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watchOS - page 8

How to ditch Apple Watch’s horrible honeycomb app screen

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Apple Watch
The honeycomb app screen has always been a pain.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple is looking to move away from the honeycomb-style app selection screen that debuted on the first Apple Watch.

With the new watchOS 4 software update coming to the public later this fall, Apple added an option that lets Apple Watch owners change the way they view and select apps.

Ditch the honeycomb for good with these steps:

WWDC 2017’s biggest moments in sketchnotes

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ipad-wwdc-keynote

All this week, illustrator and senior UX/UI designer Andy McNally will be sketchnoting Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference for us.

My markers and pens worked overtime to capture all of the news and announcements in this year’s WWDC keynote. I captured three pages of notes on watchOS 4, macOS HighSierra, the iMac Pro, the new 10.5 inch iPad Pro, and iOS 11. The artist in me is excited about trying out the new iPad Pro to test the improved Apple Pencil latency. You can check out all of Apple’s announcements and details here.

Apple unveils watchOS 4 with new clock faces and UI changes

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Kevin Lynch shows off the new Siri watch face for Apple Watch.
Kevin Lynch shows off the new Siri watch face for Apple Watch.
Photo: Apple

Apple’s software vision for the Apple Watch was unveiled during the company’s WWDC 2017 event today in San Jose, revealing a host of new features coming to wearers’ wrists later this year.

With watchOS 4, Apple’s designers have focused on making the device more personal than ever. Siri is more powerful than ever thanks to some new machine learning tricks that make the personal assistant absolutely indispensable.

Liveblog: Apple unveils new software lineup at WWDC 2017

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Get ready for WWDC 2017.
Get ready for WWDC 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s 2017 Worldwide Developers Conference is set to kick off in just a few short hours, and rumors indicate we could be in for the iPhone-maker’s most action-packed keynote in years.

Not only is Apple expected to unveil iOS 11, macOS 10.13, tvOS 11 and watchOS 4, but today’s event could also showcase some fresh new hardware. Cult of Mac will be here to liveblog all the festivities with up-to-the-minute analysis on all the new software, hardware and more.

Tim Cook and company take the stage today at 10 a.m. Pacific in San Jose, California, but we’ll be kicking off the fun a little early. Come join the action!

watchOS 4 Wish List: 7 features we’d love to see

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Apple WatchOS 3 wish Mickey Mouse Face
Here's what we expect from Apple's next big update for watchOS.
Photo: Cult of Mac

Apple’s WWDC event is less than a week a way, where it is expected to release big upgrades to its family of operating systems. The youngest Apple platform, watchOS, got some serious improvements in watchOS 3. With the fourth interaction, Apple is expected to squash some of the biggest problems while breathing life with new features too.

Full details on watchOS 4 still haven’t been revealed, but we’ve got some ideas of our own that we’re really hoping made the cut this year.

This is what we want in watchOS 4:

 

Are you excited for WWDC 2017? [Friday Night Fights]

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x
Will Apple produce anything spectacular?
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s first major event of 2017 is right around the corner. WWDC will deliver our first previews of the next big upgrades to its software platforms, with the possibility of new hardware thrown in for good measure.

Friday Night Fights bugBut with three months left to wait for the iPhone 8, will the event really be all that exciting? Will Apple’s improvements to iOS and macOS be all that significant? And is anyone actually looking forward to a 10.5-inch iPad Pro?

Join us in this week’s Friday Night Fight as we discuss whether WWDC 2017 will be worth watching.

Beautiful iOS 11 concept shows big changes iPad needs

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They call it
They call it "The Shelf".
Photo: Federico Viticci

Apple hasn’t exactly given the iPad first priority when it comes to iOS updates, but that could change next month at WWDC where the company is expected to unveil iOS 11.

Most of the iOS 11 concepts we’ve seen have been all about the iPhone, but iPad power-user Federico Viticci and Sam Beckett created a beautiful concept that shows some big and simple changes that would transform the iPad from a fun tablet into a pro machine. Features like Finder, Drag and Drop between apps, multi-channel audio and more are on display in the fantastic mockup.

Apple, if you’re reading this, please steal these features:

Apple may reveal three new MacBooks at WWDC

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15 inch MacBook Pro Silver
The new MacBooks will probably look the same on the outside.
Photo: Apple

Apple fans craving more powerful MacBooks may get their wish next month at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference.

The company is allegedly planning to unveil a new lineup of MacBooks, according to a report that claims the new machines will pack Intel’s new Kaby Lake processor to bring more speed than ever.

ExxonMobil stations now accept Apple Watch payments

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Juuk watch band
It's now even easier to pay for your gas.
Photo: Juuk Design

ExxonMobil stations throughout the U.S. are now accepting Apple Watch payments.

Customers will need to download the Speedpass+ app, which lets you settle your gas bill with a tap of your wrist. You’ll have the option to use Apple Pay, or input your credit card information manually.

Apple drops fourth betas for iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS

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RED iphone
Future iPhone displays could all be made by LG.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Just an hour after I finished installing the third iOS 10.3.2 beta on my iPhone, Apple has dropped a fourth. Alongside it comes new betas for macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1, and watchOS 3.2.2 — all of which are available to download now if you’re a developer.

It’s time for Apple Watch to get serious about fitness

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Here's how Apple could improve watchOS 4 for fitness buffs.
Here's how watchOS 4 could improve Apple Watch for fitness buffs.
Image: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

Apple puts fitness front and center in its advertising for Apple Watch Series 2, even going so far as to claim the device is a “superior sports watch.” But in reality, it is not a sports watch at all. It’s a smartwatch. And that’s a massively important distinction.

Sports watches, like the TomTom Runner or Garmin Forerunner, are cheaper and more reliable at logging workouts, while smartwatches are jacks of all trades, which usually means they are masters of none. Or at least, not masters of fitness.

The sad fact is that it doesn’t have to be this way. Right now, it’s mostly the software that is letting Apple Watch down. That’s why I’m hoping that with its next major software update, Apple will finally get its smartwatch into shape for fitness fans. Here’s what I want to see in watchOS 4, which Apple will likely unveil at its Worldwide Developers Conference this June.

Apple seeds new betas for iOS, tvOS, macOS and watchOS

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x
A new iOS beta is out.
Photo: Ste Smith

Developers just received a big batch of beta updates today for every single once of Apple’s platforms.

The third beta builds of iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1 and watchOS 3.2.2 are available to download from the Apple developer center, bringing a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements to every single Apple platform.

Everything you need to know about the new Apple File System

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APFS
APFS arrives in 2017.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

(Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in June 30, 2016, but has been updated with new info since the release of iOS 10.3)

It’s hard to believe that Apple’s speedy Macs are still using a file system that was developed more than 30 years ago, when floppy disks and spinning hard drives were considered cutting-edge technology.

But that’s going to change in 2017 with the new Apple File System — or APFS — that debuts in iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.12.4. Here’s everything you need to know about APFS and how it’s going to make your life better, no matter what Apple device(s) you use.

Apple seeds new betas for iOS, macOS, tvOS and watchOS

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Qualcomm patents
Apple's got some new beta software out.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

A new batch of beta updates are ready for developers just one day after Apple published its first big software releases of 2017 to the public.

The first beta builds of iOS 10.3.2, macOS 10.12.5, tvOS 10.2.1 and watchOS 3.2.2 are available to download for the first time ever, bringing a host of new bug fixes and performance improvements to every single Apple platform.

MacBook Pro’s Touch Bar hacked through Safari exploit

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MacBook Pro Touch Bar hacked
MacBook Pro's Touch Bar isn't as secure as we thought.
Photo: Niklas Baumstark

Hackers have been able to gain unauthorized access to the MacBook Pro’s fancy new Touch Bar by taking advantage of a hole in Safari.

The duo demonstrated the exploit at the Pwn2Own security conference taking place in Vancouver, Canada this week and bagged $28,000 for their efforts.

iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.12.4 inch closer to public release

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iPhone 7 in hand
Apple's new iOS update is nearly ready for primetime.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Developers received new beta software updates today for iOS 10.3 and macOS 10.12.4, possibly signaling that a public release is just around the corner.

The new updates come just a few days after Apple dropped the last betas of macOS 10.12.4 and iOS 10.3 on developers. Both updates come with a number of bug fixes and under the hood improvements to go with new features that were added in previous versions.

Apple Watch surges to ‘best quarter ever’ as Fitbit sales decline

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Apple Watch
Apple Watch is no flop.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

2016 was a fantastic year for Apple Watch, according to the latest info from the International Data Corporation that shows Apple’s wearable just experience its best quarter ever.

In its latest report, IDC analysts say Apple Watch is finally closing the gap on Fitbit, which just experienced its largest declines ever in the fourth quarter.

Apple seeds new betas for iOS, macOS and watchOS

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iOS
iOS 10.3 is full of new features.
Photo: Ste Smith

Developers received two new beta builds from Apple today for iOS 10.3, watchOS 3.2 and macOS 10.12.4, just one week after the last versions were released.

The new builds for iOS 10.3 beta 4 and macOS 10.12.4 beta 4 can be downloaded by registered developers directly from the Apple’s dev portal. iOS 10.3 beta 4 can be installed directly to your iPad or iPhone if you have the previous build on your device.

WWDC 2017 kicks off June 5 in San Jose

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A lot is changing at WWDC.
Prepare for iOS 11, macOS 10.3, and more!
Photo: Apple

Apple today confirmed details for its 28th annual Worldwide Developers Conference, where it will preview its next major updates to macOS, iOS and its other software platforms.

This year’s event kicks off June 5 at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, and you can apply for tickets starting March 27.

Nike+ Run Club is borking my runs, and I blame Apple Watch

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Whatever happened to Nike+?
Whatever happened to Nike+?
Photo: Graham Bower/Cult of Mac

At the most essential level, a running app should provide a reliable way to log your workouts: when, where, how fast and how far you run. Fancy features are all very well and good, but let’s be honest — if an app doesn’t get the basics right, it sucks.

Nike has been busy adding new bells and whistles to its Nike+ Run Club app recently. Which is great if you want stuff like photo sharing and news feeds. But all I want is to log my runs, and thanks to my Apple Watch Nike+, that critical function has become pretty unreliable.

Apple seeds new betas for iOS, watchOS and tvOS

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iPhone 7
There are a lot of new goodies in iOS 10.3.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The second beta of iOS 10.3 is now available for download. Apple seeded the new software update to developers this morning, alongside watchOS 3.2 beta 2 and tvOS 10.2 beta 2.

All three updates contain under-the-hood improvements as well as new features, including Theater Mode for Apple Watch, Find My AirPods and some UI tweaks for Apple TV.

Hands-on with watchOS 3.2 beta 1

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Theater Mode finally makes its way to Apple Watch in watchOS 3.2 beta 1.
Theatre mode finally makes its way to the Apple Watch.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

Apple’s latest beta software for Apple Watch brings two new handy features in addition to the general bug fixes we expect to see with each release. Check out the video below to see watchOS 3.2 beta 1 in action.

watchOS 3.2 beta 1 is out with Theater Mode and more

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Apple Watch
SiriKit is one of the biggest features in watchOS 3.2.
Photo: Ste Smith/Cult of Mac

The first beta build of watchOS 3.2 has finally been made available to developers today, less than a week after iOS 10.3 beta 1 and macOS 10.12.4 beta 1 came out.

Among the new features in watchOS 3.2 beta 1 is a new Theater Mode that makes wearing an Apple Watch in movie theaters a little less annoying for fellow film watchers.