This action plan will ensure your iOS 9 upgrade is buttery smooth. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Whether you’re getting a new iPhone 6s or not, you’re going to want to upgrade to iOS 9 to take advantage of everything Apple’s new mobile operating system has to offer.
iOS 9 is ready to revolutionize your mobile life, but there are a few things you should do before making the leap. Here’s how to get your iPhone (or iPad) ready for its iOS 9 upgrade — the right way.
The UE Boom 2 is pretty on the inside, too. Photo: Ultimate Ears
SAN FRANCISCO — Ultimate Ears could have borrowed the iPhone 6s tag line to market its new UE Boom 2 Bluetooth speakers.
Like Apple’s latest smartphones, which Cupertino hypes with the clever catchphrase “the only thing that’s changed is everything,” UE’s second-generation Bluetooth speaker is almost indistinguishable from its tubular predecessor — at least on the outside. But upgraded specs and a few pleasant surprises give the Boom 2 a welcome boost.
“There’s something magic about this design,” said Diego Gabathuler, head of brand and global marketing for Ultimate Ears, as he showed off the Boom 2 during a demo at the Cult of Mac offices. “It would have been a shame to take that magic away.”
Best Buy is preparing for shoppers wanting iPads. Photo: Apple
This is a guest post by Fraser Speirs, a teacher, systems administrator and consultant specializing in the application of modern mobile technology in schools. It originally appeared on his personal website.
“The iPad is the clearest expression of our vision of the future of personal computing.” — Tim Cook
The above statement by Apple’s CEO is — by far — the most important thing that happened for iPad at Apple’s event last Wednesday. We have been through more than three years of the iPad playing a distant second to the iPhone and, to some extent, even the Mac at Apple events. It’s been three long years of “Here’s the new thinner, faster iPad. We can’t wait to see what you do with it. Bye!”
Fitness apps can tell you how to do an exercise, but they can't check whether you're doing it right. Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac
New research suggests that iOS fitness apps stink at giving you a complete workout. As the developer of one such app, you might think I would disagree. But I don’t. In fact, the only thing I would challenge is the researchers’ conclusion that app developers could do better. They can’t.
Fitness apps can be indispensable if you already know what you are doing, but If you are new to exercise, you should not rely on them to get you started.
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are by far the biggest ‘S’ upgrades so far, with new 3D Touch displays, faster A9 processors, improved Touch ID, and the best iSight cameras yet. But are those things worth the upgrade fee?
Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight between Cult of Androidand Cult of Mac as we battle it out over whether you should spend your hard-earned cash on iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.
Preorders of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are set to open tonight at 12:01 a.m. Pacific. Apple’s certainly made a ton of improvements to the preorder process over the years, but as the Apple Watch recently taught us, taking an extra few minutes to get your preorder in could cause your shipment to be delayed.
Demand for the new iPhone 6s is expected to be greater than ever, so we’ve compiled a handy guide to help you get the iPhone you want and get back to sleep before Apple’s servers get absolutely crushed.
You know how McDonald’s (allegedly) has a secret menu? Plenty of people have heard about it, some use it frequently and bask in its glory, but most just stick to the regular menu.
That seems an awful lot like how 3D Touch could pan out.
"3D Touch is something we’ve been working on for a long time—multi, multi, multi years.” — Jony Ive Photo: Apple
This week on Cult of Mac’s podcast: Our reactions and impressions of all the gadgets unleashed at Apple’s media extravaganza! Plus: Why the 6s is the best “s” yet; a look into Apple’s efforts to architect the 6s’ new 3D Touch technology; why the Apple Pencil is not a stylus; and so. much. MORE…
Our thanks to Squarespace for supporting this episode. Build a beautiful website quick at Squarespace.com, and enter offer code CultCast at checkout to get 10 percent off.
Just when you thought Apple's keynote couldn't get any more memorable. Photo: Apple
Apple’s keynotes typically give you plenty worth singing about, and for “Song-A-Day” YouTuber Jonathan Mann, that’s reason enough to bust out new tunes.
Mann, whose catchy jingles once made Steve Jobs dance, always puts together a musical remix following Apple events, and this week’s jam-packed keynote is no exception.
If you don’t have time to sit through the entire 2-hour-plus event, or simply want to relive the most memorable lines with a catchy electronic backing, this is the video for you. Check it out below:
All Apple's saying is that the iPhone 6s will be the most amazing, dynamic, life-changing thing you've ever seen. Photo: Apple
We get that yesterday’s Apple event was a marketing thing, which is why every presentation began with whoever was onstage telling us how “thrilled,” “excited” or “really happy” they were to be there. And the exaggeration just continued from those intros.
Here are some of the most outlandish and enthusiastically subjective lines that came from the stage at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. We’ve organized them by speaker so you can see who “won” this verbal arms race of canned excitement.
The Apple Pencil makes drawing on an iPad Pro incredibly precise. Photo: Apple
This is a guest post by Linda Dong, a graphics expert and former designer at Apple. It originally appeared on her personal website.
A lot of hesitation (or dismissal) of the new Apple Pencil seems to stem from people’s belief that the Wacom Cintiq, currently regarded as the pinnacle of professional drawing stylus/surface design, is superior in performance and design at a similar price.
😩 *sigh*
Quite plainly, the Cintiq sucks in comparison. And I’ve been using them for years for industrial design sketching, UI and art. Let’s compare the experience:
Apple senior design producer Jen Folse talks about the changes to Apple TV. Photo: Apple
Jen Folse used the Apple stage Wednesday to tell the world about Apple TV. She used her nails to express her loyalty to the company.
If you got close enough to Apple’s lone female staffer to present at the company’s fall product event Wednesday, you could see the wavy lines of blue, pink, red, yellow and white on her nails painted to look like Siri’s Apple Watch interface. Those same colors were also used in official promotions of the fall showcase.
Live Photos bring a little life to your still images. Photo: Apple
A few extra megapixels is always welcome, but if there is one feature of the new iPhone 6s camera that gets us to say “Wow,” it is Live Photos.
The new Live Photos technology actually captures a brief moment before and after your snap, giving the subject in a finished picture motion and a bit of life. After seeing it for the first time, some said, “Wow, that’s cool!” And others said, “Wow, that’s nothing new.”
Ever want to control Jony Ive? Now you can. Photo: Jony Jive
Jony Ive has one of the coolest, most suave voices among Apple’s executive leadership team. I could listen to him pronounce “aluminium” and “metallurgists” all day. Now, thanks to a creepy new soundboard, you can make Apple’s chief design officer say pretty much anything you want.
The first video game that’s officially sanctioned as canon by Lucasfilm is a free-to-play game? Photo: Kabam
There’s been a disturbance in the Force: a free-to-play Star Wars game has arrived for iOS and Android, and it’s surprisingly damn good.
Star Wars: Uprising is the first video game that’s actually canon to the new Star Wars Universe, taking place between Return of the Jedi (VI) and the upcoming The Force Awakens (VII).
That alone merits a download, but once you start playing, you’ll find a really well-written storyline, some deep customization options, and an addictive gear collecting and upgrading system that will keep you going back for more. Check out the trailer below for some glorious Star Wars action.
The gold Apple Watch looks great with a navy band. Photo: Blake Kimball
Apple fans can’t purchase the iPhone 6s, Apple TV, or iPad Pro that were unveiled yesterday, but if you’re lucky you can pick up the cheap gold Apple Watch Sport today, now that Apple Stores have received limited supplies of new units.
Cult of Mac got an early look at the new gold finish thanks to a reader who already scooped up a 42mm gold Apple Watch Sport at the Apple Store in Gilbert, Arizona, and while the new model is way cheaper than its expensive Edition sibling, it still looks like a million bucks.
The iPad Pro goes on sale November 11th. Photo: Apple
Apple rolled out one drool-worthy new gadget after another Wednesday.
The iPad Pro? Want.
A Hermes Apple Watch? Gotta have.
The new Apple TV? Gimme!
If you’re like me, you’ll want one of everything Tim Cook and crew showed off in Apple’s September showcase. But if you get one of everything, it is going to cost you.
Haters gonna hate, but we’re giving Apple’s latest product revelations a big thumbs up. Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac
Wow. That was a big deal. For a mere “s” upgrade, Apple went way above and beyond with today’s big product showcase. Three major product lines have been not just upgraded, but reinvented, and finally there’s a reason to buy the one that has been languishing — the Apple TV, which is now a gaming console as well as an entertainment center.
Maybe I’ve drunk too much Kool-Aid, but I thought this morning’s presentation was one for the history books.
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.
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.
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.
The iPhone 6s is not the first place you'd look for El Capitan news, but Apple was probably counting on that. Photo: Apple
We’re all excited about the news about the iPhone 6s, so we almost missed the part of today’s Apple event where the Cupertino company spilled the release date of El Capitan, the latest version of its desktop OS.
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.”
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.