Welcome to My Blog

News concerning the expansion of Apple Pay has been coming at a rapid pace today. This morning, the service launched in Canada and expanded to Tesco Bank and TSB in the U.K. Then, Apple revealed that more than 100 new banks and credit unions in the United States now support its mobile payment solution. Now, Apple has announced that the service will soon be supported at Dominos and Cinnabon, two popular food chains in the United States.

The AP reports Cinnabon will begin adding Apple Pay to all of its U.S. locations next year, while Domino’s, the popular pizza chain, will support it by the end of 2015 in company-owned stores. This news follows the announcement earlier this year that Starbucks will begin a pilot program this year for supporting Apple Pay in its retail locations, with a full rollout taking place next year.

KFC is also expected to launch support for Apple in the Spring of 2016. Likewise, Chili’s is said to be installing iPads at tables in its restaurants to allow users to pay via Apple Pay directly from their seat.

Apple Pay has been expanding rather quickly over recent months. The service launched in Canada this morning and will launch in Australia later this week. These new countries follow the launch of Apple Pay in the U.K. a few months ago. Meanwhile, Tim Cook has proclaimed 2015 the “year of Apple Pay.” Some retailers, however, have questioned the uptake of the platform.

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple, Apple pay, Cinnabon, Dominos

For more information about Apple, Apple pay, and Apple Pay continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple Pay to rollout to Dominos & Cinnabon locations beginning next year” with our community.

After initially launching same-day delivery in partnership with Postmates earlier this year in San Francisco, Apple today has revealed that the capability is expanding to more locations. Users today have started noticing that same-day delivery from Apple’s online store and Apple Store app is now supported in New York.

First noticed by MacRumors, same-day delivery via courier is now available in most of Manhattan, with it promising 2-hour delivery in 37 of 43 tested ZIP codes. The capability is also available in northern neighborhoods like Inwood and Washington Heights with today’s expansion.

The option for “courier delivery” is available via both Apple’s online store and the Apple Store app. The option costs an additional flat-rate of $19. Apple guarantees that with courier delivery, the item will arrive same-day, within two-hours, as long as the order is placed during normal business hours (by 5PM local time).

Today’s expansion to New York City seems to imply that Apple’s partnership with Postmates has been going smoothly so far. Apple’s support of Postmates delivery, however, is still extremely limited in comparison with the scope of Postmates’ wide availability with other retailers. Postmates is currently supported in more than 20 states around the U.S., so provided its partnership with Apple continues to run smoothly, there is definitely room for expansion on Apple’s end.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: Apple Store, online, order, Postmates, Shipping

Check out 9to5Mac for more breaking coverage of AAPL Company, Apple Store, and Shipping.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple expands same-day delivery partnership w/ Postmates to New York” with our community.

Apple is making it easier to catch up on session videos from WWDC while multitasking with iOS 9 on iPad. The official app for the annual developer conference has been updated to support iOS 9 today and more specifically work with the iPad’s new Picture in Picture feature.

That means you can start watching a session video on the WWDC app on your iPad, and minimize the video stream to a resizable window that floats over your Home screen and any other apps. WWDC for iOS supports both downloading videos for offline viewing as well as streaming videos within the app or PIP.

While WWDC only rolls around once a year, Apple announced a series of Apple TV-focused Tech Talks taking place around the world starting next month. Applicants hoping to attend these Tech Talks first starting being notified yesterday.

While the latest WWDC app adds PIP support, it does not support new Split View features for using two apps side by side. The update also runs native on new iPad Pro displays. The latest version of Apple’s WWDC app for iOS is available for free on the App Store.

Filed under: Apps, Developers, iOS

Continue reading more about Apps, iOS, and Developers at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple’s WWDC app updated for iOS 9 with iPad Picture in Picture feature” with our community.

Steve Jobs’ vision of a “post-PC” future really resonated with me. As a dedicated Mac and iPhone user, I was a day one fan of the original iPad, and have spent countless hours enjoying every full-sized iPad released since then. When the iPad mini came out, I happily shifted over to the smaller form factor until buying an iPhone 6 Plus, which pushed me back to full-sized iPads. Like many people, I wouldn’t want to give up my iPad, and would be thrilled if it could replace my laptop.

If any iPad had laptop replacement potential, the 12.9″ iPad Pro was it. So I was the first person in line at the local Apple Store to buy one, hoping that it would supplant either my iPad Air 2 or Retina MacBook Pro. But after a week of daily use, I’m convinced that the iPad Pro won’t replace anything, and am still trying to decide whether to keep or return it. Below, I’ll explain why…

As foreign and “unnecessary” as they were to some people, the iPad and iPad mini form factors instantly made sense to me, and it didn’t take long for either of them to fit into my daily life. The original iPad became my preferred reading, web browsing, and video playing device, relegating my iPhone to a lesser role as… well, a phone, pocket-sized music player, and portable game console. When the iPad mini came out, I started to use it for basically everything “fun” except phone calls, and I’ve continued doing that with the iPad Air 2. At this point, I use my iPad for every leisure activity, and my Macs for all my work activities.

The iPad Pro is positioned directly at the intersection of “work” and “play,” so in theory, it could replace both a iPad and a MacBook — Apple CEO Tim Cook has suggested that he’s done just that with his iPad Pro. I would have been pleased if it had replaced either my iPad Air 2 or my MacBook Pro. But it doesn’t feel like a better alternative to either of them. For the time being, the iPad mini 4 and iPad Air 2 strike me as much better iPads for most people, and any MacBook at any price will deliver a better computing experience… unless something radically changes with the iPad Pro in 2016.

What’s Good

To start with the positives, the iPad Pro is just what I expected based on early reports. It looks and feels almost exactly like a giant iPad Air, has a gorgeous screen that feels more compelling than a typical 13″ Retina display because you can get closer to it, and somehow emits a sense of potential. Just as iPads really aren’t “just big iPod touches,” the iPad Pro isn’t “just a big iPad.” Screen size matters. CPU and GPU power matter. The hidden USB 3 controller matters. With better software and accessories, the iPad Pro will probably feel like something “new.”

Right now, the iPad Pro is able to do something that’s really exciting to me: display magazines at full size. I subscribe to a handful of digital magazines, and have found them pretty easy to read on the 9.7″ iPads, but a hint too small on iPad minis. On the iPad Pro, they’re awesome — pages look full-sized, and consequently, more engrossing. They’ll look even better if magazine app developers update their apps to support the iPad Pro’s higher screen resolution. (The same “engrossing” effect also applies to movies and games when you get closer, though perhaps not safely so, to the screen.)

Another widely overlooked positive will matter to some people: the iPad Pro’s Display Zoom feature, a setting that can be flipped on or off like the iPhone 6/6s/Plus, has the potential to be a game-changer for visually impaired users. For the first time in five years, the iPad’s icons (and text labels) have a way to physically grow in size, and not trivially: Display Zoom enlarges the entire 9.7″ iPad interface to fit the 12.9″ screen — a 33% jump that makes icons roughly four times the size of an adult fingertip, and more accessible to iOS users who have squinted at smaller displays.

Other tweaks to the iPad Pro are welcome, but not huge from my perspective. It has faster processing than prior iPads, clearer and more powerful speakers than a 13″ MacBook Pro, and new screen technology to support a regrettably expensive and hard-to-find stylus. In practice, none of these things have made much of a difference to me in daily use, though I might feel somewhat differently if the Apple Pencil was actually available for purchase.

What’s Not Good

Even though I’ve been actively trying to find a place for the iPad Pro in my daily life, it’s been very difficult. I can’t really use it for work because of the basic way iOS handles complex and multiple apps — both necessities for productivity. And I’ve found it awkward to use for fun because of its large size.

My biggest gripes with the iPad Pro are largely software-related, and all traceable to iOS 9. Apple did a truly half-assed job of readying iOS for the iPad Pro, leaving core apps sloppily formatted for the 12.9″ screen — uncharacteristically, there’s plenty of wasted space, poor text formatting, and an overall lack of design cohesiveness. Given that this is a “Pro” product, that it’s clearly been in the works for years, and that the underlying OS is now 9 (public) generations old, the overall user experience feels shockingly unpolished. (I’ll put aside issues with iOS 9’s split-screen multitasking, which deserves partial credit just for working at all, even though OS X does a much better job of using the same or less screen space.)

Similarly, most third-party iPad apps, including really important ones, currently run as upscaled 9.7″ iPad versions on the iPad Pro. In addition to revealing pixels in “Retina” apps, this creates obvious inconsistencies between text and graphic elements from app to app. Apps like Facebook and Reeder — mainstays on my iPad Air 2 — merely look “too big” on the iPad Pro, without settings to fix the issues, while other key third-party apps such as Twitter and Instagram appear to have never been thoughtfully reformatted for any iPad screen. Most apps will eventually be fixed for the iPad Pro, but what usage paradigm will UI designers consider “normal” for this tablet when picking font and graphic sizes: the three-foot screen distance of a laptop on a desk, or the two-foot distance of a tablet in a lap?

One particularly sore point is the iPad Pro typing experience. I like the 9.7″ iPad’s keyboard and love the 7.9″ iPad mini keyboard, but the iPad Pro’s on-screen keyboards are fatiguing. They’re big — a challenge when you’re trying to support the 12.9″ tablet — and bizarrely have half-height delete/backspace and number keys, which are easy to accidentally miss. Every time I type on the Pro’s screen, I wish for a physical keyboard instead. But the iPad Pro keyboard accessories I’ve tested are sort of iffy, and I’m reasonably convinced after using Logitech’s Create (reviewed here) that heavy keyboard cases aren’t well-suited to the iPad Pro. Zagg’s Messenger Universal (reviewed here) is more affordable and lighter, but a better alternative is needed.

The iPad Pro doesn’t fare much better as a non-work device, because it can’t slip effortlessly into any of the situations where the iPad Air or iPad Air 2 feel perfect for leisure use. Apart from reading magazines, which still feels a little weird given the Pro’s huge chassis, I’ve found the 12.9″ tablet too big for pretty much everything else. As shown in the photo above, it hangs off the edge of my nightstand when I set it up to play videos, feels precariously large when I walk with it from room to room, and all but demands to be supported with two legs, a bed, or a stand. I’ve had to force myself to keep using it instead of the iPad Air 2. Two of my colleagues have described it the iPad Pro as a “giant Netflix machine” or “the best entertainment iPad yet,” which I don’t discount, but wouldn’t spend $799 or more to purchase.

Keep It Or Ditch It?

Because I write for 9to5Mac, I’ll probably wind up keeping the iPad Pro despite the issues above — but I don’t think my decisions are typical. I’ve been so satisfied with my iPad Air 2 that I probably wouldn’t have bought the iPad Pro in the first place, and if I had, I would almost certainly have returned it after finding that it wasn’t a better substitute for either my iPad or MacBook. Right now, it occupies the particularly uneasy space between those two devices — a space that very few “pro” Mac users would even say exists. For this group, it’s going to take time, better software, and probably a new stand/dock of some sort before the iPad Pro really lives up to its name. To be clear, I’m optimistic that the software will improve over the next year, and that someone (maybe Apple, maybe not) will figure out the right iPad Pro keyboard-dock-stand combination.

But there’s another audience that Apple appears to be targeting with the 12.9″ iPad — non-Pro PC users who have a desktop machine and an iPhone but not a laptop or a tablet. When Tim Cook asks “why would you buy a PC any more?,” this is exactly the customer he’s speaking to — someone who sees a $799 tablet as a better choice than a new PC laptop. The original iPad destroyed the market for netbooks; it’s possible that the iPad Pro could eat away at the market for budget Windows notebooks. If that happens, the iPad Pro will enjoy great success no matter what professionals think about it.

More From This Author

Check out more of my editorials, How-To guides and reviews for 9to5Mac here! In recent months, I published details new iPad Pro owners should know about, a holiday gift guide for Apple photographers, and a lot of different topics of interest to Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Apple TV, and Apple Watch users.

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

For more news on iOS Devices, iPad, and Opinion continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Opinion: Blame early software for iPad Pro’s weak work ethic, size for its awkwardness at play” with our community.

Apple is highlighting the new Apple TV App Store and the many games and entertainment services on it with a new series of short video clips. Each 15 second video starts with the same Apple TV graphic, then promotes a popular game or video service app on the new Apple TV with some gameplay or a demo, and ends with the same multicolor graphic. So far these clips promote Netflix, HBO NOW, Asphalt 8, Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition: Star Wars, and Crossy Road. You can view each one below:

Filed under: Apple TV Tagged: App Store, Apple TV

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

What do you think? Discuss “Apple promoting popular apps and games on new Apple TV with short clips [Videos]” with our community.

Google is adding some new space-saving features to its Photos app on both the web and iOS. A new feature rolling out to the web client starting Wednesday will give the option to downgrade photos previous backed up in full resolution to the compressed mode in order to save space. And on iOS, there’s a new “Free up space” button being added to the settings menu that deletes already backed up photos…

One of the things that makes the photo service so popular is the ability to back up an unlimited amount of photos in a “High quality” mode where photos over 16 megapixels are compressed. For most, this option suffices for sharing and storing photos. There is also an “Original quality” mode that allows for photo uploads in full resolution, but this counts against your Google Drive storage. If you need to free up some space, you can now convert these to the “High quality” storage option by going into Settings and clicking ‘Recover Storage’.

As for iOS, users who upload photos in original quality may already be familiar with an option to bulk delete device copies when their storage nears full. Now, everyone that gets close to maxing out their phone’s memory will see this Assistant card pop up. The update is rolling out now on Android and coming soon to iOS as well.

Filed under: Apps, iOS Tagged: google+ photos, photo backup, Storage

Continue reading more about Apps, iOS, and Storage at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “16GB iPhone users rejoice: New Google Photos feature lets you easily free up storage on iOS” with our community.

Apple is continuing to develop the upcoming OS X El Capitan 10.11.2 update, and today released the latest test version. OS X El Capitan Update Developer Beta 4 is now available in the Mac App Store. Check the Updates tab to download, install, and restart your Mac if you’re testing the latest beta version. 

While previous versions haven’t included any notable user facing changes, Apple has asked that testers focus on graphics, Mail, Wi-Fi, Calendar, USB, Notes, Photos, Spotlight, and networking in previous versions. When used with iOS 9.2 beta, the El Capitan beta supports Wi-Fi Calling with AT&T’s NumberSync feature as well. The first OS X 10.11.2 beta appeared in late October.

OS X 10.11.2 follows the last point update to El Capitan, which included over 150 new emoji characters as well as fixes for Microsoft Office on the Mac.

We’ll update with any notable changes spotted in the latest OS X beta.

Filed under: Developers, Mac Tagged: OS X, OS X 10.11.2, os x el capitan

For more news on Mac, OS X, and Developers continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “OS X El Capitan 10.11.2 beta 4 hits the Mac App Store” with our community.

A new photo (below) purported to show the packaging for Apple’s first Apple Watch charging dock have surfaced, indicating that the company may be preparing to launch that product.

The photo shows two of the watch dock boxes side-by-side, comparing the front and back of the package. The dock appears to be circular with a round cutout in the middle for the magnetic charging cable to show through, giving it a look not unlike a CD from the top.

On the back of the packaging is a set of illustrations showing how to use the dock. The first image shows a watch laid across the dock with the magnetic charging connector on the back on the circular cutout.

The second image is a bit less clear, but seems to show the watch on its side in “nightstand mode,” though how the watch manages to charge in this position is unclear. One possible solution is that the charging connector on the dock can be flipped up to a vertical position.

When Apple might release the magnetic charging dock is currently unknown. According to a sticker on the box, and assuming these images are real, it will retail for $89.99.

Filed under: Apple Watch Tagged: Apple watch, magnetic charging dock

For more news on Apple watch, Apple Watch, and magnetic charging dock continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Alleged photo of official Apple Watch dock packaging hits the web” 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.

Heads up! During Black Friday/Cyber Monday you’re going to have to follow us on Twitter to get the best deals since many sell out too quickly to post.

TODAY’S CAN’T MISS DEALS:

SanDisk Connect 32GB Wi-Fi Flash Drive for iOS/Android: $30 Prime shipped (Reg. $40)

Best of Black Friday – Streaming Media Players: Apple TV 64GB $180, Roku SE $20, 2-Pack Chromecast (2nd gen) $50, more

Best of Black Friday – HDTVs: 40-inch from $149, Samsung 55-inch Smart $580 (Reg. $1,200), more

Best of Black Friday – iPads, Tablets and e-readers: iPad Air 2 from $360, Amazon Fire $35 (Reg. $50), more

Best of Black Friday – Games: Xbox One/PS4 console bundles, deep discounts on games, more

Best of Black Friday – wearables: Fitbit Flex $59/Charge $90/more, $100 off Apple Watch, Android smartwatches, more

View-Master Virtual Reality Bonus Bundle: Starter Pack PLUS “Destinations” Experience Pack $35 shipped (Orig. $45)

Apple Watch sale at Best Buy, $50 off across the board, starting at $299 shipped (Open box $278)

20% off iTunes Gift Cards: $100 for $80, $50 for $40, $25 for $20

Giveaway: mophie juice pack reserve battery case for iPhone 6/s (multiple winners)

MORE NEW GEAR FROM TODAY:

Games/Apps: Star Wars Battlefront $50 or Battlefront PS4 bundle $330, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate $50, iOS freebies, more

• Toys: Lincoln Logs Horsehill Station $15 (Reg. $30), Disney Pixar Puzzle $10 (Reg. $15), more
• LEGO locations to offer free build sets in-store with registration
• Monitors: Dell 24-inch Widescreen $240 (Reg. $275+), LG 34-inch UltraWide $400 (Reg. $460)
• Daily Deals: Bolt 12,000mAh Car Jump Starter & Power Bank $45, Garmin nüvi 5-inch GPS $80

BLACK FRIDAY AD LEAKS & NEWS:

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

• Walmart’s Black Friday ad leak hits with 4K UHDTV deals, iPad Air 2 $100 off, more
• Target previews its top Black Friday deals, launches surprise one-day sale
• Staples Black Friday Ad Revealed: iPad Air 2 from $374, mini 4 $300, more
• Amazon plans dramatic Black Friday discounts for its Kindle, Fire TV Stick & Fire tablet
• Amazon’s Black Friday Deals store is now open for business
• eBay’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday will deliver deals on MacBooks, iPhone, iPad Air 2
• GameStop Black Friday ad leak: PS4/Xbox One bundles $300, new Nintendo 3DS XL $180
• Costco’s Black Friday ad includes deals on Chromecast (2nd gen), Fitbit Flex, more
• Toys R Us Black Friday ad leak: Xbox One/PS4 bundles $300, more
• Sam’s Club Black Friday ad leak: iPad Air 2 Cellular $175 off, Google Play $100 GC $80
• Kohl’s Black Friday ad leak: more PS4/Xbox One $300 bundles, home goods, clothing
• Sam’s Club One-Day Sale: iPhone 6s/Plus $100 off, iPad Air 2 64GB/128GB $150 off
• HHGregg Black Friday: Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless Headphones $100, more
• Sports Authority Black Friday Ad: Free gift cards w/ footwear, FitBit Charge HR $120
• eBay calls on Black Friday shoppers to decide which products will get discounted this year
• BJ’s Warehouse Black Friday ad hits with Samsung 4K UHDTV deals, fitness trackers
• Sears Black Friday Ad: deals on Samsung 4K UHDTV’s, more
• Black Friday ad leaks drop for Lowe’s, Menards, Cabela’s, and more
• Grab 2 free ‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ tickets during Black Friday at Kohl’s
• The Office Depot & OfficeMax Black Friday ad doesn’t bring much to the table

MORE DEALS STILL ALIVE:

Enjoy music anywhere in your home w/ the SONOS PLAY:1 Starter Set for $349 shipped ($400 value)

App Store Free App of the Week: PDF Expert 5 goes free for the first time ($10 value)

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

Hitman Sniper for iOS hits its lowest price yet: $2 (Reg. $5)

• Apple MFi Certified 3.1A 4ft Coiled Lightning Car Charger $12 (Reg. $20)
• LG 43-inch HDTVs: Smart 4K + $150 Dell Gift Card $600 (Reg. $800+), more
• Jabra MOVE Wireless Bluetooth Headphones: $60 shipped (Reg. $100)
• Adobe Elements 14 w/ download: Photoshop as low as $40, Premiere $60
• Sony 7.2-ch. 4K AV Receiver w/ AirPlay and Bluetooth: $298 shipped (Reg. $400)
• Mackie CR4 4-inch Multimedia Monitor Speakers (Pair) $120 shipped (Reg. $150)
• GoPro HERO4: Silver (Prime only): $329 (Reg. $400), Black $395 (Reg. $500)
• Bluetooth: Venstart 10W Speaker $20 (Reg. $33), SoundPEATS In-ears $25 (Reg. $50)
• TEKTON Precision Bit & Driver Kit: $7.49 Prime shipped add-on (Reg. $12)
• Shoe-up with with casual shoes and Boots 85%+ off at Amazon’s MyHabit
• iPhone 6/s 3100mAh MFi Apple-certified battery case: $21 Prime shipped (Reg. $43)
• Apple MagSafe 2 Power Adapters from $34 shipped (Reg. $79)
• UE MEGABOOM in black: $227 shipped (Reg. $300)
• 12-month EA Access subscription: $25 (Reg. $30)
• New Trent iPhone 6s Cases for $7.25 Prime shipped (Reg. $18), more
• TechMatte 3-ft USB-C cables starting at $4.50 Prime shipped (Reg. $9), more
• USB Deals w/ Prime shipping: Lumsing 10,400mAh Power Bank $13, more
• Nest Cam 3-pack bundle launching this week for $497 ($100 savings)
• Roku 3 Streaming Media Player (refurb): $70 shipped (Orig. $100)
• Incase’s ‘Mystery Box’ gets you a $150 grab bag of Apple accessories worth $320
• LG Google Nexus 5 16GB Unlocked GSM (Refurb) $150 (Reg. $300)
• Speakers: AmazonBasics Portable Bluetooth $40, Logitech 2.1 w/ sub $25 Prime shipped
• Dual-Port USB Power Banks: Poweradd 20,000mAh $18 (Reg. $36), more
• 44 comic issues for free: Batman, Star Wars, Spawn, The Walking Dead, and more

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:

Mass Fidelity tries to solve virtual stereo sound with its new Core wireless speaker

What Watch uses Bluetooth connectivity to tab the memorable moments of your life

• Pulse brings Bluetooth LE + iOS connectivity to a slew of Canon and Nikon DSLRs
• Roku surprises with a new “special edition” streaming media player
• Nintendo announces Zelda Twilight Princess HD remaster, more
• Mophie introduces new power banks with a sleek aluminum design
• Yuneec introduces its own stabilized 4K action camera

Filed under: Tips and Tricks Tagged: 9to5Toys, Amazon Gold Box, Amazon Prime, Apple Black Friday, Apple watch, Best Black Friday deals, Black Friday, coupon code, Cyber Monday, Daily Deals, Deals, free shipping, itunes gift cards, New Toy of the Day, SanDisk, SanDisk Connect, Streaming Media Players, Toys, View Master, Virtual reality, Wi-Fi Flash Drive

For more information about Tips and Tricks, Apple watch, and 9to5Toys continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “9to5Toys Lunch Break: SanDisk 32GB WiFi Drive $30, Black Friday Media Streamers, View-Master VR bundle $35, more” with our community.

DisplayMate is out today with a comparison of iPad displays following the introduction of Apple’s new larger 12.9-inch iPad, and the results might surprise you.

While the larger display on the iPad Pro is one of the device’s standout features on Apple’s latest and greatest iPad, the iPad mini 4, introduced alongside the iPad Pro to not quite as much fanfare, actually beats out its bigger sibling in several categories. The iPad Pro, however, does hold its own and DisplayMate’s analysis shows a number of improvements Apple has made to make it one of its best displays for a mobile device yet.

DisplayMate also spotted a new “Metal Oxide TFT Backplane” and “a lower refresh rate when the images remain static,” both of which make the display Apple’s most power efficient of all its iPad models. DisplayMate also adds that the “Display Power Efficiencies for the iPad mini 4 and iPad Pro are 22% to 33% higher than the iPad Air 2.”

And while the iPad Pro beat out Apple’s last full size iPad, the iPad Air 2, with “Very Good” or “Excellent” scores for each of the categories DisplayMate tested (including the highest true contrast ratios of any tablet LCD yet), the iPad mini 4’s display did beat out the iPad Pro in a few areas making it still Apple’s best tablet display overall for its iPad lineup.

Areas the iPad mini 4 beat iPad Pro include Color Gamut, which the report notes is not as good on iPad Pro due to “over saturated Blue primaries, which reduces their Color Accuracy.”

The iPad mini 4 also won for Absolute Color Accuracy and low screen reflectance.

And lastly, the report sheds some light on how the iPad Pro display performs versus Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4, noting that the iPad has “much lower Screen Reflectance (2.6 versus 5.6 percent)” and that the Surface has “much better Absolute Color Accuracy”.

You can check out DisplayMate’s full in-depth report here.

Filed under: iOS Devices Tagged: analysis, benchmarks, color accuracy, contrast, DisplayMate, ipad mini 4, iPad Pro, lcd, metal oxide tft backplane, screen reflectance

For more information about iOS Devices, iPad Pro, and ipad mini 4 continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Tests reveal how Apple improved iPad Pro’s display, & why iPad mini 4 is still best overall” with our community.

Nobody who watched the news coverage of the terrorist attacks in Paris could fail to be moved by the scenes and the stories emerging from it. It was undeniably a horrific series of events, and it’s only human nature to want action to be taken to reduce the likelihood of future such atrocities.

But there is always a danger at such times that emotion, rather than rational thought, will drive government policy-making. I won’t get into the broader theme there, as there are more appropriate forums for that, but there is one aspect that is very much on-topic for us: the battle between Apple and governments over encryption.

There have already been unattributed reports that the terrorists in Paris used encrypted communication. I have no idea whether there is any specific evidence for that, but it would hardly be damning were such evidence to emerge: it would be frankly astonishing if they hadn’t.

There are three reasons why Apple is right to maintain that it will continue to offer end-to-end encrypted communication no matter how much governments in the USA, UK and elsewhere may protest … 

But let’s begin with a reminder of Apple’s position. Apple uses end-to-end encryption for both iMessages and FaceTime. As Tim Cook told Charlie Rose last year, this means that it would be impossible for it to decrypt the messages even if a government insisted.

We’re not reading your email, we’re not reading your iMessages. If the government laid a subpoena on us to get your iMessages, we can’t provide it. It’s encrypted and we don’t have the key.

The company also introduced strong encryption for iPhones and iPads in iOS 8 so that it would again be impossible for the company to break into the device locked with a passcode.

So Apple is going further here than most companies. It is not just saying it would push back against government pressure to reveal user data, it is saying that it has deliberately arranged things so that it is completely unable to do so.

That’s a strong position, and there’s some pretty heavy-duty opposition to it – including the United States Attorney General, the FBI, the DOJ and other law-enforcement agencies. Among the claims you’ll find in those links are that Apple is putting people beyond the law, risking the life of a child and that the iPhone would be the terrorists’ “communication device of choice.” Since the Paris attacks, the Homeland Security Committee and CIA have joined in.

So what are the three reasons that I still think Apple’s position is right?

First, there is nothing new about having to balance out the conflicting demands of freedom and security. Or, to use Benjamin Franklin’s terms, liberty and safety.

Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.

We live in a world where it would be technologically feasible to ensure that virtually no crime could go undetected. We could fit CCTV cameras on every street, in every home, in every building. We could all have trackers embedded beneath our skin. We could force everyone to provide both fingerprints and DNA samples to hold in a global database. We could make it illegal to fit curtains or blinds to windows. And so on.

We don’t do any of these things because we value freedom and privacy, and we consider that the risks involved are a price worth paying for the ability to live our lives free from tyranny and surveillance.

The Snowden revelations woke the world to the extent to which we’d already headed down this slippery slope, and the general view of the population has been that indiscriminate mass surveillance is a step too far. We take the view that wiretaps and other forms of electronic surveillance will of course be necessary to facilitate investigations by police and security services, but that such surveillance should be both targeted and subject to judicial oversight.

Second, Apple is absolutely right to say that the moment you build in a backdoor for use by governments, it will only be a matter of time before hackers figure it out.

You cannot have an encryption system which is only a little bit insecure any more than you can be a little bit pregnant. Encryption systems are either secure or they’re not – and if they’re not then it’s a question of when, rather than if, others are able to exploit the vulnerability.

Couple a deliberately weakened form of encryption to laws requiring Internet service providers and telecoms companies to stockpile large volumes of user data and you’d create the biggest goldmine the world has ever seen for criminals to commit identity theft and other forms of fraud. Not just private enterprise criminals, either, but rogue nations too.

Think how cautious we have to be today. We’ve all received convincing-looking phishing emails in amongst the laughable ones. Most of us these days, when we receive a phone call claiming to be from a bank, take their name, hang up and then call them back on the main switchboard number. Just imagine how much more paranoid we’d have to be if a fraudster could ‘prove’ that they are the claimed bank or other company by providing some transaction data.

A world in which all of our data is ‘protected’ by encryption systems with loopholes would be a nightmare.

Third, it won’t work. It’s technological illiteracy to imagine that breaking encrypted messages is any kind of solution.

Do governments seriously imagine that if we pass laws banning fully-encrypted communications that terrorists would suddenly abandon them and use the new, deliberately weakened versions? Or if doing so drew too much attention to them that they wouldn’t find other ways to hide their communications?

Steganography, for example. It’s technically trivial to embed hidden messages inside what appears to be a perfectly ordinary family photo in such a way that it’s almost impossible to detect. There are literally scores of apps to do that, and that’s just a single method. There are almost endless numbers of ways to disguise messages.

As Tim Cook has said:

We shouldn’t give in to scare-mongering or to people who fundamentally don’t understand the details.

So weakening encryption would mean sacrificing core principles of civilized societies in the name of security. It would provide not just our own government but foreign governments and criminals with access to our data. And it would do absolutely nothing to prevent terrorists from communicating in secret.

There is not one single reason for Apple to give in to government pressure to abandon its stance on customer privacy, and three very good reasons for it not to.

Do you agree? Or do you think that governments are right to insist that security must take precedence over privacy? Take our poll, and share your thoughts in the comments.

Filed under: AAPL Company, iOS, iOS Devices, Opinion Tagged: Apple, Encryption, Government, policy, privacy, Protection, Security

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

What do you think? Discuss “Opinion: Apple is right to stand firm on encryption however much terrorist attacks ramp up the pressure” with our community.

In addition to a going live in Canada and adding two more banks in the UK, Apple Pay has seen a giant expansion of new bank partners in the United States today as well. If you’re still waiting for your bank to work with Apple Pay so you can use the mobile payment service, check the list below to see the latest:

Acme Federal Credit Union
Alpine Bank
Alpine Credit Union
Altier Credit Union
American 1 Credit Union
American Trust and Savings Bank
Ashland Credit Union
Augusta Metro Federal Credit Union
Avidia Bank
Bank Independent
Bank of New Hampshire
Bay Area Credit Union
Broadway National Bank
Calumet Bank
Camden National Bank
CapCom Credit Union
Calumet Bank (removed)
Century Bank & Trust
Citizens Bank of Edmond
Citizens Bank of Washington County
Citywide Banks
CoastHills Credit Union
Commercial Banking Company
Community Bank NA
Decatur Earthmover Credit Union
EverBank
F&M Bank
Farmers State Bank
First Atlantic Federal Credit Union
First Citizens Ban
First Command Bank
First Commerce Credit Union
First Florida Integrity Bank
First National Bank & Trust Co.
First National Bank of Oklahoma
First Priority Bank
Florida Credit Union
Great Lakes Credit Union
H&R Block
Hawaii State Federal Credit Union
Heartland Bank & Trust Company
Homeland Credit Union
Idaho Independent Bank
International Finance Bank
Iroquois Federal
Johnson City Bank
Kane County Teachers Credit Union
Kekaha Federal Credit Union
Kinetic Credit Union
Klerberg Bank
Lake City Bank
LaTerre Federal Credit Union
Leyden Credit Union
Marblehead Bank
Marshall Community Credit Union
MECU
Members First Community Credit Union
Members First Credit Union of New Hampshire
Metro Employees Credit Union
MidSouth Bank NA
Montgomery Bank NA
MountainOne Bank
NB&T
Nebo Credit Union
Neighbors Federal Credit Unio
NewDominion Bank
Northeast Credit Union
Northwest Federal Credit Union
Oak Valley Community
OAS Staff Federal Credit Union
Oklahoma Central Credit Union
Oklahoma Employees Credit Union
OnPoint Community Credit Union
OUR Credit Union
PCM Credit Union
Peoples State Bank
Railroad & Industrial Federal Credit Union
RIA Federal Credit Union
River Works Credit Union
Rocky Mountain Credit Union
Sb1 Federal Credit Union
Seacoast Bank
SECNY Federal Credit Union
Sikorsky Credit Union
Southbridge Savings Bank
Southwest 66 Credit Union
State Bank of Southern Utah
SunWest Educational Credit Union
Texas Dow Employees Credit Union
Tinker Federal Credit Union
Tonawanda Valley Federal Credit Union
TransWest Credit Union
Winslow Community Federal Credit Union
Woodlands Bank
Zeal Credit Union

With Apple Pay continuing to roll out with even more issuing partners in the United States every few weeks since it debuted last fall, recent reports have said Apple is working on adding a person-to-person payment feature to Apple Pay sometime next year. The feature could work using Apple’s iMessage, according to another report.

Other Apple Pay features aside from payments have also started rolling out recently. Walgreens officially added support for its Balance Rewards card through Apple Pay, replacing QR code scanning with wireless authorizing with Touch ID and NFC. Before that, Kohl’s became the first retailer to allow its retail card to work in Apple Pay.

And although it already works within the app, Starbucks will soon start accepting Apple Pay at a number of its stores with a larger rollout happening next year. Still waiting for your bank to work with Apple Pay after today’s big expansion? I’ve personally got one card left to go … let us know in the comments.

Filed under: Apple Pay Tagged: Apple, Apple pay, Apple Pay banks

For more information about Apple, Apple pay, and Apple Pay continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Apple Pay goes live for cards from nearly 100 more banks and credit unions across the US” with our community.

There aren’t many iPad Pro-specific keyboards out there — Apple’s $170 Smart Keyboard and Logitech’s $150 Create (reviewed here) are the first two, if you can find them, with at least a few others announced and on their way to stores. But there’s really no need to wait on iPad Pro-specific keyboards, or spend a king’s ransom for one. Tons of iPad-compatible Bluetooth keyboards are already available, and thankfully at much lower prices.

Depicted with an iPad Pro on its box, Zagg’s Messenger Universal ($70) is clearly an alternative to Apple’s Smart Keyboard. Just like Apple’s accessory, Messenger Universal combines a full-sized keyboard with a magnetic iPad Pro-ready stand that folds down to a small size. But it skips the iPad Pro-only Smart Connector in favor of Bluetooth, and rather than serving as an oddly thick screen cover, takes the shape of a standalone folio that you can carry around as needed. Although it fits the iPad Pro perfectly, Messenger Universal works with all iPads — and other devices — so you needn’t feel constrained to using the keyboard with only a single tablet…

Measuring roughly 12″ wide by 7.3″ tall by 0.6″ thick at its largest points when closed, Messenger Universal is around twice the thickness of the iPad Pro, roughly the same width, and around 1.3″ shorter. Much of the thickness comes from a brushed metallic-style vinyl and microfiber folio that wraps around the all-plastic keyboard; this folio unfolds into a three-segment Smart Cover-like triangular stand, leaving the keyboard to stick out around 7.3″ from the front of the reclining iPad.

Because Zagg uses Bluetooth wireless rather than a Lightning or Smart Connector to connect the keyboard to the iPad Pro, Messenger Universal has an advantage over Apple’s Smart Keyboard and Logitech’s Create: it can accommodate an iPad Pro in either landscape or portrait orientation. While I personally prefer to type on the Pro in landscape mode, and Zagg’s box suggests that landscape typing will give you the “best experience,” some readers have been asking for a keyboard with options, and Messenger Universal accommodates them. The iPad Pro slides into a lip right underneath the top edge of the keyboard, and is lap-safe regardless of whether it’s in portrait or landscape orientation, though clearly a little more precarious in portrait mode.

Zagg’s keyboard design is in the middle of the pack when it comes to design frills. Pairing is effortless — just press the Bluetooth button (F12), select Messenger Universal from the iPad’s Bluetooth menu, and they work together without further interaction; compatibility is similarly guaranteed across multiple platforms, including iOS, Windows, and Android devices. Like most Bluetooth keyboards, Messenger Universal has a three-month rechargeable battery inside, and comes with a micro-USB cable for charging. A power switch on the side toggles the keyboard on and off, but magnets inside the cover can put the keyboard to sleep when the lid is closed, conserving battery life.

Messenger Universal’s island-style keys have a little more travel than the ones on Logitech’s Create, and a matte texture that may particularly appeal to users with slippery fingers. Apple and Logitech tend to favor keys with a smooth texture that’s great for indoor use, but not grippy, which is where Zagg’s material excels. Users who prefer audible “clicks” when typing will like the clitter-clatter of typing on Messenger; those seeking quieter keys may prefer to look elsewhere. While the keyboard could very easily pass for the typing surface of Apple’s classic black plastic MacBook, it has iOS-ready function keys such as a Home icon, a Lock button, search, and audio control buttons, which work across platforms. And unlike Create, Messenger Universal has a dedicated screenshot button (F3) and a dedicated multitasking button (F4), but no brightness controls, nor keyboard backlighting.

If there’s any real issue in Messenger Universal’s design, it would be in the triangular stand, which is strong, but only supports one angle; as these photos show, you can fold the lid in two ways, but the actual difference between them is really minimal. Zagg describes the roughly 45-degree angle as “ideal,” which I suspect people on airplanes may take issue with, and it’s at least 15 degrees more of a recline than I’d personally find perfect. During typing on a flat surface, I found it to be a comfortable angle for both seeing and touching the screen — assuming there’s enough surface space to use it — but for video viewing, use in a lap, or in cramped quarters, you may wish for a different angle.

After using the iPad Pro for a week, I have to say that I feel considerably more inclined to recommend a “use it only as needed” keyboard such as Messenger Universal rather than a “take it everywhere” option like Logitech’s Create. The key selling point of a tablet is to free the user — most of the time — from the weight and bulk of a laptop, and to the extent that a keyboard is occasionally needed, Messenger Universal can be there to augment the iPad Pro with both a stand and a superior typing surface. If you want a keyboard to use specifically with your iPad, particularly one that perfectly fits the large iPad Pro, Messenger Universal is a very good option for $70. At this point, I’d only suggest spending more if you need the backlighting, multi-device pairing, or smaller size that something such as Logitech’s $100 K811 can offer, and have another stand in mind for your iPad.

Filed under: iOS Devices, Reviews Tagged: Bluetooth, iPad Pro, Keyboards, stands, Zagg

For more news on iOS Devices, Reviews, and Bluetooth continue reading at 9to5Mac.

What do you think? Discuss “Review: Zagg’s Messenger Universal is a smarter, cheaper iPad Pro keyboard and stand” with our community.

The Apple SIM, which allows iPad owners to use a range of carriers at home and overseas without having to swap SIMs, is now available in Japan. Apple has added Japanese carrier au to its list of supported networks.

Apple first offered its own SIM in the U.S. and UK, later adding Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey to the list.

Although you can only get the SIM in 13 countries, you can use it in more than 90 thanks to the inclusion of GigSky back in June.

Filed under: AAPL Company Tagged: apple sim, iPad, Japan

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

What do you think? Discuss “Apple SIM for iPad now available in Japan, making 13 countries in all” with our community.