Are you willing to give up Touch ID for new biometric tech + a function area on iPhone 8? [Poll]
Last night, a new report from reliable Apple analyst Ming Chi-Kuo claimed that the upcoming iPhone 8 would drop the Home button and Touch ID capabilities in favor of a new “function area.”
While ditching the Home button is something that has been rumored for a while, the notion that Apple may drop Touch ID is jarring. Kuo’s report, however, claimed that Apple would replace it with some sort of new biometric recognition.
Are you willing to give up Touch ID for new biometric tech and a function area on iPhone 8?
Filed under: Apple
Skype beta on iOS and Android adds in-call and message reactions, new find panel, more
AT&T is expanding its unlimited data plan to everyone, available tomorrow at $180 for 4 lines
Following in the footsteps of Verizon and T-Mobile, AT&T today announced a new unlimited data plan available to all of its customers. While AT&T brought back an unlimited data plan last year, it was limited to DirecTV and U-Verse subscribers. Today’s plan, however, is open to anyone…
Filed under: Apple
Apple shares two new ads w/ focus on iPhone 7 Plus Portrait Mode
Apple today shared two new ads on its official YouTube channel, both of which highlight the “Portrait Mode” feature available exclusively on the iPhone 7 Plus.
The feature, as the ads demonstrate, creates an instant depth-of-field effect that by blurring the background to let anyone easily take a professional looking portrait.
Filed under: Apple
MacBook Pro Touch Bar support now available for Office 2016 for Mac
Microsoft has released a new update today for Office 2016 for Mac that includes Touch Bar support. These features were originally announced during Apple’s October event last year. We reported last week that members of the Office Insider beta program got a chance to try out the new update first. Now, the update with Touch Bar functionality is available to all users.
Filed under: Apple
9to5Toys Lunch Break: $275 off 13″ MacBook Air, Powerbeats2 Bluetooth Headphones $85, no-contract iPhone 5s 16GB $100, more
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:
Best Buy President’s Day Sale: $275 off 13-inch MacBook Air, iMac and iPad Pro deals plus 4K UHDTVs and more!
Best Buy extra $25 off $100+ w/ Visa Checkout: WD 4TB Ext. Hard Drive $95, Powerbeats3 $125, Google Home $104, more
Daily Deals: Powerbeats2 Bluetooth Earbuds $85, PNY Attaché 32GB USB 2.0 Flash Drives (2-Pack) $10, more
Give the kids a no-contract iPhone 5s 16GB on Virgin Mobile’s pre-paid service for just $100 shipped
Verizon announces trade-in program that nets a free iPhone 7/Plus or Google Pixel (and others) for new Unlimited users
Apple’s robust 15-inch MacBook Pro w/ Touch Bar + Kensington USB-C Dock: $2,179 shipped ($2,579 value, Tax NY only)
Apple iPhone 7 Smart Battery Case in Black or White: on sale for $85 shipped (Reg. $99)
9to5Rewards: Grado’s Brooklyn-made SR325e Over-Ear Headphones [Giveaway]
The entire GO Trilogy on iOS for just $2 today: Hitman, Lara Croft and Deus Ex (Reg. $5+)
- LEGO Batman Beyond Gotham for iOS gets its very first price drop: $1 (Reg. $5)
- App Store Free App of the Week: Chameleon Run and its high-paced platforming go free
MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:
Dive into the world of Google Home + Chromecast at Best Buy, bundles start at $119 w/ Visa Checkout
Stream live video 24/7 with the Netgear Arlo 1080p HD Wired Security Camera for $120 shipped (Reg. $190)
- Aukey QC 3.0 20000mAh Power Bank with Lightning Input $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40), more
- Patagonia takes up to 50% off down-filled jackets/vests, hoodies, beanies and more!
- Games/Apps: BioShock Collection $30, Titanfall 2 from $20, iOS freebies, more
- Hoover T-Series WindTunnel Bagless Corded Upright Vacuum for $75 shipped (Reg. $117)
- The stainless steel 32-ounce Vacuum Insulated Thermos Beverage Bottle $20 Prime shipped
- HP’s 14″ Chromebook 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD $211 shipped (Reg. $280, all-time low)
MORE DEALS STILL LIVE:
Bose SoundTrue II Around-Ear Headphones for Apple devices: now on sale for $90 shipped (Reg. $120+)
Harman Kardon’s 7.2-Ch. A/V Receiver does it all: 4K, AirPlay, Bluetooth and more for $250 shipped (Orig. $550)
Document the action: certified refurb GoPro HERO4 Silver Edition Camera for $200 shipped (Orig. $400)
Filed under: Apple
Hands-on: Twelve South BookArc with the 2016 MacBook Pro [Video]
As an owner of the LG UltraFine 5K Display, I often find myself using my 2016 MacBook Pro in closed-display (clamshell) mode with a keyboard attached to the display’s USB-C port. This allows me to enjoy the best of both worlds — a portable machine for when I’m on the go, and a 5K desktop setup for when I’m stationed at my desk.
Anyone who uses closed-display mode on a regular basis knows that having your MacBook Pro sitting flat on your desk takes can take up a significant amount of prime real estate on the desk top. It’s why vertical stands like Twelve South’s BookArc have been so popular with MacBook users over the years.
In this brief hands-on video, we take a look at the recently-updated BookArc, which includes a new rubber insert that’s specially designed to make the vertical stand play nice with the 2016 MacBook Pro. more…
Filed under: Apple
Report: Apple held talks w/ Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment regarding content deal or acquisition
Apple reportedly held negotiations with Ron Howard’s production company Imagine Entertainment regarding an original content distribution deal or possible acquisition, according to a new report from The Financial Times.
While the report claims the talks were far along enough to include CEO Tim Cook and other high-level executives, including the company’s senior vice-president of internet software and services Eddy Cue, the negotiations reportedly “fizzled out”:
Filed under: Apple
Latest report suggests iPhone 8 screen features higher 521 PPI density, 3x Retina scaling like Plus models
Last night, reliable Apple analyst KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo posted his latest assessment of the iPhone 8 detailing the addition of a virtual function area replacing the physical Home button. However, the report also included screen resolution specs which help draw some additional insight.
KGI’s numbers imply that the iPhone 8 will have a pixel density around 521 PPI, far higher than the existing iPhone lineup (iPhone 7 PPI is ~320). It also seems likely that Apple will use Retina assets at 3x scale, packing Plus features into a body the same size as the 4.7 inch phones …
Filed under: Apple
Apple tops Fortune’s most admired companies as Samsung drops out of top 50
Fortune has announced its annual list of the world’s most admired companies, and for the 10th year in a row Apple has taken first place.
Arch-rival Samsung dropped out of the top 50 this year, Fortune explaining that its exploding batteries caused too much damage to both its sales and reputation.
The method used to calculate rankings is nothing if not thorough …
Filed under: Apple