iPad Pro Diary: A few issues, but the 10.5-inch iPad can actually read my handwriting!

I said last time that while the difference between a 9.7-inch and 10.5-inch screen didn’t sound like much on paper, it actually makes a surprising difference in real life. It’s not a 12.9-inch model, of course, and you don’t get things like the three-pane email view you do on that, but it really does feel significantly bigger.

I have, though, discovered that the larger size does have one downside: accessory compatibility.

While the difference in external dimensions is much smaller than the boost in screen size, the casing is just that little bit larger, and that’s rendered one of my most-used accessories unusable and a second one rather awkward to use …

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Virgin Mobile goes iPhone-only, offering a year of ‘unlimited’ everything for $1 + perks from $279

Virgin Mobile USA has announced that it is going iPhone-only from June 27.

There’s iPhone. And then there’s everything else. At Virgin Mobile, we’re teaming with Apple to offer you nothing but the world’s most popular phone. Because life in the Inner Circle is about living big, expanding your horizons and pursuing your passions. And it starts with an iPhone you’ll adore.

The carrier seems extremely keen to get your business, offering a year’s ‘unlimited’ talk, text and data for a single payment of just one dollar …

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Tim Cook falls from #8 to #53 in employee ratings of CEOs but remains popular

Tim Cook has dropped 45 places in Glassdoor’s annual ranking of CEOs, falling from 8th place in 2016 to 53rd place this year. Some 93% of employees approved of the job he was doing, compared to 99% for top-ranked Benno Dorer of The Clorox Company.

Rankings are based on anonymized ratings from company employees, with Glassdoor taking into account the ‘quality, quantity and consistency’ of reviews …

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iPhone 8 creating worldwide shortage of DRAM & NAND chips, says report

Component orders for the iPhone 8 are creating a worldwide shortage of DRAM and NAND chips, with competitors struggling to secure their own supplies, says a report.

Some competitors are placing orders well before they need the chips, others are paying premiums to ensure a supply and – in the worst of cases – may even be forced to reduce the specs of their phones if they are unable to buy the chips they need …

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Live stream: Watch Scott Forstall discuss the iPhone’s creation at Computer History Museum event

As we reported last week, Scott Fostall is set to publicly talk about the iPhone’s creation this evening at  Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California. The interview marks a change of pace for the former Apple executive, who has generally traveled under the radar since Apple CEO Tim Cook fired him in late 2012 following the shaky Apple Maps rollout.

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PayPal launching instant money transfers directly to bank accounts

Despite the rising popularity of services like Cash and even some social networks like Facebook and Snapchat, PayPal is still the leading peer-to-peer money service on the market. Nearly every shopping site on the web offers a PayPal option during checkout, with the company handling over $7 million in transfers every hour. Now, the company aims to make it quicker and easier to transfer funds to bank accounts.

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