning should be welcomed – but the
research is only in its infancy."
Read More ...
The first digital map of the ocean floor has been created
We
know less about the bottom of our oceans, the saying goes, than we know
about the surface of the Moon. But the first map of the Earth's
seafloor in 40 years, and the first one to be digitised, reveals
unprecedented new levels of detail.
A team from the University of
Sydney used 15,000 samples taken by cruise ships over the last half
century to construct a clear picture of the geology of the sea floor
around the globe. A sophisticated algorithm was used to turn those point
observations into a continuous digital map.
Much Richer
"In
order to understand environmental change in the oceans we need to
better understand what is preserved in the geological record in the
seabed,"
said
lead researcher Adriana Dutkiewicz. "Our research opens the door to
future marine research voyages aimed at better understanding the
workings and history of the marine carbon cycle."
One of biggest
changes since the last map was in the oceans around Australia. "The old
map suggests much of the Southern Ocean around Australia is mainly
covered by clay blown off the continent, whereas our map shows this area
is actually a complex patchwork of microfossil remains," said
Dutkiewicz. "Life in the Southern Ocean is much richer than previously
thought."
If you'd like to explore the seabed yourself, you can take a poke around an interactive version of the map right
here.
Alternatively, you can read the paper describing how the map was put
together, which was published in the journal Geology, right
here.
Read More ...
iPhone 6C will launch with iPhone 6S this September, says source
A
wise person once said, as long as the world is turning there will
always be a new iPhone release. This year, it looks like we'll be
treated to three.
Famed Twitter leaked
Evan Blass has spilled on the
iPhone 6C release. He wrote on Twitter, "Sounds like iPhone 6s, 6s Plus, and 6c will all arrive concurrently."
The rumour right now is that the big event will be held on
September 9, where we'll see the
iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.
Let's hope it's actually cheap this time
Obviously
this isn't definite - Blass has been wrong before – but he's usually
pretty spot on with his leaking so we don't really have much reason to
doubt him.
Rumours for the new cheaper phone are thin on the
ground so we don't exactly know what to expect. We're hoping for Touch
ID, more storage and improved battery life.
We weren't the biggest fans of the
iPhone 5C though, mostly down to the quite high price tag for a cheap phone. Let's hope that changes this time.
Read More ...
W is for WTF: Bing is trolling Google's Alphabet
By now, you've probably heard the news that Google has a new parent company called
Alphabet. And like some of us, your initial reaction was probably "is this a joke?".
Google's
big restructuring left some people scratching their heads, while others
have been poking fun - including Microsoft, it appears.
When you
type in abc.wtf (rather than the correct Alphabet URL abc.xyz) you'll be
redirected to Redmond's search engine, Bing. As some people on Twitter
have pointed out, it also works with abc.fail.
Shots fired. We've contacted Microsoft to confirm this is a deliberate joke and not just a bizarre coincidence.
What is Alphabet? Google's new parent company explained
Read More ...
UPDATED: Apple Watch price range breakdown: How much does it cost?
Apple Watch price range
Our
Apple Watch review tells you everything about this iPhone-tailored smartwatch, but with 38 different
Apple Watch bands, it's hard to remember which watch costs how much.
Its
price was first announced last year to be "starting at $349," and we
had a feeling that it wasn't going to be cheap when fully unveiled six
months later. Sure enough, the sticker shock peaked at $17,000.
Even at its base level, this iPhone-tailored smartwatch is pricier than Google's most expensive watch, the
LG Watch Urbane, according to our
Apple Watch vs Android Wear comparison.
Already knowing that, you're probably now focused on: "How much does the Watch I
really
want cost?" That's why we broke down the Apple Watch price, from the
$349 (£299, AU$499) Sport Edition to the $17,000 (£13,500, AU$24,000)
gold Apple Watch Edition, in this handy guide.
Apple Watch Sport price with Sport Band
The
entry-level Apple Watch is the Sport model with a aluminum case, Ion-X
glass over the display and and rubber-like fluoroelastomer band.
It
costs $349 (£299, AU$499) for the 38mm size (measured by height), and a
little more at $399 (£339, AU$579) for the 42mm size. There are five
colors and, with the two sizes, ten models to chose from.
Due to its attractive price, it fetched the most
Apple Watch sales, according to the early estimates.
Buying
the Sport Band alone costs $49 (£39, AU$79), according to the Apple
Store, just in case you want to switch colors, or had opted for a
leather strap and wanted to retreat to this waterproof band sometimes,
like at a sweat-filled gym.
Colors include white, blue, green and
pink for the bands with a silver casing. There's also one
almost-all-black version; it's black band and a unique space gray
casing.
Apple Watch price with Sport Band
The
stainless steel Apple Watch, in its "cheapest" form, also comes with a
gym-friendly fluoroelastomer Sport Band. Its price is bumped up
considerably, though.
It costs $549 (£479, AU$799) for the 38mm
size and $599 (£519, AU$879) for the 42mm size, a higher price because
it replaces aluminum with stainless steel case and adds sapphire glass.
Since
the Sport Band itself is no different, other colors can be had for the
same $49 (£39, AU$79) price as the previous Sport Band.
Colors
with this Apple Watch out-of-the-box, however, are limited to white and
black bands, and both models feature a silver stainless steel case.
Apple Watch price with Classic Buckle
The
Apple Watch with a no-frills Classic Buckle doesn't come cheap, even
though it has a stainless steel closure that's as simple as can be.
It
costs $649 (£559, AU$949) for the 38mm size and $699 (£599, AU$1029)
for the 42mm size on account of its leather build. Apple proclaims it
has been milled in a famous tannery in the Netherlands.
Apart from the watch, the Classic Buckle is going to be sold through the Apple Store for $149 (£129, AU$229).
In the words of Henry Ford, you can have any color you want, as long as it's black. Again, a no-frills option from end to end.
Apple Watch price with Milanese Loop
The
Milanese Loop really classes up the Apple Watch with a woven smooth
stainless steel mesh and a magnetic, infinitely adjustable clasp.
It
costs $649 (£559, AU$949) for the 38mm size and $699 (£599, AU$1,029)
for the 42mm, matching the price of the classic buckle, but beating it
on style.
Separately, the Milanese Loop costs $149 (£129, AU$229).
It may be a good down-the-road purchase for date nights if you
initially end up with the Sport Band out-of-the-box.
It comes in one color too, silver stainless steel, which matches the glossy silver Apple Watch case.
Apple Watch with Leather Loop
The
Leather Loop for where the Apple Watch gets bolder with new colors, but
also gets even pricier. Its leather is milled in Italy, and its magnets
are hidden in the leather loop ends.
Apple is asking for $700
(£559, AU$1,029) for the watch case and Leather Loop that is only
available with the 42mm watch size. That's okay with us, as the
Apple Watch battery life lasts longer in the bigger size.
Its
Apple Watch band
comes in medium and large lengths and is sold separately for $149
(£129, AU$229), so it should fit the wrist of anyone who is willing to
don the larger Apple Watch.
Colors consist of stone, light brown, bright blue and black.
Apple Watch price with Modern Buckle
Being
modern is what Apple Watch is all about, so this top-grain leather band
comes together with a two-piece magnetic closure that looks like one
solid buckle.
At $749 (£649, AU$1,099), you may be modern, but
this watch and band may cost you your paycheck and future paychecks. It
only comes with the smaller 38mm stainless steel case.
It's also
expensive apart from the watch, with a band-only price of $249 (£209,
AU$379), making it the most expensive leather band available separately.
Colors are soft pink, brown, midnight blue and black, each with a stainless steel clasp that matches the Apple Watch casing.
Apple Watch price with Link Bracelet
How much for that all-metal Link Bracelet, you ask? A lot because it has more than 100 components in the band alone.
It's
$949 (£819, AU$1,399) for the 38mm size and $999 (£859, AU$1,479) for
the 42mm size. Apple says that it takes nearly nine hours to cut the
links for a single strap. Maybe Foxconn isn't making this one.
The
Link Bracelet in space gray black stainless steel brings the price to
$1,049 (£899, AU$1,549) and $1,099 (£949, AU$1,629) for the two sizes.
The
Link Bracelet alone in silver stainless steel costs $449 (£379,
AU$679), which is more money than the entry-level Apple Watch Sport with
the rubber Sport Band.
It comes in two colors with the Apple
Watch, stainless steel and space black stainless steel, though only the
normal stainless steel version is available as a separate band so far.
Apple Watch Edition price (low-end)
Is money no object? Then you may be one of the few
VIPs
willing to flaunt the limited-edition Apple Watch Edition that is made
of 18-karat gold. It comes in eight extravagantly priced models.
The
"cheapest" are the 38mm Apple Watch Editions with an rose gold case and
White Sport Band, and the yellow gold case with a Black Sport Band at
$10,000 (£8,000, AU$14,000).
The 42mm equivalents of these two
color configurations are $12,000 (£9,500 AU$17,000). Yes, adding just
four extra millimeters increases the price by that much.
A new
rose gold color for
iPhone 6S and
iPhone 6S Plus
is rumored for September, just in case you want to match. Though, the
actual metal may still be aluminum instead of real gold for the new
phone.
Even Apple employees have to fork over a lot of money for the gold Apple Watch Edition. While
they get half off on the Sport and stainless steel Watch, their discount is just $550 (about £370, AU$715) here.
Apple Watch Edition price (high-end)
Apple
Watch Edition doesn't stop there, however. At $15,000 (£12,000,
AU$21,000) is the 42mm yellow gold case with a Black Classic Buckle and
42mm yellow gold case with a Midnight Blue Classic Buckle.
There's
no 38mm. It's go big or go home (to your mansion). Instead, if you want
something smaller, you'll have to opt for the more expensive Modern
Buckle at that size, and it breaks the bank even more.
At an
unbelievable $17,000 (£13,500, AU$24,000) is the 18-karat rose gold case
and rose gray modern buckle, and the same case with a bright red modern
buckle. Its Apple extravagance at its peak.
For good reason, none
of the Apple Watch Edition bands are available separately in the Apple
Store and, word is, they may be locked up in a safe every night.
Apple Watch accessory: Magnetic Charger price
A
magnetic charger come with every order, but if you want an extra one,
the online Apple Store is selling it separately along with
Apple Watch bands in its store.
The
accessory comes in two sizes, much like the many watch configurations.
There's a 1m cable for $29 (£25, AU$45) and a longer 2m cable for $39
(£29, AU$59).
Having an extra one around (or two) isn't a bad idea
for a backpack, the office, your car or a loved one's residence. After
all, that 18 hours means Apple Watch needs to charge nightly, no matter
where you end up up at night.
Apple Watch requirement: Newer iPhone
Apple
Watch won't work without a newer iPhone, and Apple states this on its
website on just about every page. Some people, regardless, are still
going to complain that they didn't know.
This may add to your end price, as the smartwatch requires the
iPhone 5 or later, meaning the
iPhone 5S,
iPhone 5C,
iPhone 6 and
iPhone 6 Plus are all good to go.
This makes a lot of sense. These are the same strict requirements of the company's ongoing
Apple CarPlay project, even though
iOS 9 still works with devices as far back as the iPhone 4S.
Needless to say, the next
iPhone 7, expected in September, will work with the Apple Watch and may even support new features.
Apple Watch requirement: iOS 8.2
Also an Apple Watch requirement is
iOS 8.2
or later. Conveniently, this update launched at the same time Tim Cook
announced the smartwatch price, and we're already up to iOS 8.4 and iOS 9
beta.
You can't get away without it because Apple's smartwatch
uses a container app to function and manage settings and watch apps.
This is the same setup used by
Android Wear watches and the forthcoming
Pebble Time and
Pebble Time Steel.
The good news is that the even-more-stable iOS 8.4 update with
Apple Music is out and it's free of charge. It won't cost you any extra and there's no nagging wait.
Apple Watch price wrap-up
Apple
Watch, depending on the configuration, is the company's most pricey
gadget. That's why I am opting for the cheapest variant.
My
choice, the Apple Watch Sport, has a duller aluminum finish and a
rubber-like band, but it starts at $349 (£299, AU$499). And, I can add
to the bands from there, say, if I one day buy the slick-looking
Milanese Loop.
More than anything, though, I know that the Apple Watch that I received on the April 24 release date is going to be dated soon.
Apple may not introduce the
Apple Watch 2
for several months (it's not Samsung, after all) or even a full year,
but eventually it'll upgrade its smartwatch and I'll be glad I bought
the cheapest one.
More Apple Watch coverage
There's a lot more to explore as now that we're in the Apple Watch launch window. We have already fully tested it for our
final review.
We also dove deeper into the design choices with our look at all of the
Apple Watch bands, spotlighting each collection, the build quality and the
watch faces.
On the same day that Apple Watch began taking pre-orders, the company started selling its
new MacBook 2015 with an even thinner and lighter design, a 12-inch display and similarly expensive price.
You're
going to pay a premium for the Apple Watch at any level, but if you're
on the fence, know that it will close the gap between essential and
extravagant this fall when its
Watch OS 2 arrives this fall.
The new software update was previewed alongside
iOS 9 at WWDC 2015, and opens up the door to better apps on the wrist. If that's not enough for you, start saving up for
Apple Watch 2 instead.
Read More ...
IN DEPTH: What is Alphabet? Google's new parent company explained
Meet Alphabet, Google's
new parent company that is boldly restructuring the ABCs of the search engine giant and its subsidiaries.
Alphabet
is meant to be a cleaner, more accountable holding company, says Google
Co-founder Larry Page. He'll act as the Alphabet CEO, while Sergey Brin
acts as the president.
On the same move are formerly Google-owned
companies and projects. This includes the more exciting or experimental
divisions like Nest, Fiber, Calico and the always mysterious Google X.
Google
isn't going away, of course. It'll be slimmed down, with new directors
at the top. This will allow Page and Brin to focus on the collective's
bigger picture, or more appropriately, mosaic.
Why change to Alphabet?
Google
is now an Alphabet company, the biggest of the new brand, but still one
of many. That's an abrupt change and a bit confusing for many people,
including brainiacs in the tech industry.
Why did the Google cofounders make this change?
"Sergey
and I are seriously in the business of starting new things," explained
Alphabet CEO Larry Page. They viewed streamlining as the best way to do
just that.
"We've long believed that over time companies tend to
get comfortable doing the same thing, just making incremental changes."
Nothing says that more in Google's world than
Android M, which features minor tweaks.
"But
in the technology industry, where revolutionary ideas drive the next
big growth areas, you need to be a bit uncomfortable to stay relevant."
The
Alphabet plan is to have more management scale by appointing strong
CEOs for each business. They'll be run as various operations
independently, without the need to have them ever be related.
Here's where Alphabet gets exciting
Sound a bit boring? Restructuring is dry, until you realize what this really opens up the Alphabet cofounders to do.
Page
and Sergey can take on more world-changing moonshots, and mature them
to the level of Google and Android, now that the search engine and
operating system are ready for other people to run.
Calico
is Alphabet's most life-altering project with the mission of tackling
age and extended human lifespan. No big deal. If there's one company
that can find the fountain of youth, it's one that owns Google Search.
Fiber
is also going to be managed separately, piping in super-fast 1Gb
internet and cable television into homes at an affordable price.
Hopefully this means deployment picks up.
Nest Labs, with CEO Tony Fadell at the helm, has changed the way we run our
thermostats, smoke alarm and security cameras. A more cohesive smart home may be in the works.
Google X,
where the company's most secret projects are developed, is being
spun-off into Alphabet, too. This may mean Google's self-driving car,
drone delivery project Wing and
Google contact lenses are now closer to reality.
Google Ventures and
Google Capital,
the early- and late-stage investment arms of the search engine giant,
are also on their way to Alphabet. This move actually helps the new
company invest in a more diversified portfolio. Remember, Google had to
awkwardly stress how its Nest Labs acquisition in 2014 was outside the
scope of its all-consuming search engine's data mining needs, and not
scary at all.
How does Google change with Alphabet?
Alphabet
doesn't spell "goodbye" for Google, even though many of the more
exciting projects are no longer under its robotic umbrella.
Search,
Android, Chrome, YouTube, and Google Maps remain at the subsidiary. The
same applies to new machine learning processes like Google Photos and
Google Now.
What it does change is who is in charge. Sundar Pichai
is the new CEO of Google, after serving as Google's Senior Vice
President of Products and helming
Google IO 2015. No surprise.
"Google
itself is also making all sorts of new products, and I know Sundar will
always be focused on innovation - continuing to stretch boundaries,"
said Page.
"I know he deeply cares that we can continue to make big strides on our core mission to organize the world's information."
Now
that it's slimmed down, Google should be easier to run and expand,
especially when you consider some of its services have their own CEOs,
like YouTube.
Learn your Alphabet
Do you think the new
name "Alphabet" is a bit jarring, considering you're so used to talking
and typing out "Google" every single day? You're not alone.
"Don't worry, we're still getting used to the name too!" said Page in the conclusion of his letter.
Whether
the name sticks might not matter. Google is going to remain the focus
of the tech world for the time being, with Search, Android and YouTube
under its belt. We'll still be calling it the
new Google Nexus 5 and Google Nexus 6 later this year, not the Alphabet Nexus phones.
Alphabet's
priorities are on the future, so there's certainly time to get used to
the new naming convention and the wider scope of what it does.
Read More ...
Analysis: Why Google becoming Alphabet is a really big deal
There's much more to Google's new parent company,
Alphabet, than the name.
However
confusing the umbrella firm was when first announced (why change what
has worked so well for so long?), if you look at it the ins and outs of
Google's reorganization, Alphabet makes as much sense as ABC.
As
Alphabet, which Google Co-founder Larry Page described as "mostly a
collection of companies," the new-look Google can focus on what it wants
to do best (search, ads, apps, YouTube and Android, specifically) and
every other company not a part of this (Calico, Google Fiber, Google X,
Google Ventures, Google Capital, and Nest) can thrive as its own entity
with generally its own distinct leadership.
These newly formed
subsidiaries, Google included, can focus and iterate faster. As a
cluster of smaller firms, most with their own CEO, the things that keep a
company relevant and successful - clear purpose, speed of development
and deployment, response time, etc. - will be relatively that much
easier to execute.
As some have postulated, the old Google was
probably too big for its own good. It had fingers in too many pots,
stretching itself thin. Perhaps the cracks weren't showing yet, but with
what may turn out to be incredible foresight, Google's chiefs decided
changing now was better than trying to after it was too late.
The
Google we knew up until Monday was still able to do most things
remarkably well, but in order to get to the next level - to do things
exceptionally well, and maybe change the world in the process - the
company's powers at be decided Alphabet needed to happen.
From where I sit, Page and Brin made the right call.
It's elementary
As
its own company, free from divisions that didn't really have anything
to do with search, ads or Android, Google the subsidiary can hone in on
making money and providing customers (you and I) with an optimal
experience.
Why? Because Google is no longer a search
engine/operating system developer/smart thermostat maker/internet
provider/moonshot taker. Now, Google has core areas on which to focus,
with each arm intimately linked to one another.
These happen to
be the products and services that most directly impact consumers. Sundar
Pichai, Google's new CEO, has demonstrated the capability to lead in
these areas as well as shown vision for how Google needs to operate -
and what it needs to be - moving forward.
Alphabet sets up its
other subsidiaries for success, too. Google X, for example, can now grow
as it needs to grow, with its own management and mission. Ditto for
Calico, Nest, Fiber, Ventures and Capital. No longer are they parts of
Google, the everything company: they are independent firms within a
larger parent company, each responsible and accountable for their own
successes and failures.
As a business decision, Alphabet affords its leaders and investors the ideal opportunity to make money while still taking risks.
Imagine
this: Google remains as it is, and 2-3 years from now Google X is
working on even more experimental projects. Google takes a hit on these
developments, but the lab shows no sign of slowing down.
Would
Google's shareholders be supportive then? Or would they feel funds could
be better spent on developing ad platforms and other stuff that brings
in money and perhaps make the company more stable? Of course, I can't
say for sure, but now Google doesn't have to worry about that scenario
happening. It can answer for Google and it can answer for Google X
without the two intersecting.
That's just the tip of the benefits
iceberg when it comes to Alphabet. It may be Google's savviest move
ever, and this is only Day 1.
Read More ...
Lenovo ThinkPad workstations get significant Intel Xeon overhaul
Lenovo
gave its mobile workstations major performance boosts today, unveiling a
pair of models at the SIGGRAPH 2015 show. Even though the new laptops
carry the same design aesthetics as Lenovo's ThinkPad W541, these mobile
powerhouses are the first to feature Intel's Xeon processors.
The
two models include a 17.3-inch ThinkPad P70 and a 15.6-inch ThinkPad
P50. Both models usher in the end of Lenovo's ThinkPad W series as
Lenovo begins standardizing on the P Series brand, for power,
performance and ports. Popular models in the W Series in the past
include the
ThinkPad W540, ThinkPad W541 and
ThinkPad W550s.
The
W Series hasn't seen a major power upgrade for some time, forcing users
to choose between models with an older and more powerful quad-core
Haswell processor or the newer and more energy efficient dual-core
Broadwell chip from Intel. Under the P Series, with a brand new Intel
Sixth Generation Skylake processor mobile Xeon chip, users no longer
have to make the compromise between power and performance.
Flagship P70
The
ThinkPad P70 is the flagship model in Lenovo's new P Series and brings a
number of firsts to the ThinkPad line. It's the first mobile
workstation to feature a 17.3-inch screen, as prior models have maxed
out at a 15-inch display. It's also the first to feature a high
resolution 4K UHD display, besting the 3K screens on older models.
Power
users will also appreciate that the P70 can be maxed out with a 2TB
hard disk drive and 1TB SSD for a total of 3TB storage, 64GB DDR4 RAM,
swappable optical drive bay and Nvidia Quadro graphics. The ThinkPad P70
and the smaller P50 both come with Intel Sixth Generation Skylake or
Xeon family processors.
In an interview with TechRadar, Brooks
Flynn, Worldwide Segment Marketing Manager at Lenovo, would not give
specifics about the Quadro graphics. Instead, Flynn told us to confirm
the information with Nvidia, leading us to speculate that this may be a
new and unannounced GPU.
One of the highlights of the P70 is that
it comes with plenty of ports. The laptop accommodates HDMI 1.4, Mini
DisplayPort 1.2, Ethernet, docking connector, headphone and microphone
combo jack, Smart Card reader, ExpressCard 34 and SDXC memory card slot
in addition to the four USB 3.0 ports and two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Hopefully,
with the power of Intel's Xeon family of processors on a laptop for the
first time and the assortment of ports on the ThinkPad P70, you can
leave behind your
desktop workstation without compromising on productivity when you travel or work remotely.
Gone
from the prior ThinkPad W Series is the swappable Power Bridge
Technology battery. This means you can't replace a depleted battery for a
fresh one while you're working in the field, but fortunately the new
Intel processor promises better battery life. Lenovo rates the 8-cell
battery for between five and six hours of use. Likely, you'll still want
to be within range of a power outlet as this won't get you through a
full work day.
The cost to having this much power is size and
weight. The ThinkPad P70 comes in a 7.6 pounds (3.4kg) and measures 16.4
x 10.8 x 1.2 inches (416 x 275.5 x 31.5mm).
ThinkPad P50
Equipped
with a 15.6-inch display and 4K UHD resolution, the P50 shares many of
the features that make the P70 a great desktop replacement, including a
Xeon processor, dedicated Nvidia Quadro graphics, 64GB DDR4 RAM and
maximum 3TB storage.
The ThinkPad P50 has all the connectivity of the larger P70 except the two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
You
can configure the ThinkPad P50 with either a 4-cell or 6-cell battery.
Lenovo rates battery life at 3.6 hours with the smaller battery and six
hours with the larger capacity battery. Like the P70, the battery cannot
be replaced.
Lacking the swappable optical drive, the P50 is
slightly slimmer than the larger P70. It measures 14.86 x 9.93 x 1.02
inches (377.4 x 252.3 x 24.5 - 25.9mm) and weighs 5.6 pounds (2.5kg).
Designed for designers
For
users requiring production-quality displays, both ThinkPad P Series
models feature an integrated X-Rite Pantone color calibration reader
built into the keyboard deck adjacent to the touchpad. The screen can
achieve 100% color gamut, according to Lenovo, and you can calibrate the
display to achieve more accurate colors by running the pre-installed
utility, shutting the lid down and letting the software read and adjust
your screen's settings.
For
users working in environments requiring added security, Lenovo also has
a new fingerprint reader. Whereas the older ThinkPad W550s and ThinkPad
W541 feature a swipe to scan reader, the new biometric scanner on the P
Series requires you to touch your finger to the reader to scan.
The
new reader takes up more surface area, but is far easier to use, said
Flynn, because it doesn't require you to hold your finger at a specific
angle or swipe your finger at a specific speed.
If you've used a
ThinkPad notebook before, you'll be delighted to know that Lenovo's
excellent keyboard makes a return on the P Series, featuring full-sized
island-style keys with curved key caps and comfortable key travel. The P
Series make use of dual mouse input with a red TrackPoint nub and also a
trackpad. Unlike the recent ThinkPad W541 and ThinkPad W550s, the
trackpad features three buttons, rather than just a large clickable
surface.
Pricing and availability
The ThinkPad P70 starts
at $1,999 (£1,281, AU$2,696) and the ThinkPad P50 starts at $1,599
(£1,025, AU$2,156). Both laptops will be available in the final quarter
of this year.
- Read our picks for the top mobile workstations and check out our hands-on review of the ThinkPad P70
Read More ...
Hands-on review: Lenovo ThinkPad P70
Introduction, design, power
It
definitely isn't the lightest or slimmest notebook on the market, but
if you're looking for blistering performance, Lenovo's new ThinkPad P70
should be at the top of your list. The new ThinkPad P70 ($1,999, £1,290,
AU$2,702) is Lenovo's flagship mobile workstation and the successor to
the
ThinkPad W541 ($1,322, £853, AU$1,788).
The
ThinkPad P70 is one of the first notebooks featuring Intel's Sixth
Generation Skylake processor, which should give it a boost in
performance compared to Broadwell or Haswell chips. Equipped with ample
storage and plenty of RAM, an excellent keyboard and wide selection of
ports for connectivity, Lenovo is positioning the ThinkPad P70 as the
ultimate workstation that you can take on the go without missing your
desktop.
This
means that this year's Lenovo ThinkPad P Series mobile workstations
will replace the ThinkPad W Series, said Brooks Flynn, Worldwide Segment
Manager at Lenovo. There are two models in the P Series – a smaller
15.6-inch ThinkPad P50 and a 17.3-inch ThinkPad P70, and both models
will be available in the last quarter of this year.
Design
Even
though Lenovo is giving its mobile workstation a new badge, the overall
design has not changed. The ThinkPad P70 comes in a matte black box,
similar to the ThinkPad W541 and the
ThinkPad W550s.
While
the black carbon fiber-reinforced design appears understated on the
slimmer ThinkPad T450s, it takes on a more brick-like appearance on the
thicker chassis of the ThinkPad P70. With a touchscreen display, the P70
measures 16.4 x 10.8 x 1.2 inches (416 x 275.5 x 31.5mm) and weighs 7.6
pounds (3.4kg).
Coupled with the P70's straight edges and
angular design, these measurements make the P70 look substantial,
especially when compared against Intel's 0.83-inch (21.1mm) minimum
thickness requirement for Ultrabooks with 14-inch or larger displays.
It's not a light laptop for travel, and you'll definitely feel the
weight of the P70 in a shoulder bag or briefcase. However, if you demand
raw performance, few can match the power promised by the P70.
The
P70 is cloaked in a black soft touch material, but the material feels
smooth and less prone to attracting grease, fingerprints or dirt than
the soft touch coating on the ThinkPad W550s. The material falls between
the matte black plastic coating on the
ThinkPad T450s and the soft touch of the W550s.
Despite
retaining the classic ThinkPad design, the ThinkPad P70 still brings a
few firsts to Lenovo's mobile workstation lineup. The P70 is the first
Lenovo mobile workstation to come with a 17.3-inch display, and it's the
first Lenovo laptop to come with a 4K resolution, besting the 3K
screens on the ThinkPad W541 and W550s.
A
plus for what could be conceived as a boring design choice is that the
black construction helps you focus on the content. Since the P70 is
targeted at graphics and video professionals, designers, engineers and
architects, the black frame draws you into the content displayed on the
large 4K display.
Like previous ThinkPads before it, the ThinkPad
P70 comes equipped with a comfortable backlit and spill-resistant
keyboard, dedicated number pad, and dual mouse input with the signature
red TrackPoint nub and a trackpad located just below the keyboard.
The
keyboard has keys with an island-style arrangement. The keycaps have a
slight curve for a very comfortable typing experience, and I found the
deep key travel to be extremely pleasant. The keyboard feels clicky and
responsive without being loud.
The
trackpad on the P70 has three physical buttons for left click, right
click and a center button that's user-configurable, unlike the clickable
touchpad found on the older ThinkPad W541.
The colorimeter also
makes a return to the ThinkPad P70; a missing feature on the slimmer
ThinkPad W550s that was found on the ThinkPad W540 and ThinkPad W541.
The
X-Rite Pantone calibration tool, located on the keyboard deck ne'xt to
the trackpad, is used to calibrate the display's colors, for those who
need a color accurate screen for production work. Lenovo says that
screen calibration is as easy as launching the application on the
ThinkPad P70, closing the lid and letting the software complete the
calibration. We'll have to wait and see how accurate the integrated
X-Rite colorimeter compares to standalone tools like
Datacolor's Spyder5 Elite.
Because
of its robust size, the ThinkPad P70 accommodates plenty of ports,
making it a very versatile machine for those who need portability but
don't want to sacrifice performance or productivity. Most of the ports
on the P70 are located on the rear and right side of the notebook. The
left side houses an optical DVD drive, which can be swapped out for an
additional hard drive, as well as a single USB 3.0 ports.
The
ThinkPad P70 has three more USB 3.0 ports, for a total of four, an HDMI
1.4 port, Mini DisplayPort 1.2, two Thunderbolt 3 ports, Ethernet jack,
microphone and headphone combo jack, Smart Card reader, ExpressCard 34
and SDXC memory card slot. Additionally, the laptop also has a docking
port on the bottom.
The
keyboard isn't the only ruggedized part of the ThinkPad P70. Lenovo
advertises the laptop as MIL-SPEC tested for durability when used in
extreme hot, cold, humid, or dusty conditions.
Power
Because
of Intel's delays with Broadwell, we still haven't seen a ThinkPad W
Series mobile workstation with a Fifth Generation quad-core CPU. Users
have to choose between an older Fourth Generation quad-core Haswell
processor for performance or go with a dual-core Fifth Generation
processor for better battery efficiency. Fortunately, mobile workstation
users won't have to make the choice between power efficiency and
performance with the P70 with Skylake.
The ThinkPad P70 comes with Intel's latest Skylake or, for the first time on a laptop, mobile
Xeon processors and dedicated Nvidia Quadro GPU for graphics.
"These
machines are the first equipped with the new Intel Xeon Processor
E3-1500M v5 product family, for lightning-fast performance and enhanced
reliability for critical workstation applications," Lenovo said in a
statement.
Flynn would not disclose specifics about the graphics,
telling us to confirm with Nvidia with that announcement, leaving us to
speculate that this may be a new, unannounced Quadro chip.
With
powerful processors and graphics under the hood, Lenovo created a new
dual-fan Flex Performance Cooling system to reduce heat to the processor
and graphics. "This revolutionary design allows for both optimal
uptime, as dictated by the needs of the application, giving the user the
ability to push the system harder and for longer periods of time," the
company said.
The ThinkPad P70 can be configured with 3TB total
storage, making it ideal for those working with large graphics or video
files. This amount is split between a hard disk and solid state drives,
with 1TB on a PCIe SSD, and the optical drive can be swapped for a 2TB
2.5-inch HDD. Memory starts at 4GB DDR4 RAM, with a 64GB option at the
the highest configuration.
The ThinkPad P70 can be configured with 64-bit versions of
Windows 10 Home or Pro, Windows 7 Professional, Ubuntu Linux or RHEL.
Security, battery life, verdict
Touch, don't swipe
In
addition to the Smart Card reader slot, the ThinkPad P70 can also be
configured with a fingerprint scanner for security-conscious
organizations. Like
the trend
set by Apple and Samsung in the smartphone market, authentication on
the P70 requires a touch, not a swipe, of a finger. If you're using
Windows 10, the fingerprint scanner will work with
Windows Hello and Microsoft Passport, allowing you to
ditch the password for Windows logins.
Lenovo
switched to the touch method for scanning fingerprints because it is
easier for users, according to Flynn. Whereas the swipe to scan method
required users to position their fingers at the proper angle and to
swipe at a consistent speed, the touch method just asks users to tap and
hold their finger to the scanner embedded on the right-hand side of the
keyboard deck.
Battery life
Unlike the ThinkPad W Series,
the battery in the ThinkPad P70 is integrated, meaning that it cannot
be replaced. The eight-cell battery in the P70 is rated for between five
and six hours of use, according to Flynn.
The integrated battery
means that Lenovo's Power Bridge Technology won't make an appearance on
this year's P Series. On the ThinkPad W550s, there is an internal
battery as well as a user-replaceable battery. Power Bridge Technology
allows owners of the W550s to swap out the depleted replaceable battery
for a fresh one without having to shut down their system. This saves
time as you won't need to reopen tabs or relaunch apps because you
didn't have to shut down.
We'll have to get the ThinkPad P70 in
to evaluate Lenovo's battery life claims. For comparison, the older
quad-core Haswell-based ThinkPad W540 lasted just over three hours when
benchmarked using PCMark8.
The
Intel Skylake CPU should provide for more performance and improved
power efficiency than previous generation Haswell and Broadwell
processors, so we're optimistic about battery life. However, you'll
still want to be within range of a power outlet as Lenovo's battery life
numbers still fall short of a full work day.
Early verdict
As
one of the first notebooks to come with Intel's powerful Xeon processor
family, the Lenovo ThinkPad P70 promises to deliver plenty of
performance, to the delight of engineers, graphics and design
professionals, video editors and those who require raw computational
power while mobile. And even though Lenovo is keeping the tested and
trusted ThinkPad design the same, the P70 is a major upgrade from the
quad-core Haswell-based architecture of the ThinkPad W541 it replaces.
Lenovo
only told us that pricing starts at $1,999 (about £1,290, AU$2,702),
but with options for up to 64GB DDR4 RAM, 3TB storage and 4K UHD
touchscreen display, we expect the cost to quickly climb for a fully
configured system. For comparison, with a 3K display, the highest
configuration for the Lenovo W541 comes in at $2,982 (about £1,912,
AU$4,022).
If you can afford the price and don't mind losing
Lenovo's Power Bridge hot swappable battery technology, the ThinkPad P70
is one of the most powerful mobile systems on the that aims to bring
desktop-like productivity in a 7.6-pound package.
Read More ...
Details of iPhone 6S Force Touch leak
So
far, it seems inevitable that Apple's Force Touch tech will end up in
the iPhone 6S with the amount of rumors and leaks we've seen these past
few months.
Of course, while we know how
Force Touch works with the
Apple Watch and the
new Macbook, we might finally have some more details on how it will run on the iPhone.
A report from
9to5Mac
claims that sources who have used the iPhone 6S say that Force Touch
will provide shortcuts to actions depending on which app you are using.
For
example, similar to the Apple Watch, using Force Touch will bring up a
menu in some instances, but it won't take up the entire screen, acting
more like a pop-up menu.
Using the Force
The sources also
broke down some examples of Force Touch on the iPhone 6S, including
when using Maps, where you'll be able to use Force Touch to skip
directly to turn-by-turn navigation.
In the
Music
app, on the other hand, using Force Touch will bring up a small menu
through which you'll be able to add the song to a playlist or save it
for offline music.
The report also claims that Force Touch will
also let you skip or forward through music and videos depending on how
hard you press the screen as well, making it clear that the tech will
likely be used as a means to get rid of the need to press through a
number of steps or buttons for certain actions.
Of course, all of
this is as yet unconfirmed, and we'll really need to wait until Apple
finally reveals its latest handsets, which might be happening in a
month's time on
September 9.
- Here's what else we're expecting to see on the iPhone 6S
Read More ...
Updated: Apple Watch OS 2: what you need to know
watchOS 2 release date and more
Announced during
WWDC 2015, more details have emerged about the imminent
Apple Watch OS 2 update.
Thanks to the
new beta release
for developers, we now know that a new Time Lapse face has been added,
Music on the Watch will look different along with other goodies.
We
last heard that devs now have access to the smartwatch's sensors and
controls like the Taptic Engine, Digital Crown and more, meaning we will
get native apps opposed to ones that are simply ported over. Native
apps allow faster run time and greater app capabilities.
The
wrist gadget will also see a ton of refreshed features to enrich your
experience - Siri is smarter, public transit will show up in Maps and
new watch faces are just a few of the enhancements Apple VP Kevin Lynch
discussed.
Here's the rest of what to expect when watchOS 2 launches.
Apple Watch OS 2 release date
The
update is heading to wrists in the fall. An official date hasn't been
specified but it seems to fall in line with the launch of
iOS 9.
Just like past major Apple OS updates, the Apple Watch's software upgrade will be free.
Sensors and controls
The
Digital Crown will provide functionality beyond zooming in and out.
Rotating the crown will let you 'Time Travel' showing various events up
to 72 hours into the future or past events, right on the watch face.
Weather and news headlines are also other complications that Time Travel
will work with. Insteon is another example of controlling house lights
with a simple turn of the crown.
The
microphone will be accessible which should makes the Voice Memo app
pretty useful on the wrist. This should mean developers will also be
able to use the microphone in their builds.
Developers will now
have access to the accelerometer so you can expect future apps to
utilise this feature. Apple demoed golf app Ping that measured a
person's swing.
Different vibrational feedback and sounds for various apps should arrive with the Taptic Engine being open to devs.
Watch display settings
Previously capped at 15 seconds, the Apple Watch will be able to stay on for a whopping 70 seconds after the update hits.
Tetherless Wi-Fi
Yes,
this sounds exactly like what you think. The Apple Watch will be able
to connect to open Wi-Fi networks without needing to connect to your
iPhone first. You'll be able to leave your phone in another room and
your wrist will be a perfectly suitable alternative.
Android Wear's latest update already supports this feature, so it's nice to see the iOS device receiving it as well.
Watch faces
There are already
10 customizable Apple Watch faces and as we expected, there are more on the way.
Recently, we discovered Modular will look nicer with new customizations available for the information labels.
Time
Lapse - Hong Kong, London, Mack Lake, New York and Shanghai are the
five cities Apple shot time-lapse videos over 24 hours to create the new
faces. Paris was just recently added to the mix. Will we see other
metropolitans on our wrist?
Photo - Just like iPhone backgrounds, your collection of pictures are now fodder for your smartwatch faces.
Photo
Album - This option will show a rotating gallery of images from any
photo album every time you raise your wrist, just like the Motion watch
face.
Apple Watch Music
The interface for the Music app
should look a bit different after the update as it will be redesigned
with new features included. Quick Play has been added to let you shuffle
music easier while there will be a volume level indicator displayed.
The source of the audio file will also show up.
Complications
New
'complications' or information in the various watch faces will be able
to display third party apps. Flight times, home controlled systems with
Homekit devices can be accessed from your wrist, your electric car
charge information and more should show up as options when OS 2 is
released. The complications can be changed on the Modular face along
with the majority of the other faces.
Nightstand
Nightstand
mode will flip your Apple Watch face to show horizontally while it's
charging. The Digital Crown becomes a snooze button and the side button
turns off alarms. If you're not a fan of lights, the display screen
won't show unless you touch it or one of the buttons.
Email replies
One
option that has been sorely missing will finally make it onto the Apple
Watch: email replies. Just like text messages, you'll be able to reply
directly from your wrist with voice dictation, emojis and smart
responses. However there's no details on whether editing messages will
be allowed, or how long your replies can be.
watchOS 2 videos, Siri and more
Videos
Tiny
videos and itty bitty FaceTime will also make it onto watchOS 2 but
only short form videos like Vines can be watched. Apple promises the
quality of the videos will look great despite the small size because of
the watch's OLED that sits behind the Ion-X and sapphire glass screens.
It should be interesting what other kinds of videos make it onto the
smartwatch since Vines generally aren't the best quality to begin with.
Fitness, Siri and Maps
Workouts
will be more useful with the OS 2 update. HealthKit will be available
with more metrics shown on the watch and a real-time heart rate monitor
that will be able to stream from your wrist.
Saying
the "Hey Siri" prompts a workout, and can be as specific as "Hey Siri,
start a 30 minute run" or "Hey Siri start a 300 calorie walk" all
without needing to open the app.
Speaking of Siri, the little AI
assistant will be able to provide Glances by saying "Hey Siri, show me
the Instagram glance." Siri will also be able to control HomeKit devices
and give you transit directions.
Apple Maps' new
transit directions
will show up on your wrist with train, bus and subway schedules.
However like Google Maps' updated service, only select cities around the
world will provide the information. Though previously available with
Apple Maps, walking directions to and from transit stops will be part of
watchOS 2.
Wallet and Apple Pay
Wallet,
or the freshly re-dubbed Passbook, will also be updated in the fall.
All the new options you can use in iOS 9 with Wallet will be available
on the wrist as well.
For
those who enjoy the convenience of using Apple Pay on the smartwatch,
OS 2 will allow more credit cards and reward cards stored on the device
for better access.
Friends and Digital Touch
For the
popular folks who have more than 12 friends, you'll be able to add more
people to your Apple inner circle right from the watch instead of adding
from the app. They can even be categorized into different sets that
show up on different screens for better organization.
Your
tiny sketching experience will also be improved. Digital Touch will let
you use more than one colour so people can be more creative.
Activation Lock
One
thing Apple didn't discuss during WWDC is the Apple Watch's new
security feature, Activation Lock. It's found on iPhones and turning it
on will require iCloud Apple ID and password.
Read More ...
OnePlus 2 just ran into a delay in North America
Though
you'll be able to put in an order for the OnePlus 2 starting tomorrow,
if you're in North America, you won't be getting the handset until 2-3
weeks after Europe gets it.
OnePlus
announced today that "due to production schedules, shippingto the States and Canada will commence 2-3 weeks after shipments to Europe."
Though OnePlus doesn't go into further details about the delay, the company was quick to point out that ordering the
OnePlus 2 won't be effected - the delay only concerns the shipment of the handset.
"We
sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused. Although some fans
may be disappointed to hear this news, we would rather be transparent
about the situation."
Put your orders in
So if you don't
mind the delay, and you are lucky enough to have an invite code, you can
still order the phone starting tomorrow.
The OnePlus 2 is set to
be powered by a Snapdragon 810 processor, 4GB RAM, up to 64GB of
storage, and with an aluminum-magnesium alloy frame, there's also a
variety of covers to choose from.
It will also feature the new USB
Type-C connector, a super-fast fingerprint sensor, as well as the new
Oxygen OS and a HD 5.5-inch IPS LCD In-Cell display.
Read More ...
Witness the impossible: Dark Souls beaten with voice commands
It's official: Reddit user GMABT is too good at Dark Souls.
After beating the game with a
Rock Band controller,
a drumset and the
bongo that came with Donkey Konga on GameCube, he's managed to beat the game using only his voice and straight willpower.
Taking
about 30 hours from start to finish, GMABT used a voice recognition
software called VoiceAttack to transform words like "heavy," "item" and
"left strafe" into button combinations.
"This run was suggested to
me many times and I never knew if it would be possible, but after
someone showed me a program that did the hard work of voice recognition
for me I had to give it a shot ... For the most part the detection was
good, but the latency was around 1.5 seconds, and commands couldn't be
chained together quickly," GMABT, who also goes by the name bearzly on
Twitch, said in a post on Reddit.
To paint a picture of how
intense it got, here's a video of GMABT fighting two of the game's
toughest enemies, Dragon Slayer Ornstein & Executioner Smough:
YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m2a2dLdZ0M
Read More ...
Apple Watch fall update to bring these new features
Apple Watch has been a decent companion for iPhone users but its real potential will be unveiled when
watchOS 2 arrives in the fall though in the meantime, several new details have popped up.
The latest watchOS 2 beta 5 is being tested with developers right now and
9to5Mac
has compiled screen shots that show a redesigned version of Music on
the Apple Watch. Specifically, the Now Playing screen will show volume
level indicator and the source of the audio file you're listening to.
Quick Play is also an added option to the main Music menu that can
shuffle your music.
The Modular watch face will employ more color
customizations that display information and Paris has been added to the
list of five cities used for Time Lapse.
There will also be a new setting that allows the screen to stay on for 70 seconds opposed to just 15 seconds.
On the fitness side,
Outside Online
interviewed Apple's fitness expert Jay Blahni, who revealed that
third-party exercise apps like Strava will be able to connect with the
Apple Watch's sensors. This should improve the fitness experience with
the Watch since Activity and Workout only track so much.
Most
apps will be better thanks to third-party developers receiving access to
the wearable's sensors, meaning there will be new ways to customize and
utilize the watch after the update hits.
Read More ...
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