A Quartz report citing banking sources says that Apple is considering the use of iMessage to handle its expected person-to-person service to complement Apple Pay.

One way Apple might add money transfer services to iOS is through iMessage, the proprietary messaging service, according to people who have discussed the program with Apple. It’s already one of the most used default apps on iPhones and is especially popular with the younger crowd.

Apple is reported to be in talks with banks to agree terms for the service. It’s believed that Apple wants banks to act as the payment processors so that it can steer clear of the murky world of financial regulation, leaving it to do what it does best: the front-end.

iMessage already uses strong end-to-end encryption, something that has led to disputes between Apple and various governments.

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple Inc, Apple pay, Encryption, iMessage, Peer to peer payment, Person to person payment

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With both the iPad Pro’s Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil showing availability of 4-5 weeks, and neither available in-store, Apple has issued a brief statement to Mashable acknowledging the issue and promising ‘regular shipments.’

Customers are very excited for iPad Pro, Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard. We have limited supply of Apple Pencil and the Smart Keyboard in Apple Retail stores. Our stores will continue to receive regular shipments and we encourage customers to visit Apple.com for online availability and delivery dates … 

Availability for the iPad Pro itself is better, with the base model available immediately and the 128GB versions showing typical availability of around a week.

Apple is currently offering the Logitech CREATE keyboard, both online and in-store. I’m trying this at present and will share my views on it on Monday, by which time it will have had a decent amount of use.

A number of other third-party accessories are currently available for the iPad Pro.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Pencil, iPad Pro, iPad Pro keyboard, iPad Pro keyboards, iPad Pro Smart Keyboard, Smart Keyboard

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Following the official release of the iPad Pro yesterday, Apple this evening has launched a pair of new featured sections on the App Store showcasing apps that take advantage of the massive 12.9-inch Retina display the iPad Pro has.

The first featured section showcases games that are optimized for iPad Pro. Apple touts that the size and power of the device takes gaming to a whole new level. Apps featured in this section include Shadowmatic, Geometry Wars, Broken Age, Smash Hit, Lumino City, Horizon Chase, and many more. Apple says the following about gaming on the iPad Pro:

The size and power of iPad Pro let you enjoy gaming on an epic new scale. Get started with games whose breathtaking graphics, spectacular sound, and immersive features create incredible experiences.

The second featured section showcases non-games that are optimized for the iPad Pro. A subsection of this featured tab shows apps that are enhanced for Apple Pencil, including uMake, Evernote, Paper by 53, Notability, and more. Apple then showcases what it claims are “desktop-class apps,” including its own suite of productivity apps Numbers, Pages, and Keynote, as well as Microsoft’s Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Other apps include AutoCad 360, Pixelmatr, and OmniFocus 2. Apple says the following about productivity on the iPad Pro:

Creativity and productivity soar when you pair great apps with iPad Pro. We’ve compiled some of our favorites that take advantage of the its expansive Retina display and astounding performance. On iPad Pro, everything from drawing to multitasking to watching videos is a stunning experience.

Interestingly, both of these sections contain apps that haven’t specifically been updated for the iPad Pro, but rather still look good on the device according to Apple.

The iPad Pro launched yesterday online and in Apple retail stores. Reviews of the device were somewhat mixed, with reviewers claiming it’s not necessarily the laptop-replacement Apple hyped it up to be thanks to limitations of iOS. You can read and watch our unboxing of and hands-on with the iPad Pro here.

Filed under: Apps, iOS Devices Tagged: App Store, Apple, Apple Pencil, iPad, iPad Pro

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Following the launch of Apple Music on Android earlier this week, Apple today has revealed that it is officially shutting down the Beats Music service on November 30th. According to a support document shared on the Beats Music website, all subscriptions will be cancelled on that date, with users being asked to migrate to Apple Music.

In the support document, Apple, of course, touts that all of the features Beats Music users have grown accustomed to are present on Apple Music. Apple also points out all of the new features of its service, including Beats 1 and “even better recommendations.”

The full support document reads as follows:

Beats Music ends on November 30. Your subscription will be cancelled, but you can move your picks and preferences over to Apple Music right now.

All the pros that curated music for you are still crafting more amazing experiences. Plus, on Apple Music, you’ll get even better recommendations based on music you already listen to and love, 24/7 global radio with Beats 1, exciting material from your favorite artist, and more.

Beats Music stopped accepting new subscribers for Beats Music back in June when Apple Music launched on iOS. The Beats Music iOS app was updated then as well to support easy migration to Apple Music. Following the launch of Apple Music on Android earlier this week, there is seemingly no reason for Apple to keep Beats Music alive any longer.

Beats Music users have until November 30th to enjoy their memberships before they will be canceled.

The Beat goes on… until it stops http://twitter.com/BeatsSupport/s…

—
Zac Hall (@apollozac) November 10, 2015

Filed under: Apple Music Tagged: Apple Music, Beats Music

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Apple’s fourth-generation Apple TV has been available for two weeks now and after using it using it exclusively for all my media consumption, I’ve gathered a handful of thoughts. When Apple announced the device back in September, I was perhaps more excited for it than I was the iPhone 6s. And rightfully so. Tim Cook touted the new Apple TV as the future of television, using superlatives that seemed extreme even for Apple. The device had been a long time coming, too, which further contributed to the hype in my mind that surrounded the release.

As someone who had incredibly high hopes for the fourth-gen Apple TV, what do I think of it two weeks later? Let’s discuss…

I’ve always been an Apple TV user. Since the device’s essential “relaunch” in 2010, I’ve exclusively used Apple’s streaming offering for my media needs. I’ve tried all of the other boxes too – Amazon’s Fire TV, several Rokus, Android TV, and Chromecast, and while they all do certain things well, I’ve always come back to the Apple TV as I’ve felt it provided the best all-around experience.

Perhaps my favorite feature of Apple TV has been its reliability. Unlike some experiences I’ve had with other recent Apple products (looking at you, CarPlay), Apple TV has always functioned nearly flawlessly for me. I’ve also always loved the simplistic interface. Sure it was due for a new coat of paint, but the interface was easy to navigate in a half-asleep state, trying to quickly get something playing. Unfortunately, both these things – specifically reliability – aren’t nearly as good on the fourth-gen Apple TV, much to my disappointment.

First, let’s talk reliability. I’ll be the first to admit that the issues I mention aren’t 100 percent to blame on Apple, but nevertheless, they approved the apps in the tvOS App Store and hold some responsibility for approving ones that weren’t ready for primetime.

My biggest issue centers around the Netflix app. It’s horribly inconsistent for an app that was always so perfectly reliable on previous-gen Apple TVs. One issue I have more than anything is playback randomly stopping and an error message popping up that informs me a “problem occurred while playing this item.” There’s no offer of a fix, nor any further information as to what went wrong.

My first guess with issues like this is that it’s related to my WiFi network, so I rebooted everything, Apple TV included, and settled back in to continue my 10th binge watch of The Office. I hit the play button, enjoyed about 45 seconds of the show, only for the error message to appear again. So I force quit the Netflix app and tried again. Same result. Perhaps what’s most annoying is there’s no rhyme or reason as to when the error occurs. Sometimes playback goes interrupted, while other times I can’t go more than 5 minutes without being informed of a problem occurring with the process.

This is the exact opposite experience that I want while using a set-top box. When I sit down to watch Netflix, the last thing I want to do is spend 30 minutes troubleshooting a seemingly unidentifiable problem with playback. Again, this isn’t necessarily all Apple’s fault, but Netflix should have been an app that went through rigorous testing prior to the Apple TV’s launch, as it’s undoubtably the most-used app on the device.

Reliability throughout all apps on Apple TV, first-party and third-party alike, is somewhat nonexistent. Even Apple’s Movies and TV Shows apps are far from perfect. Jumping into the Movies app, for  instance, is smooth. You’re taken right to the Top Movies page which loads up instantly. Scroll to the right to view genres, however, and you’re left playing the waiting game for it to maybe, someday load.

The tvOS platform offers a brilliant way for developers to showcase what’s possible, but everything is moot if the apps aren’t reliable, and I have a gut feeling that Apple is to blame for the issues.

Now let’s discuss the interface refresh the fourth-gen Apple TV offers. Zac has already done a great job breaking down the issues associated with the app interfaces on the new Apple TV, so I won’t delve into too much detail here. In most instances, however, I think it’s gorgeous. The overall design is fantastic, although in a dark room (where content is often consumed) a “Dark Mode” would very much be welcomed. Third-party apps are generally well-designed, as well. Asphalt 8, for instance, offers a clean and intuitive way to game. Hulu’s design is also very welcomed, with quick access to genres, new episodes, and recommendations.

Netflix’s app has received somewhat of a negative reaction since its launch in terms of design, but overall, I’m a fan of the interface, reliability issues aside. With large cover art and prevalent summaries, it’s a pleasure to browse through, although quicker access to the My List screen would be very much welcomed.

Can we talk about the new screensavers for a second? They are absolutely beautiful. The images are unbelievably stunning and crisp. It’s this kind of detail that makes Apple products standout from the rest.

If I had one complaint when it comes to the software design of the new Apple TV, it’d be that it’s not as easy to navigate and there’s definitely a steep learning curve when you couple the new interface with the new Siri Remote.

Regarding the Siri Remote, it’s leaps and bounds better than the previous remote included with the Apple TV. The touchpad mechanism makes it infinitely faster to navigate through large amounts of content, while the quick access to Siri lends itself to better content discovery as well. One change I made, however, is going into the Settings app and changing the “Touchpad Surface Tracking” speed to slow. The default is medium and I found that to be a tad to finicky for my taste. One day, I hope Apple will backlight the Siri Remote as its nearly impossible to know which buttons you’re pushing and which way the remote is facing when in a dark room.

Another feature Apple touted when unveiling the Apple TV is its new support for gaming. I’ve never been much more than a casual gamer, but this feature intrigued me. The first game I downloaded was Crossy Road – the hit iOS title that asks you to navigate through obstacles like trees, trains, and rivers. On the Apple TV, it’s even more fun. It’s a great way to pass the time. Playing Crossy Road with the Siri Remote, however, is about as far as the gaming feature can go without the need for a standalone controller.

Apple requires that all apps on the Apple TV support the Siri Remote and it’s an odd requirement to say the least. Many games just aren’t very plausible with the Siri Remote. Asphalt 8, for instance, is nearly impossible to play with the remote. Using a game controller, however, significantly improves the experience. The experience playing with the Siri Remote is so negative, in some cases, that developers are getting slammed in reviews with users citing unintuitive controls.

This brings me to my next point. If you’re really thinking using the Apple TV as even a remotely serious gaming device, guess again. It’s great for games like Crossy Road, but don’t expect more intensive games to even compare to what the PS4 and Xbox One offer. And you shouldn’t expect them to considering the price point of the Apple TV.

With all of this said, is the fourth-gen Apple TV worthy for an upgrade from a 2nd or 3rd-gen model? You really have to think about what’s actually changed. The two biggest additions are gaming and the Siri Remote, but gaming should not be a reason to run out and purchase an Apple TV. If you already have an Xbox One or PS4 – or even an Xbox 360/PS43 – there’s no need to ever game on the Apple TV. The experience just doesn’t compare.

You also have to consider the lack of future-proofing the Apple TV offers. It doesn’t offer 4k support, which while at this point is not incredibly necessary, it will be sooner rather than later. I had my 3rd-gen Apple TV for three years and I’d like to think that in three years, 4k will be the new standard for video content, and it would certainly be nice if I could keep this Apple TV for three years, too.

We also can’t forget the software bugs that are associated with the new Apple TV, both in third-party apps and Apple’s own apps. Sure these issues will likely improve significantly over time, but in the interim, software issues are the last thing you want on a device that you use when you’re trying to relax.

One thing that will set the new Apple TV apart from the older model, however, is Apple’s cable package. The streaming service is rumored to be launching sometime in 2016 and feature streaming feeds of channels such as ESPN, CBS, and Fox. The package is said to be priced between $30 and $40 and will reportedly require a fourth-gen Apple TV. When this service launches, the new Apple TV becomes a much more compelling device.

Apple still sells the $69 third-generation Apple TV and at this time, it’s a steal compared to the $149/$199 fourth-gen model. If you already have an Apple TV, there’s no need to rush out and buy a fourth-gen model. Yet. If you’re looking to purchase your first Apple TV, however, you have to consider the two biggest non-cosmetic changes between the third and fourth-gen models. Unless those features are crucial to your living room experience, go for the $69 model for now. As software and apps improve, and when 4k is eventually supported, the new Apple TV will be a much more enticing offer than it is now.

Our own Jeremy Horwitz, however, feels pretty different about the new Apple TV than I do…. Read his thoughts here. Also check out Dom’s thoughts & video here.

Filed under: Apple TV, Opinion Tagged: Apple, Apple TV, Netflix, Opinion, streaming, TV

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Misfit, makers of popular smartphone-connected wearable fitness accessories, today announced the company is being acquired by watchmaker Fossil Group for $260 million, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Fossil plans to take the technology and integrate it into its traditional watch designs, according to the report:

“We believe it isn’t about function. It is about function and design and branding,” said Greg McKelvey, chief strategy officer and digital officer at Fossil Group. “We see tremendous growth opportunity and that a lot of our jewelry and watches could be connected devices,” he said.

Publicly traded Fossil expects to incorporate Misfit’s technology into products that look like traditional watches, rather than rubber fitness trackers, as soon as next year. It plans to continue producing Misfit’s own products, as well, Mr. McKelvey said. He said the company’s battery life innovation was especially appealing to Fossil.

Misfit’s latest product, the Shine 2 fitness and activity tracker, was launched last month, joining its lineup of similar wearable products. The company also has other smartphone-connected accessories, including the wireless Misfit Bolt lighting system and the Beddit sleep monitor, and partnerships in place for co-branded products with Swarovski and Speedo. We’ve reviewed the Bolt and other Misfit products in the past.

While Fossil plans to integrate the technology into its own products, the company confirmed Misfit will continue selling and supporting its own line of popular fitness wearables.

Filed under: iOS Tagged: $260 million, acquisition, Apple, fitness tracker, Fossil, iOS, iPad, iPhone, misfit, wearable

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Yesterday we shared that the popular automatic screen brightness adjusting app Flux had found a way to make it from the Mac to iPhones and iPads on iOS 9. This afternoon the developers behind Flux announced that the app will no longer be available on iOS at the request of Apple. In a blog post sharing the development, the developers behind the app said that Apple contacted them to say that the app violated Apple’s Developer Program Agreement. While the app was unofficially supported on iOS 9 as a sideloaded app and not an official App Store app, Flux did use Xcode signing to work properly on iPhones and iPads.

Flux on iPhones and iPads with iOS 9 was originally made possible due to limitations being lifted around Xcode, which is available for anyone to download from the Mac App Store. Flux no longer being available is the first major instance of signing apps with Xcode and sideloading them unofficially without the App Store going sour.

This is likely due to the popularity that the automatic screen brightness utility enjoyed during its short run on iOS. In the blog post, Flux’s developers share that the Flux iOS page was visited 176,000 times in just one day, in part thanks to being featured on this website yesterday. Flux on the desktop, they say, has been downloaded over 15 million times.

f.lux cannot ship an App using the Documented APIs, because the changes we make are not allowed. In the last 5 years, we have had numerous conversations with Apple about our product and what would be required to make it work with iOS.

We respect Apple’s products enormously, and we urge Apple to allow work like ours to continue through Documented APIs.

You can read the full blog post explaining the situation here.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Apple, flux, sideloading, Xcode

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Today, Readdle has launched PDF Expert for Mac. Compatible with OS X Yosemite and El Capitan, this productivity app offers a multitude of PDF editing tools including text annotations, customized shapes, multiple signatures, and “smart tools for filling forms.” Support for Apple Continuity and Handoff allows you to work without interruption when moving between different devices. Readdle is positioning PDF Expert as being a more powerful solution than the built-in Preview app and more cost-effective than Adobe DC.

PDF Expert for Mac is now available on the Mac App Store for $19.99. As part of a limited time launch promotion, PDF Expert for iOS is now free on the App Store (down from $9.99).

When it’s time to edit, all the great tools you need are easy to find and just a click away. PDF Expert’s quick annotations, easy form filling, and powerful file merging will chew through your work in record time.

* Read – An award-winning, lightning-fast, and tabbed document viewer will get you through multiple PDFs faster than ever.

* Annotate – Classic tools and unique innovations enable you to highlight, note, and instruct with just a click.

* Edit – Easily make your mark by adding text, customized shapes, and more.

* Merge – Combine multiple documents into a new PDF, or borrow individual pages.

* Sign – Create multiple signatures for every situation and sign on the line with a single click.

* Fill Out – Avoid your printer with smart tools for filling forms that save you both paper and time.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Mac App Store, PDF Expert for iOS, PDF Expert for Mac, Productivity, productivity app, Readdle

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If you own an iPhone or Mac, you’re probably a photographer — either with your iPhone’s camera or a standalone camera you connect to your Mac. Just as iPhoto’s simple editing and storage tools helped Apple sell iMacs, photography has become a major marketing focus for iPhones, empowering people to capture increasingly beautiful images and videos with the one device they’re always carrying.

Over the past year, I’ve reviewed some of the very best hardware, software, and services available to Apple-loving photographers. And I’ve spent the last month adding new choices to the list. So just in time for the holidays, I’ve put together 9to5Mac’s Holiday Gift Guide with top photography picks, at price points ranging from $2.99 to $2,200. From basic accessories to smart photo backup solutions to amazing photo-to-wall art printing services, there’s something for everyone inside…

$2.99 And Up: Photo Composing, Editing + Library Software

If you’re looking to take your iPhone photography to the next level, tap tap tap’s Camera+ ($2.99) is a great tool to start with. Unlike Apple, which has made iOS’s Camera app an almost entirely automatic point-and-shoot experience, tap tap tap gives you manual control over everything from color temperature to stabilization, macro focus, exposure, and zoom settings. Camera+ also includes a Lightbox that lets you radically enhance photos you’ve snapped, including everything from granular color and brightness adjustments to adding filters, frames, and text.

Post-processing your photos can change and in some cases radically improve them. I personally use and love Macphun’s Creative Kit 2016 ($150, left), a collection of 6 apps that handle everything from color adjustments to refocusing prior images. Each of the six apps is discussed in this review; they can be purchased individually, but are a great value when bundled together. Most of the apps can also be used as plug-ins for OS X Photos, Lightroom, Photoshop, Aperture, and iPhoto. Macphun also just introduced Aurora HDR Pro ($90, right) as a standalone app for creating gorgeous high-dynamic range images, and it’s seriously excellent, co-developed with HDR master Trey Ratcliff.

Apple’s discontinuation of the professional photo editing and library management app Aperture has left a large hole in many photographers’ lives, and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 ($142) is the safest alternative. Reviewed here, Lightroom has most of the same tools and features as Aperture did, plus a bunch of its own tricks — camera calibration, noise reduction, and grain adjustment, to name a few. If you have a lot of pictures and a need to organize them, this is probably your best option right now.

$16 And Up: Basic iPhone/iPad Camera Accessories

If you’re looking for a gift that can instantly improve an iPhone 6’s photographs, start with Olloclip’s 4-in-1 Lens ($80). It fits the iPhone 6, 6s, 6 Plus and 6s Plus, bundling wide-angle, fisheye, and 10x/15x macro lenses into a single accessory you can carry around in your pocket or on an included lanyard. My full review is here. Olloclip also sells iPhone 6/6s and iPhone 6 Plus/6s Plus cases compatible with the lenses for $30 each, as well as iPad versions of some of its lenses.

If you’re shooting photos with a standalone camera and want to send images instantly to your iPhone or iPad, I highly recommend either the Eyefi Mobi ($30 and up) or Eyefi Mobi Pro ($60 and up). These SD cards literally add Wi-Fi to your camera, rapidly sending each photo you snap to your iOS device (or Mac) without the need to stop or use a card reader. Eyefi cards have become indispensable in my workflows, letting me send DSLR-quality photos directly to the Internet from my iPhone, edit photos on my iPad, and immediately store them on my Mac. Pick the Pro version if you use the high-quality RAW image format; otherwise, both versions work with more common JPEG images, and come in multiple capacities.

I’m not going to tell you that I’m a fan of selfie sticks, but what started out as a fad has almost become the new normal over the past year or so. Spigen’s new S520 Bluetooth Selfie Stick ($16) is affordable, full-featured, and device-agnostic — it works with any-sized iPhone from the 5s to the 6s Plus, expands from a portable 7.7″ to 31.5″ in length, and includes a Bluetooth shutter trigger to help you snap the perfect shot. It also feels solid and well-made, which can’t always be said for selfie sticks, but is important for something that’s holding your iPhone.

Serious photographers and videographers understand the value of stabilization when trying to shoot blur-free still photos and shake-free videos. Tiffen’s Steadicam Smoothee ($150) is a hand-held stabilizer that lets you achieve gimbal-style steadiness when walking, panning, and tilting, while using only a single hand. It comes with your choice of iPhone-sized mounts; the brand new $170 version shown here comes with an adjustable universal bracket and small balance weight for use with any iOS device from the iPod touch up to the iPhone 6s Plus. Older versions are sold at discounts with brackets for the iPhone 4/4s or iPhone 5 series.

$19 And Up: Photo-to-Wall Art Printing Services

If you’re looking for a more personalized, thinking-outside-the-box photography gift, this section has the best options. Readers loved my series on making amazing wall art from your Mac’s photos (part 1, part 2, part 3), so I decided to check out a few additional services ahead of the holidays in the brand new part 4. My favorite overall photo-to-wall art solution of the year was produced by Nations Photo Lab, which turns any photo into a “Genna Effect” hand-painted canvas (starting at $110 for an 8″ by 10″). Nations’ Genna Effect begins by printing your photo on a canvas, which is followed by an artist hand-painting over the photo with latex, creating a truly one-of-a-kind piece of art. The results are beautiful, and unlike many of the other solutions, can work to turn even low-resolution photos into large-sized canvases.

Bay Photo is an excellent photo printing service with a wide variety of spectacular-looking large-format options. Made from sheets of ink-saturated aluminum, Bay’s Double Float (left, starting at $34 for 6″ x 8″) joins two layers of metal together to create a three-dimensional picture frame. The sample Double Float I tested had deep blacks, excellent detail, and substantially accurate colors. For something more rustic, Bay offers Maple Wood Prints (center, starting at $22 for 5″ x 5″), optionally with a white finish that’s color-accurate to the deliberately dreamy image, and looks like a painting on wood. Another option is the Face-Mounted Acrylic Print (right, starting at $19 for 4″ x 4″), which is a traditional but large photo print on paper, supported by metal and foam core backing. Deep and glossy, it’s one of the most substantial-feeling and nicely mounted solutions I’ve ever covered.

Another heavy hitter in the photo printing business is Shutterfly, which offers many types of great wall art. I loved Shutterfly’s Photo Gallery Acrylic Print (left, starting at $70 for 8″ x 10″), which arrived with optimized, intense colors and gallery-quality stainless steel mounting posts in the corners. Contrasting with Bay Photo’s alternative, Shutterfly’s Upload Your Own Design Wood Wall Art (center, starting at $90 for 8″ x 10″) comes only in a natural grain option that really lets the wood texture shine through. Another company, CanvasPop, specializes in printing photos on canvas (right, starting at $37 for 10″ x 10″), and does a very good job, very quickly. I was thrilled by the print quality on this rendition of my youngest daughter, which took a 22-Megapixel image up to a 20″ by 30″ size while accurately preserving both detail and colors. Three-canvas triptychs and up to 2.5″ frame depths are offered as options.

$100 And Up: Photo/Video Storage Solutions

It’s inevitable that your photo collection will either outgrow your Mac’s internal storage capacity or become important enough to back up. In either case, you’ll want some sort of external storage solution, and I have a couple of fantastic recommendations, starting with G-Technology’s G-Drive USB ($190). For less than $200, you can have a fast USB 3.0 drive with 4TB of highly reliable storage space. As noted in my review, G-Tech’s hard drive mechanisms are the most reliable around, and the price for this particular model is awesome. My personal photo library lives on a G-Drive USB, and yours should, too.

Apple may not love optical drives, but they’re still very useful for storing high-resolution videos and photos. If you have memories you want to preserve for decades, OWC’s new Mercury Pro ($78/$135) burns archival-quality DVDs or Blu-ray Discs using recently-released M-DISCs, which are guaranteed to last for generations and play in regular DVD/Blu-ray players. The $79 model is less expensive than Apple’s USB SuperDrive and burns M-DISC DVDs, while the $139 model can burn M-DISC Blu-ray Discs and let your Mac play back Blu-ray movies, as well. A full review is here.

$600 to $3,500: A New Camera

If you’re reading this article, you most likely already have a camera, but I have a couple of recommendations. As the saying goes, the best camera is the one you’re actually carrying when something’s worth photographing, which has led me to care a lot about two types of cameras: the one I carry every day, and the one I carry to special photographic destinations. Since my everyday camera is an iPhone, I upgrade each year to get Apple’s best cameras (here are tips on how to trade your old iPhone in for cash towards a new model), which now are found inside each year’s Plus models. You can’t go wrong with any iPhone 6, 6s, or Plus version, but the “s” models have radically improved 5MP selfie cameras, 12MP rear still cameras, and 4K video cameras; the 6s Plus has optical image stabilization for videos. An unlocked iPhone 6 starts at around $600, iPhone 6 Plus at $700, iPhone 6s at $715, and the iPhone 6s Plus at $885. I personally use the iPhone 6s Plus and would recommend at least 64GB of storage capacity.

The camera I carry for special occasions is Canon’s 5D Mark III ($2,149), which I chose because it offers huge steps up in image quality and versatility relative to my everyday camera. Super fast and equipped with a 22MP full frame sensor, it’s capable of taking superb images under any lighting conditions, particularly when paired with an excellent zoom lens such as Canon’s 24-70 f/2.8L II ($1,799). If I wanted something that was priced between the iPhone and those two Canon options put together, I’d look seriously at Sony’s DSC-RX100 IV ($948, shown inset), which has a fast, sharp 24-70mm-equivalent lens, a 20MP sensor, and a pocket-sized footprint. The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus use lower-end versions of the same Sony image sensors found in the RX100 IV, and have no zoom capabilities, making this a stronger pick if you’re willing to spend the cash for a standalone camera that fits in your pocket.

More From This Author

Check out more of my How-To guides and reviews for 9to5Mac here! In recent months, I published a guide to turning your digital photos into beautiful wall art (see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4), as well as a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users.

Filed under: Buying Guides, General, iOS Devices, Mac, Reviews Tagged: gift guide, photography

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Two weeks ago Upthere , the cloud company c0-founded by former OS X chief Bertrand Serlet, officially launched after several years of stealth development. Details were still sparse on what exactly Upthere would offer aside from being a different kind of cloud service option for your data. Now Upthere is officially launching its first products in beta: Upthere Home and Upthere Camera.

The idea behind Upthere is that data connections are plenty fast for a lot of people but local storage is a growing issue. Cloud services like Dropbox and iCloud tackle different areas of the problem is different ways, but Upthere believes keeping everything on the server then bringing it to your device on demand is the suitable approach. I got the chance to try out each of the new apps overnight, and while my data is spread across iCloud and Dropbox right now, Upthere’s new apps make a good first impression and look promising.

The first app runs on the Mac and is called Upthere Home, seen above. For me, I started by sharing media with Upthere: my photo library from Apple’s Photos app, my music collection in iTunes, and even the fun snapshots from Photo Booth. (I use Apple Music and iCloud Photo Library, but I haven’t previously been able to easily sync Photo Booth to a cloud library before.) The app itself is basically a portal organized by your Photos & Videos, Music, and Documents. There’s a Flow section for seeing what’s been added in a timeline format, and other Upthere users can share collections called Loops with you that appear in the app. Adding and saving media is as easy as dragging and dropping content in and out of the portal, or you can share media with anyone using email.

Over on iOS, Upthere offers two apps: the mobile Upthere Home and Upthere Camera. Once you’ve used Upthere Home for Mac, the iPhone version is easily familiar as it’s organized by the same Flow, Photos, Music, Documents, and Loops sections. Upthere Home on iPhone can really be the Music and Photos app plus iCloud Drive all in one (admittedly decent) app. There’s also search and sharing features included.

Upthere Camera is even more interesting to me. It’s a pretty bare bones camera app with support for toggling flash on or off and switching between front and back cameras, and snapping a photo uploads it to Upthere so you don’t take up local storage and run out. Scroll down below your main camera and you’ll find your recently taken photos in a mosaic grid. Tapping one reveals metadata as well as share options.

Upthere Camera also lets you snap and add to shared collections, Loops (similar to Shared Photo Streams), right in the app. You can also make new cameras that you share with other Upthere users right in the app. It works pretty well and overall looks really slick. Browsing and searching for photos in your whole library will take place over on Upthere Home, but the approach to taking a photo and it instantly going to the right cloud bucket with this app is a neat one.

Upthere is still in beta and only in the US and Canada so data tiers and pricing details aren’t yet part of the equation, but the company says it expects Upthere to be a paid service that’s “significantly cheaper” than paying for more storage each time you upgrade your device. Upthere is starting to add people to the beta today; you can sign up to join the beta at Upthere.com, then follow the prompts to access the apps once you’re added.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Dropbox, icloud, Upthere, UpThere Camera, UpThere Home

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