Apple

Watch Every Model of iPhone Get Speed Tested at the Same Time

Ever wonder if your iPhone 4 really was weirdly slow? Or if iOS 7, despite its bells and whistles, just has a longer boot time than your old 3G? Well wonder no longer. You’re about to find out for sure. EverythingApplePro ran an absurdly comprehensive speed test using every iPhone ever made (and a whole…

11 Tips to Keep iOS 7 From Destroying Your Battery Life

While your iPhone’s new operating system comes with plenty of advantages, iOS 7’s not without its drawbacks. Battery life just ain’t quite what you’d want it to be, but we’ve got some tips to squeeze the most out of that sucker and stay juiced all day long. https://gizmodo.com/ios-7-review-pretty-is-as-pretty-does-1327221981 Many of iOS 7’s fancy new features…

This Week in Time Capsules: How ‘Bout That iPhone 89?

This week in our time capsule round-up we have a 9/11 memorial time capsule in Pennsylvania, the not-at-all symbolic burial of a BlackBerry tablet in California, and letters from Canadian kids addressed to people of the future—including one that wonders what version of iPhone they’ll have a hundred years hence. Town Buries BlackBerry Tablet as…

The iPhone 5S is a “great phone” but “iterative, boring and gimmicky”

The iPhone is not the absolute king of the hill anymore. It’s still the most inviting and friendly phone, but not the very best. It’s “a great phone”—says Gizmodo’s Kyle Wagner—but “it’s not perfect.” Read his full review here. https://gizmodo.com/iphone-5s-review-its-an-iphone-past-present-and-fu-1405289089

iPhone 5S Review: A Great Phone, With a Whole Lot of Buts

The trajectory of the iPhone is, in most ways, the trajectory of Apple over the past decade. Insane ambition, untouchable dominance, the inevitable slowing of momentum. And now, reinvention, sort of. Mostly from iOS 7, partly from the iPhone 5S itself. But underneath it all, it’s still just an iPhone. And that’s still pretty good.…

Microsoft is offering “at least $200” in gift card money for your gently used iPhone 4S or 5. The offer starts today and runs until November 3rd, and mirrors a similar iPad offer that began earlier this month. [Microsoft Store via Verge]

Beats Has Ended Its Relationship With HTC

Beats has had enough: it’s walking out of its relationship with HTC and buying back the 25 percent stake currently held by smartphone manufacturer. HTC ponied up $300 million back in 2011 for a 50.1 percent stake in Beats. Then, the headphone manufacturer paid $150 million to buy back 25 percent last year. Today, it…

What can you ask your Siri personal assistant in iOS 7? Here’s a list

Siri—Apple’s iPhone assistant—can do pretty much anything you want in the new iOS 7, as shown in this massive list of stuff you can ask Siri. https://lifehacker.com/all-the-things-you-can-ask-siri-to-do-in-ios-7-1401408294

No Third-Party App Support for You: How Apple iOS 7 Hoards Playlists

iOS users are delighted by the new iOS 7 rollout, available not only on the new iPhones, but on previous models as well. And unlike Android users, most of whom fail to upgrade to the latest operating system, iOS users tend to upgrade en masse, which means many, many people already have iOS 7 or…

Google Search Is Getting Even Smarter

Today, 15 years after Google launched, the company’s SVP of Search Amit Singhal let us know where the search giant is heading. Not surprisingly, the primary focus is the engine’s ability to understand what you want, however you say it. Answers Knowledge graph—Google’s new and improved sentient know-it-all answer engine—is growing up. For example, if…

iOS 7.0.2 Is Here and It Fixes the iPhone’s Major Security Hole

iOS 7.0.2 is has started making its way out there, and it fixes that embarrassing lockscreen exploit we saw last week. Phew! And, as a bonus, it also reintroduces Greek language options for passcode entry! But the (re)added security is what you’ll want. So go check for an update now, or hop over to 9to5Mac…

How Apple Stores work consumers to buy and be happy

Along with retail masters Mickey Drexler—then Gap’s CEO—and Ron Johnson, Steve Jobs created the Apple Stores in 2001. They wanted consumer heavens in which everything, from the space to the body language of the salespeople, is carefully designed to work people into buying a brand, its products and “happiness.” The Cupertino corporation used the stores…

Retail Therapy: Inside the Apple Store

An Apple employee is never supposed to point when giving directions in their store. For example, when asked where the iPhone cases are sold, a specialist should either gesture with an open hand or, preferably, walk the customer to the proper location. If you’ve ever wandered into an Apple Store just to covertly check your…

Everybody Be Cool, Conan Fixed the Gold iPhone Shortage

There’s been a gold iPhone shortage since day one, although that’s likely more Apple’s short supply than any overwhelming wave of demand. Still, though, if you’re holding out for all that glitters, Conan’s got the hookup. https://gizmodo.com/why-a-gold-iphone-5s-actually-makes-sense-1166440705 And while I’m not convinced that guy is actually the gold iPhone’s designer, he definitely seems more in…

Jony Ive and Craig Federighi Talk Design, User Experience and Touch ID

Last week, Business Week ran a fairly boring interview with Tim Cook, Jonathan Ive and Craig Federighi. Now, though, it’s released a longer interview with just Ive and Federighi, which is kinda interesting. Here are some of the highlights. Ive on making complex solutions seems effortless: I feel that it’s lovely when as a user…

You can set up your Apple TV through your iOS 7-running iPhone now thanks to the magic of Bluetooth. Just touch your iOS device to your Apple TV and your Apple TV will get all the deets on the Wi-Fi network, passwords and iTunes account details. [Apple]

Trade Your Swiss Army Knife For This Multi-Function iPhone Case

Your smartphone has already replaced everything from your digital camera to your alarm clock, so why not the pocket knife clipped to your keyring too? The creators of the IN1 feel you should demand more from your iPhone case than just a way to protect it from falls, and so have packed theirs with a…

iPhone 5C Review: A Fresh Coat of Paint Only Goes So Far

In a way, we already reviewed this phone a year ago. In fact, iPhone 5C is in every important way the iPhone 5 in different clothing. That’s not to say it’s bad phone. In fact, after spending a weekend with the iPhone 5C, I can say with certainty it’s a very good phone, in the…

Mailbox for iOS Has a Huge Security Flaw (Update: It’s Fixed)

Mailbox, the tidy iOS email app recently purchased by Dropbox, has a pretty wide-open hole that could allow bad actors to hijack your device. And unlike phishing attempts that should probably set off your sketchiness detector, this flaw involves emails that look completely innocuous. https://gizmodo.com/mailbox-review-your-bad-email-redemption-5983668 As Italian researcher Michele Spagnuolo shows, the Mailbox app will…

Good news for globetrotting Apple users: AppleCare+ now covers service in other countries. Seems the plan, which used to apply only to the country of purchase, now lets you get the coverage offered wherever you are. [TechCrunch]