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News - page 1110

Killer cases for your iPhone 6s

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Things are looking rosy for accessory manufacturers, like Spigen, ready to provide cases for the iPhone 6s.
Things are looking rosy for accessory manufacturers, like Spigen, ready to provide cases for the iPhone 6s.
Photo: Spigen

You can almost see the new and improved iPhone 6s in your hands. Now, how about a new case for that gorgeous hunk of gear?

Several companies began showing off cases — everything from luxurious leather accessories to battery-extending packs — for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus following Apple’s big fall products reveal in San Francisco today.

New Apple TV controller takes gaming to a new level

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Real gaming needs real controllers, right?
Real gaming needs real controllers, right?
Photo: SteelSeries

Most games you’ll get on the new Apple TV will likely take advantage of the new Apple TV remote, with its accelerometer, gyroscope, voice, and touch controls.

But if you want to play more hardcore games, you’ll want a more hardcore controller like this new SteelSeries Nimbus, a full-on gaming controller that looks and feels a lot more like the kind of controller you’d hook up to your living room console.

If it’s gold you want, 6s is your only option

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Only the iPhone 6s comes in gold now.
Only the iPhone 6s comes in gold now.
Photo: Apple

Apple announced that it’s dropping the price on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s this morning, but what it didn’t tell fans is that if you want a gold iPhone, the only way to get one is to upgrade to the newest model.

Apple removed the option to purchase the gold finish on the iPhone 5s and iPhone 6 from its website today. Both devices have come in gold since they were introduced, but now it looks like Apple wants to force anyone who wants their iPhone to shine like gold to upgrade to the latest and greatest model.

Here’s the updated list of iPhone models and their color options:

iPad Pro seduces Twitter but Apple Pencil gets the shaft

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Apple fans on Twitter say they're ready to spend on new devices.
Apple fans on Twitter say they're ready to spend on new devices.
Photo: Twitter

If there was one thing heard across Twitter during today’s Apple announcements, it was the sound of money being sucked from wallets.

The introduction of an iPad 2, a more interactive Apple TV and the upgraded iPhone 6s generated tons of spending declarations on Twitter and in the posts written in another language, the exclamation point was a good indication of the social media excitement over Apple’s new products, rolled out today at the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco.

Developers are getting a chance to buy Apple TV early

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The best controller for Apple TV is the one you'll use.
The best controller for Apple TV is the one you'll use.
Photo: Apple

Developers who are eager to start building apps for the Apple TV might be able to get their coding fingers on the new black box a little early, thanks to a new Apple TV Developer Kit that the company is offering to teams who sign up before September 11th.

How iPhone 6s stacks up against Android rivals

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how-iphone-6s-stacks-up-against-android-rivals-image-cultofandroidcomwp-contentuploads201509Screen-Shot-2015-09-09-at-203842-png
iPhone 6s has arrived.
Photo: Apple
iPhone 6s has arrived. Photo: Apple
iPhone 6s has arrived. Photo: Apple

Despite being identical to their predecessors, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are much-improved in almost every way. But do they have the specifications they need to take on the latest Android-powered smartphones we’ve already seen this year?

Find out in our comparison below, which compares Apple’s next-generation iPhones with rivals like the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, the Moto X Style and Moto X Play, Sony’s new Xperia Z5, and more.

Watch all of Apple’s new product videos right here

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iPhone 6s changes everything.
iPhone 6s changes everything.
Photo: Apple

Tim Cook and company just hit us with a tsunami of new product announcements. Not only did we get new iPhones, a much-improved Apple TV, and a giant iPad, but Apple’s also making pencils, keyboards, and cheap gold Apple Watches now too.

Fans can relive all the glory by watching today’s keynote in its entirety on Apple’s website or iTunes, but if you want to get down to just the highlights and hear Jony Ive wax philosophical about his latest creations, here are all the new product videos:

Apple’s new upgrade program will keep you addicted to iPhone

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The iPhone Upgrade Plan lets you have an iPhone forever.
The iPhone Upgrade Plan lets you have an iPhone forever.
Photo: Apple

Apple is planning to make it easier than ever to stay addicted to the iPhone with the introduction of its new iPhone Upgrade Program that will allow fans to upgrade to a new device every single year.

Phil Schiller announced the new program on stage at Apple’s keynote today, revealing that pricing for the iPhone Upgrade Program starts at $32 per month, which is slightly more expensive than what you can get at a carrier, but it comes with some extra benefits too.

Short and sweet: All the new magical stuff from Apple’s big event

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Tim cook
Apple and Tim Cook have plenty to cheer about.
Photo: Apple

From the iPhone to the iPad to the Apple TV, Cupertino’s constellation of magical devices just got a little more magical.

Did you expect all that Apple goodness? Most of what we heard today already churned through the rumor mill: the plus-size iPad Pro; new Apple Watch finishes and bands; a refreshed Apple TV with games, apps and Siri functionality. And, oh yeah, the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with a whole new level of Force Touch, called 3D Touch.

There were even a few surprises, like the iPad Pro’s new Smart Keyboard and the iPad stylus, dubbed the Apple Pencil. But throughout today’s keynote by Tim Cook and his lieutenants, the series of under-the-hood upgrades they revealed promise to push all Apple products forward into the future.

Let’s take a moment to boil down all two hours and 10 minutes of this incredibly dense and surprisingly succinct Apple event.

Behold the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus

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iPhone 6s has Live Photos.
iPhone 6s has Live Photos.
Photo: Apple

Apple is packing the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus with more features than ever — and introducing a new input method called 3D Touch that uses pressure sensitivity to unlock an entirely new paradigm of touch controls.

A bunch of incredible new features, including a new display with a Taptic Engine, led Tim Cook to call the new devices the best smartphones ever made as he showed them off to the world.

“No product is more about innovation than the iPhone,” said Cook as he unveiled the iPhone 6s line today at a special event in San Francisco. “We have changed everything about these new iPhones.”

Why the new Apple TV will make you want to turn on and tune in

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Want. Now.
The future of TV, anyone?
Photo: Apple

Don’t you dare call Apple TV a hobby anymore!

Apple today unveiled its refreshed set-top box — boasting a futuristic new remote control, Siri integration, App Store, and much, much more. Tim Cook called it the “future of television,” and having watched the demo, it’s tough to disagree with him.

Check below for everything you need to know about the newly-“must have” Apple TV.

Liveblog: Apple unveils iPhone 6s, iPad Pro and more right here!

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More news than you can shake an iPad at.
More news than you can shake an iPad at.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Congratulations — it’s iPhone Day 2015!

Tim Cook is already up and tweeting about the big Apple keynote that will go down today in San Francisco. We’ll be here liveblogging the entire thing, mixing all the dull wit and pithy snark we can muster for the iPhone 6s. The event starts at 10 a.m. Pacific but we’ll be getting started well before that — and we won’t stop until every last new iPad and iPhone has been announced.

For a quick recap of what to expect from today’s keynote, check out our roundup of all the announcements Apple will make, including the long-awaited iPad Pro.

Today’s event promises to be Apple’s biggest event of the year, so turn on the stream on your Apple TV and join us in the liveblog below:

Apple Watch apps spike before watchOS 2 hits wrists

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Are Apple Watch expectations just too high?
Developers have been showing the Apple Watch some extra love lately.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Though there aren’t any specific numbers on Apple Watch units sold up until this point, we do have some exciting statistics on how many apps are available for watchOS. It turns out that ahead of the watchOS 2 public release, developers have shown significant interest in the platform. They’ve contributed an impressive 11,469 Watch apps to the App Store and counting, but growth has particularly taken off in recent months.

Get (RED)dy for the new Apple Watch Sport strap

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COdFFvhWUAEflZZ.jpg-large
The most striking Apple Watch Sport strap yet?
Photo: Larry Greenberg

Apple is “confirmed” to be showing off a new (Product) RED Apple Watch Sport band at today’s media event, according to an image which has appeared on Twitter.

The company has been giving out similar bands to various celebrities for some time now, but this is the first time they would go on sale to the general public.

Seriously, could today’s Apple keynote get any more packed?

Someone’s already camping out for iPhone 6s — and he’s not even an Apple fan

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COYgOBJU8AANDi2.jpg-large
I love my iPhone, but I'd draw the line at this.
Photo: Seamus Byrne/Twitter

The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus haven’t even been announced yet, but already an Australian man is camping out in front of Sydney’s Apple Store with the aim of being the first person in the world to buy Apple’s next-gen handset.

And, weirdly enough, he doesn’t claim to be a particularly big Apple fan.

Why the new Apple TV won’t be like the Pippin

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Pippin
Alas, poor Pippin. We knew you not too well.
Photo: All About Apple

One of the most eagerly-anticipated features of the new Apple TV, set to be unveiled today, is that it will be geared toward the gamer market — maybe even taking on console powerhouses like the Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Although Apple dominates mobile gaming thanks to the iPhone and iPad, this will be the company’s first stab at making a device where games are one of the primary features. Right?

Wrong! Back in 1995, Apple launched its own-brand games console, the Pippin. Despite some good ideas, it sank like a rock.

Here’s what Apple learned from that sales disaster, and why it won’t make the same mistake twice.

Jot Dash is the iPad stylus you never knew you needed

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The new Jot Dash stylus works anywhere your finger does.
The new Jot Dash stylus works anywhere your finger does.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

SAN FRANCISCO — You’d think stylus maker Adonit would be terrified by rumors that Apple is about to release a plus-size iPad Pro with its very own writing accessory, but nothing could be further from the truth.

According to Ian Shirey, Adonit’s chief strategy officer, facing competition from Apple would be the sweetest vindication of all for his company’s devices. “For Apple to tell the world a stylus is OK would be great,” Shirey said during a visit to the Cult of Mac offices to show off Adonit’s latest creation, the Jot Dash, an midrange stylus that works with iOS and Android devices.

If God and Steve Jobs had a podcast this would be today’s episode

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Steve Jobs wants Bill Gates to burn in hell in this parody.
Steve Jobs wants Bill Gates to burn in hell in this parody.
Photo: Funny or Die

Ever wonder what it would be like if God had a podcast and invited Steve Jobs to be a guest in anticipation of the big iPhone 6s reveal? The folks at Funny or Die have created a hilarious animated short with that exact premise, where His Steveness plays devil’s advocate and asks God how many iPhones it would take to send Bill Gates to hell.

In ‘Good God! with God,’ God tries to talk Steve about what Apple has in store for fans at its September 9th keynote, but things get off track when the Apple co-founder tries to put the Microsoft co-founder in hell forever, then God takes a shot at Tim Cook and the Apple Watch and things get really weird.

Check it out:

Fancy new smart lock can see who’s at your door

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nucli smart lock by westinghouse
The Nucli smart lock by Westinghouse.
Photo: Westinghouse

Electrics giant Westinghouse is getting into the connected-home game, and its first offering is a smart lock that looks like it should be seeing if it can’t lock down a stabilizer in a Star Wars X-Wing.

The Nucli (which is pronounced “new-klee” and not “nuck-lee,” regardless of how your brain sees it) will offer a wealth of features to help you secure your domain.

Mozilla missed a golden opportunity with Firefox for iOS

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firefox-for-ios
At long last, Mozilla Firefox for iOS is becoming a reality.
Photo: Mozilla

It’s been a long ride, but Mozilla confirmed that Firefox is in fact almost ready for its official launch on iPhone and iPad. The company announced a limited release of the browser in the New Zealand App Store.

It’s appreciable that Firefox is finally hopping on board with iOS, but at this point it seems Mozilla is far too late to the game to give Firefox a meaningful opportunity for reemergence.

Apple TV will transform television with Periscope and other apps

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Tons of new apps are coming to the next-gen Apple TV.
Tons of new apps are coming to the next-gen Apple TV.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

We’ve all been focusing on games as the killer apps for a new Apple TV reveal tomorrow at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, but even regular apps could bring Apple the audience it wants as it tries to leapfrog competitors like Chromecast and Roku with features that the other guys just don’t have (yet).