Alex Heath - page 13

After months of being in beta, Apple has finally released iOS 8 for free to iPhone, iPad and iPod touch users. You can grab it now in iTunes or through Software Update.

iOS 8 introduces many new features, including the new Health app, Notification Center widgets, Handoff, actionable notifications, and Extensibility for developers. You’ll start to see many of your favorite apps offer features specific for iOS 8, like the ability to interact directly with other apps.

We’ve been digging into iOS 8 for months now, and we’re collected some of the best features to check out while you’re downloading. We’ll have more in-depth looks at aspects of the new OS throughout the day.

One of the many new features in iOS 8 is iCloud Drive, which is basically Apple’s take on Dropbox. Unlike how iCloud has functioned in the past, iCloud Drive acts as the hub for all of the files stored by your apps in the cloud.

It’s a great idea, but most people should avoid enabling it during the iOS 8 installation process today.

Part two of Tim Cook’s interview with Charlie Rose recently aired on PBS. While not quite as long or revealing as the first part, it’s still definitely worth watching.

Here are six takeaways we got from part two of Cook’s interview:

Early reviews of the latest iPhones are in, and the overwhelming consensuses is that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are both killer smartphones. The 6 is the best phone out there, period. Opinions are more split on the Plus and its massive size.

If you’re having trouble wading through all of the reviews out there, have no fear! We’ve collected everything you need to know in the ultimate iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Meta Review.

Today Apple quietly expanded its use of two-factor authentication to protect iCloud users. Now those who have enabled the added security measure will be asked to verify their identity with a secondary device when logging into iCloud.com.

In the 21st century you can’t sell your sister into slavery, but you can apparently trade her for an iPhone 6.

A Saudi man is demanding a new iPhone 6 as dowry before he will consent to his sister getting married.

With Apple now accepting iOS 8 apps in the App Store, more third-party developers are starting to show off their use of Extensibility and Touch ID integration.

Day One, an app that won a coveted Apple Design Award at WWDC in June, is readying its iOS 8 update with a Notification Center widget, Share extension, and Touch ID support.

It’s rare that we get to see inside the mind of Apple CEO Tim Cook. It’s even rarer when what he says appears to be largely unscripted and candid.

The PBS show Charlie Rose aired part one of its interview with Cook over the weekend, and the hour-long talk is probably the most revealing conversation Cook has ever had with the press. Here’s what we learned from the interview:

When Apple Pay was unveiled Tuesday, Eddy Cue was quick to mention that 83% of US card issuers are already on board. 220,000 stores will also support the mobile payment initiative at launch, including big chains like McDonalds, Walgreens, Staples, and of course, Disney.

But that doesn’t mean Apple Pay’s adoption will be smooth sailing going forward. There are still plenty of merchants that haven’t signed on, and some of the biggest names, including Walmart and Best Buy, don’t plan on supporting Apple Pay any time soon.

Tim Cook sat down with Charlie Rose for what looks like a pretty unscripted interview. A couple of clips have been made available ahead of the first part airing on television tonight, including Cook’s admission that Steve Jobs’ office at Apple remains untouched to this day.

When pressed about Apple’s plans for TV, Cook revealed that the Apple TV now has 20 million users. “It’s far exceeded the ‘hobby’ label we’ve placed on it,” said Cook. He also said he thinks watching TV is like “entering a time capsule” and that the whole experience is stuck in the 70s.

Another topic of conversation was Apple’s purchase of Beats. Cook shared a story about how he was skeptical about Beats Music until he used it one night. Based on the few minutes we’ve already seen from the interview, it looks like the full conversation will prove to be pretty interesting.

In an excerpt from an interview with Charlie Rose, Tim Cook revealed that Steve Jobs’s office “is still left as it was” on the fourth floor of Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino. “His name is still on the door,” said Cook.

That says a lot more than any homage Apple can pay to Jobs onstage or in interviews with its executives.

Whether you wanted it or not, U2’s new album is in the purchased section of your iTunes account.

Apple inked a $100 million deal with its favorite band to put Songs of Innocence in the hands of over 500 million iTunes users, and now the album has seen over two million downloads as a result—or about 0.4% of the iTunes Store’s user base.

iPhone 6 and 6 Plus preorders have already started selling out around the world and the shipping dates are slipping.

Spokes people for Apple say that they’re seeing an unprecedented demand for the new phones already, and carriers like AT&T are getting crushed by the unfathomable number of customers looking for an upgrade.

The Apple Watch isn’t coming out for months, but that isn’t stopping rumors from surfacing about future hardware iterations. Apple has plans for tracking much more about your health than what its Watch can do currently.

Apple clearly wants its new watch to be more than just a cool gadget. It’s no coincidence that Tuesday’s event falls in line with New York Fashion Week, a time of the year when the world’s top designers look for new tech to accessorize their outfits.

Journalists and prominent figures in the fashion industry were invited alongside the usual tech press to the Apple Watch’s unveiling. The fashion world’s initial reactions are mostly positive, but some question the device’s appeal to women.

One of the biggest disappointments from Apple’s announcements yesterday was the lack of a sapphire screen for the iPhone 6. A seemingly-neverending string of part leaks and rumors indicated that 2014 would be the year the iPhone got a nearly indestructible sapphire display cover.

And while sapphire is used for the Apple Watch’s display, Apple made no mention of sapphire for the iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.

What happened?

Apple is growing like wildfire in China, and Tim Cook expects the country to eventually overtake the US as his company’s largest market.

That’s why it’s a big deal that Apple has delayed the launch of its new iPhones in China. No explanation has been provided to carriers, although it’s suspected that there are still hurdles to overcome in gaining regulatory approval from the government.

Macworld is closing its doors. Parent company IDG has laid off much of its staff, including longtime employee and Editorial Director Jason Snell.

Now we know that even Apple called its wearable “iWatch” internally, thanks to an incredibly rare slip-up by CEO Tim Cook.

In an interview with ABC News after Tuesday’s keynote, Cook casually called Apple’s new wearable iWatch instead of Apple Watch.

Apple and Path are close to a reaching a buyout agreement, according to a new report from PandoDaily. The social network app would likely be built into Apple Messages to some degree, although details remain unknown.

One of the smaller details Apple failed to mention during today’s keynote was its new watch’s tolerance of liquids. While the Apple Watch is designed to stay on your wrist all day, it’s not suited for all situations.

It turns out that the Apple Watch will be just fine with a little water, but don’t plan on wearing it while swimming.

During today’s mega keynote, Tim Cook enthusiastically showed two new ads for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Both feature Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake narrating.

Apple has posted the new spots to its YouTube channel, and you can expect to start seeing them on TV tonight.

iOS 8’s release is eminent with Apple announcing today that its new software will be released to the public on September 17th.

To get the App Store ready, Apple is officially accepting iOS 8 versions of apps from third-party developers.

Apple finally showed the world today what the media has been calling an “iWatch” for months. Apple Watch is the first new product category to come out of the company since the original iPad. It marks a “new era” for Apple, according to Tim Cook, and introducing it was even worthy of the “One more thing” tease made famous by Steve Jobs.

There’s a lot to digest about Apple’s first wearable, so we’ve made it easy for you. Here are the 10 most important things you need to know about the Apple Watch:

Tucked away in an assuming building in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a small Apple team has been working on the future of Siri.

And that team is growing. A new report reveals that Apple is leasing a big new office and hiring away from competitors. It’s obvious that Siri will only be getting smarter in the future.