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:
Live on stage during its iPad/Mac press event today in Cupertino, Apple has officially introduced the new iPad Air dubbed “iPad Air 2”.
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While announcing some iOS 8 related updates today at its iPad/Mac press event, Apple’s Craig Federighi today compared adoption of the newly released iOS 8 to the installed base of the most recent Android release, KitKat.
In the slide above Apple points out that 48% of users are now on iOS 8 with another 46% of iOS users running the year-old iOS 7 release. That, as Apple points out, compares to 54% of Android users running Android Jelly Bean first released in 2012 with only 25% running the latest Android KitKat release.
Apple also noted that iOS 8 was able to achieve its 48% adoption in just 26 days compared to 313 days for KitKat to reach its 25% of Android users (pictured in slide below).
While Apple made a point today of how much faster iOS 8 is being adopted by users compared to recent Android releases, iOS 8 has actually experienced slower adoption compared to last year’s iOS 7 release.
As expected, today during its iPad and Mac event Apple announced an official Oct. 20 launch date for Apple Pay, its new payments service unveiled earlier this year alongside the NFC-equipped iPhone 6 models.
CEO Tim Cook also announced that the company has signed up 500 additional banks since first announcing initial partners last month. The banks will rollout Apple Pay this year and next, according to Cook. Initially the service will only be available for users in the US.
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Need to stream Apple’s live event on a Windows machine? Like last time, Apple’s iPad/Mac Oct. 16 press event won’t…
It looks like Apple’s event tomorrow will focus on new iPad models as rumored, but there are bound to be a lot of announcements beyond just the new iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3. Below we’ve put together some of our expectations for other possibilities at the event, including likely announcements for new Macs, software updates and a couple of possible surprises you might not be expecting.
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One day before Apple’s big iPad event tomorrow, Google has just unveiled its latest Nexus devices alongside official announcements for Android 5.0 Lollipop and more. With Apple expected to launch new iPad Air and possibly iPad mini models tomorrow, Google today announced the Nexus 9, an 8.9-inch HTC-made tablet with brushed metal bezels and a gold (Best!, duh) color option not unlike that expected for the new iPad Air tomorrow. The tablet also features a keyboard folio that attaches magnetically to the device. But iPad’s not the only Apple device the Mountain View company is targeting…
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Skype today announced the release of Skype 5.6 for iPhone to finally bring an optimized experience for the new larger iPhone 6 and 6 Plus displays. Skype has taken advantage of the increased screen real estate by displaying more chats and messages when viewing conversations on the new iPhones:
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Apple is seeking to keep its involvement in GT Advanced’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing secret as it reportedly asked courts to file its objections in the case under seal. Bloomberg reports that Apple has requested permission to keep its comments in the case secret to avoid disclosing “confidential research, development, or commercial information regarding Apple’s business processes.”
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You can now buy an iPhone-connected accessory for your dog through Apple Stores as the Whistle Activity Monitor officially goes on sale in Apple’s retail stores in North America. The product was previously available through select retailers and online, but today arrives as the Apple Store’s first iPhone accessory specifically for dog owners. The company has also added some new features and dropped the price to $99 to accompany the Apple Store launch:
In addition to making Whistle more widely available to the nearly 68 percent of U.S. households with a pet (1), Whistle has announced two new tech capabilities to further simplify the important daily responsibilities of pet ownership: a brand new IFTTT (If This Then That) channel and custom in-app medication reminders.
The Whistle Activity Monitor attaches to any existing dog collar, syncs over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and allows dog owners to track a number of health and fitness related metrics for their pet through a companion iOS app. The app also lets users set goals, get reminders for activities and medication, and share updates with family members or others added as owners in the app. The San Francisco-based company was previously only selling the product through major retailers Amazon, PetSmart and Brookstone after launching last year. It also unveiled a new tracker for dogs earlier this year called WhistleGPS that will include GPS tracking features for a monthly subscription in addition to activity tracking.
The Whistle Activity Monitor is available in Apple Stores in the US and Canada starting today for $99. It’s also now available from Amazon and elsewhere for the new $99 price point. That’s down from $129, which is how much it will charge for the newer WhistleGPS that it’s now accepting preorders for. It joins the many other home automation and fitness products Apple is pushing in retail stores alongside its new iOS 8 Health and HomeKit features, but it’s the first on Apple Store shelves specifically made for pet owners.
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Sonos today updated its Controller app for iPhone and iPad bringing full support for iOS 8 and optimizations for the new larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The app, which offers control of wi-fi connected Sonos audio hardware, also now supports the company’s new Sonos Boost enterprise-grade wi-fi extender accessory:
This update includes support for SONOS BOOST, an accessory that provides enterprise-grade wireless performance for your Sonos system so you get unparalleled reliability – even in homes that are known to have wireless connectivity problems.
Announced earlier this year, the Sonos Boost accessory is available starting today from the Sonos website and other retailers. The Boost will sell for $99 USD, slightly higher than the similar but less powerful $49 Sonos Bridge the company previously offered. “Similar to the BRIDGE ($49 USD), BOOST connects directly to your router to create a dedicated network, allowing all your Sonos speakers and components to talk to each other, with up to 50% greater wireless range.”
Version 5.1.1 of the Sonos Controller app for iOS is available on the App Store now.
What’s New in Version 5.1.1
SUPPORT FOR SONOS BOOST
This update includes support for SONOS BOOST, an accessory that provides enterprise-grade wireless performance for your Sonos system so you get unparalleled reliability – even in homes that are known to have wireless connectivity problems.SUPPORT FOR NEW APPLE DEVICES AND OPERATING SYSTEMS
This update includes support for iOS 8, including support for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
Borderlands: The Pre Sequel, the latest installment in the popular Borderlands series, launches today for Mac on the same day as the console and PC release. The Mac version of the game is developed by Aspyr and includes cross-platform multiplayer and a promise of all future DLC:
Discover the story behind Borderlands 2 villain, Handsome Jack, and his rise to power. Taking place between the original Borderlands and Borderlands 2, the Pre-Sequel gives you a whole lotta new gameplay featuring the genre blending fusion of shooter and RPG mechanics that players have come to love… Float through the air with each low gravity jump while taking enemies down from above using new ice and laser weapons. Catch-a-ride and explore the lunar landscape with new vehicles allowing for more levels of destructive mayhem.
The game is available starting today for $59.99 through GameAgent (the web store run by developers of the Mac version, Aspyr) as well as through Steam. Aspyr said previously that it’s planning a Mac App Store release of the game for October 16.
The game requires a Mac running OS X 10.9.4 (Mavericks) or later and at least a 2.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, and 13GB of hard drive space. Supported video cards include NVIDIA GeForce 8800, ATI Radeon HD 2600, or Intel HD 3000 with 256 MB of Video Memory.
Apple’s Beats Electronics and Bose have settled a lawsuit over noise-cancelling headphone technology and asked the U.S. International Trade Commission to end its investigation into the matter. Bloomberg reports:
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It just happened. The iBend 6s Halloween costume. It doesn’t look like halloweencostumes.com is selling it (yet), but it does…
Sales of accessories for mobile phones in the US reached record numbers following Apple’s launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, according to the latest data published today by NPD. Accessory sales topped $249 million in the two weeks following the launch, which NPD notes is “43 percent higher than the two weeks prior.” The report breaks down numbers by accessory category and highlights that screen protector and case manufacturers experienced the biggest increase:
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Bose headphones and audio products could soon get the boot from Apple retail stores, according to a report from MacRumors citing “a reliable source.”
While Apple’s acquisition of Beats would seem like the obvious reason behind replacing the many Bose headphones and speakers currently used with iOS and Mac demo units, the report also claims that Apple will be removing Bose products from store shelves in addition to the demo units.
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After publishing an open letter to Tim Cook earlier today once again requesting Apple to increase its share buyback program, high-profile investor and Apple shareholder Carl Icahn went on CNBC for an interview to discuss the specifics. Icahn and associates not only discuss the proposal requesting Apple make a tender offer for a larger buyback of shares, but also some of Icahn’s other forecasts and his statement that Apple should be trading at $203 per share, which would put the company at a value somewhere in the neighbourhood of $1 trillion making it the first to do so.
In his letter, Icahn said “our forecasted growth for FY 2016 and FY 2017 more than adequately justifies using a P/E multiple of 19x our FY 2015 forecast, which along with net cash values Apple at $203 per share today.” In addition, Icahn offers some bold predictions in forecasts for yet to be announced product lines including claiming a 4K Apple TV set should arrive for around $1500 in 55-inch and 65-inch variants by 2016. Also factored into his forecast is Apple’s upcoming Apple Watch smartwatch, which he expects to sell “20 million units in FY 2015, 45 million units in FY 2016, 72.5 million units in 2017.”
Apple quickly issued a response to Icahn’s letter today saying it would review its stock repurchase program annually and “take into account the input from all of our shareholders.”
When Apple unveiled its new Apple Pay payment service during its iPhone event last month, it said the new feature would arrive for users in the US sometime in October. While there hasn’t been a firm date announced for the launch, at least one of Apple’s early bank partners has apparently confirmed a release date. DailyDot reports that USAA said Apple Pay would become available for its Visa and MasterCard customers on November 7:
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Autodesk today released a new version of its popular Sketchbook painting and drawing app that introduces a single app for both tablets and smartphones alongside new features. Launching today on both iOS and Android the new SketchBook app has a streamlined UI and a number of new features and improvements over previous versions of the app. The company highlighted a few of the new features:
-Layer blending modes including glow and soft glow
-Selection tools for manipulating, transforming, and drawing within specific parts of the image
-All new brushes, including a set of synthetic and smudge brushes (a top community-requested addition)
-Dynamic flood fill tools with solid, linear and radial gradients
-A completely redesigned and customizable UI including the combined Brush and Color Puck enhancements
-An enhanced gallery for an easy way to view, organize and manage sketches
-Optimized for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iOS8
Autodesk notes the app is compatible with most stylus products including the new Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus 2 and Pencil by FiftyThree.
The app is free to download and includes a $3.99 in-app purchase to unlock full features. Autodesk also has memberships for those that want to purchase access to all Pro features on all platforms (iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac). The company also plans to release additional paid content packs in the future.
The new Sketchbook app is available for iPhone and iPad on the App Store now.
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High-profile investor and Apple shareholder Carl Icahn has published an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook urging him to once again increase its share repurchase program for stock holders. Citing strong iPhone 6 sales and predicting the larger devices will help Apple gain marketshare from Android, Icahn is requesting Cook and Apple’s board make a tender offer to increase its current rate of share repurchases. Icahn said he thinks Apple remains “dramatically undervalued in today’s market,” but didn’t suggest a specific number for the increased buybacks:
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Apple has now finalized and published specifications for HomeKit through its Made-For-iPhone/iPad/iPod (MFi) licensing program. The finalized specifications, which allow accessory makers to start building products that integrate iOS 8’s new framework for home automation devices, come ahead of Apple’s yearly MFi summit in November where it plans to brief manufacturing partners on HomeKit and other new iOS 8 features for accessories.
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Fitbit, makers of popular fitness tracking wearables and apps, has confirmed it currently has no plans to support Apple’s new iOS 8 Health app. After a bit of a delayed launch last month, a long list of developers have rushed to integrate support for HealthKit, Apple’s new frameworks that allow developers to share and tap into data from one central location on the user’s device: the new Health app in iOS 8. Fitbit, however, has confirmed in a few responses on its customer forums that it isn’t working on integration much to the frustration of its users that have been awaiting an update:
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A new study from AAA on the potential safety risks of hands-free systems for vehicles warns Apple’s Siri presents a “relatively high” level of distraction. In its tests, AAA ranked use of Siri as a “category 4 level of mental distraction,” which puts it in last place compared to other hands-free voice controlled systems from the big car makers including Ford, Mercedes, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Chrysler, and Toyota. It was also the only voice controlled system that resulted in two crashes in the simulator study:
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Apple is opening three new retail stores this weekend including one new store near Venice, Italy and two stores in the US.
We originally reported in June that the new stores were coming alongside others in China, Italy and the US as new retail chief Angela Ahrendts implements organizational restructuring for Apple retail.
Apple has now announced the upcoming grand openings on its website for three of the stores opening this Saturday. The new Italy store is located in the Centro commerciale Nave de Vero shopping centre in Marghera near Venice (via setteBIT).
Also opening this Saturday are two new stores in the US including one in Trumbull, Connecticut and another at Solomond Pond Mall in Marlborough, Massachusetts (via ifostore). All three of new stores will open at 10am local time this Saturday, October 11.
In addition to Trumbull and Marlborough, we reported in June that Apple also had also started hiring for new stores planned for Virginia Beach (Virginia) and Manchester (New Hampshire).
Cash
, the app launched by payments company Square last year for personal money transfers, today updated with a new way to send money on iOS 8 over Bluetooth LE. The feature is called Nearby Payments and allows users to send and receive payments by using Bluetooth to find and connect with nearby users. That’s opposed to the previous methods the app already offered including sending payments via text message and email. In case you’re wondering why it’s iOS 8 only:
@bzamayo Apple significantly improved BLE in iOS 8, which allowed us to build a reliable experience for paying people nearby.
— Square Support (@SquareSupport) October 7, 2014
Square notes that users will be able to select preferences for nearby visibility to allow either everyone or only contacts to see their availability. Today’s update to version 2.1 also includes the ability to “Quickly approve or decline money requests with actionable push notifications.”
The updated Cash app by Square is available for free on the App Store now.
