Google Drive updates arriving today include new features for the service’s iOS app including sharing notifications and what Google promises will be a ‘consistent sharing experience across platforms.”

As part of its Drive mobile app updates today, both users of the iOS and Android apps can now enable notifications for when files are shared with them. Not only is it a notification, but it also acts as a quick link to jump right into the file or folder. And in addition, Google notes that “If a file/folder owner has notifications turned on and someone requests access to their content, the owner will be notified of the request instantly on their mobile device so they can quickly grant access.”

Another feature in the update for the Google Drive iOS app is what Google describes as a new consistent sharing experience, which essentially means the iOS app sharing experience is now on par with the Drive app on other platforms. You’ll notice the addition of an option to add a custom message when sharing:

We’re implementing a more consistent sharing experience in Drive (and the Docs editor apps too!) across platforms, including the ability for people using the Drive iOS app to add custom messages to recipients directly from the app when sharing a file.

The updated Google Drive app for iPhone and iPad is available now.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: App Store, Google Drive, notifications, sharing, update

For more news on Apps, App Store, and update continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Google Drive for iOS gets improved sharing experience w/ notifications & more” with our community.

Evernote just announced an update to its iPhone and iPad apps that brings the ability to sketch in notes, which should make many users happy as the company points out the feature is one of its most-requested (and one it’s long had on Android).

Using your finger or a stylus like the Evernote edition of the Adonit Jot Script or Apple Pencil, users can now sketch inside of notes. And for users of the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with 3D Touch, the feature will allow you to “change the line weight just by adjusting your writing pressure.”

Sketches, like everything else, sync across platforms so you can view and continue to edit on another iOS or Android device. And the feature includes handwriting recognition, so you’ll be able to search for text you’ve written inside notes.

Here’s how you access the feature:

After updating to the latest version, you’ll see a new pen icon when in a note. Tap it to transform the note area into a canvas. A bar along the top shows your available tools: a pen, highlighter, eraser, and selection tool. Tap twice on the pen or highlighter to choose among five line thicknesses and ten color options.

And lastly, today’s update means support for split-screen on iPads that support the feature. Here’s a look:

The updated Evernote app for iPhone and iPad is on the App Store now.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: 3D Touch, adonit jot script, Apple Pencil, Evernote, handwriting, notes, sketching, split-screen

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of Apps, 3D Touch, and Evernote.

What do you think? Discuss “Evernote for iOS adds sketching/handwriting in notes, iPad split-screen support” with our community.

Feature Request is a new regular 9to5Mac series where authors offer their opinion on how to improve popular hardware or software products.

A lot of the apps on the new Apple TV bring similar experiences as on iOS to the big screen, but we’re bound to see some unique apps designed specifically for the living room that perhaps didn’t make a lot of sense on smaller or mobile devices. One example of this and my first Feature Request: Airbnb should add a concierge-style experience for guests through its new Apple TV app.

Think about the concierge-style software on TVs at most hotels. Typically these systems give guests access to hotel information (room service, attractions, maps, restaurant hours, etc), content like paid movies, and sometimes access to car services and more. While Airbnb guests might not need a lot of the typical room service and spa information, it could add a lot to the experience for guests.

Currently the company’s Apple TV app focuses on discovery, allowing users to browse and bookmark rentals on the big screen, but it doesn’t extend the experience post-reservation with concierge-style features for guests once they arrive.

For starters, imagine the Apple TV app being used to offer guests information about the rental property, instructions on things guests need to do or remember, and handy information and links to local points of interest. It could also act as an easy way for guests and hosts to stay in contact with one another, serving as an enhanced version of the messaging/itinerary features Airbnb already has. 

And there are a ton of possibilities to allow hosts to customize the experience for their guests, or to partner with other companies. Imagine the Airbnb concierge app partnering with Uber to integrate a car service. Or Uber Eats or a similar service for food deliveries, for example. Similarly, it could partner with companies like Groupon to present coupons and deals for local attractions or content providers for entertainment options. It could even be possible to allow guests to adjust Wi-Fi or HomeKit-connected products in the rental, like lighting systems, if developers were able to build that functionality into Apple TV apps. 

Sure it’s possible to offer a similar experience on mobile devices, but that would require the guest to have their own device or the host to leave an expensive device for their guest. Having it already on the TV through a relatively inexpensive Apple TV box makes it much easier and the TV concierge-style experience a familiar one for guests.

It would only offer another perk for customers of the service, but beyond the Airbnb concierge app, this week’s Feature Request is one example of how app developers can think outside of the box when it comes to apps on the Apple TV and in the living room.

If you have ideas for future installments of Feature Requests, you can email me at jordan@9to5Mac.com or the whole team at tips@9to5Mac.com.

Filed under: Apple TV, Apps, Opinion Tagged: Airbnb, app, App Store, Apple TV, concierge, Feature Request, itinerary

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of Apps, App Store, and Apple TV.

What do you think? Discuss “Feature Request: Airbnb’s Apple TV app is perfect for a concierge-style experience for guests” with our community.

This week, we’re talking about the new Apple TV and everything you need to know about it. We’ve been using It for a little while now and have a lot to discuss. Big thanks to Audible and Bushel for sponsoring this week’s episode. The Happy Hour podcast is available for download on iTunes and through our dedicated RSS feed.Thanks to Audible.com, get your free 30 day trial at http://ift.tt/1RU1qVJ and thanks Bushel, to find out what awesome cloud-based mobile device management can do for you, check out http://ift.tt/1j95I0c.

New episodes of Happy Hour are available every Wednesday. As mentioned, you can download this podcast via iTunes or plug in our RSS feed link into your favorite podcasting app. Send an email to listenermail@9to5mac.com (or click here) and your question/comment may be featured in an upcoming episode of Happy Hour.

Note: iTunes (web interface and app) may still be propagating the new episode which could take up to 24 hours. Subscribing to the podcast feed will guarantee the latest episode is downloaded.

Hosts:

• Zac Hall
• Benjamin Mayo

Here’s what we discussed in this episode:

• Apple TV (4th Gen) unboxing + exclusive in-depth hands-on guide [Video]
• Hands-on with Apple’s Remote Loop, the $13 HDTV protector for your Apple TV Siri Remote [Photos]
• How-To: Make Apple TV screenshots and video captures without using Xcode
• The 10 best Apple TV apps to grab on day one (and honorable mentions)
• You can buy the Apple TV from today in Apple Stores, Best Buy, MacMall & other retailers

If you missed our 38th episode last week, you can subscribe and find every episode or start off from the previous episode here.

Remember: Subscribe on iTunes to catch all of the episodes as they go live and send in your questions/comments to listenermail@9to5mac.com.

Filed under: Happy Hour Tagged: Apple, Apple TV, Happy Hour, Podcast

Continue reading more about Apple, Apple TV, and Podcast at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Happy Hour Podcast 039 | Getting to know the new Apple TV” with our community.

Apple has released the second beta version of iOS 9.2 to users running the iOS public beta. The pre-release software was pushed out to developers yesterday alongside new versions of OS X, Xcode, and tvOS.

In this new beta, users will find the ability to take advantage of AT&T’s NumberSync offering, which allows other devices such as a Mac or iPad to make and receive phone calls using a customer’s iPhone number without actually being connected to the phone.

The new beta is available from the Software Update section of the Settings app on devices running the existing public beta build. Users who aren’t currently on the public beta can download the profile require to access it from the Apple beta website.

Filed under: iOS Tagged: AT&T, ios 9.2, ios beta, NumberSync, wi-fi calling

For more news on iOS, AT&T, and ios 9.2 continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple releases iOS 9.2 beta 2 with AT&T NumberSync for public testers” with our community.

Marc Newson, a close friend to Jony Ive and famed designer himself, spoke recently to the Australian Financial Review about the reaction to the Apple Watch so far.

“As far as I’m aware, it’s been enormously successful however you gauge it. The point is, it’s the beginning of something. I think people, consumers or analysts, whoever, are so impatient. Everyone wants immediate, instant recognition, instant understanding,” he said.

Apple hasn’t disclosed Apple Watch sales to date, Tim Cook citing competitive reasons, but analysts ball parked numbers around 3.95 million last quarter. Newson suggests Apple Watch will reach iPhone levels within five years. (Apple sold 48 million iPhones last quarter.)

“Look at the iPhone: it was a game-changing thing. And I believe that this product – for many, many reasons people are not aware of because they haven’t thought ahead or they just don’t know – will become a similarly game-changing thing. In five years’ time I have absolutely no doubt this will be right up there.”

Newson, who officially joined Apple over a year ago, has previously spoken about the Apple Watch and its role in the fashion space as well. When asked about his own experience with Apple Watch, Newson described checking alerts on it rather than his iPhone as liberating and cited the fitness aspect as especially positive.

“I exercise, probably not enough, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that I am more conscious of my physical wellbeing because of this than I was six months ago.”

You can find a lengthier profile of Newson with much of the same piece included at the Australian Financial Review.

Via The Loop / Top image via Daily Mail

Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple watch, Marc Newson

For more information about Apple watch, Apple Watch, and Marc Newson continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Marc Newson believes the Apple Watch will be an iPhone-level game-changer within 5 years” with our community.

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:

Audio-Technica’s best selling ATH-M50x headphones in black: $119 shipped (Orig. $170), more

Protect your new iPhone 6/s with this dual-layer case in Space Gray, Silver or Gold: $3 Prime shipped (Reg. $12)

USB Power Deals: 3.3-ft. MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cable $4 (Reg. $11), Lumsing 3-port Car Charger + Lightning Cable $8, more

Review: How Amazon Echo changed my life + $130 special price ($50 off) for Amazon card holders

Apple iPad Air 2 Wi-Fi: 16GB $399 (Reg. $499), 64GB $479 (Reg. $599), 128GB $559 (Reg. $699)

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

Apple iPad mini 2 128GB Wi-Fi + Cellular: $370 shipped (Orig. $829) wp.me/p1xTlR-Jdb https://t.co/3Nk2zXzOCl

—
9to5Toys (@9to5toys) November 03, 2015

Sam’s Club One-Day Sale: iPhone 6s/Plus $100 off, iPad Air 2 64GB/128GB $150 off, PlayStation 4 $300, more

eBay calls on Black Friday shoppers to decide which products will get discounted this year

Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business

Everything we know so far about this year’s best Black Friday deals and promotions

More new gear from today:

Daily Deals: Vizio 43″ 120Hz 1080p LCD HDTV + $100 Dell GC $300, LYTRO Light Field Camera $400, more

• Bookshelf speakers: Klipsch Icon 5-inch powered $100 (Reg. $164+), more
• Storage: Samsung 850 EVO 250GB 2.5-inch Internal SSD $75 (Reg. $90+), more
• USB-C 4-port hubs for new Macbooks by Aukey: $20 Prime shipped (Orig. $30)
• Pre-order Fallout 4 to receive Fallout 3 via Xbox One Backwards Compatibility
• Mpow Petrel Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones $26 Prime shipped (Orig. $60), more

More deals still alive:

This 802.11n pocket wireless router from TP-LINK is a must-have for avid travelers: $10 shipped (Orig. $40)

Buy a pair of PowerBeats 2 Wireless In-Ear Headphones, get a $50 Target gift card: $144 shipped (Orig. $200)

Beats by Dr. Dre Pill 2.0 Portable Bluetooth Speaker (multiple colors) $120 shipped (Orig. $200)

• Pebble Time Smartwatch for iOS and Android: $150 shipped (Reg. $200)
• Targus Ultra Twill Vuscape Case for iPad Air: $7 Prime shipped (83% off list)
• SoundBot Bluetooth 4.0 Sports-Active Headphones $10 Prime shipped (Reg. $15)
• Fashion: 20% off at Amazon – Kenneth Cole Down Jacket $90 (Reg. $113),more
• Sling TV is giving away a 2nd gen Chromecast when you pre-pay three months
• Kindle First Books for November: Christmas in Good Hope, more
• Freebies: SEO Course + Labyrinth for iOS + logic riddles and games eBook + More!
• Freebies: Gratitude Journal for iOS + Grateful Dead music + More!
• Freebies: Mighty Mac App Bundle + Brad Paisley album + More!
• Media: Breaking Bad Complete Series on Blu-ray $70 (Orig. $161), $3 DVDs, more
• Kindle savings (Prime only): Paperwhite $90 (Reg. $120), Voyage $170 (Reg. $200)
• JBL Voyager Portable Bluetooth Speaker $90 shipped (Reg. $119)
• Free PS Plus Games for November: The Walking Dead Season 2, more
• Free Xbox Live Gold Games for November: Pneuma Breath of Life, more
• App Store Free App of the Week: rop mind-bending puzzle game ($1 value)
• Headphones: Audio-Technica Over-Ears $100 (Orig. $250),  more
• Power Bank Deals: Aukey 20,000mAh Dual USB $22 Prime shipped (Reg. $30), more
• Acer 13-inch Chromebook 2.1GHz/2GB/16GB SSD: $209 shipped (Reg. $249)
• Target 25% off Toys: Razor E200 Electric Scooter $117 (Reg. $144), more
• The best accessories for the new Apple TV: MFi game controllers, cables, more
• PSA: Best Buy and others launch new Apple TV pre-orders, offer potential savings
• One year Sam’s Club membership + food coupons: $25 w/ email delivery (Reg. $45+)

New products & more:

Mellow Boards makes any skateboard electric and looks good doing it

• PlayStation Now adds 105 titles as it aims to pick up more subscribers
• Mogees iPhone-connected sensor turns any object into a playable instrument
• Panasonic has a new line of solar powered products designed for those in need
• Amazon to offer midnight deliveries for Call of Duty: Black Ops III via Prime Now
• The LEGO Power Functions Idea Book teaches you how to build cars, contraptions and more
• This life-size R2-D2 refrigerator carries your beer to you…for a price
• GE’s new smart LED lightbulbs tell your brain when it’s time for bed

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon Gold Box, Amazon Prime, Audio-Technica ATH-M50x, Black Friday, coupon codes, Cyber Monday, Deals, eBay Daily Deals, free, free apps, free shipping, Freebies, Lunch Break, New Toy of the Day, Sam’s Club

For more news on Tips and Tricks, 9to5Toys, and free apps continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “9to5Toys Lunch Break: Audio-Technica ATH-M50x headphones $119, iPhone 6/s case $3, MFi Lightning cable $4, more” with our community.

Tony Fadell, often called the “father of the iPod” and now CEO of Alphabet’sNest, is on Bloomberg TV today to discuss his time at Apple, the future of mobility and his current effort in the connected home industry. During the interview, Fadell revealed that back in 2008, he had discussions with then Apple CEO Steve Jobs about what an ‘Apple car’ would look like and how the company could approach such a project…

At the time, Fadell says the company had little time and resources to allocate to the project, but the discussion is now more relevant than ever with the growing rumors about the Cupertino-based company developing an electric car through “Project Titan“.

When asked about talking to Steve Jobs about building a car, Fadell said:

“We had a couple walks – and this was in 2008 – about if we were to build a car, what would we build? […] We would be looking at what would a dashboard be, what would seat be, how would you fuel it or power it, but at the end it was always like “we are so busy, we are so constraint” – you know – it would be great to do it, but we can’t.”

The executive followed up saying that at the time, they preferred focusing all their efforts toward the cellphone business and that several other potential products were considered, but eventually dropped by the company.

When talking about Apple’s possible entry in the transport industry, Fadell was optimist about what the company could do for the industry:

“If you think about a car – what’s a car? – a car has batteries, it has a computer, it has a motor and it has a mechanical structure. If you look at an iPhone, it has all the same things. It even has a motor in it (probably referring to the Taptic engine). If you try to scale it up “oh my god, I can make a car with those same components”. There is some truth to that.”

“Some truth” is one way to put it. Of course he is right about both products having parallels, but comparing the “mechanical structure” of the iPhone with a car is arguably a stretch.

Fadell then emphasized that the “hard stuffs” will be about connectivity and mobility as a service. Something he thinks Apple and Google would have an advantage in because these features rely heavily on software.

You can watch the whole video here:

Top image via Fortune

Filed under: Apple Car Tagged: Apple, Apple Car, Father of the iPod, iPod, Steve Jobs, Tony Fadell

For more news on Apple, Steve Jobs, and iPod continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Tony Fadell discussed what an Apple car would look like with Steve Jobs back in 2008” with our community.

A core feature of the new Apple TV is Siri voice search … right now however that’s only limited to eight countries: UK, US, Australia, Canada, Germany, France, Spain and Japan. In other regions, the Siri Remote is simply called the Apple TV Remote (not to be confused with the old Apple TV Remote) and pressing the mic button just opens the Search app.

This is despite the fact Siri on iPhone is actually available in 30 countries, so it wasn’t clear why Apple had pinpointed only a subset of those. It turns out, according to a chat with Apple by MacPrime, that there are some clever optimizations Apple makes with Apple TV Siri to improve speech recognition.

Because a core feature is the movie and TV show search, Apple tunes Siri in every country by teaching it about pronunciation characteristics for movie and TV show titles. Phonetic speech of actor names, films and directors vary drastically in different countries.

So Apple has to go through each country, add the differences in speech to the Siri database, so the overall user experience of searching for things is faster and more accurate. In the post, MacPrime uses the example of actor name Matthew McConaughey as something that is often pronounced in wildy different ways across languages and dialects.

It doesn’t do this for Siri on iPhone specifically because movies and TV shows is not a core function of using that device. But for Apple TV, it’s almost essential that those features work well so Apple will only add Siri for the country once it has gone through those training steps. In addition, on Apple TV there is no keyboard input for Siri so accuracy with voice recognition is doubly important so you can successfully find the content you are looking for.

Apple has therefore started by training Siri in the eight most popular countries (like USA and UK) and is working on expanding more soon.

You can read more about Siri on Apple TV in this Apple help document.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple TV, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple TV, Apple TV 4th gen, countries, remote, Siri, Siri Remote, UK, USA

For more news on AAPL Company, iOS Devices, and iOS continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Why is Siri limited to 8 countries on Apple TV? Apple teaches movie & TV show pronunciations for each country” with our community.

While Apple didn’t have an official presence at the New York Times DealBook Conference yesterday (not counting former US Vice President Al Gore who sits on Apple’s board), the Cupertino company still got plenty of airtime on stage. IBM CEO Ginni Rometty explained her company’s relationship with Apple and how their partnership is beneficial for changing how iPhones and iPads are used, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings addressed Amazon’s recent move to block Apple TVs and Google Chromecasts from its store, and activist investor Carl Icahn shares how he discovered Apple, which he calls “the greatest company in the world.” Check out each video appearance below from yesterday’s conference to see what they had to say:

Discussing Apple’s quickly expanding partnership with IBM, Ginni Rometty explained that IBM knows enterprise in the way that Apple knows consumers. Using an example of a MobileFirst app created through the partnership for Coca-Cola that handles analytics and vending machine management, Rometty says the partnership allows their clients to do more with iOS devices than just email and browsing. Rometty also cites Enterprise AppleCare which was setup through the partnership between the two companies as one way they allow Apple to serve enterprise customers differently than consumers.

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings talked about Amazon’s recent move to stop selling Apple TVs and Google Chromecasts in favor of their Fire TV products, specifically discussing the possibility of Netflix being blocked on certain platforms in the future. Hastings compared the scenario to what would have happened if Apple blocked Google Maps on iOS after Apple Maps was introduced. According to Hastings, that would be a “brand violation” that isn’t illegal but just not possible. When asked about what Apple will do with Apple TV in the future (think web TV service), Hastings says nobody knows…

Finally, American’s favorite activist investor Carl Icahn says his son introduced him to Apple in the last ten years, which he thinks is “the greatest company in the world.” Icahn, of course, is most known in the Apple space for his demands through open letters on how Apple should manage its stock, including buy-back programs, which doesn’t always align with Apple’s interest.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Enterprise, Tech Industry Tagged: AAPL, Apple, Carl Icahn, DealBook, IBM, Netflix

For more news on AAPL Company, Apple, and Tech Industry continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “IBM CEO, Netflix CEO & Carl Icahn discuss Apple relationship at DealBook conf. [Video]” with our community.