Happy Hour Podcast 062 | Final thoughts on iPhone SE and iOS design, Apple Watch upgrade cycle & more

In this episode, Zac and Benjamin give their final thoughts on the iPhone SE. Worth buying? Also, we’ll talk about the Apple Watch refresh cycle and a ton more. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.

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Filed under: Happy Hour Tagged: Apple, Apple watch, Happy Hour, iPhone SE, Podcast, technolgoy

Yahoo Mail app updated with access to Dropbox, Google Drive, and GIFs from Tumblr

Yahoo Mail is getting a notable update today for iOS (and other mobile app users) that allows access to files stored in Google Drive, Dropbox, and GIFs on Tumblr. You can use the new feature to quickly attach a photo or other file from any of the supported services to emails.

You’ll find a new GIF icon in the compose window to access files from the services. The GIFs from Tumblr feature lets you view trending GIFs from the service as well as search through categories, while the cloud icon in the compose window will give you the option to access Google Drive or Dropbox files. You can search across your folders on both of those services, and the Yahoo app will show you results based on title or file contents.

The first time you tap on the cloud icon in compose, you’ll be asked to connect to your Google Drive or Dropbox account. With instant access to all of your files in the cloud, you’ll now be able to browse through recent files or search for a specific file directly from your email.

Yahoo also notes that today’s update brings a new preview feature for large files, which means you’ll now be able to “preview an attachment without downloading it first to your mobile phone.”

You can try out the new features in an update to the Yahoo Mail app, version 4.3, hitting the App Store today.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Dropbox, GIFs, Google Drive, Tumblr, Yahoo Mail

Apple pushes first update to Safari Technology Preview

Apple has released its first update and second release to its Safari Technology Preview browser. The browser puts an emphasis on releasing stable, technology preview ready builds. With updates coming every two weeks, Apple is showing a commitment to bringing stability to developers on the cutting edge of web technologies.

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Filed under: Developers, Mac Tagged: developers, Safari, Safari Technology Preview, web developers

Feature Request Roundup: iOS 10, Siri for Mac (OS X 10.12), Apple Watch 2 upgrade program, Apple Music & more

In our regular Feature Request series, 9to5Mac authors offer their opinion on how to improve popular hardware or software products. Since we started the feature back in November of last year, the majority of installments in the series have focused on Apple’s own software and hardware, including a number of ways the company can improve its current iOS and Mac OS X software as well as possibilities for upcoming iOS 10 and Mac OS X 10.12 releases.

And some of the other Feature Requests we’ve published included the new Apple TV, the upcoming next-generation Apple Watch 2, Apple Music, iCloud, and more. Below we’ve compiled a hub for the series giving you an easy way to stay up to date and hopefully some hints at what to expect at WWDC this year and other upcoming Apple product launches…
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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Watch 2, Feature Request, iOS 10, OS X 10.12, Siri for Mac, WWDC

Snapchat update adding motion tracking stickers on iOS and Android

Snapchat has been on a roll lately introducing bigger and more creative updates to their social network. From introducing custom geofilters, to a massive overhaul in their chat system, they show no signs of slowing down. Today’s update takes video interactions a step further by allowing you to “pin” stickers and emojis to moving objects in video. The update will be rolling out to Android today and soon to iOS.

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Filed under: Apps Tagged: AR, Augmented reality, motion tracking, Snapchat

9to5Toys Lunch Break: iPad Pro 12.9-inch $670, APC UPS Battery Backup $20, Philips Hue Bundles from $56, 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: TwitterRSS FeedFacebookGoogle+ and Safari push notifications.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

ipad-pro

Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 32GB Wi-Fi in Silver: $670 shipped (Reg. $799), more

Apple 12.9-inch iPad Pro 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular in all colors: $860 shipped (Reg. $1,079)

apc-bge70-ups

Stay online when the power goes out with the APC Back-UPS Power Supply for $20 (Reg. $30)

philips-hue-starter-kit

Philips Hue Starter Kits (1st gen) w/ free shipping: Lux $56 (Orig. $80), White & Color $135 (Orig. $170)

Philips Hue discounted bundles: 4-pack A19 white & color bulbs (2nd gen) $199 shipped (Reg. $240), more

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Amazon’s new $290 Kindle Oasis is a slim, luxury e-reader with months of battery life

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Apple’s latest 256GB Retina MacBook Pro: $1,200 (Reg. $1,499) – $99 less than list price of 128GB model

Apple 12-inch MacBook w/ Retina display 1.2GHz/8GB/512GB: from $1,250 w/ .edu

apple-watch-band-sale-milanese

What if I told you that you could get a great Apple Milanese Loop knockoff for a tenth of the price ($16 Prime shipped)?

Apple Watch 42mm Space Gray Milanese Loop Band + Aluminum Dock: $27 Prime shipped (Reg. $35)

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App Store Free App of the Week: Cut the Rope Time Travel for iPhone and iPad goes free for the very first time (Reg. $1)

Anthill for iOS drops down to its lowest price in years: $1 (Reg. $2)

Apple’s Pay Once & Play 50% off iOS game sale: Transistor, Brothers, Rules!, Implosion, Radiation Island, more

Brothers A Tale of Two Sons iOS puzzle-adventure game gets its first price drop: $2 (Reg. $5)

Apple offers Day One 2 iOS journal app for free ($10 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Daily Deals: Canon MG5720 Printer Scanner & Copier with AirPrint $60, SanDisk Ultra Plus 64GB microSDXC Memory Card $25, more

  • Enhance your computer audio w/ Mackie’s CR4 50W Reference Speakers for $115 (Reg. $150)
  • Smartphone Accessories: Polk Boom Swimmer Bluetooth Speaker $20 (Reg. $30), more
  • Fashion: Patagonia up to 50% off – 1/4 Zip Pullover $64, Board shorts $39, more
  • HDTVs: Seiki 42-Inch 4K $225, VIZIO 24-inch Smart 1080p (Refurb) $90, more
  • Media: Shrek The Whole Story Blu-ray $20, iTunes movies $10 – The Big Short, more
  • Games/Apps: Dishonored Definitive from $15, iOS freebies, more
  • This 40-inch BÖHM Soundbar is loaded with inputs including Bluetooth: $71 (Reg. $119)

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

aukey-solar-power-bank

Green Deals: Aukey 12000mAh Solar Dual-USB Power Bank $25 (Reg. $30+), more

samsung-UN48JU6400

Samsung 48-inch Smart 4K UHDTV w/ 3 HDMI + 2 USB ports: $450 (Reg. $800)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

impossible-project-I-1

Impossible Project reveals its Polaroid-style analog camera with iOS connectivity

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JBL’s new Reflect Aware C noise cancelling headphones are powered by USB Type-C

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, APC, app deals, Best Buy, Daily Deals, free apps, Gold Box, iPad Pro, Philips hue, video games

GoPro hires longtime Apple industrial design team member for VP role

While Apple prides itself in maintaining a tight group of 19 industrial design team members under Jony Ive, one longtime member Daniel Coster has made a rare exception to the general rule and departed the company for a new venture elsewhere. As a member of Apple’s design team, Coster’s name has appeared on patents dating back to 1999 ranging from the iPhone 4 design to the iPad Pro’s Smart Keyboard cover as well as software interfaces. Since departing from Apple, Coster has taken an executive role at action camera company GoPro.

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Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple, GoPro

Feature Request: Apple’s Calendar should borrow the personal goals feature Google just released

I don’t classify myself as an Apple fanboy. I mostly prefer Apple products over competing ones, and I do find life is easier if I allow myself to be assimilated by a single ecosystem, but my opinion pieces are variously critical and supportive of Apple – and I’m certainly not blind to cool tech offered by Apple competitors.

I was particularly impressed by a feature Google released this morning: automatically and intelligently finding time in your calendar to work on your personal goals.

Most of us these days lead busy lives with packed schedules, and sometimes it can feel hard enough just keeping up with the essentials of work, family and those boring but essential chores – from clearing out the gutters to filing tax returns. When we do get some downtime, it’s all too easy to fill it with Facebook, Netflix and other time-snaffling activities.

This means those personal goals we optimistically come up with in the first enthusiastic days of welcoming in the new year – like writing a novel (gratuitous plug), learning a new language, running a marathon, or practicing a musical instrument – all too often get neglected …

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Filed under: Feature Request Tagged: Apple Calendar, calendar, Goals, Google Calendar, Learn a language, Run a marathon, Write a novel

Sketchy Japanese stats suggest majority of early adopters of iPhone SE buying on price

Analysis of retailer data in Japan indicates that early buyers of the iPhone SE are favoring the 16GB model over the 64GB one, suggesting that the majority are buying on price. Life science researcher Naofumi Kagami says that this is particularly interesting as you’d expect early sales to be skewed towards early adopters, who tend to opt for the higher tiers.

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: iPhone SE, iPhone SE buyers, iPhone SE sales, Japan

Variation on 1970 date bug can be used to remotely brick pre-iOS 9.3.1 devices via WiFi hotspots

While iOS 9.3 fixed a bug that bricked iOS devices when the date was set to 1st Jan 1970, security researchers have found a variation on the theme that can remotely brick later devices as soon as they connect to a WiFi hotspot. The exploit uses a combination of two weaknesses discovered in iOS, reports KrebsonSecurity.

The first is that iOS devices automatically reconnect to known WiFi hotspots, but rely on the SSID to identity them. iPhones and iPads will auto-connect to a malicious WiFi hotspot that spoofs the name of a known one.

Second, iOS devices are programmed to constantly check that their time and date settings are correct by connecting to Network Time Protocol (NTP) servers. All the researchers had to do was create their own WiFi hotspot labelled ‘attwifi’ (as used by Starbucks) and their own NTP server pretending to be time.apple.com to deliver the 1st January 1970 date …

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Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: 1970 date bug, 1970 date bug wifi, iOS 9.3, iOS 9.3.1, iPhone, iPhone vulnerability