Apple updates iWork for Mac and iOS with Office compatibility fixes and more

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

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Apple has released updates for its entire suite of iWork apps today on both iOS and OS X. The updates include bug fixes for issues with some Microsoft Office documents and stability fixes across both platforms.

Other fixes on the Mac side include an issue that affected exporting presentations as images and master slides that included links in Keynote, and a problem that prevented users from being able to look up the definition of words in lists while using Pages.

The iOS version of Numbers also gained a fix for a problem where documents would not open to their last saved position. The mobile Keynote app got a fix for an issue with opening presentations that contain many images.

You can download the apps at the links below. The updates are free for existing users. For first-time buyers the Mac apps are $19.99 and the iOS versions are $9.99.

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iOS

Filed under: Apps Tagged: iOS, iWork, keynote, Mac, Numbers, Pages

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Facebook debuts ‘Notify’ app for news, sports, weather, and more

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

facebook notify

In line with previous rumors, Facebook has released a new app today called Notify that aims to deliver timely and relevant news notifications to users.

The app serves a wide variety of content types to keep users interested, including the day’s weather forecasts, breaking news from multiple sources, fashion news from Vogue, and even historical images from Getty.

 

Everyone has different interests, so whether you’re into sports, celebrities, news, movies, music or shopping, Notify makes it easy to find notifications you’re into with a broad selection of great “stations” across a variety of categories. Some examples of stations include:

  • The Final Scores station from FOX Sports provides end-of-game summaries for your favorite teams.
  • The Daily AM Forecast station from The Weather Channel sends a local weather forecast at the start of your day.
  • Hot New Trailers from Fandango gets you the newest trailers for the hottest movies as they drop.
  • Breaking News from CNN and Top Stories from Fox News deliver the day’s news headlines.
  • The 10 Best Dressed station from Vogue is your weekly digest of the best-dressed celebs.
  • Daily Mediation from Headspace brings bite-sized guided meditation exercises into your day.
  • The Flashback station from Getty Images delivers iconic imagery from this day in history.

Notifications will be delivered throughout the day as new information becomes available, and those notifications can be opened to see the full story or shared through social media.

Incoming messages can also be saved to a list for reading later if you don’t want to handle them the moment they come in. The app keeps a list of everything you’ve received over the past 24 hours so you can refer back to it at any time.

Notify is available for free on the App Store.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: Facebook, News, Notify

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9to5Toys Lunch Break: MagSafe 2 Power Adapter $34, Logitech Harmony Smart Control $75, Amazon Echo $100 (or less), more

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

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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:

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Apple MagSafe 2 Power Adapters for MacBook Air or MacBook Pro from $34 shipped (Reg. $79)

logitech-smart-control

Amazon Gold Box – Logitech Harmony Smart Control with App and Remote $75 shipped (Reg. $130)

amazon-echo-deal

Amazon Echo Smart Speaker w/ free shipping: $150 or $95 for card holders (Reg. $180)

apple-retina-macbook-mjlq2lla (1)

13-inch Retina MacBook Pro 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB $1,080 (Reg. $1,299), 15-inch: $1,600 (Reg. $1,999)

implosion-never-lose-hope

Implosion – Never Lose Hope for iOS goes free for the first time as IGN’s Game of the Month ($10 value)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

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Twelve South HiRise dock for iPhone, iPad mini, Apple TV remote: $25 Prime shipped (Reg. $35)

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

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Best Buy’s Black Friday ad brings deals on Apple Watch, Macs, HDTVs, games & more!

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

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T-Mobile is discounting iPhone 6s/Plus by $100 when bought on an installment plan or outright

Huge savings on pre-owned Apple Watches, deals from as low as $261 shipped

Apple iPod Touch 5th gen 16-64GB sizes, multiple colors: $149-$199 shipped

Apple Magic Mouse 2 (open-box): $68 shipped (Reg. $80)

Apple iPad Mini 2, space gray or silver: $199 shipped ($70 off)

NEW PRODUCTS & MORE:

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Yuneec introduces its own stabilized 4K action camera, bringing prices lower than ever before

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TP-Link introduces two new Wi-Fi extenders for home theaters, gaming consoles, and more

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: Amazon Gold Box, Amazon Prime, Apple MagSafe 2 Power Adapter, Best Buy, Black Friday, coupon codes, Cyber Monday, Deals, eBay Daily Deals, free, free shipping, Freebies, iPad, iPhone 6s, playstation 4, Staples, target, xbox one

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Apple devices will benefit from Bluetooth improvements for range, speed, & smart apps next year

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

TestFlight 2-1

So many of Apple’s products either rely on or benefit from wireless Bluetooth connectivity these days that viewing Bluetooth’s roadmap is almost like viewing features for future Apple devices and accessories. Today the Bluetooth Special Interest Group has shared details on updates planned for the wireless connectivity technology in 2016 including improvements to range, transfer speed, and smart applications. Future and potentially even current Apple devices will certainly benefit as a result.

In its announcement today previewing Bluetooth advancements coming next year, the Special Interest Group specifically shared that Bluetooth Smart used for connected home accessories will see a range boost up to 4x in some cases. SIG explains that this can potentially create new use cases for smart home appliances as you could stay connected to outdoor accessories like a weather sensor while inside, something that is usually beyond current range limitations. Apple’s HomeKit platform currently relies heavily on both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for connecting iPhones and iPads to smart home appliances, as do many other accessories for its devices.

Speed is also set to see a big jump in 2016. The Bluetooth SIG says a “100% increase in speed” that doesn’t require an increase in energy consumption is on the roadmap, potentially benefiting medical devices and other smart accessories. Apple Watch relies on Bluetooth connectivity for transferring most data, so a drop in latency compared to the current speeds could make for a faster experience in the future with any apps that pull data from the iPhone as well.

Finally, delivering on its focus with the Internet of Things, the Bluetooth SIG says mesh networking is on the roadmap for 2016 and will allow multiple Bluetooth devices to connect together and potentially extend the range of accessories by creating networks that can reach entire buildings.

While the roadmap is only a preview for now, the Bluetooth SIG says it will share further details “in the coming months.”

Filed under: AAPL Company, Tech Industry Tagged: Apple, Bluetooth, improvements, range, SIG, speed, update

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Poll: Will iPad Pro replace your MacBook?

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

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Will iPad Pro replace your MacBook? With the iPad Pro officially going on sale today, there is lots of discussion about what this means for the iPad category. Can it be a true Microsoft Surface competitor? Does the addition of official keyboard and stylus companion accessories from Apple mean the company has finally changed its stance on so-called hybrid laptop/tablet devices?

While the majority of reviews praised the bigger form factor and pen input with the new Apple Pencil, many reviewers pointed out iOS as the limiting factor in making the iPad Pro a PC replacement or hybrid competitor. But does it need to be?

Apple’s marketing message for the new iPad Pro is unmistakably clear. The company is romancing pro users (like Disney and Pixar animators) for the launch of the new device with most of its ads and marketing material focusing on content creation possibilities with the larger display and new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

But how will YOU be using the new iPad Pro? Will you attempt to replace your MacBook or other device in one way or another? Or will the larger iPad Pro simply complement your current lineup of devices and add new possibilities to your workflow? That’s the question we’re asking in today’s poll, and we’ll be continuing the discussion in the comments below. 

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, hybrid, iPad Pro, keyboard, MacBook, Microsoft Surface, poll, replacement, stylus

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Moxiware offers first elegant, upright Apple Pencil charging dock

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

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Accessory maker Moxiware is the first out of the gate with a dock for the new Apple Pencil stylus that launched today alongside Apple’s larger 12.9-inch iPad Pro.

Apple Pencil, Apple’s first stylus launching today as a companion accessory for the new iPad Pro, charges using a built-in Lightning connector. But having the Pencil sticking out of the bottom of your iPad or lying flat on the floor or a desk with the included adapter isn’t ideal. Moxiware’s dock, however, allows the Pencil to stand upright while charging, not unlike a traditional pen stand.

As is the case with most early docks for new Apple products, this one doesn’t appear to include an integrated Lightning cable meaning customers will have to supply their own and snake it through the base.

It’s available in 4 models: aluminum and wood finishes in either a cone shape or a cylinder shape with an extra pen slot.

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The Moxiware Apple Pencil charging dock is available to order now from the company’s website with shipping schedule to start in December. The dock costs $30 + $6.95 shipping worldwide.

The iPad Pro officially went on sale today online in 40 initial launch countries with the device scheduled for shipping to customers as early as Friday. Some Apple retail stores are also reporting having stock of the new device today, while accessories for the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard companion accessories are shipping in 5-7 days at the time of writing.

Check out our roundup of the best iPad Pro cases, covers, keyboards, and other accessories here.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: accesories, Apple, apple pencil charging dock, base, Cable, charging, dock, iPad Pro, Moxiware, Pencil

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Apple’s own design team always used paper, now starting to use the iPad Pro & Apple Pencil, says Jony Ive

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

apple-pencil

Apple’s design chief Jony Ive told the Telegraph that while his own team has worked using paper sketchbooks for more than 20 years, they are for the first time starting to use the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil instead.

Many of us in the design team have worked together for 20 plus years. We’ve always drawn in our sketchbooks, and for the first time – despite flirting with some alternatives a couple of years ago – I’m seeing people starting to use the iPad and Apple Pencil. Our personal experience has been that there are definitely affordances and opportunities now that you have a much more natural and intuitive environment to make marks, there are clearly things you can do sketching and writing on the iPad which you could never dream of doing in the analogue world.

He said that while he’d started off demonstrating it, he’d then found himself using it for his work … 

What I’ve enjoyed is when I’m just thinking, holding the Pencil as I would my pen with a sketchpad and I just start drawing.

When you start to realise you’re doing that without great intent and you’re just using it for the tool that it is, you realise that you’ve crossed over from demoing it and you’re actually starting to use it.

Ive told the Telegraph that ensuring that the Pencil felt like a traditional writing instrument had been both important, and a challenge.

We hoped if you are used to spending a lot of time using paintbrushes, pencils and pens, this will feel like a more natural extension of that experience – that it will feel familiar. To achieve that degree of very simple, natural behaviour, was a significant technological challenge […]

Every other stylus you’ve used is a pretty poor representation of the analogue world.

Tim Cook said earlier this week that the Apple Pencil, a $99 optional accessory that works only with the iPad Pro, was more than just a stylus.

Don’t expect to be able to get one today, though, even if you’re lucky enough to get your iPad Pro: most stores are saying that stock has not yet arrived.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Inc, Apple Pencil, iPad Pro, Jonathan Ive, Jony Ive

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Opinion: The humble MacBook Air is a secret workhorse

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

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I’ve long recommended the MacBook Air to friends who want something a little more capable than an iPad but don’t need their machine to do any heavy lifting. But recent experience has now led me to go rather further …

I’ve written at length about why I’m doggedly sticking to my four-year-old 17-inch MacBook Pro as my main machine. The tl;dr version is that I really like working on a large screen, and I also like having all my files on board when travelling – something I can do because I upgraded it to 2 x 1TB SSDs.

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that it fell victim to the GPU problem that has afflicted a number of 2011-2013 MacBook Pros. The first symptoms were everything slowing to a crawl when connected to my 27-inch Thunderbolt display, followed by random crashes and then the characteristic graphics distortion that confirmed the logic board as the culprit.

The good news was that Apple would fix it free of charge under its Repair Extension Program. The bad news was that it would take a week, during which time my second Mac – a Mid 2013 11-inch MacBook Air usually used exclusively as a mobile writing device – would have to take over all its duties. I wondered how well it would cope … 

I’m of course comparing a Late 2011 machine with a Mid 2013 one, but even so, the specs of the two are some way apart.

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In the office, I use a dual-display setup, apps split across both the MacBook’s own display and my 27-inch Apple Thunderbolt Display. That was, of course, immediate reason to be grateful I’d stuck to the Air rather than replacing it with the 12-inch MacBook, which has no ability to drive an external display. Given the number of apps I need open at once, the single MacBook display would have made it a complete non-starter.

The apps I typically have open include three different browsers (helps to keep things organized), Lightroom, Photoshop, Tweetdeck, Postbox, iTunes, HipChat and a number of smaller apps. Not everything was installed on the Air, so I did have to take care of that first, but soon had an acceptable mirror of my MacBook Pro dock.

Admittedly much of my work is relatively undemanding of processing power, but it does include both photo and video editing. The work can also be fast-paced, so I need a machine which doesn’t break sweat when it’s being asked to work quickly.

The MacBook Air performed absolutely perfectly. Virtually the only difference I noticed was that it was very slightly slower performing a few Photoshop tasks – but even there the difference was tiny. Had it not been for the small screen sitting to the left of my main monitor, I honestly think I might not have noticed the difference.

I’d long considered the MacBook Air to be Apple’s best-value product, offering an excellent balance of price and performance (especially when discounted). But based on this experience, I’d now go even further. I’d say that unless you need the larger screen or storage capacity of the Pro – or really want the Retina display – the Air is the only MacBook most people will ever need.

Filed under: Mac, Opinion Tagged: MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Air v MacBook Pro, MacBook Air versus MacBook Pro, MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro, MacBook Pro

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Impatient to get your hands on an iPad Pro? Some stores have them in stock today …

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

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While Apple had indicated earlier today that nobody would be getting their hands on an iPad Pro until Friday, it seems that some of you may be in luck and able to pick one up today.

When ordering through the app, AppAdvice noticed the pickup option allowed them to collect today from a number of Apple Stores. We’ve independently verified with Apple that this is isn’t a glitch – and they even have very limited numbers available today for walk-in purchases … 

We’re told that stocks are already low for some models, though, so we’d strongly recommend purchasing online or via the app rather than just hoping for the best when you reach a store.

Sadly the immediate pickup option appears to be limited to U.S. stores: when I placed my order and checked for pickup options, I could get the keyboard today but the iPad Pro wasn’t available until Friday – the same day Apple promises to deliver it.

I’m not expecting to keep mine: I just want to try it out for a week. Then again, I said the same thing about the Watch and look how that turned out. Keep an eye out for an iPad Pro diary series starting on Friday or Monday. In the meantime, check out our review roundup to see what others are saying so far.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: Apple Store, iPad, iPad Pro, iPad Pro availability, iPad Pro for sale, iPad Pro pickup, iPad Pro stock

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iPad Pro review roundup: Bigger is better, Pencil is great for drawing, iOS limiting factor as PC replacement

by | Nov 11, 2015 |

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The iPad Pro went on sale this morning and now the reviews are out from a wide variety of tech publications. The iPad Pro features a large 12.9 inch Retina Display, a powerful A9X processor, quad-speaker layout and more. The Pro starts from $799 and maxes out at $1079 for the 128 GB WiFi + Cellular model. However, the most interesting features are arguably the accessories, like the Apple Pencil stylus and Smart Keyboard, which run an additional $99 and $169. The accessories are almost more important than the iPad hardware itself in making this a true PC replacement and — ultimately — a compelling purchase.

We’ve rounded up the iPad Pro reviews from various publications after the break …

Walt Mossberg from The Verge says that the iPad Pro is a great consumption tool but the Smart Keyboard is lacking. He also mentions that despite the powerful internals, iOS continues to limit the true functionality of the device compared to a MacBook. He thinks the Pencil is good enough to appeal to real artists and the Pro form factor appeals to enterprise and business uses, but market for mainstream consumers is small.

You can get a lot more done with iPad apps than with the paltry selection of tablet / touch-first apps available for the Surface. But, because Apple hasn’t made a great keyboard, the iPad Pro isn’t a complete replacement for a great laptop like the MacBook Air — even for a tablet guy like me.

The iPad Pro will no doubt make a lot of Apple users happy, especially if they use it for graphics. But I won’t be buying one, and I don’t recommend that average users do so either.

Federico Viticci, from MacStories, who uses an iPad almost exclusively for his writing endorses the iPad Pro with high praise. I think the takeaway here is if you liked the iPad already as a work tool, then the iPad Pro just makes it even better. Viticci points out that multitasking on iPad Pro is almost like using two full-sized iPads in portrait, which is a big boon for productivity. However, the Slideover interface for selecting apps for the right-hand window is frustrating to use.

The device I’ve used every day for a year to get my work done for this site now seems tiny and limited, with small apps, less content shown on screen, and a constrained multitasking interface. I know that it’s only been a week, and I do believe that the Air 2 is a great device for lots of people, but I feel like all the work I’ve done on the iPad and iOS has led me to this point. I’m ready to take my iPad setup to the next level, and I think my workflow can benefit from improved hardware and a more capable version of iOS.

In the WIRED review, David Pierce puts strong focus onto the accessories. The Apple Pencil is smart because it has privileged access to iOS; pairing is as simple as placing it in the Lightning port. The Pencil accuracy is very good according to Pierce and claims it can be used for fine art, calligraphy and more — things that naive third-party iPad styli are just not good enough for.

However, Pierce is less impressed with the Smart Keyboard. He says its okay but third-parties will likely be able to replicate the same features and form factor without much difficulty. In fact, many have already done so with keyboard cases for existing iPads. Despite improvements in iOS 9, using a physical keyboard with an iPad remains a challenge.

A strange thing happens when you sit down at a 13-inch device with a keyboard, though: you expect it to work like a laptop. And the iPad Pro doesn’t. Its split-screen multitasking is handy, but only lets you do two things at once. The Smart Keyboard doesn’t support keyboard shortcuts in most apps, at least until developers add them. (Handy tip: press and hold the Command key in any app to see all available shortcuts.) You can Command-Tab to switch between apps, Command-Shift-H to go home, and Command-Space to open Spotlight. But why can’t you change the volume with the keyboard? Or turn the tablet off? Where’s the escape key? Why can’t you just start typing when you’re on the home screen to bring up the search, the way BlackBerry used to do it? Why isn’t there a search key that works in every app? Seriously, where is the escape key?

The iPad Pro A9X is definitely fast. CNET ran Geekbench scores that place it comparably against mid-range laptops. It’s just whether that power is put to good use on the iPad software side. It will be interesting to see this chip trickle down to smaller iPads in future, so the entire lineup can benefit from the speed.

But can the iPad Pro take on “real” laptops? Tests between PCs, Macs and tablets are necessarily more anecdotal, but using the Jetstream browser benchmark, a MacBook Pro and Surface Pro 4 came out on top. But when you consider that both of the computers were running full-on Intel Core i5 chips, the iPad Pro’s performance was quite good.

But speed, on something like an iPad, is relative. The iPad Air 2 still feels fast running iOS 9, even split-screen multitasking. I can get plenty of everyday work done on that, too. Speed depends on the specialized apps and tools that can take advantage of the iPad Pro’s power. There just aren’t enough optimized iPad Pro apps, yet, to determine what the difference could be.

Joanna Stern has a good summary of the mixed reaction to the iPad Pro, in how it’s a good laptop with a lot of edge-cases and many small limitations. The iPad Pro represents a weird dichotomy where for certain tasks it excels, like drawing, music creation or writing focused essays, but in other use cases — it remains primitive in power. Stern flags up the awkward iOS file sharing system and multitasking limitations (like being unable to put two Safari windows side-by-side) as outstanding big issues that hold back the Pro as a computer.

I brainstormed for my video using the Paper app, dragging in photos and videos, marking them up with handwritten notes. I edited a short video by cutting and moving around clips with my finger. I sliced off what looked like a real human leg in an app called Complete Anatomy.

That’s why answering “So… what is it?” is so hard. The Pro may seem wedged between iPads and MacBooks, but it will be your main computer in the future. As our phablets push smaller tablets into retirement, the big tablet and its accessories will do the same for our traditional computers. For now, however, it may be easiest to step back and see the Pro as a… really good, really big iPad.

Overall, the response to iPad Pro is the obvious one. It’s a bigger, more capable iPad … but it’s still an iPad with the accompanying iOS limitations. The iPad Pro is an even better consumption device thanks to the beautiful screen and impressive speakers. As a creation device, it can be used for real work for some people but it’s not a universally-useful product like a laptop is. Additions to the app ecosystem will help improve this. For accessories, the Apple Pencil seems like a big hit and should be very appealing for creative artists who want to doodle around on a ‘professional’ drawing tablet. However, the Smart Keyboard is somewhat lacking and doesn’t really justify its $169 price tag.

Let us know in the comments if you are planning on picking up an iPad Pro and what your intended use cases are … The first iPad Pro deliveries are due this Friday, although many stores have same day pickup options.

Filed under: iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: iPad Pro, reviews

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