Ultimate Guide to iOS 8 Keyboards

Ultimate Guide to iOS 8 Keyboards -

For the first time with iOS 8, Apple is letting users replace the system-wide keyboard with third-party alternatives. Most people will be perfectly happy with the standard option, which is better than ever thanks to the time-saving new predictive-text feature. But if you'd like to take a walk on the wild side, we’ve collected six keyboards that each offer something Apple doesn’t, from unique typing methods to animated GIF libraries. Let’s go keyboard crazy!

(Via Mac|Life all.)

Canon launches five models in new Maxify inkjet line, with AirPrint

Canon launches five models in new Maxify inkjet line, with AirPrint - Digital imaging company Canon announced today five models in the new Maxify series of Wireless Inkjet printers. Released today are the Maxify MB5320 Wireless Inkjet Small Office All-In-One (AIO) printer, the MB5020 Wireless Inkjet Small Office AIO printer, MB2320 Wireless Inkjet Home Office AIO printer, MB2020 Wireless Inkjet Home Office AIO printer, and iB4020 Wireless Inkjet Small Office printer. All five models are aimed at at the small office or home user, and feature an array of mobile and cloud printing options ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Need a better flash for your iPhone camera? iBlazr will brighten your day (and night)

Need a better flash for your iPhone camera? iBlazr will brighten your day (and night) - Is the puny iPhone flash not quite enough for your stills or video capture? Check out iBlazr, a $50 attachment that plugs into your phone's headphone jack and adds 4 bright LEDs for your photos; it can even sync with the iPhone's native flash.

Need a better flash for your iPhone camera? iBlazr will brighten your day (and night) originally published by Gigaom, © copyright 2014.

(Via TheAppleBlog.)

iOS 8.0.2 in 'next few days;' bent iPhone 6 Pluses may get replaced

iOS 8.0.2 in 'next few days;' bent iPhone 6 Pluses may get replaced - The promised fix for iOS 8.0.1 will come in the form of an v8.0.2 download "as soon as it's ready in the next few days," according to a new Apple support document. In the meantime, the webpage offers instructions on how to downgrade to iOS 8.0 using iTunes and direct download links for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus versions of the firmware. "The Health app won't work in iOS 8 after these steps. It will be fixed in our upcoming iOS 8.0.2 software update," the company continues ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Apple Pulls iOS 8.0.1 Patch After Causing More Bugs; Here's the Fix

Apple Pulls iOS 8.0.1 Patch After Causing More Bugs; Here's the Fix -

Yesterday we passed along a rumor that iOS 8.0.1 would be released soon to patch up a number of bugs, and, sure enough, Apple released it this morning. But the word from multiple sources is that the patch is a buggy mess than causes more problems than it solves, and Apple actually pulled the patch from its download servers not long ago. On the bright side, the update reportedly fixed the issues with HealthKit, so that's something, right?

These are serious bugs we're talking about, too, although they're apparently limited to owners of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Many users who downloaded it this morning, for instance, reported that their phones lost all cellular connectivity, and that the phone simply displayed a "No Service" message. Touch ID was widely reported to have lost all functionality.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

Amazon Takes A Big Step Toward Competing Directly with UPS

Amazon Takes A Big Step Toward Competing Directly with UPS -

Over the past year, Amazon has been quietly building out its own capacity to do more of what the big carriers do---a logistics upgrade that takes the company one step closer to taking over the entire delivery process for itself.

The post Amazon Takes A Big Step Toward Competing Directly with UPS appeared first on WIRED.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

Watch a speed test of every iPhone from 6+ to 2G

Watch a speed test of every iPhone from 6+ to 2G - It's that time again. That's right, it's time to test the new iPhone against every previous generation. The fine folks at the YouTube channel EverythingApplePro have posted a new video showing a test between all ten versions of the iPhone. The...

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

How iOS 8 can help you take control of your iPhone’s battery life

How iOS 8 can help you take control of your iPhone’s battery life - Seasonal issues concerning battery life have become a expected part of each new iOS release. But with iOS 8, Apple has included at least one new feature that will make battery performance issues much easier to diagnose.

(Via TheAppleBlog.)

Google petitions FCC for NM desert testing of broadcast-capable drones

Google petitions FCC for NM desert testing of broadcast-capable drones - Google has filed a plan to test broadcast drones in the skies of New Mexico. A filing with the US Federal Communications Commission, one of the regulatory agencies that needs to be involved with such an endeavor, points to a test site south of Santa Fe, NM and south of Las Vegas. The tests are likely a practical test of remote Internet delivery technologies, and some of the largest tests that Google has run yet, utilizing Titan Aerospace's technology ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

How to install a third-party keyboard on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8

How to install a third-party keyboard on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 8 - With iOS 8 now available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, users can for the first time ever install third-party keyboards that can be utilized system-wide for new ways of inputting text and other characters.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Goodbye, Camera Roll: Where to find your photos in iOS 8

Goodbye, Camera Roll: Where to find your photos in iOS 8 - Apple has reimagined the way photos are stored on your devices with iOS 8, but it has become a source of confusion for users and causes compatibility problems with some third-party apps. AppleInsider took a look at where your photos have gone and how to find them again.

(Via AppleInsider.)

4 Tips for Installing iOS 8

4 Tips for Installing iOS 8 -

A lot of Apple fans have already upgraded to iOS 8 following the recent release of Apple's latest mobile operating system, but for those of you that haven't, here are a few quick tips to make the experience easier.

 

1. Backup Your iOS Device!

Theoretically it's perfectly safe to upgrade your operating system, but you never know when something is going to go wrong. Connect your iOS device to iTunes on your computer and perform a full backup by pressing the "Back Up Now" button before you begin the upgrade process. If the worst happens, it could save you a lot of heartbreak. Should something go wrong, you'll just have to restore your iOS device from the backup to get things running again, and you won't lose any of your precious photos in the process.

 

2. Upgrade via iTunes

While you're already in iTunes on your computer, you might as well use it to perform the system update. For one thing, this method tends to be more reliable than updating your iPhone or iPad over the air; for another, it means you won't have to clear out nearly 6GB of free space on your device to perform the installation (which can be especially important if you have a 16GB device). After selecting your iOS device in iTunes, press the Check for Update button, then press "Download" or "Download and Update" to begin the upgrade process. If you choose "Download," you'll be able to come back later to finish the actual installation process.

 

3. Software Update

If you don't want to (or can't) go through iTunes on your computer, you can do it through the settings menu on your iOS device. A lot of people wait to update until they receive a notification from Apple (expect one soon if you haven't receieved one already), but you don't have to wait until then. Just go to Settings > General > Software Update. Your device will check for updates and then allow you to perform the upgrade.

 

4. If You Have an Older Device, Wait!

iOS 8 should work great if you have a newer Apple device. But if you have an iPhone 4S or an iPad 2, you should probably hold off for now. iOS 8 is not optimized for older devices, and is likely to give you a notable big performance hit. Hopefully, Apple will improve performance for these devices with a future update.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

15 Insanely Great Tricks to Master Apple’s iOS 8

15 Insanely Great Tricks to Master Apple’s iOS 8 -

So, you just downloaded iOS 8. Looks pretty familiar, right? But there are a bunch of differences, and not all of them will be immediately obvious. Let us show you.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

How much did Apple pay to give U2's new album away for free?

How much did Apple pay to give U2's new album away for free? - Apple and U2 have had a close relationship for a long time, and to help top off Apple's iPhone and Watch media event this past Tuesday, the band flew in from across the Atlantic to play a set for attendees at the Flint Conference Center. Even more ...

(Via The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW).)

Details on Apple Pay revealed: 'safer' system, Apple gets 0.15 percent

Details on Apple Pay revealed: 'safer' system, Apple gets 0.15 percent - Some of the details of Apple's new mobile payment system, Apple Pay, have been revealed in a report by Britain's The Financial Times. As briefly alluded to by CEO Tim Cook, Apple does get a small commission on sales made using Apple Pay, to the tune of 0.15 percent (15 cents on every $100 spent), though this does not affect the purchase price ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Spotify can never replace my iPod, but it can ease the pain

Spotify can never replace my iPod, but it can ease the pain - Commentary: The quiet demise of Apple's iPod Classic prompts CNET's Nick Statt to reflect on the time before streaming services -- when music was first set free.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Using Smartphones to Track Our Everyday Moral Judgments

Using Smartphones to Track Our Everyday Moral Judgments -

Our lives are surprisingly packed with morally loaded experiences. We see others behaving badly (or well), and we behave well (or badly) ourselves. In a new study, researchers used a smartphone app to track moral and immoral acts committed or witnessed by more than 1,200 people as they went about their days. It's one of the first attempts to quantify the moral landscape of daily life, and it contains some interesting hints about how people are influenced by the behavior or others, as well as by their own political and religious leanings.

The post Using Smartphones to Track Our Everyday Moral Judgments appeared first on WIRED.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

Apple's free U2 album perplexes, annoys some

Apple's free U2 album perplexes, annoys some - The album may appear on your iPhone or iPad whether you want it or not, a move that apparently is ticking off a number of iTunes users.

(Via CNET News.com.)

Macworld lays off most staff, will end print edition

Macworld lays off most staff, will end print edition - Long-standing Apple-themed publication Macworld has laid off much of its staff, and is closing down its print edition, according to blog and Twitter posts, as well as USA Today. Former editor-in-chief Jason Snell mentioned the information in a blog post, and staff from the company, including Dan Miller and Roman Loyola, have taken to Twitter to deny that Macworld is closing entirely, while acknowledging job cuts. In his post, Snell adds that he's leaving the publication to focus on other projects. Miller says he will be with the company for another month to help with the transition ...

(Via MacNN | The Macintosh News Network.)

Lefties, Rejoice: You Can Wear the Apple Watch, Too

Lefties, Rejoice: You Can Wear the Apple Watch, Too -

If you're left-handed and you were worried that you wouldn't be able to wear the fancy new Apple Watch, fear not. One of the benefits of its digital UI is that it's reportedly easy to change the orientation of it in Settings as needed, which should also come in handy if you ever need to sell the thing.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

How to enable Apple's secure two-step verification for your iCloud & iTunes accounts

How to enable Apple's secure two-step verification for your iCloud & iTunes accounts - Last week's celebrity photo leaks were a stark reminder of what can happen to internet users that fail to follow basic security precautions, like enabling two-factor authentication when it's available. With Apple's own security practices under the microscope, AppleInsider shows you how to enable Cupertino's own implementation.

(Via AppleInsider.)

Three Essential Steps to Make Yourself More Hack-Proof

Three Essential Steps to Make Yourself More Hack-Proof - Though you can't ever protect yourself 100 percent from malicious data theft, you can at least put a better lock on your door than the one your neighbor has.

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

Tech Time Warp of the Week: Watch Steve Ballmer Laugh at the Original iPhone

Tech Time Warp of the Week: Watch Steve Ballmer Laugh at the Original iPhone - When Apple unveils some sort of computerized mega watch in Cupertino next week—inside the same venue where Steve Jobs unveiled the original Macintosh 30 years ago—most of the world will ooh and ahh. Over and over again. Those with a more nuanced view of the universe will question whether a smartwatch is really what ...

(Via Wired Top Stories.)

Apple Announces Livestream for 9/9 Event

Apple Announces Livestream for 9/9 Event -

Worried about keeping up with all the Apple news from next week's big Sept. 9 event? Worry no more — Apple has officially announced it will be livestreaming the event at 10AM Pacific time directly from Apple.com.

(Via Mac|Life all.)

New High-Res Satellite Sees Through Smoke to Image Fires

New High-Res Satellite Sees Through Smoke to Image Fires - Mapping major fires from above makes a lot of sense, but it’s often complicated by smoke obscuring what is happening on the ground. However, satellites with special infrared sensors can essentially see through the smoke to the fire, and a new satellite launched last month can do this at the highest resolution yet. These images ...

(Via Wired Top Stories.)