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iPad (2021)

3,858 'iPad' stories February 2010 - July 2015
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Apple's tablet debuted in 2010. Since the original version, it's expanded into multiple screen sizes and Pro and non-Pro options.

The iPad is Apple’s base tablet model. In its ninth generation, the iPad focuses on being the perfect tool for education and people who seek a bigger screen to read and surface the web compared to the iPhone. With Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, the iPad has never been better.

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History

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The iPad is a line of tablets designed and developed by Apple. It was originally announced in 2010, three years after the first iPhone was introduced. With a 9.7-inch screen and with iPhone OS 3.2 the iPad was a success, hitting 1 million tablets sold in over three months, half the time the first iPhone took to reach this mark.

Steve Jobs then unveiled the iPad 2 in March of 2011. About 33% thinner than its predecessor and 15% lighter, the second generation used the A5 chip, twice as faster as its predecessor. The iPad 2 also introduced front and back cameras that supported FaceTime video calls.

The successor of the iPad 2 wasn’t a success at all. The third generation was introduced in March of 2012 with a Retina display and the A5X processor. The problem with this tablet it was too heavy and the battery didn’t last long enough. In October of the same year, Apple announced the fourth generation with the A6X processor, HD FaceTime camera, improved LTE capabilities, and the Lightning connector.

At this October event, Apple also introduced the first iPad mini. In 2013, Apple went with the first iPad Air and the iPad mini 2. In 2015, the company introduced the first Pro model, with two different sizes.

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In March of 2017, Apple announced the fifth-generation iPad with the A9 processor. It was a budget option compared to the other tablets. It was in 2018 that the company brought expressive news to the base iPad line. The sixth-generation had the A10 Fusion processor and fully supports the first-generation Apple Pencil.

A year later, the seventh generation was announced with a larger 10.2-inch display and support for the Smart Keyboard as well. It retained most of the specs of the previous model.

In September of 2020, the eighth generation was introduced alongside the fourth-generation iPad Air model. The eighth generation received an upgraded processor, now with the A12 Bionic, while keeping the same storage options: 32GB and 128GB.

In September of 2021, the ninth generation was introduced alongside a redesigned iPad mini. This iPad now features the A13 Bionic processor, True Tone support, and new storage options: 64GB and 256GB while keeping the same price.

iPad 9 Specs

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The ninth-generation iPad launched in September of 2021. Available in two colors, Silver and Space Gray, this tablet is made of 100% recyclable aluminum, and supports the first-generation Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.

With thinner bezels, the product comes with a 10.2-inch Retina display with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, and True Tone support for the first time, which adjusts screen content to the color temperature of a room.

This tablet uses the A13 Bionic chip, the same available on the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max. It has an “all-day” battery with up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi or watching videos.

The iPad also comes in 64GB and 256GB storage options and Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi + Cellular versions.

Revamped cameras

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For the first time, this iPad shares the same FaceTime camera as the M1 iPad Pro with the Center Stage experience. With a new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and Neural Engine, users can enjoy even more engaging video calls.

As users move around, Center Stage automatically pans the camera to keep them in view. When others join in, the camera detects them too, and smoothly zooms out to include them in the conversation. Center Stage makes video calls more natural in FaceTime as well as third-party video-calling apps.

Its main camera is the same: 8MP, f/2.4 aperture, and digital zoom up to 5x.

iPadOS 15

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The ninth-generation iPad comes with the iPadOS 15. Previewed during the WWDC21 keynote, the new operating system brings a redesigned Home Screen with widgets and App Library support.

On iPadOS 15, FaceTime group calls can finally appear in a grid, so it’s easier to see everyone. It’s also possible to share your screen, listen to Apple Music songs together, or watch Apple TV+, HBO Max, Disney+, and others while in a call.

In the productivity section, Apple, unfortunately, didn’t bring all the features pro users wanted to take full advantage of their new M1 iPad Pro, even though Apple made it easier to rely on multitasking features.

There’s a new multitasking menu on the top of the screen. When you click there, it’s possible to see what configurations you can use on Split View or just go to Slide Over with just a tap.

The experience with an external keyboard allows users to get more done with all-new keyboard shortcuts and a redesign of the menu bar.

With the Quick Note feature, users can use the Apple Pencil to add a quick note. They just need to slide the pencil through the bottom right corner to the center of the screen and start writing.

iPadOS 15 launched on September 20. Learn more about it here.

iPadOS 15.1 features

One month after releasing iPadOS 15, Apple released iPadOS 15.1 More notable, the company finally brought SharePlay support for the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Unfortunately, Universal Control wasn’t one of the features added with this new version. Here’s what else is new:

Translate

  • Mandarin Chinese (Taiwan) support in the Translate app and for system-wide translation

Home

  • New automation triggers based on the current reading of a HomeKit-enabled humidity, air quality, or light level sensor

Shortcuts

  • New pre-built actions let you overlay text on images or gifs, plus a new collection of games lets you pass the time with Siri

iPadOS 15.2 features

apple-music-hey-siri-plays-voice-plan-9to5mac-2

Five weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.1, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.2. It brings more features that were expected to launch alongside iPadOS 15 but, unfortunately, Universal Control is still nowhere to be seen. Here are the top features of this version:

  • Apple Music Voice Plan is a new subscription tier that gives you access to all songs, playlists, and stations in Apple Music using Siri
  • App Privacy Report in Settings lets you see how often apps have accessed your location, photos, camera, microphone, contacts, and more during the last seven days, as well as their network activity
  • Communication safety setting gives parents the ability to enable warnings for children when they receive or send photos that contain nudity
  • Digital Legacy allows you to designate people as Legacy Contacts so they can access your iCloud account and personal information in the event of your death
  • Apple TV app: Store tab lets you browse, buy, and rent movies and TV Shows all in one place

iPadOS 15.3 features

Six weeks after releasing iPadOS 15.2, Apple is releasing iPadOS 15.3. This update foregoes new features in favor of under-the-hood bug fixes and improvements. One of the most notable changes here is a fix for a Safari vulnerability that may have been leaking your browsing history and Google ID data to the websites you visited.

iPadOS 15.4 features

iPadOS 15.4 finally brings one of the most important features expected from iPadOS 15 and that got delayed: Universal Control. Here’s everything new with iPadOS 15.4:

  • Universal Control: This feature allows you to control your Mac and iPad using the same keyboard and mouse/trackpad. Universal Control needs iPadOS 15.4 and macOS Monterey 12.3;
  • New Siri voice: Siri has a fifth American voice. Apple says a member of the LGBTQ+ community recorded the voice and it’s non-binary;
  • More emoji: iPadOS 15.4 also brings new emojis. You can discover all of the new characters here;
  • Shortcuts automation: Adds support for running Personal Automations in the background without requiring a pesky banner notification.

You can learn everything new with this update here.

iPadOS 15.5 features

Different from other software updates, iPadOS 15.5 only improves the Podcast app experience, as Apple focused on Wallet changes for the iPhone this time:

  • Apple Podcasts includes a new setting to limit episodes stored on your iPhone and automatically delete older ones

iPadOS 15.6 features

iPadOS 15.6 is yet another small update for iPad users. Here’s what’s news:

  • TV app adds the option to restart a live sports game already in progress and pause, rewind, or fast-forward.
  • Fixes an issue where Settings may continue to display that device storage is full even if it is available.
  • Fixes an issue that may cause Braille devices to slow down or stop responding when navigating text in Mail.
  • Fixes an issue in Safari where a tab may revert to a previous page.

iPadOS 15.7 features

iPadOS 15.7 only brings bug fixes and some security improvements as the company readies the iPadOS 16 release.

Education

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Apple describes this iPad as the go-to tablet for education. For several years the company discounts this tablet up to 10%.

Apple is always promoting ways students can use the iPad to learn new things: using Augmented Reality, the Apple Pencil, and how to code with Playgrounds.

The company says the “App Store is the best place to discover apps” for education purposes:

“Let your curiosity run wild with iPad. The App Store is the best place to discover apps that let you get a leg up in geometry, learn a new language, and attend virtual classes. You can even use augmented reality to learn something exciting, like watching the history of spaceflight unfold in your living room or making characters from your favorite book literally leap off the page.“

Release date: When Apple will launch the ninth-generation iPad?

Apple launched the iPad 9 on September 24, 2021.

Pricing

iPad (2021) pricing starts at $329 for the 32GB storage option with Wi-Fi only. The prices can go up to $559 with the 128GB storage option and WI-Fi + Cellular. Here are the full prices of the ninth-generation tablet:

  • 32GB with Wi-Fi: $329
  • 32GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular: $459
  • 128GB with Wi-Fi: $429
  • 128GB with Wi-Fi + Cellular: $559
  • Apple Pencil (1st generation): $99
  • Smart Keyboard: $159

Lower prices may be available from Apple’s official Amazon store.

iPad (2021) Review

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Soon, we’ll review the ninth-generation iPad. As for now, you can watch our video review of the eighth-generation iPad, as we described it as the “best value tablet you can buy:”

“The iPad 8 was never meant to be a huge update. But even still, I think this is easily the best value tablet you can buy. For $329, this tablet has so much to offer: The performance, the great battery life, and the Apple pencil functionality. I’d highly recommend you pick up this tablet if you simply need an inexpensive tablet today that’s going to last you for three to four years with no trouble.”

iPad Deals

Over at 9to5Toys, you can find the best deals on the iPad and other Apple products. Download the 9to5Toys iPhone app to receive push notifications for new deals as well.

Rumors

As of now, Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman said in his Power On newsletter by the end of 2021 that Apple plans a new entry-level iPad for 2022. In June 2022, 9to5Mac exclusively reported the details of the tenth-generation iPad model.

According to Filipe Espósito, this new entry-level tablet will pack the A14 Bionic chip, 5G compatibility, and, for the first time, USB-C connectivity, unlocking new experiences with the second-generation Apple Pencil. Its display will also increase, although it’s unclear whether it will have the same design as the M1 iPad Air.

This iPad could be released in October of 2022.

Rumor: Thinner iPad mini 4 will resemble iPad Air 2 hardware

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 27 2015 - 7:35 am PT
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Japanese blog Macotakara, which often publishes accurate information about unreleased Apple products and company news, today claims to have some reliable information on the yet-to-be-announced, upcoming iPad mini 4. Today’s report claims that the iPad mini 4 will look a lot like a smaller version of the current iPad Air 2.
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Apple’s retail expansion in India underway, 100+ of 500 resellers reportedly selected

Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Jul 27 2015 - 5:23 am PT
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Apple’s plan to establish 500 mobile-focused reseller stores in India is reportedly well underway, with NDTV Gadgets reporting that more than 100 of the partners for its Authorised Mobility Resellers (AMR) program have already been signed-up.

Apple seems to have already identified the cities, and indeed the areas within these cities where it wants to open the new stores, as a job listing on Apple’s website says the responsibility of Program Manager – AMR is to select store locations “within identified micro markets within a city” (emphasis ours).

An Apple-appointed contractor is building the stores’ interiors to ensure that they conform to Apple’s design and size requirements, before handing them back to the third-party resellers to operate. The partners are reportedly being selected by Apple on the basis of their track-record in selling Apple products.

Apple is said to be focusing on building market share in the company, and will, unusually, allow AMRs to discount iPhones below the official retail price.

Apple ‘Back to School’ promo expected to go international on August 6/7

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jul 25 2015 - 7:21 am PT
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Apple recently kicked off its ‘Back to School’ promo in the US and Canada, offering customers a free pair of Beats headphones for buying a Mac. The same deal will be rolling out internationally in various countries on either August 6th or 7th (exact date depends on country). Like those in the US and Canada, European customers will be able snag a free pair of Beats Solo2 headphones with a qualifying Mac purchase, or get €200 discount on the Beats Wireless Solo2.

According to French Mac blog Consomac, Angela Ahrendts, the company’s retail chief told employees of its wider rollout plans in a short video:

“In the US and in Canada, in our stores and online, it is the season for Back to School. Kids go back to school in these countries earlier than a lot of other countries. It Will Be launching August 6 and August 7 in additional countries, again aligned to When Your kids and your students Actually go back to school.”

It’s expected that European customers will be subject to the same purchase rules as in the States and Canada. They’ll need to buy an iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air or Mac Pro with education pricing to get the free Beats. Build-to-order configurations are eligible, but Mac Mini is excluded from the deal.

This is first year Apple has given away Beats products with its Macs for ‘Back to School’ students. Last year, a Mac purchase got you a $100 gift card, and an iPhone or iPad purchase got you a $50 gift card.

Once the deal goes live in Europe, we’ll be sure to update you. As things stand, we’re expecting the roll out to begin in just under two weeks’ time.

Apple launches massive iOS sale w/ 100 apps for $0.99 ea: Rayman, Angry Birds, Pixelmator, Spider-Man, many more

Avatar for Justin Kahn Jul 23 2015 - 1:53 pm PT
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From 9to5Toys.com:

Unlike most App Store promos, Apple has now quietly kicked off one the largest iOS game/app sales we have seen this year. The news comes courtesy of participating app developer Readdle.

The sale includes 100 apps and games at “new low prices”, most of which are $0.99. While we have posted some of these titles over the past week in our daily/game app roundups, this is the first time they’ve all appeared together in one giant sale. Now is your chance to fill up your app library, as we are seeing all-time lows on games, productivity apps, photography apps and much more.

A couple standouts are Pixelmator (Reg. $5), GoodReader (Reg. $5), The Room Two (Reg. $3), Rayman Jungle Run (Reg. $3), BADLAND (Reg. $4), Real Racing (Reg. $5), Angry Birds titles, and well, far too many to mention here. Not even including the insanely popular Angry Birds games, just these apps alone combine for a 4+ star rating from 100,000 reviews.

If there is still a couple apps you can’t find in this sale, then be sure to hit our daily roundups for even more discounted options and the new Free App of the Week.

You can also download Screenium 3 on Mac for 50% off (Reg. $50) for a limited time.

Apple seeds iOS 9 public beta 2 to testers

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 22 2015 - 10:03 am PT
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Roughly two weeks after the initial release, Apple has pushed out an update to users testing the iOS 9 public beta on iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The latest public beta release follows the earlier release of iOS 9 beta 4 for registered developers developing for the upcoming operating system update. iOS 9 is set to be completed and shipped to all users later this fall. iOS 9 public beta 2 mirror’s yesterday’s iOS 9 beta 4 release.
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Live blog: Apple’s fiscal year Q3 2015 earnings call

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 21 2015 - 1:44 pm PT
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Apple earnings day is here at last. Catch up on the company’s latest results here while we await the quarterly conference call between Tim Cook, Luca Maestri and analysts. In summary, Apple reporting earnings $10.7 billion in profit from $49 billion in revenue after 47 million iPhone sales, 10.9 million iPad sales, and 4.7 million Mac sales during the company’s Q3 period. Analysts will likely push Tim Cook and company on sharing more information around Apple Watch sales during the call. The quarter covers the April to June period which includes Apple Watch sales in a number of countries from April 24th and on. Apple’s conference call kicks off at 2 p.m. PT/5 p.m. ET so stay tuned for our live coverage below:
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Apple announces Q3 2015 revenue of $49b: 47m iPhones, 10.9m iPads, 4.7m Macs

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 21 2015 - 1:34 pm PT
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Right on schedule, Apple has shared its Q3 2015 earnings results reporting revenue of $49 billion and $10.7 billion in profit during the April to June period. Notably, the company’s Q3 period is the first that includes initial Apple Watch sales as the device first launched on April 24th.

Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2015 third quarter ended June 27, 2015. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $49.6 billion and quarterly net profit of $10.7 billion, or $1.85 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $37.4 billion and net profit of $7.7 billion, or $1.28 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 39.7 percent compared to 39.4 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 64 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

While Apple isn’t specifically breaking out Apple Watch sales (or iPod sales for that matter), the company does disclose iPhone, iPad, and Mac sales by unit:

  • iPhone: 47 million units
  • iPad: 10.9 million units
  • Mac: 4.7 million units

While Apple isn’t breaking out Apple Watch or Beats numbers, the ‘other services’ which includes those categories as well as iPods and Apple TV reports $2.6 billion in revenue.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said this about the company’s Q3 results:

“We had an amazing quarter, with iPhone revenue up 59 percent over last year, strong sales of Mac, all-time record revenue from services, driven by the App Store, and a great start for Apple Watch,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The excitement for Apple Music has been incredible, and we’re looking forward to releasing iOS 9, OS X El Capitan and watchOS 2 to customers in the fall.”

Luca Maestri, Apple’s chief financial officer, added this:

“In the third quarter our year-over-year growth rate accelerated from the first half of fiscal 2015, with revenue up 33 percent and earnings per share up 45 percent,” said Luca Maestri, Apple’s CFO. “We generated very strong operating cash flow of $15 billion, and we returned over $13 billion to shareholders through our capital return program.”

Today’s Q3 results follow last quarter’s $58 billion in revenue and 61.1 million iPhones sold, 12.6 million iPads sold, and 4.5 million Macs sold globally. During the same quarter a year ago with the iPhone 5s at the top of the lineup, Apple reported $37.4 billion in revenue and 35.2 million iPhones sold, 13.2 million iPads sold, and 4.4 million Mac sales. Apple reported $13.6 billion in profit last quarter and $7.7 billion during the same quarter a year ago.

The company’s quarterly conference call is scheduled for 2 PM Pacific/5 PM Eastern to discuss today’s results. Stay tuned for our live coverage of the call. Both Cook and Maestri usually review the quarterly results before fielding questions from analysts. With the first Apple Watch sales included in today’s report, the new device is sure to be a major topic of the call.

Apple’s complete Q3 earnings report is below:
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Apple + IBM unveil 10 new MobileFirst enterprise apps for iPhone, iPad, & Apple Watch

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 21 2015 - 7:10 am PT
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Apple and IBM today unveiled 10 new enterprise apps across several industries including tools for government inspectors, business travelers and managers, and field service professionals for the first time. The latest apps bring the number of iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch apps built for the enterprise under Apple’s IBM MobileFirst for iOS partnership to 32 in total. Here are the new apps joining the list today:
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Microsoft’s OneNote iOS app goes universal, bringing Notification Center widget and more to iPad

Avatar for Zac Hall Jul 16 2015 - 8:41 am PT
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Microsoft today released a new update to OneNote for iPhone that makes it a universal app, now OneNote for iOS. That means that the existing OneNote for iPad app is being replaced by a single, universal app that runs on both iPhone and iPad.

The benefit, aside from having a single version, is that the iPad app is gaining some recent features introduced in the iPhone app including a OneNote widget in the today view of Notification Center. iPad users will also notice a new “recent notes” section for notes made on either device, and landscape mode on the iPad now presents a column of page previews.

Catch the full release notes below:

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Turn your iPad into a Surface with Logi’s new BLOK keyboard case

Avatar for Cam Bunton Jul 15 2015 - 4:28 am PT
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Logitech recently announced a new branding and marketing strategy and its BLOK family of iPad cases are the first products released under the company’s new Logi brand. The Logi Blok are highly protective, colorful, square cases and keyboard covers for your iPad.

The Logi BLOK family is made up of the Logi BLOK Protective Shell, the BLOK Protective Case and the BLOK Protective Keyboard case. All have square corners, designed to protect the precious rounded corners on your iPad. What’s more, they have been tested to ensure you can drop your iPad from “up to six feet high”, on to surfaces as hard as concrete, without killing your tablet. Unlike some other ultra-protective cases, Logitech promises that these aren’t bulky or heavy.

With Logi BLOK, you get drop protection without the bulk and weight that is often associated with ultra-protective cases. Additionally, the Logi BLOK family reflects the colorful and bold new Logitech look, so you’ll see a sleek design and bright colors on each case.

The two different case options are incredibly similar to each other. From the images, it seems the BLOK Case is the same as the BLOK Shell, except with the addition of a cover and a kickstand similar to that on the keyboard case. BLOK Shell ships with a screen protector and is available for iPad Air 2 and 2nd/3rd gen iPad mini in blue or black mini for $39.99. BLOK case costs $69.99 and is only available for the iPad Air 2.

The BLOK Protective Keyboard looks to transform your iPad Air 2 in to a Microsoft Surface. It adds a versatile and adjustable kickstand to the back and a magnetic detachable keyboard to the front. Like most iPad keyboards, it connects via Bluetooth, ensuring you can continue to type even if you don’t have it physically attached to the case.

It’s available in black, teal/blue and red/violet color combinations and will set you back $129.99. You can take a look at the new keyboard accessory in the promo video:

All three BLOK products are available to order from today at Logitech.com.

 

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Microsoft’s $99 Universal Foldable Keyboard for iPhone, iPad, & other devices now available

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 14 2015 - 7:21 am PT
7 Comments

Microsoft’s new Universal Foldable Keyboard, first unveiled earlier this year, is now available to purchase online and through Microsoft stores. The super portable Bluetooth keyboard folds in half when not in use and allows users to connect to two mobile devices at once including iPhones, iPads, Android, and Windows devices.

Microsoft notes that the keyboard has full-size keys, a spill-resistant, water-repellent keyboard and outer material, and a built-in rechargeable battery that will get you around three months of use on a charge. There’s also an “OS” button for switching between connected devices. Here’s a closer look at the keyboard:

The Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard is available for $100 on Amazon, and it’s also available through Microsoft retail stores and online.

Microsoft made a new video for today’s launch to show off some of the keyboard’s features and its compact, 5mm thin design:

[youtube=https://youtu.be/zNrop5Mwv0g]

Pixelmator for iPhone and iPad adds ‘Dynamic Touch’ brush strokes, better Repair Tool, more

Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Jul 14 2015 - 2:07 am PT
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Pixelmator for iPhone and iPad has today been updated to version 2.0.2 bringing even more features to the popular image editor for iOS and Mac. This update adds a new kind of brush stroke called Dynamic Touch, which simulates pressure sensitivity by examining the size of the finger input that touches the screen. Larger surface area produces thicker strokes on the canvas. Similarly, using just the tip of a finger results in fine lines in the app.


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How-To: Go beyond OS X Photos + make amazing wall art from your Mac’s pictures (Part 2)

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Jul 13 2015 - 6:44 am PT
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Your digital photos were never intended to remain trapped on your computer’s hard drive. Apple’s original 2002 version of iPhoto proudly included physical book and photo printing services, adding new books and various types of cards every 2-3 years. Since early digital cameras took low-resolution photos, Apple’s services focused primarily on small prints. But over the past decade, cameras have really evolved: there are now 36-Megapixel Nikons, 42-Megapixel Sonys, and 50-Megapixel Canons. Unfortunately, Apple didn’t update iPhoto or its later Aperture and Photos apps with additional large-format printing options to keep up with the higher-resolution cameras many people are using.

Even if you don’t have a high-end DSLR, there are ways to turn more typical 20-Megapixel images into large pieces of wall art — if you’re willing to look outside Apple’s photo apps for printing services. And amazingly, even recent iPhones and iPads can create 43-Megapixel ultra-wide panoramas that will look stunning on one or more large canvases, as shown in the photo above.

What’s the best large format to choose for your photos? That depends on the type of images you have, and the results you’re looking for. To illustrate the options, I reached out to a number of popular photo printing services to see how digital photos would look on metal, glass, and canvas — large-format alternatives Apple doesn’t offer. Part 1 of this How-To guide looked at metal prints that apply dyes and gloss directly onto aluminum surfaces. Today, Part 2 looks at large-format canvas and glass prints. And the last part, coming next week, will look at several additional options that provide unique twists on these options. Inside, you’ll see how each process has its own unique appeal…


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Google releases ‘Ivy’ app for iOS, an experimental big number calculator

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 10 2015 - 12:09 pm PT
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Google has quietly launched a new iOS app today called Ivy that it describes as an experimental big number calculator.
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Here’s everything new in the latest iOS 9, El Capitan, and watchOS betas

Avatar for Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 1:34 pm PT
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Apple earlier today began rolling out the third betas of iOS 9, watchOS 2, and OS X 10.11 El Capitan and we’ve been digging into each of them, trying to figure out what is new, changed, and improved. Most of the changes come on the iOS 9 and watchOS 2 side of things, with the new OS X 10.11 beta focusing mainly on under-the-hood changes. Read on for all of the changes…


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iOS 9 lets you store 105 more apps per folder on the iPad

Avatar for Chance Miller Jul 8 2015 - 1:01 pm PT
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In addition to adding the new News app, iOS 9 beta 3 also made a much-needed enhancement to the folder functionality on the iPad. In prior versions of iOS, users were restricted to a 3×3 layout of apps on the iPad, meaning that there were 3 rows of 3 apps on the device, for a total of 9 apps per page. With iOS 9 beta 3, however, users can now have a 4×4 setup of apps in folders on the iPad.


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Fleksy keyboard gets new features & themes as app goes free indefinitely

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jul 8 2015 - 7:28 am PT
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After around seven million downloads of its popular third-party keyboard app, Fleksy is today announcing that its mobile apps will be completely free for all going forward.

The company was originally charging $4 for the app but had dropped the price to $1 and even made the app free temporarily a couple times in the past. Starting today, however, Fleksy says its apps for both iOS and Android will be free forever.

For everyone that has paid for the app and feels left out, Fleksy is offering a free gift that it says is worth $8 to make up for it. The in-app download includes a selection of new themes and extensions, which also arrive with today’s update. While the app is going free for all to download and use, the company will continue offering premium themes and extensions as paid in-app purchases.

In addition to going free, the company highlighted some other new features and improvements arriving today:

Going free is not the only big update today.  We also launched an improved rich content view called Highlights. Meaning, Fleksy will better assist with GIF, sticker and other content discovery based on what you type. Instead of manually searching for stickers and GIFs on separate pages, now you’ll only need to tap on the auto-recommended hashtag (Highlight) and Fleksy will take you to an integrated page of relevant content all in one convenient place.

The Fleksy Keyboard app for iPhone and iPad is available on the App Store now. A full list of what’s included in the update below:

What’s New in Version 6.0

*Note: Please update to the latest version of iOS 8 to fix key known issues with custom keyboards and improve your Fleksy experience.

Featuring:
• 5 new themes for summertime!
• Consolidated GIF and Imoji extensions to a single bar. Smarter search, more results, all in one view. And just pull down to bring back the keypad!
• Fleksy will now highlight 3 keywords at a time. Easier to get to that perfect GIF or sticker.
• Ever want more Hotkeys? You can now add multiple Hotkey extensions!
• Major language improvements
• Updated Extension tab UI in the container app for easier browsing
• Optimizations for GIF and Imoji Sticker quality

Fixed:
• Fixes for autocorrect capitalizing letters incorrectly for some languages
• Autocorrect on/off Button not showing on spacebar sometimes
• Various other bug fixes and performance improvements

VoiceOver Updates:
• Gesture: swipe down with two fingers to Return (while in Minimal mode)
• “New Line” announced on Return
• Feedback on Shift and Delete buttons
• “No more text to delete” announced when there’s nothing left to delete
• Improved accuracy

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SoundHound iOS app adds Apple Music integration for listening, Beats 1 promotion

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 30 2015 - 11:57 am PT
6 Comments

SoundHound, a popular sound recognition app for detecting and searching for songs and other audio clips, today gets an update that brings integration with the just launched Apple Music streaming service.

With the updated SoundHound app landing today, users will now get an “Apple Music Listen Now” link to listen to a song on the streaming service (when available) through the home screen, song pages, and throughout the app.

Other competitive apps, such as Shazam, have already updated with similar functionality. The apps previously only linked users to purchase songs through iTunes and other services, but also promote competitive streaming services for listening such as Spotify and Rdio. For SoundHound, users will find an Apple Music streaming link next to songs through various features, including: music identification, personalized History, Top Charts, or Music Maps.

Interestingly, SoundHound will also be promoting Apple Music’s Beats 1 live radio station:

SoundHound is also showcasing Apple Music’s new global radio streaming station Beats 1. Users will see a “Beats 1 Radio” row within song pages, enabling easy, one-tap access to listen to the streaming radio broadcast, which features various artists hosting programs and full-time DJs, led by ex-BBC host Zane Lowe.

You can grab SoundHound on the App Store now.

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Pinterest’s new Buyable Pins shopping feature rolling out now to iPhone & iPad users

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 30 2015 - 11:31 am PT
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After first announcing plans earlier this month to become a storefront of sorts with a new Buyable Pins feature, Pinterest just confirmed the feature is rolling out today for iPhone and iPad users in the US. In addition to the new buyable pins feature, Pinterest is also launching “Shop our picks” with curated lists of items for various product categories.

As a catalog of ideas, our mission is to help people bring their creative ideas to life. In the next few weeks, 30 million Pins all over Pinterest will become buyable (this includes Pins people have already saved that will light up with blue prices at launch). You’ll see products from brands like Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom, retailers powered by Demandware like Gardener’s Supply Company and Michaels, and Shopify stores like Poler Outdoor Stuff and SOBU.

Pinterest notes that users will notice a blue price tag next to buyable pins that will show up in user’s home feed, boards, category feeds, search results and recommendations.

Here’s a closer look at how the feature will appear in the iPhone app:

The feature is rolling out slowly in the US. If you’re a Pinterest user, keep an eye out for an email notification that will let you know when buyable pins are available to you.

Apple’s iTunes U gets 1-to-1 discussions, importing from other apps, PDF annotations, grade book, more

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2015 - 10:44 am PT
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Apple’s iTunes U service, a resource for teachers to create and manage educational content for students on iPad, is today receiving a big update that brings a long list of highly requested features. Starting today, teachers and students using the platform will get access to new additions including 1-to-1 discussions, homework hand-in & grade book features, PDF annotations, and more.
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Trade-in services begin accepting Apple Watch, but don’t expect to profit

Avatar for Jordan Kahn Jun 22 2015 - 1:51 pm PT
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While Apple Watch models were selling for a premium on eBay and elsewhere for quite a while after launch, now that the device is in Apple stores and stock of most models almost caught up to demand, trade-in services have officially started accepting the device. One of the first bigger companies to announce support for Apple Watch is NextWorth, which as of today will buy your Apple Watch, but without the eBay premiums. The company is capping Apple Watch trade-in payouts at $500, and you’ll be getting much less than that for the cheaper models that start at around $350 from Apple.
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Apple quietly pulls original iPad mini from web site and Apple Store

Avatar for Jeremy Horwitz Jun 19 2015 - 5:57 am PT
23 Comments
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Last week, above. Today, below.

The original iPad mini has quietly disappeared from Apple’s web site, and is no longer available to purchase new from the Apple Store. Introduced in October 2012, the first iPad mini established the industrial design that was subsequently used in the iPad mini 2 and iPad mini 3, as well as the larger but otherwise nearly identical iPad Air and iPad Air 2. Apple notably continued to sell the 16GB iPad mini as an entry-level model alongside two of its sequels, dropping its price to $299 in October 2013, then $249 in October 2014. In recent months, falling street prices for other models made the classic mini a tougher sell.

Apple’s discontinuation of the iPad mini leaves the remaining iPads as a completely 64-bit family, all using either A7 or A8X processors rather than the iPad mini’s aging A5. It also means that all remaining iPads have Retina displays and unified Wi-Fi + Cellular models. Refurbished iPad minis continue to be available from the Apple Store, and start at $209; new iPad minis will continue to be available at third-party resellers such as Amazon until they run out of stock.

Per 9to5Toys, Groupon currently has original iPads for $180 ‘New’ and Walmart offers them at a $50 discount over yesterday’s price. Meanwhile Best Buy’s CowBoom has used models for $115.

Thanks Michiel!
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