Through the @BritishMonarchy Twitter account, Queen Elizabeth II officially sent out her first tweet during the opening on the new…
Queen Elizabeth II sends her first tweet, and she’s an iPhone user
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Dir. Partnerships
9to5Mac / 9to5Google / 9to5Toys / Electrek.co / DroneDJ / SpaceExplored
Jordan manages the internal Partner Program for sponsorships and partnerships across the 9to5 network’s media brands including 9to5Mac, 9to5Google, 9to5Toys, Electrek.co, SpaceExplored and DroneDJ.com.
Jordan also writes about all things Apple as a Senior Editor of 9to5Mac. He covers Google for 9to5Google.com, the best gadgets and deals on 9to5Toys.com, and EV and solar news on Electrek.co. He also co-authors 9to5Mac’s Logic Pros series and makes music sometimes.
Contact Jordan with partnership inquiries and long-winded complaints:
Sprint’s new ‘iPhone for Life’ plan coming Nov. 14 w/ yearly upgrades, starts at $80/month
After last month announcing its $70/month iPhone for Life plan that allows users to “rent” an iPhone and upgrade every two years, today Sprint announced that it will be launching a new 12-month lease option starting Nov. 14. That means that iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users signing up for the iPhone for Life Plan will now be able to upgrade every year, and the old 24-month plan will become available for the iPhone 5S.
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Teardown shows iPad mini 3’s “hastily glued” Touch ID Home button makes for difficult screen repairs
Following a teardown of the new iPad Air 2 earlier this week, our friends over at iFixit have now opened up Apple’s other new tablet: the iPad mini 3 …
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Christian Bale looks exactly like a young Steve Jobs [Image]
On the news that Christian Bale is set to play Steve Jobs in the upcoming Sony biopic from screenwriter Aaron…
TestFlight prepares for takeoff, now lets developers send 1000 public beta invites
Apple announced today that its TestFlight Beta testing service now allows developers to invite public beta testers. Developers can invite up to 1,000 testers (in addition to the internal testing features that were previously available) through an email invitation sent from iTunes Connect.
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Apple will continue evaluating GTAT’s sapphire production progress, could repurpose Mesa facility
Following news this week that Apple had reached at a settlement with bankrupt sapphire manufacturer GT Advanced, today the company has responded to the situation in a comment to Recode. While GT previously said it would wind down sapphire production operations at its Mesa, Arizona plant and sell furnaces to repay the $439M owed to Apple, today Apple hinted it might have its own plans for the facility.
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Facebook releases ‘Rooms’ for iPhone, a chat room app that lets you go anonymous
Facebook is today unveiling the latest app being released under the company’s Creative Labs project that recently released the new Paper, Slingshot, and Mentions apps. The new app, called Rooms, is described by Facebook as a meeting place inspired by early Internet chatrooms and web communities: Rooms lets you create places for the things you’re into, and invite others who are into them too.
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Continuity Activation Tool enables Handoff/Instant Hotspot/AirDrop features on unsupported Macs
Apple decided not to support all Bluetooth 4.0 capable Macs for its new Continuity features in OS X Yosemite for undisclosed reasons, but it is possible to get the feature up and running on some older, unsupported Macs. Previously it required a bit of manual tinkering, but now a utility called OS X Continuity Activation Tool makes the process much easier.
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iPad Air 2 teardown shows minor internal tweaks, 15% smaller 7340 mAh battery
With iPad Air 2 units now officially arriving in the hands of customers, our friends over at iFixit have officially kicked off their ritual teardown of the device. For the most part the teardown only revealed minor changes on the inside, such as repositioned display cables that iFixit calls a welcomed changed for repairs.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlLf6sei6YQ]
Also revealed are minor tweaks to Wi-Fi antennas and other components. In addition, the teardown confirms an approximately 15% smaller battery compared to the previous generation iPad Air…
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Yahoo Mail iOS app updated w/ travel & event notifications in Today view
Yahoo updated its Yahoo Mail mobile apps today bringing new travel and event notifications to the app for iPhone and iPad.
For travel, the app’s “Today” view will now display information on flights including when flights are cancelled or delayed, and users will be able to “get directions to the airport, call the airline to rebook your flight or go directly to the airline website” in a single tap.
“And once you land at your destination, you’ll receive suggestions for the top restaurants and attractions in the area, with reviews and pictures from Yelp.”
The updated Yahoo Mail app also provides notifications for events in the Today view from Evite, Eventbrite, and Ticketmaster, event information, and the ability to view and share directions.
Yahoo also said the update includes “the latest headlines with News notifications” that can be switched off in Settings. All of the new features are available in the U.S. only.
The updated Yahoo Mail app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now.
What’s New in Version 3.2.8
– The Multi-talented Yahoo Mail app is now even smarter. Now in Yahoo Today, view your upcoming flight details plus get real time updates of flight delays or changes. Also, see your upcoming events which you can map directions to and easily share with friends. Available in the US only.
– Stay on top of the latest headlines with News notifications. Turn it on or off anytime under Settings. Available in the US only.
– Performance improvements
– Bug fixes
A fix for Apple Pay bug displaying incorrect card designs is on the way
A fix for a bug in Apple Pay that causes credit cards from Chase and others to not display the correct physical card design is being worked on, according to sources close to the situation.
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Amazon confirms it’s working on Apple Pay support for its Visa rewards card
Following our report yesterday that some card types are not yet supported with Apple Pay, today Amazon confirmed in a statement to GeekWire that its working to offer support for its Amazon Rewards Visa Cards.
A Chase spokesman confirmed to GeekWire that Amazon is not supporting Apple Pay initially, but did not provide a reason… But an Amazon spokesman confirmed to GeekWire this evening it is working to enable the Amazon.com Rewards Visa Card for use on Apple Pay, although declined to say when it would be available.
Yesterday we noted that some co-branded cards, as well as other card types from business cards to prepaid cards, are not yet supported on Apple Pay through certain banks. Many readers reported that Amazon’s Rewards cards for Chase were not yet working, but today is our first official word from Amazon that its indeed not yet supporting the platform. Apple lists Chase as supporting co-branded cards, but it does warn users to contact their bank for information about specific cards that are supported.
As we noted yesterday, Apple’s support document confirms that only American Express and Capital One are listed as supporting small business credit cards, for example. Capital One and J.P. Morgan, on the other hand, don’t support Co-branded cards (Airline, hotel, retail, rewards), while the other banks do. Corporate cards are also not yet supported, while several readers report problems with some card types that are listed as supported in Apple’s chart (below).
GT Advanced reaches deal to part ways w/ Apple, will sell sapphire furnaces to pay debt
Following a report last week that Apple was seeking to keep its involvement in its sapphire supplier GT Advanced’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing secret, today Bloomberg reports that GT Advanced and Apple have reached an agreement that will allow the two companies to part ways. Lawyers for GT Advanced said the deal “will save millions of dollars and solve most issues” and be an “amicable parting of ways,” according to the report.
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Google’s iOS switcher guide goes unseen for over a week before execs start promoting it
Much like Apple recently published a guide for switching from an Android to iPhone, Google now has an official webpage for switchers detailing steps users can take to migrate content and data from an iPhone or iPad to an Android device. It actually published the guide over a week ago, but no one noticed until earlier today when Google execs, including Matias Duarte, shared a link to the new webpage.
Much like Apple’s guide, Google offers instructions for transferring photos, music, & contacts, and setting up services like email and messaging. That includes things like backing up photos to Google+ and turning off iMessage.
Pre-ordered iPad Air 2 & iPad mini 3 units now shipping from Apple w/ Oct. 22-23 delivery date
For those that pre-ordered Apple’s new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, Apple has now started shipping the devices with an expected delivery date of Oct. 22 or Oct. 23 quoted to several 9to5Mac readers who pre-ordered on day one. Others have been quoted a delivery date of between Oct. 22-27.
Vine iPhone update adds iPhone 6/Plus enhancements, iOS 8 share extension, & more
The Vine iPhone app today received an updated to version 3.0.0 and with it comes UI enhancements and full support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users. Also included in today’s update is a new share extension for iOS 8, allowing users to take advantage of the new feature for quickly sharing videos from camera roll or other apps to Vine.
Other improvements include a new “+” button for quickly following channels and having featured posts appear in your home feed. The company said it also “updated the app to look great on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus,” which allows the app to display more content on the larger displays of the new iPhones.
The updated Vine app for iPhone is available on the App Store. A full list of what’s new in version 3.0.0 is below:
What’s New in Version 3.0.0
This release is packed with updates that help you find great Vines to watch, take advantage of iOS 8 extensions, and improve Vine for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
– Follow channels: Tap the new “+” button at the top of any Vine channel to get select featured posts from that channel right in your home feed!
– Share extension: With the new iOS 8 share extension, it’s easier than ever to share videos directly from your camera roll or other video apps with Vine.
– Easy on the eyes: We’ve also updated the app to look great on iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
T-Mobile’s iPad Air 2 & iPad mini 3 pre-orders open tomorrow starting at $0 down
T-Mobile confirmed today that it will officially start accepting preorders for Apple’s new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 tomorrow. The announcement follows preorders through Apple, AT&T and others kicking off late last week and an announcement from Sprint yesterday that it will begin selling the devices this week.
The device through T-Mobile, unlike iPads sold direct from Apple retailers, will of course be available through T-Mobile’s financing options for Simple Choice plan customers starting at $0 down for both tablets.
$0 down with monthly payments (approx. $26 for iPad Air 2 and $22 for iPad mini 3) is for the 16GB entry level models, while the 64GB model will be available for $99 down and the 128GB models for $199 down.
For qualified customers with a Simple Choice plan from T-Mobile, the iPad Air 2 (16GB) will be available for $0 down, with 24 monthly payments of $26.24 per month; the iPad mini 3 (16GB) will be available for $0 down, with 24 monthly payments of $22.08 per month.
Of course you’ll have to add the tablet to a Simple Choice plan, which will run you $10 a month and get you up to 5GB of data depending on your plan.
Preorders kick off tomorrow but T-Mobile said the tablets will be available to purchase in stores and online within a week. Apple is expected to start shipping initial preorders this week.
Certain card types through some banks (and all corporate cards) are not yet supported on Apple Pay
Update: Apple has removed support for prepaid cards from American Express. It also added a column for corporate cards, hinting that support for those cards might be on the way.
With Apple’s launch of its new Apple Pay payments service in the US yesterday, it has now published a support document detailing supported card types from each of its initial banking partners. We already knew that MasterCard, Visa, and American Express cards would be supported initially through a growing list of banking partners, but the support document shows certain types of cards, like business and corporate cards, aren’t yet supported through some banks.
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Apple Pay already works abroad on supported NFC terminals w/ US-based cards
Following yesterday’s launch of Apple Pay through participating card issuers, banks and retailers in the US, some users have discovered that the payment service is also already being accepted through some retailers abroad. 9to5Mac readers report using Apple Pay loaded with a US-based credit card at retailers in Australia and Canada…
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Sprint will begin sales of iPad Air 2, the first iPad w/ Spark support, & iPad mini 3 this week
Sprint announced today that it will begin selling cellular versions of Apple’s new iPad Air 2 and the iPad mini 3 this week following pre-orders of the device kicking off through Apple, AT&T on Friday. Sprint also noted that the iPad Air 2, which includes support for 20 LTE bands and speeds up to 150Mbps over LTE, will be the first iPad that supports its high-speed Spark LTE network.
Sprint Spark delivers average wireless speeds of 6-15Mbps and peak wireless speeds of 50-60Mbps today on capable devices, with increasing speed potential over time. Sprint is on track to reach 100 million Americans by year-end with Sprint Spark.
The iPad mini 3, however, doesn’t support the Sprint Spark network and will instead be limited to Sprint’s normal 4G LTE network.
Sprint will have the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 later this week online and in-stores. Sprint customers can add the new tablets to a Family Share plan for $10/month per tablet, but the carrier is waiving the fee through December 2015 for customers with a 20GB Family Share plan or higher. It also has a limited time 100MB of data for $10 in addition to its normal tablet plans.
Apple is already taking orders for the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 that ship with its new universal SIM with support for AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile out of the box. Apple is expected to start shipping the new tablets this week.
The best iPad Air 2 cases already available to buy online (Running list)
Now that Apple’s new iPad Air 2 is officially up for preorder today through Apple’s online store, AT&T and others, you’re going to need a new case to accommodate the 18% thinner design. Not only will case makers have to make tweaks for the thinner design, removed side switch and other design tweaks, they will also have to make sure the home button is exposed for the new Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Below we’ve put together a list of cases that are already available to order and we’ll be updating as more cases get announced ahead of the new iPad Air 2 shipping to customers next week.
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Watch the evolution of Apple’s iPad in this addictive GIF file
From the same people that put together the evolution of iPhone GIF, today we get the evolution of iPad in…
Rdio announces CarPlay support, 320 kbps audio, & iPhone 6/6 Plus optimizations
Rdio today announced support for CarPlay, allowing its users to listen and control content from the subscription music service using the built-in touchscreen of CarPlay-enabled vehicles.
CarPlay Support. Control Rdio playback and navigate your favorites and playlists from the built-in display in CarPlay-enabled cars.
Vehicles with CarPlay, Apple’s new feature that brings an iOS-like experience to in-dash touchscreens connected to an iPhone, first hit the road earlier this year in pricey new Ferrari models followed by an aftermarket solution from Pioneer. The service only has a handful of app partners so far, but we noted in our recent review that not all apps are playing nice with the feature yet. Apple currently lists iHeartRadio, MLB At Bat, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, CBS Radio, and its own Podcasts and Beats Music apps as supported apps.
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iPad Air 2 pricing & availability: starts at $499, preorder Oct. 17, ships next week
Following an official unveiling of its new second generation iPad Air at its press event today, Apple has now confirmed the device will start at $499 and ship next week. Preorders for the new iPad Air 2 kick off tomorrow, Oct. 17.
The $499 starting price for the new iPad Air is for the 16GB, Wi-Fi only model matching the prices of the previous generation iPad Air. Apple will also offer 32GB ($599), 64GB ($699) and 128GB ($799) variants for the usual $100 premium. The cellular model of the iPad Air 2 starts at the same $629 for the 16GB model as the previous generation.
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