iOS 7 is much more than a pretty face. Early “news” reporting focussed on the new look provided at the last minute by Jony Ive and team, but the inner workings of the new OS have clearly been under development for a lot longer. So, try to look past the bright colors, blurred popovers and beautiful parallax for a moment, and join us as we take a tour of the best new features of iOS 7.
Juicy external battery packs are definitely the way to go for the globetrotting nerd – I have had my bacon saved a few times by the 12,000mAh battery pack I carry with me on trips – they’re not only good for the iPhone, but the iPad min, a Kindle, and even USB bike lights (this is the best unknown use for these chargers).
But you know what would be even better? A ruggedized, waterproof battery pack. And – surprise – that’s exactly what I’m just about to tell you about.
Ready for another weather app for your iPhone? Me too! I love WeatherPro on the iPad, but the iPhone version (despite today’s new iOS7 update) is almost impossible to read on the smaller screen. So I’m excited for Perfect Weather, which promises to make all the info I need available in a neat card view. Or rather, I would be excited if it was available outside the U.S.
BlackBerry Messenger is close to becoming a cross-platform messaging service for the first time, but when will you be able to download the app on your Android and iOS devices? BlackBerry has been pretty quiet about launch dates up until now, but a new rumor claims BBM will hit Google Play this Friday, September 20, before landing on the App Store a day later.
No matter how fast you can unlock your iPhone and launch Drafts app, you’ll still be slower than someone jotting down a note with a pen and paper. But that means you have to carry a separate notepad along with your iPhone, and then you have to dig around in your bag or pocket to find it.
Not so with the Paperback, a, uh, a paper back for the iPhone 5/s/c.
Tap tap tap, the developer of Camera+, announced Tuesday that it too is updating its popular iOS prosumer camera application to match the new iOS 7 look and feel, along with several other sharing and shooting improvements.
Co-founder Lisa Bettany emailed to tell us about the overhaul to the redesign, which gives Camera+ a better match to Apple’s new mobile operating system for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
Touch ID is getting a lot of the attention among the iPhone 5s’ new features, but Burberry’s creative director Christopher Bailey has been obsessing over one Jony Ive’s other new additions to the iPhone 5s: Slow-mo.
Apple and Burberry teamed up for fashion week in London and shot Burberry’s entire Spring/Summer 2014 fashion show using nothing but the iPhone 5s for video and photos, the results of which are pretty damn impressive. Slow-mo makes a number of appearances in the full video posted below as the camera switches from 120FPS and then back to 30FPS with relative ease while recording. Pretty spectacular for a mere smartphone.
Instagram is going to be flooded with millions of half-assed slow-mo videos in just a few short days, but Burberry posted a couple of short slow-mo clips to Instagram as well that you can check out below :
TouchArcade found this little addition in the latest update to Fox Digital Entertainment’s AVP: Evolution, a note in the update features list that claims iOS 7 Controller support.
Amazon has added AirPlay support to its popular video streaming app – Amazon Instant Video. Starting today, the new feature allows iOS users to push video from their iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad to the Apple TV. Not quite as good as having an Amazon Instant Video channel on the Apple TV, but the move is sure to satisfy Amazon Prime users for the time being.
The update also includes more IMDB integration with cast info, ratings, trivia and quotes. Amazon also says the updated app is faster, more responsive and now supports concurrent downloads. There’s also a new “Customers who watched this also watched…” feature to help users discover more movies and spend more time and money on Amazon. The free update is available now in the App Store.
Source: iTunes
Thanks: Charles!
iOS 7 is coming this Wednesday, September 18, and it’s going to be a fairly simple upgrade. You’ll be able to just update your iOS device without any trouble, most likely over the air or by connecting to iTunes. No fuss, no muss.
However, you do most likely want to make a backup in case things go awry during the update process. Chances are you already have a backup if you use iCloud or iTunes, but here’s how to make a manual backup, just in case.
Alright, stop me if you’ve heard this one:
An unseen protagonist, armed only with a flashlight, sets off on an investigation into some spooky woods. With no map, our hero wanders through the forest gathering a bunch of pages for unknown reasons with a shadowy, black-clad figure in pursuit. The tormentor can appear anywhere at will, and if you look at it too long, the game will end, and you will have to start over from the beginning.
If you think that sounds an awful lot like developer Parsec Productions’ instant classic Slender: The Eight Pages, you would be correct. But that’s also the premise of 3 Cubes Research Limited’s less ominously named The Woods, which is available now for iPhone and iPad.
I’m not really sure what else to say; The Woods is Slender with more pages, a less scary antagonist, and worse controls.
Apple disappointed Wall Street by announcing an iPhone 5C that isn’t cheap. As a result, Apple’s stock price took a hit.
That’s the polite way to say it. Let’s usher all the financial industry people out of the room so I can tell you the blunt truth. Ready?
Wall Street has systemic blind spots and institutional biases that make it incapable of appreciating where Apple is headed. And they demonstrated all that this week by focusing on all the wrong things.
In general, analysts were expecting a $400 iPhone 5C. But Apple announced one starting at $549 — not a budget or low-cost phone by any measure. Apple’s stock price dropped about 5% and stayed there.
Overemphasizing the wrong information — whether or not Apple would compete in the budget smartphone category — speaks volumes about Wall Street’s myopic, misguided and clueless understanding of consumer electronics and Apple’s role in it.
Here are the five reasons why Wall Street is wrong about Apple.
With the cooler months approaching (at least here in the Northern hemisphere), many of us turn our attention towards taking on a new hobby or learning something new that can take our work – and even our lives – to new heights. There are more opportunities to generate revenue from hobbies than ever before thanks to technology, and Cult of Mac Deals has an offer that certainly fits this category.
For a limited time you can get The Ultimate Xcode Fundamentals Course, where you’ll learn how to build and launch iOS apps – even if you’ve never looked at Xcode before. This video course is only $79 courtesy of Cult of Mac Deals.
Hot off the Apple event—it’s our iPhone 5s and 5c reactions on our all-new CultCast. We’ll take a look at what’s new in iOS 7 and each new iPhone, and we’ll walk step-by-step through all the powerful new tech Apple unveiled throughout their 60-minute keynote. No stone goes unturned…
Have a few laughs whilst getting caught up on each week’s finest Apple stories! Stream or download new and past episodes of The CultCast now on your Mac or iDevice by subscribing on iTunes, or hit play below and let the unadulterated audio enjoyment begin. Show notes up next.
This is the Cult of Mac’s exclusive column written by an actual Apple retail store genius. Our genius must remain anonymous, but other than “Who are you, anyway?” ask anything you want about what goes on behind that slick store facade.
Answers will be published first in Cult of Mac’s Magazine on Newsstand. Send your questions to with genius in the subject line.
With iPhone 5 warranties about to expire for early adopters, our Genius runs through the litany of legitimate issues you can use to get your iPhone replaced for free. We also dive into whether it’s better to be upfront about water damage and switching colors when the Genius Bar replaces your device.
1. My iPhone 5 warranty is about to expire. How can I get my device replaced for free so I have a new iPhone from the warranty of the old one?
Like any piece of advanced tech, the iPhone certainly has its faults and manufacturing defects, even if they are somewhat rare.
Hardware defects are the easiest way to go
One of the biggest problems we have to swap iPhones for is the sleep/wake button. That button often gives out or gets jammed and becomes unresponsive. If that happens we swap the device. Same thing for the volume buttons. The home button isn’t as common a replacement. We may be able to do a modular repair to replace the flex assembly that goes to your home button. Often times that fixes it, but if it doesn’t we’ll swap it out.
Essentially, hardware defects are the easiest way to go. Camera defects come up frequently too, with issues like spots or lines on the sensor and shutter fails being the most common issue. We don’t have a camera replacement for the iPhone 5, so if you have any of those issues, definitely bring it in. There have also been issues with the iPhone 5’s metal enclosure getting bent out shape. As long as the screen isn’t cracked and the bend or morphing is noticeable, your warranty covers that as well.
Getting an iPhone replaced under warranty for a software issue is a bit trickier. Most software issues that people see will not lead to an iPhone replacement. Before you come to the Genius Bar you’ll be reminded to try rebooting your iPhone and restore from a backup. Those two quick steps usually do fix most software issues. Some software issues – like maybe your WiFi has gone out – can get you a replacement iPhone as long as the Genius can observe and verify the issue.
The good thing about taking your iPhone 5 in for those issues: it won’t cost you anything and extends your warranty for another 90 days. After two replacements we have to ask a manager for permission to replace an iPhone, even if it’s a legitimate reason. Most of the time managers are cool and will just tell us to go ahead and swap it, but the two-replacement policy is supposed to act as a safeguard from people who try to milk Apple for an infinite number of replacement iPhones.
2. Why won’t the Genius Bar let me change the color of my iPhone when I get it replaced under AppleCare+?
Essentially, we don’t allow it in order to benefit our customers and make sure that inventory flows through the channels in the most efficient way possible.
When you buy a black iPhone, Apple keeps track of how many models it has sold in each color and plans out how many it will need to supply for replacements at the Apple Store. It’s a complicated process to get all the Apple Stores stocked with the right amount of iPhones in the various configurations, even though Apple makes it look easy.
Allowing customers to change colors at random would add an extra element of variation to Apple’s supply chain and could result in supply shortages. And then customers who actually need a device swap in their original color would get screwed over. So, sorry, you’re stuck with your original color choice. Choose wisely.
3. My 30-day-old MacBook Pro had a little accident involving water on the ride home. The screen isn’t working, but it will output video to an external monitor. What’s my best bet when approaching the Genius Bar – pretending I don’t know what happened, or fessing up?
Honesty is the best policy right? The Apple Geniuses are going to find out one way or another that your MacBook is water damaged. It’s better for them to find out from you right away, so fess up to it, but ask them what the best options are.
The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple
Ask them what was damaged and what repairs can be done. Sometimes – especially in your case where you purchased it very recently – they may be able to talk to a manager to help you out, so it’s good start off on the right foot.
The Genius Bar is there to fix your computer, but it’s really about fixing your relationship with Apple. Because the company wants to represent itself well and get great customer satisfaction scores, a manager might give you a break and only make you pay a partial amount of the repair, or even hook you up with a free repair.
Evan loved it, which made us want to try it. And try The Room we did, finding it to be a gorgeous, brain-engaging, Myst-like exploration of the puzzle genre, with some amazing 3D mind-benders to solve.
Here’s our video showing us solving the third chapter; we’ve condensed it a bit so that you’ll still have to do your own puzzle solving, though.
If iPhone 5 chargers keep getting smaller at the same rate, soon the whole thing will fit inside the Lightning hole like some kind of USB-powered suppository. For now, though, you’ll have to settle for the still impressively small ChargeKey, a teeny tiny USB-to-Lightning adapter that – yes – hooks onto a keyring.
Perhaps best known for their bag-making skills, Aussie-based STM Bags is no slouch when it comes to iPhone and iPad armor. This week saw the introduction of a new STM iPhone 5/s wallet case — and two new cases they’ve already prepped for the iPhone 5c.
Did they receive 5c specs from Apple? Nah mate, they say the bonzer new cases are the result of good planning and a lot of hard yakka. Fair dinkum!
Did you know Sir Jony Ive is a huge Burberry fan? True story. He went to London this past summer to see the runway fashion show put on by Burberry, as you can see in the photo to the right.
Interestingly, Apple on Thursday announced a surprise collaboration with Burberry, a London fashion brand sometimes unfortunately associated with lowlifes, known in Britain as “chavs.”
Ive will certainly be happy today* to hear that Burberry is teaming up with Apple to use the not-yet-released iPhone 5s to capture and share images and video from the upcoming runway show in London, taking place this coming Monday, September 16.
This new collaboration is inteded to showcase the new clothing line, of course, but also to show how great the iPhone 5s iSight camera is, with it’s new, larger pixels, exposure area, and lens. It will allow photographers at Burberry to take high quality photos and high resolution video of the runway models, product details, and moments backstage.
Just imagine all the slo-mo.
According to an anonymous tip, we’ve been told that RadioShack plans to offer iPhone 5c preorders in all of its US retail outlets tomorrow morning when the stores open.
So, if you miss out on the midnight-madness at Apple.com or one of the big carriers tonight, you can waltz right in to a RadioShack tomorrow and preorder an iPhone 5c in any color for any one of the major carriers in the US. Not too shabby.
Added to yesterday’s announcement of good Trade-in deals at RadioShack, it looks like the electronics retailer is stepping up to become a force in iPhone sales.
Image: Android Fan Network
According to a Digitimes report of “industry sources,” the panel shipments for the new iPhone 5s are expected to hit the 10 to 13 million mark in the third quarter of this year. Sharp is expected to be the main provider of these panels, at seven million panels, with LG Display and Japan Display providing the rest.
Ever been to a professional conference? You probably take those little cardboard bits of paper with pictures and contact info along with you, right? Business cards are kind of a given at conferences, but you can also cut to the chase and send your contact info to anyone you’re chatting with.
Using your iPhone Contacts app, you can send your contact info, or any contact you have on your phone, with a couple of simple taps. Here’s how.
Remora is a super-simple “case” for the iPhone 5/s which does two things:
Actually, there might just be a third thing – the Remora looks a lot like the tire levers I carry in my bike-repair kit, so maybe it could be used to get the tires off your bike?
Looking forward to OmniFocus 2 on your iPhone? Then you can also look forward to ditching OmniFocus 1 and paying full price for the update. And if you do want OF1, then you’d better buy it now, as it’ll be disappearing as soon as the new app is launched.
OmniGroup, the developer behind OmniFocus, OmniOutliner and OmniEverythingElse, has laid out its plans for dealing with the lack of upgrade pricing in both of Apple’s App Stores. And they sound completely reasonable.
We’ve already seen Jimmy Kimmel’s hilarious prank with the new iPhablet iPhone, but Conan O’Brien just released his own video about the mastermind behind Apple’s latest design improvements, and why the gold iPhone is the BEST! BEST! BEST!