Apple updates Final Cut Pro X, Motion and Compressor video editing suite

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Shortly after releasing the update for OS X 10.10.3, Apple updates its suite of creative software – Final Cut Pro 10.2, Motion 5.2 and Compressor 4.2, the updates Apple has brought to these three software brings significant improvements on performance and new features for content creators.

Final Cut Pro 10.2 introduces a new collection of easy to use 3D titles with improved masking for colour grading and effect as well as native support for more camera format, the new GPU-accelerated RED RAW processing will also improve rendering time and performance on discrete graphics.

On the other hand, Motion 5.2 introduces the ability to create custom materials and environments and is able to publish instantly over to Final Cut Pro X while Compressor will make your content easier to package a movie for sale on the
iTunes
 Store, according to Apple.

With these new updates, content creators will be able to leverage on the benefits to create better video content yet saving time with improved GPU acceleration. Prices of Final Cut Pro 10.2, Motion 5.2 and Compressor 5.2 remains unchanged on the Apple App Store for SGD$368.98, $64.98 and $63.98 respectively to new users, while the new update is free for existing customers. If you are using these apps now, head on to the Mac App Store and start updating them.

Image Source:
FCP.co


Apple updates iPad Pro with M2 chip, prices now start at RM3,899

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Aside from the 10th Generation iPad, Apple has refreshed the iPad Pro lineup with the M2 chip that also powers the current gen MacBook Air.

The M2 chip on the iPad Pro features an 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU, which delivers up to 15 percent faster CPU performance and 35 percent faster graphics performance, it also has a staggering 100GB/s of unified memory bandwidth and supports up to 16GB of unified memory.

In addition, the M2 chip’s new media engine and image signal processor enable users to capture ProRes video for the first time on an iPad Pro and transcode ProRes footage up to 3x faster.

Furthermore, the new iPad Pro now support faster WiFi 6E wireless connectivity and will ship with iPadOS 16.1 at launch.

While the iPad Pro lineup sports the same ProMotion display sizes at 11-inches and 12.9-inches similar to their predecessors, they now support a new Apple Pencil Hover that can detect the 2nd Gen Apple Pencil from as far as 12mm above the display, which allows users to see a preview of items while offering greater precision.

The iPad Pro will start at RM3,899 and RM5,399 for the 11-inch and 12.9-inch model respectively, they will be offered in storage options of up to 2TB, which will ultimately cost you RM10,149 and RM11,649 for the the 11-inch and 12.9-inch WiFi+Cellular models respectively.

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Apple updates iPad Pro with ultrawide camera and LiDAR Scanner

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Apple may not have the chance to throw an event for its products and WWDC due to COVID-19, but it has definitely brighten up the tech scene with the all new iPad Pro, you still get two screen sizes – 11-inch and 12.9 inches, but Apple has done a lot of work under the hood to make it a worthy upgrade from the previous model.

Powered by a new A12Z Bionic chip, Apple now boldly claims that the iPad Pro is now faster than most Windows PC laptops, something that reviewers can testify since the A11 Bionic chip as it is on par as a Core i5 laptop CPU, it still has an 8-core GPU and a powerful Neural Engine to run next-generation apps, while still maintaining the same 10-hour battery life.
The new iPad Pro’s camera system gets updated with a 12MP wide camera and a 10MP ultrawide camera, what’s interesting is the new inclusion of the LiDAR Scanner, which is able to measure the distance to surrounding objects up to 5 metres away, operating at the photon level at nano-second speeds and enhanced by computer vision algorithms on the A12Z Bionic for more detailed understanding of a scene, this will significantly improve AR experience with a more accurate depth measurement.

What has gone even more Pro is the iPad Pro’s improved quad speaker system and five studio-quality microphones, which Apple claims the latter would be able to capture super clean audio and make it a versatile mobile studio for creative pros such as film makers and podcasters.

Last but not least, the new iPad Pro now comes with a new optional Magic Keyboard, like the previous smart keyboard cover, it attaches to the iPad Pro magnetically but features a new floating design that allows versatile viewing angles of up to 130 degrees, along with a USB-C port that lets you charge the iPad Pro and connecting peripherals, making it extremely versatile for both lap and table operations, the keys are now backlit with a scissor mechanism that’s found on the new MacBook Pro, a trackpad is also present that will support Cursor on iPadOS 13.4, which is essentially a mouse cursor that lets you work better on productivity apps.

Apple has revealed pricing details of the new iPad Pro for the Malaysian market as below:

iPad Pro 11-inch

128GB – RM3,499 (WiFi), RM4,149 (WiFi+Cellular)

256GB – RM3,949 (WiFi), RM4,549 (WiFi+Cellular)

512GB – RM4,849 (WiFi), RM5,499 (WiFi+Cellular)

1TB – RM5,749 (WiFi), RM6,399 (WiFi+Cellular)

iPad Pro 12.9-inch

128GB – RM4,399 (WiFi), RM5,049 (WiFi+Cellular)

256GB – RM4,849 (WiFi), RM5,499 (WiFi+Cellular)

512GB – RM5,749 (WiFi), RM6,399 (WiFi+Cellular)

1TB – RM6,649 (WiFi), RM7,299 (WiFi+Cellular)

The new iPad Pro’s Magic Keyboard will retail at RM1,349 for the 11-inch model and RM1,549 for the 12.9-inch model.

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Apple updates iPad with Apple Pencil to support it’s education initiative

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Apple has been committed to support the education industry for a while now, and it has updated the it’s entry-level iPad 9.7-inch with support for the Apple Pencil stylus, which gives educators and students the ability to annotate on educational apps, as well as unleashing their creativity. Due to that, the iPad (2018) processing power has now been upgraded to the A10 Fusion chip, which delivers up to 40% faster CPU and 50% faster graphics performance, an upgraded camera and advanced sensors are also present to deliver great AR performance, it will also have up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge.

For an educational device, Apple says that the iPad 9.7-inch has been a really popular tablet in classrooms, the App Store now boasts 200,000 education apps for the iPad, which many of them will be able to take advantage of the powerful capabilities of the new device. The iPad (2018) comes in colors of silver, space gray and gold, it is available in WiFi only and cellular models with storage options of 32GB and 128GB. Prices for non-education and education customers are listed as below:

Non-Education

iPad (2018), 32GB – SGD$498 (WiFi), SGD$698 (WiFi+Cellular)

iPad (2018), 128GB – SGD$648 (WiFi), SGD$848 (WiFi+Cellular)

Education

iPad (2018), 32GB – SGD$468 (WiFi), SGD$668 (WiFi+Cellular)

iPad (2018), 128GB – SGD$618 (WiFi), SGD$818 (WiFi+Cellular)

Apple Pencil – SGD$125

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Apple updates iTunes to resolve buggy Apple Music update

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Apple Music was launched end of June with much anticipation and fanfare.

Unfortunately, there was a bug in
iTunes
 12.2 that prevented existing songs from syncing correctly to Apple Music, causing much confusion and angst amongst music listeners.

Some of the badly affected users had years of effort put into curating their music libraries carefully.

Now, with an update to iTunes to version 12.2.1, Apple claims that users will no longer have an issue with it’s song matching service.

Apple Music was heavily anticipated by many music listeners worldwide.

Owing to Apple’s extensive deals with record labels and artists, music listeners can now stream to artists like Taylor Swift and AC/DC, which have previously shunned other music streaming services like Spotify and Pandora.

On June 30th, Apple updated iOS to version 8.4, and
iTunes
 to version 12.2 to push out it’s Apple Music service, and Beats One radio station.

Apple offered a 3-month trial, a really generous offer to convince music listeners to start using Apple Music. In the long run, users would pay Apple $9.99 monthly to access a library of over 30 million songs.

Malaysians have it better by only having to pay Apple $3.99 per month, which amounts to roughly RM15. The pricing was not arbitrary generosity on Apple’s part, given that that Spotify was charging RM15 monthly for it’s service.

The catch on Apple’s end: You’ll have to use iCloud Music Library to sync your newly expanded catalogue and playlists across devices.

Here’s where it comes crashing down for many listeners. In
iTunes
 12.2, users with existing song libraries with custom metadata would
experience glitches with syncing their songs and data to iCloud Music Library
.

Thus went years of work out of the window.

For those who updated to
iTunes
 12.2 and were affected by the bug,
there seems to be a workaround here
. Beware though, we have not been able to test this.

For those who have been holding off updating to iTunes, or were wary of Apple Music, here’s your chance.

2 weeks after the launch,
Apple posted an incremental iTunes update to version 12.2.1
 to fix issues with iCloud Music Library and Apple Music.

For iTunes Match subscribers that were affected, there’s now a way to choose whether to Merge or Replace songs in their library.

What’s your experience like in using Apple Music?

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Apple updates prices of iPhones and the iPad Pro

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Apple has just concluded their conference on the new Apple devices with the iPhone X taking the centre stage with its full body screen which looks like something out of a SciFi movie. However, price wise it might not be able to be owned by a lot of people and Apple understand that. So, if you are still interested in getting an iPhone but don’t need all the bells and whistle that come with the new phone, you can get the iPhone 7, 6 and SE for a reduced price.

iPhone 7 and 7 Plus

Let’s start out with the iPhone 7, on its launch the phone was priced at RM3,199 for the 32GB model, RM3,699 for 128GB and RM4,199 for the 256GB model. If you head over to the official Apple Malaysia Online Store you will not be able to find the 256GB variant, however, the 32GB model has been reduced and is now priced at only RM2,749 and the 128GB is now RM3,249 making it slightly more affordable.

Moving over to the iPhone 7 Plus, on launch the 32GB model was priced as RM3,799, 128GB was priced at RM4,299 and 256GB at RM4,799. Similar to the iPhone 7, the 256GB model is no more but the 32GB is now priced at almost a 500 ringgit reduction coming in at RM3,349 and the 128GB model is now RM3,849.

iPhone 6s and 6S Plus

If the iPhone 7 is still not in your budget and you can make do without the features in the 7, the iPhone 6S has also been reduced in price. The phone on launch was priced RM2,399 for 16GB, RM2,699 for 32GB and RM3,199 for 128GB. The 16GB model has been removed but the 32GB model is now priced cheaper than the 16GB model at launch and comes in at only RM2,249, while the 128GB variant is now priced at RM2,749.

On the 6S Plus side of things, it launched with prices of RM2,949 for 16GB, RM3,199 for 32GB and RM3,699 for 128GB. Similar to its smaller sibling, the 16GB has been removed and the price of 32GB is cheaper than the 16GB at launch coming in at RM2,749 and RM3,249 for the 128GB.

iPhone SE

Finally, we come to the budget model of all the iPhones which was launched with a price of RM1,949 for 16GB and RM2,199 for the 64GB model. In the case of the SE, both the storage and prices were revamped as now they are offering a 32GB model for RM1,749 and a 128GB model for RM2,249 which seems to give a much better value to the phone.

iPad Pro

Now here where the downside of things, as the prices of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro has gone up by RM250 for selected variants. The price hike has affected the 256GB and 512GB models where the price is now RM3,699 and RM4,599 respectively and for the WiFI+Cellular models, they are now RM4,349 and RM5,249 respectively.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro has also been affected as now the price of the 256GB and 512GB is now RM4,199 and RM5,099 respectively. The Wifi+Cellular models have also been increased for the same storage options to RM4,849 and RM5,749 for the 256GB and 512GB models respectively.

This could be due to the issues what Apple has been having with the supply of NAND and DRAM as the prices of these components have gone up in the past couple of months and it has been affecting Apple in the production of their iPad devices. However, if you are looking to join the Apple bandwagon then this is a good time to be part of it as long you are not looking to buy the latest iPhone.

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Apple updates the Logic Pro X to match the maximum potential of the new Mac Pro

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Apple revealed a bunch of updates during WWDC, including its all-new Mac Pro that is a powerful beast when it comes to performance. Today, Apple also updates its Logic Pro X to allow music makers and film composers to take their work to the next level with the application when combined with the powerful Mac Pro.

The new Logic Pro X 10.4.5 version will be able to support up to 56 processing threads and run up to 5 times the number of real-time plug-ins compared to its predecessors, meaning that it’s much faster and more efficient. In addition to that, the latest Logic Pro X has increased track and channel count, offering more than 1,000 audio tracks and 1,000 software instrument tracks to its users. Simply put, the new update will offer much more to users so that they can let their creative juices flow without limitations.

Image credit: Apple

Apple also announced the several updates that will come in the new Logic Pro X as below:

The loop browser can filter by loop type and allows drag and drop of multiple loops into your project simultaneously.

The redesigned DeEsser 2 plug-in provides more options to reduce sibilance on audio tracks.

MIDI beat clocks can be sent to individual ports, each with unique settings like timing offset and plug-in delay compensation.

Basically, the new Logic Pro X will be able to maximise its potential with the new Mac Pro and result in better performance and productivity. The update is currently free for all the existing users but if you’re a new user, you can download it on Mac App Store for RM799.90

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Apple says it’s fine to use disinfectant on (most) Apple products

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It’s unsurprising to see everyone being meticulous about their hygiene and those around them since COVID-19 is still an ongoing worrisome issue. One thing that we touched most often though, is our phones. Luckily for Apple users, Apple has announced that it’s safe to use disinfectant wipes on their devices.

The update on its website now states that Apple products can be cleaned with a “70 percent isopropyl alcohol wipe or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes”. However, you should avoid using aerosol sprays, bleaches or abrasives, and you shouldn’t submerge (duh!) your Apple devices in any cleaning agents.

Apple also advises its users to use soft, lint-free cloth when wiping their devices to prevent scratches. You should also avoid using cleaners that contain acetone if you’re cleaning your Macs and MacBooks.

Though Apple said it’s fine to use a disinfectant on the Apple products, this excludes fabric and leather surfaces. Instead, you should only use warm water and a mild hand soap when it comes to cleaning your iPhone’s leather case.

For more information on how to clean your Apple products, check out Apple’s
website
.

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Apple users can now unlock and locate their Volkswagens with Siri

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Volkswagen’s mobile app, the VW Car-Net now supports a new Apple mobile device feature, and it includes Siri commands to allow the car owners to interact with their vehicles.

First and foremost, Apple users will need to have iOS 12 for the new features to be carried out. The new features allow Volkswagen owners to user Siri to control their vehicles by locking or unlocking their vehicles, checking estimated mileage with the fuel or charge left in their vehicles and also enabling the Flash or Honk & Flash commands. Besides that, car owners can also have personalised phrases to start or stop charging their cars, control the defroster and set the climate temperature. In addition, owners can locate their car with the by asking Siri “Where is my car?”.

The app allows users to create voice commands using Siri for a hassle-free experience, but apart from that, the VW Car-Net also has security features and diagnostics information. The app is also available for smartwatch including the Apple Watch and users can actually lock or unlock their doors remotely, get the map location and directions to their locations.

Basically, the VW Car-Net is an app that comes with many functions that will definitely enhance user experience but it comes at a price. Users will first receive a six-month trial subscription but after that they’ll have to pay monthly to continue using the app. This is just recently made available in America, so it is unsure as to whether other countries will get it soon or even get it at all.

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Apple users can soon get Mac and iOS apps in a single universal purchase

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Apple has officially announced the option for developers to sell Mac and iOS apps in a single universal purchase so Apple users can enjoy their apps across different platforms.

Simply put, this means that when Apple users purchase an app on the App Store, they can enjoy said app and its in-app purchases across all iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS and tvOS.

For developers, they’ll need to ensure that their apps are under a single bundle ID — but they can still come with different version numbers and build strings. The app will also be recognised as a universal purchase only after App Review approve of at least two platform versions.

This should be particularly useful for those who are always switching between their iPads and Macs as it allows them to use similar apps on different platforms.

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Apple confirms virtual event on September 15

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Apple officially
announced
 the launch date of its upcoming event on September 15 at 1AM MYT.

Apple Event 2020: Time Flies

With the tagline “Time Flies”, there’s a high chance that Apple is revealing the Apple Watch Series 6 and some other devices before it actually releases the
iPhone 12
. After all, reports have suggested that the phones will be
delayed
 due to COVID-19 affecting the production process.

Apple Watch first, iPhone 12 later

The Verge’s
Nilay Patel
 also mentioned that the iPhone will be coming later; instead, the new iPad Air may launch alongside the Apple Watch. If rumors prove to be true, the iPad Air will feature a
similar design
 to the iPad Pro and use the second-generation Apple Pencil.

Easter Egg

https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/RPReplay_Final1599617538.mp4

Apple’s upcoming event will be held virtually again and if you click onto the Apple logo in their site
here
 with your iPhone that supports AR, you’ll get a surprise — the logo will transform into a floating image of the event date “9.15”.

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Apple’s virtual WWDC starts on June 22

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Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference is coming soon but this time, it’ll be hosted virtually due to the current pandemic.

Beginning June 20, WWDC will be accessible in the Apple Developer app and website — free for all developers. “We can’t wait to meet online in June with the global developer community and share with them all of the new tools we’ve been working on to help them create even more incredible apps and services,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing.

Apple is also starting the
Swift Student Challenge
 which will allow student developers to create and showcase their own Swift Playgrounds — an interactive app to learn Swift programming language. Students can start submitting their work on May 5 and the last day of submission is on May 17.

One thing we can all expect is the learn more about the upcoming iOS 14. Rumours have suggested that iOS will be getting a new fitness app, watchOS 7 will come with sleep tracking and there will be better mouse cursor support for iPadOS.

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Update your old iPhones or risk corrupting your GPS system

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Apple has issued an official warning to folks using an iPhone or iPad introduced 2012 and older to update their devices – or risk having their GPS systems go whack.

According to the blog post, users are urged to update to avoid issues with location, date and time synchronization due to the GPS epoch rollover. We’re not going to get into too much detail about what that is, but basically GPS systems depend on highly accurate time to properly function – and time in this context is represented in weeks. The systems use 10bit data to observe time – therefore it can only reach a number of 1023 – once the number hits 1024, which is the maximum, the system restarts.

This could corrupt the software or at the very least prevent your device from telling time and location accurately. The devices that should be updated include the iPhone 5 and iPad 4th Generation (iOS 10.3.4), as well as the iPhone 4s, iPad mini 1st-Gen, iPad 2, and the iPad 3
rd
-Gen (iOS 9.3.6).

You have until just before 12am UTC on November 3 to update your device. If you don’t, your device might fail to receive OTA updates to patch your system; if you’re affected, you will then need to update your device in iTunes of Finder via a tethered connection.

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Apple Watch 2 might launch early

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Many sources and tech buffs have predicted Apple’s next smartwatch to be launched in September 2016. However, news from DigiTimes suggests that the Apple Watch 2 might get an earlier unveiling this year.

According to the source, Apple will begin its mass production of the company’s second generation smartwatch in Q2 this year. The Cupertino company apparently wanted to shift part of its orders to Foxconn, however it decided that Quanta Computer will be handling all its orders since the product volumes won’t be high.

The Apple Watch, which triumphed the smartwatch market in 2015, still fell short Apple’s target number of units sold. Hence, sources suggest that Apple is toning down its expectations for its next wearable this year.

Rumors suggest that the Apple Watch 2 will feature a Facetime camera, improved fitness sensors and a WiFi chip. As true as it may sound, rumors can’t be fully trusted. Let’s just hope that they’re true.

Source:
DigiTimes

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Apple Watch 2 to make appearance at WWDC, 40% thinner

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An Apple analyst has claimed that the Apple Watch 2 will be unveiled at WWDC this coming June, and the wearable is said to be significantly thinner than its predecessor. Analyst Brian White from Drexel Hamilton suggests that the Apple Watch 2 will be up to 40 percent thinner than the original Apple Watch.

Previous rumors suggest that the Apple Watch 2 will be making its appearance alongside the iPhone SE and the 9.7-inch iPad Pro at Apple’s event last month, but turned out to be wrong. White stated that the Apple Watch 2 will not be announced alongside the iPhone 7, which is expected to be unveiled later this year in September, hence the analyst strongly believes that the new wearable will be featured at WWDC instead.

Speaking about the iPhone 7, White believes that only the iPhone 7 Plus will be sporting a dual-camera setup, while the smaller iPhone 7 will be retaining the conventional single-camera setup. This claim is also made by Ming-Chi Kuo, a reliable source from KGI securities. The original Apple Watch was announced in September 2014, leading to its release in April the following year. As for now, these claims seem to be appearing from thin air so do expect more rumors to be served your way. Tell us your thoughts at the comments section below!

Source:
Mac Rumors

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Apple Watch 2 to make debut this year with significant upgrades

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After Samsung’s big Galaxy Note 7 launch, our eyes are now fixed on Apple’s upcoming iPhone 7 and while we have already know a great deal about it, well-connected KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has mentioned in a note to investors and believes that Apple will announce two new Apple Watch versions in the second half of 2016, knowing Apple’s fashion of updating products, the new Apple Watch will still look the same as the current model and Kuo believes that Apple will only release a new form factor for its wearable in 2018.

One of the watch models is expected to be an iterative update over its current model, which sports a better 16nm TSMC processor and better waterproofing, while another version dubbed the “Apple Watch 2” will come with new hardware such as a GPS radio, barometer and a higher capacity battery to power the additional hardware. If this is accurate, we should be expecting the announcement to be made in Apple’s upcoming September event, the current Apple Watch has been due for an update since its debut a year back, meanwhile we shall wait patiently.

SOURCE:
 AppleInsider

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An Apple Watch app has managed to save a life by detecting abnormal heart rates

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Wearing a smartwatch isn’t just about receiving notifications from your smartphones these days, built-in fitness tracking features has played an essential role for users in keeping track of their health. James Green, a customer of the Apple Watch has just got his life saved by the HeartRate app, which suggested that he has an abnormally high heart rate though he was actually relaxing. After consulting with his doctor, he was diagnosed with pulmonary ebolism, a symptom where there’s a sudden blockage of a major blood vessel in the lung, and he obviously got the cure right after that.

Never thought a stupid lil wrist computer I bought 2 years ago would save my life. Saw my ❤ rate go up, ended up being a pulmonary embolism
pic.twitter.com/r97uRcX0En

— renata’s eyepatch (@_jamestgreen)
October 13, 2017

The Apple Watch Series 1 and 2 didn’t have real-time heart monitoring unlike the recent Series 3, and its a wonder that the app has managed to alert Green on symptoms like that, it is something that many other fitness trackers can do. The HeartRate app takes advantage of the Apple Watch’s already available fitness tracking hardware, and it is able to track things such as steps, sleep and workouts. Looks like owning an Apple Watch isn’t too bad after all.

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Apple Watch AppleCare+ Protection Plans Revealed

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Apple product owners should be familiar with Apple’s AppleCare+ protection coverage, it offers an additional two years of warranty on top of the usual one year protection with incidental damage including water spills and drops of your products. Since the upcoming Apple Watch is set to have a price tag as high as $10,000, users will definitely want to buy some accidental coverage for their beloved and expensive Apple Watch.

If the Apple Watch manage to reach our shores, the AppleCare+ protection service should technically be available since it isn’t going to be sold exclusively at mobile carriers just like the iPhone.
9to5mac
has spotted in the Apple US store that the AppleCare+ protection plan for the Apple Watch will start from $59 for the Sport model, $79 for the Watch model and up to $999 for the premium Edition model, which sounds reasonable enough if you are already able to pay for its premium price tag.

In the US, it seems that the Genius Bars will not be performing repairs of the Apple Watch on the spot if your watch fails you and they will be shipped off site, with the standard AppleCare protection you’ll need to send your watch back to Apple before they ship a replacement unit to you however with the AppleCare+ protection, Apple will ship a unit to you first and collect the broken unit on the spot, similar process just like most other Apple products.

The Apple Watch is set to go on sale on April 24th and release dates in Malaysia is still unknown and even our neighbor country Singapore doesn’t even get its first release this time, which means you’ll have to wait patiently for the watch to come and we’re not sure if the Apple Watch will come with a international warranty just like other Apple products.


iOS 14 hints ability to detect blood oxygen levels in the upcoming Apple Watch

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Apple Watch just keeps getting better — 9to5Mac recently discovered via iOS 14 code snippets that the next Apple Watch might be able to detect bloody oxygen levels.

This is a feature that can prove to be very useful — being able to know your bloody oxygen levels can help warn you of health conditions, preventing delayed detection of health problems.

While the Apple Watch Series 6 will probably be able to detect blood oxygen levels, it is highly unlikely that the current versions will have this feature. This is under the assumption that new hardware is needed for the feature to be integrated into the watch. However, it is believed that the built-in heart rate monitor can already ensure blood oxygen levels, so perhaps Apple only needed a software upgrade to introduce this feature.

On the other hand, Fitbit already has a built-in SpO2 sensor on some of its devices. You can check your estimated oxygen variation to monitor health conditions such as sleep apnea and asthma.

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Apple Watch can detect irregular heartbeat with a 97% success rate

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It’s been clear that when the Apple Watch first launched, it was positioned to be a stylish accessory that can ease users with lightweight tasks and with convenience of quickly checking notifications. But, it has now changed its marketing narrative whereby the Watch’s main selling point is its health and fitness features. And that’s totally foreseeable.

With multiple cases of the Apple Watch saving lives, a new study was then made by the team behind the Cardiogram app, which reveals the fact that the smartwatch can indeed detect irregular heart rhythms with a 97% of success rate. This backs up another earlier study that the Apple Watch, when used with an AI-based algorithm dubbed DeepHeart, can also detect the early onset of diabetes.

In regards to the detection of irregular heart rhythms, that particular study actually involved 9.750 Cardiogram users and recorded 139 million heart rate measurements. And what’s more, subjects used in the study are very prone to having irregular heart beats, hence, this gives it the credibility that the Apple Watch can be such an accurate and helpful device.

Now, would you consider getting yourself one, if you haven’t already?

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Apple Watch might be getting an always-on display feature

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Apple Watch is one of the best smartwatches in the market and with a new update, it will make the watch more like a traditional watch compared to a smartwatch, as it might be getting an always-on display mode.

Currently, you will have to turn the display on to view the time. Keeping the display on will bring about two issues, the first is with battery drain and the other issue is the OLED burn-in where if an image is on the screen too long, it will imprint that image on the screen. Cupertino recently filed a patent that will deal with this issue, it will prevent burn-in images by adjusting brightness and contrast to avoid damaging the screen over time. The patent also mentions a new anti-aliasing method which will smooth out the image on a curved screen, which could lead to a larger display.

This is not confirmed by Apple but it is going in the direction of an always-on Apple Watch display. This method might arrive on the Series 4 on 12 September although it might not be enough time to implement it.

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Apple Watch now available in Malaysia

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If you’ve always wanted to get an Apple Watch but don’t want the hassle of travelling out of the country to get one, you’re in luck! Apple has finally saw it fit to make their series of smartwatches available in the country.

Much like other countries, Apple is offering three variants of the smartwatch depending on what you want and your budget.

The cheapest version of the Apple Watch is the Apple Watch Sport. It features an anodised aluminium case in four finishes and has an Ion-X glass for its watchface. The Watch Sport comes use fluoroelastomer bands that comes in various colours. The 38mm version of the Watch Sport is priced at RM 1,599 while the 42mm version is priced at RM 1,849.

Want something a bit more classy? There’s the Apple Watch that is constructed with a stainless steel case and a sapphire crystal display. The Apple Watch comes with various types of bands, from a high-performance fluoroelastomer band, to a stainless steel link bracelet. Prices for the Apple Watch is dependant on the band chosen with the 38mm variant having a starting price of RM 2,499 while the 42mm variant has a RM 2,749 starting price.

Finally, if you’re the kind of person that sleep on a pile of money, or if you have a mysterious donor located somewhere in the Middle East, you can opt for the luxurious Apple Watch Edition. Built with an 18-karat yellow or rose gold case and featuring a sapphire crystal display, the Apple Watch Edition comes with exquisitely crafted bands and clasps as well as a premium leather charging box that charges the watch wirelessly. How much does it cost? Well, the starting price of the 38mm version comes in at RM 47,000 for the Sport Band while the Modern Buckle version is priced at RM 80,000. The 42mm version is no better, with the Sport Band variant commanding an eye watering RM 57,000 pricetag while the Classic Buckle variant is priced at RM 70,000.

Needless to say, none of us here at KLGG will be able to afford the Apple Watch Edition anytime soon; not even if we have 2 or more day jobs.

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Apple Watch Series 3 now supports LTE

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As Apple hosts its first ever event at the Steve Jobs Theater, the company will also be announcing a couple of products which are due for an update. The Apple Watch Series 3 has finally been unveiled. While it might not be as big of an upgrade from its predecessor, the wearable has some noteworthy features to look out for.

Apple has stated that the Apple Watch Series 3 is the same size as the Series 2. Internally, the watch is powered by a new W2 chip which is 50 percent more power efficient, plus 85 percent faster Wi-Fi. The most significant upgrade to the Apple Watch is its LTE capability. The Apple Watch Series 3 has a tiny electronic SIM which will enable the watch to be used even more independently from the iPhone. Apple has also highlighted the fact that users will be able to stream millions of songs on Apple Music through the cellular Apple Watch Series 3.

The new and more power efficient W2 chip definitely does make sense now that the Apple Watch has cellular connectivity, with up to 18 hours of battery life. With the new watchOS 4 software running on the Apple Watch Series 3, it now has a more capable heart rate sensor features. Users will now be able to view their heart rate on the Apple Watch face, and can now set notifications whereby users will be informed when the watch detects an inconsistency or irregularity in heart rate. Furthermore, Siri will be able to speak to you on the new watchOS.

The Apple Watch is official the number one watch in the world according to Apple, having leapfrogged from second place. With new software and LTE connectivity, the Apple Watch Series 3 also comes with a slew of newly designed watch bands. The Apple Watch Series 3 costs $329 for the non-cellular model and $399 for the cellular model. The Apple Watch Series 1’s price has been reduced to $249. The Apple Watch Series 3 will be available to order beginning September 15.

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Apple Watch Series 3 is full of bugs after watchOS 7 update

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Alongside the launch of new Apple products, the company also pushed new software updates for its existing devices like iOS 14 and
 watchOS 7
. However, it’s not advisable for those wearing the Apple Watch Series 3 to update to the latest software yet due to
several bugs
.

watchOS 7 causes random reboots to Watch Series 3

Image credit: Pocket-lint

Apple’s watchOS 7 offers a range of new features from customisable watch faces, new featured workouts to shortcuts to apps. Unfortunately, those who updated their Apple Watch Series 3 to watchOS 7 were unhappy due to their watches rebooting themselves multiple times a day. One user also complained that the watch will lock itself, fail to load complications and disconnect from his iPhone.

Other issues found by Apple users

The random reboot is just one of its problems; Apple users have also pointed out that they couldn’t pair their watches, face GPS issues and worst of all, they couldn’t downgrade to watchOS 6 on their own.

Simply put, you’d want to wait a bit longer before you update your Watch Series 3 to watchOS 7. Apple should be releasing another update soon to fix the current issues, so we’d advise you to wait and check out other comments on the update before you update yours.

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Apple Watch Series 3 will retail from RM1549

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Apple hasn’t just announced the pricing of its iPhone X earlier today, it has also announced the retail price for the Apple Watch Series 3, and unlike the overpriced iPhone X, Watch Series 3 still has a rather decent starting price tag of RM1549 for the Sports 38mm casing model, the Watch Series 3 will be offered in GPS-only model at this point of time with the standard and Nike sport band, Apple will start accepting orders of the Watch Series 3 on the Apple Online Store starting October 20th.

Apple Watch Series 3 features a number of upgrades from its predecessor, one of it is support for LTE connections, which isn’t available here yet, the watch is now also swimproof for both fresh and salt water, and it also features a faster processor onboard. In addition, Apple has also made fitness tracking a priority on the latest watchOS 4, and has also included more interesting watch faces. During Apple’s event last month, the company has claimed that the Apple Watch is now the No. 1 best-selling watch, exceeding premium watchmakers such as Rolex and Tag.

With the Watch Series 3 being released, Apple has discontinued the Watch Series 2 but if you don’t need the greatest and latest, the Apple Watch Series 1 is still available for purchase right now from RM1149, but we’d say its worth paying the extra cash for what the Watch Series 3 is capable of.

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The Apple Watch Series 5 is official with an Always-On display; priced from RM1,749

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We’re half-surprised that Apple has decided to launch the Apple Watch Series 5 today since there were rumours that it may not happen. Nevertheless, the new Apple Watch comes with a few upgrades that have caught our attention.

First and foremost, the latest Apple Watch now sports an Always-On Retina display, a first of its kind. Just like its name, it means that the watch’s display will always remain active so users can check the time or their health metrics without the need to wake the watch via tapping or raising their hands.

Apart from that, the tech giant also introduced a new built-in compass alongside new location features that can provide users with information like the altitude, elevation, latitude and so on. Moreover, the Apple Watch Series 5 will sport a new safety function known as international emergency calling, allowing them to call for emergency services via their watch when they’re travelling at different countries. This will also work if the Apple Watch detects that the user has fallen and remained motionless for around a minute.

The Apple Watch will come with watchOS 6 which has the new Cycle Tracking app that tracks information regarding their menstrual cycle, and also the Noise app that can better inform users about the levels of noise in their surrounding environments and how it could impact their sense of hearing. In addition, it is also swim-proof and has 18 hours of battery life.

For the first time ever, Apple also lets its users customise their Apple Watch — they can pair any case with any bands to get their own personalised smartwatch. Apple also introduced a new titanium case in two finishes and will also offer a ceramic case later at fall.

The Apple Watch Series 5 starts at RM1,749 and will be available starting September 20. In the meantime, the Apple Watch Series 3 GPS model will be priced lower at RM849.

For the full summary that gathers all the major announcements made in Apple Event 2019, check out our video down below!

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Apple Watch Series 5 might have longer battery life and sleep tracking

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As September approaches, Apple fans get more eager and excited to check out the new iPhone models. But we already know that Apple usually launches the Apple Watch with its iPhones, so get ready for the Apple Watch Series 5.

The Apple Watch has been garnering lots of attraction as each year the smartwatch will come with a new feature that continues to amaze consumers. For example, the Apple Watch Series 3 had cellular connectivity and the Apple Watch Series 4 had new fitness tracking features and fall detection. So what is the Apple Watch Series 5 going to offer?

According to news and leaks, the Apple Watch Series 5 will have new design options — 44MM titanium case and 44mm ceramic case. In addition, Apple is said to employ OLED displays from Japan Display for its upcoming smartwatch. There are even rumours that Apple will integrate MicroLED technology into its watch display next year.

Other than that, reports suggest that the upcoming smartwatch will have improved battery life and advanced sleep-tracking features. Sleep tracking has been the missing feature that many have sought after, so if the Apple Watch Series 5 really come with the said feature, there’s no doubt that more people will be interested in purchasing the smartwatch.

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5 things you can do on Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular

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It’s time to get a new Apple Watch Series 5 with that new Always-On Display and powerful watchOS 6 operating system, but most of you would be contemplating if you should go for the Cellular or GPS only model. As you may know, the Apple Watch Series 5 is launched in conjunction with
Digi AirSIM Number Share
, it is the first eSIM in Malaysia made for the Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular that share the same number as your Digi Postpaid number, so that you get to stay connected to Digi’s 4G network even without having your iPhone around.

Therefore, we are going to tell you 5 things that you can do on an Apple Watch Series 5 Cellular without having your iPhone around.

Make and Receive Phone Calls without your iPhone

Image Credit: Imgur by CelestialNinetales

Have you ever remembered the time where you accidentally left your phone at home or in the office? Well, you are more likely to have your Apple Watch on your wrist when this happens, and in this case, you will be able to temporary use it to make and receive urgent calls with the Digi AirSIM Number Share service.

Let’s try another scenario, where you simply don’t want to lug your iPhone around as you are strolling at the park or working out at the gym, but at the same time you still don’t want to miss out any important calls from your family and friends, the Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular stays connected to Digi’s 4G network even when your iPhone is switched off.

Have Siri play a radio station or playlist on Apple Music

The Apple Watch is as good as a music player when you are working out in the gym. With Digi AirSIM Number Share, you can access a huge library of tracks and genre stations on Apple Music without being tethered to your iPhone, not to forget to mention you can ask Siri to play a certain song or a suggested playlist that can further motivate your fitness goals, you can’t do that on the GPS only model without connecting to your iPhone.

Make sure you pair your Apple Watch to a Bluetooth audio device as music doesn’t play through its built-in speakers.

Perform a Simple Web Search

Did you know on watchOS 6, Siri is able to perform a simple web search and show results on a lightweight web browser on your Apple Watch? With Digi AirSIM Number Share, you will be able to ask Siri things like “Why zebras have stripes?” and answers will be delivered to you in no time even without having your iPhone around.

Reply WhatsApp Messages and E-mails

Digi AirSIM Number Share essentially creates a remote connection between your Apple Watch and iPhone, so whatever notifications you receive on your iPhone will be pushed instantly to your Apple Watch, hence you can perform a quick reply to your incoming WhatsApp messages so that you won’t be blamed for ‘missing in action’ in case you are away from your iPhone for too long, or read that important e-mail and scribble a brief reply from your Apple Watch.

Convenient Access to Emergency Call Services and Fall Detection

By choosing an Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular, there’s no better way to feel safer when you need to call up the local emergency service and don’t have access to your iPhone, especially when there are unexpected accidents. The Apple Watch Series 5 knows when you have a hard fall with its Fall Detection feature and if no response is detected, it will automatically make a call to emergency services after a minute and once the call ends, a message will be sent to your emergency contacts with your location, potentially becoming a life saver when your Apple Watch is connected with Digi AirSIM Number Share.

Worried about the cost of owning an Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular? No problems! With Digi PhoneFreedom 365, you get to own the Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular at a subsidized price with 0% installment and no upfront payment for RM79/month with Digi Postpaid 80 with Gboost and above.

If you want to pair it with the latest iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro, there is also a combo deal with
Digi PhoneFreedom 365
 where you can own both devices with a worry-free and affordable monthly installment plan.

Head over
here
 to learn more about Apple Watch Series 5 with Cellular on Digi PhoneFreedom 365 and Digi AirSIM Number Share.

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Get the Apple Watch Series 6 or Watch SE from RM56/month via Celcom

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If you’ve eyeing the
Apple Watch Series 6
 or Watch SE, you’ll be glad to know that you can now get both watches via Celcom on an affordable 24-month instalment plan.

Celcom’s
EasyPhone
 deal lets you own one (or both if you’re a baller) of the Apple Watches from just RM56 per month! You can also choose to pair the watch an iPhone 11 or the
AirPods
 Pro so you can complete your all-Apple setup, all on a single bill.

To recap, the Series 6 doesn’t look all too different from its predecessor, but it comes with a new ‘Solo Loop’ strap that’s basically a single strap that stretches to fit your wrist. Under the hood is an Apple S6 chipset that’s built on the iPhone 11’s powerful A13 Bionic chip. On the watch, you get a new blood oxygen-tracking mode that uses an infrared sensor to work.

If you’re gunning for the Apple Watch SE, it’s an affordable catch-all device that comes with the most important features such as fitness tracking, navigation, motion sensors and more to provide you with a complete smartwatch experience.

The Watch SE ships with an S5 chip which is still mighty powerful enough to run the show.

Visit Celcom’s website
here
 to buy the Apple Watch or to learn more about them.

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Apple Watch Series 6 and Watch SE launched: Price starts from RM1,199

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Apple has today announced during their
virtual event
 the all-new Apple Watch Series 6 which now boasts new
colours
, an improved strap, and new health tracking features.

In terms of design, the Series 6 looks familiar to its predecessor; while the only noticeable difference is in the strap – Apple calls it the Solo Loop band which is essentially a single, continuous strap that stretches to fit the wrist size. There are also other sizes to fit different people. This time around, the watch frame comes in new
colours
, one of which is the Product Red.

Under the hood is an S6 chipset that’s built based on the iPhone 11’s A13 Bionic chip, but optimized to work on the smartwatch. In terms of features, you get the all-new blood oxygen level scanner which uses an infrared sensor at the bottom of the watch to detect your SPO2 levels.

The watch runs on watchOS 7 and it comes with sleep tracking, an always-on-display, new featured workouts, and more watch faces. One watch face actually uses your
Memoji
 and it reacts to your touches!

Apple Watch SE

Possibly even more exciting than the Series 6, is the announcement of the more affordable Apple Watch SE – this comes in a cellular variant too!

It comes with a familiar design as the Series 6 but with less features – it does have your usual fitness tracker modes, navigation features, and even motion sensors so you can use fall detection as well.

All this is made possible with the S5 chip, the same processor you’ll find on the Series 5 watch.

Both watches support Family Setup to help parents keep track of their kids wearing the devices, as well as help children track fitness levels or stay focused in school with School Time mode.

It needs to be noted that the Apple Watch won’t ship with a USB power adapter to cut down on carbon
pollution.

The Apple Watch Series 6 starts at RM2,199 for both the cellular only and cellular+GPS models; while the Apple Watch SE is priced from RM1,199 for he GPS only model, and RM1,499 for the GPS+cellular variant. Visit Apple’s website
here
 to learn more.

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Apple Watch Series 7 launched: Larger, tougher display and faster charging

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Alongside the new
iPad
 and iPad mini comes the Apple Watch Series 7 – main improvements are focused on display size, overall design, and faster charging.

With this new device, the watch face now spans almost the entire chassis, offering a 20% increase in screen real-estate compared to the
Series 6
. The watch comes in 41mm and 45mm sizes.

To fit the larger display, Apple says that the watchOS 8 software running under the hood now sports better optimized apps that fill the screen properly. There’s also support for a full-sized QWERTY keyboard now too. On top of that, the front crystal panel is crack resistant and supports IP6X dust resistance and WR50 water resistance rating.

In terms of design, the watch now sports an aluminium case that has more rounded corners that seamlessly blend with the refractive edges of the device’s display.

As usual, you get blood oxygen tracking, a heart sensor, ECG monitoring, fall detection, Apple Wallet and more; plus, up to 18 hours of battery life and faster charging that Apple claims can power up your watch from zero to 80 percent in just 45 minutes.

The Apple Watch Series 7 comes in plenty of colours including a new blue, (PRODUCT)RED, green starlight, and more. The watch is priced from $399 (about RM1,660) and will available this September 21.

 Visit Apple’s website
here

for more updates on the watch’s local availability and pricing.

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Apple Watch Series 8, SE and Ultra goes official

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Apple has unveiled three new Apple Watch models at its ‘Far Out’ event, while the Series 8 and SE are iterative updates of their predecessors, the Apple Watch Ultra is the one that takes the spotlight of the event, which is the company’s first premium and rugged smartwatch directed at the likes of Garmin and Suunto.

The Apple Watch Series 8 looks generally the same as its predecessor and changes are found under the hood, it now features a new temperature sensor that mainly benefits women health tracking, which can now help to estimate ovulation and cycle deviation. In addition, a new car crash detection feature can automatically notify emergency contacts and services when it detects you have encountered a car crash, which is enabled by a 3-axis gyroscope and high g-force accelerometer that measures up to 256G.

The Series 8 will continue to offer an all-day battery life that equates to 18 hours of use, a new Low Power Mode will however extend battery life to as long as 36 hours, which will also be supported on the Series 4 and later when they get updated to watchOS 9.

As for the second generation Apple Watch SE, it is now faster and shares the same S8 chip that powers the Series 8, it merely lacks the body temperature sensor but will still offer car crash detection, and unlike its predecessor, it now has a color matching nylon composite material and is available in color options of Midnight, Starlight and Silver.

The Apple Watch Ultra is the largest Apple Watch ever released with a 49mm titanium case, featuring a super bright display with sapphire crystal that goes up to 2000 nits, a larger and more rugged Digital Crown, the watch offers the longest battery life of any Apple Watch ever released at up to 36 hours, while a low-power battery optimization coming this fall will push the battery life even further to 60 hours.

As a smartwatch made for extreme activities, the Apple Watch Ultra has three microphones to improve sound quality in voice calls in any conditions, such as a storm or blizzard, it also comes with dual L1+L5 GPS frequency to deliver better location accuracy, and most impressively, it can withstand temperatures to as low as -20 degree Celsius and has a WR100 and EN13319 certification for diving.

Apart from having the new features found on the Series 8, the Apple Watch Ultra has more advanced running metrics to measure performance, such as Stride Length, Ground Contact Time, Vertical Oscillation and Running Power, the larger display also enables it to show six metrics at once.

A new Wayfinder watch face complements the watch’s rugged hardware which includes a compass in the dial, and can be customized for the mountain, ocean or trail, it also supports up to eight complications that makes it the most comprehensive watch face of any smartwatch in the industry.

In terms of pricing and availability, the Apple Watch Series 8 and SE will be available at September 16 in more than 40 countries starting at RM1889 and RM1,199 respectively, the Apple Watch Ultra is only available in a GPS+Cellular model at 23 September onwards and will retail at RM3799 in Malaysia.

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Apple Watch Sport Review: Three years of Perfection with Flaws

432

Apple’s first smartphone was a legendary device, nobody thought that a once $700 smartphone with outdated hardware features and a immature software ecosystem could eventually set the standards of a smartphone and redefining on how we can take a mere communications device to the next level, yet the iPhone wasn’t the first smartphone ever made. Today, Apple is doing the same thing with wearables, despite of a whole lot of them are already in the market since three years back, many might consider the company to be late in the game, and there are accusations of Apple doing a me-too thing on releasing the Apple Watch to compete with Android Wear, Samsung’s Tizen and Pebble, is Apple doing things differently on the Watch and is it just another me-too product? We find out.

Design and Hardware

In a press interview back then, Apple’s design chief Jony Ive revealed that the Apple Watch has been through a careful three-year planning and design phase, which I won’t object since Apple has definitely taken care of the Watch’s craftsmanship. I personally find the Apple Watch posessing design cues of the
iPhone 6
, it features an adonized aluminum chassis with smooth polished rounded corners and a 2.5D curved glass display, its nice to have a correlated design since the Apple Watch is designed to be a companion for the iPhone.

Our 42mm
case
 model of the Apple Watch is fitted with a 1.49-inch Retina display, while its display resolution isn’t being disclosed officially by Apple, you don’t need to be worried about pixels on the display. The device’s screen visibility is decent while you are outdoors, making it a sensible running watch if you were to use it as a fitness tracker. In terms of durability, there have been a number of times that I accidentally dropped it from a chest height or accidentally knocking it on the wall, the Apple Watch fortunately survived.

Apple has included two hardware buttons on the Watch, a digital crown that lets you browse content on your device and activate Siri, and a power button that also acts as a shortcut for accessing your favorite contacts. These two buttons can be accidentally pressed if you are doing sports such as push ups, which at times causes the device to take a screenshot or restart.

The Apple Watch’s processing power is all handled by a Apple S1 SiP (System in Package), which is given a 520MHz clock speed and fabricated on efficient 28nm process, the watch is also given of 512MB of
RAM and 4GB
 of total onboard storage, in which 2GB is reserved for music and 75MB for photos. In short, the Apple Watch itself is technically a computer already on your wrist, which is definitely powerful enough to run apps you threw at it.

User Experience and Tests

Instead of using iOS’s core just like the Apple TV, the Apple Watch this time uses a totally new operating system called watchOS. Upon firing up the Apple Watch for the first time, pairing the device with your iPhone is totally dumbproof and a smart implementation by Apple, you open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and use the phone’s camera to take a picture of the ‘milky way’ like animation on the watch, the phone then searches for any updated firmware online and lastly, syncs all of your current available supported apps to the Apple Watch, you are then set to go – no complications.

Making phone calls over the Apple Watch is a love and hate relationship, while this isn’t a necessary feature of a
smartwatch
, its implementation is totally flawed and the least helpful of all features. First, you can’t tell your iPhone to make a call on your watch when you need it, and your can’t transfer the call to your phone’s speaker with a button on the watch, its like as if Apple doesn’t intend to have you making a phone call on the watch. Probably the most annoying thing of all is that the loudspeaker just sound so muffled when your callers aren’t speaking loud enough, which in fact they are already speaking at an audible volume.

Notifications are also a flaw in the user experience, there are a couple of times that the Watch missed notifications when there is in fact a notification coming into my iPhone. When a notification is successfully displayed, actions are sometimes limited and you can’t even tell it to open the app on your iPhone. Take Facebook Messenger for instance, I could only reply with a “Thumbs Up” emoticon or dismiss the notification, and even though I know it doesn’t have a dedicated watch app, I can’t have the watch to open that particular conversation on my iPhone.

watchOS is beautiful, in fact, the most beautiful
smart watch
 operating system that I’ve ever used and considering this is the first iteration, animations and transitions are smooth and rich as you would expect a product coming from Apple. Despite of that, practical usability is the main issue of watchOS, they honeycomb style home screen might look nice on pictures, it can be a pain to use in the long term, considering that you won’t be noticing how many Watch apps are available on your phone, it just gets packed with icons and you have to remember how they look like to recognize a specific app.

In terms of everyday performance, I’m glad that there weren’t any major hiccups on the device’s usability, most of the watch apps run well, Bluetooth connectivity was superb and reconnects immediately should the phone gets out of reach. While Apple have quoted an 18 hour battery life based on a moderate usage, our tests revealed that the Watch can sometimes exceed that stated battery life a little if you aren’t having too many notifications and have a battery efficient watch face.

watchOS isn’t perfect and we shouldn’t expect it to, no doubt it is beautiful it lacks many of the important features that current smart watches should have, while I remain optimistic on Apple’s softwre roadmap for its wearable, its still too early to tell whether the Apple Watch is a worthy investment for now or the near future.

Verdict

Is the Apple Watch Sport worth its $349 price tag? Yes and no, depending on how you perceive it. The Apple Watch is a quality product as you would expect from Apple, its premium build quality and rich software experience is definitely worth its asking price. However, if you are looking for a wearable that you can call it a true companion for your iPhone, the Apple Watch is still far from being one as you will still need to complete most of your tasks by taking out your phone, it will take a while for Apple to make watchOS a better wearable operating system, and I certainly do not see any point in buying an Apple Watch for now since there are alternatives such as Pebble, Android Wear could even see light soon in iOS if Apple happens to approve its companion app.

The Good:
+ Great build quality
+ Reasonable battery life
+ Digital crown useful in some situations
+ Reliable connection with iPhone
+ Comfortable
watch strap

The Not so Good:
– Expensive
– watchOS and ecosystem remains immature
– Main features not properly implemented
– Loudspeaker unusable for phone calls

The Apple Watch Sport gets a score rating of 7.7/10

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Apple Watch to get incremental upgrade to S version

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An Apple analyst claims that Apple fanboys such expect an incremental update of the Apple Watch this month, like an “S” upgrade to the smart watch, similar to the “S” iterations of the iPhones by the Cupertino company.

Analyst Gene Muster states that the upcoming Apple Watch will be focusing more on the upgraded internals, such as a better processor, better battery optimization and other components underneath the hood. Looks wise, the next Apple Watch will be similar. Muster told the Business Insider that the smart watch will most likely not have a wireless radio, which means that it can’t function as a standalone wearable.

Considering the patterns in which Apple upgrades their iPhones, this news isn’t much of a surprise since the Apple Watch was launched April last year and it would make sense for Apple to improve upon it while maintaining its external build. Apple Watch 2 or Apple Watch S? Let us know your thoughts below!

Source:
Cult of Mac

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Apple Watch vs Samsung Gear S

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Apple has now entered the wearable game with the Watch after
smart watch
es have existed for almost three years. Samsung’s hasn’t announced its next
smart watch
 this year and its Gear S is still one of its best products to date. The Apple Watch andSamsung Gear S are considered one of the most expensive smart watches in the Malaysian market and they both run off their own proprietary ecosystem, these wearables have beautiful displays, a promising operating system and fully packed with features, however when it comes to a competition of two proprietary wearable operating systems, WatchOS and Tizen OS plays a very different role in offering itself as a smartphone companion to users.

Therefore, we’ve decided to put these two smart watches on a head to head comparison on the purpose of its existence, the Apple Watch offers more of an extension of the apps on your iPhone which would seem very promising at the end of the day, while the Gear S also gets stuff from your
Galaxy
 smartphone and is able to run
stand
alone watch apps without the need to be always connected to a smartphone. Does Apple stand a chance to win users over to its ecosystem just because the Watch offers a more complete experience, and how would Samsung face the Apple Watch in its next smart watch release? Watch our comparison between the Apple Watch and the Samsung Gear S, and leave your thoughts down in the comments section. In addition, stay tuned while we work hard on bringing you our final verdict on the Apple Watch.

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Apple Watch's Spotify app will be coming soon

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Are you annoyed at the fact that your Apple Watch does not have a Spotify app, and you would need to take your phone out every time you want to change music or play a song? Well back in February developer Andrew Chang fixed that problem by introducing Spotty, now called Snowy, which was a 3rd party app to help you control Spotify from your Apple Watch. Spotify contacted him presumably because the same is similar, but after seeing the quality of the app, Spotify hired him to create an official app.

The app that Chang was creating is pretty interesting as it included Siri support, swipe-based playback controls and watch faces. He even had plans to include offline sync capabilities which would allow you to download music from your playlist to your Apple Watch, eliminating the need to connect and iPhone to play music.

Sadly there is no release date for Spotify’s own version of the smartwatch app or if Chang will stop his development on his own app. For now we can only wait and see which would come first, but rest assured Apple Watch users will get to interface with Spotify from their wrist in the near future.

Source:
Engadget

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Apple will be disabling Flash by default on Safari 10

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Apple’s upcoming operating system, macOS Sierra, will bring with it Safari 10. With the introduction of Safari 10, Apple is about to hit the final nail into Adobe Flash as the browser will disable all proprietary plugins by default when browsing the web.

Starting from Safari 10, whenever you access a website that features content only available in Flash, Safari will override clicks on the links to download Flash to show a special modal sheet. This sheet will allow users to enable Flash on a per-use basis or enable the plugin site-wide. After confirming, Safari will then load the Flash content as normal.

Apple isn’t alone in its mission to phase out Flash of course. Just last month, Google revealed that they will also be phasing out Adobe Flash in favour of HTML5. With Apple and Google having decided to leave Flash behind, it would seem that Flash is finally on its last legs.

Source:
9to5Mac
,
Engadget

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Apple will be kicking off WWDC 2015 on June 8, time for a new iPad?

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The great PR folks at Apple are kind enough to send over a press release to tip us on WWDC 2015 (Worldwide Developers’ Conference) which is set to happen on 8 June through 12 June at San Francisco’s Moscone West, while we would like to attend or to be sponsored there, interested Apple developers can apply for tickets now and Apple will fortunately live stream the event once again.

In our
case
, the most important part of the event is definitely the company’s new product and operating system update, while we should be expecting the next iOS to be announced or improvements to the currents SDKs (software development kit), the
iPad
 is now due for an update after a year of release by then. According to past rumors we should be expecting Apple to release theiPad Pro which will make multitasking easier and have a larger 12.2-inch display. On the other hand, there will be 100 technical sessions presented by engineers through out the period for developers to develop apps for the company’s products and engineers will be able to apply tickets via
http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/tickets
 now through Saturday, 18 April 1 a.m. SST, tickets are of course limited and Apple won’t grant them so easily. Apple will also be offering over 350 WWDC scholarships to students and members of STEM organisations around the world and the chance to earn a free ticket if they apply through
http://developer.apple.com/wwdc/scholarships
.

For now, we shall continue to dream on if we ever made it to WWDC one day but we will of course stay tuned to the live stream and update you folks accordingly. Counting down to 8 June…


Apple will be shutting down Beats Music

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Looks like Apple has decided to shut down Beats Music service on November 30th following the launch of Apple Music on Android. According to the FAQ section on Beats Music website, all subscriptions will be cancelled on that date and subscribers are asked to move their picks and preferences over to Apple Music before then.

In fact, on Beats Music website FAQ, it looks like they are actively encouraging its users to subscribe to Apple Music instead. On top of that, apparently its curators will be moved to Apple Music to continue curating as the website mentioned, “All the pros that curated music for you are still crafting more amazing experiences. Plus, on Apple Music, you’ll get even better recommendations based on music you already listen to and love, 24/7 global radio with Beats 1, exciting material from your favorite artist, and more.”

We are assuming that since Apple Music has been launched on both iOS and Android platform, there isn’t any reason for Apple to keep Beats Music alive anymore since they wouldn’t want a conflict of interest after all.

SOURCE:
9to5 Mac

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Apple will help you retrieve your lost AirPods via the 'Find My iPhone' app

312

Show anyone a video of the AirPods and chances are good that one of the few questions that would pop into their mind would be “what if you lose them?” Apple is probably aware of how easy it is someone could potentially lose their expensive, wireless earphones, which is probably why the company will be implementing a feature that will let AirPod owners locate their missing earphones via the ‘Find My iPhone’ app.

Available in the upcoming iOS 10.3 update, Apple will implement a feature that would help you locate your AirPods by using the iPhone’s GPS. As the AirPods themselves do not come with any GPS system of their own, this feature won’t be able to pinpoint the exact location of the lost earphones. What the Find My iPhone app will do is that it will highlight the location where the AirPods were last in range of an iOS device.

If the AirPods just so happens to be out of range of any iOS devices, the Find My iPhone app will show you a general location of where the earphones was last detected by your device. To help assist the search further, the AirPods will also play a sound through the earbuds, allowing you to locate it easily if you just so happen to lose it in a silent location. Unfortunately, if the AirPods’ battery were to be drained when you lose it, then you’re completely out of luck.

Source:
The Wall Street Journal

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Apple will launch an 9.7" iPad Pro 3

276

We’ve previously mentioned that
Apple may be launching a 9.7″ iPad
 as the “iPad Air 3”. According to our sources, they were mistaken as the 9.7″ iPad isn’t a new iPad Air, it will be under the iPad Pro line instead.

9to5Mac has stated that this new 9.7″ iPad Pro will have nearly identical features and specifications as the original 12.9″ iPad Pro. As such, the A9X processor, RAM upgrades, as well as the display technology that supports Apple Pencil will also be present on the smaller iPad Pro.

As for the Smart Keyboard cover attachment, Apple is supposedly preparing a smaller version for the 9.7″ model. Colours and storage capacity options will be identical to the 12.9″ variant. For pricing, sources are saying that the 9.7″ model will be priced somewhere within the iPad Air range.

With this development, it seems that Apple will be phasing out the iPad Air line this year. While it is completely possible that Apple may announce a new iPad Air at its event on the 15th of March, the likelihood that Apple will discontinue the iPad Air line is much more likely.

Source:
9to5Mac

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Apple will launch CareKit to allow people to develop their own health apps

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During Apple’s ‘In The Loop’ event, Apple also took the time to announce a new open source platform that would allow those interested to develop their own health care app: CareKit.

Similar to Apple’s ResearchKit software platform for scientist, CareKit is Apple’s way of getting more involved in the health care and medical research after the addition of the Health app. Some of the new apps that have been developed through CareKit thus far includes an app that would assist patients with Parkinson’s disease track the effectiveness of the drugs or the exercise regiments they’re on.

Medical institutions like the Texas Medical Center has also created a post-operation check list out of CareKit which tracks the patient’s symptoms and uses an accelerometer to measure their range of motion. Another example would be the app that Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center created to store data from home monitoring devices of patients with chronic health conditions.

Apple is expected to launch the CareKit suite in April.

Source:
The Verge

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Apple will be merging iOS and MacOS apps in 2018

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Apple is merging their mobile and desktop platforms to make it easier for developers to build apps that will easily work with touch input on the iOS and mouse and trackpad on the MacOS which they plan to implement next year. This can merge the fine line between both the platforms and allow developers to create just one app that will work on both platforms.

Apple intends to release this feature with the fall updates on both the iOS and MacOS the same time we expect the new iPhone release. Bloomberg mentions that we could hear about this new feature as soon as summer during Apple’s annual World Wide Developers Conference where they usually show off their latest products and devices. This could mean that Apple might only provide one type of App Store for both platforms which is something similar to what Google has done for the Chromebooks and Play Store, where phone apps can be used on the Chromebooks as well.

This might still take a while as the processor architecture of both platforms are very different and this could be an issue when developing an app to cater both processors. On the other hand, there is the worry of if some features on the MacOS app will be removed to allow the app to work fine with the mobile processor on the iOS.

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Apple will now repair devices fitted with third-party batteries. A sign of change from the fruit company?

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According to MacRumors, iPhones that are fitted with a third-party battery can now be repaired at official Apple Authorized Service Providers and Genius Bars.

If there is an issue with the third-party battery itself, licensed Apple technicians are now allowed to replace them with official Apple batteries.

For non-battery related issues, technicians are also now allowed to repair the device without the hindrance of the third-party component rule that once revoked the eligibility of an Apple device for repairs by official Apple representatives.

Right-to-repair has been a topic of constant debate for several years now, with prominent YouTubers Louis Rossman and Linus Sebastian as active proponents of the right and opposers of Apple’s repair policies.

This move is dramatic for Apple’s standards and should come as good news for customers in Malaysia as this reduces restrictions as to how users choose to fix their device. Hopefully customers will no longer be told to buy a new device just because their current product is eligible for repairs; or the fix itself would cost just as much as a new replacement.

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Apple will soon separate Music, Books, Podcasts and TV from iTunes

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Not only is Apple focusing on its services this year, it seems like the company is also planning on separating their main apps — Music, Podcasts, TV and Books — from iTunes.

These apps are expected to be separated in the next macOS Mojave major update, which 9to5Mac suggests to be version 10.15. There will be a major redesign on the Books app, in which it is said to slightly resemble the Apple News app as it will have a sidebar and a narrower title bar for its different tabs.

Furthermore, the new Music, Podcasts and TV apps are reported to be made via Marzipan, a new initiative Apple has taken to ensure the iPad apps can be ported to Mac, and it is expected that the Books app will be included.

Despite being separated from iTunes, the tech giant plans to keep iTunes as it’s currently the only solution to manual sync between old iPods and iPhones with the Mac.

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Apple wins patent lawsuit against Samsung, resulting in older phone models being banned

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The long running court drama between Apple and Samsung is finally over, and Apple emerged out of this mess the winner.

An injunction issued by a US District Court judge will take effect next month, effectively banning some older Samsung smartphone models from being sold in the US. These phone models include Samsung’s Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S II, Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S II Skyrocket, Galaxy S III, and Stratosphere products.

Patents that were found to be infringed upon by Samsung includes U.S. Patent No. 5,946,647 which involves data detection and linking feature, U.S. Patent No. 8,046,721 which involveds the slide-to-unlock feature, and U.S. Patent No. 8,074,172, which involves the autocorrect feature.

On top of the sales ban, the judge further barred Samsung from sale or development in the US of software that would implement the features deemed to have been infringed on during the patent litigation.

Samsung is understandbly disappointed about the District Court’s decision, even though the sales ban only affects smartphone models that are considered obsolete. “While this will not impact American consumers, it is another example of Apple abusing the judicial system to create bad legal precedent which can harm consumer choice for generations to come,” says Samsung.

Source :
Phys.org

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Apple is working on an iPhone SE 2 behind the scenes

292

While all eyes are on the unveiling of the iPhone 8 later this year by Apple, it appears that the Cupertino giant is working on the iPhone SE’s successor, leading to a possible launch in the future. The iPhone SE has proved to be a popular device among Apple’s premium flagships, catering to a new market of customers looking for more affordable Apple devices.

Wistron, the manufacturer responsible for making the iPhone SE beginning roughly three months ago is said to be lending a hand for the production of the iPhone SE 2 as well. The iPhone SE 2 is rumored to be launched in Q1 next year, with availability starting off in India, where Wistron’s facility is located.

So far, rumors point to either a 4-inch or 4.2-inch display for the iPhone SE 2. Underneath the hood, the compact iPhone is said to be powered by Apple’s A10 chipset and 2GB of RAM. It is also tipped to feature a 12MP rear camera, the same shooter used by the current iPhone 7, along with a 5MP selfie camera. The iPhone SE 2 will most likely run on iOS 11 out of the box. The newer second generation Touch ID will be making its way to the phone, which will be a welcome bonus feature.

With the pending launch of the iPhone 8, an iPhone SE 2 in early 2018 will definitely give Apple the extra boost in sales over the competition. Will you be interested in an iPhone SE 2?

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Apple working on Touch ID to active "Panic Mode"

366

Everyone knows that Apple didn’t invent the fingerprint scanner, nor was the company first at deploying it on mobile phones. However, the existing Touch ID has become so fast and practical that we even complain of its crazy speed at unlocking the iPhone 6s. Apple figures the Touch ID is about more than just unlocking your phone, and a new Apple patent proves that.

Apple has just filed a new patent called Fingerprint activation of a panic mode of operation for a mobile device, and the idea here is to indicate the users a nifty way to protect themselves by setting their finger on the iPhone. Given the recent kill switch laws, thieves have come to the point of demanding that a user unlocks the phone and removes the “Find my iPhone” feature before running away. This patented trick would allow a user to comply, but it would protect all personal data, call for help, and even take photos of the subject and store them securely on iCloud.

But it won’t stop iPhone theft since the next trick will be for the burglar to request that the phone be unlocked by other means, or even wear a mask, but this will be the right way to start.

SOURCE:
BGR

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Apple WWDC 2022 is set to happen on June 6

4.4K

Apple has officially announced the date for its annual Worldwide Developer Conference event, which is set to happen on June 6 to 10 this year and as usual, we will be introduced to the company’s latest software and services effort, though we don’t expect to see any hardware announcements during the event, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has speculated that Apple might take the opportunity to introduce new Apple Silicon Macs that’s targeted at developers – Mac Pro anyone?

The event will be an all-online format just like last year, although Apple says that it will host limited spaces for developers and students to be at Apple Park on June 6 to watch the keynote and State of the Unions video, which interested parties can find out soon on how to attend on the
Apple Developer site
.

As usual, we are looking to announcements of iOS 16, iPadOS 16, tvOS 16, watchOS 9 and macOS 13 during the keynote, WWDC will also offer developers access to Apple engineers during the period and a Swift Student Challenge for students to  to submit their app ideas and creation programmed with Swift.

More details on WWDC 2022 will be shared on the
Apple Developer site
 as the date draws nearer, and we should be looking at some interesting leaks as well, which we definitely can’t wait to see how Apple has improved its software.

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Apple renamed its WWDC app to Apple Developer and it has some new features

328

Apple used to have a WWDC app for iOS for its users to watch videos of the WorldWide Developers Conference if they’re unable to attend, but now the company is renaming this app to “Apple Developer”.

According to Apple, the renamed app will be delivering in-depth information from Apple experts and the latest developer news. TechCrunch reported that the app aren’t as comprehensive as the website yet, but that will change over time.

The Apple Developer app will also come with a new feature that allows US developers to enrol in the Apple Developer Program via the app. This feature will be expanded to other countries, but there are no confirmed dates yet. Apart from that, there’s also a Discover tab, an enhanced Search UI and some bug fixes.

The Apple Developer app can be downloaded in App Store.

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AppleCare now replaces batteries that is under 80% of capacity

384

Apple recently updated the terms of its AppleCare+ Protection Plan for iPhone,
iPad
, iPod and Apple Watch to cover batteries that retain less than 80% of their original capacity within the extended warranty period, and for the MacBook, MacBook air and MacBook Pro will receive the same policy on the AppleCare Protection.

Previously, Apple only will replace defective batteries under the old terms of the AppleCare Protection Plan for Mac, but now you can replace a MacBook’s battery at no charge if it retains less than 80% of its original capacity. The difference between the new terms and old terms is you are able to replace the notebook battery that retain less than 80 percent of the original capacity at no charge if you purchase an apple One Year Limited Warranty or AppleCare Protection plans.

However, in the old terms you only can replace the battery if its defect and does not cover batteries that have stopped working or exhibiting diminished capacity due to normal use except when it is the result of a manufacturing defect.
This will be a very good deal if you extend the notebook’s warranty coverage and telephone technical supports to three years from the original date of purchase because without this you might need to spend more than USD 200 to replace any defective parts.

You can purchase the AppleCare Protection Plan over
here
 starting from RM 105.

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Apple’s 2018 iPhones could come with MediaTek modems

287

As most of you know, Apple and Qualcomm are in a legal battle with each other mainly on the modems used in iPhones, and to solve this problem, Apple is said to be using MediaTek modems for their 2018 phones based on a report from DigiTimes. In the report, it is mentioned that MediaTek has all the resources and pricing advantage to supply Apple with the modems and will join Intel in doing so.

DigiTimes also explains that the partnership between the modem maker and Apple will extend further than just modems, they will also be in the supply chain for smart speakers and wireless charging devices. This information correlates to a report from The Wall Street Journal which also mentioned that Apple is moving away from Qualcomm and partnering with MediaTek to get its modems into 2018 iPhones.

At this point, all of this are still speculations as 9to5Mac did not manage to get an official comment from MediaTek when asked on this matter, but DigiTimes does have a good track record when it comes to supplier news. We will have to wait for an official statement from either MediaTek or Apple to know more.

2018
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mediatek
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Apple’s 2019 iPhone will have a laser-based 3D sensor for better AR experience

317

The iPhone X is arriving in Malaysia on 24 November 2017 and already there are reports on one of the new features the 2019 iPhone might carry and it sounds pretty impressive. It will come with a new 3D Sensor on the rear of the phone that is said to improve augmented reality apps and services.

The new system will work by using lasers coming from the device to measure the time it takes for the reflection to get back to the device so it can establish a depth map. Dual-cameras can already achieve this method which is what Apple is currently using for the AR and FaceID, but this new method will make it a lot more precise. Bloomberg mentioned that Apple is currently in talks with suppliers for the new system but there is no confirmation that the technology will make it into the 2019 iPhone.

With the availability of Apple’s ARKit, it has shown that it is capable of producing great AR content and with the combination of the new sensors that Apple is planning to put into the new phone, it looks like AR content is getting the spotlight as more companies are adopting and refining it.

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Apple’s AirPods finally get an upgrade with an optional wireless charging case, starting from RM699

291

Apple continues its series of exciting news three days in a row; today it announces the new AirPods that many have been looking forward to.

The new AirPods are equipped with an all-new Apple H1 headphone chip which promotes various enhancements including faster connections, longer talk time and also the new hands-free “Hey Siri” feature. AirPods users can say “Hey Siri” to perform multiple functions such as making a call, changing songs, getting directions and also adjusting the volume of the music playback.

Image credit: Apple

“AirPods delivered a magical wireless experience and have become one of the most beloved products we’ve ever made. They connect easily with all of your devices, and provide crystal clear sound and intuitive, innovative control of your music and audio,” said Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.

The new AirPods are not only better in terms of audio quality, but they also come with wireless charging support and weighs at 4g each. On the other hand, its Wireless Charging Case weighs only 40g, and is Qi-compatible.

The AirPods are said to be able to provide five hours of music playback and three hours of talk time in a full charge. 15 minutes of charging will give an additional three hours music playback and two hours talk time, while its Wireless Charging Case offers multiple charges leading to more than a day of music playback.

Image credit: Apple

The new AirPods come with two different cases: a standard charging case and also a Wireless Charging case. The former will cost you RM699 while the latter will be slightly pricier at the price of RM879. For existing AirPods users who are interested in getting the Wireless Charging Case can also purchase it without the AirPods for RM439. You can already check out the new AirPods on
apple.com/my
 but it is yet to be available. However, the Cupertino company did reveal that it will be available later this spring.

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Wireless Charging Case


Apple's "Airpods" get certified in Russia, alongside iPhone 7 and new Apple smartwatch

267

Apple has announced its next event, which will be held a week from now, and all eyes will be on the next iPhone, if not most eyes. A new Apple smartwatch is slated to make an appearance as well, based on Apple’s product refresh patterns. As more rumors come through, both the iPhone 7 and the new Apple smartwatch have been spotted going through certification at Russia, plus some “Airpods”.

The Airpods, as seen on the screenshots appearing on Russian site Mobiltelefon.ru, will most likely be the rumored bluetooth earphones by Apple, meant to make up ground for the lack of a 3.5mm headphone jack on the new iPhone. The omission, which is probably confirmed by now, has received mixed reviews from the media and consumers worldwide. Even former Apple co-founder and unofficial advisor Steve Wozniak has expressed that Apple’s decision won’t go down too well with future consumers. The missing headphone jack will result in users having to get Bluetooth options, or fit an adapter for the 3.5mm cable to the iPhone’s charging port. We do hope that the Airpods do come included with the new iPhone 7, though that can’t be entirely confirmed.

The leaks do tell us that we’ll be expecting the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, plus the new Apple Watch lineup. Hence, it’s possible that Apple will be showcasing, if not launching the new iPhones and the new Apple Watch series in the same event. We only have a week to go, so best to stay put as we approach Apple’s September 7th event!

Source:
Mobiltelefon.ru
  Via:
9to5Mac

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Apple’s AirPods with wireless charging case might be seen early 2019

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Apple Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently predicted that Apple’s AirPods that comes with a wireless charging case will be released in the first quarter of 2019.

In addition to the wireless charging case, the AirPods are expected to get upgrades such as Bluetooth 5.0 and also a revised W-series chip. The wireless charging case has even announced long ago, and some even expected it to be released in the recent October event but as that did not happen, it is now expected to be seen next year.

Kuo also predicted that the AirPods will get an all-new design in the first quarter of 2020, and that it will have an “innovative user experience” and a “high integration with iOS and Mac products”. Furthermore, Kuo is placing high expectations on the AirPods, as he predicts 55 million units to be sold in 2019 which is almost twice the amount he predicted for this year. He also predicted that there will be 110 million units of sales in 2021, as he believes that the AirPods is “Apple’s most popular accessory ever”, and that the AirPods “currently has the best momentum among Apple products.”

In the meantime, there are still no updates and news about the AirPower, the wireless charger pad that Apple announced in September 2017. However, Kuo’s previous analysis did dictate that he is expecting the AirPower by the end of this year or early next year.

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Apple’s AirPower isn’t dead after all

356

We waited and waited for Apple’s wireless charging mat, but last year Apple finally confirmed that the project has been cancelled. Now, new information suggests that the project might be back on.

Tech analyst Jon Prosser tweeted yesterday that the company hasn’t given up on the project entirely. According to Prosser, “They’re trying to re=engineer the coils to displace heat more effectively.” He also pointed out that the tech giant is trying to release a wireless charging mat that actually works with the Apple Watch.

Image credit: Apple Insider

The reason why Apple hasn’t released its own charging mat so far is that it hasn’t been able to create one that can support the Apple Watch. This seems reasonable, especially since the Apple Watch is one of their best-selling products.

Well, Apple might just change the AirPower name to something else entirely. There’s no telling when it’ll be fully developed and launch, but at least we now have a tiny ray of hope.

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Apple’s app tracking policy has cost big social media companies almost $10 billion in revenue

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According to The Financial Times (via
The Verge
), big-name social media apps Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, and YouTube lost around $9.85 billion (about RM40.86 bil) in revenue last year after Apple introduced the
 App Tracking Transparency
 (ATT) policy.

ATT mandates that all apps must ask its users’ permission to track their data, and after the cause for the drop in income has to do with the sheer number of people denying permission.

Facebook emerged as the biggest loser due to its size. According to the report, the company has had to rebuild its system of advertising and monetising its user base.

while Snapchat “fared the worst as a percentage of its business” due to the fact that its advertising is tied so closely to smartphones, since the app doesn’t have a desktop alternative.

As a result of the policy, you have already seen, or will be seeing companies try various ways to monetise their services, aside from in-app purchases and subscriptions.

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Apple's explanation on faulty batteries forcing iPhone shutdowns

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Recently, a number of Apple iPhone users have reported their handsets shutting down with 30 percent of battery left. Apple eventually resolved the issue by swapping out batteries for affected customers and their iPhones. Just yesterday, the Cupertino company has released a new statement, explaining the reason behind its iPhone units with faulty batteries.

Apple has earlier explained that the battery issue has affected “a small number” of iPhones, and still stood by that reasoning in the latest statement released. The company has claimed that after a series of intensive investigations, there were no new discoveries as to why the iPhones shut down unexpectedly. However, the company has provided a couple of detailed explanations:

“We found that a small number of iPhone 6s devices made in September and October 2015 contained a battery component that was exposed to controlled ambient air longer than it should have been before being assembled into battery packs. As a result, these batteries degrade faster than a normal battery and cause unexpected shutdowns to occur. It’s important to note, this is not a safety issue.”

Based on the statement above, it is safe to say that the battery issue surrounding the iPhone 6s units are not life endangering, unlike the case of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, so it’s probably an issue of annoyance instead of a safety issue. Apple has setup a page for the “iPhone 6s Program for Unexpected Shutdown Issues” whereby users can find out whether their iPhone unit is affected. The full statement by Apple is available at the source link below.

Source:
Apple

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Apple's "Hello Again" event to be focused solely on laptops

292

This Friday, Apple will be holding its “Hello Again” event, where the company will be revealing its new Macs. Unfortunately, the desktop Macs will not be present at the event, as KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has mentioned that the event will be focused solely on its laptops.

According to MacRumors, Kuo has mentioned that while Apple is indeed working on an updated iMac model that comes with discrete AMD graphics options and a new standalone external 5K display, the Mac itself will not be ready for launch until mid-2017. That being said, Kuo mentioned that Apple may reveal the new iMac during the event.

As for the laptops, Kuo pretty much confirmed most of the details that has been leaked about both the MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. For the MacBook Pro, Kuo mentions that the laptop will come with Intel’s Skylake processors, a new 2TB SSD storage option, as well as the OLED touch bar using a processor that is similar to the one found in the Apple Watch. For the MacBook Air, Kuo says that Apple will indeed be introducing a 13-inch MacBook Air, although he mentioned nothing about the rumoured 11-inch MacBook Air being discontinued.

Source:
MacRumors

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