Google first introduced app indexing for iOS apps in search back in May, allowing in-app content to appear in search results with links that send users directly to an app. The feature was originally only available in the Google app and Chrome browser, but now Google is launching an updated version of the framework that will make the app links also appear in Google search results in Safari.

Getting your app content found on Google just got easier. App Indexing is now compatible with HTTP deep link standards for iOS 9, as it has been on Android from the beginning. That means that you can start getting your app content into the Search results page on Safari in iOS, simply by adding Universal Links to your iOS app, then integrating with our SDK.

Developers simply need to support the Universal Links standard to get their apps to show up in search results. Users will begin to see the app indexing links showing up in Safari on iOS by the end October.

Devs can read more on how to support the feature here.

Filed under: Apps Tagged: app indexing, Apple, deep-linking, Google, iOS 9, Safari, search

For more information about Apple, Apps, and Google continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Google’s app indexing links coming to Safari on iOS by end of month” with our community.

Apple has used its YouTube channel for debuting new ads and sharing other marketing videos for years now, and today the company has expanded into four more countries (via @setteBIT) with localized versions of their latest videos. Official Apple YouTube channels in France, Germany, Italy, and Spain are now available with localized videos showcasing Apple’s latest products including iPhone 6s and Apple Watch as well as iPad Pro and Apple Music. The new channels follow a similar move in South Korea and Japan a couple months ago. You can find all Apple’s various YouTube channels here. Videos from around the world follow:

France

Germany

Italy

Spain

Filed under: AAPL Company, Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Watch, General, iOS, iOS Devices Tagged: Apple, YouTube

For more information about AAPL Company, iOS Devices, and Apple continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple expands localized YouTube channels to France, Germany, Italy, & Spain” with our community.

When Apple introduced the iPhone 6s at its September 9th special event, it billed the new model as the “best phone for traveling around the world,” thanks largely to support for “23 bands of LTE wireless networking.” But that day, the new iPhone’s tech specs page told a more complex story: Apple advertised a seemingly U.S. and Puerto Rico-specific A1633 iPhone 6s with 23 LTE bands (including AT&T’s exclusive band 30) but no CDMA support, while Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon, and every international carrier outside China got an A1688 iPhone 6s with 22 LTE bands and CDMA support. Clearly, the “best phone for traveling around the world” would be the international A1688 version, right?

Wrong. This week, Apple started selling a SIM-free, unlocked iPhone that works with “any supported carrier worldwide, such as AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, or Sprint in the United States.” Hidden inside a text link titled “Learn more about the SIM-free iPhone,” Apple notes that the SIM-free iPhone 6s is model A1633 — the AT&T version, not the one sold internationally. How could this make sense?…

Archive.org’s Wayback Machine confirms that Apple changed the iPhone 6s tech specs page (shown below) at some point after the September 9th event to note that the A1633 model actually does have CDMA support after all. On the A1633 (and iPhone 6s Plus model A1634), the line noting CDMA EV-DO Rev. A now appears below the UMTS line, with the same supported frequencies as the A1687 and A1688 models below.

In other words, if you bought a Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint iPhone 6s thinking that you were getting Apple’s best worldphone, too bad. The updated tech specs page suggests AT&T’s version has all the same features, plus an extra LTE band for improved performance on AT&T’s network, which means the A1633 should deliver optimal performance on any U.S. or international carrier outside of China. Also interesting: Apple’s pages differentiate between A1688 (GSM) and A1688 (CDMA), hinting that there may be software or other locks on the Verizon/Sprint and T-Mobile/international GSM phones, while no such distinction is made for the A1633.

Apple’s international customers may be in for a different surprise. The FAQ question “can I use my iPhone outside my home country?” on Apple’s UK iPhone 6s pages suggests that international SIM-free/unlocked iPhone 6s customers may be getting a GSM-only version of the A1687, which mightn’t work on CDMA networks. “iPhone is enabled to work on networks using GSM around the world,” says the FAQ. “Because the iPhone sold by apple.com is unlocked, you can purchase a SIM card and service from a local carrier at your destination.”

Who will be affected by this? If you’re a Verizon, T-Mobile, or Sprint customer who bought an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus with thoughts of possibly switching to AT&T, you don’t have the best phone to take advantage of AT&T’s network — and may want to get a SIM-free phone instead. But if you’re an AT&T customer who worried about using your phone on a CDMA network, you may be in better shape when switching carriers than you’d originally expected.

We’ve reached out to Apple for clarification on the differences between the phones, and will update this article if/when we hear back.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: AT&T, iPhone 6s, Travel, unlocked, world phone

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of AAPL Company, iOS Devices, and AT&T.

What do you think? Discuss “PSA: Apple’s iPhone 6s CDMA spec change makes AT&T’s model its best worldphone” with our community.

Changes to Apple’s published tech specs for various products are rare, but when they happen, they’re typically interesting — and under-the-radar. At some point following the September 9th announcement of the 2015 iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPad Pro and iPad mini 4, Apple quietly modified the tech specs and comparison pages for 2014’s iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPad Air 2 to bump them all from Bluetooth 4.0 to Bluetooth 4.2, the latest version of the increasingly popular wireless standard. While the sixth-generation iPod touch shipped with Bluetooth 4.2, the original iPad Air, iPad mini 2, and iPhone 5s all remain on Bluetooth 4.0.

Bluetooth 4.2 notably promises up to 2.5x faster speeds and up to 10x greater data capacity over its predecessor, as well as improving privacy, security, and power efficiency. Apple is expected to release a new keyboard, Magic Mouse 2, and Magic Trackpad 2 featuring Bluetooth 4.2 technology…

Although it’s unclear whether a firmware update or changed hardware inside more recently manufactured iPhone 6 and iPad Air 2 devices is responsible for the new Bluetooth 4.2 support, upgraded firmware might be the answer. In the past, Bluetooth 1.o, 2.0 and 3.0 devices could not be upgraded to newer versions of the standard, but Bluetooth 4.0 devices were able to upgrade to Bluetooth 4.1 using product-specific software patches. Some reports have suggested, however, that Bluetooth 4.2’s speed and data capacity improvements would require new hardware, making Apple’s implementation somewhat curious.

We’ve reached out to Apple for additional details and will update this article when we receive them.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS Devices Tagged: Bluetooth, Bluetooth 4.2, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6, iphone 6 plus

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of AAPL Company, iOS Devices, and iPhone 6.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple adds Bluetooth 4.2 to iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPad Air 2” 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:

Monoprice MFi Apple-Certified Lightning Cables in black or white w/ free shipping: 3-ft. $5, 6-ft. $6

Over-Ear Headphones: Sony Bluetooth/NFC $135 (Reg. $199), Beyerdynamic from $170 (Reg. up to $270), more

App Store Free App of the Week: Wake Alarm Clock ($4 value)

13″ Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/256GB: $1,280 shipped (Reg. $1,499)

13″ Retina MacBook Pro (newest) 2.7GHz/8GB/128GB: $1,080 shipped (Reg. $1,299)

Giveaway: Trinity Delta aluminum earbuds feature a unique design and top-notch sound ($135 value), 20% discount

More new gear from today:

Games/Apps: Bloodborne from $25, Kirby Rainbow Curse $32, Shades Puzzle Game free, more iOS freebies

• Ecco shoes for Men and Women 50% off: Men’s Oxford Dress Shoes $70, more
• Daily Deals: Zipper Headphones $13, Aukey Car Jump Starter $50, more

More deals still alive:

Sony announces official PlayStation 4 price drop, bundles now start at just $349

Mac Bundle: 14 Mac Apps incl. RapidWeaver, Voila Screencapture, Kinemac 3D, more: $18

• Prime Members: Free 4-month subscription for 3 print magazines – GQ, Wired, more
• Headphones: Bose SoundTrue $100 (Reg. $120), Earbuds from $20, more
• JayBird BlueBuds X Sport Bluetooth Headphones $90 shipped (Reg. $130), more
• Freebies: Star Wars – Heroes Path for iOS + Iced Tea + Roast Beef sandwich + More!
• KMASHI 15,000mAh USB $14 (Reg. $20), Aukey 2A Wall Charger $8 (Reg. $16), more
• Pre-order Microsoft’s latest gadgets right now: Surface Pro 4, Surface Book, Band 2
• TP-LINK Wireless N Nano Router w/ 3-pack of networking cables (Refurb) $8 shipped
• Aukey USB Power Roundup: 6-Port 50W: $15, 5-port 40W: $10
• iPhone 6/s Accessories: 2-Pack Tempered Glass Screen Protector $3, more
• Harman Kardon 6-Piece Home Theater Speaker System $190 shipped (Orig. $649)
• Omaker 10W(2x5W) Portable Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker $22 Prime shipped (Reg. $35)
• Lytro Illum Camera, captures the entire light field: $700 shipped (Orig. $1,300)
• Tweetbot for Mac drops to $10 (Reg. $13)
• Philips hue Lux LED Starter Kit $60 shipped, 750-Lumen 9W LED Light Bulb $15
• Bluetooth Speakers: OontZ Splashproof $25 (Reg. $35), Aukey $13 (Reg. $20)
• Xbox One Gears of War bundle + 40″ HDTV $470 w/ .EDU, more
• Beyerdynamic A200p Portable DAC Headphone Amp $140 shipped (Reg. $200)
• Pebble Steel Smartwatch for iOS/Android in black or sliver $100 shipped (Orig. $230)
• Add Bluetooth/mic to any Aux speaker or headphones for $10 Prime shipped
• TiVO Roamio OTA HD DVR w/ Lifetime service for a one-time $300 fee
• VIZIO 49-inch 120Hz M-Series LED Smart 4K Ultra HDTV: $580 shipped (Reg. $720)
• Logitech Harmony Touch 15-Device Universal Remote: $100 shipped (Reg. $140)
• The Executive for iOS goes free as IGN’s Game of the Month ($5 value)
• Media: Blu-ray & DVDs from $3, Jurassic World pre-order, more
• TP-LINK AC Gigabit Router $40, more
• M-Audio Bundle: USB Condenser mic w/ stand, more $79 shipped (Reg. $100)
• Garmin nüvi 6-inch GPS w/ Bluetooth (Refurb) $140 shipped (Orig. $270)
• Motorola Nexus 6 Unlocked 32GB in Midnight Blue: $300 shipped (Reg. $499)

New products & more:

DJI’s new Osmo 4K camera is one expensive selfie stick

The latest littleBits DIY electronics kit turns any kid into an inventor

• Handmade at Amazon launches with an eye on knocking off Etsy
• Marvel’s updated plans for phase three of its cinematic universe + comicbook goodies
• Dyson includes air purification in its newest hot + cool bladeless fan
• Ever wonder what a $130K VIZIO Ultra HDTV looks like? Now we know.
• The latest entry in the Far Cry series goes Primal, taking gamers back to 10,000 BC
• Logitech’s new Harmony Home Hub Extender lets the pizza man in with your remote
• Roku’s new streaming media player supports 4K and finds your remote control for you
• Review: Rock Band 4 makes an old favorite come alive
• The new Dr. Who LEGO set looks just like TARDIS time machine
• Mattel’s retro-rebooted $30 VR View-Master is now available for iOS and Android
• Robo Wunderkind uses iOS connectivity and LEGO-like blocks to teach coding

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon, Amazon Gold Box, Best Buy, bluetooth headphones, coupon codes, Daily Deals, eBay, eBay Daily Deals, free apps, free shipping, Freebies, Lunch Break, MFi, MFi Lightning cable, Monoprice, New Toy of the Day, Nintendo, PlayStation, Xbox

For more news on AAPL Company, 9to5Toys, and Daily Deals continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “9to5Toys Lunch Break: MFi Lightning cable $5, Sony Bluetooth headphones $135, Wake Alarm Clock goes free, more” with our community.

Overcast 2.0 is out today and adds several nice updates to the popular podcast client. The app now includes streaming, so you don’t have to download episodes to listen to them: just stream the file contents as you go. This comes in handy for people with low-storage phones but also just helps everyone listen to shows faster, without having to wait for a 50-100MB episode to finishing downloading.

Overcast 2 also includes support for podcast chapter marks. When podcast authors include this metadata, Overcast will now show this information in its detail view. Tapping on a chapter title jumps to that point in the show. The app also displays the current chapter title at the bottom of the screen, which provides some nice context if you are picking up in the middle of show from where you left off.

Moreover, all features of Overcast are now free. The previous ‘freemium’ model has been dropped as Overcast has moved to a donation ‘Patreon’-esque model where you can optionally subscribe for $2.99/month. However, it is completely optional and there are currently no features exclusively available to paying users.

Although streaming is the headline addition, there are a lot of smaller changes including support for iOS 9 iPad Split View and Slide Over multitasking plus Smart Speed optimizations. You can download Overcast from the App Store for free.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Apps, iOS, iOS Devices, Tech Industry Tagged: iOS app, overcast, Podcast, Podcasts, podcats, Split View

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of AAPL Company, iOS Devices, and Apps.

What do you think? Discuss “Overcast 2.0 adds streaming, podcast chapter marks, Split View, more” with our community.

[Ed. Note: This is a guest post by Lontih Khatami who [disclosure] works at the same studio, Universal, that produced the film but did not work on the film. Spoiler: it’s better than iSteve]

Interested in seeing the new Steve Jobs movie that Universal is releasing this weekend in select markets (with wide expansion set for October 23)? Well, me, too. Only I’ve already seen it five times within the past dozen days. And I eagerly await my next few viewings.

You’re probably wondering how I’ve been able to see this inevitable Oscar contender so many times prior to its initial release. The more important thing to ponder, though, is “Why would anybody WANT to see it so many times in such a short timeframe?” The answer to that question, quite simply, is because the movie is masterfully made, and it works on so many different levels. Not unlike so many of the products the title character brought into this world…

To best analyze this movie, one would rightfully begin with the fertile subject matter — a titan of an entrepreneur, a revolutionary communicator, and a contradiction of a human being (after all, Jobs is a man who denied the paternity of his own illegitimate child for years while obsessing to marry technology with accessibility in order to procreate the most sought-after and sophisticated gadgetry of our time for strangers).

And who better to write the screenplay on such an intriguing individual than someone who possesses these same traits himself? Namely Aaron Sorkin, whose taut screenplay is fraught with conflict, three-dimensional characterization, expertly crafted scenes, transfixing dialogue exchanges, and an uncanny insight into the human condition; and he seems to accomplish all of this within every scene.

Steve Jobs, the movie, however, is not a one-man show (nor is Steve Jobs, the man/myth — Woz, anybody?). No, Sorkin had invaluable help from his filmmaking collaborators. I’d venture to say making a movie is akin to making a computer; there are hundreds of people (creatives and technicians alike), countless components and painstaking decisions involved in constructing both. But making a movie and/or a computer work magnificently is a whole other matter.

In tech/geek circles, Jobs and company are widely considered to have made their computers with an unmatched expertise. And in film circles, Sorkin and director Danny Boyle seem to share that same esteem. Allow me if you will to further this movie/computer analogy. If Sorkin is the programmer writing the sequences and instructions needed to make the movie, then Boyle is the central processing unit that flawlessly carries out these instructions with a flair.

There’s a scene halfway through the movie (a sequence, really) that has stayed with me more than the rest of the compelling scenes. It starts off with Jobs backstage at the second product launch of the three product launches that Sorkin utilizes to structure the movie (specifically the introduction of the NeXT computer, at a crushing time in Jobs’ life after he was fired from Apple).

On his way to the stage, Jobs enters a large, empty hall where a dozen or so tables are pushed up against the walls with chairs stacked high and haphazardly on each of them. There is only one man in the room, John Sculley – the man responsible for Jobs’ acrimonious dismissal from the very company Jobs created. The two hadn’t spoken in years, and there Sculley is, seated in the one chair on the floor.

As the two friends-turned-rivals begin to argue their own points of view of Jobs’ “firing”, the scene flashes back to the moment when Sculley first informs Jobs of his impending loss of stature within Apple. This flashback takes place in Jobs’ unfurnished home. The scene then continues to intercut between the NeXT pre-launch, Jobs’ home, and flashbacks of Jobs’ volatile demise in the Apple boardroom. The flashbacks climax in the boardroom where Sculley sits at the head of the table alongside the rest of the board as they unanimously oust Jobs.

The first time I watched the above scene, I vacillated between feeling it was a bold sequence and feeling it was an overly showy, style-heavy choice – the ridiculously stacked chairs in the hall… the conspicuously empty house with Jobs sitting on the floor while working on his beloved Macintosh… the hyper-kinetic intercutting.

It all bumped me in that first viewing. I saw it again, and decided to just focus on the dialogue; pretty damn good dialogue, I thought. I saw it a third time, trying to pay close attention to the visuals AND audio (not an easy task when Sorkin is on a tear, and Boyle is getting visually adventurous). This time, I noticed a few other nuances, like many of the shots in Jobs’ house had him and Sculley speaking to each other from separate rooms (for the first time, these two literally and figuratively are not seeing eye to eye).

Hmmm, nice touch I thought. It wasn’t until my fourth viewing, when I just couldn’t shake my suspicion that those damn chairs piled high on the tables like post-modern art were meant to bump me, and thus make me think. Alas, they were there for a very precise reason – to highlight that Apple was in upheaval and disarray at that moment, and that Sculley had THE chair (on Apple’s board), the very chair that Jobs wanted.

Throughout that entire sequence, arguably the most dramatic of the movie, Jobs never once sits in a chair. He stands in the oddly chair-strewn hall, he squats/stands/walks in his own home, and he paces and fumes in the Apple boardroom (the sole person on his feet). At that moment, I was no longer just a fan of the movie; I was in awe… of the movie and the filmmakers.

There are plenty of other scenes and moments in the movie to laud, of course, but I’ll save those for you to discover and appreciate. Until then, get in line (or online), buy your ticket, take your seat, and enjoy the show.

Filed under: Opinion, Reviews Tagged: Aaron Sorkin, Danny Boyle, John Sculley, Michael Fassbender, NeXT, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, Universal

For more information about Reviews, Steve Jobs, and Opinion continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Op-Ed: I watched the Steve Jobs movie 5 times and here’s why you’ll want to too” with our community.

Health accessories for iPhones, iPads, and iPods have become more numerous and diverse over the past five years, evolving from Apple’s early Nike+ run sensors to heart rate monitors, increasingly complex Wi-Fi scales with body fat and ambient room sensors, blood pressure cuff docks… and even Bluetooth toothbrushes. Some health accessories are undeniably useful, but others raise the question “why?” — why pay more to see my weight on an iPhone rather than the scale’s built-in screen? Why track daily tooth brushing, body fat percentages, or the humidity of one’s bathroom? People survived for thousands of years without charting every seemingly minor blip on their personal radars.

My perspective changed last month when my wife was diagnosed with a serious cardiac condition. One of those “seemingly minor blips” that can now be constantly monitored is your heartbeat, and when something’s wrong with your heart, advance knowledge literally makes the difference between living or dying. As it turns out, a San Francisco-based company named AliveCor is now on its third-generation version of an iPhone accessory that helps people with cardiac conditions. The AliveCor Mobile ECG ($75) is an FDA-approved electrocardiogram (ECG) monitor that can record and share your heartbeat directly from your iPhone. Measuring roughly 3.2″ by 1.3″ by 0.2″, Mobile EGC can self-attach to your iPhone’s back, or integrate with a bundled custom iPhone 6/6s case for only $79. Given my family’s sudden need for quick access to ECG data, keeping it with an iPhone makes sense, as this is an accessory we’ll want to have on hand whenever it may be needed…

The AliveCor Mobile ECG arrives in a small, lightweight box with minimal documentation. There’s a threadbare three-step guide inside the front lid — “attach to phone case, download AliveECG app, record ECG” — which would be funny if it wasn’t a perfectly succinct statement of the very few steps that actually need to be followed; little more needs to be done. AliveCor ships the buttonless, switchless Mobile ECG pre-installed with a CR2016 coin battery and its “universal attachment plate” (a thin hard plastic mounting bracket with an adhesive strip on the back). A year of battery life is promised per CR2016 cell, but AliveCor notes that the battery could easily last longer than that given typical usage patterns; one battery is good for around 2,000 5-minute ECGs (five per day for a year), whereas most users record only 30-second or 1-minute ECGs.

AliveCor’s hardware is disarmingly simple, yet can perform as a Lead I ECG, Lead II ECG, or Anterior Precordial Lead depending on which parts of your body are touching it. There are two silver metal pads atop an otherwise black plastic surface. In its primary use as a Lead I ECG, you place three fingers from one hand on pad one, and three fingers from your other hand on pad two. For Lead II, your left knee touches the top pad and the right hand touches the bottom pad. For use as an Anterior Precordial Lead, you place the Mobile ECG on the lower left side of your chest, below the pectoral muscle, with the bottom pad closer to the center of your body.

Rather than using Bluetooth, Mobile ECG communicates with your iPhone using inaudible ultrasonic signals, requesting access to the microphone — a smart trick that reduces battery consumption by around 92% versus Bluetooth. Ultrasonic transmission provides “much higher resolution data” than Bluetooth LE would have, AliveCor says, but requires the Mobile ECG to be no more than a foot away from your iPhone, which isn’t a problem. To use the accessory, you just load the aforementioned (and free) AliveECG app, make sure you’re in “record” mode, and properly touch both pads. Again, there are no hardware switches or buttons to worry about. Due to streamlining and optimizations on both the hardware and software sides, Mobile ECG is certainly one of the easiest-to-use health accessories I’ve tested.

If there’s any brief hitch with AliveCor Mobile ECG, it’s the system AliveCor has (reasonably) put in place to handle your first ECG recording. It would be one thing if the AliveECG app merely recorded your heartbeat and presented you with a graph; assuming that you knew what your heartbeat was supposed to look like, you might or might not be able to tell whether something was amiss. But AliveCor actually includes one free human analysis of your ECG recording per account, a process that “could take up to 24 hours,” the app notes, but in my testing ranged from mere minutes to a few hours. Your first ECG is sent to an ECG technician to read, then analyzed as normal or abnormal, before the app is unlocked to enable as many recordings as you want to make over time. The app can provide basic analysis on its own, or you can pay per read for one of three types of human analysis.

When I tested Mobile ECG on myself, I received my initial report within less than 5 minutes; the technical analysis was provided by a service called CompuMed. The analysis was very basic — “normal sinus rhythm” — with an evaluation of “stable,” which could have been “needs review” or “serious” if something appeared to be wrong. My single biggest complaint is that the blue sharing icon to send the PDF format report to a doctor is barely visible on the blue-topped screen, an issue I’d expect AliveCor will address. On many subsequent tests of my own heartbeat, the app came back with automated conclusions that my heartbeat was “normal,” with no abnormalities detected in the ECG. But when I used the Mobile ECG on my young kids, most of the results came back as “unclassified.” It’s unclear at this point as to whether this was due to their ages or actual irregularities.

My wife’s initial report took longer — nearly 3 hours, still less than the 24 hour maximum — yet came back with the same conclusions: “normal sinus rhythm,” and “stable.” This wasn’t a surprise given that her particular heart condition typically presents on ECGs as a completely normal rhythm, up until the point at which her heart fails spectacularly and requires major assistance. That said, she could have palpitations, feel dizzy, or experience other symptoms ahead of a complete collapse, and with Mobile ECG around, we could instantly check her heartbeat wherever we might be, and send the results over to her cardiologist for follow-up. At a minimum, AliveCor suggests that a person with her condition could use Mobile ECG to make sure that everything’s normal when she “feels strange.” Peace of mind is part of the pitch, and by contrast with having no tool on hand (or a $200-$250 fully self-contained 1-lead ECG device), Mobile ECG strikes me as a much better solution.

Should you want to get more information on a given ECG reading, you have options. For $2, AliveCor offers a “preliminary finding by a U.S. based cardiac technician” — not a doctor — within 24 hours, notably only “technical findings” with “no recommendations.” If you need answers more quickly, you can get the same technical findings in only 30 minutes for $5. Or for $12, you can get a “clinical analysis and report by a U.S. board-certified cardiologist” with at least 12 years of education and 6 years of residency/fellowship in cardiology. This service takes up to 24 hours, and includes a “doctor recommended course of action.” Perhaps not surprisingly, there is no option to get a cardiologist’s read within 30 minutes. Although those numbers are listed as “Introductory Pricing,” and credit card information is taken for each per-ECG analysis you run, AliveCor says that it doesn’t have plans to raise the prices.

If you’re comfortable relying upon app-based analysis, AliveECG can get you basic “normal” or “not normal, so seek human guidance” answers within seconds. The app has a collection of five software “detectors” that can be enabled or disabled individually, including “normal,” “atrial fibrillation,” “interference,” “unclassified message,” and “BFx” (beat fluctuation),” each capable of flagging what appears to be a regular or abnormal ECG reading for potential human follow-up. Notably, AliveECG is optimized for detecting atrial fibrillations — problems with the small (atrial) bump that comes after the big (ventricular) spike in a typical heartbeat — so you have to turn off the “interference” detector to discover ventricular irregularities. Atrial fibrillations are the most common issue with heartbeats, however, so the app’s default settings to focus on revealing them is appropriate.

Although AliveCor’s Mobile ECG hardware has enough independent value to keep around if you’re concerned about a heart condition, the AliveECG app has some other hooks to increase its daily utility. It journals all of your ECG readings, chronologically providing heart rate, beat fluctuation, and notes for each one. You can also have it log your medications and provide reminder alarms to take them, or consult an educational guide to heart conditions, ECGs, and anatomy. It’s to AliveCor’s credit that these features don’t feel tacked-on or half-implemented, though I couldn’t find any way to automatically share Mobile ECG data with iOS 8/9’s Health app, a non-trivial software omission that could improve AliveECG’s value to iPhone users.

Would I recommend Mobile ECG? It goes without saying that AliveCor’s Mobile ECG isn’t for everyone — no health accessory really is — but for people who need it, it’s great: the rare iPhone add-on that could actually be a life-saver, or at the very least serve as a stress reliever for cardiac patients. More importantly, it’s extremely easy to use, maintain, and use as a transmission device to send results for analysis. I’m also comfortable with the sub-$80 price, which is reasonable for a tool of this type, and particularly appealing given Mobile ECG’s ability to integrate with an affordable AliveCor case or third-party alternatives. AliveCor has done an impressive job of streamlining everything with this accessory, so it’s very easy to recommend if you have a heart condition that would benefit from the monitoring Mobile ECG and AliveECG can provide.

More From This Author

Check out more of my How-To guides and reviews for 9to5Mac here! I’ve covered a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users.

Filed under: iOS, iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: AliveCor, AliveCor Mobile, electrocardiogram, FDA, Health, heart monitor, iPhone, Mobile ECG

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of iOS Devices, iPhone, and iOS.

What do you think? Discuss “Review: AliveCor Mobile ECG lets an iPhone monitor your heartbeat, share with doctors” with our community.

Interviewed on Conan, Steve Jobs screenplay writer Aaron Sorkin said that he understood why Tim Cook had described movies about Jobs as “opportunistic.” Sorkin had previously responded angrily, then later apologized.

Tim Cook and Steve Jobs were very close friends, and I absolutely understand the man protecting the memory and the legacy of his friend.

He did, however, make a slight dig at criticizing movies without seeing them … 

Tim Cook […] said that he hasn’t seen the movie, but– Anytime you start a sentence that way, it isn’t going to end well

Sorkin said that the spat was all over as far as he was concerned, but joked that there might be a building full of people in Cupertino wanting to hack into his computer (he writes on a Mac).

Sorkin said that while he hadn’t met Steve Jobs, he had spoken on the phone with him three times, including the time he helped Jobs with his Stanford commencement speech, which Sorkin described in modest terms.

It’s a great speech. I have nothing to do with its greatness, I fixed some typos …

He said that he got a good sense of the man through numerous interviews with people who knew Jobs well.

I got a sense of who he was by talking to dozens and dozens of people who knew him very well and loved him very well, from Woz to his eldest daughter Lisa

Sorkin also told a story about Jobs washing his feet in a toilet, something he was known to do but had not been in the script until Michael Fassbender decided to add it.

Sorkin also said that while he was known for writing great arguments, he was a terrible arguer himself.

A number of those close to Jobs have weighed-in on the movie, among them Steve Wozniak, Andy Hertzfeld and John Sculley, with the consensus being that what the film depicts isn’t factually accurate but does reflect something of the man himself.

The movie begins its general release today on east and west coasts, gradually rolling out nationwide between then and 23rd October, with a new clip released yesterday.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Aaron Sorkin, Steve Jobs, Steve Jobs biopic, Steve Jobs movie

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of AAPL Company, Steve Jobs, and Aaron Sorkin.

What do you think? Discuss “Aaron Sorkin tells Conan O’Brien he understands why Tim Cook called his movie “opportunistic” [Videos]” with our community.

While research firms IDC and Gartner disagree on whether Mac sales are falling or rising, they do agree on two things: Q3 Mac sales were at their most sluggish for two years, but still well ahead of the rest of the PC industry.

Ahead of new retina 4K iMac and likley accessories launch next week, IDC estimated that Apple sold 5.3M Macs in Q3 2015, a year-on-year fall of 3.4%. Gartner instead estimated 5.6M sales, representing a 1.5% increase. Both firms did, however, agree on two pieces of good news for Apple … 

First, both sets of figures show that Apple is outselling the PC market as a whole, which fell by either 7.7% (Gartner) or 10.8% (IDC). Second, both agree that Apple increased its market share: from 6.9% to either 7.5% (IDC) or 7.6% (Gartner).

Both firms said that Apple is losing out on overseas sales, reports the WSJ.

Mac sales may have slowed due to a strong U.S. dollar, which made the computers more expensive outside the U.S., said Jay Chou, an IDC analyst.

Apple was hurt by weak markets in Japan and Europe, said  Mikako Kitagawa, a Gartner analyst.

We’ll have to wait until later this month to see the actual figures, when Apple reports Mac sales as part of its calendar Q3/fiscal Q4 earnings report on October 27.

Filed under: AAPL Company, Mac Tagged: Apple Inc, Apple Mac, china, Gartner, IDC, Mac, Mac sales, Market share

Visit 9to5Mac to find more special coverage of AAPL Company, Mac, and Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Mac sales slowest in two years, say researchers, but still well ahead of the rest of the PC industry” with our community.