55 minutes ago | Posted in: Apple
Apple has quietly added standalone functionality to the list of Apple Watch features ahead of its impending launch. According to the dedicated Apple Watch section on the Apple website providing an overview of its capabilities, Apple Watch users will now be able to leave their iPhone behind when going for a run and will be able to use the Apple Watch itself for music playback. While the feature is not uncommon in some competing smartwatches, the pre-launch Apple Watch event held last year by Apple did not include any mention of standalone functionality, instead suggesting that iPhone was a mandatory requirement for the Apple Watch in all usage scenarios.
more
Vintagio by MacPhun takes video and images from an iOS device, and lets the user apply filters to give them a retro look. As an example, here's a very dull video where one of our reviewers stupidly crosses a river by walking along something that isn't meant to be used as a bridge while it's raining. Directly below it, is a slightly more amusing version of the same video with a built-in effect and soundtrack from the app applied.
more
Apple will now handle support for Beats Music customers, along with businesses offering Apple Pay, through its AppleCare division, according to reports. Previously, Beats Music support was handled by an outsourced firm, but has now been moved in-house after the company was acquired by Apple last year. The move to offer support to businesses implementing Apple Pay will encourage more companies to do so. There is also a specific Merchants support hotline for Apple Pay for those already using the system.
more
A new interview with Apple design head Sir Jonathan Ive and recent remarks by CEO Tim Cook are shedding some light (and building up hype) for both the Apple Watch and the current outlook of the company and the men who run it. Ive, in an interview with London's Financial Times, explains the rationale behind the development of the Apple Watch, while Cook expanded on his view on privacy, and Apple's industry leadership. In other news, a forthcoming Apple Watch app has already set the bar to a new low.
more
5 hours ago | Posted in: software
We're not going to judge Microsoft Office for Mac 2016 in the detail or the depth that we will when it finally ships as a finished product. However, Microsoft has made it available in preview beta form, and it is irresistible. It's also very good, and if you have even a modicum of interest in Microsoft Office, you should try it now - though there are one or two caveats you'll want to keep in mind.
more
This week in the MacNN forums, Senior User "Chinasaur" was asking fellow forum-goers how they would go about importing a .csv file from Outlook.com to iCloud as they have accidentally erased their contacts and this is the only backup they have. So far a solution has yet to be found. Members continue to discuss reasons why someones Mac might have hard system crashes.
more
At Apple's online store today, save on a wide selection of refurbished Mac Pro configurations. The refurbished Mac Pro with a 3.7GHz Intel quad-core Xeon E5 processor, 12GB of RAM and 256GB of PCIe-based flash memory has been reduced by $450 to $2,549. For $3,219 is the refurbished Mac Pro with a 3.7GHz Intel quad-core Xeon E5 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of PCIe-based flash storage.
more
Japan Display, a company created by three Japanese tech firms in 2012, has agreed to a deal with Apple to help build a $1.4 billion new display manufacturing facility that should increase its overall LCD capacity by 20 percent. The company already supplies Apple with some 50,000 raw-material Retina display panels per month at present, and the investment by Apple in the new facility could guarantee a steady supply in the future.
more
It's been said that creating music is one of the finer joys in life. However, not everyone has the chance to invest in an instrument, or lessons, or spend the time practicing. Because of this, a large portion of the population is left to only wonder what it would be like if they were to create their own music. That's why we took a look at Musyc Pro, a strangely simple app aimed at the casual musician.
more
Welcome to Daily Deals, the post where we place discounts and offers on hardware and software we find in online stores for you, the discerning MacNN and Electronista reader. Alongside our last recap of the week's still-active deals before they disappear, we have a Sony 4k AV receiver, a driveless QNAP network attached storage appliance, and a few inexpensive Windows laptops.
more
8 hours ago | Posted in: security
Oracle's Java Update 8 Update 40 for OS X has an unexpected surprise for installers. The update instructions note that the company has "partnered with companies that offer various products" and will install the borderline-malware Ask.com toolbar into unsuspecting OS X users' systems.
more
10 hours ago | Posted in: security
In an advisory published on Thursday, Microsoft has admitted that all versions of its OS and browser are susceptible to the FREAK bug. Additionally, all BlackBerry devices are also vulnerable. The flaw allowing the attack exists in approximately 36 percent of websites that use HTTPS, and miscreants are able to intercept and modify data passing between a vulnerable browser and a susceptible site. Neither BlackBarry devices nor Windows devices were intially pegged as susceptible due to a flaw in the coding of the test site.
more
Apple stock is going to supplant AT&T's on the Dow Jones Industrial Average. After market close on March 18, Apple will be listed on the average, with the low-performing AT&T being pulled. The move was precipitated by a Visa four to one split, effective on the same date.
more
11 hours ago | Posted in: industry
Legislation has been filed opposing the US Federal Communication Commission's Title II and net neutrality vote. Representative Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) is driving the "Internet Freedom Act" which if passed will block the FCC from implementing its net neutrality proposal, including Title II, and strip the agency from issuing a new rule on the matter. The move is similar to one she took in July, trying to strip the FCC of regulatory powers, over a slightly different matter.
more
We'd like to think at this point there's an app for just about everything, and just about everyone. Most apps have a very clearly-defined purpose, be it a productivity app that promises to help you make the most of your time, or a game that promises to entertain you. Occasionally, there are quirky apps that don't have a specific person or function in mind. Artree by Hansol Huh is an example of a quirky app that might not be everyone's cup of tea, but certainly does what it was designed to do very well.
more
A battery exchange program for some iPhone 5 users has been extended into from this year into 2016. Initially limited to "two years after the first retail sale or until March 1, 2015, whichever gives longer coverage" the language on Apple's website for the program was quietly changed to run through January 2016.
more
