Tim Cook won’t be at AltConf 2018, but then attendees of this alternative Apple developer conference will pay a wee bit less. The official WWDC is $1,599, while AltConf is free.
It will be held in San Jose near the official conference, and on the same dates as the WWDC: June 4-7.
ecobee began taking pre-orders for the Switch+ today. This smart-home light switch includes HomeKit support so it can be remotely controlled with an iPhone.
But it goes beyond that: with Amazon’s Alexa built in, this wall switch acts as a smart speaker all on its own.
Apple continues to improve the iPad Pro design, with a nearly bezel-less version reportedly in development. This could mean an 11-inch iPad the same overall size as the company’s current 10.5-inch tablet.
This will supposedly be the first iPad with Apple’s Face ID as the technology expands beyond the iPhone X.
Fitbit is stepping up to compete better with the Apple Watch with the Versa smartwatch. The new wearable looks similar to Apple’s watch, and offers music playback and other capabilities. Plus, it arrives at a lower price point — just under $200.
The Versa’s unveiling comes just after Apple surpassed Fitbit in the wearables market. Apparently, people want much more from their devices than just counting steps.
Anyone wanting to try out Google’s rival to Siri can now do so on their iPad: A version of the Google Assistant optimized for iOS tablets just debuted.
With the press of a button, the application will answer questions and retrieve information from the internet, but that’s just the start.
Almost 40 million people now pay to listen to Apple Music. That’s not bad for a service that was met with skepticism when it debuted back in 2015.
Apple Music still faces strong competition from Spotify and Google Play Music, but it’s growing strongly. And all those people putting down $9.99 a month adds significantly to Apple revenue as streaming services have become the top way to listen to music.
Watching golf is famously boring, but the just-announced PGA Tour AR app spices it up a bit. It brings a live, augmented reality view of golf games to iPad and iPhone, putting the tournament in users’ living rooms.
“Tapping into ARKit in iOS 11 allows us to showcase real-time data provided by ShotLink and CDW in a rich, visual way for fans,” said the PGA’s Rick Anderson in a statement. “The PGA Tour takes pride in bringing new technology to the sports world as a way of communicating to a large, diverse audience.”
Fans of Bob’s Burgers rejoice: Loren Bouchard, creator of the long-running animated comedy set in a diner, has signed a deal with Apple to create two seasons of a new series. Central Park will be the first animated showed purchased by the maker of Apple TV.
The action of the musical comedy will revolve around a family of Central Park caretakers whose adventures save not only the park and New York City — but also the world.
Apple users will soon receive operating system updates for phones and tablets, Macs and set-top boxes. Developers today received new beta versions for all these platforms
Anyone from the public who wants to beta test preview versions of iOS 11.3, macOS 10.13.4 or tvOS 11.3 can do so by signing up on Apple’s website. The newest developer versions should be available to public beta testers in a day or so.
Although people most often use Alexa to ask about the weather or play music, Amazon’s smart assistant is capable of much more, including connecting with friends and family. A convenient Alexa calling feature is now available on a range of tablets, including the iPad. This allows the tablet to make voice or video calls to an Amazon Echo.
All that is required is the Amazon Alexa app for iOS (and giving Alexa access to your list of contacts).
Smart speaker sales have exploded, with 47 million Americans now using one, up from about zero two years ago. And Apple fans are leading the trend — they’re 22 percent more likely than Android users to own a smart speaker.
Americans are far less likely to switch between an iPhone and an Android smartphone than they once were. A new study shows that virtually all users of both types have little interest in moving to the other team.
Loyalty to Android is just slightly stronger than it is to iOS. Nevertheless, more people are switching away from Google’s operating system than they are Apple’s.
Charisma is hard to judge, but apparently Apple doesn’t have it. Or at least it’s less charismatic than many rivals, including Amazon and Google.
“Compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others,” is how the Oxford dictionary defines charisma. Since Apple is known for generating a legion of fans — a cult, if you will — one would expect it to sit at the top of a new survey judging the charisma of various brands. Instead, the iPhone-maker ranked eighth.
Apple designed a waterproof Lighting connector that could block out liquids, dust and dirt when inserted into an iPhone.
The FBI wants the tech industry to help unlock thousands of smartphones and tablets involved in criminal cases each year.
FBI Director Christopher Wray did not single out any companies during his talk at a cybersecurity conference today. Still, Apple certainly sits at the top of his wish list.
Apple is prepping more-affordable versions of its new HomePod smart speaker and other pricey devices, according to an unconfirmed report out of Asia.
Anyone afraid that the robot apocalypse is imminent might head to the panic room now: Reports are coming in that Amazon’s Alexa smart speaker has begun laughing all on its own.
People who claim to have experienced this generally say they’re not interacting with their Amazon Echo, but it will suddenly begin laughing. Many of the descriptions describe the robolaughter as “creepy.”
A mophie juice pack air for iPhone X has been approved, if not announced. The case will come with a built-in battery that supports wireless charging.
Google Street View now offers panoramic views from nearly a dozen Disney theme parks, giving users a glimpse inside.
These join thousands of other immersive images from attractions around the world already in the app.
Although the notch at the top of the iPhone X display drew quite a bit of criticism, many Android makers like the idea. LG might become the next to release a device that resembles Apple’s flagship phone.
Using a strong passcode makes the iPhone very secure, but two companies are now offering to unlock them. For a hefty price, of course.
Fresh beta versions of iOS 11.3, macOS 10.13.4 and tvOS 11.3 point to the full release of these new versions drawing nearer.
The Google iOS app just added an iMessage extension that lets users conduct searches without leaving Apple’s chat app. Google also added a couple other features that should make life easier for Apple fans: a Safari plugin that serves up related content, and iPad drag-and-drop support.
Samsung touts the new Intelligent Scan facial recognition system in the Galaxy S9 as better than the easily fooled system used in the S8, but there’s no real-world change for owners of the new device. Samsung’s facial recognition technology remains far less secure than Apple’s Face ID.
Apple’s devices don’t end up in the rubbish bin very often. In fact, an analyst determined that about 64 percent of iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple Watches ever sold remain in active use.
This might be the most accurate way of measuring just how satisfied people are with Apple’s products. Far better than customer surveys!
