Happy Hour Podcast 089 | Activity app critique, Dash drama, macOS multi display experience, more
This week Benjamin and Zac discuss expectations for upcoming iOS updates, a recent Activity app experience, ongoing Dash app review drama, macOS multi display behavior, and much more. 9to5Mac’s Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and Apple’s Podcasts app, or through our dedicated RSS feed for Overcast and other podcast players.
Filed under: Apple
Apple releases macOS 10.12.1 beta 4 for Mac
Apple has released the fourth macOS 10.12.1 beta for Mac. The fourth seed follows last week’s beta 3 release and the first beta three weeks ago which don’t yet include any notable changes. We’ll update and mention any new changes in this release. Last month, Apple released macOS Sierra for the Mac which includes Siri, Apple Pay, and many new features.
Filed under: Apple
Review: Belkin’s new Lightning adapter lets you charge iPhone 7 and listen w/ headphones at the same time
How do you charge iPhone 7 and listen to music at the same time? If you’re using Lightning headphones, like the new EarPods that Apple bundles in the box with iPhone 7, Belkin’s new Lightning Audio + Charge RockStar adapter is currently the only option. The company sent one over this week for us to test…
Filed under: Apple
9to5Toys Lunch Break: PDF Expert 2.0 $25, Apple Watch 38mm Sport $170, Smart Outlets/Switches from $32, more
Keep up with the best gear and deals on the web by signing up for the 9to5Toys Newsletter. Also, be sure to check us out on: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and Safari push notifications.
TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:
9to5Toys Specials: One-Day Price Drops on Lytro Camera, HideMyAss VPN, PDF Expert, more
Daily Deals: 1st gen. Apple Watch 38mm Aluminum Sport (Refurb) $170, Ultimate Ears Roll Wireless Bluetooth Speaker $50, more
Teach your smart home new tricks w/ discounts on several GE Z-Wave products: In-Wall Outlet $32 (Orig. $40), more
Apple’s 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro 2.2GHz/16GB/256GB is back down to $1,600 shipped (Reg. $1,999)
Give your 42mm Apple Watch a new leather band for $14 Prime shipped (Reg. $20)
Epic Best Buy sale knocks 25% off rarely discounted tech accessories from Apple, Logitech, Belkin & others when you buy 3 (or more) items
Grand Theft Auto iOS Sale: San Andreas $3, Vice City $2, Chinatown Wars $2, Liberty City Stories $2, more
Pixite’s unique Union photo manipulation app is now available for free on the App Store (Reg. $2)
App Store Free App of the Week: IMPOSSIBLE ROAD minimal arcade racer free for the first time (Reg. $3)
The best metal USB 3.0 flash drives for your MacBook Air or Retina Pro
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Take your pick of Samsung 4K HDR-enabled Smart Ultra HDTVs: 43-inch $399 (Reg. $550) or 55-inch $649 (Reg. $750+)
Add the Star Wars Six Movie Collection to your digital library w/ this latest deal: $75 (Reg. $100)
- Western Digital takes the wraps off new portable hard drives with an updated design
- Olala Apple MFi Certified 7500mAh slide-design power bank $37 Prime shipped (Reg. $43), more
- JBL Arena 120 2-Way 5.5-inch Wall-Mountable Bookshelf Loudspeakers $82 shipped (Reg. $135)
- Games/Apps: Mirror’s Edge Catalyst $25 or less, freebies, more
- AmazonBasics 17-Sheet High-Security Paper/Credit Card Shredder $113 shipped (Reg. $165)
- Here’s your list of $1 HD movie rentals for the week: Dirty Grandpa, more
- LEGO Star Wars Command Shuttle (1,000+ pieces) for $89 + kits from $16 Prime shipped
- Score a free three-month membership to BJ’s Warehouse just in time for holiday shopping
- Today only, save $100 on hotel stays of $300+ booked through Travelocity
- Score a BOGO free coupon at Chipotle by completing its latest video game
MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:
Your choice of widescreen displays w/ HDMI inputs: Dell 27-inch Curved $200 (Reg. $270), or LG 34-inch 21:9 $500 (Reg. $700)
The Bose SoundLink II Bluetooth Headphones have never been less at Amazon: $229 (Reg. $280)
Jaybird’s Freedom F5 Bluetooth Earbuds pair perfectly with iPhone 7: $150 (Reg. $200)
Jabra’s MOVE Bluetooth Headphones are marked down to $60 (Reg. $90+)
Filed under: Apple
Dropbox for iOS now has an iMessage app and picture-in-picture playback, Split View coming soon
Dropbox announced today that it will soon deliver a highly requested feature to its iOS app: Split View support. This will let iPad users run Dropbox side-by-side with other Split View apps without switching between apps. While Split View is coming soon, Dropbox has loads of new features in the latest version for iOS 10 that are coming out today.
Filed under: Apple
Channels 2.0: the best Apple TV app for cord-cutters gets even better with channel programming guides
After the successful debut of the iOS version of its app, Fancy Bits has released a major update to its Channels app for Apple TV. This update, version 2.0, brings Channels for Apple TV more in line with the iOS version. It means that you now get both channel grid and channel guide support within the app, bringing it more in line with traditional set top boxes provided by cable companies.
Channels is an app that allows you to use an HDHomeRun device to stream local over-the-air (OTA) programing, or cable programming (using an HDHomeRun Prime) to your Apple TV or iOS device. This makes Channels the perfect app for cord-cutters, or for people who don’t want to deal with the cable company’s horrific set top box interface.
With the release of version 2.0, Channels will essentially turn your Apple TV into a device that’s capable of replacing the traditional cable box in some circumstances.
Filed under: Apple
Netatmo’s new Healthy Home Coach is a HomeKit-connected indoor climate monitor
Netatmo is the maker of the handy Weather Station that provides a hyperlocal weather report to your smartphone, and now the company is introducing a new climate-related product that works with Apple’s HomeKit. Healthy Home Coach is a new indoor climate monitor that works with Siri plus Apple’s new iOS 10 Home app and uses four sensors to measure your environment.
Filed under: Apple
Bezel-free iPhone patents keep coming, latest showing light-sensor embedded in display
With Apple expected to be aiming to make the 2017 iPhone as close to bezel-free as possible, the company will need to take tech that currently sits above or below the screen and find a way to embed it into the display itself. We saw last week the latest patent for embedding Touch ID into the display, and today it’s the turn of the light sensors.
Filed under: Apple
Nomad expands its Apple Watch band lineup with sporty new Vulcanized LSR Silicone Straps
Nomad is out today with a new Apple Watch band style made from silicone and stainless steel. The new Vulcanized LSR (Liquid Silicone Rubber) Silicone Strap retails for $39.95 which is $10 cheaper than either Apple’s Sport bands or Woven Nylon bands.
Filed under: Apple
Review: Raumfeld’s Stereo Cubes produce amazing stereo sound, but feature familiar software and streaming service weaknesses
Back in August I reviewed the Raumfeld One M Wireless Speaker and I was thoroughly impressed by the sound emanating from such a compact speaker. The One M featured a 5-driver 2-way stereo speaker solution that came bundled with its own built-in down-firing subwoofer. The result was nothing less than impressive.
Yet, single speaker solutions have inherent limitations when it comes to things like stereo separation. That’s where the step-up Raumfeld Stereo Cubes make their presence felt. The Stereo Cubes, which generally sell for around $699, are much pricier than the Raumfeld One M, but delivers noticeably richer sound with great stereo separation.
more…
Filed under: Apple